Samples

It’s been a while since my last entry. Crazy how time flies, and life changes in what on paper is only three little flips of a calendar. I’ve managed to read twenty-two books so far this year which is something like a book every three days. I’ve not taken out any loans or stolen any money to keep this habit functioning but as of late I have hit a bit of a road block. My hours at work have been cut, slashed, to a mere thirty-two per week. So, I have resorted to downloading free samples of books from B&N. If you’re not familiar with a free sample for the Nook, all it is, is usually the first thirty to forty pages of a book. When you subtract for the ‘acknowledgements’, ‘dedication’, etc,,, you’re left with usually twenty-five pages of the book; just enough to thoroughly suck you in and make you want to buy the whole thing. There’s even a little button at the top of the page that says ‘Buy Now’, just one little tap from your finger and the whole book could be yours! It’s just that easy, and just that much more difficult. My rational brain says ‘according to your budget, and projected income in the coming weeks you have three dollars to your name!’ But the addict in me says, ‘there’s twelve dollars in the coin jar at home, and there’s a Coinstar just around the corner at the CVS, maybe I could put it all on a CVS gift card then use that card to purchase a B&N gift card from the gift card tree in the store?’ Sigh – Why do I have to be a rational person? If I were truly an addict I would do whatever it takes to get my next fix, maybe even turn to prostitution! Alas, not an option. But a second (legitimate) job might be; I wonder if B&N is hiring? The point of this entry was to express my frustrations with book samples though. I can only equate it to being on the edge of an orgasm only to have someone knock on your door wholly interrupting what would have been the best ever orgasm of your life (alone or by yourself). And the book sellers know what they’re doing. They suck you in get you all comfortable with the main character, introduce a possible love interest, or antagonist, cut to the scene where a defining moment is about to take place, ““Very funny.” Adrian thought so. “So?” Sierra stared ahead, [End of Sample]”. COME ON, Chasing Love by Ronica Black! Forty-eight pages into it, but after the title page, synopsis, credits, ‘by the author’ and dedication, you’re really only thirty-three pages into the story. Thirty-three pages of “She was on the hunt” and “it pooled and pulsed behind her clit, causing that sweet, sharp ache in her loins.” Really!? You’re going to cut me off when the main character had hooked up with and was on her way to her house with a sure thing! You’re going to rob me of that scene! So not humanely right, but I’m sure it sells a lot of books. Just not to me, yet. And I’ve put myself through this torture with five other samples so far with two more in the wings. On the one hand I do appreciate the sample theory that at least I’m not buying a whole book that after the first ten pages is a total dud. But, I’m sampling books from a genre I love and adore! In the one hundred twenty-three books I’ve read so far there have only been six I’ve regretted (they didn’t offer any samples). The six that caused me to realize I was an addict, because otherwise why would I keep torturing myself with the series when I knew from the first book how horribly written it was. But I just had to know what next hurtle lay in the way for Catherine and Jace and the cast of characters surrounding them. I let myself look beyond the cut-off love scenes; I think the favorite words of the author’s were “and in the morning…” or “waking up in each others’ arms…” seriously? And, although it was filed under lesbian romance I kept reading when it became apparent that it was complete fantasy! Oh, and reading a sample did save me from buying a book written by an obviously limited author whose vocabulary could most closely be compared to the artful diction of Snookie. But, otherwise, sampling books from the lesbian romance genre for me is kind of like tying to only eat one Pringle, then shelving the can. Oh, I can do it, but you better believe I’m reaching for another Pringle from another can; did you know there are over a hundred and one flavors of Pringles worldwide? http://www.nowthatsnifty.com/2011/03/101-pringle-flavors-from-around-world.html Pringles be dammed, I will keep sampling, and I will keep groaning at the end of the sample in frustration but at least it’s giving me an idea of just how much money I’m going to need, maybe I can actually budget it in!? Way to go, Rational.