Introducing Natalie, Our New Managing Editor
It’s my pleasure this week to introduce you to our new managing editor, Natalie. As the managing editor for our River North social media, she writes posts for this blog (such as the 25 Days of A Marriage Carol posts) and updates our Facebook and Twitter pages. You’ll probably see more of her on here in the coming months as she talks about book marketing and publicity, plus some of her favorite fiction books.
Today, we asked Natalie for five of her favorite things to get to know her a little bit. Check out her answers below!
1. Favorite Fiction Book I actually have 2 favorite fiction books that are very different, but both hold special places in my heart. My favorite book as a child was Betsy and the Great World. My copy came with me to college every year and Betsy’s world continues to be one of my favorite worlds to inhabit on the weekends. (If you haven’t read the Betsy books, please give yourself a huge gift and go read them now!)
My other favorite fiction book is The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I read this for the first time this past summer and it quickly rose to the top of my list a beautiful example of fiction used to communicate truth.
2. Favorite Bible Verse My favorite Bible verse of the moment is Ephesians 5:14. “Wake up, O sleeper. Rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
3. Favorite Place to Read It’s hard to beat the feeling of waking up on a Saturday morning, with no need to get out of bed, and a book within reach. Continue reading / Leave a comment…
How Many Books Should I Read? New Year’s Resolutions for Readers
The average American reads about 9 books a year. On the other hand, if you’re like star Amazon reviewer Harriet Klausner, you might read 50 
books a week! For most of us somewhere in the middle – especially those of us who love to read.
In celebration of the New Year, we want to challenge our readers (and ourselves!) with some new reading goals for 2012. Here are five resolutions you might enjoy trying out this year!
- Keep track of the books you read. Use a website like Goodreads to make the process more like a game and to get other friends involved! Plus, Goodreads will give you suggestions of what to read next.
- Discuss what you’re reading. Join a book club to discuss what you’re reading! If that’s not an option, begin writing book reviews. Authors appreciate the feedback and it will give you the chance to voice your opinion. Plus, many publishing houses offer complimentary review copies if you have a blog and will cross-post your review on Amazon. (Learn about the River North/Moody Publishers review policy here!)
- Expand your literary horizons. Try reading books from other genres. Find a genre you don’t normally like and browse reviews for one that might interest you.
- Don’t just read books – digest them! Reading can be for gaining information, learning about new worlds, seeing from another person’s perspective, or just for fun. Help yourself get the most from books by taking time to process them rather than rushing through.
