BOOK GROUPIE: Author Marr her e-book intro

If you haven’t noticed, I’m a person who reads a lot. Like many bibliophiles, I like the physical connection to reading; the weight of a book in my hand, the sight of a beautiful cover, the smell of pages and the sound of them turning.

I thought electronic readers—most notably the Kindle, the Nook, the Sony readers and the reading function on the iPad—would diminish my reading experience. I waited a long time to try an e-reader. When I did, I loved it.

I read my first e-book, Melissa Marr’s “Wicked Lovely,” on my iPad. It took a couple minutes to purchase the book and have it appear on the screen. Navigating the reader took no time. I flipped the pages with one touch and quickly worked through the book. A scrolling function on the screen helped me turn back to pages I wanted to read again.

I carried the lightweight iPad with me to the pool, to get my van’s oil changed and to the gym. Along the way, I fell for the iPad, and “Wicked Lovely” too.

“Wicked Lovely” is marketed as a Young Adult novel, but as an adult who is not so very young, I enjoyed it. The book stars a teenage girl named Aislinn. Aislinn is a typical teen, except that she sees faeries. These faeries are not of the Tinker Bell variety. They are mean, often tripping unseeing humans and causing more serious havoc, yet it’s necessary Aislinn pretend not to see them. 

Life is working fine for Aislinn, until the faery Summer King asks her to be his queen. According to the king, if Aislinn refuses, the Winter Queen will destroy summer faeries and the mortal world.

Because the faery world is so unusual, I asked Marr in an e-mail interview if she does anything to get into a writing mood. Marr says music is essential to her. “Each book (and sometimes each character) has a playlist. When I travel, I keep my music and a notebook in hand.”

Through the interview, I discovered Marr also reads on an iPad. Marr is the wife of a former Marine Corps communications officer, and says she proudly embraces her “geek streak.”

As far as I’m concerned, if using an e-reader makes me a geek, than I proudly wear the title, too.

For the full Marr interview, please visit my blog. For information on the Pikes Peak Library District’s e-books, visit ppld.org.
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Miller welcomes book suggestions. Read her
blog at www.anitalaydonmiller.blogspot.com
or e-mail anita.l.miller@att.net.