july's end of the month bonanza

I know, I know. I've been a terrible blogger lately.

But I've started a new life: from lounging (with the exception of packing, packing, packing) recent college grad with all the time in the world to blog to Real Person. I've moved to NYC (unpacking, unpacking, unpacking), gotten an internship (with books!), and am looking for a job.

Not that my personal life has anything to do with this blog, with the exception that I won't have as much time to dedicate to it.

But I promise, Readers, that I will blog at least a few times a month, reviewing fantastic mid-list books, and posting any relevant news I discover on the subject, because it's so important not to let mid-list authors fall to the wayside. We need to fight for the books we love, and garner interest for mid-list books and authors, because without it, not only will some of our favorite authors not get published (so frustrating when you're in the middle of a series!), but the pool of options we have to read will get smaller and smaller.

So I'm going to do all I can, and you can help! Write an original review of a mid-list book that you love (any genre), and email it to me at doingitwrite@gmail.com. I'll post it under a guest reviewers section. You can also help by following this blog and my twitter (doingitwrite), and encouraging others to do the same, so that a wider audience hears about these awesome books. And, as always, spread the word about the situation and mid-list books and authors that you love!

Meanwhile, it's the end of the month, and you know what that means (no, I'm not referring to Harry Potter's birthday... I may be mildly obsessed, but this is a blog about the books that aren't getting the recognition they deserve, unlike a certain awesome series about a boy who lived). No, it really means that it's time for the end-of-the-month bonanza, which I'm helpfully posting on the end of the month this time.

So here we go...

What it is: A main way to help mid-list books and authors is publicity, so it's important not to forget books that have already been reviewed, since they still need publicity, and just because they're amazing, enjoyable reads. So in order to remind old readers what great mid-list books are out there, and to make it easy on new readers (because, let's face it, no one's going to take the time to sift through an entire blog all the way to the beginning), I'm going to list every book that's been reviewed on this site, whether by myself or a guest reviewer, at the end of every month.

Here's how it works: I'll categorize the books the best I can, and put the titles under appropriate headings. If that genre interests you, glance at the titles that have been reviewed, and click on the titles if you'd like to read the reviews (which in turn have links to author websites, ways to buy the books, and other fun stuff). In addition, this blog also has info about saving mid-list authors, so I'll categorize and put links to old posts that aren't book reviews, as well.

PLUS, a NEW FEATURE: If you follow me on twitter, you'll notice that I post many book titles there, either that I've read and loved, or want to read. I may not have time to write entire blog posts, but I still want to make sure that people know the array of awesome mid-list books out there. So, because going through my entire twitter would be even more obnoxious than going through my blog (I am so not looking forward to sifting through it myself), I will helpfully list every mid-list book I've ever mentioned on twitter since the beginning of time (or, you know, late May).Though the categories won't be as specific, I'll still categorize them for you, because I'm nice like that. In these lists, the links will go to a page where you can read about and purchase the book, rather than a review.

So have fun browsing an amazing array of books, and spread the word about these and other mid-list books and authors. And remember, if there's a mid-list book you love, shoot me an original review and I'll post it!

Book Reviews:

Funny (YA)

Freshman by Michael Gerber

Going Nowhere Faster by Sean Beaudoin

Light Fantasy/Mystery/Buddy Novel (with humor) (YA)

The Last Knight by Hilari Bell


Girly Funny (YA)

Inside the Mind of Gideon Rayburn by Sarah Miller

Confessions of a Not-It Girl by Melissa Kantor


Light, Humorous, Parody Fantasy (YA)

Standard Hero Behavior by John David Anderson

The Pig Scrolls by Paul Shipton

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks

The Squire's Tales Series by Gerald Morris


Girly Paranormal (YA)

Prom Dates from Hell by Rosemary Clement-Moore


Crime/Pranks/Plots (YA)

Hacking Harvard by Robin Wasserman


Girly Crime (YA)

Bad Kitty by Michelle Jaffe


Funny Nonfiction (not YA)

How to Win the World Series of Poker (or Not) by Pat Walsh


Twitter List # 1: Books I've read and loved

YA Funny

All's Fair in Love, War, and High School by Janette Rallison

Fame, Glory, and Other Things on my To-Do List by Janette Rallison

All the Way by Andy Behrens (WAY different than Sex Drive, the film based off the book.)

24 Girls in 7 Days by Alex Bradley

Summer Intern by Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman

Bittersweet Sixteen by Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman

Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen by Dyan Sheldon (trust me-- the book is good even though the movie was horrible)

Planet Janet books by Dyan Sheldon

I was a Non-Blonde Cheerleader by Kieran Scott

Lulu Dark Can See Through Walls by Bennett Madison

Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway


Unique YA (with some humor)

Repossessed by A.M. Jenkins

Dirty Laundry by Daniel Ehrenhaft

Black Taxi by James Maloney

So Yesterday by Scott Westerfield


YA Fantasy

Bras and Broomsticks by Sarah Mylnowski

Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde

Crown, Sword, and Shield Trilogy by Hilari Bell

Goblin Wood by Hilari Bell


YA Historical Fiction

Bloody Jack series by L.A. Meyer


Younger YA Fantasy

The Illmore Chronicles by David Lee Stone

The Lost Journals of Ven Polypheme by Elizabeth Hayden


Younger YA Crime

H.I.V.E. (Higher Institute for Villainous Education) by Mark Walden


Younger YA Historical Fiction

Scrib by David Ives


Non-YA Fantasy

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss


Twitter List # 2: Want to Read Lists

YA Fiction

Kissing Vanessa by Simon Cheshire

Cheater by Michael Laser

Wolves, Boys, and Other Things that Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler

Seth Baumgarther's Love Manifesto by Eric Luper


YA Fantasy

Beastly by Alex Flinn


Non-YA Fiction

Off the Record by Jennifer O'Connell


Non-YA Fantasy

Darkover Novels by Marion Zimmer Bradley


Information about Mid-List Authors and things you can do...

Why the blog, and also chain bookstores' response to the economy, and the effect on mid-list authors (& things you can do)

The power of social networking, publishing, and other things (such as things you can do)

Other threats to mid-list authors (& things you can do)

Why you should browse author websites and blogs (& other things you can do)