Post by Book Addict
I don't know about you, but I read a LOT of books. (Hey, I'm not called an addict for nothing!) If you figure that I read at least 4 books per week that equals 128 books per year, minimum. Now if you take into consideration that most books in a series are published with significant spacing, you can see my dilemma. I sometimes find it difficult to remember precisely what happened in the previous book when I pick up a new release. I then spend the first chapters of said book looking for clues to trigger that 'AHA!' moment where my brain locks onto all of the previous details. This is especially true in series where the central characters change from book to book. It's not that the books aren't well written, with wonderful characters - they are. It's just that I'm lucky to remember what I had for dinner yesterday, let alone what happened in a book I read 9 months ago with the added clutter of a hundred books' details in between.
So I offer you my ingenious solution to this problem: Books Should Have Recaps. You know, like when you're watching your favorite TV show and they take 15 seconds to flash all of the pivotal scenes from last week's episode. Just a brief summary of important facts and figures in the front of the book would do wonders for my poor brain. I could jump right into the new book with full concentration on the story instead of wondering why the characters hate each other, what a Reeverant is and who the heck thought it would be a good idea to give Aunt Sally a stake. I don't think this would be a huge undertaking for publishers or authors and it would be immensely helpful to loyal readers. It would also help those of us who like to read books in order and accidentally begin the 4th book before we've read the first. (Has this happened to anyone else??) If there were a recap in the front, we would know immediately that this is, in fact, NOT the first book.
The next time you pick up a book and blank on the previous storyline, just remember: you're not alone. And if you see a "Previously in When the Girl Met the Wizard..." it was MY IDEA!
How about you? Do you have Rain Man recall when it comes to all the details in books you have previously read? Or do you also suffer from 'Mommy Brain'? Do you think Book Recaps would be totally awesome?
I don't know about you, but I read a LOT of books. (Hey, I'm not called an addict for nothing!) If you figure that I read at least 4 books per week that equals 128 books per year, minimum. Now if you take into consideration that most books in a series are published with significant spacing, you can see my dilemma. I sometimes find it difficult to remember precisely what happened in the previous book when I pick up a new release. I then spend the first chapters of said book looking for clues to trigger that 'AHA!' moment where my brain locks onto all of the previous details. This is especially true in series where the central characters change from book to book. It's not that the books aren't well written, with wonderful characters - they are. It's just that I'm lucky to remember what I had for dinner yesterday, let alone what happened in a book I read 9 months ago with the added clutter of a hundred books' details in between.
So I offer you my ingenious solution to this problem: Books Should Have Recaps. You know, like when you're watching your favorite TV show and they take 15 seconds to flash all of the pivotal scenes from last week's episode. Just a brief summary of important facts and figures in the front of the book would do wonders for my poor brain. I could jump right into the new book with full concentration on the story instead of wondering why the characters hate each other, what a Reeverant is and who the heck thought it would be a good idea to give Aunt Sally a stake. I don't think this would be a huge undertaking for publishers or authors and it would be immensely helpful to loyal readers. It would also help those of us who like to read books in order and accidentally begin the 4th book before we've read the first. (Has this happened to anyone else??) If there were a recap in the front, we would know immediately that this is, in fact, NOT the first book.
The next time you pick up a book and blank on the previous storyline, just remember: you're not alone. And if you see a "Previously in When the Girl Met the Wizard..." it was MY IDEA!
How about you? Do you have Rain Man recall when it comes to all the details in books you have previously read? Or do you also suffer from 'Mommy Brain'? Do you think Book Recaps would be totally awesome?
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