Author J Roe

Writing quirky characters on redemptive journeys

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5 of Our FAVORITE Quiet Heroines

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In a day and age when feisty women full of courage ready to fight to the death fill bookshelves and Bookstagram’s feed, one might wonder where our favorite quiet heroines have gone. Have they disappeared completely, never to be heard from again? Are they still on this journey with us making their way quietly, but learning powerful lessons of strength and endurance?

When the topic comes around, each book nerd has their own curated list of what they are looking for in a heroine. I, like so many others, appreciate a good fight scene with a brave woman brandishing her weapon, making her enemy kneel before her. But the truth is that lately I have picked up too many books with self-absorbed heroines who use too much violence and seduction to get their own way. And, to be honest, they rarely seem to learn anything.

I like my characters to learn, grow, develop, become more than they thought possible. Give me a book with depth and keep the rest somewhere far from me! My favorite characters can be the feisty ones when they learn great things, but often the greatest growth happens in those underestimated “quiet girls.”

Favorite Quiet Heroines: The Goose Girl

I just completed reading The Goose Girl. Can you hear my happy sigh? It was lovely and, as I told my favorite readers in my newsletter (sign up here and receive a free book!), lyrical and engaging. I love when the main character of a fairy tale retelling is a female who doesn’t understand her worth and must fight for it in order to save those she loves. I applaud an author who in this day and age dares to write a woman who is unsure of herself at the beginning and has no talent with swords. Not that I don’t like and applaud strong, loud women. We need people of all kinds! But this was a wonderful change of pace.

I don’t want us all to have to be Spartans, or Vikings, or fierce Celts. Let’s just say, I take karate and have worked with various weapons. Therefore, I can safely say some of us are just not great at it no matter how wonderful our instructors are. (Yes, I’m raising my hand.) Not that it’s not a blast, but I’m better at reading and writing. So finding a book with a female who learns to use other talents was affirming for me and if you pick up the book, I bet it will be for you, too!

The Blue Castle‘s Valancy

Let’s not dismiss L.M. Montgommery’s lesser known favorite quiet heroine, Valancy Stirling from her book, The Blue Castle. Considered an “old maid” by her stodgy clan of kinfolk, Valancy escapes her boring life in an imaginary blue castle. People forget she is sitting next to them or that she has feelings because she is so painfully shy and quiet. What they don’t realize is that she is witty and bright, just too timid to share herself with the world.

When she receives a terminal diagnosis, she loses all her fears and begins to live the life she always wanted. She says what she is thinking, begins caring for others outside herself, and even proposes to a man she’s in love with. She doesn’t embrace a wild, reckless life, but finds the beautiful, quiet life that she’s always wanted. The question is, how long will it last?

I love Valancy and how she throws off the constrictions of those who don’t have her best interests at heart. I totally cheered her on when she discovered a quiet, moving faith in God instead of blindly following her family’s traditions. If you haven’t added this book to your TBR, I highly recommend you do!

Another of Our Favorite Quiet Heroines: Rapunzel

When I first began writing what would become Beyond the Tower, I met the imprisoned Rapunzel. She was a lonely young woman living on books and waiting for visits from her witch. Rapunzel dreamed of great things, but lacked the courage to take her life in her hands. Until, that is, she met Paul, who climbed her braid to meet her.

Quiet characters can be tricky and I worried people might underestimate my Rapunzel and her dry wit. As her story continued, I learned more about her. She revealed why she held people away from her, how she didn’t trust herself because of the way she was raised. I also learned of her hopes, her dreams. Like a flower she slowly unfurled, revealing a depth of character I had not fathomed. It has been a great adventure to write the tale of such a creature, and I love offering her first book for free in KU or .99 USD on Amazon. If you prefer paperback or hardback, you can find them on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or in my little Bookshop that supports indie bookstores.

The Quiet, but Passionate Jane Eyre

I have a confession to make, my Rapunzel may have been subconsciously based a little on Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. I discovered my love for this classic in eighth grade, slogging my way like a typical adolescent through the first quarter of the book. But then, once the composed and quiet Miss Eyre arrived at Thornfield I could not put it down. The mysteries surrounding her life at Thornfield shocked and horrified me, keeping me turning those pages.

Though Jane had a passionate temper as a child, life taught her to be almost silent and withdrawn. She was awkward in company and had a horrible time making and keeping friends. But once she left behind the odious boarding school of her miserable childhood, this quiet woman grew to embrace life. She made friends as she served as a governess, she began to trust herself and her worth. Though she was tempted to leave behind her self worth for the temptation of love, she fought her way through until she found true love at the end.

And Finally, Cress from The Lunar Chronicles

Our last of the favorite quiet heroines is a different take on Rapunzel. Whereas my Rapunzel has grown up isolated in a tower, Cress has grown-up in space on a satellite all alone. Given to fits of fancy based on the vid-dramas she consumed daily, her life is upended when she is “rescued” and made part of the rebel group. Her tale is book 3 in The Lunar Chronicles, and Cress is the quiet heroine that some may find a little too simpering. (My bestie and I had this disagreement, and I had to laugh at how differently we viewed her). But considering her upbringing, I love Cress’s quiet courage as she leaves all she knows behind. She is literally stranded in a desert, later kidnapped, and falls in love with a bit of a rogue captain.

I enjoy a fairy tale retelling with a different twist, don’t you? A tech-geek Rapunzel grown up in space who has to use her neediness to defeat the lunar queen while learning how to socialize? Yep, that makes Cress a favorite quiet heroine!

Now Your Turn

I have by no means exhausted the list of our favorite quiet heroines. There may need to be many more additions or parts to this particular post. Who are some of your favorite quiet heroines and what sets them apart?

Don’t forget, if you are still wanting to make this your best reading year, just go download your free book tracker here. There is no obligation to sign up to my newsletter, unless you want to join the fun!

About JacQueline

As the author of  The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, JacQueline also wrote Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, to share hope in the battle against chronic pain and depression. Currently she lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All opinions expressed on this website come from her own experience. Do not substitute it for professional therapy or medical advice. Any affiliate links used on this website will provide additional income to JacQueline’s family at no additional cost to you.

If you are a reader wanting to connect with JacQueline, you can get a free book here. Each month you will receive book recommendations and other booknerd fun.

Are you a writer or an author looking for help? JacQueline has been writing all her life and loves meeting others who think writing is living. As an author coach, helping other writers on their journey gives her joy. Schedule your free coaching call to learn what steps you should take next now.

Photo Credit: Kelly Sikkema, JacQueline Vaughn Roe (2 book flatlay), Til Jentzsch, and Kristina Flour.

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Villains We Love to Hate: Our FAVORITES!

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As the weather turns cooler and my kids begin asking for creepy pastimes like roaming through graveyards, I find my mind thinking of the most frightening villains we love to hate. You know the ones, the antagonists whose twisted minds create havoc for our favorite heroes. The ones who, in a great story, often frighten us and we wonder how they will ever be defeated.

Villains We Love to Hate - authorjroe.com

We Love to Hate Lord Voldemort from Harry Potter

You knew I had to start this list of favorite villains with Lord Voldemort, didn’t you? The infamous sorcerer who pursues power at all costs, even risking his own soul, sends chills through us. As J.K. Rowling grew the series, we see development not just in Harry Potter and his friends, but also in our understanding of just how horrific this villain and his followers are.

And yet, there is that little part of us wonders, could it all have gone down differently? What if someone could have reached him, swayed him toward the right kind of magic? What if Dumbledore could have found him years earlier than he did, helped shape him? Of course, our loss would be great as we would never have received this amazing series. Still, we wonder.

This is where the brilliance of a great villain comes from. It is the genius of J.K. Rowling who gives us just enough backstory to make the villain real and somewhat sympathetic. Don’t you agree?

We Love to Hate Levanna from The Lunar Chronicles

If anyone could compete with Lord Voldemort, it’s probably the Lunar Queen, Levanna from Marissa Myer’s Lunar Chronicles. Based on Snow White’s stepmother, this queen-of-the-moon-villainess has mind-controlling powers that can actually cause people to commit suicide if she desires it. And with those very powers, she keeps everyone in her presence mesmerized by her beauty, beauty that isn’t real after all.

Marrissa Myers, the author, even lamented in a Goodreads Q&A session that she felt she gave too much power to the moon-dwelling Lunars. As the series went on, she found it difficult to control them and she struggled to write an ending where good could win when evil was so, well, powerful.

In fact, Myers seems addicted to this storyline and even after completing the series, she went on to write several more novellas, two graphic novels, and Levanna’s own horrible backstory. Why was she disfigured and what made her so cruel? We authors just can’t seem to get away from our favorite villains, can we?

Villains We Love to Hate - authorjroe.com

We Love to Hate: Eufemia, Rapunzel’s Witch From The Journey Series

With examples of villains like this before me, it’s no wonder that when I began publishing Rapunzel’s journey, I wanted to make sure that the villain was someone readers would love to hate. Since childhood, I have loved the story of Rapunzel and been intrigued by the witch who incarcerated her. I mean, what was her deal exactly? What would drive anyone to imprison someone you say you love?

One summer, I caught sight of huge sunflowers peeking over a wall surrounding a private home. Every day I looked forward to seeing their great, sunny heads bobbing in the wind. Then one day they were gone. And that’s where my seed of a story began for Rapunzel’s books, The Journey series.

Rapunzel had loved the sunflowers beyond the tower, just out of reach, but her witch cut them down. Why? Why was her witch cruel? As I wrote, I discovered that she was cursed as a young child. She sat in her rocking chair telling her tale in her gravelly voice. The curse had changed her entire life–and it began the series that has made my writing career. I went back and wrote the origin story, exploring what she would have been like as a child and the tragedy that left her twisted and strange. You can get your free copy here.

We Love to Hate: Lord Endrick from The Traitor’s Game

I had not read The Traitor’s Game when I began publishing The Journey series, but Lord Endrick is the kind of villain who fits in nicely with Lord Voldemort, Levanna, and Eufemia. One might even wonder if they would have a respect for one another and form a club, or turn their hostilities against each other with cataclysmic consequences.

A tyrannical meglomaniac, Lord Endrick has been draining the magical people of their power. Any who defy him will find their will turned against them and he violently harms those in his way. The series begins with a defiant Kestra, who hates but knows better than to cross Lord Endrick whom her father works for.

Lord Endrick commands an army of Ironheart soldiers in the dark kingdom of Antora, their hearts corrupted to do as he wishes. Only the Olden Blade threatens his immortality, a lost dagger believed to be the only thing that can kill the power-hungry king. With such a fantastic villain, my family was thrilled when the trilogy completed this year. Believe me when I say that variations of “Wait, I’m not to that part yet!” has been hollered more than once.

Your Turn

Do you and your bookish friends talk “villains we love to hate” and other silly banter? Who comes up? Whose backstory do you wish was available? Have you ever thought of writing an origin story for a villain/ess?

JacQueline Vaughn Roe

About JacQueline

As the author of  The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, JacQueline also wrote Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, to share hope in the battle against chronic pain and depression. Currently she lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All opinions expressed on this website come from her own experience. Do not substitute it for professional therapy or medical advice. Any affiliate links used on this website will provide additional income to JacQueline’s family at no additional cost to you.

If you are a reader wanting to connect with JacQueline, you can get a free book here. Each month you will receive book recommendations and other booknerd fun.

Are you a writer or an author looking for help? JacQueline has been writing all her life and loves meeting others who think writing is living. As an author coach, helping other writers on their journey gives her joy. Schedule your free coaching call to learn what steps you should take next now.

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Who are Your Favorite Bookish Characters?

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A fun pastime of book worms and book nerds is to discuss characters, but what about favorite bookish characters? Which are your favorite? You know, the characters in a book that LOVE to read. Those who answer the call to adventure right away because at last a real-life story is happening to them! . . . Or maybe the ones who have to be persuaded, because life between the pages of a book is a bit safer. Let’s chat about some favorites!

Favorite Bookish Character: Hermione

What list would be complete without including Harry Potter‘s best friend and book nerd? Hermione Granger reveals her love of books when she hauls out the doorstop of a book she’s been studying and states, “I checked this out weeks ago for a bit of light reading.” (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone). And when Harry and Ron need to find her, where do they go? The library, of course! Bookish? Book nerd? Book worm? I would say so.

Unlike some shy bookish folk, Hermione does get out a bit. Though she does spend gobs of time studying in the library, she also runs around enough with Harry and Ron having misadventures. While she is quick with her wand and magic, she’s never afraid to rely on her book smarts to solve the mysteries that follow Harry around.

Favorite Bookish Character: Lia Mara

Like many people who love the young adult fantasy genre, and especially fairy tale retellings, I had to check out Brigid Kemmerer’s A Curse so Dark and Lonely. An interesting portal version of Beauty and the Beast, I was taken with several of the characters. While I liked the first book, my favorite bookish character didn’t show-up until the sequel, A Heart so Fierce and Broken.

Lia Mara is your quentiessential book worm. She has retreated into the world of words because she believes her heartless mother and queen is right, she isn’t worthy to rule. We learn early on of her loyal devotion to her younger sister, the chosen heir. But Lia Mara’s attempts at diplomacy fail, catapulting her into the greatest adventure of her life. It will require all she has studied and learned to survive, but there are some lessons she needs to unlearn to recognize her true worth. My favorite quote in this book is, “Ah, yes, the most dangerous person at the party is always the girl sitting alone with a book.” And yes, it’s because she has secreted away a book among the folds of her skirt so she could go hide and read. Haven’t many of us wanted to do that?

Favorite Bookish Character: Rapunzel

It was inevitable, I suppose, that I would write a character of my own who lives between the pages of a book. Having suffered from chronic migraines during high school, I spent a great deal of time reading and imagining life outside of my house, but not being able to do much.

My retelling of Rapunzel begins with her surrounded by a rounded bookcase that stretches across her tower’s walls. But although she adores reading, she is ready for something to happen. She needs something to change so that she can venture beyond the tower the witch has imprisoned her in. What was great fun in writing this story was exploring how such a bookish, quiet person would react to the world beyond after living her life isolated. How would this book nerd react to fairy tale mysteries and make friends? How on earth would she feed herself? Of course she made the list of our favorite bookish characters, and you can follow the links to get Beyond the Tower for free right now!

Favorite Bookish Character: Owen

This list of favorite bookish characters would not be complete without including one serious fanboy who seems to love reading more than life. He is Owen from James Riley’s Story Thieves series. At the very beginning of the series, we discover Owen bored with school. He is wishing his life were more exciting, and finding the adventure he longs for by reading books.

With a librarian mother, Owen spends most of his time reading. In fact, his bedroom is called a book graveyard, since he gets to take home all the mishandled books that the library rejects. Even better? His new friend, Bethany, accidentally starts teaching him how to jump into books. And thus, his bookish dreams come true. Owen gets to meet all the characters he has been longing to know and become the hero he’s always wanted to be.

Who is Your Favorite Bookish Character?

Alright, I’ve told you about our favorites, so it’s only fair if you were to tell us of yours. Maybe you’d enjoy joining such silly and fun discussions here by commenting, or follow me over on Instagram or FaceBook so we can be goofy and bookish together. For especially book nerdy friends, join my monthly newsletter for fun recommendations and writing updates and get a free novella that unravels the mysteries of Rapunzel’s origins.

About JacQueline

As the author of  The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, JacQueline also wrote Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, to share hope in the battle against chronic pain and depression. Currently she lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All opinions expressed on this website come from her own experience. Do not substitute it for professional therapy or medical advice. Any affiliate links used on this website will provide additional income to JacQueline’s family at no additional cost to you.

If you are a reader wanting to connect with JacQueline, you can get a free book here. Each month you will receive book recommendations and other booknerd fun.

Are you a writer or an author looking for help? JacQueline has been writing all her life and loves meeting others who think writing is living. As an author coach, helping other writers on their journey gives her joy. Schedule your free coaching call to learn what steps you should take next now.

Who Are Your Favorite Bookish Characters? - authorjroe.com - Would you identify as a book nerd, book worm, bibliophile, or bookish person? Do you love libraries and bookshelves and even bookish candles? Do you find yourself wanting to find books to read about people like you? Look no further than this list of our top favorite bookish characters sure to delight you with their wit and misadventures along the journey.

Photo Credits: Ruben Garcia, Yuri Efremov, and Sincerely Media.

Social Media Graphics: JacQueline Vaughn Roe.

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Celebrating the End of a Hard Year

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This is not the end

How can we say we are celebrating the year if it was hard? If you’ve been struggling with illness, grief, job loss, or relationship issues, maybe you don’t know how. One look at my KanBan board reveals rows and rows of sticky note goals that haven’t been achieved and moved into the “CELEBRATE!” column.

When we are dealing with obstacles thrown into our path during life’s journey, discouragement tells us we are failures. But, what if we look beyond the planned success on our vision boards? I think there are things each of us have learned, perhaps the hard way, that are worth recognizing. Why not end the year celebrating those victories so that we can begin looking for such treasures in the New Year?

As you can see, I haven’t been able to “clear” my “to-do’s” on my KanBan Board.

Celebrating the Year: Recognize when coping becomes healing

I remember when I was younger a well-meaning teacher told me that coping was unhealthy. It was the path of developing strategies to avoid what needed to be dealt with. Being young and impressionable, I took her word for it and began to despise the word. I scrutinized and judged everyone around me who used coping mechanisms to survive.

But I’ve been trying to recover and heal from several things this year. For months, I was avoiding pain, both physical and emotional. Most of us have done this at one point in our lives, and there’s a cost. For me, migraines became debilitating and led to a dark depression riddled with suicidal thoughts.

My counselor has reminded me that we have to live our lives, not escape them. We must journey through the low points to reach the other side of healing. I’ve had to learn to process pain differently and try several different ways of relieving it because my body doesn’t respond well to many medicinal or natural remedies. Developing coping mechanisms to process has helped me work through my issues.

Prayer walking and #walkthankful

Below I use links to a fitness resource I have found essential for my chronic illness issues. Here is the link to their free open house during which you can try out all their courses and workouts free for the month of December. If you use any of these links, please know I will receive a small affiliate payment that will cost you nothing extra ONLY if you decide to invest at the end of the open house.

Recognizing I have to deal with the pain in my life, including the aching loss of my sister, I have begun moving my body again. Last November, right before my sister’s death, I joined the #walkthankful challenge by Fit2B. In it, you take a walk every day for the month and contemplate what you are thankful for. My life had become about migraines and my sister’s brain-injury, so I wanted to participate even if we couldn’t do it every day. I loved those short walks with her and I miss them.

Taking walks after her death felt impossible, but I knew I needed the warmth of movement to heal. So I began prayer-walking, pouring out my anger and anxiety to the God I was having a hard time trusting. As I walked through the pouring rain last spring, I cried. During the blazing hot months of summer, I shielded my eyes with sunglasses and decided to keep walking, keep praying, keep sweating. My mind would drift and it became less and less about my pain and more about the beauty the Creator had surrounded me with. By the time November came, I was ready and needing to walk in gratitude, even though it hurt to live through the horrible anniversary of her death.

Bonding with children and friends

What shouldn’t have surprised any of us is how God layers our days with support if we open our eyes. I had started counseling again, uprooting some bad habits and developing some healthier ones. My children often go on walks with me. My youngest loves chattering away happily as we discover secret pathways through our suburban neighborhood. Friends through FaceBook pray for me and my family, reaching out as we continue along. Fellow readers and writers on Instagram and Twitter have sent messages of support. I’ve even had readers of my books check in on me, people who feel like they know me simply because I have shared stories with them.

This linked-up community of chronic illness warriors has been a lifeline to so many, but I think it can go far beyond that. I believe people long for connection, but sometimes we have to take steps to make it happen. A year ago, when my sister Joy died, neighbors reached out to me. On her birthday, I made cookies in her memory, and went door to door delivering them. I did it because I wanted to do something good. Why not take the little bit of energy we have and do nice things for others? It took the focus off of me and my pain and placed it on others. I know we can’t do it all the time, but this was worth it. Though surprised, my neighbors and I had nice chats. My plan is to do this every year on Joy’s birthday.

Celebrating the Year: what to do with unmet goals

Over the past year, I thought I would have written two more books than I have. Instead, I’ve been processing, journaling, learning what I need to in order to survive this season. When I write my next memoir/Biblestudy, I pray it will have the depth and resolution it needs to help others. I can celebrate publishing Before the Tower and Amidst the Castles, but . . . It’s hard to let go those that didn’t happen. Each of my writing projects took longer and more out of me than I anticipated. I bet you understand. Those obstacles really take it out of us, don’t they?

I don’t yet have a great grasp on how long it takes me to accomplish things, but I do know I won’t quit until I have completed each project. The last novel for this year, Within the Spell, is finally through edits. It came out today, just in time for Christmas. *Deep Breath* It’s been a hard journey, but I’ve made progress and it’s worth celebrating this year. We learn, right? Let’s look at the next year and keep striving, but not pushing too hard or too fast.

Please share with us, what unexpected lesson learned can we celebrate with you? What path did you travel that you might not have wanted to, but you’re stronger for having traversed?

JacQueline Vaughn Roe

About JacQueline

As the author of  The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, JacQueline also wrote Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, to share hope in the battle against chronic pain and depression. Currently she lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All opinions expressed on this website come from her own experience. Do not substitute it for professional therapy or medical advice. Any affiliate links used on this website will provide additional income to JacQueline’s family at no additional cost to you.

If you are a reader wanting to connect with JacQueline, you can get a free book here. Each month you will receive book recommendations and other booknerd fun.

Are you a writer or an author looking for help? JacQueline has been writing all her life and loves meeting others who think writing is living. As an author coach, helping other writers on their journey gives her joy. Schedule your free coaching call to learn what steps you should take next now.

Graphic Design for Social Media: JacQueline Vaughn Roe. Contact her for help with graphic design or other author services.

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3 Tricks for Bookworms

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There are issues, Bookworm Problems, if you will, that can cause all manner of mischief in our “quiet” lives. What’s a nice book-loving person to do? Well, I’ve been a bookish type for a very long time, my friends, and I have 3 tricks for bookworms that I think might help in the following scenarios. (Bookworm Problems 1-3 can be found here.)

Bookworm problem: you’re holding a grudge

I remember my father rolling his eyes at me. “It’s just a story,” he might say, which would frustrate me to no end. Didn’t he have friends? Didn’t he worry about those friends and get upset if something bad happened to them? Well, these were my book friends and some evil author had arbitrarily wrecked their lives or even ENDED THEIR LIVES! I was distraught with good reason. Other bookworm friends and I would quietly (or in our most dramatic voices) wail over the loss.

My daughter pointed out to me the other day that there are characters that she doesn’t get upset about dying because she could tell from the beginning their only purpose in the story was to upset everyone with their unjust death. She did not attach herself because she knew goodbye was inevitable. But what about the beloved characters in Harry Potter, or the Hunger Games, or . . . please don’t tell me you’re a fan of Maze Runner! Good grief! If so, your heart may be in shreds. In such a series, it feels as though the author was intentionally killing people off to get a reaction out of us. And, they were. In certain genres, lots of people die.

Now, I write books and sadly, just like in real life, people die. My husband came home one day and asked how my day was and all I could do was complain about my frustrating characters. He reminded me that I was the author. I should just make them do what I wanted them to do. But I’m not that kind of author, my characters seem to possess their own free will.

Tricks for Bookworms #1–take your temperature

I guess the trick is as both an author and/or a reader to kinda recognize where you are emotionally–maybe even spiritually. Can you handle the type of story you are investing in? Maybe as readers we should beware certain genres when we are particularly vulnerable. Since I deal with depression and anxiety on a daily basis I have to monitor what I am reading. I take little breaks from different genres and switch it up with some cheesy romance or predictable mystery when I’m feeling down. It can act like a reset button.

But I’ll admit it. The best part of reading is the emotional roller-coaster. After all, my best friend is still mad at me for “killing off” her favorite character. (Like I said, sometimes people die. And it was the first novel I finished writing, so I might have been looking for a reaction.) I guess it can be satisfying to be angry at the author.

Bookworm problem: you might be a bit dramatic

This probably goes without saying, but most people think of bookworms as quiet librarians who sit silently turning pages. They think of us as shy, perhaps smart, but incapable of expressing emotions. (These are people who have never discussed authors we are angry at with us.) But the truth is, even my quietest, most introverted child is loud and dramatic about the plights of her favorite characters. She rages over poor decisions, unjust deaths, and hateful antagonists.

Since she is shy, I will not share her name, but I imagine her teachers saying something like, “________, loud? I can’t believe it!” Believe it, buster! All of us get loud and dramatic about whatever our characters are going through. We are connected to them, and honestly, I must return to this again, it’s not just a story.

Tricks for Bookworms #2–use storylines to explore feelings with family & friends

We recognize ourselves in the pages of the books we love. We see our own struggles, though our circumstances are different. (I sincerely HOPE your circumstances are not the same as those of Tobias in Divergent). We may make ourselves a wee bit scary when we express our somewhat violent feelings, but maybe if we tone it down slightly, we will find that what we are upset about has to do with something going on in our own lives.

The other day, when everyone was supposed to be getting ready to run out the door for karate, my daughters and I had a huge heart-to-heart about some choices that characters were making–because my daughters saw their friends making the same choices. It scared my daughters, they weren’t sure how to react. I’m glad they felt comfortable talking about fictional characters problems so we could also discuss real problems, namely, how to love and support your friends even when you don’t agree with everything they do. (Here’s a hint, if it’s legal and not hurting anyone, you can express your opinion, why you feel that way, and still show unconditional love. Tricky, but worthwhile. It doesn’t get easier when you’re an adult).

Bookworm problem: you discover you’re impatient

I would like to say that I have mastered this issue. But I haven’t. I loved the first two books in The Traitor’s Game. Waiting for number three due out spring 2020. Loved Nevermoor, can’t wait to read Wundersmith as soon as I can get it (update, it’s out now!), but there are three more after that she hasn’t even written yet. Is Jessica Townsend trying to kill me?

I know you know what I mean and that you have been here. You’re longing, you’re yearning, you’re waiting. And Netflix is no help since every series has less and less episodes, right?

Tricks for Bookworms #3–develop a long-term perspective

Here’s the funny part. Well, kinda funny. I now get it. It takes time to write books. Some authors are speedy, some are not. Would any of us want J.K. Rowling rushed when she was untangling a mess she had as she rewrote Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire? Certainly not! That series hinges on book 4. I’m grateful they pushed back the publication date to maintain the integrity of the work!

I am currently working through a series and I’m feeling a bit of that reader impatience. While I’m editing book three (update, it’s out now and you can start at book 1 for free!), I’m also outlining the next trilogy in the series. You see, I’ve already written the last book in the series and part of me just wants to hurry up and jump ahead there–but really, do I want to miss out on the adventures between here and there?

What if stressing about things we don’t have right away, we savor what we do have, enjoy the anticipation, take the time to discover new authors and different stories. Good glory! Since independent publishing became so popular there are literally millions of books in the English language to choose from on Amazon alone. And experts are predicting that AI will make translation so inexpensive and convenient that we will have millions of new titles very soon. Imagine that!

Wrapping things up

So, in conclusion, these pesky annoyances need not deter us from reading or enjoying our lives. They can actually be part of the fun. Now, it is very possible that most “normal” non-bookworm people won’t understand our brand of bookish fun, but that’s a whole different bookworm problem blog. And I’m sure I can dig up some more tricks for bookworms. Hmmm, we’ll have to see. Till then, have fun reading! And let me know what I should add to my TBR stack.

About JacQueline

As the author of  The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, JacQueline also wrote Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, to share hope in the battle against chronic pain and depression. Currently she lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All opinions expressed on this website come from her own experience. Do not substitute it for professional therapy or medical advice. Any affiliate links used on this website will provide additional income to JacQueline’s family at no additional cost to you.

If you are a reader wanting to connect with JacQueline, you can get a free book here. Each month you will receive book recommendations and other booknerd fun.

Are you a writer or an author looking for help? JacQueline has been writing all her life and loves meeting others who think writing is living. As an author coach, helping other writers on their journey gives her joy. Schedule your free coaching call to learn what steps you should take next now.

Bookshelf photography by: Ed Robertson, Janko Ferlic, and Henry Be

Graphic Design for Social Media: JacQueline Vaughn Roe (contact here to receive help you with your social media images.)

3 Tricks for Bookworms - authorjroe.com - Book nerd humor is essential when authors kill off your favorite characters, don’t write fast enough, and no one in your family understands your pain. Those in book fandoms will understand these 3 bookish problems too well. Let’s cry over amazing books and discover silly tricks to help us enjoy life. #bookwormproblems #booknerd #books #bookaddict #bookasthetic #bookspines #bookster #readabook #readingaddict #booksaremylife #booksbooksbooks #bookstack #booklover #bookishphotography #readersofinsta #fortheloveofreading #readmore #bookreader #alwaysreading #ilovetoread
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Books about Books for Bookworms

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For this month’s bookish blog, I feel the need to give a shout-out to all the other booknerds out there that love books about books. Bookworms, unite! (And by that, I mean, go grab your book and find a cozy spot by yourself with something warm to drink as you inhale the fragrance of book pages or your favorite bookish candle…whatever that is…)

What are the best ya books to read about books? I’m discussing the type of book where a reader, usually a child, finds their way into the book itself or maybe a character of the book finds their way into real life. This concept is not unique, there are dozens of books out there with this premise. There are even movies that have this premise (I’m looking at you, Never Ending Story—book I should really get around to reading!) What I discovered surprised me. Instead of the premise being overused, there are many unique ways to tell this story. The plot advances and characters develop while real readers, like myself, wish this could really happen.

C’mon, if you call yourself a bookworm . . . Don’t you occasionally, perhaps frequently, want to cross from real life into the pages of a favorite book? Who doesn’t want to bring a favorite character we think of as a friend into our homes?

I think that young adult literature does this particularly well because as adolescents, most of us become a little cynical. But there is a hope for something pure and beautiful beneath that cynicism! I believe that’s why I love the young adult genre and write in it. I’m speaking to that snarky me that is stuck in high school still wishing for the fairy tale. If that’s you, then I bet you will love the following books.

Books to Read About Books: The Great Good Thing

A precious college friend of mine sent me a package in the mail after the death of my sister. She knew I was hurting, and her card and sweet gifts showed a tenderness that I was able to receive like a hug across the miles that separated us. (Especially since the package included a good book!)

I’d never heard of The Great Good Thing, but was immediately intrigued by the adventures of Sylvie. The little princess spent her time trying to find a way to climb out of its pages and then restoring order to her story when things got shuffled the wrong way. Though the parents come across as foolish, I enjoyed the story and how Sylvie transforms to become the heroine of her own story.

Books to Read About Books: Between the Lines

This book was great fun and had me confused as to what I, the reader, actually wanted to happen. Did I want the character who was so unhappy with his “boring” story to be set free from the confines of the page? Did I perhaps want him to pursue a real relationship with the reader? I’m not kidding when I say that I wasn’t sure what I wanted until I read the end. Still debating whether to pick up the sequel because I’m a little nervous about getting conflicted again. I know, I take this too seriously!

But I think that’s a sign of an intriguing story, one that doesn’t have clear-cut answers to difficult questions. There are times in life where we need to reconcile ourselves to the lives we live and find contentment there. There are other times (and, God, help us know the difference!) when we must fight our way out of the mundane to faithfully do what is right and uncomfortable.

This book was a collaborative work of a well-known author, Jodi Picoult, and her daughter’s debut, Samantha Van Leer. The mother-daughter relationship in the story is very interesting as a result. I wish I could have read this book with my own mother before she died. I think the discussions of real-life versus fairytale love have a great deal of merit and I’m glad I can talk about it with my girls. There is also a strong element in the mother figure with the son and I’m looking forward to discussing this with my boy. Father figures are sadly lacking in this tale.

Books to Read About Books: The Book Jumper

Of all the books, The Book Jumper is the most controversial. There is more profane language in it, if that concerns you. Of all the books I am recommending here, it is definitely intended for an older young adult audience. This story is more of a mystery than the other two and I love the plot twists that have you guessing till the end how things will turn out. I adore the way Mechthild Glaser has created this story world, where book jumpers come from two prestigious family lines whose job it is to keep plots progressing properly.

This is another book with a strong mother-daughter theme running throughout, whispering to readers, “Are you keeping secrets from each other? Secrets can lead to hurt.” Yes, expect it to lead to great discussions! There is another book in the series, but I haven’t picked it up yet.

What are you reading?

So, of all the books above, have you read any? I’d love to hear what you thought of them. If not, what books with this theme have you found intriguing? If you are a writer, like me, I’m curious to hear how such books impact your writing. I suppose it is many of our dreams for readers to long to climb within the pages of our books.

About JacQueline

As the author of  The Journey series, a young adult fantasy retelling Rapunzel’s misadventures, JacQueline also wrote Memoirs of a Headcase: Held by the God of Hope, to share hope in the battle against chronic pain and depression. Currently she lives in North Alabama with her karate husband and three book-crazy kids. All opinions expressed on this website come from her own experience. Do not substitute it for professional therapy or medical advice. Any affiliate links used on this website will provide additional income to JacQueline’s family at no additional cost to you.

If you are a reader wanting to connect with JacQueline, you can get a free book here. Each month you will receive book recommendations and other booknerd fun.

Are you a writer or an author looking for help? JacQueline has been writing all her life and loves meeting others who think writing is living. As an author coach, helping other writers on their journey gives her joy. Schedule your free coaching call to learn what steps you should take next now.

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