I’ve got to give a shout-out to a member of my critique group who had his first book signing last night. Congrats to Tommy Greenwald on the release of his MG novel Charlie Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading.
This book has a great hook for reluctant readers with a main character who may possibly be the most reluctant reader ever (and he gives tips on how to get out of reading), but it is also full of great characters, hilarious moments, and a fun plot that enthusiastic readers will enjoy. (And really, even though Tommy is in my critique group, I’m not the least bit biased.)
At the book event, Tommy shared a few of his favorite tips that Charlie Joe gives the readers. Here’s a few of my favorites:
Tip #2: “Never read a book by someone whose name you can’t pronounce.” (I must confess that I don’t adhere to this particular rule. Otherwise I never would have picked up Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater.)
Tip #4: “If you want girls to like you, don’t read.” (Not a particular concern for me, but I could see how the target audience might be interested in this tip.)
Tip #9: “Reading can make you fat.” (And I thought I was getting fat because of the whole pregnancy thing…I guess I’ll have to cut back on my reading.)
Tip #20: “When you’re more than halfway through a book, pick up the pace, skim a bit, and get it over with as quickly as possible.” (I have done this one before…not often, but there are some books that I’ve had to read and just couldn’t connect with.)
Tip #25: “When finishing a book, never look at it again.” (With this tip, Charlie Joe makes ten suggestions on what to do with the book…my favorite, “Wrap bacon around it and give it to the dogs.” Proof positive that everything is better with bacon!)
I’m afraid you’ll have to read the book to find out what the others are. Next up, I’ve got some more good reading when I share the latest round of magnetic poetry!
