The Mortal Instruments books are wildly popular. But when I read the first book it seemed disturbingly derivative and here's why.
Quentin's schoolmate has run away and his obsession with her is leading he and his friends down a very strange rabbit hole. 
His brother has vanished, yet Cullen Witter's small town seems more concerned about spotting a rare bird. 
Parodies of survival guides are very popular right now. How does The Indiana Jones Handbok measure up for the wanna-be adventurer?
From the mind of Neil Gaiman, an orphaned boy is raised in a rural English graveyard by a menagerie of ghosts and a loving vampire.
Author Libba Bray described her book Going Bovine as the feel-good Mad Cow Disease story. Nailed it. 
Role playing games and nerd culture are more popular than ever, but this is an uneven and unsatifying look at this trend.
This epic World War II novel is about two women whose friendship endures as they serve their country in different ways.  
Well you're a casual Star Wars fan or a rabid fanboy, Star Wars Year By Year has something for you.
Social media can be a valuable tool or a tremendous obstacle for writers trying to connect with readers. Here's a short list of some common social media mistakes every author should avoid. 
Social media can be a valuable tool or a tremendous obstacle for writers trying to connect with readers. Here's a short list of some common social media mistakes every author should avoid. 
Romantic triangles. Missing parents. Vampires, werewolves and the like. Sigh. Let's face it, books are big business and authors and publishers always have one eye on the bottom line. Once a trend hits, hundreds of books will follow suit, creating a vacuum of creativity. This blog discusses some of the latest trends that are making YA fiction unreadable. 
In 1979, there was no way my mom was going to let me see Ridley Scott's science fiction / horror film ALIEN. I got around this prohibition by... reading a book.