2020 Reading Challenge: Interview with Goodreads Power Reader James Cudney

One highlight of 2020 (there were a few) was getting to know more authors through online reading and writer groups. To my delight, I read several academic mysteries set on college campuses, including four in the Braxton Campus series by James “Jay” Cudney.

His book, Broken Heart Attack, was my Online Book Club Selection in August and you can read my reviews of the others on Goodreads here. Once I followed him on Goodreads, I discovered that besides writing in two series, Jay is a prolific reader and book reviewer.

This year, my Goodreads Reading Challenge Goal was 36 books and I actually read 39 books. With the pandemic and more time at home, I read more than expected. Just when I finished patting myself on the back, I saw that Jay had read 163 books in 2020!

He has inspired me to set a higher reading goal for 2021. Sometimes I read too slowly because I’m trying to learn from other authors and improve my own storytelling.

Jay graciously agreed to answer these reading related questions to help all of us enjoy more books.

KB: You read 163 books in 2020! How does that compare to your previous reading records?

Jay: It’s a bit less this year. In the last few years, I read over 200 books each year. I went back to a full-time job last February, so I had to cut back on some areas, which resulted in a third less books and blogging time. I am likely going to cut back more in 2021 too. Instead of daily blogging and reading, it will become once or twice a week, so I can also focus on my own book marketing and writing.  

KB:  Did you have more reading time in 2020 because of the pandemic restrictions?

Jay: I had less! For me, the big change was going back to work. I’m fairly regular in my reading schedule… usually 3 or 4 nights a week and 1 afternoon on the weekend. Because we were home more often, I had opportunities to get marketing done before or after work (instead of a commute), so that helped, but it didn’t really change my reading pattern. The biggest pandemic impact to me was no vacations, where I would read a lot. That might’ve cut down on some of the books completed this year.

KB: What’s your favorite genre to read?

Jay: I’d say mysteries, and in that, I include the range of cozy to thriller. I need a strong plot. Occasionally, I’ll pick up a young adult, romance, or non-fiction book, and I will read in sci-fi or fantasy for friends, but they aren’t the areas I navigate to immediately. I like to solve a crime, and I enjoy historical fiction or family dramas. Those are my go-to reads, and I am hoping to read more of them in 2021 instead of reading so many other books. I enjoy getting to know new authors, but at the end of the day, I can’t do everything, so I must rely on choosing those books that fit within my happy places!

KB: Do you have any all-time favorite authors?

Jay: Not exactly. I do enjoy several that I gravitate toward, and if I enjoy a series, I am always the first to get the new one before it’s published. These days, I’m most excited when Fredrik Backman releases a new novel. I am a fairly consistent series reader, so once I find those authors whose writing style syncs with my reading style, I must read them as soon as I can. Lately, Ellen Crosby has my heart with her Wine Country series.

KB: I like Fredrik Backman, too! I’ve only read his first two books; I’ll have to add more to my Want-to-Read list for 2021. What were your top 5 books for 2020?

Jay: Oh, that’s tough! To be fair, I’m excluding authors I know or interact with, even if I love their books, because I think this is probably about authors I find myself wishing I could meet. So… here goes (in no particular order):

• The French Paradox (Wine Country Mysteries #11) by Ellen Crosby
• The First to Lie by Hank Phillipi Ryan
• Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
• The Evening and the Morning by Ken Follett
• The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth

KB: I haven’t read any of those yet, but The First to Lie is next on my list. Meeting Hank Phillipi Ryan at the 2019 Bouchercon was amazing. Can you give some tips for how you read an average of 3 books per week? (Asking for a friend.)

Jay: Oh, a friend, huh? If only there wasn’t a pandemic, we could meet for coffee and dish. The friend, I mean… I’m a creature of habit and highly organized. In addition to Goodreads, where anyone can see what I’m reading, read, or what’s next to read (I have over 50 shelves to delineate what reading happens), I keep an Excel tracker for everything I have to do in terms of housework/errands, my book tasks, my blog tasks, and reading. In 2020, I had 1 post per day, so I organized 3 a week for reading, 3 for blogging, and 1 for my books. Each post had a corresponding Excel line so I had a schedule for everything 3 months ahead. I can’t do that in 2021. I need a break.

KB: I can’t imagine being that organized or productive! I’m in awe of your work ethic.

Jay: Tips… it’s about balancing my schedule. I go to bed every night at 10 except for Saturdays when I’ll stay up later to watch a movie with my significant other. Most nights, I’ll read for an hour. I tend to read 1.5 pages per minute for the avg book. If I LOVE the author, I’ll slow down. If I am iffy on the author, I’ll stick to the quicker read. I’ll also pick one afternoon on the weekend and devote 2 to 3 hours to either a nap or reading, depending on my energy levels. At the end of the week, 10 hours is my goal to read… that means about 1000 pages on average for the week. Since a book is usually around 300 pages, I end up with 3 for the week.

KB: Be honest. Do you remember the plots for that many books or do they kind of run together after a while? (Sorry I’m showing my age. Lol.)

Jay: Ha! It’s not age… it’s that we have read so much, we can’t possibly retain it all. Truthfully, no, I don’t. For series books, I recall what happens to the main characters’ personal lives. In my own series, I have 150 characters, so I tend to be strong at remembering those details. But for non-series, it’s harder… it’s a once and done type of deal. If I read it over 2 years ago, I generally have forgotten 75% of the plot. Once I reread a few pages, it partially comes back, but no, definitely not everything. I’m a plot guy, so I will remember the basic outline, but not the details.

KB: Do you have a page rule for books that don’t pass your minimum standards?

Jay: Nope! I read it all. I might put it down and go to a different book, but then I’ll come back. If after two tries, I can’t get into it, I’ll skim every ten pages to see if something pulls me back in. If it’s an author I don’t know, I will write a very basic review and explain it didn’t capture my attention. If it’s an author I do know, I’ll be generous in the review and not hurt their sales or ratings significantly, but I will also privately tell them why I struggled. It’s usually clear to tell from my reviews… if I’m vague and not praising a lot, it means I didn’t much care for it. But I try to finish everything I start… I totally agree with ‘not wasting precious time,’ but I firmly believe in commitments. Skimming is reading, and it shows I’ve tried!

KB: You read a mix of best sellers and relatively unknown authors. What makes a book 5 stars for you?

Jay: I am all over the place, aren’t I? Mostly, I find myself drawn to relatable characters with a believable story. For series, I need to connect with the theme, whether it’s academic mysteries (like yours, which I enjoy greatly) or Lea Wait’s Mainely Knitting (which I have never done in my life but think it’s so cool). For thrillers, the characters need to be distinct and memorable… some dark and some similar to my friends. If the setting, time period, sub-genre, and themes are not interesting to me, I won’t give it a high mark. If it meets all those, the writing is good, and I find myself totally immersed, then it’s a 5-star read. I must confess… it’s a 5-star generally when I find myself reading and not comparing it to my own work. If I compare, it usually means I’m bored or finding too many problems, so I use it to think about how to improve my own craft. But if I can’t put it down because it’s drawn me in, and I forget about the writing aspects, it’s a winner.

KB: How do you choose which books to read next?

Jay: It’s a mixture of (a) series I read, (b) authors I enjoy, and (c) indie authors I know through the industry. I hardly read new authors anymore because I have about 50+ a year from series alone, where a new book is released… then I add in ~25 from fave authors who release new books, and the last 25 are from bloggers or authors I meet online. That’s my plan for 2021, with a new goal of 104 books (2 per week). It’s hard when other authors read my work and I feel slightly obligated to also read their work too. I’ve transitioned from reading their work to offering spotlights on my blog in those cases… but if I like their work, I’ll read their series end-to-end, and they move into category ‘a’ from above (like you!).

I’m also at a place where I get requests from publishers and marketing companies each day. Most of the time, I have 10 emails a day where someone asks me to read their book or join a blog tour. I can’t do it anymore, so those I decline politely. Between NetGalley, the New York Public Library, and publishers sending me books from my fave authors, I hardly ever have to buy those books. There are 4 authors who have never sent me their books to read, and I’ve paid for every single one of them… which is totally okay! I want to support them. I try to balance spending and reading all the time.

KB: Thank you for reading my mysteries, and I’m thrilled that you enjoyed them. In between voracious reading, you are also an author. How does reading 163 books affect your writing?

Jay: Truthfully, it makes me a better writer. So often, I read books where I see things I’d do differently, or I learn other approaches, so it helps grow my skills. It improves my vocabulary, and I begin finding fun words, then I look them up and find new words to consider… and in the end, I see this as a good thing. It also shows me how to balance primary plot points versus the other aspects of writing, e.g. humor, human connections, advice, comfort… it’s not always plot, but that’s what immediately pulls in your readers. You keep them by showing them who you are as a person too. 

KB: What are you working on for 2021?

Jay: Legally Blind Luck, the 7th Braxton Campus Mystery, will release on April 15th, 2021. I will be reviewing beta feedback and completing final editing with the publisher in January, then promotions will begin.

I co-wrote a suspense and historical fiction novel (about past lives and a serial killer) with Didi Oviatt; it’ll be called Weathering Old Souls, and we hope to publish it mid-year in 2021. We’re working with a few agents and our current publishers to find the best path to success.

I plan to release Braxton #7.5 or #8, depending on how much time I have available. It will be a Christmas-themed mystery. If I can outline a full plot and pull together everything by the summer, it will be a normal length book. But if I’m running behind, it might be a novella. I also have another book, a drama that’s been noodling around in my brain for weeks. I wrote the outline one evening when I couldn’t stop brainstorming. Once I finish edits on the first two above, then I can schedule the Christmas Braxton and the new drama. I’d love to release one in Sept and one in Dec, but 4 books in a year might be a bit much. I can say, this new idea is probably the best I’ve ever had, in terms of my personal favorite, I mean.

Kelly: It’s not surprising that Jay already has big plans for 2021. Thanks for taking time to share your reading and review expertise! I plan to be more intentional and organized about my reading habits for 2021. I’ll look forward to reading the next Braxton Campus books when they’re ready. If you enjoy mysteries and thrillers, I recommend you follow Jay on Goodreads, BookBub, or his blog to read his helpful book reviews.

More about James Cudney: “James is my given name, but most folks call me Jay. I live in New York City, grew up on Long Island, and graduated from Moravian College, an historic but small liberal arts school in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, with a degree in English literature and minors in Education, Business and Spanish. After college, I accepted a technical writing position for a telecommunications company during Y2K and spent the last ~20 years building a career in technology & business operations in the retail, sports, media, hospitality, and entertainment industries. Throughout those years, I wrote short stories, poems, and various beginnings to the “Great American Novel,” but I was so focused on my career that writing became a hobby. In 2016, I committed to focusing my energies toward reinvigorating a second career in reading, writing, and publishing.”

Jay says: I write in the family drama, suspense, and mystery genres. My first two books were Watching Glass Shatter (2017) and Father Figure (2018). Both are contemporary fiction and focus on the dynamics between parents and children and between siblings. I wrote a sequel, Hiding Cracked Glass, for my debut novel, and they are known as the Perceptions of Glass series. I also have a light mystery series called the Braxton Campus Mysteries with six books available.

Follow James Cudney here:

• Website: https://jamesjcudney.com/
• Blog: https://thisismytruthnow.com
• Amazon: http://bit.ly/JJCIVBooks
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamescudney4
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JamesJCudneyIVAuthor
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jamescudney4/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamescudney4/
• Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jamescudney4

Kelly Brakenhoff is the author of 15 books and a seasoned ASL interpreter. She splits her writing energy between two series: cozy mysteries set on a college campus and children’s books featuring Duke the Deaf Dog.

Parents, kids, and teachers love the children’s books and activity guides because they introduce ASL and the Deaf community through fun, engaging stories. And if you enjoy a smart female sleuth, want to learn more about Deaf culture, or have ever lived in a place where livestock outnumber people, the Cassandra Sato Mystery series will have you connecting the dots faster than a group project coming together the night before it’s due.

A proud mom to four adults, head of the dog-snuggling department, and grandma to a growing brood of perfectly behaved grandkids, Kelly and her husband call Nebraska home.