Experiences in sharing Sanderson novels

[Kestrel]

With friends/family.

I've been trying to get my mother to read them for ages. She's into the same things I am, and I think she'd love it. But work is really hard for her now and I can't. Bummed out.

I've spread The Reckoners to one of my other friends. She's on Firefight and is really loving it.

Mistborn is currently with one of my other friends, who's enjoyed it far more than he thought. He asked me earlier why Sazed was my favorite. "He's just a coach driver!" Hahahahashhah. His favorite is Kelsier.

Way of Kings is with one of my friends, too. She's enjoyed it, and currently likes Adolin the best. She hates Elhokar, though. Or at least, finds him to be really dumb.

One of my directors is reading Mistborn. Hopefully. I gave her another copy.

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

As part of my internship with a public library, I did a series of book talks for a high school library club. One of those books was Steelheart.

The day before I did the book talks, there were five copies out of nine available in the system.

The day after, every copy was either on hold, checked out, or checked out with multiple holds.

Edited May 6, 2015 by TwiLyghtSansSparkles

[gjustice99]

I have spread Mistborn with two people, one is not very into it, while the other is devouring them very quickly and seems mildly interested in the shard and other Sandersonian novels

[Quiver]

As part of my internship with a public library, I did a series of book talks for a high school library club. One of those books was Steelheart.

The day before I did the book talks, there were five copies of 9availavle in the system.

The day after, every copy was either on hold, checked out, or checked out with multiple holds.

 

I am very curious as to how you described it to those kids.

 

Right now, my theory is that you confused them by talking about Funtimes, epics and ponies, and they all checked out Steelheart to try and make sense of things... but I am willing to accept other theories.

[Orlion Blight]

Let's see... I lent my grandmother and a friend The Emperor's Soul. The friend thoroughly enjoyed it and I got her a copy of Mistborn and Well of Ascension (I thought she all ready had Hero of Ages, otherwise she would have gotten that as well). After struggling through Clash of Kings and the first Walking Dead compendium, she's now reading Mistborn and is currently happier for it.

 

I lent Steelheart to my mother, who liked it. Eventually, she also read Mitosis once I got a physical copy of it and enjoyed that. Unfortunately, she could not finish Firefight.

 

Once I'm done with it, I might try to get other friends to read Warbreaker... all in a plan to get people to read Stormlight Archives! 

[Titan Arum]

I lent a copy of Mistborn to my mother, who then devoured the entire series. Every time I see her now she wants to talk theory with me about what it all means! I love it. She's now finished Elantris and Warbreaker and about to delve into WoK. She didn't think she'd like these books because she's not too into fantasy, but she admits that Brandon's ability to world build is top notch. She can't get enough of it now. 

 

The Prof at my work now has my copy of Mistborn and he got so into it he read it in just a few days and blames me for his lack of productivity at work. Worth it. For me at least, because now I have a person at work to talk about the Cosmere with! 

[Unhinged]

I've been trying for ages to get my friends and family to read Sanderson but so far no one's interested. I even got my sister copies of both Steelheart and Firefight but she refuses to read them despite me constantly telling her how good they are. And then there's my mothers boyfriend who is a huge fantasy nut but I can't get him to read Mistborn or Stormlight despite me knowing he'd enjoy them.

 

It probably doesn't help that my sales pitch was "be warned once you step into this universe... you aren't coming out".

[TwiLyghtSansSparkles]

I am very curious as to how you described it to those kids.

 

Right now, my theory is that you confused them by talking about Funtimes, epics and ponies, and they all checked out Steelheart to try and make sense of things... but I am willing to accept other theories.

 

I wish.  

 

No, here's what I said. Book talks are basically trailers for a book, so this was my trailer: 

 

"David Charleston has seen Steelheart bleed. No one believes him. Steelheart is immortal. Invincible. The godlike emperor of what was once Chicago. Bullets bounce harmlessly from his skin, so how could a bullet graze his cheek? But David knows what he saw on the day Steelheart took power—the day Steelheart killed his father in cold blood. He has seen Steelheart bleed. And he will see him bleed again." 

[Orlion Blight]

 

 

It probably doesn't help that my sales pitch was "be warned once you step into this universe... you aren't coming out".

Yeah, you gotta dial back your excitement... otherwise, you'll scare away the prey...erhm...potential readers!

[Kestrel]

In the Sanderson fandom, there is only prey.

I need to get my ap world teacher to read it, but my copy is currently "checked out" to a friend. And with four weeks of school left, I'm worried there won't be time!

[ChullRider]

Me sharing Words of Radiance someone.

 

Me: Hey check out this cool picture of people in magic armor! 

Other Person: Ooo That's Cool! 

Me: You should read this book! 

Other Person: Okay, I will. 

Me: No really! You should!

Other Person: Yes! 

Me: SERIOUSLY! READ THIS BOOK! 

Other Person: OK!  

 

Those two last lines may have been a bit of a dramatization....

Edited May 6, 2015 by ChullRider

[Lightsworn Panda]

For some reason, my goldfish persistently refuses to read Sanderson books, no matter how much I recommend them.

[DanTheSeamonster]

I have converted my little brother, and we both are in love with SA. Almost all of our conversations now have an SA reference or inside joke, and we may or may not have crafted our own six foot Shardblades, and we may or may not use them to perform mock Shardbearer duels in our backyard. 

 

Also I have gotten my friend to read WoK. He loved it, and is now halfway through WoR!! 

[Delightful]

Those two last lines may have been a bit of a dramatization....

Are you sure? Cause I think I've has conversations like that too

So after six months of bugging, my brother finally relented and read Mistborn, and then came to

Me with "why didn't you make me read these before???" And I was like uuuuh I tried? He's since read most sanderson books, but I've had no success with the rest of the family.

Then I lent a friend Elantris and another Mistborn and they both loved them so a couple other friends read them and emperors soul, but are never really into discussing them. More recently I lent WoK to a friend who fell totally in love with them, then devoured Mistborn and now makes inside jokes. Due to her influence, we now have two more mutual friends reading sanderson.

Oh and I got Elsa Steelheart into Steelheart somewhere along the way too

And then......I have a couple friends who are interested but just can't get into them. Or perpetually say they'll read it and never do.......you win some you lose some.

[the winter system]

Friend brings home Mistborn from ALA.

I devour it.

At camp, send me 2 and 3.

I devour them.

She reads 1 while I'm at camp.

Then when I am home, I give her 2 and 3.

She reads.

We agree on mutual awesomeness.

I exchange books with my sister. I read her favorite, she reads Mistborn.

I bug my other friend to read Mistborn 1.

They read it, slowly.

Refuse to read Mistborn 2.

So, this time I'm in a bad mood.

"Want to do this?"

"No."

"That?"

"No."

...

"Read Mistborn 2?"

"Yes!"

Bad mood is gone.

My friend is reading it very slowly now.

Then I go around at school, reading other books and hoping people ask what I'm reading. Direct teachers towards them. So far, only my sister and my two friends have read it.

[Winds Alight]

My father didn't like Warbreaker, a friend of mine disliked the ending of Mistborn.
On of my best friends isn't into high fantasy AT ALL, but I almost convinced her to try SA because I talked nonstop about it. Only almost, though, but I know she wouldn't be happy with the books, so I'm okay with it.

[Kairos]

Well, I started out by hooking a mutual WoT fan on Mistborn(he then devoured the Cosmere, and blamed me for sleep deprivation).

I then recommended Alcatraz to another couple of friends, who both read and loved it. One moved on to Cosmere, the other spread Alcatraz to her family(who moved on to Mistborn).

I insisted the friend who recommend WoT to me(and thus the one initially responsible for hooking me onto Sanderson) read Mistborn. She did, and is currently in WoA. She spread it to another mutual friend, who has now finished Mistborn.

I also got my sister into Reckoners, as well as sundry other people. Actually, I think everyone I listed read Reckoners second.

So, yeah. I doubled the population of Sanderfans in my town.

[Mistrunner]

I got a friend to read 'em. Then, after much hard work and persistence, I got another hooked. (He's a video game person, and had read the Infinity Blade book. When I mentioned it, he was then very willing to read others.)

 

The happiest days of my life were when I heard them arguing over who was better: Shallan or Kaladin, and later, whether Lift or Adolin would win in a fight. I was so proud.

[Kestrel]

Friend runs up to me at lunch and screams

"FRICKIN VIN."

Oh, he's at that part.

[TheSilverDragon]

My friend is reading WoK, and I steal it from.him. get to about chapter five before he wants it back.

Lends it to me.afterwards and I read it in two days.

Go.a while without Sanderson, then find Elantrus on a book shelf. Read that. Find firstborn, read all of.it and become.obessed.

Try and get .y parents to read it... they ban me from talking about it.

[littlemag126]

So I go on a book rant about sanderson to a friend of mine on facebook at like 1 a.m.  he responded with some degree of mild intrest.

I had gone on many such rants to no avail so you can imagine my surprise when the next day at 4 p.m. he messages me

"Warbreaker was freaking awesome"

 

yah, didn't see that coming.

[Unhinged]

I've been trying for ages to get my friends and family to read Sanderson but so far no one's interested. I even got my sister copies of both Steelheart and Firefight but she refuses to read them despite me constantly telling her how good they are. 

 

Huzzah she's started and is currently on page twenty or so... and despite me bugging her to continue she claims that little things like finals and sports are more important... anyone got any tips on getting her to read more?

[natc]

Finals and sports are important.

. . . but there's no way she can do either nonstop. She must take breaks, surely.

Edited May 19, 2015 by natc

[Orlion Blight]

... anyone got any tips on getting her to read more?

You can't

 

In my experience, the best thing to do is provide the opportunity, and follow-up (i.e. do not hound the person). People have different reading speeds/needs, and sometimes you can not get someone to read a specific author.

 

I lucked out recently because my friend had been "bullied/coerced" to read The Walking Dead comic and the first couple Song of Ice and Fire books. She felt they were slow going, and I felt she needed Mistborn. Having read The Emperor's Soul last year and enjoying that, she got to Mistborn eventually and is now feeling like she "never wants to read Martin again and just wants to read Sanderson".