Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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What Are you Reading?
Ame wrote: "I think Cole has all kinds of wall around him. He's really emotional being but as a child he could not allow himself to be that so he put on a front so he wouldn't be hurt. So yeah he can come ac..."This is how I felt about Cole, too.
Strawberries for Dessert was also my favorite book from this series. I just downloaded the sequel yesterday and am really looking forward to reading it--soon.
Susinok wrote: "I'm almost done with my re-read of Strawberries. It is definitely better the second time around. ..."Come to think of it, I believe I re-read Strawberries for Dessert just a few days after I read it the first time. Now that I knew how things ended up with Cole, I liked it (and him) a lot better the second time myself.
Marge wrote: "Strawberries for Dessert was also my favorite book from this series. I just downloaded the sequel yesterday and am really looking forward to reading it--soon."Sequel? What sequel?...
Now I've seen
. But there is a child in it! Aaargh! Will I survive the overload in sweetness that one can expect?BTW I had just reread ''Strawberries for Dessert'' and liked it more than the first time.
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Josh wrote: "I've been reading Catherine Coulter's FBI thrillers and They. Are. Bad."Uh oh. Good thing I only have 1, and I think it was a freebie.
Prular? - great new word for more than one thing which is bad enough to give you an uneasy feeling. origin - combination of plural and prunes...
Josh wrote: "I've been reading Catherine Coulter's FBI thrillers and They. Are. Bad."Gosh, warn a girl. ***wipes off monitor*** Oh well, it needed to be cleaned. =D
Why?
Oh my, I just looked...there are 16 of those!! I think I made it to #2?
I had no idea she was still unloading those. Amazing. And people wonder why we abandoned M/F mainstream. This is why. Torture. ,)
Lou wrote: "Hj wrote: "Prular? - great new word for more than one thing which is bad enough to give you an uneasy feeling. origin - combination of plural and prunes..."
Doh! (Homer voice.)"
I had to leap in there before you noticed it and edited it!
Josh wrote: "I've been reading Catherine Coulter's FBI thrillers and They. Are. Bad."Man, I need some supper. For a minute there I was thinking Ann Coulter -- and yeah, I'll bet they're bad! :)
Anyway, this again raises that eternal question: What makes readers gravitate toward crap?
For some readers, the very thing that makes us think it's crap is the thing they like: the predictability, sameness, safety, nothing surprising or shocking or thought provoking. Easy formulaic writing with small vocabulary and cliched metaphors - nothing too challenging or difficult to follow.Maybe if we analyse our own comfort reads we can see the attraction - for me part of the reason they are comfort reads is because I've read them so often that I love the characters and like visiting them again. If the same thinly-veiled characters appear in book after book, albeit with different names, I imagine there is the same effect of comfortable familiarity.
If they're mysteries or thrillers you can add the pleasure of vicarious excitement and the feeling at the end that all is right with the world, the goodies triumphed and the baddies got their comeuppance.
I hasten to add that I haven't read any of Catherine Coulter's FBI books!
For me, I just cannot understand how anyone gets past the first few pages of any book written by Jeffrey Archer. But I'd better not start on that list of hated writers.
PS I just looked up Ann Coulter as I hadn't heard of her. I assume her book titles are not ironic. Is she for real??
Ann Coulter is scary real. I tune her out at every opportunity. I tried one Catherine Coulter book years ago. That was it for me.
To me, the romantic suspense genre has the highest occurrences of Binky and Brutus (or Barbie and Brutus in mf) TSTL heroine/heroes, which is a shame because it can be very, very good. For some good examples of romantic suspense, try Karen Rose. Her books can be very graphic though. She is thriller/suspense first, romance secondary.
Carlita wrote: "Ann Coulter is scary real. I tune her out at every opportunity. I tried one Catherine Coulter book years ago. That was it for me."Scary is too light a word for her.
Hj wrote: "For some readers, the very thing that makes us think it's crap is the thing they like: the predictability, sameness, safety, nothing surprising or shocking or thought provoking. Easy formulaic wr..."I am also not a fan of Jeffery Archer.
K.Z. wrote: "Josh wrote: "I've been reading Catherine Coulter's FBI thrillers and They. Are. Bad."Man, I need some supper. For a minute there I was thinking Ann Coulter -- and yeah, I'll bet they're bad! :)
..."
Hype for one. Take A Casual Vacancy or The Paris Wife or Gone Girl. All are not worth reading but get hyped for various reasons. Some people are afraid to stretch their horizons, even in the privacy of their reading. Some people are just boring.
Deanna wrote: "Hj wrote: "For some readers, the very thing that makes us think it's crap is the thing they like: the predictability, sameness, safety, nothing surprising or shocking or thought provoking. Easy formulaic wr..."I am also not a fan of Jeffery Archer. ..."
The juxtaposition of the quote from my post and your reply was brilliant! (For non-fans of the Jeffrey, anyway...)
Hj wrote: "For some readers, the very thing that makes us think it's crap is the thing they like: the predictability, sameness, safety, nothing surprising or shocking or thought provoking. Easy formulaic wr..."I think you nailed it. One person's crap is another person's chicken soup. (Not a pleasant metaphor when taken too literally. :-D) I know my taste hasn't always been exemplary, especially when it comes to TV viewing.
Hj wrote: "Deanna wrote: "Hj wrote: "For some readers, the very thing that makes us think it's crap is the thing they like: the predictability, sameness, safety, nothing surprising or shocking or thought prov..."LOL
K.Z. wrote: "Hj wrote: "For some readers, the very thing that makes us think it's crap is the thing they like: the predictability, sameness, safety, nothing surprising or shocking or thought provoking. Easy f..."Yes. We all need some crap in our lives.
Anne wrote: "I just read Birds of a Feather. I love her quirky sense of humour :)"Unfamiliar with this author until your post. Will check her books out. Thanks.
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This provoked an interesting discussion.
But my first response was why are you reading bad FBI thrillers? Professional research? Or is it like watching those truly awful B&W sci-fi movies on Netflix, the ones where "the scientist" and the male MC stand in the same spot in "the laboratory" and exchange long expositions while the female MC stands there looking impressed, and the giant alien lobsters wreck havoc on civilization as we know it? ;-)
Karen wrote: "But my first response was why are you reading bad FBI thrillers? Professional research? Or is it like watching those truly awful B&W sci-fi movies on Netflix, the ones where "the scientist" and the male MC stand in the same spot in "the laboratory" and exchange long expositions while the female MC stands there looking impressed, and the giant alien lobsters wreck havoc on civilization as we know it? ;-)"Sometimes the female MCs are also off to the side making the men martinis. :) I think that was going on a lot in one of my fave old MST3ks, the Giant Leeches. (Or was it Giant Moles?) Whatever--they were dogs with carpets thrown on them. :)
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:-D
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A book I read last week, one I was really enjoying at first, went that way just past midpoint. The perp was obvious, the murders were overly graphic, and the MCs who'd been interesting, sensitive and perceptive suddenly became TSTL. I stuck with it stubbornly clinging to the possibility that they'd wake up or have some near-plausible explanation (like surreptitious drugging?) But no hope, and it made me sad, because I really liked those MCs... until they were drugged by formula.
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They are very easy to read. As in a quick glance at the page pretty much gives you the gist of it. The plot ideas are solid -- although psychic FBI agents is a turn off for me -- and she certainly seems to tap into what readers want to read.
Val wrote: "I've never posted here before, but I followed KZ over and couldn't resist.My Spidey sense told me I was being stalked! :)
ttg wrote: "Sometimes the female MCs are also off to the side making the men martinis."And their hair (to quote Warren Zevon) was perfect.
I think all books.... even "bad" books have a purpose. It keeps people reading. Which I think is very very important at times where everything has to come so easily to people and they want results fast. Even books I hate.... like certain very badly written but incredibly popular series about stalker millionaire and naive virgin heroine....;) It got a lot of people reading. I fear that people will stop reading.... I especially fear about boys/young men.... books just don't seem to appeal to them and big groups of them can hardly read save themselves. Sometimes I wonder if introducing porn to them (as in porn books) would make a difference.... at least they'd learn to read...;)
Anyway.... as I said I think all books serve a purpose... even formula HQ romance.... nothing puts you as fast to sleep in the evening.
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That was one of my summer reading books, and since I'm behind, I'm debating rushing into the next book on my list which is sooo very different. I hate rushing when a good book was just finished.
I liked that Ruth told one man's story of falling in love and eventually picking himself up at the ubrupt ending to the relationship and learning to love again. Yes, it was heartbreaking, but both relationships, and the ending of the whole novel was worth it. If anyone likes historical romance without major sex scenes, this author's two books are a good choice.
She says she writes at a snails pace. But she's an author I wouldn't forget between books. I read The Phoenix twice, and both times I affected by the book for several days afterward. Lol, she's quite a writer.
I'm glad you've both reminded me about Ruth Sims. I've been meaning to try her work for a few years. It sounds more than worthwhile.
Just finished Cited to Death by Meg Perry and liked it very much. I will definitely go on to book 2 as soon as it's released. Thanks for the mention here ttg! Always on the lookout for new mystery series.
I found The Haunted Heart on wattpad (haven't started reading it yet, though) and even registered on that site. But . . . I feel about 40 years too old to be there. Yikes, those seem like some really young writers and readers!
K.Z. wrote: "I found The Haunted Heart on wattpad (haven't started reading it yet, though) and even registered on that site. But . . . I feel about 40 years too old to be there. Yikes, those seem like some real..."The story's wonderful! (nothing else matters :))
K.Z. wrote: "I found The Haunted Heart on wattpad (haven't started reading it yet, though) and even registered on that site. But . . . I feel about 40 years too old to be there. Yikes, those seem like some real..."Okay, just started reading it. Pulled up short when I got to Murdoch's tattoo. My SO was in the 2nd 75th Ranger regiment (yes, he made a point of specifying which battalion; I guess military/ex-military people are fussy about those kinds of details. :))
Just finished Josephine Myles' Barging In, a nice surprise, it takes a bit to build up a pace, but then it gets interesting. I thought it a good romance, with flawed but realistic and well motivated characters.Now i'm reading Hansen's Troublemaker (which feels sort of like coming home) and Ginn's Lord of the White Hell :)
I read Prove It by Chris Owen. I loved it. A great coming of age story about three boys growing up together, and two best friends falling in love.
K.Z. wrote: "I found The Haunted Heart on wattpad..."KC wrote: "The story's wonderful! (nothing else matters :))"
Yes, I gobbled up all the posted chapters in one sitting! (Now back to
Widdershins, which is also a delightful read.)
Val wrote: "As I mentioned earlier, I just finished Brothers of the Wild North Sea and was blown away by how good it was. It was my first Harper Fox book. Does anyone have any recommendations for the next book..."Scrap Metal - this was the last one i read before Brothers of the Wild North Sea, and it was wonderful. I've read a few more, i'm slowly making my way through her backlist, and i loved each and every one. You can't go wrong with any of them :-)
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I have Barging In and can't wait to get to it. I'm glad you guys enjoyed it!
As for Harper Fox, I read Scrap Metal for our BOM and loved it! I wish I could read faster or there was more time in the day, otherwise I'd have read more of her work by now!
I'm planning on reading Lord of the White Hell book one next week while I'm on vacation. Book two is planned for September once all my official summer reading is done.
K.Z. wrote: "K.Z. wrote: "I found The Haunted Heart on wattpad..."KC wrote: "The story's wonderful! (nothing else matters :))"
Yes, I gobbled up all the posted chapters in one sitting! (Now back to
Widdersh..."
It is delightful, isn't it? :-)
I'll try Widdershins soon.
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It is a wonderful story, isn't it! Brothers of the Wild North Sea was your first Harper Fox book? You are SO LUCKY to have all her other books still to read. :-)
Scrap Metal was my first Harper Fox book and just like the others did in their posts, I can definitely recommend that one. I also LOVED The Salisbury Key, Half Moon Chambers, A Midwinter Prince, Last Line, Life After Joe... ;-)
In fact, I finished listening to Life After Joe audio book today and I thought it was terrific. The narrator's voice for Aaron was something else. It was pret-ty difficult to keep painting the window frames of the summer cottage from a tall ladder when every time Aaron had a line my legs almost gave away. Talking about sexy performance (not the painting, but the narrating). :-)
Johanna wrote: "Val wrote: "As I mentioned earlier, I just finished Brothers of the Wild North Sea and was blown away by how good it was. It was my first Harper Fox book. Does anyone have any recommendations for t..."As usual, Johanna, you are right in everything you say!
Val, I truly think that Harper's books take priority over almost every other author's - always excepting her mentor Josh's, of course! They are that good. I would ration them, though, as you'll need time to reflect on each of them.
Ame wrote: "I think all books.... even "bad" books have a purpose. It keeps people reading. Which I think is very very important at times where everything has to come so easily to people and they want results..."I agree. My middle daughter stopped reading when she was around 8/9 yrs old. She read a Fear Street book and could not stop reading them. Well meaning people asked me why I let her read those "stupid and badly written" books. My answer. She is reading and enjoying it. Within a year she had moved on to Stephen King. She has never stopped reading and her children are avid readers also.
Baby fever has taken over the sequels. I've just started Forever Promised by Amy Lane and apparently it will revolve around babies.
Sequel Fear, Hope, and Bread Pudding was all about baby fever and the anxiety leading to an adoption.
In But For You, the latest in Mary Calmes Heart of Time series, Jory and Sam had two adopted kids.
ENOUGH ALREADY!
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:-P
But I started my next summer reading book this afternoon and can't seem to put it down! It's The Name Of The Star by Maureen Johnson. Yep, a YA novel about Jack The Ripper's ghost. Really good so far.
So what will I end up reading before bed tonight? I just don't know!
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Val, so happy to hear you've found Harper Fox. Everyone gave great suggestions for follow-up reading. Scrap Metal is my favorite as well. I remember discussing Harper's "sense of place." It's incredible in this book. Enjoy!
BTW I haven't read Brothers of the Wild North Sea. I bought it the day it came out, but have been kind of hoarding it.
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Torrick indeed! Now I'll be thinking of them that way too. The series has been haunting me this summer. I keep resisting picking it up because I'm afraid I'll drop everything else and become immersed in a re-read. : )
Susinok wrote: "Baby fever has taken over the sequels."Yup, it's a trend that's been building for some time and now has taken off like wildfire.
Not in my sequel, though. ;-)
Deanna wrote: "Ame wrote: "I think all books.... even "bad" books have a purpose. It keeps people reading....I agree. My middle daughter stopped reading when she was around 8/9 yrs old. She read a Fear Street book and could not stop reading them. Well meaning people asked me why I let her read those "stupid and badly written" books. My answer. She is reading and enjoying it...."
I agree with you and Ame, to a degree. When I was a child libraries would not hold Enid Blyton books and teachers were sniffy about them, but I loved them and read them avidly and I'm sure my life-long love of reading stems from that.
To my mind, it does not follow that a book which is easy to read is a "bad book", and vice versa. I rarely read literary fiction these days, and so those who think that's the only place you find good writing might accuse me of reading "bad books". But a book can be in a popular genre, can sell well, be easy to read and also be a good book (in the sense that it is well written).
What I would call a "bad book" is a book which is badly written and or badly edited. It seems to be the case that this does not always stop a book from being a best seller, which bemuses me. Having a good story just isn't enough for me.
One of the things I find odd about this is that it will be said about some of these books that they are "easy to read". If a book is badly written or edited I just do not find it easy to read - quite the contrary! The pain is almost physical and certainly unbearable, and I just cannot continue reading them even with no alternative. I'll read the back of the cereal packet instead. (What *is* riboflavin? - I've been wondering since I was about five, and the explanation never sticks.)
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Q&A with Josh Lanyon
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I think she's aiming for Dec. 2013. She's joined Josh in using Wattpad, and is putting parts of book 3 up there. (Although I haven't read it. I like to be surprised so will wait for when it's complete.) :)