Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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What Are you Reading?
Calathea wrote: "Oh, on the topic of Shakespeare: I stumbled on an interesting source recently. Do you know this? Understanding Shakespeare"Thank you.
Then I add a rec: Brush Up Your Shakespeare!.
I don't know why it hasn't any ratings nor reviews. I like it. It is a collection of the most famous Shakespeare quotes with a brief explanation of the context and of the meaning. There is also a list of ''Faux Shakespeare'': phrases often misattributed to the Bard.
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Thank you.
Then I add a rec: Brush Up Your Shake..."</i>
That sounds like a book for A.J.'s mom from [book:Corpse Pose!
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Anyway, I spent a lovely misty, foggy morning yesterday reading Death in a Difficult Position until I'd finished it.
Now, I'm needing another book in the series. Just one more to tie up a relationship or two. Pweeeeeese?!?!?! ;-)
Her mother, gosh, I thought Lisa, Adrien's mother, was bad, but now I'm thinking Elysia is worse! She drove me up the wall! lol.
OMG, and Jake.... Josh, you've got a way about writing Jakes that just make me go all warm and fuzzy inside. I need a Jake of my own (who isn't a plant!), clearly. :-P
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And, now I'm back to reading The Iron Jackal, which I had to put down for awhile. Hopefully there won't be anymore putting it down again. lol.
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:-D
James Henderson from Dal Maclean's Bitter Legacy is guest of Harper Fox just before the release of the book:http://harperfoxblog.wordpress.com/20...
Calathea wrote: "Oh, on the topic of Shakespeare: I stumbled on an interesting source recently. Do you know this? Understanding Shakespeare..."NICE!
Susinok wrote: "Update on I Knew Him by Erastes. Based on Hamlet I WISH it were tragic... or something. What it is is unbearably S.L.O.W! I am only 48% through after working on it all week, and I'v..."FINALLY somebody died! The killer is known and rather surprising too. This is going to be interesting since the killer has no remorse whatsoever. Hmm...
I've just finished the entire LA Paranormal series https://www.goodreads.com/series/9282... by Lou Harper.Excellent series.
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The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra
Found book two in my section of the library and went a little nuts. lol. I also love the covers! Anyway, I'm adding this to my to-read shelf.
Jordan wrote: "OMG.... just found a mystery series that's new and looks completely awesome and adorable. It involves a retired Inspector and a baby elephant. MUST READ. lol. I mean, I LOVE elephants and mysteries..."Sounds intriguing! :-)
I read B.R. Sanders' Ariah and I really enjoyed it. It's a lovely coming-of-age fantasy with great characters, superb world-building, wonderful emotion, and a neat romance. It's ambitious and full of big ideas and it's super queer. Recommended if you think a queer fantasy bildungsroman that is likely to make you think a lot sounds like fun.
Alison wrote: "I read B.R. Sanders' Ariah and I really enjoyed it. It's a lovely coming-of-age fantasy with great characters, superb world-building, wonderful emotion, and a neat romance."Thank you for the rec. The only negative point I see is that it is the beginning of a series ;-). Do you think that it is thinkable to read only the first book?
Alison wrote: "I read B.R. Sanders' Ariah and I really enjoyed it. It's a lovely coming-of-age fantasy with great characters, superb world-building, wonderful emotion, and a neat romance. It's amb..."I bought that one a while back. I need to move it higher on the TBR list.
Mymymble wrote: "Finally got past the first coupla clunky chapters of Captive Prince. After that I didn't know or care if it was clunky - I was captivated. Now have bought the other (unbelievably expensive) volume..."
What is the magic chapter that will me get captivated? Still trying, not giving up on this one yet. Everybody seems to love it and I don't know why?
Calathea wrote: "What is the magic chapter that will me get captivated? Still trying, not giving up on this one yet. Everybody seems to love it and I don't know why?"Me with you ;-)
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Can you believe it, I hardly read anything these days, what with putting my new flat in order, having my daughter visit (she is hooked on series, it's fun to watch together) and work.But I am almost finished with Lioness of Cygnus Five which I really recommend for science fiction fans. A really good story. I have no idea whether the scientific parts are plausible or possible, but this is very good story telling.
Mymymble wrote: "Calathea wrote: "Mymymble wrote: "Finally got past the first coupla clunky chapters of Captive Prince. After that I didn't know or care if it was clunky - I was captivated. Now have bought the oth..."
Thank you for answering that, Mymymble! :-)
I take the book out once in a while an try (again) to get into it and can't. I'm not getting anywhere with it. I'll try again. Not giving up. ;)
Real Life has been quite hectic so I didn't get the time in September to read For Real book of the month. And I get really cranky when I don't have time to read, it's my therapy, my way to relax and deal with the shits of the world. Anyway, I finally got time to read this week and it was glorious. So when I finished I didn't want to start the next book of the month read just yet because I have the suspicion that it's probably as intense as For Real so I went for the mild romance Blueberry Boys. Frankly I was bored. I do realize I went from a very intense, very well written prose to... something ordinary. And I'm very sorry if this is a story you love (or wrote). Maybe it's not fair to compare it to For Real. Or maybe it was just what I needed to read before Bitter Legacy. I don't know.
It's nice, got two lovely MC's, one who stutters and the other one bit chubby, so no stereotyping there, who meet fall in love and get their predictable HEA. Again it's nice comfortable read (god I feel just awful now).
Ame wrote: "Real Life has been quite hectic so I didn't get the time in September to read For Real book of the month. And I get really cranky when I don't have time to read, it's my therapy, my..."And I'm feeling that way about Bitter Legacy. I am having a terrible time getting interested in it. I think it's the wrong book at the wrong time.
Pansies is out today if you order from Riptide. Going to start that and get back to Bitter Legacy when I can pay it more attention.
I probably haven't posted in ages - real life has been kicking my ass and I feel like I haven't read much at all this year. I have started soooo many books that I never finished - just too many distractions I guess. If I don't connect to the characters pretty quickly and the plot doesn't grab me I usually don't go back. One book I did return to and was glad for it is Sutphin Boulevard. I finished it after I read Sunset Park which I loved. SB was kind of a difficult read for me due to the subject matter but I enjoyed the writing. First and First is probably my favorite of the series, though. I thought it was wonderful.
I also really loved Hassell and Erickson's Fast Connection. That one is definitely going on my comfort reads shelf.
I also highly recommend Avon Gale's Scoring Chances series that starts with Breakaway. Perfect reads for me - contemporary, sports (hockey - that she gets right for the most part IMO), not a lot of angst, humor, well written characters, good bisexual rep. Fun reads with some depth to them.
https://www.goodreads.com/series/1655...
I'm currently reading Out of Nowhere which is pretty good so far.
Calathea wrote: "What is the magic chapter that will me get captivated? Still trying, not giving up on this one yet. Everybody seems to love it and I don't know why? I don't read a lot of fantasy or historical but Captive Prince did really grab me. I guess it was the characters and intrigue, especially Laurent. It took me a while to get into the first book, but I reread it right before the third book came out and liked it more than I did on the first read. The second book is the best IMO and the third was a bit of a let down.
I really want to read Bitter Legacy but I don't know if I'm up for it at the moment. *sigh* I need a vacation.
I loved the Captive Prince from the beginning which surprised me because it's not my usual genre, I'm not into fantasy stories. I listened to Out of Nowhere, it was amazing and then I got into the next one straight on. Oh, man. How parents can screw you up, sometimes for life. I found it harsh but very realistic, maybe because I deal with (in the year of 2016 in one of the most progressive societies) teenagers who's parents don't approve of their sexuality.
Now I'm trying to figure out if I should wait for Where We Left Off on audio or just read the ebook. I want the audiobook really bad.
I am listening to Sutphin Boulevard so maybe it's no wonder some books seem mild between reading For Real and listening to Santino Hassel ;)
Valerie wrote: "I'm currently reading Out of Nowhere which is pretty good so far."Reading this one too, atm. It took me a bit at the beginning to remember what happened in Book 1 and to orient myself because it wasn't clear that Book 1 and Book 2 overlap for a while. Then I went and searched for Colin, etc. - I remembered him only vaguely - but eventually all the little mysteries were solved, and now i'm at ~25% and really enjoying it so far. Not really a spoiler but (view spoiler).
Antonella wrote: "Alison wrote: "I read B.R. Sanders' Ariah and I really enjoyed it. It's a lovely coming-of-age fantasy with great characters, superb world-building, wonderful emotion, and a neat ro...Thank you for the rec. The only negative point I see is that it is the beginning of a series ;-). Do you think that it is thinkable to read only the first book? "
It's totally thinkable--you'd be fine. :)
It does end at a conclusive ending point, so for me, the story finished. But I suppose it could be just the beginning... ;) Apparently there is a sequel in the works. The author has written a fair few stories in this world, so I'm keen to check them out. Here's an interesting interview with the author: https://justloveromance.wordpress.com...
Anne wrote: "But I am almost finished with Lioness of Cygnus Five which I really recommend for science fiction fans. A really good story. I have no idea whether the scientific parts are plausible or possible, but this is very good story telling. "I really enjoyed this and I loved the possibly implausible bits! No matter the subgenre, Alex Beecroft always manages to give us a good story.
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Great to see you here posting, Valerie! :-)
Valerie wrote: "I don't read a lot of fantasy or historical but Captive Prince did really grab me. I guess it was the characters and intrigue, especially Laurent. It took me a while to get into the first book, but I reread it right before the third book came out and liked it more than I did on the first read. The second book is the best IMO and the third was a bit of a let down. "I agree. Laurent's twistiness and the political intrigue was what made this series interesting for me. I do have a vague memory of it starting a bit slowly in the first book.
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Off all those satisfying reads two books stand out as my absolute favorites: Maze-Born Trouble by Ginn Hale and Bitter Legacy by Dal Maclean.
I had the dizzying pleasure of reading Ginn's Maze-Born Trouble a few weeks ago as "a Finnish-language & culture consultant" (sounds a lot fancier than my small contribution, LOL!). Seriously, if you haven't pre-ordered this one yet, you really should ASAP! In Maze-Born Trouble Ginn gives us a COMPLETELY NEW, sensory rich world to wander in. The way only Ginn Hale can!! Aaaand once again she makes us fall hopelessly in love with her unique, mesmerizing characters. So, start brushing up your Finnish, everyone — it's November 15 before we know it! :-)
About a half an hour ago I finished reading Dal Maclean's Bitter Legacy and I'm still bathing in the pleasurable afterglow of that perfect reading experience. Hands down, here's one of the best authors I've ever read — in any genre. It's absolutely stunning that this is her debut novel. Josh sure wasn't gushing for nothing! :-) I'm so glad we get to discuss this one as our October BOM! I think it's going to be a lively discussion... :-D
I'll try not to say much more about Bitter Legacy at this point, but I'll only say this: It was SO DIFFICULT to put this book down. I only remember two other reading experiences when I felt physical, absolute NEED to abandon all the other fields of my everyday life and just continue reading. Those other two equally wonderful, intense reading experiences were Josh's Adrien English series and Ginn Hale's The Rifter series. Oh yeah, THAT'S how good Bitter Legacy is!
I'm also reading Bitter Legacy right now, it really is very good.
Johanna wrote: "I only remember two other reading experiences when I felt physical, absolute NEED to abandon all the other fields of my everyday life and just continue reading. Those other two equally wonderful, intense reading experiences were Josh's Adrien English series and Ginn Hale's The Rifter series. Oh yeah, THAT'S how good Bitter Legacy is!"Oh, yes, Adrien English and The Rifter - I felt/feel the same way. With Adrien, luckily, I read it during a few days off, so i just shut out the world until i finished it, especially books 3-5. (Books 1 and 2 are total comfort reads, and there i can start and stop anytime! sort of ;-)) Anyywayyy...
Bitter Legacy, yes, a very similar NEED. I got so invested in the story and especially James.
Looking forward to reading Ginn's new story! And learning some Finnish! Sounds awesome! :-)
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Jordan wrote: "Finished Bitter Legacy today. Yep, I think I read for nearly five hours straight. And now I'm having trouble picking a follow up book!"I'm kinda stuck in the middle. It's hitting my embarrassment squick and I'm anticipating something happening that I won't like. I had to put it down.
Mymymble wrote: "KC wrote: "Valerie wrote: "I'm currently reading Out of Nowhere which is pretty good so far."Reading this one too, atm. It took me a bit at the beginning to remember what happened in Book 1 and t..."
I read this two months ago, so I don’t remember all the details, but I agree with you about the (view spoiler) and the sex reading a little bit as m/f.
I think, though, that it was meant as a contrast from the kind of “sex” Colin used to have with men, violent, empty and shallow.
Rafe made a lot of mistakes, like when(view spoiler), but he was only being honest when he told Colin that (view spoiler)
What do you refer to when you said the first half would be creepy and non-con if Colin was a woman? (And yes, in that case it wouldn’t be acceptable for two men, either, but that would be a whole new debate.)
I presume you’re talking about the way Rafe appeared at Colin’s garage like a stalker, but maybe I forgot other things…
If you really think about it, this book does have a lot of flaws, but it was well-written and I loved it mostly because of Colin’s character. I could feel his loneliness and struggles and, quoting KC, “I found myself caring for him right away despite his behavior and flaws”.
Mymymble wrote: "I was mainly thinking about the way Rafe physically crowds him, pushing for a sexual response Colin (though he's attracted) says repeatedly he doesn't want to give, and that during class he would find excuses to touch him at least five times a day in front of the kids when Colin didn't touch him once."I should really re-read it before talking about specific episodes, but I can’t, so bear with me and if I’m wrong you or someone else reading the book can correct me.
I believe you’re right about Rafe “pushing” Colin for a “sexual response” and that was in part due to Colin giving mixed signals, because he is attracted to Rafe, but he repressed his sexuality for so long that he has trouble even thinking about “normal” gay sex.
Rafe knows that, so he tries to use Colin’s desire as leverage to get Colin to experience gay sex in a way that it’s not as self-destructing as the one he’s used to. Which doesn’t mean that it’s okay to force someone just because you know he’s attracted to you and want to have sex with you. But that’s exactly the point, I remember vividly Rafe refusing to engage in sexual activities with Colin, unless he came right out and said what he wanted.
Hey, I’m not saying it was the better way to deal with Colin’s issues, but it didn’t trigger my “abuse alarm”. I can see why it can bother others, though.
Same goes for the touching during class. I think Rafe is just affectionate with Colin, he touched his arm or back while talking, and I remember Colin thinking about it after the kids pointed it out, so he couldn’t have been bothered too much by it, if he didn’t notice…right?
Mymymble wrote: "But about the [maybe] suicide attempt. Many people might have felt like Rafe but few would have been callous enough to say it. "
Yes, but keep in mind that Rafe has a lot of problems himself and he struggles everyday with his (view spoiler), it’s not like he has a perfectly balanced and easy life aside from Colin’s problems.
He’s aware of his own limits and made perfectly clear what he couldn't deal with. Not saying it in that circumstance would have been the same as taking a responsibility he hasn't the means to manage and that’s why I think he did well making himself clear, but he shouldn’t have stopped there.
Mymymble wrote: "Oh and Rafe sulked for a week because Col insisted on spending Thanksgiving with his family.
He was also unbearably holier than thou, telling Colin it was as bad to be in the closet as in the nick for drugdealing and vicious assault. Hmm no it's actually not. "
Well, it’s safe to say that you don’t like Rafe much. :D
I disagree with you about the second part: Rafe didn’t say that being in the closet is as bad as being in prison, he said that Colin’s situation at home was comparable to being in prison.
A different kind of prison, but a prison nonetheless, and the prison your mind makes for you out of fear of losing your family’s love, of not meeting their expectations, of insecurities and low self-esteem can be as bad and painful as being physically caged.
He wasn’t being holier than thou at all. On the contrary, he gave Colin full credit for having lived in an unbearable situation all his adult life.
He acknowledged Colin’s suffering, he didn’t judge him for not being out.
Mymymble wrote: "Finally long hair. I love long hair in RL & fiction so felt Rafe's questionable behaviour, as an insult to long hair everywhere [oh so shallow]. "
:-D
Sorry for the novel I wrote, I got a little carried away. :P
I'll have to come back and read the Out of Nowhere comments once i finish reading the book.
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KC wrote: "I'll have to come back and read the Out of Nowhere comments once i finish reading the book."Please, do. I'm curious to know what other people think about the characters and the story. :)
Mymymble wrote: "I agree with you, Elena on all the above points except the holier than thou bit, although his actual comments were as you describe so you're quite right there too."
It happens to me too sometimes, no matter how rationally I look at a character or his behavior, he just rubs me off the wrong way. Just like in real life. :D
I'm a little more than halfway through Out of Nowhere and it's kind of stressing me out. Colin's anxiety is giving me anxiety. ;-) The writing is okay but there is too much telling and not enough showing. I hate when there is a big scene and then the author goes back and explains what happened to bring about the current scene -- if that makes sense. (It's been a long day and I can't think of the word, lol). I like Colin but I'm not really feeling much chemistry between him and Rafe. Again, the author is telling me it's there but I'm not sure about it. The sex scenes aren't enjoyable, either, b/c I'm on edge waiting for Colin to freak out tbh. I'm interested enough to continue I guess . . . I would like Colin to go see a counselor/therapist. :)
Valerie wrote: "I'm a little more than halfway through Out of Nowhere and it's kind of stressing me out. Colin's anxiety is giving me anxiety. ;-) The writing is okay but there is too much telling and not enough s..."He is an anxiety inducing character, being inside his head left me exausted. I wanted to sit him on a couch, wrap him in a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and tell him he was okay and loved.
And I'm with you about the therapist.
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:-D
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I believe "tomboy" has pretty much fallen out of contemporary use.
It's called Monday Morning Quarterbacking.
Because we all believe we would have chosen better, jumped at the right moment, grabbed the hand in time, said the right words and stopped the war, realized it was not a costume ball before we showed up in the gorilla suit. :-)
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:-) Now THAT is a discussion I shall read with interest.
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Ouch!
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Oh! That's very cool.
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Anyway, I spent a lovely misty, foggy morning yesterday reading Death in a Difficult Position until I'd finished it.
Now, I'm needing another book i..."
:-D I do need to tie up that series and the Poetic Death series. One of these days!
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Oh good!
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Q&A with Josh Lanyon
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That IS interesting!