Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
ARCHIVE (General Topics)
>
What Are you Reading?
message 13501:
by
Candice
(new)
Aug 24, 2017 07:20AM
I'm reading Bones of our Fathers by Elin Gregory. Enjoying very much. No spoiler here, but I will mention a rendezvous and heavy equipment (no double entendre intended) that was big-time fun and funny.
reply
|
flag
Sabine wrote: "I am reading The Heart of the Lost Star by Megan Derr. I liked The High King's Golden Tongue and The Pirate of Fathoms Deep very much, so I am looki..."
I'm currently halfway through The High King's Golden Tongue. I opted for audio because it's pretty long and experience shows that it's easier for me to follow her longer stories in audiobook form. So far I like it.
Mod
I think it's an idea you hear from very young women. :-)
Mod
Single Malt Murder by Melinda Mullet (what a na..."
It's hard to believe I've never heard of that one! :-D
Mod
Jordan wrote: "Well, I'm giving up on Blue Notes at 50%..."I gave 2.5 stars, but I rounded it up. Maybe one day I'll check to see if I still agree with myself on this ;-)
Mod
I gave 2.5 stars, but I rounded it up. Maybe one day I'll check to see if I still agree with myself on this ;-)"
I read your review last night, and found myself agreeing with pretty much everything you said, which had me debating quitting, but I held on until now.
I really wanted to like it and had been really looking forward to it. I think that just makes the letdown that much harder. You know?
Jordan wrote: "I really wanted to like it and had been really looking forward to it. I think that just makes the letdown that much harder. You know?"I remember that I had heard good things about it.
But lately I'm often in the position of finding ''meh'' or even dislike books some other friends liked. I think it could be also because I have read so many m/m books, that on one side I easily find the plot predictable, or some pet peeves irritating, and so on; on the other side I've read some really excellent books and I have the arbitrary expectation that more authors reach that excellence.
Mod
I remember that I had heard good things about ..."
That is true. I think I've raised the bar on excellence in what I read too. :-)
Read and enjoyed The Ruin of a Rake.Started Lines in the Sand. Okay/good, so far.
Continuing and enjoying The Bones of Our Fathers.
And today the new Eli Easton is out - How To Save A Life, and i'm very much looking forward to it.
Mod
I also started reading State of Mind, which has been on my TBR list for so long it's not even funny. But, the first chapter really grabbed my attention, so I'm looking forward to the rest. :-)
And, a friend and I are reading The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom together. It makes sense, but as I'm not a religious person, that aspect of the book makes it harder to read a little. Also, his use of language irritates me too. He likes to use words that have had something of a definition change over the centuries, and goes with the original definition. This reminds me of the patron last week who lectured me on my use of the word "sorry" telling me the modern usage is not the correct way to use it. So, not what I need while I'm trying to help someone, you know? It's an interesting fact, but don't lecture me on it! Anyway, The author also repeats himself more than I think he needs to be. "Be impeccable with the word," is a phrase I'm now tired of hearing.
All that said though, I'm still going to keep reading, because I do believe in what he's saying, I just wish he'd say it differently, and also that he would give more concrete instructions, if you will, on how I should be "impeccable with the word".
Jordan wrote: "Over a year later, and I'm finally getting back into The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs, which is an exceptional book on understanding dog behavior and thus,..."I have a copy of the The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom. I haven't read it yet so it is good to hear your thoughts about it. At the moment I am reading Garden District Gothic which is the 7th book in the Scotty Bradley mystery series by Greg Herren. The author has written two series set in New Orleans and they are both good. I am also listening to A Boy and His Dragon which is a slow romance but delightful.
Mod
The Four Agreements seems to be very popular. We have a wait list for it at the library here, so I only have three weeks with it. What I can say so far, is that you should read it, but maybe find ways to translate it into something that fits you, if you don't like his language.
That's good to know that the Greg Herren books are good. I know we have Garden District Gothic here. I've seen it on our new mystery shelf.
Also, A Boy and His Dragon sounds really cute. And since everyone I know has read it and rated it 4-5 stars, I'll add it to my TBR pile. Not like I need more books there or anything. lol.
Thanks to Anne and to a friend's friend I've started yesterday
(Hugo Award 2016) and today I've already ordered the other two books of the trilogy. Really wonderful and imaginative, with some strong women and diverse characters. IMO it could generally go under a LGBT label. Probably not be suitable for people wanting all neatly explained from the beginning, everything is clear as you read on though. Warning: no romance in sight ;-).
There is a story, Stone Hunger, taking place after book 3, that one can read for free here:
http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/jemis...
I just have to mention Marshall Thornton's FEMME and his AUNT (somebody's) TIME TRAVEL AND COLLECTIBLES. The title something like that. Both stories are irresistibly funny and un-putdownable. Read and enjoy.
Mod
You mean Aunt Belle's Time Travel & Collectibles
and
Femme
:-)
Candice wrote: "I just have to mention Marshall Thornton's FEMME and his AUNT (somebody's) TIME TRAVEL AND COLLECTIBLES. The title something like that. Both stories are irresistibly funny and un-putdownable. Read ..."I was fortunate enough to get a free copy of the audiobook of Femme and I really enjoyed it. It was just so funny and the narrator did an excellent job. I have Aunt Belle in my to read pile.
Finished a few good reads recently, mostly older.- Chance Assassin: A Story of Love, Luck, and Murder (2013) - I steered away for a while because I thought it woudl be too dark, but this was actually very compelling, well-written assassin/action story. It DOES have a lot of violence, but wasn't as grim-grim dark as I had been fearing. I was really impressed with the author on this one. I thought their writing/character voice was really smooth.
- Suddenly: Shanghaied! (2015) - Light queer YA space sci-fi story, kind of like Firefly but way way gayer and more absurd. Written by Rose Christo (Gives Light series), so a real departure as this is very much in space, and has a mix of very light humor and then deeply meaningful back stories. It has a few editing errors, but overall I loved it. It's a very warm story with rich themes of love and building a chosen family (as well as having an m/m romance for the main character.)
- The Glass-House Murder (2014) - Although definitely having some editing issues (including, I think, a scene out of order...oops), the author did an awesome job on the character's voice and the period setting. I liked it so much, I plowed through the editing stuff. Great period mystery with a background romance. Kind of like a gayer Jeeves and Wooster in style, but it's not the valet who is the love interest (although the valet is still also very indespensible.)
Mod
- Chance Assassin: A Story of Love, Luck, and Murder (2013) - I steered away for a while because I thought it woudl be too dark, but this was actu..."
Shanghaied! Sounds fun and cute!
Mod
KC wrote: "Read and enjoyed The Ruin of a Rake.Started Lines in the Sand. Okay/good, so far.
Continuing and enjoying The Bones of Our Fathers.
And today the ne..."
I have read Eli Easton's How To Save A Life and it is very enjoyable.
Antonella wrote: "Thanks to Anne and to a friend's friend I've started yesterday (Hugo Award 2016) and today I've already ordered the other two books of the trilogy. Really wo..."
I've been meaning to read this for ages, so good to know another friend thinks it's worthwhile. :)
I'll add to the recs for R. Cooper's lovely A Boy and His Dragon. It's classic R. Cooper--a slow-paced, quiet story of two people pining a whole lot and talking about books and making tea and blushing and being a bit awkward because they really fancy each other. It's delightful and charming and gentle and quite sweet. Her books are lovely and make me smile. :)Oh, I should mention here also that Dreamspinner has a coupon code valid for today only where you can get a book for $2.50--you could get this one, for instance. The code is: DailyDeals
:)
Alison wrote: "I should mention here also that Dreamspinner has a coupon code valid for today only where you can get a book for $2.50--you could get this one, for instance. The code is: DailyDeals"Thank you, but it doesn't work. I tried to buy Raise It Up
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/book...
I've already read ''A Boy and His Dragon'', and I loved it.
In fact I thought that this new DailyDeals thing is valid only for certain books.
Antonella wrote: "Alison wrote: "I should mention here also that Dreamspinner has a coupon code valid for today only where you can get a book for $2.50--you could get this one, for instance. The code is: DailyDeals"..."Oops! I forgot to mention the code is good for pre-2017 books. I used it last night for a 2015 book and it worked. Sorry! :)
Alison wrote: "Oops! I forgot to mention the code is good for pre-2017 books. I used it last night for a 2015 book and it worked. Sorry! :) ..."Oh, thank you! I suppose I could find something to buy ;-))
Antonella wrote: "Alison wrote: "Oops! I forgot to mention the code is good for pre-2017 books. I used it last night for a 2015 book and it worked. Sorry! :) ..."Oh, thank you! I suppose I could find something to ..."
Oh, I suppose. I know it's hard, but I'm sure you'll think of something if you try really really hard. ;)
Johanna wrote: "I started to read Ginn Hale's The Long Past & Other Stories last night — I was lucky enough to get it in my hands a bit before it'll come out. And what can I say? It's been a while ..."A new Ginn Hale book is always a treat, she has the most wonderful imagination and writes amazing stories. I really look forward to this one.
Johanna wrote: "I started to read Ginn Hale's The Long Past & Other Stories last night — I was lucky enough to get it in my hands a bit before it'll come out. And what can I say? It's been a while ..."Cool! Enjoy! :-)
Sabine wrote: "I have read Eli Easton's How To Save A Life and it is very enjoyable."I LOVE How To Save A Life so far.
ttg wrote: "- The Glass-House Murder (2014) - Although definitely having some editing issues (including, I think, a scene out of order...oops), the author did an awesome job on the character's voice and the period setting. I liked it so much, I plowed through the editing stuff. Great period mystery with a background romance. Kind of like a gayer Jeeves and Wooster in style, but it's not the valet who is the love interest (although the valet is still also very indespensible.)"I really enjoyed this one, so much so that i could easily overlook the things you mention. I also really enjoyed everything else by T. Neilson. There are always small issues that could have been smoothed out, but the stories themselves more than make up for that.
Ije the Devourer of Books wrote: "Candice wrote: "I just have to mention Marshall Thornton's FEMME and his AUNT (somebody's) TIME TRAVEL AND COLLECTIBLES. The title something like that. Both stories are irresistibly funny and un-pu..."Yes! I forgot to mention that. The narrator was fantastic. As I recall this is a performer I have not enjoyed in the past; but he was abousolutely outstanding.
Mod
Finished The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom. I had some issues with it, but the basic premise was good. As I'm not very religious, I didn't read much beyond the actual four agreements. And those, I thought could have been shortened to a couple of paragraphs each to make his point. I actually did write a review for it, for those who are interested.
I'm in the middle of State of Mind, and I'm loving it so far. It's not what I thought, but then, I also haven't read the summary/blurb in ages, so who knows what my silly brain remembers. It's very good. I'm sorry I've had it unread for so long!
Jordan wrote: "I'm in the middle of State of Mind, and I'm loving it so far. It's not what I thought, but then, I also haven't read the summary/blurb in ages, so who knows what my silly brain remembers. It's very good. I'm sorry I've had it unread for so long!..."I gave 4 stars to State of Mind, but I didn't write a review. I don't remember anything about it...
Mod
Well, you enjoyed it at the time, so that's good, I suppose. :-)
It's very thriller-esque with people who are "gifted", who basically have things they can do with their minds, like soothing another person's emotions, talking with them via a mind link and so forth. Plus, there's a nice gay romance in it, which is slow building so far.
At the halfway point, I'd highly recommend it.
Mod
As I've finally figured out why I have a thing for valets and butlers and whatnot, and I've read a few excerpts that made me laugh out loud, I've decided that this is a series I need to read. ASAP. lol. And it sounds like something I need to own in print, rather than borrowing it. So, thankfully there's a long weekend, and I might try to find time to head to my local used bookstore to see if I can find a print copy of any and all of this series, as well as the Philip Marlowe series which I'm still collecting in preparation for our challenge read next year.
Not that I have time to read one more book this year, but really, this seems like such a must read for me right now.
...I'll stop blathering on now. lol.
Jordan wrote: "So while I was hunting down a mystery novel a patron might like based on other books she's read, I came across (again) Whose Body?, which I have a feeling has been recommended in this group more than once. Also, Dean Koontz has recommended it as well. ..."The same happens to me. I see a rec, but I don't feel like adding the book immediately to my already extensive TBR list. But then another person recommend it, or I read a review, so I cease to resist ;-)
Mod
Exactly. I'd added it to my wish list at least, but thought no more about it. Now, it's become an obsession in the last three hours. :-P
Mod
Mod
But adult books? No you're right. I mean GRR Martin h..."
Exactly. Most of the books I've read, or are planning to read, with a female protagonist are YA. Not adult.
And yeah, mostly it's due to my love of MM Romance. :-)
But still...
Mod
Jordan wrote: "I just had the realization recently that I don't read enough books with female protagonists. It's odd, but for some reason I guess I prefer to read about guys. But, for my line of work, I must dive..."Garth Nix (mainstream fantasy; the Abhorsen series, for example) writes some of the best, well-developed, complex, and most enjoyable female protagonists i've read. Both he and Terry Pratchett have/had a way of writing strong characters that feel completely natural, that own their environment, and without coming across as didactic or apologetic in any way. I love that. But that's pretty rare, imho.
I've been trying lately to find good, preferably cozy LGBTQ or m/m mysteries, with no success... The ideal would be something like Somebody Killed His Editor (and sequels), or Nicole Kimberling's Bellingham series.In the meantime, some m/m romance I enjoyed:
- Illegal Contact (there were a couple of annoying inconsistencies, but overall i thought it was very good, with conflicts that made sense and were resolved in a mature way).
- Imago - such a lovely, quiet story, plus i learned all sorts of things about butterflies, which was cool.
- The Ruin of a Rake - awesome!
- Red Light - another quiet, lovely read; not as good as the first (White Flag), but i love the writing and atmosphere of these books.
Mod
- Illegal Contact (there were a couple of annoying inconsistencies, but overall i thought it was very good, with conflicts that made sense and were resolved in a mature way).
- Imago - such a lovely, quiet story, plus i learned all sorts of things about butterflies, which was cool.
- The Ruin of a Rake - awesome!
- Red Light - another quiet, lovely read; not as good as the first (White Flag), but i love the writing and atmosphere of these books. "
Thank you for these recommendations, KC.
Mod
Mod
Good to know! I know of Garth Nix, but haven't read him myself. And I started to read something by Pratchett, and just never got far.
Mod
I don't know if this series is any good, though I do have one patron who comes in asking for the books, saying that he's changed his mind about them in recent years. Also, he knows the author, so who knows. But anyway, Hallowed Murder starts a very long series of cozy mysteries featuring a lesbian protagonist.
Mod
Jordan wrote: "KC wrote: "I've been trying lately to find good, preferably cozy LGBTQ or m/m mysteries, with no success... The ideal would be something like Somebody Killed His Editor (and sequels)..."Thanks :-) I'll have a look.
KC wrote: "I've been trying lately to find good, preferably cozy LGBTQ or m/m mysteries, with no success... The ideal would be something like Somebody Killed His Editor (and sequels), or Nicole..."Have you tried the Kyle Callahan mysteries by Mark McNease?
Murder at Pride Lodge is the first one. I've read three of them, but there are at least five.
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Q&A with Josh Lanyon
Books mentioned in this topic
Subtle Bodies (other topics)Husband Material (other topics)
Sing for the Coming of the Longest Night (other topics)
A Shattered Silver Crown (other topics)
A Shattered Silver Crown (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jordan Castillo Price (other topics)Alexis Hall (other topics)
Katherine Fabian (other topics)
Iona Datt Sharma (other topics)
Cynthia Zhang (other topics)
More...
