Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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What Are you Reading?
Do the voters have to indicate that they are American? For the great American read? This could be e-mobbed by Russians trying to subvert our PBS attempt to make people read and get 'books' trending on Google.
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Good question!
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I notic..."
Hahahahha. Really?
The thing is, I don't expect or need everyone to like everything I do. I really don't.
Maybe when I was a brand new baby writer? Because although I think we all intellectually understand that everyone is not going to like our work (just as we intellectually understand that not everyone likes chocolate or martinis or sit coms or the Beatles) when you're starting out, you do sort of secretly hope for universal love. :-D
But by now? No. I get that not everyone loves everything I do--even people who usually love everything I do. I am absolutely okay with that.
But what does still surprise me, even bother me, is when someone seems to be angry about the experiment. And maybe the reader doesn't realize how hostile the tone of the review is, but it is weird when people seem to be upset that you tried something new.
I get not enjoying it, but anger? Whaaa...?
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I notic..."
Exactly! There are writers I adore and I own every single thing they ever did. But of course within that collection are titles that were my absolute favorites, titles that were meh, and then all the rest of them which I enjoyed and occasionally reread though not as often as the absolute favorites.
Everything can't be in first place. :-D
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Apparently they polled over 7K people to determine the top 100 novels in America, and are now doing a tv show to t..."
I hadn't heard of it until now!
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That does complicate the title Great American Read. :-D
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Quick! Let's ask them baseball questions!!!
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Wait just a minute here... not everyone likes chocolate?!?! ;-)
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LOL.
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My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel - Yep it's a CYOA love story! Not MM though, sadly.
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I know! It's very upsetting. Maybe I DO believe in capital punishment after all. ;-D
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My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel - Yep it's..."
hahahaha. I'll have to check that out.
Those just look like any of the dozens of typical 100 books to read lists I've seen. A broad spectrum of all types of writing from kids books to adults, classics and modern thrillers.I've read 41 of those. Mostly the classics.
Jordan wrote: "Josh wrote: "Lulu wrote: "Josh wrote: "Karen wrote: "Josh wrote: "Antonella wrote: "Josh wrote: "I received a disconcertingly hostile response to Blue Scarab based essentially on This is Not Why I ..."Shocking, isn’t it? What is the world coming to, I wonder..
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Karen wrote: "I read Object of Desire today. I really love Dal Maclean’s complex mysteries and her less than perfect MCs."James! Ben! <3
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She's so good!
She is. I finally had time to read the book this morning and kind of gobbled it up. So good. Loved the plot though I really knew the main culprit the whole time but she still managed to surprise me with few unexpected turns I didn't expect. But her definite strong suit is writing interesting characters that you love even if you want to slap them upside down at the same time.
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I was just thinking about this--the knowing who the culprit is. I'm not exaggerating when I say I know who the culprit is every TV show and nearly every book (provided the author is competent and playing fair) within a matter of minutes.
And this is simply because I know recognize all the possible patterns.
And I think moving forward this is going to be the reality for most of us devoted mystery readers. It's going to be about the journey and not the destination because we already have the map. ;-)
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No, but seriously.
It should be interesting, but I'm not sure I'll share my thoughts on the various books, given my feelings about what I've read so far.
Ame wrote: "She is. I finally had time to read the book this morning and kind of gobbled it up. So good. Loved the plot though I really knew the main culprit the whole time but she still managed to surprise me..."I did the same and I really enjoyed it, I second everything you said.
Josh wrote: "Ame wrote: "She is. I finally had time to read the book this morning and kind of gobbled it up. So good. Loved the plot though I really knew the main culprit the whole time but she still managed to..."I can’t say I always figure out the villain, but often I do, and certainly did with Object of Desire, it couldn’t really have been anybody else. But it is the same with romance, isn’t it, it’s the journey to get there, because we know it will end in a HEA or at least a HFN. The good authors are the ones who make the journey interesting and exciting with some twists and turns so you almost believe it won’t end well.
Josh wrote: "Ame wrote: "She is. I finally had time to read the book this morning and kind of gobbled it up. So good. Loved the plot though I really knew the main culprit the whole time but she still managed to..."Yes indeed. And a mark of a good author is knowing this and still making the journey fun and interesting instead of coming up with such OTT plot that afterwards you realise the author only did that to make sure the readers wouldn't figure out the plot. Instead of working at making a good plot. I hate that.
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If you're still interested, now's the time! You can read as many of the series as you'd like. Myself, I've lowered my number to the original 7 novels, since my reading time has decreased quite a bit this year due to more writing time. But there are also two collections of short stories written by Chandler you may want to consider as well.
Slogging my way through Paternity Case by Gregory Ashe. I liked the first two Hazard and Somerset books well enough, but this one not so much. I'm not sure why; it doesn't seem that different. Maybe that's why; by the third book, you'd expect them to communicate a little better, but they are still as prickly and distrustful of each other as on day 1.
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I'm also enjoying Around the Way Girl a memoir by a fantastic actress that's very engaging. She's very funny and her stories are interesting about how she grew up very poor in Washington DC and really wanted to act.
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It certainly was a wonderfully intense, emotional, thrilling reading experience!
And yes, I agree with everything Karen, Ame, Anne and Josh already said about Object of Desire. :-)
Jordan wrote: "Our June 2018 BOM is Spectred Isle by KJ Charles and the discussion thread is open for business: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/..."Jordan wrote: "I also want to remind people that we're still doing the Marlowe challenge for the year. I recall there were many who were interested in participating, but not so many have added themselves to the c..."
Thank you, Jordan! I've forgotten all about our BOM 😅, thank you for reminding me. I'll start as soon as I finish the one I'm currently reading.
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You're welcome!
I haven't started it yet either. I've got a book and a half, I think, to read first.
A book I recently got recommended from one of my nephews is Amberlough, the first in what I believe will be a trilogy. Not a romance but with a m/m romantic element, very well written, not exactly fantasy, more like an AU historical. Nailbitingly exciting in places. I hereby pass on the recommendation!
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I LOVED this book! I second your recommendation!
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https://www.lambdaliterary.org/featur...
WMD wrote: "Hey Everyone...Cordelia Kingsbridge's third book in the Seven of Spades series is out! Cash Plays"Cool! I really enjoyed the first two in the series.
I was debating if to get it now or not, then decided to wait until the next one is out too, because this one ends in a cliffhanger...
The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters has just been translated into Italian (good title by the way, translated back into English it's: «Knowledge and its enemies»). It seems to me a much needed book nowadays. Disclaimer: I've just read a some pages of it, I don't know if it is as good as it seems.
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I’m at Chapter 20. Argh! The suspense is making me crazy. Kingsbridge really does this well, painfully so. ;)
(KC, you’ll know what I’m talking about when you read this one.)
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Yes! I was just popping in here to post about this. You were several days faster. :-D
I don't think I can wait for the fourth one to come out before reading this (cliffhanger or not...), but I do admire your strength, KC. :-)
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I’m at Chapter 20. Argh! The suspense is making me crazy. Kingsbridge really does this well, painfully so. ;)
(KC, you’ll know what I’m talking about when you read this..."
Oh dear... :-)
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It kills me that I don't have time to take part in this! :-(
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I'm not sure why; i..."
That's always the challenge. You want to hang on to whatever made the original books work but at the same time, if the characters don't show growth, it becomes wearying.
I have a friend who writes a mainstream series about a ditzy girl who loves handbags. That's the basic premise. So seven books in the ditzy girl has solved a number of homicides but remains feckless as ever, and it's kind of... old. The writing is still sharp but the gimmick (shallow millennial sleuth) is starting to age out.
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I had the honor of blurbing that one. So beautifully done. In an odd way it reminded me of Swordspoint.
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Just the title sends me into a tailspin of depression. ;-)
I highly recommend Riven by Roan Parrish. Lovely, flawless writing, and memorable characters you will like. I've read it three times now. I think I'm addicted.
Next in the Hazard and Somerset series is out already...by Gregory Ashe. There have been varying opinions about the series on this thread, and telling variations in the story style from one book to the next. But I am still looking forward to this one!
Leave Myself Behind by Bart Yates. The first half or so is brilliant, but then in the other half it felt like something went amiss in a bit of too much drama. But i'm glad i read it, definitely leaves one pondering, and i'm looking forward to The Brothers Bishop, which has been waiting on my Kindle for a while now.
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I just finished it. Love it, despite wanting to yell, "Just talk to each other!" at the two MCs. Ashe is very, very good at describing miscommunication.
Other readers, I'd like to know whether anyone solves the mystery before the end. Well, not Josh, who would know within a few chapters, and won't be reading this series anyway. ;)
I decided to go for some fun this weekend and read Robby Riverton: Mail Order Bride and wow. I couldn't put it down and read through with a laugh or a smile on my face. But at the same time I was so sad when it was over because I wanted more Robby damn it!Brilliant writing, hilariously funny. This one with go on my repeated reread list.
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Q&A with Josh Lanyon
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I know. Their criteria included the only stipulation was that the book had to have been published in English. It didn't matter where the author was born or lived, or where the book was originally published. Which is cool. But, for some reason, it still feels odd to me. *shrugs*