Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
ARCHIVE JOSH Book Discussions
>
All's Fair re-read challenge: Fair Game
message 101:
by
Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~
(new)
Feb 08, 2017 06:28AM
Now that we have a real reread feature, I'm going to put my other MM on hold to do a reread instead of a reskim. :)
reply
|
flag
Mod
As far as you know, anyway. ..."
OMG, that scene at the lake! I was in the middle of it when I got home last night. And when I get home these days, I can't just walk in, sit down and keep listening to the audiobook because I've got a dancing dog excited to see me and anxious to get outside. :-) So, I picked it back up this morning and just rewound the tape, so to speak, a few minutes to relisted to Tucker riding in to save the day. :-)
And I also loved Elliot's way of identifying his students. I think I'd likely do that too, if I were him. :-)
Mod
For your first narrator though, he's amazing! :-D If that makes sense.
But, the more I listen to him, the more I get used to his voice, and the less it matters. Since I'll be listening to book two right after this one, we'll see how that transition goes and what my thoughts are then.
Mod
Also, if you don't reach your yearly challenge goal, it deletes the challenge as if you never even did it. :-( so this year, I opted not to worry about how many books I read. I've got the yearly shelf to keep track for me.
But, that said, I'm still glad I can officially reread a book now!
Mod
Well, I could debate all of that, but we all take away what we take away in our reading. :-)
Mod
What is it? What does it mean?
Mod
I think I'd probably be more critical now, but at the time I found the whole experience so amazing. :-D
Mod
Also, if you don't rea..."
What? It deletes the challenge? Shouldn't the reader be able to decide if they want the challenge deleted or not?
Jordan wrote: "I created shelves for each year, so I kept track of what I read that way. It wouldn't count a reread toward the yearly challenge, but at least I knew I'd read it that year. Also, if you don't rea..."
I apologize for going off topic, but you know the list of dates with “currently reading” and “read” that appeared at the end of the review page?
Only the dates of the first reading are still there, the dates of the other times I moved a book from the read shelf to the currently reading and viceversa, while I was re-reading, have disappeared. Did the same happen to anyone else?
Mod
Also, i..."
I'm not sure anything is really off-topic in these discussions. ;-D
Josh wrote: "Rosa wrote: "Have you seen the new re-read feature? It seems they have created it for us :)"What is it? What does it mean?"
Now when you re-read a book (meaning you move it to the currently reading shelf and then again to the read shelf), the new dates are added as the last time you read it and it shows how many time you've read it.
It also counts toward the yearly challenge, until now it didn't, unless you set the "finished" date to the last time you re-read it, but it would seem like it was the first time you read it.
I think I just confounded myself with that explanation. Hope you get the general idea, though.
Josh wrote: "Elena wrote: "Jordan wrote: "I created shelves for each year, so I kept track of what I read that way. It wouldn't count a reread toward the yearly challenge, but at least I knew I'd read it that y..."I noticed, but I've had scary experiences in other forums with Nazi-moderators, so I'm always cautious now. :D
Elena wrote: "I noticed, but I've had scary experiences in other forums with Nazi-moderators, so I'm always cautious now. :D"Ehmm... I'm not a mod, I don't want to scare you, and this is just my personal wish, but I'd really appreciate if the word ''Nazi'' would be used only in the proper historical or political context.
I can't get used to the light way the word is often employed nowadays because I've met several people who were persecuted by real Nazis.
Mod
Also, i..."
One would think. But one of mine deleted, so... oh well.
Elena wrote: "Jordan wrote: "I created shelves for each year, so I kept track of what I read that way. It wouldn't count a reread toward the yearly challenge, but at least I knew I'd read it that year. Also, i..."
Once it's on your Read shelf, you shouldn't move it because dates will disappear. I just add the dates I reread it once I finish.
Antonella wrote: "Ehmm... I'm not a mod, I don't want to scare you, and this is just my personal wish, but I'd really appreciate if the word ''Nazi'' would be used only in the proper historical or political context.I can't get used to the light way the word is often employed nowadays because I've met several people who were persecuted by real Nazis."
I apologize, Antonella. I didn’t mean to cause offense to anyone, but that doesn’t change the fact that I used that word lightly, without thinking about the effect it could’ve on whoever read it.
Thank you for letting me know, I’ll avoid it from now on. And, please, tell me if you’d prefer I deleted it from my previous comment.
Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "Once it's on your Read shelf, you shouldn't move it because dates will disappear. I just add the dates I reread it once I finish."They didn't disappear for me. I'm sure of it, because I didn't know what would happen, so I tried it the first time with a specific book. The original reading date remained, but in the review page there were the other dates too.
I went to that book's review and the only date still there is the first time I moved it to the read shelf.
Elena wrote: "I apologize, Antonella. I didn’t mean to cause offense to anyone, but that doesn’t change the fact that I used that word lightly, without thinking about the effect it could’ve on whoever read it."You don't have to apologise, but thank you for doing it.
All of us have been using words in the past which now maybe we don't use anymore, or we even get upset when other people use them.
One of these words for me it is «Alzheimer disease». As you probably know, it is typical to make jokes about this in Italy and also in Switzerland if someone forgets something.
Since I finally grasped how awful the disease is, for the people affected (especially in the last stages) and for the relatives, I don't use it anymore out of contest.
Elena wrote: "Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "Once it's on your Read shelf, you shouldn't move it because dates will disappear. I just add the dates I reread it once I finish."..."
Report it on the Feedback group's thread. They’re checking for bugs right now before they roll it out sitewide. It’s giving me weird dates for this book here too.
Antonella wrote: "Elena wrote: "I apologize, Antonella. I didn’t mean to cause offense to anyone, but that doesn’t change the fact that I used that word lightly, without thinking about the effect it could’ve on whoe..."Yes, our own personal experiences make each of us more or less sensitive to specific words and all the things those words remind us of.
Probably best to avoid using certain terms outside of their proper context, that way nobody gets hurt. :)
Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "Report it on the Feedback group's thread. They’re checking for bugs right now before they roll it out sitewide. It’s giving me weird dates for this book here too."I don’t know that group, I’ll look into it.
What do you mean, isn’t already available on the entire site?
Getting back to the book. When Elliot talks to SAC Montgomery, he's very surprised to discover that she knows about their relationship and he can’t imagine what circumstances would cause Tucker to tell her. I don’t remember that it was ever said why Tucker would want or need to tell her. What do you think?
Did something happened after Elliot left the Bureau? Did SAC Montgomery come to that conclusion all by herself seeing Tucker’s reactions after Elliot was injured or after Elliot refused to see Tucker?
Elena wrote: "Getting back to the book. When Elliot talks to SAC Montgomery, he's very surprised to discover that she knows about their relationship and he can’t imagine what circumstances would cause Tucker to ..."i always thought that it came out, because Tucker figured out pretty early that Elliot was the one for him. So when Elliot shut him out, he was affected by that and his boss got some kind of explanation. ...of course there might be some other explanation. But that's what I thought :)
Elena wrote: "When Elliot talks to SAC Montgomery, he's very surprised to discover that she knows about their relationship and he can’t imagine what circumstances would cause Tucker to tell her.... This is something I’ve spent way too much time wondering about. ;) In fact, one of the things on my wish list for book 3 is a scene where Tucker, or Montgomery herself, explains how she came to know.
It wouldn't have even been necessary for Tucker to volunteer the information. Imagine how things must have played out for him when he first heard that Elliot had been shot -- and that it was serious -- and that he was being rushed into surgery -- and that he might lose his leg --
Tucker must have totally lost his shit that day, and spent a lot of time at the hospital then and in the days that followed. If that wasn’t sufficient to clue their supervisor in on the situation, then the hoopla when Elliot cut Tucker off could have been:
Roland would have been one of the people enforcing Elliot’s wishes not to see Tucker.
“One of the people” -- the others were surely hospital personnel, right? And Tucker’s distress and outrage when this happened -- well, it’s easy to imagine quite a scene at the hospital that day. And maybe the next day too, because he didn't take that rejection lying down. And in the midst of all this, it's possible his ability to function at work was impacted as well.
So I can imagine plenty of opportunities for Montgomery to have put 2 and 2 together, even without Tucker taking the initiative to confide in her. The fact that Elliot can’t imagine any of this is yet another example of his utter cluelessness about Tucker’s feelings.
Elena wrote: "Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "Report it on the Feedback group's thread. They’re checking for bugs right now before they roll it out sitewide. It’s giving me weird..."Maybe they already released it sitewide then.
Teal wrote: "Elena wrote: "When Elliot talks to SAC Montgomery, he's very surprised to discover that she knows about their relationship and he can’t imagine what circumstances would cause Tucker to tell her......."Good explanation and theory, Teal. I can totally see it going down that way. And yes, Elliot is in deep denial for the first half of this book about Tucker's feelings for him, which skewers how he sees and interprets things.
Teal wrote: "Elena wrote: "When Elliot talks to SAC Montgomery, he's very surprised to discover that she knows about their relationship and he can’t imagine what circumstances would cause Tucker to tell her......."That was my theory too. :)
Maybe she talked with Tucker about it, as K. suggested, maybe she didn't.
If nothing else, Tucker must have showed his anger for the way Elliot shut him out, because Montgomery expected him to not be happy to find out Elliot was the consultant hired by the Bakers.
Teal wrote: “The fact that Elliot can’t imagine any of this is yet another example of his utter cluelessness about Tucker’s feelings. “
I was laughing to myself when I read that part, thinking “Really, Elliot? You can’t imagine any reason? So much for all the investigative skills you’ve when it comes to every other aspect of your life.”
Elena wrote: "Josh wrote: "Rosa wrote: "Have you seen the new re-read feature? It seems they have created it for us :)"What is it? What does it mean?"
Now when you re-read a book (meaning you move it to the c..."
There is a lenghthy post on the GR front page: https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/8...
Antonella wrote: "Elena wrote: "I noticed, but I've had scary experiences in other forums with Nazi-moderators, so I'm always cautious now. :D"Ehmm... I'm not a mod, I don't want to scare you, and this is just my ..."
Thanks, dear! That's what I would have asked if I saw in time. :-)
Elena wrote: "Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "Report it on the Feedback group's thread. They’re checking for bugs right now before they roll it out sitewide. It’s giving me weird..."The new feature is being rolled out bit by bit to all users. There are so many of them that it could lead to major glitches and they don't want the site to break down (I guess).
Elena wrote: "Teal wrote: "Elena wrote: "When Elliot talks to SAC Montgomery, he's very surprised to discover that she knows about their relationship and he can’t imagine what circumstances would cause Tucker to..."Yes, I imagine Tucker's reaction to hearing Elliot was shot was quite revealing.
This made me laugh yesterday when I heard it. It's from the end of Chapter 22.Oh. That was a relief. For a terrible moment Elliot had feared Tucker was worried about his feelings. Thank God, he was still thinking in terms of crime and killing.
Teal wrote: "Elena wrote: "When Elliot talks to SAC Montgomery, he's very surprised to discover that she knows about their relationship and he can’t imagine what circumstances would cause Tucker to tell her......."I think the same, Teal... Tucker reaction about the shooting should had been quite revealing... So after that I believe the nature of their relationship must be obvious, not only for SAC Montgomery, but for everybody else around them...
And then, you remind me about Rolan with that quote... I don't like him much... I like his complexity as a character, but something about his behaviour doesn't sit with me well...
Same here, Rosa. I don't like Roland as a person, but I love him as a character. And Loretta, I had a good laugh at that line too. :) I think Tucker actually WAS concerned about Elliot's feelings, but Elliot grabs onto that alternative explanation like a lifeline.
I agree that Tucker was totally not hiding anything and it was probably well known in their circle that they were together - they did go off and have that vacation on Tucker's boat. So yes, when Elliot was shot I'm sure Tucker was very visible at the hospital and I'm sure everyone knew their relationship.
And speaking of characters being liked or not, I can’t resist chiming in with another comment about Sam Kennedy:I can’t say I “like” Sam, but I adore him as a character. Among other things, I’m fascinated by how he seems to deliberately use rudeness as a tool in his interpersonal interactions. And seeing him get his romantic comeuppance, as Josh put it -- well, The Monet Murders may be my most anticipated book of 2017. And that’s saying something, because there’s a boatload of good books out or on their way this year.
On the same topic of like/dislike, but back to All’s Fair:
Linda, I remember you saying elsewhere that you didn’t like Tucker. Would you be willing to talk about this here or on the Fair Play thread? I’m genuinely curious about your take on him. After all, nobody is universally loved, in real life or in fiction. :)
I don't have a real sense of Sam yet, even after one and a half books, but that's deliberate, I think. He's standoffish. Hopefully, Jason will be able to peel back more of those layers for us in the next book. I've already got mine pre-ordered.Teal wrote: "Linda, I remember you saying elsewhere that you didn’t like Tucker. Would you be willing to talk about this here or on the Fair Play thread?"
I'm only rereading this book, and thankfully, I like Tucker fine in this one. He starts off kind of abrasive (understandably) and ends up a big goober. :D
I just started reading the scene where they first see each other again in the satellite office. I like how Elliot (well, Josh really) describes him:
Tucker strode in, bigger than life. That's how Tucker always seemed: bigger than life. Just walking into a room he seemed to fill it, while at the same time emptying it of half the oxygen.
That last sentence alone really tells you everything you need to know, a complex character summed up in one concise observation, where other authors would've taken paragraphs to say the same thing.
Then there's Tucker's statement at the end of the chapter: "Sometimes you already know the answer. Sometimes it's just not worth the bother."
Is Tucker saying this for Elliot's benefit, or his own? Or both. Because Tucker thinks he knows what Elliot wants, or rather, doesn't want from him and is reminding himself of all the reasons not to get his hopes up. Because getting his hopes up just to have them dashed again would be too painful. He's kind of the anti-Jake in that regard.
As for Roland, he falls into that halfway point of amusing and grating for me. He's a great character, for sure, but probably not someone I'd want to be around or have to converse with on a regular basis.
Loretta wrote: "This made me laugh yesterday when I heard it. It's from the end of Chapter 22.Oh. That was a relief. For a terrible moment Elliot had feared Tucker was worried about his feelings. Thank God, he w..."
:D
Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "Then there's Tucker's statement at the end of the chapter: "Sometimes you already know the answer. Sometimes it's just not worth the bother."Is Tucker saying this for Elliot's benefit, or his own? Or both."
Both, I think.
I like the "kind of an anti-Jake" description, they’re similar in some ways, so different in others.
Tucker told Adam that Elliot was “the one” the first week they met, Jake had his “point of no return” moment the first time he saw Adrien. Jake was completely in denial, Tucker was quietly waiting for Elliot to get on the same page.
And they both have a pretty healthy protective side, when it comes to their partner, let’s put it that way. :)
"One thing for sure: Tucker would not be sitting around tonight remembering old times."Yeah. Suuuuuure.
Elliot is a dope.
Though he’s likely right about the sitting around part. He’s either drinking his sorrows and listening to country music - the music of heart break - or he's at the gym beating up a punching bag.
What do you all see Tucker doing that night after their first encounter?
Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "What do you all see Tucker doing that night after their first encounter?"Plotting how to take Elliot back while enjoying a good drink ;)
I think he's a person who like to take action towards the things that bother him, but Elliot is not, at least when we're talking about relationships. So I think Tucker was there trying to figure how to make Elliot confront everything that happened between them without pressuring him too much.
And I'm happy knowing I'm not alone about my dislike of Rolan ;)
Mod
Ha! The anti-Jake. That's a great description. :-D
Mod
The thing that I don't understand is that I can never remember the happy parts of this book. I always only remember Tucker and Eliot not getting along. Hmmm...
Jordan wrote: "The thing that I don't understand is that I can never remember the happy parts of this book. I always only remember Tucker and Eliot not getting along. Hmmm... ..."
yeah not to mention that Fair Play basically starts with them fighting - personally I love their tempestuous relationship because it makes the power exchange in their love life so much more intense.
Trio wrote: "yeah not to mention that Fair Play basically starts with them fighting"This reminded me of something I was thinking when I started Fair Play: have you noticed that both Fair Game and Fair Play open with a ringing phone? I'm curious to see if Fair Chance will do the same. :)
Mod
Having college-age children at the time I first read this (and one who had recently graduated from "PSU"), I was/am unable to distance myself from the murders in ways that might be possible in other stories.
I think that I tend to avoid serial killer stories, which is a funny thing to believe since I've read several of them in both the mystery and m/m romance mystery genres. I'm especially resistant to being placed inside the head of the killer, and most especially in the case of first-person POV and any descriptions of means and methods. But in this story, I'm left with questions about exactly those things, not so much Corian's rationalization (which is clearly enough described for my taste), but how he managed those detailed marble carvings in the time-frame. I kind of don't want to know, but it's still a niggle.
Also, there's the question of to what extent Elliot's employment at PSU, his proximity to Corian, egged him on in a way that Corian changed his timeframe for the abductions/killings. Was it just the challenge of pulling off these crimes under the nose of a former-FBI agent, or something Corian perceived about Elliot himself that set him off?
Finally, notice how "Mrachek, Leslie" is the wasp (A Dangerous Thing) in this story? :)
Mod
This reminded me of something I was thinking when I started Fair Play: have you noticed that both Fair Game and..."
Nice catch, Elena! I guess we'll see soon. :)
Karen wrote: "Also, there's the question of to what extent Elliot's employment at PSU, his proximity to Corian, egged him on in a way that Corian changed his timeframe for the abductions/killings. Was it just the challenge of pulling off these crimes under the nose of a former-FBI agent, or something Corian perceived about Elliot himself that set him off?Oh, definitely. He clearly got off on it, especially once Elliot started investigating the disappearances. I just finished the part where Elliot interviews Corian for the first time, asking him how certain he is that Gordie hasn't runaway.
"You're not worried about him at all?"
"No," Corian said with convincing certainty, "I have no doubt Gordie'll turn up eventually."
Of course he's certain! He currently has Gordie locked up and knows exactly what his fate will be and when. *shudders*
Finally, notice how "Mrachek, Leslie" is the wasp (A Dangerous Thing) in this story? :)"
Wasp?
Linda ~ chock full of hoot, just a little bit of nanny ~ wrote: "Finally, notice how "Mrachek, Leslie" is the wasp (A Dangerous Thing) in this story? :)"Wasp?"
I think Karen means that Mrachek, Leslie made Elliot realize something crucial to the investigation, just like the wasp's bite did for Adrien in A Dangerous Thing.
Q&A with Josh Lanyon
Books mentioned in this topic
Fair Chance (other topics)Fair Play (other topics)
Fair Game (other topics)
Fair Play (other topics)
Fair Game (other topics)
More...
