Young Adult Contemporary Romance discussion
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Hope the switch to work brain happens quick and seamless!!! Back to school time is always so hard!! And you are doing it thrice over!!! You are my Hero!!
Ugh, that moment when you off handidly recomment a book to your 12 year old.....then she actually reads it!!!!.....and all I can think is "was that book age appropriate??" She read the whole
series in a week!!!
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She read the whole [boo..."
Wow, all in a week. Sounds like she is a reader just like mom.
Her- I am not a reader, I only reads when I likes the book.....Me- ....says every reader ever!!!
Vega_girl wrote: "Her- I am not a reader, I only reads when I likes the book.....Me- ....says every reader ever!!!"
Lol
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Me- ....says every reader ever!!!"
Love it!
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Me- ....says every reader ever!!!"
So funny and true!!!
Hi nerdy buddies!I'm back!! How are you all doing? =)
DJacelyn!!!!! How are you?!?! We have been missing you....
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I'm back!! How are you all doing? =)"
Welcome back DJacelyn! We've missed you around here. How are you doing? I know you were getting married are you enjoying married life?
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Yes it's an incredible book. Great for discussion, but also an emotional tear jerker.,
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I agree with Chris such good talking points but seriously rips your heart out!! Good choice!!
So I just joined a group on facebook of Cohorts who are doing a traveling book club!!! I am so excited. So basically there is a list of our names and you pick your favorite book then send it to the person below you on the list. Every monday you send the book you recieved previously on Thursday. We Start this Monday and I am sending
, the super fun thing about this is we can choose to allow people to highlight or write notes in the margins!! In the end we wind up with our same book only like 15 other people have read and added to it!! I am so Freaking Excited!!!
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Wow that sounds so cool!!!
Vega_girl wrote: "So I just joined a group on facebook of Cohorts who are doing a traveling book club!!! I am so excited. So basically there is a list of our names and you pick your favorite book then send it to the..."I'm on cohorts but I don't know about this book club...tell me more. I want in!
It was one of the girls ideas and I was just lucky to be the first to respond! She closed it after 36, sorry. I just got my first book on Thursday,I was so excited because each time its a suprise!! You can choose to either allow people to write in your book or use post it notes ofr thoughts. I am letting them highlight and write in the margins because my book has all the feels I really want to know what they think as they go. Plus on the back I asked them to sign and write what state they are from!! I should get my book back in 72 weeks!! We are not telling anyone the book we sent or what we recieve. So every other week we send out the book we have to the person below us on the list.The book I got is actually one I have already read and loved. I do think this would be super fun to bring to our group if anyone is interested!! The Cohort one is only in the US due to shipoing charges
Guys, I need a book with a TA ....I am having a hard time for the monthly challenge!! Any suggestions??
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I just finished my TA book this morning
and it was good!!
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I used
. There is a TA in it -- but not a relationship with a TA. It didn't specify, so... ;)I haven't read a student-teacher romance. I usually don't like them. :(
Yay!! ...and its kindle unlimited!! Well I just read
and there is a TA, but I didn't want to re-read so soon...
Deanna (A Novel Glimpse) wrote: "Vega_girl wrote: "Guys, I need a book with a TA ....I am having a hard time for the monthly challenge!! Any suggestions??"I used
. There is a TA in it -- but not a relati..."Can I just start Grip or do I need to read Flo first??
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I used
. There ..."Flow first, but it's a novella and not too long.
Guys!!!!!! I am going to the
booksigning on Oct 28th!!! I am so excited! This will be my first signing ever!! I am also leaving husband and kids at home, so this is the first time I am traveling without them....my sister is meeting my in Dallas and we will stay the weekend in Sulpher Springs!!! Ahhhh, I 27 days left!!
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booksigning on Oct 28th!!! I am so excited! This will be my first signing ever!! I am also leaving husband and kids at home, so this ..."That's so awesome! You're so lucky!!! She's north of Seattle tomorrow night. I have something and can't go. :(
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booksigning on Oct 28th!!! I am so excited! This will be my first signing ever!! I am also leaving husband and kids at home, so this ..."That is so awesome!! Wish she was coming near me!!!
Yeah, I am so excited!! Its about a 5 hour drive so not horrible and totally worth it!!
So I was going through this list and I found my self adding almost all the books to my TBR list....might as well share, pretty sure you guys will see something you have to read also!!! LOL!http://www.epicreads.com/blog/2017-bo...
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http:/..."
Thanks, Barb! I'll check it out.
Vega_girl wrote: "DJacelyn!!!!! How are you?!?! We have been missing you...."I miss you ladies too!!
Chris wrote: "DJacelyn wrote: "Hi nerdy buddies!
I'm back!! How are you all doing? =)"
Welcome back DJacelyn! We've missed you around here. How are you doing? I know you were getting married are you enjoying m..."
I have been busy juggling around my work, examinations and wedding stuff. I got a small wedding in March. Now preparing for wedding lunch in November!
How are you ladies doing?
So I’ve begun actively reading only a year ago (before I was into movies, tv shows and anime). It’s a whole new world, and I regret not reading much until recently. But as always, I found smth to dislike. I need to get these thoughts out there, cause they’re driving me mad, lol. So “random thoughts” seemed like an appropriate thread. I’ll post in chunks cause It’ll take me some time to gather my thoughts + there’s probably a character limit. Romance
I’ve found that it sucks to be a guy and like romance books. Because as it turns out 99% of them are written by female authors from the heroine’s POV. So I’m forced to read male POV written by female authors. A lot of the time they don’t get how a guy’s mind works (guys don’t use flowery descriptions when looking at pretty women. me, personally, the most I think is “awesome”, or “beautiful”, or “I’m getting an erection”, if anything at all). Other times they make the guy model-handsome, an all powerfull boxer with killer abs, a jerk/abuser or a millionair - or a combination. Not so much an issue with movies or anime -the pov thing is moot cause you don't hear the character's thoughts + the actors and anime characters may be pretty, but it's not adressed by the characters usually.
And I don’t get this obsession with good looks. Most times the couple is just gorgeous, and I get why authors do this: it’s another level of wish-fulfilment, but just like love triangles and instalove it gets old real fast. Especially for us normal folk with average looks. Then there are some books that have protagonists downright ugly just to prove a point. Well, no, I don’t want to be repulsed either. Average, I want more average.
Reviews
First off, what’s up with authors giving their own books five stars? And then those reviews being the most liked? Keeping in mind the obvious potential for bias, what use are such reviews? Though if an author is describing his writing process, inspiration, etc - that’s useful info. Heh, once I encountered an author who gave his book two or three stars. That was cool.
A more general problem, which I also encountered on imdb, is that a lot of reviews (even the top ones) aren’t that good. Often a review will consist of nothing but gifs. Often there will be nothing but empty praise (“the plot was amazing, the characters were wonderful”. Yeah, I need more factual info). Sometimes a reviewer will give a book 1 star, getting hung up on a few small issues while completely ignoring the good things about it. Some phrases are really tiring me out: “I really really tried to love this book” (what does that even mean???), “Did I read another book than the rest of the readers?” (No, we’re all just shit at noticing things that do not bother us, but may bother other people). Reviews that are a paragraph long aren’t very helpful most of the time. And of course if a book’s blurb has a detailed summary of the plot, the reviews will also have a plot summary. And if the blurb states nearly nothing about the plot, then good luck finding a review that will enlighten you. Arrrgh!
The people that amaze me, however, are the ones that have a review dated like 2014 which consists of the single phrase, “Review to come”. Must be some 1000-page in-depth reviews they’re writing…
Also the review system on the whole has sort of a flaw, and maybe it isn’t even fixable. The top reviews are the oldest reviews, not necessarily the best. So if there is a new review that is just the awesomest one you can imagine, how in the heck will it get in the top 20 even? You have to be the first one to review arcs and/or plug your reviews anywhere you can, I presume?
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I miss you ladies too!!
Chris wrote: "DJacelyn wrote: "Hi nerdy buddies!
I'm back!! How are you all doing? =)"
Welc..."
Oh a Wedding Lunch. That sounds lovely is it a tradition in your culture? I wonder if it is something like our Bridal Shower that is given for the bride. It's usually all girls and you have lunch and give gifts. Is that similar to your Wedding Lunch?
It sounds like you have your hands full with work, examinations and planning a wedding. You must have little time for reading right now.
All is well on my end. Busy too, or just working more so I don't have the time I use to. to read. I'm freaking out because I'm like 18 books behind schedule on my yearly reading challenge. hahaha I usually go over my challenge amount. :D
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Hi idiffer and welcome to our group!! I enjoyed reading your comments about being a male romance reader. I can only imagine how you must laugh or get frustrated with the way some of the female authors write male characters in a romance. They are totally written for a female audience and is why we all have so many swoon worthy book boyfriends. They are fictional!! haha
I also, enjoy a more realistic character, average to use your term or even I enjoy different ethnics. I absolutely love male POV books, but again that doesn't mean they are realistic. You know what's funny is I read a lot of M/M Romance and I've been reading this author lately Josh Lanyon. The genre is mostly murder mystery with m/m romance and this whole time I was thinking it was nice to get a male author in m/m romance, because it's a lot of female author's also. I felt like the writing even seemed to be different to me and then I just found out Josh Lanyon is a male pen name for a female author. Then suddenly I realize that some of my favorite m/m romance authors who I know are female have non gender specific names, Lane Hayes, Garrett Leigh,
N.R. Walker, Riley Hart,
Jay Northcote, and so on and so on. How did I never notice this. Male pen name, must do better in that genre?!? Well wish I had some good male romance authors that are more realistic to recommend. Have you found any authors that you feel do write a male romance character well?
As for reviews, I'm avid review reader when choosing a book, but I've never really analyzed it. I don't like them to tell me too much about the book, I rather experience it, but I definitely look for certain things when checking out a good or bad review. I've never even paid attention to what order reviews are listed. I guess I assumed by date, but it's not really. So if reviews get a lot of likes or comments it is moved up the list? Does anyone no how that works?
DJacelyn wrote: "Vega_girl wrote: "DJacelyn!!!!! How are you?!?! We have been missing you...."I miss you ladies too!!
Chris wrote: "DJacelyn wrote: "Hi nerdy buddies!
I'm back!! How are you all doing? =)"
Welc..."
Sounds like you definitely have your hands full, Congrats on the wedding, I wish you guys the best!! Dont let the lunch stress you out, you're already married he is stuck with you. LOL!! Can't wait to see you around the threads again...
idiffer wrote: "So I’ve begun actively reading only a year ago (before I was into movies, tv shows and anime). It’s a whole new world, and I regret not reading much until recently. But as always, I found smth to d..."Like Chris said welcome to the group!! This is absolutely the place for these ponderings...
I cant help on any of the fronts except find a good group of reader friends here that enjoy the same genre and writing style you do, then stick with them. The people in this group are pretty on par with me, you learn who leans more toward which genre. Then when you click on a book you see your friends reviews before everything else...I out more stock in what they think than any random...
Chris wrote: "Hi idiffer and welcome to our group!!"Vega_girl wrote: "Like Chris said welcome to the group!!"
Well, I've been lurking for some time now and actually left a few comments here and there)
Chris wrote: "Have you found any authors that you feel do write a male romance character well?"
Not much luck here. I liked Stoner & Spaz, but it's pretty much the only romance book the author penned, not counting the sequel. Also The Rosie Project, and except the horrible sequel the author hasn't written anything else. If I was into heartbreaking books and suffering, I'd like John Green (smartass kids is a big plus for me), Looking for alaska is still on my "later shelf" despite the bad reviews. Nicholas sparks is popular, but it's not YA and the characters and situations aren't that interesting. Oh, I remembered - I very much liked the japanese light novel Sayonara piano sonata. If you don't mind sloooow romances, music, YA and most importantly that it's a fan translation from japanese, then I'd recommend it. (link to translation http://cetranslation.blogspot.nl/2011...)
As an aside, my favorite romance author is still female - Katya Millay of Sea of tranquility fame. And by God, I don't care if all her later books will be from female pov, I'll read them all, as long as she can write such complex, mature, engaging characters. Honestly, in her novel I didn't even like the male lead that much.
Chris wrote: "So if reviews get a lot of likes or comments it is moved up the list?"
Yup, they're sorted by likes in descending order by default. You can sort by older or newer, but there's really no incentive to do so, I think.
RandomI tend to read acknowledgements, and it’s always the same “thank you this guy, couldn’t have done it without this guy and of course my readers”. Just once, for shits and giggles, I’d like to read smth in the vein of “My publisher sucks, I don’t even know how my editor finished college, and my readers are just the dumbest assholes on the planet. Peace the fuck out. ”
I can’t seem to get into series (btw, now everything is at least a trilogy. stupid fad), which is weird because 80% of the anime I watched was in series format, and I’m very into american tv shows, and they kept my attention: I remember watching 220 episodes of Naruto in a week, 7 seasons of House in roughly the same time. With books there is a trend - if a series is more than 3 books, then there’s a very high chance that the blurb won’t interest me. And even with trilogies I grow tired of the characters and setting pretty quick, so often I’ll read the first book and then read something else entirely before reluctantly returning to start the second book.
In the anime community there’s an often said phrase: “It gets better”. But for me almost nothing ever does, books included. Can’t remember giving a sequel a higher rating than the first book.
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I tend to read acknowledgements, and it’s always the same “thank you this guy, couldn’t have done it without this guy and of course my readers”. Just once, for shits and giggles, I’d like to..."
idiffer wrote: "Chris wrote: "Hi idiffer and welcome to our group!!"
Vega_girl wrote: "Like Chris said welcome to the group!!"
Well, I've been lurking for some time now and actually left a few comments here and th..."
I wanted to say that
is on my favorite shelf. I love that book and have read it twice. I don't re-read many books. Though I haven't read anything else from the author. If you liked that book a lot you might like
. I have your issue a bit with series too. I do read them occasionally and have some I really love, but I look more for stand alone books, because I tend to not finish a series. I even have a shelf for series not finished. If the first book in a series doesn't really grab me I won't read the next one.
Chris wrote: "idiffer wrote: "RandomI tend to read acknowledgements, and it’s always the same “thank you this guy, couldn’t have done it without this guy and of course my readers”. Just once, for shits and gigg..."
Thanks, added it to my TBR list.
I have an ever growing folder on my pc with series which I'll maybe finish later if I have nothing else to read.
Sea of tranquility is the author's only book, which is VERY sad.
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You could try books by Sloane Howell. He's a male romance author.
Deanna (A Novel Glimpse) wrote: "idiffer wrote: "So I’ve begun actively reading only a year ago (before I was into movies, tv shows and anime). It’s a whole new world, and I regret not reading much until recently. But as always, I..."Oh gee, those covers and titles look... very alpha male. I'm kinda an omega guy, so definitely no alpha males for me. I'm picky, I guess. My exact taste is YA, male pov, unpopular/omega guy))
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Good suggestions Deanna!! I've read
and
from each author and gave them both 5*. Both were serious reads.
To be honest, I have We are the ants and all of Silvera shelved as "not interested". Man, I feel shitty for not liking any of your suggestions.
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hahahahahah!!!! No worries!! The stories are GLBT, but they are quirky, unique characters which I love and More Happy than Not is so diverse, in sexuality, races and social classes and that was a win, win for me. I'll see if I can think of some other books to recommend!!
@ChrisOk, that would be much apreciated regardless of the outcome.
Meanwhile more random thoughts.
I’m very much saddened by the fact that I just can’t stand classics (actually, most of what was written before 1960), because it seems that’s where all the good writing is in terms of style. Maybe I’m not that discerning, since English is not my native language, but contemporary books are pretty much all the same to me, especially YA and romance. The most I can say about most books is that the prose is readable, fine, okay, not bad and not great. I can’t identify subtly different styles, I don’t notice abundance of similes or adjectives (seriously, why do adjectives bother ppl so much?). The few exceptions are: Tolkien (adore the ye olde English style), Laini Taylor (her style and creative word choices actually made up for shoddy plot and characters), and recently Jay Christoff (his prose is so distinctly, amusingly purple).
People with private profiles, why?! I = despair. How am I supposed to follow you, especially when you ignore my friend request? And then I just want to follow you even MORE, I’d follow you over a cliff! What secrets harbor you???
Readers with high rating averages (4 and above), how do you do it?! Teach me your voodoo for picking good books!
Young Adult Contemporary Romance
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Yes to this too Karen!!!!