Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion
This topic is about
Beware of Chicken 3
Book Clubs!
>
Vagabond Treehouse (2023) [Beware of Chicken 3 - December 4th]
Fortunately/Unfortunately - I already have many audiobooks. XD
YAY!!!! Been wondering when the next Audible sale was going to be. Feels like it's been a while since the last one.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh if I had waited a few days, I could have gotten A History of What Comes Next on this sale. *grumble grumble* I have no idea what the sale price is but it would have saved me a few dollars?
I feel like that happens to me every time there's a sale lol
Soo wrote: "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh if I had waited a few days, I could have gotten A History of What Comes Next on this sale. *grumble grumble* I have no idea what the sale price is but it would have s..."It's in the $5 list...
I want someone to explain to me why almost ALL of the new release books by new authors are prominently based on LGBT characters. To me, the character and plot matters. If the character is LGBT, cool.However, I'm disgruntled by LGBT being the main factor vs it being a characteristic of the story.
Granted, most of the LGBT I've read are in romance and not in SF/F. But that doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
I adore Vanyel in the Last Herald mage trilogy. He's gay and wonderful. But his sexuality is a part of the story, not who he is. The two trilogies that he's in are part of my fav fantasy by Lackey. Love love love them.
I have realized that I haven't read any FF romances. I think they're more common now, but the most I've read of FF romances were as side characters, main characters being bi, or poly relationships. So, I guess I need to keep my eyes open for FF romance and see if there are gems in that niche.
I know the reasons and current social debates, etc. It's just I don't go into a fictional story with the desire to read about me. If there are correlations, parallels, emotions I may have felt, etc -- all of that is great. Reader response is a big part of why we like to read. The way a story will get us to respond to it.
Part of the reason why I enjoyed the stories by Road of Flowers (Chinese webnovelist) was due to the kitchen sink mystery/action/arty/romance mash up. It was taking a bunch of my interests and threw them together into a layered story.
This rant provided to ya'll because 70% of the books I'm looking at on the sale are "LOOK AT THIS LGBT CHARACTER WRITTEN BY A PERSON OF COLOR". I am a person of color. I don't think of myself as a person of color. I think it's weird that people want to label and categorize like that.
When you are asked to describe yourself, what do you write first?
Maybe your name. Sex. Height. Body build. There's the debate between original hair color, hair color after chemically changed by perm and then dyed colors. LoL The styling of hair. Plucking of eyebrows. Fit or out of shape.
I've never introduced myself as: Hi, I'm Soo. A person of color and I'm heterosexual.
I rarely even start with I'm Korean. *shrug*
There are lots of books written by POI, particular ethnicity and sexuality that are not actually good at writing a story about those things.
It's like saying all Asian should be great at math or martial artist. This weird, advertising drive to shout how a book will be good/appeal or whatever because the author's one trait. Do we even know if it's a defining trait? Who knows? It's not like ads would lie right? *eyeroll*
Narilka wrote: "Soo wrote: "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh if I had waited a few days, I could have gotten A History of What Comes Next on this sale. *grumble grumble* I have no idea what the sale price is but it ..."I could have saved $4! Ah well
Mod
Too many mixed reviews on that series. I'm more inclined to wait until it's finished and then try it. At least it goes up on sale a lot. =)
Audible Sale Final Picks- An Illusion of Thieves #1 aka Carol Berg
- A Bond Undone #2
- Ink
- She Who Became the Sun #1
- The Kingdom
- The Hills Have Spies #1
- Turning Darkness Into Light #6
Mod
Mod
Don’t really like how full/sealed my ear feels… maybe the different rubber pieces will make a different…
Lacks sound controls when connected… internet says the only way to adjust is using base device controls when bluetooth disconnected… which seems to be true… BUT… if I use the bluetooth while my corded earbuds are connected, the earbud inline volume and pause/play controls work AND adjust bluetooth volume for some reason, when ipod sound buttons do nothing…
Timelord Iain wrote: "My Soundcore Life Note bluetooth is weird… tried it last night and today…Don’t really like how full/sealed my ear feels… maybe the different rubber pieces will make a different…
Lacks sound cont..."
Try the other earcaps. =) I always have to use the smallest one.
The controls part sounds weird. I definitely want to have volume & pause functions working.
@Soo I've noticed that exact same issue occurring frequently at the library when looking at new books that they have. It's definitely a common theme these days.
Soo wrote: "I want someone to explain to me why almost ALL of the new release books by new authors are prominently based on LGBT characters. To me, the character and plot matters. If the character is LGBT, coo..."Yeah. Rant on. I'm like you, I just want to be told an amazing story.
I'll be joining the Locked Tomb BR later this year. You'll see my thoughts when that happens. Maybe you can check your library so you don't have to invest $$ in case you don't enjoy it? Can always spend money on it later if it turns out you love it.
There's line for Locked Tomb #1 at the library. So, it's an option. =)
@Soo I have mixed feelings when it comes to the marketing of LGBT… On the one hand, I like to see the diversity in characters, etcc., to know which stories are not solely hetero… But at the same time, I think it also centers heterosexuality as the default which is kinda counterintuitive to the whole idea? IDk.. in an ideal world all the good stories would have a good mix of different genders, sexualities, cultures, races, and we wouldn’t have to label them as such. I also understand though wanting to find books that you can relate to specifically whether it be the race of the MC or the sexuality, etc. Idk.And yes, I agree with you 100% that just because the author and or characters are BIPOC/LGBT doesn’t mean the book is good. But it doesn’t mean the opposite either so… yeah. This is basically to say that I don’t know how I feel xD
Also, I love the Locked Tomb so far :)
I picked up A Hero Born in the audible sale. It came as a recommendation from a friend I asked about reading more Eastern inspired fantasy. I'm going to give it a listen after I do Soo's rec. So Feb/March-ish.
Narilka, I'm down to Buddy Read A Hero Born. I already had that one and yet to read it. Picked up #2 of the series today. =)Emily, most of the time, I don't mind not knowing about the author beyond the name. I'm okay with enjoying the stories they create and not really knowing about their personal life. lol
Mod
But I was also able to find 75% of the audiobooks on Hoopla, so I just favorited them for later...
Only had to buy The Kingdom & She Who Became the Sun
At first, I thought that second one was the one you guys were talking about in the Historical channel yesterday... but that was The Sunne in Splendour
I'm considering A Hero Born too but it seems like the kind of book I'd get more out of if I read it myself. Hmmmm...I was also looking at She Who Became the Sun but I already didn't like the narrator from listening to the sample.
Iain, Kit Rocha is an erotica writer. So, I suspect the story to be smeexy graphic. Not that we care about that, but it's nice to know context or when to listen earbuds vs speaker. LOL Veronica, I love the Legends of the Condor Heroes. There are so many Chinese movies/dramas based on them. <3 So I hope this translation. The 'official' blah blah will be good!
I had bought the 1st book as hardback a while back & haven't read it yet. So, audiobook for convenience.
What are we planning to BR next? I'm nearly done with volume 1 of the wandering inn and would be down for an in between type book
Julian, any interest in the ones I got from the current Audible sale or the list I made before? I'm probably going to read Ink or one of the audiobooks I just got. XD
Choko, I'm having fond flashbacks to Terraway! I wish she would write more in that series, but it may not happen.Making the romance list for Emily reminded me. lol
Mary Twomey's writing is definitely better than expected and the stories are cooler than the blurbs. Though, we didn't manage to get into the other series. I think I read two of her series and tried two others.
Something's wrong with my notifications again!!!!!!🤬 I'm missing a ton
Yeah, I think people are getting hit by the errors regionally. Which is weird.
@Soo how about the first one (illusion of thieves)? Doesn't look too long and the short description on it caught my attention. It seems like the kind of book which would be ideal to read in between the wandering inn volumes
Sure! Let's do it. When do you want to read the book?
Umm gimme like a day or two to finish up the wandering inn and then I'll be ready =D
*thumbs up* Post when you're ready to roll & I'll in. We can post thoughts here. =D
What book? Sorry I’ve missed like 100 notifications it seems.
Julian & I are talking about reading An Illusion of Thieves. Change of pace from Wandering Inn. I think some people want to dive into Vol2 already. =DAudible Sale Final Picks
- An Illusion of Thieves #1 aka Carol Berg
- A Bond Undone #2
- Ink
- She Who Became the Sun #1
- The Kingdom
- The Hills Have Spies #1
- Turning Darkness Into Light #6
Saw on Sale & Got from Library:
- If I Had Your Face
- Highfire
Hmmm. I’ll have to check those out. I bought The Highwayman from the sale so far but haven’t really looked.
There's a lot of good stuff on there. They put two of the Longmire books in fiction. The genres were a bit weirder than normal for some of the books. I was like... that one is obviously romance with mystery or just erotica but in SF/F. lolBrian & Iain! When Dark Horse #7 comes out, we gotta BR that one.
Dark Horse - There's a giveaway for the kindle. I entered it. 100 copies & only 42 (counting me) had entered.
Random question, but is there a way to see what % of an audiobook you've completed using the Audible app? Am I just not seeing it?
Audible android app: I guessimate the percentage based on the bar. I have my bar (Audible calls it ribbon) set to show the full book and what time has elapsed/remain.
I figured it was going to be something like that. I suck at guesstimating.
It's an estimated percentage. No one's gonna call foul on ya for making a guessimate.
Mod
You can either eyeball it, or use easy hour measurements... for 10hr books, 1hr is 10%, for 20hrs it's 5%, for 30hrs it's 3.33%, for 40hrs it's 2.5%, for 50hrs it's 2%... not many books longer than 50-60hrs...
You're both right. It just seems silly that they don't show it in percentages too, or at least offer the option via Settings.
Iain, respond in the Buddy Invite thread. I know you're reading some of those books I posted. =P Thanks to Narilka for being on top of the Cline & Maberry books. I knew about Maberry from FB, but when JM made the annoucement, there were no book listings on GR or Audible. Heh. Hence I promptly forgot after thinking, something/someone will remind me. XD
Mod
They used to, before Audible App 3.2, I think... or you could share progress to goodreads, and it would plug in your %... but the app update broke it, and it's never been fixed, and the dev team conveniently stopped responding to inquiries about it... so it's gone...
Mod
Veronica wrote: "Random question, but is there a way to see what % of an audiobook you've completed using the Audible app? Am I just not seeing it?"I either eyeball the bar and guess or do math for chapters. So if the book has 30 chapters and I'm finishing Ch 15, then I'm at 50%. I do the chapter thing mostly when I'm listening to an omnibus version.
After Middlemarch, I need something that'll get my blood pumping. lol Hopefully, Ink will be a bit of a thrill ride. Though, I'm gonna guess it'll be a Maberry trademark of weird, somewhat gross and maybe a smidgen of sad.
Fantasy Buddy Reads
Books mentioned in this topic
Quick Transmigration Cannon Fodder’s Record of Counterattacks (other topics)Quick Transmigration Cannon Fodder’s Record of Counterattacks (other topics)
Beware of Chicken 3 (other topics)
Beware of Chicken 3 (other topics)
Night of the Living Deed (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Nora Sakavic (other topics)Jordan L. Hawk (other topics)
Jordan Castillo Price (other topics)
T.J. Klune (other topics)
Derek Alan Siddoway (other topics)
Note to Self: No spree!"
Oh no... those always get me