Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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What else are you reading? (June 2010 - May 2013) *closed*
I just finished Counterpunch and really liked it. The world building was almost too right on the money, so current and so almost possible in many ways which was creepy. But it didn't have quite the same impact that Scorpion did. Scorpion just blew me away! Still, Voinov is two for two and I look forward to reading more of his work.

Well, I finally bit the bullet and read this. I've had it for months (based on the hype) but just couldn't bring myself to dive in. To my surprise, I actually loved it. Once I began to think of it like a libretto for a grand opera, anyway. Heros can't be taken too literally, can they?

It blew me away too. I think it's brilliant!
One I'll be reading more than once

Well, I finally bit the bullet and read this. I've had it for months ..."
:-D
Could you go and tell Josh, please? I think he still doesn't believe it's a good read. ;-)

LOL. I'll keep that in mind. ^^
Saga, while I agree in general, Counterpunch is really, really good.
OT: I'm rereading Mongrel. I'm enjoying it as much as I did the first time.
Counterpunch is NOT typical slave story. I don't know if you'd like it Sagajo, but it is completely different to say Anchored, Counterpoint, Concubine, etc. Voinov uses the implied horror of someone trapped as a slave very well, and yet he doesn't belabor the violence or the sexual abuse. The story is all the more powerful because of that.
I have to add Counterpunch in my TBR list. Anyway, I just finished Envy and I think it might have been the best of The Fallen Angels series yet. I don't know why I still felt like I couldn't totally get into the story... Maybe I've been "ruined" by all the m/m books I have been reading recently? Is it going to be a permanent condition? Not to be satisfied with anything else? ;)
... I might be able to live with that. :)
So I'm off to start with Amy Lane's It's Not Shakespeare!
... I might be able to live with that. :)
So I'm off to start with Amy Lane's It's Not Shakespeare!

I'm sorry, but I really hate being told to try something I know I'm going to regret.
I so regret trying 'Anchored' *shudder*, and I'm really not ready to set myself up for nightmares ... again. I wish they'd stop labelling slave fic as bdsm, because it's so not.
If a character's free will/rights are taken away, I can't read it.
*sigh* and yet ... I do want to try 'counterpunch' ... just not now.
Blaine D. wrote: "I read a review recently in which a reviewer tried to convince the readers not to get hung up on the slave part of the story that was reviewed, because it was only 'lightly' written ...
I'm sorry,..."
No, Anchored and others like it are not BDSM and I wish they wouldn't label them that way either.
I didn't mean to imply Counterpunch was "slavery light" because it isn't. Voinov really captures the horror of someone who has no rights over their own life. What really bothered me most about Anchored was the almost gratuitous violence and brutality which was given an erotic touch. There is none of that in Counterpunch.
I'm sorry,..."
No, Anchored and others like it are not BDSM and I wish they wouldn't label them that way either.
I didn't mean to imply Counterpunch was "slavery light" because it isn't. Voinov really captures the horror of someone who has no rights over their own life. What really bothered me most about Anchored was the almost gratuitous violence and brutality which was given an erotic touch. There is none of that in Counterpunch.

I know you weren't. And I didn't mean Counterpunch. I've been reading plenty of comments on that one to know that I might just be safe reading it ... when I'm ready.
I don't even remember the book or the reviewer, it was just something that caught my eye and bothered me ... and since we were talking slavefics, I thought it was safe to rant here.
It wasn't a reaction to your post, really :)
Ummm well I just came on here to say I just finished Counterpunch and how much I loved it. Totally concur with Kate this is NOT your typical slave story. However is it a very impactful take on the loss of freedom, not physically but of being able to make choices. Having your free will stripped away. There is not BDSM at all. It was a FAB book, and the boxing scenes were AMAZING!
Blaine D. wrote: "Kate Mc. wrote: "I didn't mean to imply Counterpunch was "slavery light" because it isn't. "
I know you weren't. And I didn't mean Counterpunch. I've been reading plenty of comments on that one to..."
Whew. I didn't want to mislead anyone into thinking this was somehow "nice" slavefic. LOL.
In some ways I wish he hadn't set Counerpunch in Rachel's Belonging universe, because a lot of us had problems with Anchored and knowing there's a connection between the two, no matter how tenuous, makes people really really nervous.
I know you weren't. And I didn't mean Counterpunch. I've been reading plenty of comments on that one to..."
Whew. I didn't want to mislead anyone into thinking this was somehow "nice" slavefic. LOL.
In some ways I wish he hadn't set Counerpunch in Rachel's Belonging universe, because a lot of us had problems with Anchored and knowing there's a connection between the two, no matter how tenuous, makes people really really nervous.

Oh THIS THIS THIS so much. Especially if it's supposed to be erotic or sexy. And there are no words how much I hated Anchored.

Has anybody something to say about Jonathan Coe? Can you recommend me *one* of his books to read?
I'll go to a translators' congress in March where he will be the main guest. I thought I might read something till then...
Thank you in advance!
I can't say that I have read many slavery stories, but I just finished Maculategiraffe's Holden and Yves – The Early Years and it was a very sweet collection of stories. I was pleasantly surprised. :)

I just finished B. Quick and started Crossroads 1.
B. Quick--It's hard to know what to say. The author "thinks" funny; that's good. But he/she doesn't know what to keep and what to throw out. So, h/s keeps everything. There's too much material working very hard to be funny, and it shouts down the genuinely funny stuff. Of course, the more serious matter, is that h/s exasperates the reader w/characters who are almost all so stupid that the obvious is ignored in order that the author can string out the supposed suspense. Can't recommend this.
Started Cross Roads I. It was so bad I read maybe 20 pages and refused to waste any more time on it. Awful.
Also, read Broken Bounderies(sp?). It was pretty good for porn (NWWT-nothing wrong with that), but I found it corny.
When I finished the Larton Chronicles, was so impressed and had so much fun, I went back to the publisher to see what else they offer. They've only chosen to publish about a half dozen books, and one of those is Larton. Which suggested to me they might be very picky. So, I ordered three (I'm kind of a compulsive shopper, I'm afraid) and started the one called, Perfect Trust. It starts very well; it's promising. I'll let you know.

For me, this second one didn't live upto the first one :[
Bella wrote: "Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "I'm reading Making Promises. 30%, a couple of tears, but not crying yet!"
For me, this second one didn't live upto the first one :["
Same here, but honestly [book:Keeping Promise Rock|7544649] was so spectacular that nothing could live up to it. Well, not in that series. Her books Hammer & Air and The Locker Room are two of my other all-time favorites, but they're totally different. I think it must be rare to revisit a nearly perfect "world" and later bring in others as MC's and have it be as good or better than the first.
For me, this second one didn't live upto the first one :["
Same here, but honestly [book:Keeping Promise Rock|7544649] was so spectacular that nothing could live up to it. Well, not in that series. Her books Hammer & Air and The Locker Room are two of my other all-time favorites, but they're totally different. I think it must be rare to revisit a nearly perfect "world" and later bring in others as MC's and have it be as good or better than the first.
Cris S. wrote: "Same here, but honestly Keeping Promise Rock was so spectacular that nothing could live up to it. Well, not in that series. Her books Hammer & Air and The Locker Room are two of my other all-time favorites..."
I read Amy Lane's It's Not Shakespeare this week. It was a sweet, nice love story with full of hope and sunshine and some wickedly fun moments between forty something college professor and his younger lover. If I compare it to Keeping Promise Rock this one was lighter, but in a very pleasant way. The characters weren't that troubled... overall I liked it better than Keeping Promise Rock. And it made me miss Swift terribly!!!
Tonight I started reading Aleksandr Voinov's
- had to put the book cover here, because I think it's so cool! And if you think the cover is cool, let me tell you... the story is HOT! :)
I read Amy Lane's It's Not Shakespeare this week. It was a sweet, nice love story with full of hope and sunshine and some wickedly fun moments between forty something college professor and his younger lover. If I compare it to Keeping Promise Rock this one was lighter, but in a very pleasant way. The characters weren't that troubled... overall I liked it better than Keeping Promise Rock. And it made me miss Swift terribly!!!
Tonight I started reading Aleksandr Voinov's






Harry is one of my favorite characters and I realize it's really hard to live up to that, but I'm still curious about Codex Alera. I like Jim's unique brand of crazy and I want to see how that applies to a different world.
Rumor has it that Cold Days will be released in October 2012. *sigh*

I wonder how Dresden will continue. I love the action but the females characters are seriously lacking in that series. It annoys me. I read them because they are entertainin but I also grind my teeth.
Sagajo wrote: "Lady*M wrote: "mc wrote: "Lady*M, I just finished my marathon of Dresden Files 1-12 and then Side Jobs. I don't know what I'm going to do, because I already miss that universe (and Book 12 was a h..."
I gave up reading them, partly because of that. Plus Harry is too much of a misogynist to be amusing to me.
I gave up reading them, partly because of that. Plus Harry is too much of a misogynist to be amusing to me.
I had to come back to babble about Voinov's Dark Soul series! I read the first one last night - couldn't put it down before I was done. When I woke up I started with the second one and I'm totally blown away with this story about power, mind games and craving, but also vulnerability and love. It's dramatic, hot, sad and delicate at the same time. I absolutely LOVE the way Voinov tells the story straightforward - taking no easy road. He really keeps me on the edge all the time and yet he manages to surprise me with the turns of events! And the second book is revealing things about the first book's events in a delicious way...
And from now on if somebody mentions name Silvio I won't be thinking about Berlusconi! LOL!
And from now on if somebody mentions name Silvio I won't be thinking about Berlusconi! LOL!

Thank God! It was something I was afraid of when I started the series, lol

James is doing Dresden Files audiobooks?
Oh .... I think I need to add those to my wishlist *drool*

It's brilliant, Dark Soul.
I can't wait for the next book to come out.

For me, this second one didn't live upto the first one :["
S..."
Yeah agree and also the mention of carrick and deacon in this second book was so sad... at one point I though deacon would die :'[

For me, this second one didn't live upto the ..."
It doesn't pack the punch of Keeping, but it was as good for me. I'm looking forward to reading Living Promises. I like Jeff.
I'm reading #7 of the Rifter, Enemies & Shadows.

Is there a new book coming?

James is doing Dresden Files audiobooks?
Oh .... I think I need to add those to my wishlist *drool*"
I'm halfway through listening to the second of the Dresden files as audiobook and the narrator is... wow! I don't know if I would like the books half as much had I read them on paper. The voice of the narrator gives the Harry Dresden character a lot of personality. :-)

Is there a new book coming?"
It's already out: Living Promises :)
Blaine D. wrote: "Johanna wrote: "I'm planning to listen Dresden Files as audiobooks because of James Marsters. :)"
James is doing Dresden Files audiobooks?
Oh .... I think I need to add those to my wishlist *drool*"
Calathea wrote: "I'm halfway through listening to the second of the Dresden files as audiobook and the narrator is... wow..."
And we all know that James Marsters = Spike! :)
AND he has a great voice! Grrrr...
James is doing Dresden Files audiobooks?
Oh .... I think I need to add those to my wishlist *drool*"
Calathea wrote: "I'm halfway through listening to the second of the Dresden files as audiobook and the narrator is... wow..."
And we all know that James Marsters = Spike! :)
AND he has a great voice! Grrrr...
Blaine D. wrote: "Johanna wrote: "I had to come back to babble about Voinov's Dark Soul series! I read the first one last night - couldn't put it down before I was done. When I woke up I started with the second one..."
And the third Dark Soul will come out pretty soon, right? Only about three weeks left to wait... I think?!
And the third Dark Soul will come out pretty soon, right? Only about three weeks left to wait... I think?!

If you preorder it, you can have it a couple of days before the official release :D
Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "Johanna wrote: "And the third Dark Soul will come out pretty soon, right? Only about three weeks left to wait... I think?!"
If you preorder it, you can have it a couple of days before the official..."
Thanks, Manu! I preordered it right away. :)
If you preorder it, you can have it a couple of days before the official..."
Thanks, Manu! I preordered it right away. :)

And now I'm reading #8 of The Rifter, The Silent City. I'm getting to the end in time for the last book, without all the suffering you lot went through reading it month after month :-P
Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "The blurb is sooooo interesting, Johanna! :D
And now I'm reading #8 of The Rifter, The Silent City. I'm getting to the end in time for the last book, without all the suffering you ..."
Hah! I stopped at 6. I'm going to read the last 4 all together rather than feel lost trying to remember what had happened 2-3 months before.
And now I'm reading #8 of The Rifter, The Silent City. I'm getting to the end in time for the last book, without all the suffering you ..."
Hah! I stopped at 6. I'm going to read the last 4 all together rather than feel lost trying to remember what had happened 2-3 months before.

And now I'm reading #8 of The Rifter, The Silent City. I'm getting to the end in time for the last book, without all the suffering you ..."
I'm on book five and somewhat regretting that it took me so long after reading book two to get started on book 3, even though it wasn't entirely by choice. I decided I couldn't really read these in short snatches on my lunch breaks or before bed so it feels like it's taken forever to find a good block of time to devote to it, but today was the day! I completely neglected housework and paying bills in order to read book 3,4,and start book 5, which I'll probably finish before going to sleep tonight. Now that my suspicions have been confirmed about a certain someone, I'm probably going to go back and read the first two books again before continuing the series.

And now I'm reading #8 of The Rifter, The Silent City. I'm getting to the end in time for the last book..."
:)
Paying the bills is useless, you'll have to pay them again next month...
#8 done. I'm reading Slings and Arrows and then I'll read #9 of the Rifter and prepare for the final book. I'm sooooo worried...

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I'm in the same boat as Emmanuela now where, while I don't think it was the only possible ending, the years have mellowed me and I've come to accept it. It makes sense in its way, it just doesn't provide much in the way of closure. But at the time, holy cow was I mad!
Lady M, you're going to read that entire series sitting in front of your computer? Ouch! I'd keep an old hardcover that you don't care about handy as you start reading the last one, then you can throw it in effigy.