What else are you reading? (June 2010 - May 2013) *closed* Showing 8,251-8,300 of 13,523

[Candice]

Alby Krebs wrote: "I am on the second book of the Darshian Tales by Ann Somerville. I read Kei's Gift last week, and I am now reading Falling From the Tree. I haven't read an epic story for a very long time, and I am..."

I'm really pleased to hear somebody else is enjoying those books like I did. What a treat,huh?

[Becky]

Right now I'm reading A Queer and Pleasant Danger: The true story of a nice Jewish boy who joins the Church of Scientology and leaves twelve years later to become the lovely lady she is today. It started out well, but it's taken a hard left into some pretty wackadoodle experiences with Scientology. Maybe I just didn't read the subtitle or blurb closely enough, but I wasn't expecting chapters upon chapters about Scientology. If I'd picked it up expecting an expose about Scientology I'd probably be enjoying it quite a bit. Because, seriously? Wackadoodle. But I was expecting a memoir about a trans* woman, and at 39% that doesn't appear to be what I'm getting.

[Antonella]

Becky wrote: "Antonella wrote: "I wonder why some writers sell lots of books and some others, which in our opinion are excellent, don't."

I think availability is hurting Manna Francis. ..."

Dear Becky, this might be *part of the explanation*, but only in this case. In general my question remains unanswered.


BTW the book you are reading has for sure a nice title ;-).

[Josh]

Antonella wrote: "Johanna wrote: "LOL. So it's infectious then... ;)"

Regrettably, it is not.

A bit in the direction of K.Z.'s reasoning, I wonder why some writers sell lots of books and some others, which in our..."

If only it was one single thing, it would be easy to whisper the secret to those authors we want to help. I think it's a lot of variables. Pricing and availablity, certainly. Name/brand recognition is a biggie, but how do you get to the point of name/brand recognition?

Also some good books -- you guys were mentioning Manna Francis? -- just don't have widespread commercial appeal. While I respect Francis's work, that story just does not work for me. I've tried to read it at least four times and never managed to finish the whole thing. I find it chilly.

But then again, who would have thought 50 Shades of Gray would have huge mainstream appeal? Not me.

There are books and writers that I can't BELIEVE don't do better. But then again, I remain startled and pleased at how (relatively) well my own stuff does in a market that so often seems only interested in sex and melodrama.

Which is a long way of saying if you ever figure out the answer, be sure to let me know!

[Jordan]

It is pretty crazy that something like Twilight and 50 shades would make it big, and yet there are gems out there that barely make a ripple when they should be making an even bigger wave. I guess that's just life sometimes.

[K.Z.]

I've been trying, yet again, to get into by Sarah Waters. She's a superb, very original historical writer with a boatload of awards, and she often covers the L in GLBT. (Tipping the Velvet is probably her best-known work.)

But, damn, the setting is grim (a Victorian-era prison), and her excellence at writing in period voice makes the book a bit of a slog from me. The Little Stranger, which I loved, takes place in 1940s post-war Britain. I found the prose much more digestible. :)

[Antonella]

Maybe I shouldn't have taken Manna Francis as an example. I suppose a dystopian universe with a sociopath as a hero is not appealing to everybody ;-). Still there are other examples, Sarah Black, to name one.

Josh wrote: "I remain startled and pleased at how (relatively) well my own stuff does in a market that so often seems only interested in sex and melodrama.

I share your pleasure, although I'd like to see you more often on top of the m/m best sellers' lists.

But why are sex and melodrama with not much brain so attractive? There is some sex and melodrama also in the books I like, they are not boring.

Ok, I'll start working again instead of looking for an impossible answer...

[K.Z.]

Manna Francis is another incredible writer. I've read some of her Administration series stories. Although I think she has a devoted following, her work is definitely a niche within a niche.

I have to be in exactly the right mood to read her stuff, though. That world is pretty sterile and cold and cruel.

[Aleksandr]

A book that I found terrific and seems sadly under-sold and under-reviewed is Kirby Crow's "Angels of the Deep". When I read it, it blew my mind like nothing else.

[Josh]

Antonella wrote: "I share your pleasure, although I'd like to see you more often on top of the m/m best sellers' lists.
..."

I can see why a short story priced at $2.99 in the current give-it-away-for-free publishing environment wouldn't linger long at the top of the list.

But never a week went by last year that I didn't have 6 - 8 titles on that list.

So I'm sure part of that was due to the fact that steady new releases generates buzz which then generates movement on the backlist. Not publishing anything but a short story for more than...jeez, December was the last freestanding release of any length...takes a toll.

So prolificity (is there such a word?) is probably an element too.

But then what's the balance? Because there are also authors with a release every couple of weeks and we all snort when we see their new titles pop up.

But someone is buying those new titles. Someone is gobbling them up like candy.

[Josh]

But why are sex and melodrama with not much brain so attractive? There is some sex and melodrama also in the books I like, they are not boring.


Let me ask you this. Why are grownups, mature adults (and I'm not talking age, I'm talking attitudes and behavior) so sparsely represented in this genre?

Why are so many books where the main characters act like hormonal (or even emotionally stunted) adolescents so enormously popular in this genre? What is the appeal of this?

[Calathea]

Jordan wrote: "It is pretty crazy that something like Twilight and 50 shades would make it big, and yet there are gems out there that barely make a ripple when they should be making an even bigger wave. I guess t..."

I think the success of Twilight and 50 shades has a lot to do with the size of the marketing budget behind them. When I was browsing through the shelves of one of the smaller local bookstores (here in my town in Germany) that barely has one shelf for books written in foreign languages, I found a special display for 50 Shades (in English) alone. Made me think that somebody really, really, really wants it to be successful. ;-)

[Cleon Lee]

Josh wrote: "Why are so many books where the main characters act like hormonal (or even emotionally stunted) adolescents so enormously popular in this genre? What is the appeal of this? "

*shudder* It's enough for me to deal with real adolescents 5 days a week. But you know, some of the teens I've met are more mature than the supposedly adults in the books I've read. *snerk*

[Antonella]

Aleksandr wrote: "A book that I found terrific and seems sadly under-sold and under-reviewed is Kirby Crow's "Angels of the Deep". When I read it, it blew my mind like nothing else."

Thank you for the rec, Aleks!

I've read the excerpt and put the book on my wishlist ;-)

[Aleksandr]

It's dark and intense and mystical - and won the EPPIE in the horror category (well deserved, too). :) Let me know what you think about it.

[Angela]

Calathea wrote: "Jordan wrote: "It is pretty crazy that something like Twilight and 50 shades would make it big, and yet there are gems out there that barely make a ripple when they should be making an even bigger ..."

Oh, how I hate to be fair to 50 Shades, but it was incredibly popular before the publisher put its weight in advertising/display behind it. As a self-published novel it was already becoming a phenomenon.

I can't say why it started to get popular because I've read samples of it and it really did not work for me, but it obviously did for a lot of people on some level. Then, like happens with so many other things, once a ball starts rolling it doesn't really stop. The insane praises brought more readers that needed to know what the fuss was about (I've seen so many of my friends say some variation of this), and they end up raving about it - though I wonder if the raves they heard predisposed them to enjoy it more - which keeps the cycle turning.

There are books and authors I'd like to start that ball rolling for.

Josh wrote: "Why are so many books where the main characters act like hormonal (or even emotionally stunted) adolescents so enormously popular in this genre? What is the appeal of this?"

I don't know the answer to this, but I'd really like to!

[Calathea]

Angela wrote: "Oh, how I hate to be fair to 50 Shades, but it was incredibly popular before the publisher put its weight in advertising/display behind it. As a self-published novel it was already becoming a phenomenon."

Thanks for the info! I didn't know it had been self-published before. I think I read somewhere it had been a Twilight fanfic. Or am I confusing it with some other book?
It's just that I was so baffeld to find it on display in a store that only rarely sells foreign language books. :-)

[Cleon Lee]

Angela wrote: "Calathea wrote: "Jordan wrote: "It is pretty crazy that something like Twilight and 50 shades would make it big, and yet there are gems out there that barely make a ripple when they should be makin..."

Well, I've been thinking about this.... I think a lot of readers like to read about (though not necesarily behave this way in real life) about people acting out on their desire without thinking too much about the consequences. (which are basically most teens do).

If you read the link to the article posted in General News thread, you'll read a bit about women's sexuality. For (many) men, the things that turn them on most are visual cues, hence why porn is so popular among men. On the other hand, women are turned on when they feel they're irresistible. M/M is a genre written mainly by women and read mainly by women too, and they are turned on when they read about characters who can't resist the sexual appeal of another man and act without rational thought. I could be wrong though.

[Antonella]

Josh wrote: "Why are so many books where the main characters act like hormonal (or even emotionally stunted) adolescents so enormously popular in this genre? What is the appeal of this?"

Don't ask me! ;-) This is one of my usual complaints when I give a book a low rating.

[Antonella]

Angela wrote: "Oh, how I hate to be fair to 50 Shades..."

LOL!

[K.Z.]

Aleksandr wrote: "A book that I found terrific and seems sadly under-sold and under-reviewed is Kirby Crow's "Angels of the Deep". When I read it, it blew my mind like nothing else."

Might Kirby have recently signed with a new publisher? ;-)

[Johanna]

Josh wrote: "While I respect Francis's work, that story just does not work for me. I've tried to read it at least four times and never managed to finish the whole thing. I find it chilly.

Hmmm. I'm not sure if you are talking about only Mind Fuck or the whole series, but I guess I can see what you mean. Especially now, when I've read almost all the books you've written and also the Administration series from Manna Francis. :) For me the chilly feeling ended in the book #2 Quid Pro Quo and precisely with the short story Pancakes in it. That was when the sociopath hero (Antonella's words! *grin*) became adorable for awhile for the first time! ;) Anyway, the series in question is no doubt not everybody's cup of tea. ETA: Although for Manna Francis' sake I wish it would be... ;)

[Aleksandr]

KZ - My fannishness of Kirby goes back like 4-5 years. I think it started on LJ. Has nothing to do with Riptide, acually, though I am trying to sign authors I love (works surprisingly well). :)

Re: Administration. I think what I like best about both MCs is that they are smart. They fight, they quarrel, they outwit each other. Much of this feels like "£real life" and real "corporate" life (yes, I've worked for a number of really, really dysfunctional places in my time...).

[Johanna]

Aleksandr wrote: "It's dark and intense and mystical - and won the EPPIE in the horror category (well deserved, too)."

Sounds promising! ;) I added it to my loooong list of TBR...

[Aleksandr]

Make sure you read it when you don't need sleep to function. I remember it messing with my head for a couple days.

[Anne]

Johanna wrote: "Aleksandr wrote: "It's dark and intense and mystical - and won the EPPIE in the horror category (well deserved, too)."

Sounds promising! ;) I added it to my loooong list of TBR..."

I did read it a couple of years ago. Very intense, and something rather different when it comes to the storyline. Definitely worth reading.

[Johanna]

Aleksandr wrote: "Make sure you read it when you don't need sleep to function. I remember it messing with my head for a couple days."

Uh-oh... that sounds dangerous (even more dangerous coming from you *grin*).

[K.Z.]

Josh wrote: "I can see why a short story priced at $2.99 in the current give-it-away-for-free publishing environment wouldn't linger long at the top of the list."

I was checking out Smashwords a couple of days ago. "Cheap" and "free" are very strong reader-magnets.

Some years ago, one of my publishers gave away (for a week, I think) one of my titles at ARe. It immediately became a genre bestseller there. Problem was, most of those downloads hadn't been sold. And since I didn't have a shit's worth of m/m titles available at the time, the giveaway had no ripple effect.

[Aleksandr]

Johanna - considering that I usually do not struggle at all putting books down, the few books that keep me "against my will and better judgment" are few and far between. ("Counterpoint" once cost me a productive weekend...)

KZ - Sounds like terribly ill-timed decision from that publisher, sorry to hear. :(

[Johanna]

Anne wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Aleksandr wrote: "It's dark and intense and mystical - and won the EPPIE in the horror category (well deserved, too)."

Sounds promising! ;) I added it to my loooong list of TBR..."..."

Hi Anne! I've been a very good girl and I ordered Out Stealing Horses yesterday, when I went book shopping. :) Only waiting it to arrive now...

[Anne]

Josh wrote: "But why are sex and melodrama with not much brain so attractive? There is some sex and melodrama also in the books I like, they are not boring.


Let me ask you this. Why are grownups, mature adult..."

It depends on what the book is about for me. I love coming-of- age stories (which Americans for some reason do especially well) and of course then you have to deal with immature, hormonal protags. That's the idea I would guess. But otherwise, I really prefer my protags to be adults. Sometimes though I think the author presents the protags as young, but when reading they feel like too old for the described age, maybe more in the age group of the writer? That annoys me.

But in romance of course, you want the MC to be beautiful and sexy, and in our culture you have to be young to fulfill that cliche.

[Anne]

Johanna wrote: "Anne wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Aleksandr wrote: "It's dark and intense and mystical - and won the EPPIE in the horror category (well deserved, too)."

Sounds promising! ;) I added it to my loooong li..."

Good for you, Johanna. I hope you will enjoy it. Please tell me when you finish what you think. I feel kind of responsible since I recommended it. :)

[Emanuela ~plastic duck~]

Did someone read 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami? Do you recommend it? It cost only 1.99€ a couple weeks ago on amazon.it and since I am a big fan of Orwell's 1984, I was wondering if it was worth being excited about reading it. I like dystopian books.

[Aleksandr]

Murakami makes my brain bleed. I read one of his (something with a rabbit?) and was confused throughout. Maybe I'm just lacking the PhD in postmodernism to like it. :)

[Anne]

Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "Did someone read 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami? Do you recommend it? It cost only 1.99€ a couple weeks ago on amazon.it and since I am a big fan of Orwell's 1984, I was wondering if it was worth being ex..."

I am one third through it and has been stuck there for six months. There are other Murakami novels I have enjoyed (Kafka on the shore is the best so far), but I have some trouble finishing this. It seems to drag a little although parts are very fascinating. I have this belief I shall finish it now that I have three weeks vacation. starting today. yay!

[Emanuela ~plastic duck~]

Not promising, lol. I'll give it a try. Italian translators of Japanese are pretty good :)

Enjoy your vacation Anne!!!

[Charming]

Becky wrote: "I think availability is hurting Manna Francis. It looks like the ebook of Mind Fuck is only for sale on three websites, and none of them are what I'd call top-tier vendors. Strong second-tier maybe, but not the first places I think to look for a book. People can't buy the book if they can't find the book."

This. I've said before that I am completely perplexed as to why all of these aren't available on Kindle. It would take a couple of hours each, tops, and then people could buy them. I would.

I read somewhere that the publisher won't bother because the one they released as an ebook didn't sell enough, to which I say (1) a couple of hours, tops! How many do you need to sell to be worth that? and (2) a lot more people would buy them on Amazon.

[Charming]

Oh, and DRM'ed PDFs? Worst format ever.

[Stephanie]

Josh wrote: "But why are sex and melodrama with not much brain so attractive? There is some sex and melodrama also in the books I like, they are not boring.


Let me ask you this. Why are grownups, mature adult..."

It doesn't appeal to me, that's for sure. I just got done reading a book where the MCs were in their 40's but their dialogue/inner voices were those of teenagers. And teenagers is what I ended up picturing in my mind which didn't fit with the plot. It took all I had to finish the book.

[K.Z.]

Aleksandr wrote: "KZ - Sounds like terribly ill-timed decision from that publisher, sorry to hear. :( "

I didn't realize it until later, Aleks. And I still don't hold it against them. (That company's run by truly decent people with the best of intentions.) I suspect they were trying to stimulate some interest in their m/m books, which were few and far between, or maybe gauge the public's level of interest in m/m fiction. (It remains the weakest part of their list -- alas, even weaker now than it was then.)

Ach, live and learn! :-)

[K.Z.]

Jorrie wrote: "I agree she's fantastic! Though I'm rather dragging my feet about this book of hers, Affinity. I absolutely loved Fingersmith, which is less grim I think, and very twisty (plot wise) in the best way."

Really, I'm in awe of Sarah Waters. She's absolutely brilliant. Fingersmith is next on my list.

[Johanna]

Anne wrote: "Good for you, Johanna. I hope you will enjoy it. Please tell me when you finish what you think. I feel kind of responsible since I recommended it. :)"

LOL. I will definitely let you know how I felt about it. :) Enjoy your well deserved vacation, Anne!

[Johanna]

K.Z. wrote: "Jorrie wrote: "I agree she's fantastic! Though I'm rather dragging my feet about this book of hers, Affinity. I absolutely loved Fingersmith, which is less grim I think, and very twisty (plot wise)..."

And my to-read list keeps getting longer and longer... now I only need more hours to my days (and nights!)...

[Anne]

Johanna wrote: "K.Z. wrote: "Jorrie wrote: "I agree she's fantastic! Though I'm rather dragging my feet about this book of hers, Affinity. I absolutely loved Fingersmith, which is less grim I think, and very twist..."

Fingersmith is amazing. It twists and turns around itself so many times you never know where it will end up. That and Tipping the Velvet are the best ones. Affinity is weird. Well written, but weird story.

[Anne]

Johanna wrote: "Anne wrote: "Good for you, Johanna. I hope you will enjoy it. Please tell me when you finish what you think. I feel kind of responsible since I recommended it. :)"

LOL. I will definitely let you k..."

I actually feel like I deserve a vacation right now. In addition to my usual work that can be very demanding in itself, I have been caught in the middle of a conflict at work between two of my co-workers and the management as a union representative and a welfare ombudsman (I don't know how to translate that role description, but my role is to assist people when the working environment is in jeopardy).It has been very emotionally draining. Important work, but hard. It isn't over yet, but at least I can have a few weeks off and recharge the batteries. Reading, sleeping, taking walks, reading, eating good food, being with family, reading. And so on and so forth :)

[Vivian]

Let me ask you this. Why are grownups, mature adults (and I'm not talking age, I'm talking attitudes and behavior) so sparsely represented in this genre?

Why are so many books where the main characters act like hormonal (or even emotionally stunted) adolescents so enormously popular in this genre? What is the appeal of this?

I think the reason is a bit of a Hollywood brainwash. We are bombarded with these situations on the mass media (TV and cinema) where adults act like children, are petty, fall in love like adolescents, are obsessed with youth, etc.

That's why 50 Shades of Gray has done so well, in my opinion. It allows for women to fantasize they are adolescents while at the same time it acknowledges that they are grown ups by including bland kink.

[Johanna]

Josh wrote: "Why are so many books where the main characters act like hormonal (or even emotionally stunted) adolescents so enormously popular in this genre? What is the appeal of this?"

That is a very good question. I bet that if we knew the answer to that one, we wouldn't be doing this discussion here on your site at all, but writing our LOLs and OMGs elsewhere... ;) Remembering my own adolescence and due to the fact that I work with youngsters every day, I feel no need to go through it all over again in my free time with adult characters acting like teens.

[Johanna]

Aleksandr wrote: "Johanna - considering that I usually do not struggle at all putting books down, the few books that keep me "against my will and better judgment" are few and far between. ("Counterpoint" once cost me a productive weekend...)"

And isn't that the best feeling ever! Not being productive, but losing yourself in reading. I swear that is one of the things that have kept me from having a total burn out during this winter. Josh's, JCP's and your books have been life buoys for me.

[Kari]

Vivian wrote: "Let me ask you this. Why are grownups, mature adults (and I'm not talking age, I'm talking attitudes and behavior) so sparsely represented in this genre?

Why are so many books where the main chara..."

I think readers re-live their uncomfortable & awkward teens through the Mary Sue of Bella in Twilight, operating as a sort of wish fulfillment that they too had two sexy guys vying for their love & attention. Add in the complete lack of parental guidance with Bella's primarily MIA folks and thar ya go.

As for why so many criminally impulsive and hormone-enslaved heroes in m/m...Maybe it reflects the fantasy of NOT being quite so monotonously responsible in our real, everyday lives? *shrug*

[Johanna]

Anne wrote: "It has been very emotionally draining. Important work, but hard. It isn't over yet, but at least I can have a few weeks off and recharge the batteries. Reading, sleeping, taking walks, reading, eating good food, being with family, reading. And so on and so forth :) "

Sounds like you really need NOT to think about your work for a while! And it also sounds like you already know the recipe for a perfect vacation. Enjoy!!! :)