Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
note: This topic has been closed to new comments.
ARCHIVE (General Topics)
>
What else are you reading? (June 2010 - May 2013) *closed*
Mod
I especially liked the way Emanuela described the real, pure pleasure of reading Josh's writing.
Johanna wrote: "*nod nod* Me too. I couldn't agree more with Emanuela, Kari and everyone. I've said it before, but to me finding Josh's books was like coming home. And there is nothing better than being in the st..."I seems to me we more or less fall in love with Josh's characters and his writing (it works like that for me at least!), which tells how lovely his stories and his writing really are, right?
Anne wrote: "I seems to me we more or less fall in love with Josh's characters and his writing (it works like that for me at least!), which tells how lovely his stories and his writing really are, right? "
Absolutely, Anne. And if I may add, how lovely he is as a person. Evidence? This location, frequented by terrific people, the quality of discourse, the fun, the intelligence and respect. In my book, that has a lot to do with the person whose name is on the mailbox.
mc wrote: "Anne wrote: "I seems to me we more or less fall in love with Josh's characters and his writing (it works like that for me at least!), which tells how lovely his stories and his writing really are, ..."That too, yes.
Mod
..."
I know this to be ..."
Wow... and I thought I was like, the only one who was anti-popular. However, if I genuinely enjoyed a book, I'm not going to put in a bad review. I'd be glad other people enjoyed it with me.
Then again, it might also depend on the genre of the book and how much popularity it's getting too. Mainstream vs. staying within our little genre. But for those "larger than life" books, I've generally found something I honestly disliked about it.
As a horrible example, when I was "forced" (it was a bday present) to read Twilight, I was still reading gobs of fanfic everyday, so I thought they were pretty good. Not super fantastic, but ok. Then I read the fourth book and saw that for the bad fanfic of her own work that it was, and that one book ruined the whole series for me. It still squicks me out. And I'm stuck living with the movie posters behind my desk at work until the last movie comes out. Somebody please save me! GAH!
I ended up selling my signed Twilight books for $10 at a yard sale. So glad they're out of the apartment! You have no idea.
Mod
As for personality, yep, this GR group is one of the best, most fun, and nicest places to hang out for people in our genre.
As for personality, yep, this GR group is one of the best, most fun, and nicest places to hang out for people in our genre. I agree. I always tell people to go here (or Rainbow Readers & Writers) for a "sane alternative" to the MMR group.
mc wrote: "Anne wrote: "I seems to me we more or less fall in love with Josh's characters and his writing (it works like that for me at least!), which tells how lovely his stories and his writing really are, right?"
Absolutely, Anne. And if I may add, how lovely he is as a person. Evidence? This location, frequented by terrific people, the quality of discourse, the fun, the intelligence and respect. In my book, that has a lot to do with the person whose name is on the mailbox. "
Yes, yes and yes. To everything you said!
Kari wrote: "Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "...I looked up in the mirror and told to my reflection "è scritto da Dio" (it's divinely written). You make it look easy..."This? Profound.
Pardon me for saying s..."
What Kari and Emanuela said - it's so wonderful to read books where I can switch off my internal editor and just put myself in trusted hands :)
I am reading Frat Boy and Toppy by Anne Tenino. So far the humor is really good, and not over the top silly. I'm at 25%.
Susinok wrote: "I am reading Frat Boy and Toppy by Anne Tenino. So far the humor is really good, and not over the top silly. I'm at 25%."I enjoyed that one quite a bit.
Mod
I don't usually like posts which just state ''me too'' but this is necessary ;-)."
Well, I don't know about "necessary," but certainly appreciated! ;-)
Josh wrote: "Well, I don't know about "necessary," but certainly appreciated! ;-)"Group hug... and everyone lived happily ever after ;-).
What I mean is: it's nice that we all agree about Josh writing. ETA: In fact probably we wouldn't be here if we would think otherwise
Johanna wrote: "*nod nod* Me too. I couldn't agree more with Emanuela, Kari and everyone. I've said it before, but to me finding Josh's books was like coming home. And there is nothing better than being in the st..."Josh,
My two cents: I absolutely support you in your taking a sabatical(sp?) you knew you needed. But it's hard waiting.
Mod
What I'm talking about here is a little bit different. I'm talking about the library.
Yes. The library.
Yesterday afternoon a patron came to me with little bits and pieces of several graphic novels, and two slip covers for hardcover books we used to own... until someone, or several someones, decided to rip off the library barcodes and any labels that said "property of..." and walk off with the books.
Yep, people pirate ebooks online all the time. But those books aren't already free for public use. Uh, not that I'm condoning ebook pirating or anything, cause that'd be stupid and Kari would come after me with a machette. ;-)
But seriously. A library book. For some reason I can understand checking out a book and deciding not to return it. (Yeah, that still pisses me off to know that people do do that. I've had patrons tell me outright that they have no intention of returning these books.) But to go through all the trouble of defacing a book just so you can own it for free? Some people are just lame. And I'll never be able to understand those people.
I ended up going home in a seriously bad mood last night, which was also due to several other reasons, but that one was the biggest reason. Not the way I wanted to end my day for sure.
*sigh*
OK, rant is over. You may now go back to your regularly scheduled programming...
But please don't steal library books... or I may be forced to come after you with a machette.
I understand that you are upset, but... bad things just happen now and then. Focus on the nice things and people.In the centre against racism where I work as a volunteer we have a small library: now and then books go missing. IMO many of them are just prey to laziness, that is people are just procrastinating to return them and in the end they keep the books. But we were upset when one expensive, beautiful book about political posters we got directly from the author *with dedication to us* disappeared. So, I can get your frustration.
Jordan wrote: "I must vent my frustrations... at people who steal real books. No. No one broke into my home. Nor the homes of my friends. It wasn't books locked away in a car, or in a bookstore. It wasn't that so..."*hugs* Horrible. Just horrible!! If I were you, I'd come after them with a machete. Well, in my dream anyway. :D
Just read Abandoned Prayers: The Incredible True Story of Murder, Obsession and Amish Secrets about a gay ex-Amish man convicted of one murder and thought by many to be responsible for four other deaths -- including those of his 9-year-old son and his Amish wife.I just realized something after looking at the book's GR page: I'm afraid to leave a review for it! Not only was the author's innate homophobia obvious (at least to me) throughout the story, the comments from some readers are blatantly homophobic!
I won't even go into the whole presumption-of-guilt issue, which also makes my blood boil.
Yikes, are most writers and readers of true crime like this? It was kind of like stumbling into an appearance by Nancy Grace at a Million Moms convention!
I have just finished Missing Daughter, Shattered Family. It was a very complex and interesting mystery and mainly well written although the language was a little akward here and there. I can't explain what I mean, but sometimes it didn't flow as well as it should. But basically a good read. I also read Bitterblue, an YA novel but in my opinion very interesting and philosophical in places, also well worth reading for someone who no longer can use the prefix "young" with the "adult" :).These weeks in July almost everyone in Norway who can, is on vacation. I am not, someone needs to be manning the fort, but it means that nothing much is happening and I have a little too much time on my hand. I use that time to check out the stories on the Love Is Always Write event over at the m/m romance group. Some of the stories are very good, some are rather middle of the road and some are just boring, but I definitely recommend people to check them out. I have found some new authors there in addition to new stories by old favourites. A fun place :)
Mod
In the centre against racism where I work as a volunteer we have a small library: ..."
I have to agree with this. Much of the evil done in the world can be put down to two things: laziness and ignorance. That is not an excuse. Simply an explanation.
Mod
I knew Trixie Koontz was an amazing dog, but I had no idea how amazing she was until I read this book. Dean Koontz's humor and wit, along with the help from his ever cute, sweet, adorable, smart, funny... well, with help from Trixie (who is dog!) made ma laugh out loud so much I was crying!
I went to work expecting to be laughing out loud while attempting to eat, and ended up blubbering my eyes out while trying to eat. Oiy. lol.
But this is a truly fantastic book that brings back the faith in dogs (not that it ever went away, mind you) and in the goodness of certain people.
It was a refreshing read that only too me two days (would have taken one, if I hadn't had to work, darn it!) and I know I'll be back to read it again and again.
Ok, getting off my soapbox.
I am reading Like Pizza and Beer by Elle Parker. I really have enjoyed these two books. I looked up the author and it appears that she's not doing anything on the net since 2010.Bummer.
Jordan wrote: "I just finished reading A Big Little Life: A Memoir of a Joyful Dog last night and I can't speak highly enough about this amazing book. I knew Trixie Koontz was an amazing dog, but I had no idea..."
I'd probably cry my way through it (even if it's an upbeat book), and I've discovered I can't read when my eyes are submerged. :) That's why I avoid pet stories.
K.Z. wrote: "I'd probably cry my way through it (even if it's an upbeat book), and I've discovered I can't read when my eyes are submerged. :) That's why I avoid pet stories. ..."Heh, me too. I was a wreck when I read about Marley's death in Marley and Me.
Mod
Mod
I am finally getting in a mood for fantasy stories. So I'm catching up on my TBR list.
Scarlet and the White Wolf by Kirby Crow
Guardian by Carole Cummings
Scorpion by Aleksandr Voinov
They were all VERY good. I liked them all. Scorpion was written for adults, with adult themes (not just nekkid themes) and quality. It is an adult romance about two strong leader/warriors. I just really liked it.
So I just finished The Lords of Discipline. Well, sort of. I had to finish it in a very short amount of time, so I skipped the second act, which was essentially a 90-page flashback. And my thoughts? It's an absolutely amazing book. The characters feel real to me, the main protagonist is somebody that I just get, and the writing is just beautiful. Not really romance, though, unless you're counting a sub-plot. Highly recommended....But I think I'm going to read/play/watch something lighter now.
I am currently reading Snap after reading K.Z's recommendation here and her review. I agree with every word of the review, it is a book unlike any other, not without flaws, but extremely powerful reading. Thank you for recommending it!
It's astounding. I've read only one third of it till now.I tried to propose it for a group reading in the German m/m group but sadly no one reacted.
Antonella wrote: "It's astounding. I've read only one third of it till now.I tried to propose it for a group reading in the German m/m group but sadly no one reacted."
Thanks guys! Bought it. It's only 0,82 € on Amazon.it
Ehhmm... it is still for free on Smashwords:http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/...
Use the code SSW25 at checkout to get this book for FREE during our
site-wide promotion! (Offer good thru July 31, 2012)
I missed that. I hope that little I paid went to the author and not to Amazon
Hello, all!I've been reading period romances (icky het... I know, guilty). I was very pleased to have found a couple of very new authors that write very... outre period romances. I was so happy about that. It seems to me they are shaking the genre and giving it a fresh outlook. The writing is not bad either. The books I was reading were by Courtney Milan
My favorite books were:
Unveiled
Unclaimed
Unraveled
With Unraveled being my most favorite one.
Cool, Vivian.Taking a course, so I'm reading a lot of different titles for that, which will decrease my m/m output (input?). Right now, reading Dracula, which I realize I've never read before. It was written at the turn of the last century, and I'd like to do some additional research on the context of the times, because I'd like to know more about the fear of the "Other" that is a big part of this novel.
Sorry for such a dry post!
Mod
So yeah, sadly, less M/M for me too. It's truly heart breaking, but I am really enjoying these other books. I'm glad to be getting them off my coffee table.
mc wrote: "Cool, Vivian.Taking a course, so I'm reading a lot of different titles for that, which will decrease my m/m output (input?). Right now, reading Dracula, which I realize I've never read before. ..."
I read Dracula and I thought it was really... dull. I mean, Dracula is a baddie because the author says he is a baddy and there is no real protagonist, so the conflict seems very superficial (as in there is no mirror image and fatal flaw, just a bunch of one dimensional characters chasing a baddy). Maybe it's the epistolary style of the novel which lends itself to these pitfalls. When you are finished reading it, I'd really like to know what you thought of the writing itself.
I loved the imagery in Dracula. I remember reading the carriage ride up to the castle. It set the stage and was really chilling. I loved the first part of the book, set in Dracula's castle. The parts in England drag and pale in comparison.
I finished Snap today, it was an emotional ride! The ending was a surprise I didn't see coming, but satisfactory for all that.For those who has an interest in Nordic Noir, I also finished the first book I have read by Icelandic author Arnaldur Indridason. In Norwegian it is called "Fjellet" - translated " The mountain". I have only found it in French on Goodreads, called Hypothermie, which is a much more fitting title by the way. Very well written, a little unusual, it took me at least half the book to figure out whether a crime had been committed or not, but it certainly made me want to read more of his stories.
Anne wrote: "I finished Snap today, it was an emotional ride! The ending was a surprise I didn't see coming, but satisfactory for all that."It is a wonderful story, not exactly romance though...
Anne, you should say the same in a review. The book has an astoundingly low number of readers and reviews. It's a pity!
Thanks, Anne, for the recommendation of Indridason, though I have no way of reading his work in English as yet. My French is passable, but it would be a bit of a struggle, I think, to read it in that language :-(I have Snap (thank you, KZ for the initial recommendation!) but God knows when I'll have the time to get to it.
Mod
I have Bram Stoker's Dracula: A Documentary Journey Into Vampire Country and the Dracula Phenomenon, a book that wasn't at all what I expected (which was a critical commentary on the above), but instead is a collection of critical articles and resources. Two of the titles cited are: Dracula and Jonathon Harker — from Christopher Craft, "'Kiss Me with Those Red Lips': Gender and Inversion in Bram Stoker's Dracula," and Male Homosexuality in Dracula — from Marjorie Howes, "The Mediation of the Feminist: Bisexuality, Homoerotic Desire, and Self-Expression in Bram Stoker's Dracula" — although I suppose that's not the "other" you were considering.
And for those vampire buffs out there, here is Varney The Vampire, the first published vampire fiction. It predated Dracula by 50 years.http://manybooks.net/titles/prestt148...
Varney is a tortured creature who hates what he is and has become.
I haven't read this book yet, but I plan to some time. How could I not with a title like that?
Mod
Here’s a summary of the contents of "A Wilde Desire Took Me": the Homoerotic History of Dracula, 1968 by Talia Schaffer
http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&...
"I Would Be Master Still": Dracula as the Aftermath of the Wilde Trials and Irish Land League Policies by Tanya Olson
http://www.thirdspace.ca/journal/arti...
I am past the half way mark in The Epic Love Story of Doug and Stephen I gave it 3 1/2 stars, but for basic storyline and humour... I have to give it 5. It is just the inconsistency with Doug's Character that annoyed me. His inner and verbal Dialogue change from intelligent to mentally challenged. And some of it was just a bit to stupid. They are a few other things I did not like. Silly flash-backs, lots of drug use. No sex scenes LOL. I recently finished Muscling Through. The main character is intellectual on the slow side, but it feels honest and true from beginning to end. A must read..... I sort of fell in love with the Character.
mc wrote: "Thanks, Anne, for the recommendation of Indridason, though I have no way of reading his work in English as yet. My French is passable, but it would be a bit of a struggle, I think, to read it in t..."I must have been tired yesterday since I didn't find any of his books in English, but now I see that several are translated. The one I read is Hypothermia.
Thanks, Anne! And thanks for all the Dracula stories, everyone. I'm looking forward to seeing how the professor handles the Dracula unit (and the Frankenstein week, for that matter).
Mod
Oh boy, this course you are taking sounds really interesting. Have fun, mc! And remember to ask your professor some tricky questions... ;)
This topic has been frozen by the moderator. No new comments can be posted.
Q&A with Josh Lanyon
Books mentioned in this topic
Chained Melody (other topics)The Far Pavilions (other topics)
Death in Kashmir (other topics)
The Flame Trees of Thika: Memories of an African Childhood (other topics)
Mistress of the Art of Death (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
M.M. Kaye (other topics)Elspeth Huxley (other topics)
Lauren Willig (other topics)
Charlie Cochet (other topics)
Damon Suede (other topics)
More...
This? Profound.
Pardon me for saying saying so, but there's a lot of shitty writing out there. Sorry, but there is. I think we all know that and sometimes we (including myself here) buy it anyway. But those little (or HUGE) niggles grate and grate and grate and grind us down. While we may enjoy these stories as guilty pleasures, we nonetheless long for those engaging, seamless reads. The ones that don't include passives and filters and silly nonsensical plot points that makes us want to lob bricks.
You, Josh, write those engaging, seamless reads. Every time. You aren't standing there telling me the story -- the story unfurls on its own, without you crowding in on me. Author intrusion is nil. The internal editor is silent and the characters and stories suck me right in. You make it look easy. It isn't, but you make it look that way. And it's an easier, smoother read for it too. I'm not butting heads with what the story could've and should've been. Because it already is.
[/fangirl] "
EXACTLY!! Couldn't have said it better myself.