Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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What else are you reading? (June 2010 - May 2013) *closed*
You two have good taste. :-)
Plainbrownwrapper wrote: "You two have good taste. :-)"Thank you!
Plainbrownwrapper wrote: "You two have good taste. :-)"*beams*
Mod
Thank you for this recommendation, Tracy. I've never heard about 3 before, but it could be something I'd like to read sometime. My current roller coaster is Special Forces, so I don't need another one in my life right now, but maybe a little later on. :)
I picked up I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings at a used book sales while staying with my friend in Boston and read about half of it while waiting at the airport (delays!) and before falling asleep on the plane back home. Wonderful writing and beautiful and also harsh description of growing up a young, black girl in the twenties and thirties, in the South.Not romance or m/m, just a wonderful book.
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It would have had to, really. Fifteen years ago you didn't have law enforcement agencies making a sincere, concerted effort to accomodate and counsel gay officers, so Jake's confidence that being out would destroy his career (and possibly his life) was legitimate.
Now days acceptance and support vary but the world has changed, and Jake's determination to remain in the closet at all costs looks more paranoid than practical -- given that he's a tough and courageous man in all other aspects of his life.
So that whole dynamic would be somewhat altered now -- it would have to be. That series is a product of its time.
Johanna wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Just finished 3. It was... honestly, it was a rollercoaster. I resented having to leave it behind to do chores, run errands, etc. At the same time, though, I had a hard time really co..."I don't think I can handle 3 right now.
and /hug you about Special Forces. It's so, so worth it but what a roller-coaster it was.
Just found out that Uninvited Books -- http://www.uninvitedbooks.com/page16.... -- is selling its literary horror titles for .99 through October, so I immediately grabbed Rob Dunbar's highly regarded Martyrs & Monsters. His book Willy was far and away the most original story I've read in recent years (and, btw, has a subtle YA m/m subtext; I believe the author is gay, which could account for that element).Dunbar's an excellent writer, but you have to like slightly bizarre fiction to appreciate his work. No surprise that I happen to love it. :)
I'm currently rereading the Adrien books for about the fourth time, and am getting a reminder of just what an ass Jake was much of the time. Seriously, the guy needed a boot up his ass in a big way, and I'm not even talking about his insistence on staying in the closet.
Johanna wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Just finished 3. It was... honestly, it was a rollercoaster. I resented having to leave it behind to do chores, run errands, etc. At the same time, though, I had a hard time really co..."When -- if -- you get around to it, I hope you enjoy 3. I've tried Special Forces a couple of times but can't seem to get past the wall of the first couple of chapters. I'm not sure if it's just that it's SO dark that I can't see through the murk of the vastness of the complete work to any sort of happy ending or if it's just the bleakness of that particular part that I can't get around. I may give it another try sometime.
But, yeah, I felt that 3 was definitely worth my time and effort.
Mod
I LOVED Soldiers. I would reread that one in a heartbeat. Since it's such a long book, it's less likely to happen a lot, but it will over time I'm sure. I can't wait to finally get to the end without killing my eyes!
As for Adrien and Jake... I just got the new print editions. I'm in flux about what to do with the originals, since the new covers are just BEAUTIFUL! But until I decide, I've got two copies of the first two books. LOVED those stories too, even if they were a product of the time they were written. It's only fair that people take that into account. One cannot always look into the future and write for it, after all!
Besides, sometimes things like that add to the angst, and I do love angst like crazy, even if most people don't. So sue me. I can't help it. lol.
Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "I'm going to start Black Cat Ink by Nicole Kimberling ... NOW!"Excellent! Really like those books.
I've been chipping away at my TBR. I never really paid attention to how massive TBR was until the old Kindle died and I had to load everything into the new one & organize it. After that, I just couldn't justify buying one more new author to "try" until I'd tried out the dozens I'd already stockpiled into oblivion. I must say, there was apparently a good reason why I left those titles languishing in TBR. Some were passable, but nothing nudged me to look for more in back list. I haven't fallen in love with any of them.To make an even longer story short, my buying habits have changed. While I still have my autobuy list of authors, that list is now much more narrow. I used to regularly buy certain quantity authors because even though their delivery sucked eggs, the core ideas were different. I don't do that anymore; there's no excuse for poor delivery. Some authors, I've outgrown as my interests have changed. 60% discounts at fw no longer tempts me to try out new authors either, even if there's massive reader buzz building about that author. Pardon me for saying so, but I've looked at authors and stories readers are chattering about and...Disappointing. Very. Especially if the newbie gets a swelled head about the attention and acts like a jerk. Any author that games the system? On my shit list for life. I don't care how good the story reportedly is, I won't reward bad/unethical behavior with my hard-earned dollars. Free stories don't even tempt me, though. I still download samples, but not many and those sample better rock my world...
I'm still buying, but nowhere near as much as I did because I've become a great deal more discerning. My own personal m/m bubble has burst. Makes me wonder if it's just me or if this may be a growing trend among m/m readers.
So...anyone else?
I had a bit of a "holy crap!" moment at the end of last year/beginning of this year, and I've been trying to whittle down the TBR list, too. Like you said, I have my autobuy authors. I've by no means stopped buying books. But I've read enough books that don't hold up past the sample. And ideas that seemed unique and intriguing when I first started reading m/m sometimes aren't holding up a year and a half later.That said, I have found some authors that I really enjoy, and I pounce with glee whenever they release a new title.
Kari wrote: "I've been chipping away at my TBR. I never really paid attention to how massive TBR was until the old Kindle died and I had to load everything into the new one & organize it. After that, I just cou..."I definitely has become more critical in my buying since I first started delving into m/m books. There are so many books out there and I sort of found out that if I like a storyline, but the writing is bad, I can always find a similar story written much better by another author, so I don't 'have to' buy a badly written one.
I like to think that means I have 'matured' as a reader. :)
I never buy anything anymore without reading samples on the Kindle or at the publishers' websites, usually that will show me whether this is something I will finish or not, but sometimes I still manage to buy books I am not able to finish.
I am not sure my bubble has burst, I am still finding wonderful stuff, but I guess after while what will happen is that I will stick to the writers I love just like it has happened with other genres I have had this kind of love affairs with, like fantasy, PNR, sci-fi etc.
Oh, I'm still buying. I'm even still adding to TBR, but I generally don't buy unless I plan on reading that book immediately or very near-term (within a wk). Books make into TBR now only if the story is effusively recommended multiple times by readers I trust whose interests are similar to mine and only if there's a time-sensitive deal that makes saving a sample until I'm ready to read later less appealing. Which is rare. (There's always another fw code around the corner.)The list of reasons why I won't buy an author has grown and grown and grown.
Kari wrote: "I've been chipping away at my TBR. I never really paid attention to how massive TBR was until the old Kindle died and I had to load everything into the new one & organize it. After that, I just cou..."Hi, Kari!
What you writes resonates with me.
Since spring I managed to reduce drastically the number of books I buy. In fact for some months I didn't buy anything. I still have a huge TBR of print books, many of them are classics of the genre, but somehow I tend to give priority to ebooks, I suppose because I think that to read those will be quicker...
I'm unhappy with Dreamspinner ;-) because I downloaded for free some stuff I wouldn't have bought. And I didn't download all I could have! For ex. I've got and read (=partially skipped) a book that I had decided I wouldn't read after many friends meant it wasn't worth it. But that was in November 2011 and apparently my memory is like a sieve...
Talking of memory: I greatly appreciate the warning by Riptide Publishing asking readers if they really want to buy a book the second time. It stopped me already twice from doing just that!
Yes, I am on page with you all. I have a huge file waiting to be read. Good news is I only buy the books I REALLY want now!I am happily impressed that there are quite a few writers that tell good stories. I am very satisfied with the number of stories that fit my expectations for quality and tropes/niche. After all, I only have a finite amount of free time anyway... {shruggs} So I am a happy little reader!!
Kari wrote: "I've been chipping away at my TBR. I never really paid attention to how massive TBR was until the old Kindle died and I had to load everything into the new one & organize it. After that, I just cou..."Yes, I am absolutely with you on this. I have a ridiculous tippling stack of books whose authors, in many cases, I now know well enough that I can't get myself to even start them. Others, I strongly suspect, as impulse buys, I will not care about--I'll look at them, and still hope for a surprise, but don't expect any.
I, also, buy much less than I used, have finally, myself, learned a certain discretion. (How, wonderful, though, that I have enough choice to allow for pickiness!)
2 recent reads/comments-DARK KING RISING series, m/m, fantasy, 3 books. I enjoyed; I flew through the books. BUT-I didn't like the ending. It was a happy ending, but one that left me, personally, cold.
THE SIRLURIAN, BY WILSON. An epically lengthed series of books about King Arthur. Am loving the writing, story-telling and characters. I am midway into the 2nd book (of 10!) and still cannot say whether there will ever be a romantic/sexual relation between the 2 mc's. The narrator describes himself as being in love w/Arthur and their friendship could not be any deeper than it is. But Arthur adores women, so we'll see. Knowing me, if at some point I become sure there will not, I won't finish the series. If anyone is curious, I'll let you know as I progress.
Lou wrote: "I'm a horrible procrastinator. Whenever a book tickles my interest I download the Kindle sample, and then there it sits on the app. The same way the stacks of DVDs sit next to the TV."This is also true for me. I use the samples as a means of keeping my Wish List manageable (hollow laugh) but I never seem to get back to them. And the DVDs come last in the list of things to do. They'll be obsolete by the time I get round to them!
Lou wrote: "I'm a horrible procrastinator. Whenever a book tickles my interest I download the Kindle sample, and then there it sits on the app. "I do exactly the same thing. BUT -- I look on it as a way of reducing impulse buys. Instead of impulsively buying the book, I impulsively download the free sample. Then if I never get around to reading the sample, I obviously didn't care enough about the book to actually need to buy it.
I've got TONS of those samples now, but they sure have saved me money!
Mod
And yeah, I'm a lot more careful about who and what I buy. Some of the authors I used to enjoy I've found I'm not enjoying. Or that I only really like one series that they've done. So I most likely will not be buying more of their work.
But then there are those other authors who will likely always be an autobuy for me no matter what.
I LOVE to read. duh. But the more books I buy, the less time I have to do other things, like writing. And the more I worry I'll never read all the books I currently have. Oiy. lol.
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So...anyone else?
I think this is most definitely a reflection of what's happening in our genre right now -- what I predicted, in fact (accelerated by the glut of free and dirt cheap stories).
And I think you're going to see the fallout of this in a natural attrition of authors who were primarily writing m/m because it was lucrative, and more and more quantity publishers like Silver going belly up.
Lou wrote: "It's like guilt-free buying."Exactly! You get to satisfy that acquisitive instinct without actually spending any money. :-)
OTOH -- the evil evil people here on GR have introduced me to Fictionwise and its sales. For instance, this weekend FW has a 50% off sale. And their newly-added books are an additional 15% off. So if I purchase one of their new books, for instance a book that's regularly $6.99, it now costs me $2.97 (a total discount of 58%). Now, how am I supposed to resist that??
Plainbrownwrapper wrote: "Now, how am I supposed to resist that??"By telling yourself you should wait for the 65% off sale? ;-)
Antonella wrote: "Plainbrownwrapper wrote: "Now, how am I supposed to resist that??"By telling yourself you should wait for the 65% off sale? ;-)"
Once you get past the 50% mark, my brain refuses to wait any longer. I can resist the 25%, 30%, and so on -- but 50% flips my buying switch. ;-)
Kari wrote: "I've been chipping away at my TBR. I never really paid attention to how massive TBR was until the old Kindle died and I had to load everything into the new one & organize it. After that, I just cou..."I think it happens to anyone who "matures" in their reading taste in any genre. When you just discover a fantasy or mystery genre, you'll read any book you discover, then you start to develop preference and you find authors that you like more than others and you also find authors who you think are crap and you avoid them.
On the other hand, more new readers discover a genre everyday, so it should balance out old readers who feels they've had enough of it?
I find that once I become an author, and in the process of writing, I don't read as much or at all. However, now I'm reading more again since I'm too tired to write once I'm home from work. Also, if I don't read for too long, my inspiration dries up. So I need to keep reading. But now I have authors I follow. Even though they don't always produce the best stories, I like their style enough to enjoy the story. I don't try new authors I've never read before except if I got their freebies.
I need to save as much as possible for Christmas & the money is really tight. So, no buying new books for me until January at best. And after that, I only buy books from authors I trust.
Lou wrote: "I can remember those magical moments--and the last one wasn't that long ago--when I discover a really good book in the genre. I know there are more of them out there, and will keep looking."Oh yes. And that is why I will always look at new authors, in any genre. But I have learned to check first, via samples, and by reading reviews. After a while I have learned to read between the lines of the reviews as well, so can very often find out through them if the book is bound to please me or not.
Lou wrote: "I can remember those magical moments--and the last one wasn't that long ago--when I discover a really good book in the genre. I know there are more of them out there, and will keep looking."It is possible reading Josh, Ginn Hale, Nicole, and other SUPER awesome authors have spoiled us for the rest. I just finished reading Megan Derr's Dance with the Devil and Dance in the Dark and I mourn the books end. :(
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I have a few authors whose books are instant autobuys for me — no matter what the price is. I also occasionally download free books, but since I've noticed that I rarely end up reading them (especially if I don't know the author beforehand or if the book isn't recommended to me by someone with the similar taste), I tend to think twice before downloading free books.
All this probably comes across pretty harsh, but the fact is that I have too little time for reading per day even as it is, and I don't want to "waste" it. What I really mean is that with all those free books around I'd need to have some extra hours to my day also. ;)
I'm not a very fast reader, so that saves me some money, too. :) But even more than a money issue, it's a time issue for me. I already save a lot of money by reading my books in English. Over time I've learned to consider carefully before buying and reading — to save the precious reading time for the books I truly enjoy. Anne said it so well earlier: After a while I have learned to read between the lines of the reviews as well, so can very often find out through them if the book is bound to please me or not.
Mod
..."
I think this is inevitable. And in this particular genre you do -- for whatever reason -- have an unusually high rate of attrition of reader/reviewers turning to writing. I mentioned on another list how many of the original romance reviewers I knew who've now turned to writing. It's startling. It's startling to me and I even wrote a post at Jessewave about how many reviewers were actually in the process of becoming writers!
I think it's often an unconscious process. A process accelerated by the changing technology.
I would be lying though if I didn't admit that I sigh inwardly when yet another devoted reader mentions she or he is working on their own book. ;-) Not because they are writing, but because I know they will largely stop reading.
Mod
..."
Yes. This is sadly true.
Maybe it's not even sad. Maybe it's just inevitable. For readers new to digital there was so much there -- so many freebies, so many dirt cheap books -- and of course readers loaded their kindles and nooks and sonys and ipads with all these books. Thousands and thousands of books. New books and books in public domain.
And, speaking for myself, I downloaded more books than I could read in an entire sabbatical of reading and relaxing.
What that means in practical terms is many readers already have more free or nearly free books than they can read in the next two years. So unless they already know your work or hear wonderful, tempting things about your work, they probably aren't going to be buying a lot of new stuff until they work through those gigantic electronic TBR lists.
I'm the same. It's been months since I bought an m/m title, though I did just buy the first two books in Peter Mays' mystery trilogy (which is not available in digitial and even in audio is only available abridged). I'm only buying what I really, really want and think I will read soon.
Free doesn't tempt me any more -- I have all the free books I can read.
I do wonder what will be the outcome -- especially for those of us who earn a living through our writing. I see more and more discussion of subscriptions.
I suspect that's a business model that favors publishers. Authors...not so much. And indie authors even less.
Mod
Oh, and I think I need a new bookcase.
I've been affording myself the luxury of reading more, especially outside the genre. In truth, I'm kind of on unofficial sabbatical, because I'm resigned to my productivity never matching the torrential pace of releases in m/m romance. It's quite overwhelming. (How on God's green earth can any writer put out a book every two weeks, or even every month? My mind boggles at the thought! And then there's the unabated flood of new writers . . . ) So, yeah, time to kick back for a while, read, watch movies, and enjoy the weather before snow flies.
Mod
And for some illogical reason I always think that buying a print version of a book I've already read (and loved) as a ebook, is a brilliant idea. So... you go girl!!! :)
I am still going to buy books, and I believe many with me. Frankly, I don't bother to download a free book if it doesn't seem to be of the quality I crave, or the storyline doesn't appeal. If I don't like it, I won't read it even if it is free. I love the time I spend reading, it is precious to me, I can afford to pay for the books (compared to Norwegian book prices, all English digital books are cheap), and besides, I wouldn't like it if writers whose work I adore have to stop writing because they don't get paid for doing it.So, I am sure we haven't seen the outcome of the changes in the publishing world yet, but I sincerely hope, and will do my best (as little as that is in the greater scheme of things) that there will be authors out there writing good books for a living so we, the readers, can enjoy being transported to other places, other lives.
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The main lesson I took away from sabbatical was that I love writing. I miss it when I'm not working. I'd forgotten that in the plethora of blood pressure-raising deadlines.
So now I know I want to write but that I don't want to kill myself -- I don't want to lose the joy in the work because frankly I can make more money elsewhere. Joy is important. When it comes to deciding how you're going to spend your life, it's THE single most important factor.
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Hey there!
Karen wrote: "Hello, everyone — it's one of those planets aligned times where I'm actually online at the same time as a number of you, across states and oceans — love it!"That is actually pretty cool to think about :)
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Hello there! *waves and smiles*
I'm off to the ASW topic to write something about chapters 17 and 18. See you there, Karen?
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It kills me to know how many good books are out there that I want to read (such as the rest of Andrea Speed's shifter series) but knowing it will take me awhile to get to read them at all. Do I buy them now? Or do I wait? Sometimes I like knowing I have them just in case one day I wake up thinking I HAVE to read that. RIGHT NOW. lol. Not like it's difficult to buy something quickly on my Kindle or anything...
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Going to the Rainbow Book Fair for me is an exception to the new rule, of course. But when I went this past year, I didn't get as many books as I did the year before. However, there were a few I kinda wish I hadn't gotten because the author's writing style is starting to bug me. I used to like his work. And to a degree, I still do. But there's just one thing he does in his writing that's most likely related to word padding that I can't stand. ... Anyway, I'm rambling. But yeah, when the books are right in front of you like that, and the authors are there to chat with, it does change things just a little bit.
Jordan wrote: "Karen wrote: "A number of you seem to be/have become quite discerning readers, and I... just drove home from GRL 2012 lugging a bulging bag of books, seriously the exemplar of a-wee-bit-over-the-to..."It is part of the fun when going to an event like this, or a book fair or used book sale, to just indulge. We can't be rational and responsible all the time, after all!
I have to admit I'm loving things like the Dreamspinner giveaways; but then I have depression and haven't been well enough to work for a few years now. Reading has been a great help - it helps take my mind off how I feel. And one of the (many!) drawbacks of illness is less income, so free books save me a few pennies :)And I'm very grateful to those of you who are authors - good chance I've read some/lots of your work and you've brightened my world for a little while - thank you!
Sarah wrote: "I have to admit I'm loving things like the Dreamspinner giveaways; but then I have depression and haven't been well enough to work for a few years now. Reading has been a great help - it helps take..."Of course you are 'allowed' to enjoy the giveaways, have fun while it lasts! ;)
I'll tell you all a secret. I'm much more likely to read the books in my TBR that I purchased than the ones I got for free. And I'm much more likely to give up on the freebies and move on than I am to quit on a book I paid for.
Josh wrote: "So now I know I want to write but that I don't want to kill myself -- I don't want to lose the joy in the work because frankly I can make more money elsewhere. Joy is important. When it comes to deciding how you're going to spend your life, it's THE single most important factor."This is a sentence too long to carve in stone. Still, I'm tempted...
And I'm glad for you that you came to this conclusion!
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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)
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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)
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Then you'll understand why I wanted to make sure you knew them!