Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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What else are you reading? (June 2010 - May 2013) *closed*
ttg wrote: "I also finally sat down and read Tamara Allen's Downtime and was thoroughly blown away. What a wonderful and rich story! Super engrossing and the romance between the MCs was lovely and perfect. I want to *hug* that book and never let go."
Hey, ttg, you have a new look. :)
I have Downtime on my Kindle, but I haven't read it yet. So many of you guys have really enjoyed it that I don't think I can postpone reading it much longer though. ;) Just yesterday (or was it Friday?) I kind of flipped the coin between Downtime and Blacker than Black — and Blacker than Black won...
Hey, ttg, you have a new look. :)
I have Downtime on my Kindle, but I haven't read it yet. So many of you guys have really enjoyed it that I don't think I can postpone reading it much longer though. ;) Just yesterday (or was it Friday?) I kind of flipped the coin between Downtime and Blacker than Black — and Blacker than Black won...


That sounds such a great approach to life Anne. I'm sure you'll have a great time in Vietnam.
I’m currently trying to persuade my OH that we should take the kids to Venice this autumn. He’s right we can’t afford it but…

I loved that entire trilogy. Those two characters were great. Good storytelling, just like you said.
ttg wrote: "I've had some great luck with reads recently. I very much enjoyed Lou Harper's pair of mystery stories in Dead in L.A.. (Recommended for anyone who digs m/m mysteries. It also has a neat paranormal..."
I just read that yesterday. It had been languishing on my reader for awhile. Totally enjoyed it. Are there more? The other two on your list are great also.
I just read that yesterday. It had been languishing on my reader for awhile. Totally enjoyed it. Are there more? The other two on your list are great also.

Yea I really liked "Downtime" as well. I've always been interested in time travel stories. I've got several other M/F romance time travels, but you don't often see the M/M time travel.

@ A.I. There is now a small but growing listopia list for m/m books that involve time travel. (For anyone interested.) :D
@ Johanna. Thanks for noticing the new icon. :-) It's just a silly sketch I made. And I think you will love Downtime. It's really a gem of a story.

Hi A.l.- A time travel book came across my feed the other day. You got me curious, so I went to search it out....


One of my favorite tropes. I added a couple more.
Na wrote: "The Starving Years made me want to read more threesome books. I still want to actually. I'm looking for recommendations. If you've got some titles ? :)"
Have you read The Hot Floor by Josephine Myles?
Have you read The Hot Floor by Josephine Myles?

Okay, so this is actually not an M/M book, but then it's not a romance either, so who cares? :)
It's been awhile since I've read it, but I kind of almost literally tripped over it yesterday and had to flip through the pages again. It's probably one of the strangest books I've read so far; it's dark, grotesque, dense, rich, brilliant, and simply incredibly unique. It talks about odours in a way that makes you aware of your own sense of smell completely anew. It's hard to classify, although it has distinct elements of fantasy, mystery, horror, and history. I guess, this is one of the books you either love or hate. I'd definitely recommend reading it, if you're in the mood for something like it!

I love it! I read it because I was it mentioned in Comme un roman by Daniel Pennac. It's the book he uses to convince his students that reading is not boring :)

Have you read The Hot Floor by J..."
Oh, I really need to read this one, sounds awesome!
The threesome books I've read so far are The Strongest Shape, 911, and Three's Company. I've read Three's Company first and liked it, so I looked for other books which were similar. My favourite is actually The Strongest Shape; maybe because it's written in present tense and I really like that if it's done well.

Oh, wow, I didn't know that! Actually Daniel Pennac's book seems to be pretty interesting to me. I'll definitely have a look at that!

Yeah, I hated it. And I hate it even more thinking about that, lol. It was so bad written so many scenes which weren'..."
Oh, the controversy that is books, it's great! :D I really really liked it, loved the writing style actually (although I've read it in German, so I really don't know about the translation). I dove right in and didn't come out of it until I finished.

Oh, alright, sorry! Well, it'd be pretty boring, if we all liked the same stuff, right? :)

Have you read The Hot Floor by J..."
Oh, I really need to read this one, sounds awesome!
The threesome books I've read so far are The Strongest Shape, 911, and Three's Company.Have you read Th..."
And there's Kate Sherwood's Dark Horse series. Three books and several related short stories.

My brain nags me relentlessly. There's another I'd forgotten to include, More by Sloan Parker.

I was planning to recommend this series too, but you beat me to it, John :)
If you can bear to read a time travel story that isn't m/m, I think " the time traveller's wife" is wonderful, it makes you believe in the possibility of and the problems involved with time travel while reading it.

The Usual Apocalypse or In Darkness Bound. They are both by Christine price and one is the sequel (but I forget which is which, sorry). Very interesting menage since some of it takes place in the mind.
Anne wrote: "Christine wrote: "Anne wrote: "Hj wrote: "Anne wrote: "I felt I needed comfort after getting a vaccine against rabies ( for my upcoming trip to Vietnam) and slipping on the icy sidewalk and falling..."
Anne, I was reading an article on money -- about money buying happiness -- and that was one of the key points. That money should be spent on wellness, on healthy things and happy moments.
Anne, I was reading an article on money -- about money buying happiness -- and that was one of the key points. That money should be spent on wellness, on healthy things and happy moments.
Katharina wrote: "A pretty incredible (and weird) book, I think, is Perfume: The Story of a Murderer; it's a modern German classic and very well-known in German-speaking countries (it's been actually made into a mov..."
I saw the film. I found it disturbing -- definitely memorable.
I saw the film. I found it disturbing -- definitely memorable.

I thought the film was pretty good, but it didn't have half the impact on me than the book itself. And yeah, the whole story is definitely disturbing. It's a good kind of disturbing for me, though. It actually changed my perception of my own environment - I remember that for a long time after reading that book, I was much more aware of the smells and odours of the world around me. Even so, I can definitely see why a lot of people might just be turned off by it :D
Anne wrote: "If you can bear to read a time travel story that isn't m/m, I think " the time traveller's wife" is wonderful, it makes you believe in the possibility of and the problems involved with time travel while reading it."
I was thinking of this one too. I guess the movie was unfortunate. I didn't want to see it. They cut out the days of rock backstory for one thing. ;-) It seems this is another love/hate book. I loved it when I read it (the year it came out). Some criticize it for being excessive and somewhat too clever. But I liked that.
I was thinking of this one too. I guess the movie was unfortunate. I didn't want to see it. They cut out the days of rock backstory for one thing. ;-) It seems this is another love/hate book. I loved it when I read it (the year it came out). Some criticize it for being excessive and somewhat too clever. But I liked that.


Yep. I hated it. :-)
As far as what I'm reading now -- I'm catching up again on several months of Publisher's Weekly (wow, I picked the wrong time to fall behind on industry news -- there are so many things happening right now!) and a lot of reading on manga and Japan, 98% of which will never make it into the current story, but that's the way of research. You never know what will be useful while you're busy learning it.

And listening toThe Ghost Wore Yellow Socks (at work).

Oh yes, I really liked that one, too! Did you have a look at the sequel?

So, is the reading on manga purely research-related or did you read some for fun as well? :)
I haven't read too many manga so far and none in a while, but in terms of yaoi romance the authors I liked most were Yamada Yugi and Fujiyama Hyouta. They actually make a point of telling real stories instead of following the same clichés over and over again (although that might be fun to read, too, sometimes :D).

not yet, i'm wrung out from the first book! i need something light in between, then i'll read it.
Kira wrote: " Katharina wrote: "Did you have a look at the sequel?"
not yet, i'm wrung out from the first book! i need something light in between, then i'll read it."
Maybe the February Book of the Month Book Too Stupid to Live by Anne Tenino? That should be fun and comforting. ;)
not yet, i'm wrung out from the first book! i need something light in between, then i'll read it."
Maybe the February Book of the Month Book Too Stupid to Live by Anne Tenino? That should be fun and comforting. ;)

not yet, i'm wrung out from the first book! i need something light in between, then i'll read it."
Maybe the February Book of t..."
Absolutely!! I saw it on the 'best gay romance in 2013' list and grabbed it: it was awesome!! Really funny! And definitely on the lighthearted side :)
I hadn't discovered the Book of the Month thread yet - thanks for mentioning it, Johanna!
Katharina wrote: "I hadn't discovered the Book of the Month thread yet - thanks for mentioning it, Johanna!"
You are welcome. ;) Those discussions are always a lot of fun in this group, so I'm really looking forward to seeing you gals on that thread, too! :)
You are welcome. ;) Those discussions are always a lot of fun in this group, so I'm really looking forward to seeing you gals on that thread, too! :)
I've found I don't like much yaoi manga because the plots aren't great. There's nothing there, at least in a one shot title. I do read Gunslinger Girls because there is a substantial plot and I like the italian setting and cool characters. But that's the only manga I focus on.

Really true, I thought the same! Those two authors I mentioned definitely do things differently in this regard, though (especially Fujiyama Hyouta). They publish whole books (and sometimes sequels) featuring one couple and tell their story from the get-go. And the protagonists are usually very well characterized with pretty thorough backgrounds. So, if you aren't completely turned off at this point, I'd recommend trying Junjou or Dear Green, both by Fujiyama Hyouta.

You are welcome. ;) Those discussions are always a lot of fun in this group, so I'm rea..."
Definitely looking forward to the discussion - I'll just have to leaf through the book again to remind me of all the details... seriously, sometimes it feels like my brain has more holes than actual substance given how much I tend to forget...

Ooo. Saw the movie. Really liked it. It's been a little while now, but I remember liking the sensations it evoked--a lot of smells, of course. And I loved the blend of beauty and horror it depicted.
I think the story probably held extra interest for me, since I was taking an aromatherapy class around that time, and the movie went into some detail about distilling fragrances.
I haven't read the book, but now I'm interested. :)

If you ever get to read it, tell me what you think! As I said, it's a bit of a love/hate thing, but if you like the story itself chances are good that you'll like the book, too :)

Certainly!
Honestly, I've forgotten most of the story now (except some of the more disturbing plot points), so it'll be perfect, because the plot won't be spoiled for me. ;)

Awesome!! I'm looking forward to it :)

If you hear people talk about Stephen King novels in my experience those two are (almost) never mentioned, and it's a pity because they're really great! If you like this type of story and haven't read them yet, you might want to check them out!
Katharina wrote: "Jordan wrote: "I've found I don't like much yaoi manga because the plots aren't great. There's nothing there, at least in a one shot title. I do read Gunslinger Girls because there is a substantial..."
Thanks! I will definitely check them out! I'm not completely turned off yet.
Thanks! I will definitely check them out! I'm not completely turned off yet.
Katharina wrote: "Jordan wrote: "I've found I don't like much yaoi manga because the plots aren't great. There's nothing there, at least in a one shot title. I do read Gunslinger Girls because there is a substantial..."
Just checked our library's catalog and realized we have Tale of the Waning Moon (which I thought sounded familiar) shelved in my room's Manga collection. We've got vol. 1+2. I'll put the other two on order, since we don't have them. But I'll check the Moon books out tomorrow when I go to work. nice!
Just checked our library's catalog and realized we have Tale of the Waning Moon (which I thought sounded familiar) shelved in my room's Manga collection. We've got vol. 1+2. I'll put the other two on order, since we don't have them. But I'll check the Moon books out tomorrow when I go to work. nice!
Katharina wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Katharina wrote: "I hadn't discovered the Book of the Month thread yet - thanks for mentioning it, Johanna!"
You are welcome. ;) Those discussions are always a lot of fun in this g..."
My brain's made up of Swiss Cheese. I just like to make everyone else think it's Cheddar. lol. Seriously, I forget sooo much, it's terrible.
You are welcome. ;) Those discussions are always a lot of fun in this g..."
My brain's made up of Swiss Cheese. I just like to make everyone else think it's Cheddar. lol. Seriously, I forget sooo much, it's terrible.
Oh wow... you guys are seriously awesome with the manga recs. I'm going to forward this link to my work account and make sure we order these for the library if we haven't already. You guys rock! And I know my patrons will love you all for it! hehehe.

I've come to consider my forgetfulness as a benefit: I can watch reruns of Law and Order over and over again completely unburdened with the slightest clue about how the story ends. :D
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I also finally sat down and read Tamara Allen's Downtime and was thoroughly blown away. What a wonderful and rich story! Super engrossing and the romance between the MCs was lovely and perfect. I want to *hug* that book and never let go.
And now just started Mongrel which so far, is pretty awesome. (Yay steampunk!) :D