Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion
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What else are you reading? (June 2010 - May 2013) *closed*
A brochure, ROFLMAO
Emanuela ~Zstyx~ wrote: "A brochure, ROFLMAO"
Emanuela...desperation is an ugly, ugly thing ;O)
Emanuela...desperation is an ugly, ugly thing ;O)
Currently reading "Layover in Dubai" by Dan Fesperman, a fun action thriller. I've never been to Dubai but it sounds like a combo of Las Vegas, New York & Disney World on steroids.For my m/m book I'll read Tatterdemalion next. I understand this book might have overuse of cutesy nicknames (I'm not a fan), but I'm hoping I'll still like it.
Still with
...and just itching to talk about with someone. Love the world and the language, names...it's like steampunk and fantasy...really enjoying it so far.
...and just itching to talk about with someone. Love the world and the language, names...it's like steampunk and fantasy...really enjoying it so far.
Barb wrote: "you shoulda waited.... i will be on this next wee ;)"
Oh I'll slow down...it's more fun when I have someone to chat with :O) and with one I'm really interested in hearing other thoughts
Oh I'll slow down...it's more fun when I have someone to chat with :O) and with one I'm really interested in hearing other thoughts
the Petit Morts are great I read them so fast, it was a blur...Manny's great!
Laura, I've read it. But I can hardly remember it. I read it during an ice storm and we had no electricity.
Heather C wrote: "Laura, I've read it. But I can hardly remember it. I read it during an ice storm and we had no electricity."
I'm really having fun with it and wanted to hear thoughts a love the language and the world too.
I'm really having fun with it and wanted to hear thoughts a love the language and the world too.
Barb wrote: "arent they going to be in a new companion book as "slices of life" ? there is a new one out this year, just not sure if it is a re release of old companion"It could be. But I guess between this and the other series we're not going to see Qhauy before a year and a half. I don't think she's even begun to write it.
Let me say that I love Ava March and her regency m/m.
Mod
I got: St. Nacho's, Like Coffee and Doughnuts, [book:Catch Me I..."
Well, Happy Birthday!!!
I have St. Nacho's, but I haven't read it yet. It looks good though. You'll have to let me know what you think if you get it read before I do.
Like Coffee And Doughnuts... well, that's a given, everyone here likes it! lol. I loved it. And someday I'll get my hands on the sequel.
The Assignment was pretty good, if slightly unrealistic. But, I was able to put that aside and enjoy the story for what it was. Although the second time I read it I happened to notice that the dudes on the cover don't match the descriptions on the inside. I forget which guy, but one of them is described like a bear. But, since I like the two on the cover, I'm almost ok with that. lol.
The others I haven't looked at, or read, so I hope they're good!
Yesterday while I was hunting down more books to add to my Amazon wish list, I came across this one - Angel: 1089 by C.C. Bridges. It's a futuristic story about a mechanical Gabriel who needs his metal wing repaired and ends up falling in love with the guy who fixes it for him before he goes back to war to protect the sky city of Heaven. It looked really, really good, and it's just killing me that it's not coming out until August!
lol, I already have a huge pile of books I can't wait to get to, and now there's another one... hehe, story of my life.
Anna wrote: Yesterday while I was hunting down more books to add to my Amazon wish list, I came across this one - Angel: 1089 by C.C. Bridges. It's a futuristic story about a mechanical Gabriel who needs his metal wing repaired and ends up falling in love with the guy who fixes it for him before he goes back to war to protect the sky city of Heaven. It looked really, really good, and it's just killing me that it's not coming out until August!Oooh, that does sound good!!!
Lauraadriana wrote: "Still with ...and just itching to talk about with someone. Love the world and the language, names...it's like steampunk and fantasy...really enjoying it so far."I can't say it's my favorite of all of Josh's books, but it's probably one of my top 3. I just adore this book! Open a topic and lets talk!
JPerceval wrote: "Well, I said I was gonna do it, and I did: I overindulged on recs here as bday gifts to myself, LOL!I got: St. Nacho's, Like Coffee and Doughnuts, [book:Catch Me I..."
Happy Belated Birthday! What a great present! Catch Me If You Can is a TERRIFIC book! Hope you love them all!
Merith wrote: "Lauraadriana wrote: "Still with ...and just itching to talk about with someone. Love the world and the language, names...it's like steampunk and fantasy...rea..."Were you going to start a thread? I don't see it yet. But I have to share this right now...
I find the name Darkling Thrush very lyrical, although it didn't really tell me that much about the book (all I knew was that "thrush" was a bird).
So the first person I happened to talk to today about this said hadn't had a clue what either of the words meant, so it didn't give them any indication of what the book was about...and if they hadn't known the author, they wouldn't have bought the book.
Not enough to draw them in to even read the blurb off an Amazon list...
So I sat there thinking, hmm, that's not good. I wouldn't bother looking further if the title didn't mean anything to me, either.
But it gets worse...
The next people who accidentally happened into this conversation, promptly said they didn't know what "darkling" meant, but a "thrush" was an oral yeast infection. I had no idea. Admittedly, both are in the health-care industry, which apparently leans towards the clinical rather than the lyrical for their semantic parsing.
So now I was sitting there aghast, wincing, thinking *NO WONDER* ...... *DAMN*...*YIKES*...
And a little while after that, I started to find the whole damn thing hysterically funny and have not been able to stop laughing helplessly...not good, not good, not good, I know.
Lmao. I used the dictionary on my kindle to look up the words. I'm a nurse and thought the same. No way would Josh name his book after mouth yeast!
Heather C wrote: "Lmao. I used the dictionary on my kindle to look up the words. I'm a nurse and thought the same. No way would Josh name his book after mouth yeast!"And that's when I'm glad I am not a native speaker, lol For me The Darkling Thrush was Thomas Hardy's poem and not the medical thing.
I am not a Native speaker either. But when I first read the title. Well.... you know where my thought went. *giggles like mad*
Mod
At least you'll have lots of company!
Mod
:-D
Mod
I'll be interested to hear what you thought of it!
Mod
:-D
Edina wrote: "I so loved reading ! I think the theme of the book matches well with the theme of the poem, and the book's latin-like vocabulary is also beautifully lyrical. ..."
I just finished
today and just loved it...I love Thomas Hardy, his poems and novels...Far from the Madding Crowd is a favortite...I love Ms. Everdene...anyways I had the poem in Anthology I have and kept reading it as I read this book.
I loved this book, I think this is the most passionate/caution be damned romance I've read of Josh's...Septimus was fantastic...I loved the language and the world...venificus, Septimus, Vox Pessimires..I noticed parallels with the poem...maybe I was looking for it though :)
So little cause for carolings
Of such ecstatic sound
Was written on terrestrial things
Afar or nigh around,
That I could think there trembled through
His happy good-night air
Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew
And I was unaware. I think this applies...
! I think the theme of the book matches well with the theme of the poem, and the book's latin-like vocabulary is also beautifully lyrical. ..."I just finished
today and just loved it...I love Thomas Hardy, his poems and novels...Far from the Madding Crowd is a favortite...I love Ms. Everdene...anyways I had the poem in Anthology I have and kept reading it as I read this book.I loved this book, I think this is the most passionate/caution be damned romance I've read of Josh's...Septimus was fantastic...I loved the language and the world...venificus, Septimus, Vox Pessimires..I noticed parallels with the poem...maybe I was looking for it though :)
So little cause for carolings
Of such ecstatic sound
Was written on terrestrial things
Afar or nigh around,
That I could think there trembled through
His happy good-night air
Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew
And I was unaware. I think this applies...
Lauraadriana wrote: "Edina wrote: "I so loved reading ! I think the theme of the book matches well with the theme of the poem, and the book's latin-like vocabulary is also beautif..."Lauraadriana, I loved it as well! I'm damn happy you pushed me to read it. Once I started I couldn't put it down, the world completely sucked me in. And Septimus and Bliss were so great they made it on my top ten favorite main characters - list ;)
I just started Drawn Together. Not too excited with it yet, but since it's so popular it can only get better. I hope ;)
Alyosha wrote:And Septimus and Bliss were so great they made it on my top ten favorite main characters - list ;)
Aly, they are TOTALLY two of all time faves...OMG Septimus...talk about knight in shining armour...and those kisses...yikes! I'm glad you read it...I LOVED IT!
You know Drawn Together is one of the few ZA Maxfield books I haven't read. I keep getting mixed reviews. Let me know how you get on with it :)
Aly, they are TOTALLY two of all time faves...OMG Septimus...talk about knight in shining armour...and those kisses...yikes! I'm glad you read it...I LOVED IT!
You know Drawn Together is one of the few ZA Maxfield books I haven't read. I keep getting mixed reviews. Let me know how you get on with it :)
Merith wrote: "The Darkling Thrush topic posted!"
Thanks Merith...I have lots to chat about with this one!
Thanks Merith...I have lots to chat about with this one!
I disliked Drawn Together very much!
Lauraadriana wrote: I keep getting mixed reviews.Heather C wrote: "I disliked Drawn Together very much!"
To keep with the mixed reviews ;-)) I loved it! It is one of the novels where I can read over any possible weaknesses and still love the story.
I was a bit offended by it, but I usually don't respond like that. Most people love it. I think I just had an abnormal reaction to it
Heather C wrote: "I was a bit offended by it, but I usually don't respond like that. Most people love it. I think I just had an abnormal reaction to it"What offended you? I didn't love the sample enough to buy it, but it's on my list of books to borrow when I get the opportunity.
Here is my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...I don't think I listed any specific spoilers
Calathea wrote: "Lauraadriana wrote: I keep getting mixed reviews.Heather C wrote: "I disliked Drawn Together very much!"
To keep with the mixed reviews ;-)) I loved it! It is one of the novels where I can readover any possible weaknesses and still love the story."
I loved it as well. There were some things that didn't quite gel, but there was something about both characters that just kept me reading.
Heather C wrote: "I was a bit offended by it, but I usually don't respond like that. Most people love it. I think I just had an abnormal reaction to it"I completely understand why you were offended. I was a bit offended too, even though it had nothing to do with my background.
And I'm not all that crazy about stereotypes, unfortunately both Yamane and Rory were so to the extreme. Yamane is your typical tsundere bishonen character found in manga and anime and Rory the charming but a bit slow southern boy. Uh huh. All those Forrest Gump references? I know it was meant to be funny and show how silly it is to make assumptions, but it didn't work at all, imo.
The plot is so silly it makes me cringe. But it's an okay read, and I still have 50 pages to read until I'm finished.
Heather C wrote: "Here is my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...I don't think I listed any specific spoilers"
OK, I can see how negative stereotypes about Louisiana would get annoying fast. I consider Texas home, even though I'm not living there at the moment. And seriously folks, we don't all ride horses to work! (I did, however, once get pulled over and ticketed by a cop on a horse.) If an author is going to use a region or culture to add flavor to the story, they need to use a light and sympathetic touch. That stuff can go down hill fast.
But Rory was Cajun and the author portrayed him with a southern accent. But he used "cher" which is Cajun/french. So it never made sense in my head. And the end was so stupid. Like cops really act like that. Dont want to spoil anything. But I didn't enjoy it at all. In the begnning it was cute, but by the end I wanted to scream and throw my kindle!!!
Heather C wrote: "by the end I wanted to scream and throw my kindle!!!"No, not the Kindle! This is the biggest problem with ebooks. You can't fling stuff that really deserves it.
ETA: Also, people who aren't from the region probably don't know the difference between a southern and Cajun accent. Kyra Sedgwick's accent sounds just fine to me in The Closer, but people who are actually from Georgia bitch about it all the time.
Kindle is safe! I would take breaks to work on writing my nasty review. I was so angry!!! A few minutes ago I was feeling silly about letting it upset me, but now I'm getting angry again. Lol
Calathea wrote: "Lauraadriana wrote: I keep getting mixed reviews.Heather C wrote: "I disliked Drawn Together very much!"
To keep with the mixed reviews ;-)) I loved it! It is one of the novels where I can read ..."
I'm more or less with you on this book. I really enjoyed it, but I think what I liked best is the total tongue-in-cheek feel to it. I don't know if ZA meant to do that or not, but it felt like it didn't really take itself seriously.
Oh, and I loved the anime convention aspect of it. The road trip wasn't bad, and I got a little irked that the timeline was messed up, but over all, I liked the story.
Barb wrote: "Josh wrote: "Oh God! Do I need a 12 step program??At least you'll have lots of company!"
This 12 step program ?? Does it involve buying books ? Cos I'm kinda good at that, we all have our skills ;)"
I think I'm majoring in 'Book Buying 312'. ^_^
12 step program -
1. We admitted we were powerless over our book buying habit—that our lives had become unmanageable.
2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. (Not likely, unless it's Citibank revoking the credit card)
3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of someone who could careless if the latest Josh Lanyon was just released.
4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. (For those extra Omni Bucks to buy just one more)
...think I'll stop there. The 12 step programs are good and I really don't want to make fun even for a joke.
Heather C wrote: "But Rory was Cajun and the author portrayed him with a southern accent."If I read it now, I'm afraid, in my head, Rory would sound like one of the guys on Swamp People. I'm from North Carolina and we have about 3-4 different accents within the state. One small group on the Outer Banks sound almost Bostonian.
Merith wrote: "I think I'm majoring in 'Book Buying 312'. ^_^ "Card carrying member of the "dysfunctionally addicted and supremely competent at overlooking sensible constraints in the buying of books."
I bought and read 61 books in March alone.
Admittedly, these were mostly novellas or fairly small reads. Sadly, I think I liked only about 7-8, all in all.
I actually discovered m/m fiction only around the first week of February this year, after I had happened to accidentally come across Ferdinand Morgan's Pardoner's Tale, which sort of hooked me.
And reading has been a bit of a solitary activity, with a lot of undirected reading to start with, so I forgive myself for being a bit of a book slut these past 2 months.
So I'm a bit of a newbie, although February was glorious (chez Lanyon, Derr, Harper Fox et. al., and some other terrific reads).
March, not so much. Some great ones, but the vast majority were rather abysmal. The cream of the crop here:
The French Have a Word for It - Lanyon
Driftwood - Fox
Rules of Engagement - LA Witt
Nine Tenths of the Law - LA Witt
In & Out - LB Gregg (best of the Men of Smithfield)
Cut & Run Series - Urban & Roux (yes, sorry)
Warrior's Cross - Urban & Roux
Fugly - KZ Snow
So I have to put more effort into finding the better books, clearly...
Barb wrote: "First I thought you said cream of the crap lol.... Then saw Josh Lanyon at top and reread :).... No Jordan Price Castillo in your list? Or was she your Feb pin up? I have read LB Gregg but surpris..."
Did you see the post over in the m/m group about the free books this month from AllRomance? Cut & Run is one of the freebies, so that should help with the book budget! Brier's Bargain is another one on the list. I haven't read it yet, but the sample was good, and I'm looking forward to getting to it... eventually.
Barb wrote: "First I thought you said cream of the crap lol.... Then saw Josh Lanyon at top and reread :)Heh. There were days...
.... No Jordan Price Castillo in your list? Or was she your Feb pin up? I have read LB Gregg but surpris..."
I haven't read much of JPC yet, actually (just the short story which was in Art of Dying (PiC #4), and Wishink Well. Unlike a lot of people, I actually liked WW, despite its decidedly anti-romance slant. I've yet to read the psycop series. It's on my ridiculously long list for April, though :)
Audra wrote: "Heather C wrote: "But Rory was Cajun and the author portrayed him with a southern accent."If I read it now, I'm afraid, in my head, Rory would sound like one of the guys on Swamp People. I'm fr..."
That is the accent in my head. If he is Cajun French that's how he should sound. But she contradicts herself sometimes making him sound like he has a "country" accent
I have been reading several short stories by Megan Derr. She is a fantastic writer. Her stories are well written, clever and fun and very endearing.
Merith wrote: "I have been reading several short stories by Megan Derr. She is a fantastic writer. Her stories are well written, clever and fun and very endearing."She is, quite simply, with Josh, my favorite author in this genre. I adore her. I sing her praises every chance I get. If you read just one book of hers (I recommend Magic and Mischief).
Fairy tales have a very important place in the stories of man. They're the template, the archetypes of our dreams, our culture, our values. That's where they all sit, the negative and the positive, our hopes and fears so intricately attached.
It's magnificently subversive and audacious to replace the heterosexual mythical canon, in a way, with such a retelling, is it not? It's breath-taking, at least to me :).
Josh's stories resonate so much with us, I think, because they deal so insightfully and perceptively about our inner tangles, our day to day messy hurts and fears and how we reach happiness on a personal level. I find all of his protagonists believable and endearingly sympathetic.
It's at the opposite end of the fairy-tale spectrum, not grand themes of war and death and the end of the world, but about love - god how it hurts when we don't have the courage to cope -- and all our silent struggles to be our whole selves in a society that makes it very hard to do so.
And that's what's needed, right? It's about changing the stories that sit ruling in the minds of men. It's establishing a beach-head in the battle against all the collective negative archetypes men have constructed for so long and the fears that sit inside them.
I like to think these stories are the most important weapons we have against the dark tide, as Adrien might say. So many little sand-castles to wash away...
you all talked so much i personally liked drawn together gave it four stars, then after discussing the character of Ran with ZAM and having somethings put in perspective changed it to 5 stars I was reading
made it over half way before deciding i needed a break which worked out perfectly because I got
(it is not released yet) but it is awesome and I love it and well it is making me happy even though it is not really a happy story per se. it is still making me feel good. Not sure how to explain that
Bubbles (Dane) wrote: "I was reading Warrior's Cross made it over half way before deciding i needed a break [...]"Did you need a break because it's so intense? Or some other reading? It's been awhile since I've read it, but I do remember its intensity.
ns wrote: "She is, quite simply, with Josh, my favorite author in this genre. I adore her. I sing her praises every chance I get. If you read just one book of hers (I recommend Magic and Mischief).Fairy tales have a very important place in the stories of man. They're the template, the archetypes of our dreams, our culture, our values. That's where they all sit, the negative and the positive, our hopes and fears so intricately attached.
It's magnificently subversive and audacious to replace the heterosexual mythical canon, in a way, with such a retelling, is it not? It's breath-taking, at least to me :). "
She has mastered that, has she not? :) I love her characters because (despite the magical/supernatural element) they are real, usually flawed in some way, and the stories, though as you say, template in fashion, are written in a refreshing way.
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Q&A with Josh Lanyon
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I hope you're right Barb...because my nerves can't deal with anymore of this teasing...I heard for sure it's not Murhder or Tohr, but nothing else. A this point forget a Qhuay novella, I'm happy with a brochure...just something!