Fantasy Aficionados discussion
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Achive
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What Are You Currently Reading?
I like free books. :)Reading one right now that I got as a free Friday. How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire. Yup, paranormal romance. I was in the mood. It's actually pretty funny so far.
It's not the free books being the issue...it's the massive quantity of free books. On the day I wrote that...I downloaded about 20 books from Amazon. And most of them will sit there and not get read. *shrug* There are a few that look really good and I just have to start right away. But most of them fade into the background due to quantity.
I buy a crap load of books per year. I just checked...looking at just my Amazon.com physical book purchases I've bought 33 books for a total of $216 this year. That's in the last 6 months. That's not including a single ebook purchase or any books purchased from other places.
Authors giving their book away for free have to compete with a lot of other books for my time. There's the books I've just purchased, the books given to me by friends, other free books AND my iTunes U application (where i'm taking a class on Tolkien). It doesn't look too good...
My daughter has a Kindle and down loads tons of free books and books for like $3.99. She says a lot of the time fan fiction on the net is better...
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "My daughter has a Kindle and down loads tons of free books and books for like $3.99. She says a lot of the time fan fiction on the net is better..."It's a mixed bag, in my experience. I've read some real stinkers, and a few that really impressed me. The two I was rather impressed with were The Emperor's Edge and Echoes of Avalon.
In other news, I'm reading The Summer Tree for our group read, and The Spirit Lens. I stopped reading Wizard's First Rule. When I found I literally could not force myself through another page, I figured it was time to call it quits.
Chelsea wrote: "When I found I literally could not force myself through another page, I figured it was time to call it quits. "I've been here before. Ugh, so sorry.
Ok, I'm tripping. My copy of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making arrived today.
and I found this:
I want to send it back. Am I tripping?
Holy giant picture, Batman. ;)Did you order it new or used? If used, I'd say keep it. If new - it would bug me. I'm not sure I'd send it back - 'cause I'm lazy - but I wouldn't think you were tripping if you were to send it back.
Dang it! You know I can never remember how to size this stuff, lol.Yeah, it's new. I'm...tempted to send it back but I am also feeling lazy.
It does bother me...
I dont see the problem... is that chewing gum on the end?
If it's new, yeah send it back. No question.
I hate hate hate any imperfection in a new book so no I don't think you're crazy. But some people tend to think I'm crazy so you might not want to to take my word for it. :)
I got damaged books on 2 occasions. Both times I called and got them replaced. You paid for a product and you're not being unreasonable to expect it to arrive in new condition. Just be polite and usually people are willing and apologetic.
Mach wrote: "I dont see the problem... is that chewing gum on the end?"Nope, bent hardback book edges.
Yeah, I think I'm going to send it back.
I probably would send it back, or send an email to the seller and see if they would reimburse me/send me a shipping label. There's certain books I just want as perfect as possible because I plan on them being life-long possessions. That book is one of them :)
Carol wrote: "I probably would send it back, or send an email to the seller and see if they would reimburse me/send me a shipping label. There's certain books I just want as perfect as possible because I plan on..."It's Amazon and it's their damage so I'm pretty sure they'll pay for shipping. They have in the past.
Tomorrow it's going back. :-)
I'd send it back too, though when I've had it happen to me I never have, just because I get too excited to read the book and don't wanna go through the hassle. But I totally understand the want for a new book to show up looking new and pristine! A used one I could understand but not a new one.
I am listening to
and this book is a lot better than I had thought it would be. It's about teenagers dealing with not so normal teenage problems. Not that they don't face these problems because they do and it's major.
Just finished
and have to say it delighted me. It is one that will get re-read. True, not much tension, the bad guys/bad situation didn't generate a lot of tension but the two schoolgirls in my favorite book of this series returned in a major role as young ladies, along with a new main character and fae group.
Sharon wrote: "Just finished 
and have to say it delighted me. It is one that will get re-read. True, not much tension, the bad guys/bad situation didn't generate a lot of tension but..."I didn't realize that was out already. Maybe I'll have to go visit Amazon and get it. I enjoy the elemental masters series. Some I like better than others. Glad to see you liked this one.
Isn't that funny, it changed book covers on me. I just replied to your message and that's what it posted. That's never happened to me before.LOL!
The one I was responding to was
.
Amelia wrote: "Isn't that funny, it changed book covers on me. I just replied to your message and that's what it posted. That's never happened to me before."
It just did that with another of my posts a few days ago. Someone said it was a GR glitch they are trying to fix/find. Very disconcerting!
I think one of the reasons I liked this so well is that "Wizard of London" is probably my favorite of this series and the two schoolgirls in that book are the reason. I was just delighted to meet them again as young ladies out on their own ...
Sharon wrote: "Just finished and have to say it delighted me. It is one that will get re-read. True, not much tension, the bad guys/bad situation didn't generate a lot of tension but..."I started the series but I haven't finished it. I've read up to book 4 or 5, not sure which.
Reading our BoM, Skinwalker. I'm really enjoying it. After, it's The Summer Tree, which I'm a little afraid to start. I loved it the first time, and I'm afraid it might not stand the test of time.
Carol wrote: "Reading our BoM, Skinwalker. I'm really enjoying it. After, it's The Summer Tree, which I'm a little afraid to start. I loved it the first time, and I'm afraid it might not stand the test of time."I need to start on The Summer Tree...
Sharon, GR does still have some glitches. It's just part of the wonderful garden of experiences being here brings...
Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Sharon, GR does still have some glitches. It's just part of the wonderful garden of experiences being here brings..."Glitches I can live with. What I wanted to make sure of was that my eyesight wasn't getting so bad I was posting the wrong books!
They lost the right to use some covers so that could also be it. I had a few covers that changed and a few that just went to the generic cover. Could be that to.
I've had two change and it went to a book that had the same title but not by the same author. Interesting!
Sharon wrote: "Mike (the Paladin) wrote: "Sharon, GR does still have some glitches. It's just part of the wonderful garden of experiences being here brings..."Glitches I can live with. What I wanted to make sur..."
Exctly my response. I posted my response and saw the wrong book! Crazy. Could be rights like you said Mike, but it does throw one off when it happens.
Jalilah wrote: "talking about embarrassing covers, I am reading The Fairy Godmother"Oh, I love that book. Can't tell you how many times I've re-read it. The whole series is good but that first one is by far my favorite.
Thankfully, I've gotten old enough I simply don't care what people think of my reading choices.
Sharon wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "talking about embarrassing covers, I am reading The Fairy Godmother"Oh, I love that book. Can't tell you how many times I've re-read it. The whole series is good but that first on..."
But the cover makes it look like a YA Romance but it is not at all!
Sharon wrote: "Jalilah wrote: "talking about embarrassing covers, I am reading The Fairy Godmother"Oh, I love that book. Can't tell you how many times I've re-read it. The whole series is good but that first on..."
lol!!!!
My friend's mom used to lecture me all the time about the godless books I read. Finally she borrowed a copy of Minion just so she could never return it. I guess she felt she did me, lol.
The occasional urban fantasy covers that are pretty graphic are the only ones I occasionally tend to be careful with ... not because I'm embarrassed exactly, but this IS serious Bible Belt country! It isn't that I don't feel I could defend my choices ... but I've noticed the older I get the less diplomatic I am!
I've started reading Catherynne M. Valente's The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making for a change of pace; I'm only 30-some pages in but it's quite an adventure so far! I'm also reading The Kalevala. I started reading it on my Kobo but realised that I'd much prefer reading poetry in a physical book format so I bought myself a copy and am reading through it again. I'm quite enjoying it, the stories are very rich (and pretty amusing--oh Joukahainen and his life choices) and the lyrics are quite lush.
I decided to read Double Cross: The Explosive, Inside Story of the Mobster Who Controlled America. I'm just wondering how realistic it is since these are stories relayed to his brother.
Lianne wrote: "I've started reading Catherynne M. Valente's The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making for a change of pace; I'm only 30-some pages in but it's quite an adventure so far! ..."
Loved it! Whimsical and smart, and the best supporting character I've read in a while, "El."
Just started Death at Wentwater Court A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery. It's the first book of the series, but I already read a few others. Each one was a delight. This one is too. It wasn't available at our library, nor could I find it in our local bookstores. Had to order it from Amazon, and I really love it.
Finished reading The Enchantress, it was great, now starting on Bakkian Chronicles, Book I - The Prophecy so far I like it.
Daniel wrote: "Finished reading The Enchantress, it was great ,,,"Oh good to hear, it is up next on my list.
If you enjoyed the others in the series, you will enjoy this one also.
Carol wrote: "Loved it! Whimsical and smart, and the best supporting character I've read in a while, "El.""Glad to hear you enjoyed it! Am a bit more than halfway through the novel and am absolutely loving it =)
I'm reading Death Troopers. I'm about 3/5ths in. I'm really enjoying it a lot despite that I'm really not into zombies.
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Fantasy Aficionados
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Obviously, I may not be the 'usual' reader but free Kindle downloads are the source for 5 of the 6 'new to me' authors/series I am now purchasing. The sixth was from a GR reader's recommendation and isn't available in Kindle format so have been purchasing as used paperbacks.
This is actually an amazing number of new "to purchase" authors for me as pre-Kindle my access to new authors was through books available at my local library ... small town, no good bookstores. I'd added just two new series to my buy list in 5 years from library books. With Kindle, 5 authors in six months.
Naturally I've read many more books than those by those authors that did not lead to purchases. There have been even more free downloads I've started and not finished. But that is true of my library books as well.
Bottom line, I'm buying books by 5 authors now, as they are published, that I would not be buying except for the introduction to them through the free downloads on my Kindle.