Candidates for Next Month's Read Showing 651-700 of 3,043

[Josh]

I don't think I've ever done so much Christmas shopping where I ended up buying myself prezzies. It's that darned Kindle. It's so blasted easy to click the button.

[Josh]

And quite a shock the way all those "bargain" books add up. OUCH.

[Cleon Lee]

Josh wrote: "And quite a shock the way all those "bargain" books add up. OUCH."

Tell me about it. I avoid FW code like plague until I finish all the book I bought months ago.

[Anne]

Josh wrote: "I don't think I've ever done so much Christmas shopping where I ended up buying myself prezzies. It's that darned Kindle. It's so blasted easy to click the button."

But we have all been good so we deserve it :)I love my Kindle, a whole world one click away.

[Jordan]

Yep, I've got Kindle for PC and that darned little button is WAaaaay too tempting and easy to click. It surprised me the first time. And, it kinda bugs me. I want to buy everything at once, pay at once, less transactions to keep track of, but that button won't let me do that.

I thought I was done buying from Amazon a few weeks ago.. for awhile anyway, but then there was a need for more xmas presents... and of course, more books from Amazon for other people means more books from Amazon for me, though this would be the first time I didn't get any M/M, surprisingly. I really do have too many books on my coffee table that need reading at the moment. And here comes some more! Wooooo!

[Dev]

Oooh my Larton Chronicles arrived today - I love my kindle but have to say it was so cool to get a package with a customs declaration on the back. It felt very Charing Cross Road. Can't wait to start.

[Josh]

Dev wrote: "Oooh my Larton Chronicles arrived today - I love my kindle but have to say it was so cool to get a package with a customs declaration on the back. It felt very Charing Cross Road. Can't wait to start."

:-D

[Jordan]

Yup, that was such a great feeling when I got mine too.

lol, December will be a complicated month for me. I'm reading a trilogy (all three books in one), just got another library book I'd put on hold, and then there's Larton to read and I've got editing to do on a novella and I promised someone else I'd crit... and oh yeah, Kari's book just came out... ummmm... where did all my time go? Think I'd better cancel Christmas... lol. But I can't wait. All of these things are truly exciting!

[Mtsnow13]

My goodness! My just barely got here in time! Love the 'Royal Mail' postage stamp.. Got it in the mail yesterday, so happy to start reading today =)

[Josh]

I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to getting past the crazy business of the next couple of weeks and then settling down to read this much loved little book. I think it's become a Christmas tradition for me. I read it every year at about this time.

[Jordan]

Do you really? That's pretty awesome! I can't wait to start... must finish these other books first though, darn it!

[Jordan]

I feel like this happened last month... or was that the month before? Hmmm, I seem to be repeating myself.

[Josh]

Jordan wrote: "Do you really? That's pretty awesome! I can't wait to start... must finish these other books first though, darn it!"

Yes. You know how certain books have a holiday feel even if they're not specifically about the holiday? That's the case here.

[Jordan]

Those are great books, especially because they're not actually about the holiday. It's that subtle undertone, and that's a cool thing.

[Emanuela ~plastic duck~]

Josh wrote: "Yes. You know how certain books have a holiday feel even if they're not specifically about the holiday? That's the case here."

I think it's Larton, it's the people who care and look out for each other.

[Josh]

Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "Josh wrote: "Yes. You know how certain books have a holiday feel even if they're not specifically about the holiday? That's the case here."

I think it's Larton, it's the people who care and look o..."

Yes, there is a sense of community -- an old-fashioned idea, perhaps in this era of globalization.

[Mtsnow13]

For me, its the author's way of making me feel like I'm ramblin' along with the characters in this almost isolated community.. very cozy, and makes me wish for more of a sense of community like those in the book share..and the Aga..well, makes me want to just prop my feet up with a hot cocoa or toddy and stay comfy and warm in my robe or pj's while its snowing outside, rest of the world be darned...=)

[Dev]

I think we've been programmed by years of Dickens to think of the cozy English countryside as a perfect Christmas place. And there is a little bit of that in the story.

And I know the PBS story you're talking about - it's named after the town. Can't remember the name, though.

[Mtsnow13]

Are you speaking about 'Ballykissangel' ? Ballykissangel: A Sense of Place: A Sense of Place

I know it has a tv series, as well as some books off the series.. A small Irish town....

or there's another two series titled 'Lovejoy', and 'Midsomer Murders'..and there is a historical series titled 'Murdoch Mysteries'.

I love the BBC shows =)

[Liade]

Mtsnow13 wrote: "Are you speaking about 'Ballykissangel' ? Ballykissangel: A Sense of Place: A Sense of Place

I know it has a tv series, as well as some books off the series.. A small Irish town...."

Ballykissangel wasn't a mini-series, though. And railway?

And Cranford is a century or two out *g*

[Becky]

Have we settled on a January book? Have we even taken nominations yet? Or are we taking a break for a while?

[Susan]

Becky, see message 653 above.

[Becky]

Susan wrote: "Becky, see message 653 above."

Ah ha! I've read both Shades of Gray and Zero at the Bone, so I'll just have to refresh my memory and I'll be ready to join in! (It's been probably a year and a half or more since I read Zero.)

[Johanna]

Good! I've read those two. :) It'll be interesting to discuss them both at the same time. ;)

[Jordan]

Ah, thanks for the reminder guys. I couldn't remember and was going to ask what the book was. Read Zero twice, now I just have to get Shades of Gray. Easy as pie, I hope. lol.

[Emanuela ~plastic duck~]

Zero was one of my firsts... I remember it fondly

[Jordan]

me too. Not exactly a first, but close to the beginning for sure.

[Tamela]

I haven't read Zero yet, but you all have inspired me to give it a try. I thought I'd read them both for this month.

[Johanna]

Go for it, Tamela! :)

[Jordan]

Oh I loved Zero. Though I just reread the summary for Gray and man, does that sound good or what? Can't wait to dive into it, but I'm the lucky one who decided to read a 600 page tome this month. Lucky? Or just stupid? lol. I'm enjoying it, but it's definitely not helping me get anything else done. I might have to pause it for a bit in January. We'll see.

[Cheryl]

Since I've already read Shades of Gray, maybe I can use this month to catch up on the past two month's books. My copy of Larton is sitting on my nightstand, waiting so patiently for me to get to it.

[Becky]

I wanted to read Larton soooo bad, but there's no digital version and my hands can't take a paper book right now. :( Maybe someday.

[Emanuela ~plastic duck~]

Becky wrote: "I wanted to read Larton soooo bad, but there's no digital version and my hands can't take a paper book right now. :( Maybe someday."

Look at this post...

[Becky]

Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "Becky wrote: "I wanted to read Larton soooo bad, but there's no digital version and my hands can't take a paper book right now. :( Maybe someday."

Look at this post..."

Which message number should I be reading? The link goes to a fairly general post, and I don't want to start skimming the thread in case of spoilers!

[Emanuela ~plastic duck~]

Becky wrote: "Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "Becky wrote: "I wanted to read Larton soooo bad, but there's no digital version and my hands can't take a paper book right now. :( Maybe someday."

Look at this po..."

#73, it should link directly to Liade message

[Becky]

Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "Becky wrote: "Emanuela ~plastic duck~ wrote: "Becky wrote: "I wanted to read Larton soooo bad, but there's no digital version and my hands can't take a paper book right now. :( Maybe someday."

L..."

Weird, it was just dumping me randomly into the thread. But I've contacted Liade, and hopefully I'll be able to catch up and jump into the conversation soon!

[Josh]

Ah! Thanks for the reminder. I'd completely forgotten we'd picked a double-header for January.

[Kim]

Were these two stories chosen as a double header because they were each originally fan fiction from the same fandom, or is that just a coincidence?

[Cleon Lee]

Kim wrote: "Were these two stories chosen as a double header because they were each originally fan fiction from the same fandom, or is that just a coincidence?"

They're fanfic? I didn't notice. I think we chose it because it's similar in theme and plot and many people compare these two against each other.

[Kim]

I read the original fics as they were posted but haven't read them since they were defandomized. It will be interesting to read the discussion.

[Kim]

They were often compared to one another in the fandom in which they were conceived (kind of like siblings). It'll be interesting to see which similarities the readers here point out and which ones escape them.

[Kim]

Lou wrote: "Kim wrote: "I read the original fics as they were posted but haven't read them since they were defandomized. It will be interesting to read the discussion."

What fandom were they?"

If you really want to know, send me a message. But I think each author has probably changed enough details to make it irrelevant. I recognize a few GR names here as being from that fandom, which is why I first assumed that the two stories had been paired because of their origins.

The one characteristic in each pair of MC that has remained faithful to canon is the closeted/repressed vs out (or rather, self-accepting). But hey, Adrien English could just as easily be an AU/AU story from that fandom, right down to the hair and eye colors.

[Cheryl]

I knew Zero started as a fanfic, but didn't know SHades of Gray did, too. Interesting.

[Jordan]

I'd be interested to know for sure. But I want to read Shades of Gray first and then find out.

I'm really interested to see how stories work when originally fanfic. My next novel will be a reworking of an original fanfic piece. But I am changing a lot. As in, it originally wasn't paranormal, but now it is. It kinda has to be, just so it can have a HEA ending, which the original didn't.

[Josh]

Kim wrote: "Were these two stories chosen as a double header because they were each originally fan fiction from the same fandom, or is that just a coincidence?"

Were they? I had no idea. What fandom?

I don't remember why we picked them to be honest. They both sounded roughly similar and equally entertaining?

[Josh]

Kim wrote: "But hey, Adrien English could just as easily be an AU/AU story from that fandom, right down to the hair and eye colors."

Good Lord. Forgive me if I find that very hard to believe!

[Jordan]

LOL, I don't want to think about Adrien being fanfic. Well, I have Gray on my ereader now, I should just go read it.

[Josh]

Jordan wrote: "LOL, I don't want to think about Adrien being fanfic. Well, I have Gray on my ereader now, I should just go read it."

Never in a million years. And if there's a TV show about a mystery-solving bookseller with heart problems who looks like Montgomery Clift, I want to watch that show! :-P

[Josh]

Lou wrote: "The trademark of a good AU fanfic is that it takes the essence of something from the original -- a concept, character, conflict -- and spins an original tale out of it.
..."

Sure! We all kind of do that with certain tropes and the fact that everything we read, view, study, etc. is grist for the mill. Stories don't come out of a vaccuum. So there's probably not a great difference between fan fiction like Larton which is frankly unrecognizable regarding its fandom origins (even fans argue whether it has anything to do with the original show or not) and someone who lifts a real life news story as the basis for a plot as Sue Grafton often does. The kernal of the idea has to start somewhere. We're all the product of our education and experience up to the point of the newest creation.

Something that is recognizably fan fiction with the serial numbers filed off? It'll be interesting to read these stories and consider.

[Josh]

It can still work if it stands on its own legs. Most fanfics need the reader's knowledge of the source for context and background.

I think fan fiction generally doesn't work for me, not because the writing isn't good (it's often excellent) but because I don't watch enough TV to get a lot of it, and because I don't usually want that clear of a vision of the characters. It's why I continue to be a fan of headless torsos. ;-P