December M/M Buddy Read: A Red-Tainted Silence

[D.G.]

For the third month in a row, a few of us will be joining in a M/M buddy read. For December we'll be reading A Red-Tainted Silence by Carolyn Gray.

Everybody is welcome. :)

We haven't decided yet when to start so please post what works for you.

[D.G.]

In my case, I can start reading ARTS around Dec. 10th or 11th. I'm finishing the lifetime challenge and still have 1.5 books to go.

[Tuğçe]

10th or 11th works great for me! I have a deadline on 9th so I will be clean to start a new book :D

[Penney]

Those dates work for me as well :)

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

I'm free-flowing my reading this month, so 10/11th Dec is fine by me :)

[Fran, Moderator]

The 10/11th works for me too. Also, it anyone still needs to pick it up, I just got it at Fictionwise using the code 120211 for 40% off- only 4.79 :)

[Shell]

Dec 10/11 works great for me!

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Fran wrote: "The 10/11th works for me too. Also, it anyone still needs to pick it up, I just got it at Fictionwise using the code 120211 for 40% off- only 4.79 :)"

DG and I picked it up a couple of weeks ago - I think it was pretty similar to the price you quoted... :)

[D.G.]

I'm on pace to start as planned. I'm excited for this! :)

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Me too!

DG - I just finished Sticks & Stones and loved it. If you know the West Virginia high country like the back of your hand, perhaps don't read it 'cos you might find inaccuracies *just teasing* - but otherwise, this next book flows much better and has much more relationship development.

[[deleted user]]

I read RTS earlier this year, but I'd love to take part in the discussion!

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Great - the more input the better, SB :)

...This storyline isn't one I would naturally select from my mass of potential reads, but this manner of selection usually works out well for me, so I'm really looking forward to this...

[D.G.]

LOL, Jane!

I confess that I can't tell what ARTS is about from the description...:p

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Well, from the reviews, we appear to be heading into a real tear-jerker - an 'anything that can go wrong will go wrong' book. And I think it is quite long... (No quick satisfaction for me :) Just gotta keep that hanky handy.

[D.G.]

Yup, it's long. The page count on my iPad is over 500 pages.

[Fran, Moderator]

Uh oh, I don't usually go for the big tearjerkers....Bitchie, will I need tissues and a large vodka drink for this one?

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Eeek - I may yet finish the Chubby Chunster challenge! (I'd pretty much given up on getting the last two books before 31 Dec!)

[[deleted user]]

It's pretty tear jerky. LOTS of bad stuff happens to these guys.

[Fran, Moderator]

I may bow out of this...not sure if I'm up for angsty right now.

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

I can completely understand Fran! As I said - not my normal fair... But I'll stick with it :)

[[deleted user]]

I' m an angst whore, lol so I loved it, but I know it might not be for everyone.

[Dee]

its def. a bit tear-jerky, told partially in flash-backs to a few years previous, with some mystery mixed in

[Dee]

ok, going to feel guilty if you guys dont' like it...lol!

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Nahhhh. It's good for me to get out of my comfort zone and I do like a bit of angst, so this will be interesting - a test of how much angst I can handle! Don't worry - I'm still looking forward to it :)

[Penney]

I'm a bit of an angst whore myself (nice term SB), so I'm looking forward to it :-)

[Tuğçe]

I second you on that Penney! :)

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Well - It's the 10th here and I've started :) Up to Chapter 2 and so far, so good...

[D.G.]

I think I'll stop reading the book I'm reading now and switch to this one. I don't know why I thought I could fit in a new read in two days.

[D.G.]

Ok, I just started and Brandon is so fragile! I know he's young and all but this business of (view spoiler)[ I saw him sing and immediately my heart told me that he will be the only man for me for ever and ever and I know that we'll make music that will rival a chorus of angels. If I don't find him, I'll never be happy! Buahhh!!! (hide spoiler)]

That was way too much for me. It's simply not healthy but I guess it's not only the business of his sexuality but also the music temperament.

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

D.G. ~Shameless Hussy~ wrote: "Ok, I just started and Brandon is so fragile! I know he's young and all but this business of [spoilers removed]

That was way too much for me. It's simply not healthy but I guess it's not only the ..."

LOL! So true - so emotional! But we knew pathos would be spread thickly on this offering ;)

[D.G.]

Yeah, but there's a difference between emotional and maudlin. Brandon feels so sorry for himself that I can't feel sorry for him.

I'm liking the flashbacks a lot more because I can understand him better as an teenager, but all this beating himself in the chest with mea culpa as an adult is tedious. I keep hearing the world's smallest violin in the background.

[Shell]

I'm up to chap 3 and I felt like I've jumped into a whirlwind. It's difficult to reconcile the past and present. I'm not sure which Brandon I like better, the past or the present. Both have so many issues and there's the added emotional aspect of "I've hurt him and I hope he can forgive me" vs. "I've lost him and I want to find hima gain." I hope that I'll get more into it as I read it.

[D.G.]

Me too, Shell. I'm really hoping that we can see Brandon learn from his mistakes, whatever those are.

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Brandon is blaming himself needlessly for every misadventure so far... 'I should have been there, etc etc etc...' So he clearly expects himself to be omnipotent... However I'm justing ploughing through these issues.

To me, it is pretty clear who the real baddie is... I think. I pegged my guess soon after the detective revealed (view spoiler)[that Brandon hadn't killed the real Blevins (hide spoiler)]. Guess I won't know for a while though as I'm only up to p152...

Have I mentioned before that this is a LONG book? ;) I'm enjoying it, but I can't deny that I get impatient and want the book to just cut to the chase!

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Right - further to DG's and my discussions in the PIFM thread, we thought we'd like to buddy read The Curtis Reincarnation sometime...

We could make this the M/M read for March? or read it earlier if it suits and there is interest... I don't think it is very long - 220 pages I think.

[Dee]

I read the curtis reincarnation in one night - I was just hooked

[Shell]

I'm game for March. :)

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

I really like the premise, Dee :)

Great Shell! Let's keep it in mind for March unless one of us gets impatient ;)

[D.G.]

Now that I got to the crux of the problem (the business of the tape), I'm liking it more. I was afraid that Brandon was blaming himself for something silly but this is serious stuff. He definitely should have told Nicholas but I could understand why he didn't and then how the problems snowballed from there. Now I understand all the regret.

I'm only on page 100 and I've had a pretty good idea for a while who's the villain. I won't read your spoiler, Jane 'cause I don't know what the detective revealed. Let see if we agree!

[Dee]

has the Curtis Reincarnation been re-released? I know Zanthyn got his rights back and was working on getting it released, otherwise it might be hard to find

[D.G.]

We checked yesterday. We can buy it from his website or from Smashwords for $5.95.

[Penney]

Sorry ladies, I really hoped to join you with this but my weekend was unexpectedly insane. Good, but insane :) I do still plan to read it this month, but I'll be far behind y'all. I'll put in my two cents when I can. Enjoy!

[[deleted user]]

You guys are making me want to read this one again! I just read the second in this "series" last month, it was pretty good, but not as angsty. About different MCs, Lee or whatever his name was, in the band.

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

D.G. ~Shameless Hussy~ wrote: "Now that I got to the crux of the problem (the business of the tape), I'm liking it more. I was afraid that Brandon was blaming himself for something silly but this is serious stuff. He definitely ..."

It's not much of a spoiler, but you should read that first hospital scene with the detective first :)

*I thought it was before page 100?*

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Penney wrote: "Sorry ladies, I really hoped to join you with this but my weekend was unexpectedly insane. Good, but insane :) I do still plan to read it this month, but I'll be far behind y'all. I'll put in my..."

Depending on your reading speed, you may well catch up to us, Penney! I'm about to head into a hectic 4 days, so I'll only be able to read (max) an hour each night...

[D.G.]

Jane (PS) wrote: "D.G. ~Shameless Hussy~ wrote: "Now that I got to the crux of the problem (the business of the tape), I'm liking it more. I was afraid that Brandon was blaming himself for something silly but this i..."

Oh you mean the one where the detective tells Brandon that (view spoiler)[ Percy wasn't the kidnapper? (hide spoiler)]

[D.G.]

During weekdays, I can read about 1.5 hrs. per day so I don't expect to finish this until the weekend, so you have some room to catch up, Penney!

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

D.G. ~Shameless Hussy~ wrote: "Oh you mean the one where the detective tells Brandon that (view spoiler)[..." (hide spoiler)]

Yes. It then all seemed pretty straight forward... But of course, I'm still a long way off any confirmation :) I'm up to page 167 (very slow going yesterday).

[Dee]

ahhh, I was going to rec someone TCR a couple of months ago but I couldn't because it wasn't available, but now that it is...I actually talked to Zathyn this mornng for a bit in the m/m group - he mentioned something about a sequel to it as well, sometime next year

[D.G.]

Very slow going for me yesterday too. I couldn't read on my subway ride back because it was very crowded and I couldn't get a seat. :(

I listened to my audiobook though so it wasn't a complete waste of reading time.