Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion
General Discussions
>
Random Thoughts
Gretchen wrote: "What Medieval job would you have? http://www.playbuzz.com/scotto/what-j...?..."
Well I just got sucked into taking 20 different quizzes :P
I know! I had to find out what hair color I am really suppose to have.
Lololol. I seemed to have missed that one.However, I found out that I'm really supposed to be living in France (don't I know it), that being an architect is my ideal profession (uh, no), that I talk like I'm from California (nope) but my accent is really from Texas (noooo) and that I was born in the wrong era (yes but not the pre French Revolution era as suggested) :P
Haha I took one inkblot one to reveal who I really am and it said that I am a Firecracker which I didnt agree with so I took it again selecting the opposite pictures and guess what..I'm a Firecracker :(Back to reading!!
Warrior? - Me too. (Definitely wouldn't mind looking like the lady here - but could I wield that sword?)
I got warrior! Must be my aggressive personality.
I hate winter. It's a lot harder for me to sit outside and read when the girls are playing.
I also got dressmaker. That couldn't be further from reality!For country I should be from - UK, which I completely agree with, Mum and all her family were born in England, yet I live in Australia. I think the English weather would suit me much better than our hot summers here!
Carol wrote: "I got warrior! Must be my aggressive personality."What aggressive personality!!??
:)
As I was MIA for a lot of the last 6 months, I am only just looking at the Goodreads Choice Awards historical fiction finalists.What a joke yet again. Nearly all female-centric. Where are the male character books? And the books for a unisex audience?
Terri wrote: "As I was MIA for a lot of the last 6 months, I am only just looking at the Goodreads Choice Awards historical fiction finalists.What a joke yet again. Nearly all female-centric. Where are the male..."
Non existent, as per usual. :(
My choice for best picture book won! I brought a copy home for my girls last weekend. My oldest was so excited to read it to the twins. Now we can finally bring back the library copy.
Hadn't won a Giveaway in a long time and then I win "2" yesterday?? Cool.
and
Terri wrote: "I am only just looking at the Goodreads Choice Awards historical fiction finalists.What a joke yet again. Nearly all female-centric. Where are the male character books? And the books for a unisex audience? "
I read a lot more than HF, so I haven't noticed this, but you are absolutely right. What's going on?
Bobby wrote: "Hadn't won a Giveaway in a long time and then I win "2" yesterday?? Cool.and
"Well done, Bobby. :D
Margaret wrote: "Bobby wrote: "Hadn't won a Giveaway in a long time and then I win "2" yesterday?? Cool.and
"Well done, Bobby. :D"
It's not the hunt...it's the prize!! Right Margaret?? LOL
Bobby wrote: "Margaret wrote: "Bobby wrote: "Hadn't won a Giveaway in a long time and then I win "2" yesterday?? Cool.and
"Well..."
Oh yeah. And the delight of getting FREE books. :D
Bobby wrote: "Hadn't won a Giveaway in a long time and then I win "2" yesterday?? Cool.and
"At least you win once and a while. I haven't won one yet :)
I haven't won anything in a while. I just entered a bunch of the children's listings. My first grader's classroom is in need of some new books.
happy wrote: "Bobby wrote: "Hadn't won a Giveaway in a long time and then I win "2" yesterday?? Cool.and
"At least you win onc..."
I've won 3 books in all, I think.
Ioana wrote: "I read a lot more than HF, so I haven't noticed this, but you are absolutely right. What's going on? .."Ridiculous isn't it?
Terri wrote: "Carol wrote: "I got warrior! Must be my aggressive personality."What aggressive personality!!??you would be amazed!! Haven't been on GR for a few days...been aggressively doing other stuff! Reading some, taking on line courses, and just living aggressively around town. It is a birthday loaded, holiday loaded time and it keeps me busy. Hope you are well and have a wonderful holiday season.
:)"
haha. Sounds like people around town need to get the heck out your way or watch out!! :D
Terri wrote: "As I was MIA for a lot of the last 6 months, I am only just looking at the Goodreads Choice Awards historical fiction finalists.What a joke yet again. Nearly all female-centric. Where are the male..."
Agree Terri, that's why I don't even check them out anymore!
I'm at that point now too Liza. One of authors in another GR group I'm in showed us a letter she'd received from a publisher who could 'guarantee' votes for her. She has reported it to the administrators, but I'm not sure what came of it. I suspect "the girl on the train" may have had some help as it was more than 70k votes higher than any of its competitors.
❄❄ Ace ❄❄ wrote: "I'm at that point now too Liza. One of authors in another GR group I'm in showed us a letter she'd received from a publisher who could 'guarantee' votes for her. She has reported it to the admini..."
I think any award that banks on readers/public votes isn't worth much, since those with the biggest fans/friends/family will get the most votes. I'd much rather see a book win an award purely on merit.
Liza wrote: " ❄❄ Ace ❄❄ wrote: "I'm at that point now too Liza. One of authors in another GR group I'm in showed us a letter she'd received from a publisher who could 'guarantee' votes for her. She has report..."
Touché Liza.
Liza wrote: " ❄❄ Ace ❄❄ wrote: "I'm at that point now too Liza. One of authors in another GR group I'm in showed us a letter she'd received from a publisher who could 'guarantee' votes for her. She has report..."
So are you saying that books with lots of readers and fans have no merit? If so, i wonder why they have lots of readers and fans.
I thought Liza meant the popularity of the author rather than the book in this case.
❄❄ Ace ❄❄ wrote: "I thought Liza meant the popularity of the author rather than the book in this case."Oh right, you mean like a celebrity who has also written a book maybe as opposed to a writer who has a lot of readers?
Tim wrote: "Liza wrote: " ❄❄ Ace ❄❄ wrote: "I'm at that point now too Liza. One of authors in another GR group I'm in showed us a letter she'd received from a publisher who could 'guarantee' votes for her. S..."
No people's voted award has real merit, because it is basically "click bait". People go nuts voting again and again. The People's Choice Awards are the worst example of that. Cancelled programs that did not rate, winning awards, and the genuine top rating programs losing out because of rabid fandoms.
The problem with the Good Reads awards is that the initial nomination list is not done properly. They present nominations to be voted on, instead of presenting us with categories and saying you tell us who should be nominated. Only that way will they get a true picture of what people on this site are reading.
Liza may not have said it, but I'll say it, a lot of books with lots of readers don't have merit. "50 Shades of Grey" comes to mind. Appalling written, but so well pushed by the advertising people that the series became best sellers. The true test of a book is its longevity. You don't see many true classics being dumped at opportunity/charity shops, but I haven't gone into an opportunity shop in the last 12 months that hasn't had at least 3 or 4 copies of books from that series. One poor shop had an entire book case of them. And they just sit there. No-one buys them. They end up being dumped into the paper recycling.
Margaret wrote: "Tim wrote: "Liza wrote: " ❄❄ Ace ❄❄ wrote: "I'm at that point now too Liza. One of authors in another GR group I'm in showed us a letter she'd received from a publisher who could 'guarantee' vote..."
Thanks, Margaret, you've said it better than I could... totally agree!
❄❄ Ace ❄❄ wrote: "I thought Liza meant the popularity of the author rather than the book in this case."Yes, Ace, I did mean that.
Playing devil's advocate, one of those 50 shades books was still #6 top selling titles on Amazon in 2015. I've never read them though so can't comment on how good they are. I also remember being at the Historical Novel Society conference a few years back when agents and publishers were promoting the idea to writers that they should start writing Historical versions of 50 Shades, though (usually accompanied by the really lame quip "how about 50 Shades of Lady Jane Grey?"). That sort of plays into your idea of advertising people (who we're told largely run publishing houses these days) not just pushing certain books that have already been written but actively soliciting certain types of books to also be written.
Tim wrote: "Playing devil's advocate, one of those 50 shades books was still #6 top selling titles on Amazon in 2015. I've never read them though so can't comment on how good they are. I also remember being at..."I agree, Tim. Agents and publishers (as business people) will incite writers to write the type of books that sell well. I was a member of HNS for a few years and reviewed lots of books for them. Are you still a member? As for 50 Shades ... well, each to his/her own reading preferences, but they weren't my favourites, to stay the least!
Liza wrote: "Tim wrote: "Playing devil's advocate, one of those 50 shades books was still #6 top selling titles on Amazon in 2015. I've never read them though so can't comment on how good they are. I also remem..."I am no longer a member of the HNS. I moved from the UK to the USA for a couple of years and let my membership lapse while I was away. I enjoyed their conferences I have to say, and still sometimes drop into meetings of the Irish Chapter when I can.
I actually read 50 shades, just to see what the hype was about. Not intending to ever read past book 1 but as a best "seller" it fits. Peoples choice tho' ?? #notinmynameI'm not sorry I read it, but I am sorry it wasn't Jane Eyre ;)
❄❄ Ace ❄❄ wrote: "I actually read 50 shades, just to see what the hype was about. Not intending to ever read past book 1 but as a best "seller" it fits. Peoples choice tho' ?? #notinmynameI'm not sorry I read it, ..."
I read the first one. It was the most appalling piece of crap I have EVER read. Badly written, grammatically awful. I'll see if I can find some quotes to show how bad it is.
The fan part was trying to find a quote that didn't involve the F-word. :p“I gasp, and I'm Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he's the serpent, and I cannot resist.”
"This is a man in need. His fear is naked and obvious, but he's lost. . . Somewhere in his darkness.
His eyes wide and bleak and tortured. I can soothe him. Join him briefly in the darkness and bring him into the light.”
That's the best of a bad lot. It's the sort of writing that quite literally makes me cringe.
Margaret wrote: "The fan part was trying to find a quote that didn't involve the F-word. :p“I gasp, and I'm Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he's the serpent, and I cannot resist.”
That's the best of a bad lot. I..."
Oh, good Grief!!
Margaret wrote: "The fan part was trying to find a quote that didn't involve the F-word. :p“I gasp, and I'm Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he's the serpent, and I cannot resist.”
That's the best of a bad lot. I..."
Quite literally cringeing! Laughed at your "fan/fun" typo pun, Margaret!
Liza wrote: "Margaret wrote: "The fan part was trying to find a quote that didn't involve the F-word. :p“I gasp, and I'm Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he's the serpent, and I cannot resist.”
That's the bes..."
Or, was that "fan/fun" intentional? :)
Did you hunt-and-peck?
Liza wrote: "Margaret wrote: "The fan part was trying to find a quote that didn't involve the F-word. :p“I gasp, and I'm Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he's the serpent, and I cannot resist.”
That's the bes..."
It was a typo. :p But seeing as 50 Shades started life as Twilight fan fiction, I guess it's a fairly apt one.
Jane wrote: "Liza wrote: "Margaret wrote: "The fan part was trying to find a quote that didn't involve the F-word. :p“I gasp, and I'm Eve in the Garden of Eden, and he's the serpent, and I cannot resist.”
T..."
The joy of Good Reads. The quotes pages. :p Skimmed down and took the best quotes I could find. Trust me, you don't want to see the rest...
And I see Margaret that neither of us has marked it as 'read' on GR. Appalling is spot on!
I have the 50 Shades boxed set still in it's shrink wrap in a box some where. Mr. Gretchen thought it would make a nice Christmas gift one year. He was told to add books to the list of things not to buy me ever again.
You could add it to your Kindle(ing)...
Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction
Books mentioned in this topic
The Berry Pickers (other topics)Fortune's Child (other topics)
Hild (other topics)
Sharpe's Command (other topics)
Edenglassie (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Amanda Peters (other topics)Nicola Griffith (other topics)
Bernard Cornwell (other topics)
Bernard Cornwell (other topics)
Allan Hands (other topics)
More...
Me too but I'm ok with that lol.