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Z14 - A group recommendation - How are you getting on?
Z14 How are you getting on? No spoilers here please. Group discussion in two weeks.
Also, let us know if you like the idea of a group rating for books.
Z14
Here is the Oak Tree Recommendations group review. This Book is TWO ACORNS - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
**Z14 - Jim Chaseley **
Genre - Science Fiction, Fantasy, Humour
The Review Group felt on the whole that the cyborg assassin was an interesting concept and many also enjoyed his human support characters.
Some picked up on the fact that he had some restored memories from his time as a human which allowed for him to feel some sort of morality. Others felt that the human characters were more 'real' than the cyborg.
Most enjoyed the book as likeable fun and enjoyed the humour although its pacing was perhaps an issue.
The plot itself was fast paced and the group's rating within the genre is 2 acorns - Highly Recommended.
Oak Tree will join with Reviews and Discussions later in the month.
Wha-? What's going on?I had no idea this was happening. Pleased and confused in equal measure. I wonder who this "little group" is.
Can I find out more? I'd love to hear more about the pacing issues and the main character's lack of 'realness'.
I presume the version read was the one from before I wimped out and changed the aliens...
Thanks very much indeed though, I'd take a "Highly recommended" any day of the week.
Hi Jim,The group recommendation and review is, by design, annonymous so that the people involved can continue to contribute and put forward individual opinions on this group as normal. However, as the month progresses and group members read your book I'm sure you will be getting some extra feedback.
I feel a bit sick now though, do you think I should delete your book if you have rewritten it since the review :)
Ah. It's just a tiny, tiny, tiiiiiny change!No plot or character change at all.
Just a visual gag that was naff and had never sat comfortably with me.
Well I've read it, enjoyed it and look forward to joining in the discussions later in the month. Flippin' heck Jim - that's 2 acorns. Champagne says Simon. (Is he buying?)
Whoever buys it, I bathe in it before it gets drunk. But it still has to be drunk, even post-bathe, because you can't waste champagne.But Ignite, yes, I'm very pleased! I'd love to have been a fly on the wall!
Congratulations Jim, and save a bit of that bubbly for me. The bit you haven't bathed in please!
Congratulations Jim - if we're to drink the champers after you've bathed in it, please bath in soap and water before....
:0))
:0))
No defiling of the sparkly!Congratulations Jim!
I don't understand though, what happens if a book doesn't warrant one acorn? Or is one guaranteed merely by having reached this point?Sorry, I'm a very easily confused, startled and tickled person.
Even more glad now of my unknowingly given bit of love to the group in the morning thread this morning!
If more comes out of the bath than you put in I don't want any!Edit - Lily Langtree reference in case you think I'm just being gross.
I said in case you think I'm JUST being gross!
Ignite wrote: "If more comes out of the bath than you put in I don't want any!"
Ignite - you made me laugh out loud!
:0))
Ignite - you made me laugh out loud!
:0))
Ignite wrote: "If more comes out of the bath than you put in I don't want any!"AHAHA! gross!
Jim wrote: "I don't understand though, what happens if a book doesn't warrant one acorn? Or is one guaranteed merely by having reached this point?Sorry, I'm a very easily confused, startled and tickled perso..."
Ah, I'm glad you asked that. Yours was not the only book that was looked at, it is the only one that got any acorns. We will not be naming and shaming the books with no acorns.
No more will come out, but I reserve the right to add bubbles of my own...
Simon (Highwayman) wrote: "Jim wrote: "I don't understand though, what happens if a book doesn't warrant one acorn? Or is one guaranteed merely by having reached this point?Sorry, I'm a very easily confused, startled and..."
Blink. Oh my.
Ok, so to put the ratings into perspective, I'll just go ahead and presume the others not to get acorns were Catch-22 and the entire works of Shakespeare. ;)
If anyone who's read Z14 in dastardly secret wants to discuss it with me, or point out one of the many flaws, I solemnly swear never to reveal your true identity if you message me. Or even mention in passing that anyone contacted me.
Edit: I'm a trustworthy bloke, just ask my mate Dave, who's transvestite secret I have kept for- Ah...
Now, I'm off to photoshop two silver acorns onto my book cover ;)
Jim wrote: "No more will come out, but I reserve the right to add bubbles of my own..."
Nooooooooooooooooo!!!
*suddenly goes off the idea of drinking champagne*
:0))
Nooooooooooooooooo!!!
*suddenly goes off the idea of drinking champagne*
:0))
Karen (Kew) wrote: "Congratulations Jim - if we're to drink the champers after you've bathed in it, please bath in soap and water before....:0))"
After? I'll just invite everyone in while I'm bathing and hand out long straws.
This sounds like an orgy - how disgraceful! Make sure you tell me when it happens....
Gingerlily (or Cyberlily..) wrote: "This sounds like an orgy - how disgraceful! Make sure you tell me when it happens...."I'm in!!!!!!!!!!!!
Better be a blooming big bath!
I'm showing my age now - long straws remind me of Humphrey. Who else remembers - "watch out, watch out - there's a Humphrey about!"?
:0)
:0)
Gingerlily (or Cyberlily..) wrote: "Better be a blooming big bath!"With a union jack painted on it? :-)
oh yeah! that one would do. will put up the picture later.
Karen (Kew) wrote: "I'm showing my age now - long straws remind me of Humphrey. Who else remembers - "watch out, watch out - there's a Humphrey about!"?:0)"
I do, I do! I still have a Humphrey apron (waterproof)
for cooking
Are we allowed to know how many people make up the review group? I have no problem with the members being anonymous at all, but knowing just how many people have come to a consenus is both interesting and useful.
Thanks Karl, and also to everyone else who's passed on congratulations! I was stumbling around this thread in a bit of a daze, earlier. Genuinely thinking "Little old me? And my silly book?" :)
I think the other introduction mentions that not everyone in the group will read it so maybe we'll never know :OI would read the book Jim, but I don't think I'd understand a word! I'll get the sample!
Awww, don't worry about that! Not everyone likes everything, and I'd hate someone to go to read it, not really wanting to! :)My reply was to Louise, but it kind of works for you too, Karl :)
Ugh, I've got to cut down on the smiley usage.
Because I suspect he is walking around like someone has stuck a coat hanger in his mouth. ;-)
Helps with the diet. Not much you can get past a coathanger!
This is odd. Normally, I join the group then read the book. In this case I was reading the book and happened to find the group.
Hi Ward - we're happy to have you. That was quite a coincidence though!
Hi Ward, how are you getting on with it? If you get to chapter 34 and don't like what you're seeing you've got the wrong version! Let me know.
....or of course you might just not like what you're seeing anyway! :)Speaking of which, why has the thread about the March selection on the Amazon forums been downvoted by so many people? (well, 4, but it's almost 50/50 up votes to down votes)
Partly because some people don't like our lovely Simon, and some people don't like us mentioning this group. people are strange...
WTF? But you're the best group on the net. I tried a fun, light-hearted intro post at another forum yesterday, that will remain nameless and was instantly threatened with a ban.I actually assumed it was because my book's been included in the selection, since it's niche sci-fi, and "humour", at that.
Someone has been down-voting my review of your book - in the US too. They either don't like you or don't like me (or both)
You can vote on reviews on your own products? That doesn't seem right.
Seems out of whack with the forums too, where the option to vote on your own posts isn't even there.
Oh. Should I not down vote Simon's posts then? ;)
I can't vote on my own reviews, but anyone else can. It doesn't matter what product the review is of.
Hmm, I should go and up vote all of my reviews then. Why does doing that feel wrong though?
Ok, please bear with me here because this is all a bit experimental......
During February a little gang of kindle fans have been beavering away to see if they could come up with a system where we could put forward some recommendations to the group. We ummd and arrrrd quite a lot then I ran out of spare time.
However we have come up with a book we are happy to put to the group as a recommended read. If the idea works and we get good feedback we will be offering up recommendations in the coming months.
We have devised a scoring system that is nothing like the Amazon system.
A book will get recognition by 1,2 or 3 acorns depending on how we rate the book.
1 Acorn - Recommended.
2 Acorns - Highly recommended.
3 Acorns - Must read.
It should be pointed out that
1 Acorn will be a sought after sign of recognition not to be sniffed at.
2 Acorns should send the author out for champagne and
3 Acorns generally means I have been bribed with beer.
Shortly I think a review will be posted....