Laurie R. King Virtual Book Club discussion
Welcome and greetings!!
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Kat
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Jul 10, 2012 10:36AM
So glad to see the VBC living on! I am a mostly-lurker, I guess I would log on once a year to comment or check in. Last time, I was in Japan and not doing too well. Back home and still not doing well, but hanging in there with a brand new copy of Pirate King to enjoy once I'm done with my yearly reread! I actually decided to read the books "in order" this time - previous rereads, I would pause in the middle of BEEK and read OJER straight through, then resume BEEK once finished. I know, I'm weird. Anyway, glad to see the migration went well - GR tends to be confusing for me, but I hope I can keep up. :)
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Welcome to the new home, Kat! Feel free to voice any bits of confusion you have about GR (we actually have a thread about that
I just joined a day or so ago, but have been a LRK fan for years, and a Holmes fan since I could heft the collection. I'm a pretty voracious reader so I'm always looking for new goodies and Goodreads is my new crack. Russell and Holmes are far and away my favorites, but Folly is the LRK book that moved me the most. Am LOVING 'Sherlock,' though I admit to a certain amount of lusty grinning at Robert Downey Jr.s take. I've finished 'Dust and Shadows' and anxiously await your collective thoughts!
Robin wrote: "I just joined a day or so ago, but have been a LRK fan for years, and a Holmes fan since I could heft the collection. I'm a pretty voracious reader so I'm always looking for new goodies and Goodrea..."Welcome, Robin, and also to Kat (hope you're doing better) and Eric. We want to hear about what you are reading, and we all have a great deal to look forward to when "Garment of Shadows" comes out in September.
And there's still time to get in on the monthly group read of Dust and Shadows.
Mod
Welcome to the VBC, Robin. I finally got around to reading Folly, and ended up loving it too. Come join in on the Dust and Shadows discussion!
Welcome Robin and Kat! And Kat, there are quite a few people who re-read with OJER in the middle of BEEK! So, no, not weird at all.
Hey there everybody,I've been a part of the VBC for something like five years now. Back then, being a small kid, I went under the pseudonym of "Elizabeth Cornwall", but now being, while not quite old, certainly more adult. So, here I am, reintroducing myself as Sarah Burns, who I actually am.
Anyway, I've dropped off the face of the VBC grid quite a while back, due to my total lack of free time during the academic year and most of the summer. But I'd like to try to get a bit more involved once again, but with the knowledge that when my courseload and crew hits again that I will once again be buried up to my eyeballs!
Anyway, reintroduction time. I'm Sarah, and I'm interested in everything under the sun. I adore mysteries and historical novels and nonfiction. I've definitely got a bit of an obsession with spy novels and thrillers. I've never been one for "cozy" books.
I started reading Laurie's books when I was 10, and I've been an avid fan ever since. I can safely say that Ms. King's books have had a huge hand in shaping who I have become as an adult.
I look forward to meeting/remeeting everybody.
Cheers,
Sarah
Mod
John.
Sarah, it's great to have you back. I always loved the contributions of Elizabeth Cornwall. I would be interested in knowing what you are studying and whether you have a career choice in mind.
At the moment I plan on studying international relations and neuroscience. My game plan right now is to go into conflict resolution.
Mod
A combination of focuses worthy of Mary Russell! ;-)
And welcome back, btw. I've missed seeing your comments around!
Welcome (back)! Unusual academic combination. I did the former, but not the latter. There are a number of quite good peace & conflict resolution programs. Are you studying that directly or thinking of it for grad school?
Haha, alas, I'm still not as old as that! I'm going into my final year of high school, and then I'm perusing both as undergrad degrees, before getting a job that will support my graduate and doctorate degree programs. And really, they're not that different, when you look at it a bit abstractly. Internacional relations deals with how a pattern can be disturbed by one country or decision that affects the rest of the world. Neuroscience also can look at how a small difference affects the overall functionality of the mind. The scale is just macro/micro.
I will post some discussion questions tomorrow, since Goodreads in on PT and won't let me post on The Strange Files Of Fremont Jones till it is August 1 there. Hope you enjoy reading it!
Hi there, after a first run at the LRK page, where I never thoroughly followed through, now another round.
Phili - has been reading LRK over the last 8 years, first I kicked off with Kate Martinelli, now I am deeply into Russel & Holmes. Currently LRK is my favorite author, I happily participate in the countdown to her new books and am very happy that Laurie is such a disciplined writer so that I hardly ever have to wait for longer than a year.
Phili is: German by origin, currently living in Belgium, where family conditions are heaven compared to Germany (absence of child-care for <3years, working mum=bad mum image); have a great, demanding, diverse job; a small, relaxed and a bit eccentric family; sort of an expat life, where friends replace family when it comes to network support, which is actually really great; travel a LOT in contintenal Europe, now mainly private, previously also for work; therefore quite some languages (not as many as Russell, but am approaching the half dozen) considers a day without a book a lost day.
My reading taste is hmmmmm, a bit eccentric, maybe?! Being a feminist and a book-eater, esp. of detectives, mystery, thriller, some 10 years ago I linked that:
So I read mystery by female authors. Sometimes fantasy. Once that first condition is met, I get into sorting. I want strong female characters (kicks out 1/3 of authors); I LUV serials, with characters that develop; I like a fast plot and not too much splatter. I like well-developed history Among my list of favorite (female) authors) I make an exception re the gender of the author for a short list only: Henning Mankell, Arne Dahl, Terry Pratchett. and (currently testing) maybe Jo Nesbo.
So that leaves me with authors such as:
(a bit sorted by preference, at least for the first half)
LRK
Anne Holt, Marcia Muller, Linda Barnes,
Laura Lippmann,
Karen Kijewski: little known, often under-estimated
Christine Lehmann (but I'd assume that her books have not been translated from DE to any other language)
Manda Scott: great, weird, strange that she isn't better known, her books are wonderful
Val McDermid: I prefer her older books, the current are a bit too mainstream for my taste
Liza Marklund: same as for Val.
Helene Tursten
Leena Lehtolainen (Great Finnish author!!!)
P.M. Carlsson: Unfortunately, she has not published for quite some years, but her series with Maggie and Nick is GREAT
has read, but currently not following closely
Katherine V. Forrest
Faye Kellersmann -
Anne Perry
Fantasy:
Tamora Pierce is great, especially her recent series about a young female police woman
Trudi Canavan
LRK ;-) really would love if Laurie would further develop her current standalone there
Am always looking for new inspiration, recently tried
Lisa Black
Meg Gardiner
Joan Brady (almost hooked)
If you read this long post, then here are the final triggers: Am looking for great new female authors; interested in all kind of matters; ask me for anything relating to EU politics
Try Elizabeth Moon (trilogy: "The Deed of Paksenarrion," as well as some other science fiction and fantasy).
And if this has somehow slid by you: Stieg Larsson is also a feminist author and the subjects of the Millennium trilogy all deal with issues related to feminism, subjugation of women, sexual crimes, etc. And Lisbeth Salander is a seriously strong female lead.Totally different mood, but you might also try Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody series. Sort-of Mary Russell light.
[Editing to say that I don't mean anything negative by "MR-light" just that Amelia Peabody stories are a bit more frivolous with less dark psychological stuff, though every bit as intelligent.]
Phili,It's great to have you join VBC. We share many of the same favorites. I'm glad to be reminded of Karen Kijewski and to discover I might not have read her last book. I share a special love of LRK, Marcia Muller, Linda Barnes who is finally to have a new book next April, and more recently Helene Tursten.
You might enjoy another of my all-time favorites, Dana Stabenow, whose protagonist is a very strong woman, an Alaska native. There are 19 books in the series so far and Dana is still writing. This ia a series best read in order starting with "A Cold Day for Murder."
My favorite sf/fantasy is a 1988 stand-alone, "Hellspark," by Janet Kagan.
Your list includes a number of authors I want to read. Thank you.
Aaaaaah thanks, Stabenow is on my "to discover" list, good to have that confirmed. Will get moved up in my lists. Stieg Larsson: also already on the list, i don't believe it's coincidence, that male feminist authors are mainly Scandinavian.
Elizabeth Peters - she was on my radar for some time but slipped of again somehow
Has anyone read Dana Stabenow's Star Svensdotter trilogy? It's sf/fantasy and I have it on my Kindle -- as yet unread. (I'm looking forward to it but library books take precedence!!) I think it's still free-for-Kindle at Amazon.marcia
Mod
I have read them and enjoyed them - the first probably the most and the last, the least. But they are well-written sci-fi with a strong female main character. I had some issues with the third book, but I'm not going to put in any spoilers.
OH, temptation!! I really want to read these books -- especially now that I know a little more about them!! But I have two inter-library loans to read first, then the two from my local library, and in between I'm reading A Lucky Man by Michael J Fox!! When I've made it through those, I plan to read the first in the trilogy!
Hello everyone! My name is Susan, and I am a newer fan of Laurie's. I was first introduced to Laurie's work with my mystery book club chosing A Letter of Mary for one of our reads. Since then I have read the first Russell/Holmes and picked up a few more of her works since I am enjoying them so much.
Welcome, Susan, we're delighted to have you join us. Many of us will envy your still having some of Laurie's books to read for the first time. We would be delighted to hear your thoughts in "What are you reading today?" and to have your participation in the discussions. Laurie's latest Russell-Holmes book is the subject for October. We would also like to hear about other authors you enjoy.
Hello, everyone. I met some of you at Bouchercon and learned about this group so I found my way here and look forward to discussions. Once I learn my way around, I may even post! :)
Mod
Hi Dina! Welcome to the group!! It was great meeting you at BCon this past weekend =)
Hey Dina! Glad you found your way over here. Just dive right in and post. Always good to have another voice heard.
Dina, welcome! Please post. We would like to hear your opinions about the books being discussed and about other books you are reading.
Thanks for the welcome. Still learning this place.
Mod
John.
Lesli, we're so glad to have you join us. Be sure to let us know some of your favorite books.
Hi everybody,I just joined this group the other day. I really enjoy the Laura R King books. I am a big Sherlock Holmes fan and I am glad I found this group. This sounds like a fun group.
Mod
John.
Anne, we're so very glad to have you join us. We'll be interested in reading about other books you enjoy.
Hi! I found this group a while ago, and have been reading through old posts and working up the nerve to post something, so here I am. I love the Mary Russell books, and recently reread the original Sherlock Holmes stories -- I found I liked those even more than I remembered. I just found the Three Pines series by Louise Penny, I've only read the first two, but I'm enjoying them. I read all kinds of books, but mysteries are what I always come back to. Anyway, this seems like a great group, and I'm looking forward to seeing more about what everyone else is reading.
Shannon, it's a delight to have you join us.
Mod
John.
welcome, Shannon. I'm doing a reread of all her books myself...except the Pirate King, which i didn't like at all.
Aw, i always feel like i have to step in when people say they didn't like Pirate King. I LOVED it; but i think you have to be very familiar with Gilbert and Sullivan to fully grok it.
Cynthia wrote: "Aw, i always feel like i have to step in when people say they didn't like Pirate King. I LOVED it; but i think you have to be very familiar with Gilbert and Sullivan to fully grok it."That's interesting. Do expand. Are we talking HMS Pinafore?
Pirate King was not my favorite, I admit, although I liked it more than The Language of Bees (although less than Garment of Shadows). What did I miss?
Mod
Hi, Sadie, and welcome to the Virtual Book Club! I am glad that you are excited and jealous that you have a lot of wonderful first-time reads of Laurie's works ahead of you! Please feel free to look through the various discussions and join in where you would like. It is a terrific group of like-minded folks, and we are happy to have you with us!
John.
Welcome, Sadie, we're so glad to have you join us. The Mary Russell series is my favorite, but I also like very much Laurie's Kate Martinelli series. During February we will be discussing the first two book. It's the 20th anniversary of A Grave Talent so you should be able to fine a copy without nany difficulty.
Mod
Welcome, Sadie. I'm right there with John! I envy all the great books you have to savor for the first time.
Just finished reading the whole Mary Russell series this spring. The last four books were new to me and I enjoyed every page. I helped with a production of Pirates years ago which may explain why I loved the Pirate King. I am a school librarian at a K-5 school so I split my time between children's books and books for me. I could read 24/7 and still not have enough time to read everything I would like to!
Hello. I just joined here through a link from LRK's facebook page. I've been reading her Russell books for years; I think I first discovered them around 2001 or so. I love historical mysteries anyway; in fact, I've read almost all of the Maisie Dobbs series, of which the first is this month's book selection.
Mod
Welcome to the VBC, Christine! The Mary Russell series is addicting and the only books I can read over and over. Considering how chaotic Pirate King was, I can only imagine how chaotic a Pirates of Penzance production would be.
Mod
Welcome to the VBC, Menzie! The book discussion on Maisie Dobbs is in full swing, so head on over and hop right in if you haven't already.
Laurie R. King Virtual Book Club
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Mary Higgins Clark (other topics)Dianne Day (other topics)
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