Vaginal Fantasy Book Club discussion
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Gabriel's Ghost
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Eh, the parallel was kinda fun to draw, which is why I went with it. :)
I want to know what Sci-fi worlds y'all were seeing while reading Gabriel's Ghost. It's left so open it's easy to insert things from other sci-fi that you love.
Ok so TBH I'm only about half-way through the book. I started it Friday night and since I have no kids for 2 weeks while they are with in-laws, I'll definitely be able to finish before tonight. I have to say, I agree with alot that's being said on the lack of back story development. There was alot that was "shown" and we were expected to accept at face value. 'This is the way it is,because I said so!' Thats kinda the feeling I was left with.
On the Chaz side, I do find her to be quite weak and confusing. I really want to see her side of things but I call b/s to the whole 'he touches me and my mind turns to liquid jello' process. Yes my hubby can do or say certain things to kinda take me out of the whole 'I'm REALLY mad at you!' state of mind, but that doesn't mean I instantly forgive and forget what happened initially.
I would have preferred something with a much stronger heroine, such as anything in Anne McCaffery's Rowan series or even Starfire by Phoebe Conn, which was my first romance or sci-fi book I ever read, so I'm a bit partial!!
On a side note, I'd love to have some Christine Feehan or Laurell K Hamilton in the group!!
Felicia wrote: "PointyEars42 wrote: "Mariah wrote: "there a few kind of large issues that make it difficult to get fully immersed in the word and invested in the characters."Issues indeed. I started Karen Marie ..."
I started in this group with Slave to Sensation and then The Iron Duke and Soulless. I enjoyed all of these and have already read other books in their respective series.
This is the first time that I haven't enjoyed the book and I'm one of the ones who voted for space. I wanted to try something new. I've dipped my toe and now I know it's not for me.
That's what I love about this. You have introduced me to new series that I have loved. Keep up the great work.
Ok I loved this book all 4 books in-fact and the Ren fan club needs to read book #2 with Del.My question for the Panle was
"What is your defenestration of Alpha male"
Because Sully is not an Alpha, phlup is but not Sully, sully leaves destions to Chaz, she planed the raid on the P40, she plans the raid on the lab. She commanded on the P40 and in book #2 is in commanded of Sully's ship now there ship. He gives up power and control to her he followed her when she told him to stop with the mind shit. And she said
"a Good caption Knows when to resind and order"
when sex with Sully without the emotional transference was not there.
I loved the complicated relation ship yes it hard for her to know whether she was being manipulated or not each time to stuck to hur gut and whent back (this is so much clearer in book to)
she akted like a solgur she lock things away and concentrated on the task's at hand thats what i liked about her she was also a brilant planer.
Ok Sully and the not telling the truth. I thought this was maid clear but its clear in book two. the leavle of hait for sicis even teling chaz he risekd much. enven possible mutantie if she told any one.
Think for a minute you ahve a deap dark secret say you are in witnes pertection. when do you tell the woman you love that she will fase a life hunted too. i though he left her planty of clues to figur out his power buy her self.
The marage(pycic marge) to me this was clear a powerfull phycic tells you all that you are for all that i am what do you think that mean. and after that she does know everything, becase she has full acesses to his brain(she just isent shir how to use it. He also easer into the link and holdis back sloly showing here. he even showed her he glowed before they did the core thing. there is a sean where after sex she looks at him and hes sounded buy gray she just doesn't know what to make of it.
Well i loved all these books and compared to Hyperion which i had to read for the other book club these where amassing loved them need more.
Ps yes i know my spelling is tarable just wanted to put my two cents in.
Just out of curiosity, was anyone else expecting more to come from the Gregor storyline? I mean we had a lot of time invested showing how much he hated Chaz and Ren, his attempts to churn up trouble between people on board, even pointing the finger at Chaz for the sabotage of the ship. We know he wanted off the ship as well so when the others went to do the mission I was expecting to see some action from Gregor-either taking the opportunity to leave or even taking the ship for his own and leaving them stranded. I was really expecting something more there but as far as I remember we got...nothing (maybe my memory has failed me though so correct me if I’m wrong!) That part of the story to me just seemed to get built up then drop-off entirely when it could have added even more drama to the final sequence if he’d acted a bit more on his animosity of Chaz and Ren (especially now that they are receiving help from Fleet officers). Did anyone else think the same?
Just out of curiosity, was anyone else expecting more to come from the Gregor storyline? Book 2 :)
The Blue Hawaiianhttp://www.drinksmixer.com/drink1385....
Follow the written recipe above the video, not the video itself (though watch the video - it has to have THE LEAST interesting bartender I have ever seen. The Ocean Spray cranberry farmers would be more lively). Be sure to get Creme of Coconut and not coconut milk or coconut flavored rum - creme of coconut is almost like a paste, and tends to come in a squeeze bottle - it needs the boost to fight the rum and pineapple sweetness. Ask at your neighborhood Bev Mo (know they have them in LA, don't remember them in the Bay Area, but they do have Liquor Barns up there - the name alone reeks of class). Personally, I wouldn't go for the full slice of pineapple garnish - a couple of cubes mixed with cherries on a swizzle stick is a lot more manageable, particularly after you've had a few.
Wow...I have so much more to say about alcohol than this week's book. It obviously wasn't written for me. Frankly, I've read issues of Phil Foglio's Xxenophille (a short anthology series of comics by Phil Foglio centering on primarily humorous fantasy/scifi sex) that had deeper stories and characterizations. My favorite - God and the devil wagering on a couple as to whether they would conceive the antichrist. God ho hums them as being awfully vanilla for the parents of the antichrist, so the devil encourages them to be more depraved. When the sun comes up, God concedes that they certainly were very naughty, and we must get together and do this again in a 1000 years. The devil is puzzled, until he realizes: the humans were so busy being creative that they never ACTUALLY managed to...reach completion in the right place.
Re: GrimspaceI'm not even half-way through Grimspace and I can tell you I have a crush on March. That's mostly due to the fact that for whatever reason I picture him as Mr. Bates from Downton Abbey. And how can you not love Mr. Bates?
Felicia wrote: "I was thinking the Fever series would be a good pick, but it's almost NECESSARY to read all the books in the series, and that is kinda not great for us? I dunno. Now I'm scared to pick a book after this month's installment, haha. ."Aww, don't be scared to pick. You're doing a great job. No matter what book you choose there will be people who don't like it. From what I've read it's pretty evenly split with folks who liked it and didn't. That makes the best conversations, really!
Okay, a more book-related comment now: Though I liked Gabriel's Ghost, I felt almost like the romance was the downfall of what would otherwise be a pretty decent book. I mentioned in another thread that I liked both of the main characters, Chaz and Sully. I thought they were nicely complex and had a lot going on. I just didn't like them together. Rather than bringing out the best in each other, they seemed to bring out the worst. Chaz became an indecisive whiner and Sully became an overbearing jerk, though neither of them really were that way at all. I think I would have rather Chaz ended up with Ren.
Felicia wrote: "PointyEars42 wrote: "Mariah wrote: "there a few kind of large issues that make it difficult to get fully immersed in the word and invested in the characters."Issues indeed. I started Karen Marie ..."
NO! please dont be scared! Im loving this book club and the vf hangouts I so so so dont want them to end, not yet anyway!. I wasnt overly keen on the book but also didnt hate it but im glad I read it to experience my first sci-fi romance book, I had gotten into a rut with reading, reading the same old same old, now im eager to read anything thrown at me, Im so glad youve reawakened my love of books and cant get enough of them no matter what they are like so bring on the next book please!
I love that this was the book selected this month. It is one that I never would have picked up on my own. For an I-don't-want-to-think-too-much read, this fit the bill. Sure, there was a lack of character development, world building, and some truly cheesy dialogue. But, I am not expecting great literature or a romance that will last through the ages. Reading the back cover and seeing the front cover art, I am not sure why people are expecting Pride and Prejudice: Space Edition.
I was looking for a quick, entertaining read, with a little bit of hot sauce on top. I think this book delivered as promised.
Can someone clarify the picking criteria for books? Is it "strong female lead that drives the fantasy/science fiction plot - and it should have sex scenes" or "lotsa nookie with a fantasy/science fiction stage dressing"?
Mod
I think we are leaning towards more nookie because most complaining is about how there isn't enough hahah.
That's not fair though, because Grave Witch and Grimspace were both awesome, and both had but one sex scene. Some of the others... *wiggles hand back and forth*Quality of the plot+romance over quantity, please!
I actually really like Grimspace and there's not a lot of nookie. So I'm o.k. with less nookie, more plot/character/world building, etc. But I'm also not a romance novel reader.
I actually just started reading Gabriel's Ghost tonight cause I finally got around to downloading it..well.. tonight. Not far in because I'm also working on my own stuff while reading which I guess shows can't multi-task well.
Michele wrote: "That's not fair though, because Grave Witch and Grimspace were both awesome, and both had but one sex scene. Some of the others... *wiggles hand back and forth*Quality of the plot+romance over qu..."
I very much get where Michele is coming from. Those 2 were my favorite books that the club has done so far. They are good quality, and I got into the story more, but they did have some steamy scenes.
I like a book with a good build and world, but that doesn't stop at the kiss. There are some really good YA books out there, but the way authors usually avoid having the characters "go all the way" is distracting. If the characters really want each other than it is naturally for them to have a steamy scene or two.
An author either forcing people together to make a book hotter, or forcing them apart to make a book PG, both feel equally cheap to me.
Felicia wrote: "Melinda wrote: "Can someone clarify the picking criteria for books? Is it "strong female lead that drives the fantasy/science fiction plot - and it should have sex scenes" or "lotsa nookie with a f..."I wonder if some people are using the book club as an excuse to read books they normally wouldn't read (the bodice ripper variety). Of if there are some lurkers out there that just want the ladies that run this board to have more steamy hangout videos...if it's in the book, it will be talked about.
If that's not it, than they can always read the sexier books on their own. There are a lot of books recommended on this forum that are more sex filled, so that option is available to those who want to indulge themselves.
I have a lot harder time finding a quality read, that is adult in nature, but not strictly literary porn. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with those books, but they are so much easier for me to find. I was happy to find this book club, thinking it would provide some recommendations for those in-the-middle books. Great word building (whatever the genre), real character development, and realistic romances that go beyond a kiss.
I agree with Tylina in that it's important that a relationship at least come across as naturally developing and building over the course of the story. Even if the author is shoe-horning them together, the chemistry has to feel right to me for me to buy into the relationship and care about it.
Felicia, don't be afraid to pick! I for one have liked everything you've picked (except for one, but that wasn't your fault). I've enjoyed them for different reasons. No book is going to please everyone, and as long as there's something for us to talk about it's all good! You've introduced me to a new genre and several new authors. It's exciting! Keep going!
I think as an author you would want to have both the positive and negative feedback... all praise does not make one strive harder to give their best!
At least Felicia is recommending other books by the author.
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Vaginal Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Grave Witch (other topics)Grimspace (other topics)
Tbh I think Sully was rightly demonised - he's horribly abusive! He had a choice to be honest and he chose to force her instead. And so was Phillip in many respects but at least he had the sense to divorce rather than make them both unhappier.