A Good Thriller discussion

Alan wrote: "Chris, start with The Forgotten Legion, it's the first of a trilogy, then his books on Spartacus and Hannibal. Wilbur Smith has stated that Ben is the rising star of historical fiction :-)"

Thanks, Alan!

Potter a thon! Love it, Autumn!

Speaking of music, have we got a music thread on here? Music in general. A favourite tv theme tune. Bet I could name a few!!

I think there is one under Film/Television section

Cheers Lorrea!

Sean wrote: "I am happy, especially as burning my favourite playlists onto CD's for my car !!

Have loads of different CD's !!

Crazy never drive for that long in Jersey... LOL

Night off from tennis, just watc..."

That sound you hear is me smacking my forehead, Sean.

No ereader, burns CDs still...by any chance you still use a matchbox in the kitchen ? :)

Burning cds isn't old school!! I quite miss the days of old technology. I certainly miss the days when I could walk around without listening to people's conversations. The other day I was in a situation where I was forced to listen to a woman on her phone asking her husband what they should have for dinner!!

Autumn wrote: "Janet wrote: "I refused to watch the Harry Potter movies until the complete boxset was out. Watched all eight movies in three days whilst the kids were away!!"

I LOVE a good Potter-a-Thon!"

We are midway through a Big Bang Theory-a-thon. The sad part is that I am now craving a Sheldon Laundry Folder. I must have one. I have even shown the girls at work Youtube clips of him folding his laundry - and they want one too!

Elaine how funny! I have to admit when that episode came out I did order one from Amazon! Does work!

Janet wrote: "Burning cds isn't old school!! I quite miss the days of old technology. I certainly miss the days when I could walk around without listening to people's conversations. The other day I was in a situ..."

I agree, Janet. Having to listen to those conversations while in the restroom is the worst thing!

I'll just say that I'm "old school" in almost all regards and proud of it.

Kathryn wrote: "Janet wrote: "Burning cds isn't old school!! I quite miss the days of old technology. I certainly miss the days when I could walk around without listening to people's conversations. The other day ..."

Ty wrote: "Sean wrote: "I am happy, especially as burning my favourite playlists onto CD's for my car !!

Have loads of different CD's !!

Crazy never drive for that long in Jersey... LOL

Night off from tenn..."

So Kathryn, do you have a smart phone?

Chris

Christine wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Janet wrote: "Burning cds isn't old school!! I quite miss the days of old technology. I certainly miss the days when I could walk around without listening to people's conversations..."

No, I have a dumb one. I only need one if I leave my home in the woods and venture out into civilization. Never know what's lurking out there if I should break down. Also need one in case there's an emergency with the kids while I'm out. It also bothers me how much time people spend with their smart phones. I like to take in the world around me and I encourage others to do so.

Kathryn wrote: "Christine wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Janet wrote: "Burning cds isn't old school!! I quite miss the days of old technology. I certainly miss the days when I could walk around without listening to peop..."

Right on, Kathryn!! Who besides me and Kathryn doesn't have a smart phone?

Chris

Yes I have a smart phone, and have a very up to date computer, with 28,000 songs lots of playlists, and the latest burn software.

A wide variety of music, that can make varied music playlists, and also can plug I Pod straight into the car if needed.

Lots of up to date new gadgets, but still like to read a physical book, which I know has you Ty tapping your forehead... LOL

I want a Sheldon laundry folder, but we hang most of our clothes, so I don't have a real use for it. I just want one!

On smart phones. Michael made fun of mine, until we were lost one day and the car's GPS kept sending us the wrong way. My Nokia phone saved the day.

I have 826 songs on my gogear vibe mp3 player and if you have an old cassette player in your car, you can get the cassette thing that plugs into your mp3 player and it plugs into your car. It's pretty cool. You have to turn the volume up on your car and player to hear the music though.

Hi Cynthia, today's phones are like something out of a Sci- Fi movie, I remember the first mobiles and they resembled something like a briefcase haha

Alan wrote: "Hi Cynthia, today's phones are like something out of a Sci- Fi movie, I remember the first mobiles and they resembled something like a briefcase haha"

ROFL, Alan!!

Sean wrote: "Yes I have a smart phone, and have a very up to date computer, with 28,000 songs lots of playlists, and the latest burn software.

A wide variety of music, that can make varied music playlists, and..."

Sean, you are waaaaay techier than me! Hope Ty doesn 't see this--he might unfriend me....

Chris

Alan wrote: "Hi Cynthia, today's phones are like something out of a Sci- Fi movie, I remember the first mobiles and they resembled something like a briefcase haha"

Alan,

Good to hear from you! I still don't know how to do half the things my phone is capable of doing.

I had one of the first 'portable case' computers. It was called a Kaypro, I think. It was so heavy I leaned over just hoisting it off the ground. I wanted a cell phone, but it's case was bigger than my purse and had a battery life of about 3 hours tops.

All the best,
Cynthia (The Garrett half of Garrett Smith)

hey all! ^_^ what's up?

Good Morning Amber!!

morning Lorrea. :) hope your day has been well thus far.

Cynthia, yes my dad used to sell them when they first came out, I remember everyone saying they would never take off, how wrong where they!! Haha.

Thanks for replying and I hope all is well for you and your better half.

so what's everyone doing? I'll be reading later and hopefully get to work on chapter 2 of the sequel of my AbyssFantastical web serial later to post on June 14th on gr. The sequel is called AF dark descent and its set 5 years after the first one. The first chapter of the new weekly web serial went up yesterday and it took me three days to write it. Going to find a movie to watch for Saturday today too for my movie review for friends and family on fb later too. :) tried to get some authors for a friend's authors promote yourself storyteller's show for her online radio show Charred Remains on blogtalkradio too for Saturday. the host needed three more authors to come on that wrote horror, fantasy, and paranormal romance/suspense books to promote and read an excerpt of their work. hope she gets her last few spots filled for the first show.

I've been working this morning. I have two 'jobs' and am still studying for a third. It's so hard to study with kids...I'm going to have to do this when they are sleeping.

Hi all if anyone has any books on a Series book 1 and 2 that all don't want let me know i am collecting books for my chruch cause we are having a sell going on in july and we need some books also

Tammie wrote: "Hi all if anyone has any books on a Series book 1 and 2 that all don't want let me know i am collecting books for my chruch cause we are having a sell going on in july and we need some books also"

Where are you located Tammie....I have a few stand alones I may be able to send.

Um, I looooove my gadgets! The best thing is that I annoy my kids because I know as much as, if not more, about techy stuff than they do!!! :-D

Sean wrote: "Yes I have a smart phone, and have a very up to date computer, with 28,000 songs lots of playlists, and the latest burn software.

A wide variety of music, that can make varied music playlists, and..."

28,000 songs? Wow!

Janet, I often go to my kids for help with that stuff. We had been so disgusted with past computers that we made the switch from Windows to an iMac and have never looked back. Unfortunately, it was much different but the kids' schools provide them with Apple products so any questions we had at the time of the switch were handled by them. We were very grateful.

Always been a Windows/Android girl myself! Apple do charge a premium for their products, others are quickly catching up to their technology, and rightly so. Not a fan of Apple's snobbish attitude, but I have an appreciation of their products.

I am lucky that a relative of mine is an IT expert, so looks after us well. Gives the pc a once over every now and again and sorts me out with software, etc.

Good you got the help though via the school. I'm all for people helping each other!! :))

I love my Apple products, so easy to navigate and I've never had a problem with any of them!

A lot do Mal! And a lot don't!! :))

We have a windows computer and android tablets but no smart phones. My parents have net10 cell phones they have to get prepaid minutes for. That's how old-school we are. I even got a sony portable cd player, cds, an old cassette player and cassettes. I got a gogear vibe mp3 player that holds more songs than 1 I got from target that only held 100.

Hello, my name is Lorrea and I am a...

Kathryn wrote: "Janet, I often go to my kids for help with that stuff. We had been so disgusted with past computers that we made the switch from Windows to an iMac and have never looked back. Unfortunately, it w..."

Got a Mac and three iPads at home. Not an Apple fanatic but an admirer of their products for sure,

Lorrea(Threein3) wrote: "Hello, my name is Lorrea and I am a...

"

Love it!

Malina wrote: "I love my Apple products, so easy to navigate and I've never had a problem with any of them!"

I agree Malina. We've now had this computer for a few years now and not one thing has happened to it. It's nice to know that when I turn it on, it will start up like it's supposed to so I don't have to rip my hair out. Now having owned their products, I will never go back.

Kathryn wrote: "Malina wrote: "I love my Apple products, so easy to navigate and I've never had a problem with any of them!"

I agree Malina. We've now had this computer for a few years now and not one thing has ..."

Me too, Kathryn. I switched to Apple MacBook Air 1 1/2 years ago and am done with the competition.

Chris

I have a question for anyone who reads advance copies. Do you put disclaimers that you got the book for free and why. I notice that many people seem to do it but I never do. Just wondering why you do or don't.

I do because sometimes the person sending the book requests that I do. Other times ARC copies may have some differences from the final copy. One such book I read last year had a really weird arrangement. My mom got the book when it was released and her copy was a bit different than mine. The places I thought were weird in the book, we done in italics in her book to indicate that there was a change in speaker.

I always thank Netgalley and the publisher. That's just manners. And I generally say if I receive a request copy for review. Keeps my review honest and unbiased. Only once have I been asked to review a book and he didn't offer to give it for free. The book wasn't that good and I'm sure it affected how I felt about it. Don't ask for a review if you're not giving it away, it's a bit cheeky. Suffice to say I wouldn't do it again.

Interesting. I don't thank Netgalley because I figure we are both getting something out of it. They want my review and whatever tiny bit of publicity I can give and I get the book for free. The reviews I read when I know it was a request for review or ARC always feel biased or rated higher than it should (present company excluded of course). I figure since I always provide an honest review, it shouldn't matter to the review reader if I got the book for free or if I paid for it. I don't want to give the impression that I may be grading it higher BECAUSE I got it for free.

Personally I treat each book I read in the same manner. I go into with an open mind. I have read several books by the same author and have given one a 4 star and another a 2 star, it depends on the content of the book and how much I enjoy it and how it affects me as the reader. Doesn't matter if I got the book for free or if I paid for it.

I mean't read for requests. Nothing else. Netgalley is a privilege and I approach bought and ARC's in exactly the same way.

How do you get involved in reviewing books for free? I am just curious.

The main source for me is netgalley.com. There are tons of books for review that you can request.

I will give that a try!

I always put on books I review that are read for review requests that I got a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. and I get them from authors who contact and ask me about reviewing their work.

Autumn wrote: "How do you get involved in reviewing books for free? I am just curious."

A lot of publishers, also, have first read programs, where they will send you copies of books about a month before they are to be released to the general public.