SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Beth wrote: "I got a smell!

"pine needles and smoked trout"

This time it's a father rather than a crush so maybe going for comforting?

Also are people really still writing death scenes like this? (Character..."

smoked trout!

A lot of times when characters hear things while in their own home, they hear a dog barking "somewhere." I'm not saying that people don't hear dogs barking down the street in real life, but I see it in so many books, no matter the genre. The characters never seem to hear someone mowing their lawn or doing construction or something that isn't a dog barking somewhere.

I mentioned "a dog barking in an otherwise silent night" in message 221. :) I wouldn't expect you, or anybody, to wade through 6+ pages of messages before posting, by the way. It might even have an unfortunate effect of making you notice things that were blissfully invisible to you before. That dog barking thing is just everywhere once you notice it though, isn't it?

Beth wrote: "I mentioned "a dog barking in an otherwise silent night" in message 221. :) I wouldn't expect you, or anybody, to wade through 6+ pages of messages before posting, by the way. It might even have an..."

Sorry for not seeing that comment! But yes, it is everywhere. Once satire book I once read had, "Somewhere, a Labrador farted." I thought that was pretty funny

@Anna - No but a reasonable guess!

It was (view spoiler)[ Oddity (hide spoiler)] - a book with some fantastic ideas let down by some less than fantastic writing. There were a couple of other moments that classify amazingly for this game, but they were less quotable. :)

I did look at your profile to see if I could figure it out and that was the most likely seeming one 😄 Thanks for confirming!

Willow, that's funny!

I was deep into The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches (a charming found family fantasy) and found myself stopped cold by “The sudden scent of pine needles made her dizzy ... and the ocean?” What is it with guys and pine needles?

To be fair to the author the characters did then speculate on the source of the smells. Perhaps she was making fun of that particular trope too.

Okay, here it comes, one of my beta swaps used the "breath they didn't know they were holding" in their current draft. Probably the most-personal encounter :)

Tomas wrote: "Okay, here it comes, one of my beta swaps used the "breath they didn't know they were holding" in their current draft. Probably the most-personal encounter :)"

So sorry, Tomas! I've come across it four or five times since I last posted about it in this thread, but I gave up on reporting it here. They've worn me down. It's everywhere!

we should really be thanking them, just think how much worse our CO2 emissions would be if everyone was always remembering to do autonomous things like breathing!

Currently reading We Broke the Moon - a character has just let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding 😂🤦🏽‍♀️

Yep, I also have that one highlighted. But it's in all the books now, even in the new ones by authors who know this is a thing, and I have to conclude that they're doing it on purpose :S

Raucous wrote: "What is it with guys and pine needles?"

Men are piney smelling by default, women are floral. That's science!

Anna wrote: "I have to conclude that they're doing it on purpose :S"

...especially when they put a parenthetical (Hi, Anna!) after it.

XD

Leonie wrote: "Currently reading We Broke the Moon - a character has just let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding 😂🤦🏽‍♀️"

I gave up on reporting it here...it's everywhere!!!

I finished a book where the height of the male love interest was brought up or emphasized 3677889 times
Also the girl was teeny tiny and her body was offhandedly compared to that of a child 💀

Anakin wrote: "I finished a book where the height of the male love interest was brought up or emphasized 3677889 times
Also the girl was teeny tiny and her body was offhandedly compared to that of a child 💀"

like the tiny or small hands I keep running across

This is about reviews or the book metasphere rather than books, but I'm getting tired of seeing "of its time" in videos. I've recently started watching some "booktube" videos and it's literally everywhere. Yesterday I saw one where the book was written six years ago, and that was kind of a weird one because six years ago and yesterday are near the same thing, at my age. :D

(but really, I think this just shows that booktube and bookstagram are not for me. it's cool, goodreads hasn't lost me yet!)

Gareth let out a breath that he'd been all too aware he was holding, and called, "What is it?"

From The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by a fave author K.J. Charles. At first my eyes passed over the phrase and I thought, "No, not you too!" But then had a good laugh that was half relief as well as delight at the lampshaded inversion.

Mel wrote: "Gareth let out a breath that he'd been all too aware he was holding, and called, "What is it?"

From The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by a fave author K.J. Charles. At first my..."

I wonder if they have been following this thread . . .

Beth wrote: "This is about reviews or the book metasphere rather than books, but I'm getting tired of seeing "of its time" in videos. I've recently started watching some "booktube" videos and it's literally eve..."

The only things I want referenced as of their time are pagers, phone boxes, CDs and the like. I don't imagine that's how the book tubers are using it.

A new twist on an old standby - the MC is not aware that someone else is holding their breath!

"Sandy, who has been holding her breath without me being consciously aware of it, exhales loudly enough that I nearly jump."

from The Apocalypse Codex.

Meredith wrote: "A new twist on an old standby - the MC is not aware that someone else is holding their breath!

"Sandy, who has been holding her breath without me being consciously aware of it, exhales loudly enou..."

Wow, Meredith! It's evolved 😂

Meredith wrote: "A new twist on an old standby - the MC is not aware that someone else is holding their breath!

"Sandy, who has been holding her breath without me being consciously aware of it, exhales loudly enou..."

😂 I can picture it. The author editing his manuscript thinking "can't use that one. Wait! Someone else could be unknowingly holding their breath. No one will expect that!" 😂

Kaladin wrote: "can't use that one. Wait! Someone else could be unknowingly holding their breath. No one will expect that!"

😂😂😂

There's just no avoiding it at this point!

Why is nobody talking about when the breath holds the person?? >_>

Becky wrote: "Why is nobody talking about when the breath holds the person?? >_>"

Maybe we should stay tuned!

I have a suggestion for sci-fi authors: how about a sentient spaceship that can holds its breath? It could be holding one without being aware of it too. Just imagine the ensuing chaos when a battleship tries some breathing exercise. 😂

😂

Willow wrote: "Beth wrote: "I mentioned "a dog barking in an otherwise silent night" in message 221. :) I wouldn't expect you, or anybody, to wade through 6+ pages of messages before posting, by the way. It might..."

"Somewhere, a Labrador farted. It was a very big Labrador. People could hear it down the street and everyone immediately held their breath."

I apologise for my fart joke. But I couldn't help it when I read everything that was written here.

Kaladin wrote: "I have a suggestion for sci-fi authors: how about a sentient spaceship that can holds its breath? It could be holding one without being aware of it too. Just imagine the ensuing chaos when a battle..."

How can you even breathe in space? There's no air.

Of course, you can breathe if you have a spacesuit on. But a sentient ship wearing a spacesuit is too much even for science fiction.

Now that's an idea, a spaceship wearing a space suit. 😂 I'd picture my suggestion as a spaceship feeling a little ten, with alarms going off or some technical glitches. Then the spaceship goes "sorry guys" and all goes back to normal. 😁

Kaladin wrote: "Now that's an idea, a spaceship wearing a space suit. 😂 I'd picture my suggestion as a spaceship feeling a little ten, with alarms going off or some technical glitches. Then the spaceship goes "sor..."

I think it is an idea that could be sold to a writer who could turn it into a very funny book.

Jabotikaba wrote: "Kaladin wrote: "Now that's an idea, a spaceship wearing a space suit. 😂 I'd picture my suggestion as a spaceship feeling a little ten, with alarms going off or some technical glitches. Then the spa..."

👍Would be cool to see that play out in a story. Space comedy deluxe. :D

Kaladin wrote: "Jabotikaba wrote: "Kaladin wrote: "Now that's an idea, a spaceship wearing a space suit. 😂 I'd picture my suggestion as a spaceship feeling a little ten, with alarms going off or some technical gli..."

If a spaceship needs a spacesuit, it might also need clothes and underwear. So this story could also be about the fashion industry producing these necessary items.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is a great idea for a good space opera!

"{something horrible or chilling}" They said, as though casually discussing the weather...

If I had a dollar for everytime an author wrote about a character saying something dramatically in a calm, cool way by describing it as speaking about the weather, I'd have a hundred bucks.

John wrote: "If I had a dollar for everytime an author wrote about a character saying something dramatically in a calm..."

Hahahaha, yeah, I guess!

I hate the constant grinning in some books. Have any of you come across that? The default expression of the characters seems to be a maniacal grinning all around. It's like there aren't any other facial expressions. One series in particular always stands out in my mind for that: The Legend of Eli Monpress.

Michelle wrote: "I hate the constant grinning in some books. Have any of you come across that?"

Yep, Michelle, I have. And you're right, it's a bit annoying.

Michelle wrote: "I hate the constant grinning in some books. Have any of you come across that? The default expression of the characters seems to be a maniacal grinning all around. It's like there aren't any other f..."

Characters in many books don't just grin every five minutes, they also gulp and giggle all the time. OK, I giggle too when I see or hear something funny. But what kind of saliva problems do these characters have that make them gulp all the time?
Also, in YA (when written by female authors) and romantasy, male characters are constantly 'clearing their throats' and 'squaring their jaws'. Midnight in Everwood by Maria Kuzniar is particularly notable in this area. Overall, it's a wonderfully written and very interesting book, but the main character's boyfriend was clearing his poor throat on almost every page. Had he really existed, I would have suggested that he see a doctor, or at least drink some hot milk.

Jabotikaba wrote: "Michelle wrote: "I hate the constant grinning in some books. Have any of you come across that? The default expression of the characters seems to be a maniacal grinning all around. It's like there a..."

lol

did I mention tossing hair?

Or raising chins

Michelle wrote: "Or raising chins"

CBRetriever wrote: "did I mention tossing hair?"

How could I forget about that? How can the female protagonist not toss her hair (luxurious and thick, of course) and proudly raise her chin (small, because girls in YA and romantasy are not supposed to have big chins) when she argues with the prince of vampires, elves or werewolves? Meanwhile, the super-hot prince clears his throat and squares his jaw.