readers advisory for all discussion

Pacing- This isn't a deal breaker one way or the other. I've been sick and less patient these days so too slow might not be good. I don't wanna read anything about a bunch of crazy stuff happening and then a tacked on ending that the problems from the beginning are resolved. I don't like the pace to feel rushed, I guess I'm trying to say. "Stop trying to distract me!" I want to cry.

Storyline- I don't want anything too generalized, like acceptable to all like could be used as labels for The Beatles or boy bands. "He's the funny one and he's the smart one. Oh, her MOM died so I guess it's okay that she did that because my mom died too." What if I DON'T know how that feels? I hate reading about "acceptable" behavior when I don't know what that is. Specific is the best. I want to know the ins and outs of everyone. More than anything I wanna feel like I'm there and know them. I hate it when people are always "beautiful" and it means nothing at all to me. What else is there?

Frame- I don't know what to say for this. My mood decides what book I'm going to pick up. Sometimes I shelve a book for when I'm not going to be too sad or annoyed by overly happy people. I don't like gleeful books with "Wow geez look at that what just happened there!" quality (Luke in Star Wars stuff but everyone is like that). I don't like stories about dinner party happy people. Does that description make sense? I'm probably doing this wrong...


Characterization- This is the most important to me. I wanna feel like I can read their minds. It doesn't matter if those are scary places to look into. Just so long as they have minds.

Subject heading- I don't know what to put here.

Appeal factors- I don't want to read about fictional politics. I love fantasy but I am also wary of them because of the fictional politics.

All I really want are books to open up and forget about everything else because the book and people are that absorbing.

Can you list a few titles that you've enjoyed?

I guess I am a little vague! Sorry. (I'm embarrassed. I'd probably kill Greg in the B&N asking for books.)

Some of my favorite books:

The Death of the Heart
Watership Down
The Last Unicorn
Titus Groan
Palomar: The Heartbreak Soup Stories

(I also like nonfiction and books about films and music. If you feel like you're there.)

Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

Infinite Jest

I've read both of those and they are favorites. :)
If I hadn't read them I'd be very happy. You're good at this.

If you asked me for a book in the store you would probably be recommended this, Magnetic Field. Or this, The Children's Hospital.

she's reading m.f. RIGHT NOW!!!

and i am very happy about that.

I am reading it! And The Suitors finally came.

I will get Children's Hospital too. I remember Tommy's review. It sounds good!

okay. i am going to be bad at my "job" here, and recommend two titles that i am pretty sure you will like, but this is based on my following your reviews for a while, and not necessarily what you have said here.

The Ninth Life of Louis Drax
i have a feeling you will love her, particularly this book of hers. it is definitely fast-paced and engrossing, and if you have a heart, it will probably be moved at least once or twice. but it also has a lot of fun and creepy elements that i think you will dig. these people are definitely not dinner party people; this is a dark little book.

i am not going to recommend the other one to you, because i am on the fence about it. instead, let me just say, that if you want characters that you will feel like you know - that you never want to let go of, that will make you cry when you hear about the death of the author like you have just lost a hundred friends all at once, let me just recommend (again) Donald Harington

just stay away from if you do not want politics.

I will check that out and Harington is on his way with the Klaus Kinski Greg recced elsewhere. You guys are so good at this! It is tough for me to say what I'll like until I like it. But this is good. It is good to think about how we read and judge books.

I realize that I'm supposed to give reasons for my recommendations. I'm terrible at that. I don't know exactly why I would recommend the books that I did here, I kind of gave you my two big default recommendations that I give when I think that the person wants something smart and really good. Children's Hospital is dark and magical in a not so fantastical way (if a Noah's Ark type structure being created out of a Children's Hospital to ride out a civilization destroying flood can be seen as not too fantastical). It has great characters, and is one of those very all encompassing type novels.

Thanks, Elizabeth!

Magnetic Field(s) can be considered a success for this group, right?

sure! were there any other successes, failures?

I've just added Magnetic Field to my library holds, but which Donald Harrington do I start with???