Book Talk discussion

The Hoard was really good. I have not had any time to read for the past week and am still working on finishing Picking the Bones. It as a great collection of short stories!

Ain't it a good one, Bill?

Thanks for the recommendation, Jon! It is really great so far! I don't know that I would have stumbled upon this one had you not suggested it...Thanks!!

Anytime!
Glad you're enjoying it!

It figures that the one afternoon I'm busy with my Mom, all hell explodes over here.

Marc, I think I did come across a book with fake reviews. The book I was talking about was The House by Van Brunt. All the reviews here are 4 or 5 stars and I'm sorry, but I just don't see it.

Adam wrote: "As an indie author myself, Charlene, I find that there is nothing more atrocious than some people peddling terrible works and getting me to buy it by faking reviews. Reviews are my bread and butter..."

Adam, agreed. For the first time EVER, I returned a book.

Lee wrote: "You can't go wrong with some Thompson and Burke, Charlene! I'd pay good money to watch either of them make out with a super model."

You're right, Lee! Either one is good eye candy AND good reading. ; P
And I probably would do a Tonya Harding on the supermodel. Just sayin'.

Charlene, I dread buying a garbage book with great fake reviews like that. But I suppose it's inevitable. Can't avoid being stung forever.

Usually I rely very strongly on the opinions of people I know, or other authors. Even the blurbs on the covers and on the first few pages will often be a good sign. That's one of the things about e-books I don't like -- you don't get the pages showing you the reviews. Sometimes those are quite interesting!

Just One Look by Harlan Coben

Marc, I generally won't spend money on a book that is not recommended by other readers that I trust.

The trouble comes in for me with group reads. My reviews are generally all positive ones because if I don't like a book after about 10%, it's out. Life is too short, you know? But with group reads (for my horror group), I feel like I should give the book longer than 10% to be fair. When I do that and I still don't like it? Then comes a bad review.And some anger.

Still reading the epic short story collection, "The Weird." Am now on a story called "People of the Pit" written before Lovecraft's time and it hits one after another of the notes HP was later to sound -- hidden cities, ancient alien races, formless monsters, cyclopean vistas, huge monuments with strange heiroglyphics, things too horrible to describe in words, loathsome feelings and appearances ... many bits look as if they could have been lifted out of Lovecraft and only slightly reworked. It was originally published in Amazing Stories, so I can't help but wonder if Lovecraft somehow got access to it before he started his own writing. If so, it would be hard to discount its effect on him, or on our assumptions regarding the degree of his originality.

I'm the same way. I used to read everything through to the finish no matter what, but can't be bothered now. I still may do it if I think the author's style has something to teach me. But I won't do it out of some crazy Puritan work ethic or generalized book-worship anymore.

It's too bad in a situation like yours, Charlene, that at least someone hasn't read the book first. Otherwise it's of course not just you who may not like it and waste time and money on it, but everyone!

I regard even good reviews warily, but *no* reviews is just flipping a coin, at best. With horror, maybe worse than that, because the average horror story isn't very well written.

I used to be the type of person that HAD to finish a book. As the years have kept piling on, I have changed.

That could be because with the Kindle, I have so much more waiting for me to read-right at my fingertips. Or it could be that as I am getting older, I don't want to waste any of that precious time reading crap. : )

And I'm sorry, but that book was crap!

Marc wrote: "Still reading the epic short story collection, "The Weird." Am now on a story called "People of the Pit" written before Lovecraft's time and it hits one after another of the notes HP was later to ..."

If I remember correctly, Lovecraft openly borrowed ideas and characters from other writers that fit into what was to become his "Mythos". Bierce and Dunsany, for example, influenced parts of Lovecraft's writing.

Personally, I still credit Lovecraft as the most imaginative thinker in the genre. Some of his concepts have been echoed in the research of Stephen Hawking. Hell, some of Hawking's theories on the appearance of some alien species are decidedly Lovecraftian. There are moments when I truly believe that the "Dark Dreamer of Providence" was precognitive in his vision of the universe.

Well you know what they say: Mediocre artists borrow; great artists steal.

I knew about Dunsany's influence, but the story surprised me because it seemed more than influence -- almost like shorthand.

I still credit HP with developing a layered universe around his ideas -- or whoever's ideas they were -- and being daring enough to create creatures with all the influence of myth about them while setting them in a world that paradoxically had no real myth about it.

Isn't that quote from Milton Berle?

Who wrote the story in question, The People of the Pit?

Not sure what quote you're referring to.

The People of the Pit was written by A. Merritt in 1918.

I first heard that quote from Harry Chapin, but many years later read it being said by someone else far earlier. Can't remember who. I'd guess it's one of the more stolen lines. :D

The People of the Pit was written by A. Merritt in 1918.

Hmm editing isn't working right for me. Lotsa problems with goodreads software lately.

"Mediocre artists borrow; great artists steal"

Sounds like Berle.

I know Lovecraft had mentioned Merritt at least once. The story must have stuck with him.
It happens.

Worth the read, Jon. The collection has a number of extremely good stories in it and it's over 1000 pages long. Good purchase on my part, methinks.

Sounds like it's right up my alley.
I'll check it out.

Just read Kealan's guest post on Alexandra Sokoloff's (I think I got that spelling right) blog. Really nice read.

Unfortunately, I'm too like him in a way in a way he speaks about in that blog post which he wouldn't recommend -- I find it very hard to write when I don't have some certain minimum peace of mind. I can't write if I'm all wound up. It comes out complete junk if it comes out at all.

Jon Recluse wrote: "How far is thus?"

Approx 35%, and it's getting better.

I'm also listening to the audiobook version of THE WALKING DEAD: RISE OF THE GOVERNOR. It's better than the show's ever been.

I don't think I made it all the way through the first season, on my first try. But it has really picked up a lot in the last and the current season. It's a lot better than it was.

I agree with both of you. I'm really getting tired of Michonne, though. She can decapitate zombies. I get it.

Well then tonight's episode was a treat for you. She showed overt signs of humanity in a facial expression for the first time.

Wow, all that and acting.....

LOL Marc! She did, didn't she? : )

this week's made up for the last couple lame ones.

The one where Darren was trying to console the kid, Karl, by telling him his own mother had left him or wasn't there for him or something (I forget) only to be answered by the quietly weary and fed-up Karl with a line or two to the effect of, "Yeah, you had a tough childhood. A few hours ago I had to shoot my mother in the face" had at least that one awesome part I'll remember forever.

I remember that! Darryl should never have tried to comfort Karl with that story.

SNOWBLIND turned out to be great. RISE OF THE GOVERNOR was a great story, but there was a lot of clunkiness in the writing. I listened to the audio version, and the narration was incredible.

Chris wrote: "SNOWBLIND turned out to be great. RISE OF THE GOVERNOR was a great story, but there was a lot of clunkiness in the writing. I listened to the audio version, and the narration was incredible."

Chris, what about the ending of Snowblind? Like a kick in the face, right? : )

Yeah, I kind of expected that, though. I can't wait to read more of his stuff.

Reading Detritus

Just started listening to THE DEVIL IN SILVER by Victor Lavalle (35 minute commute to work each way means I listen to a lot of audiobooks). Enjoying it so far. Both NEMESIS and INHERITANCE have really started to cook, too.

I have Devil in Silver, Chris, but I haven't read it yet.
It was chosen by some magazine (can't remember which right now) as one of the top 10 books of the year.
I would love to hear what you think of it when you're done!
I'm just over halfway through The Twelve. I like it better than the first book in the trilogy which was The Passage.

Tressa got me a paperback copy of The Devil in Silver from a promotion a while back and I have not gotten around to it yet, even though I am painfully behind reading it. Looked like it got mixed reviews on HA, so I am very interested to see what you think as well, Chris.

so far it's really good. His narration is great, too.

Let us know how you like it. I recently finished Shadow Season and liked it a lot. Looking for another Piccirilli to read next.

I just finished The Twelve. I liked this book better than the first!

Happy to hear that, Charlene. I thought you would.

Yes, Gator! Once again, we've agreed! :)

Just got my hands on Ash

Just reread Kin.
Not Kealan's KIN, but Charles L. Grant's short story in Psycho Paths

I just finished Berserk by Tim Lebbon. MEH
I spent yesterday skimming through Stage Whispers to refresh my memory. Today I am starting Nemesis: The Death of Timmy Quinn. YAY me!

YAY you!

Hope you enjoy it, Charlene!

I know! I'm excited!