reading Currently Reading (non-GA)

[Cscampbell]

Currently re-reading for like the 6th time The Name of The Wind, the first book in the King Killer Chronicles. This is such a great trilogy, you come to totally love and cheer the main character. While reading these books I've laughed, cried, and said "Oh My God" so many times I can't count.

If you love fantasy, or even if you don't particularly care about fantasy, you HAVE to check this out.

 

[Page Scrawler]

Currently, I'm reading a new book called "The Book of Dreams" by Kevin Craig. It's sort of like a gay Young Adult version of Inkheart. I'm only five pages in, and I already want to DNF. The narrative doesn't sound like a 17-year-old; it sounds like an adult author trying to impress his readers with a sophisticated, mature protagonist who's wise beyond his years.

That's not to say that teenagers can't be mature or use complex words, of course. Teenagers aren't known for being formal, so it simply makes the MC sound less believable as a person. 

[Ron]

On 4/11/2022 at 7:46 PM, Cscampbell said:

The Name of The Wind, the first book in the King Killer Chronicles.

Yes, I agree that this is a good series overall. I thought the first two books were truly something new and exciting, but the third book managed to meander off for me.

[W_L]

18 hours ago, Page Scrawler said:

Currently, I'm reading a new book called "The Book of Dreams" by Kevin Craig. It's sort of like a gay Young Adult version of Inkheart. I'm only five pages in, and I already want to DNF. The narrative doesn't sound like a 17-year-old; it sounds like an adult author trying to impress his readers with a sophisticated, mature protagonist who's wise beyond his years.

That's not to say that teenagers can't be mature or use complex words, of course. Teenagers aren't known for being formal, so it simply makes the MC sound less believable as a person. 

Yeah, teenagers can have rich vocabularies, but still, you shouldn't make them too mature and turn them into Gary Stu's   Flawed characters are easier to relate and recognize.

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In terms of DNF, I don't know why I started reading First, Become Ashes by K.M Szpara as I DNF'd his other popular novel Docile. Yet, the queer reading group I'm a part of recommended this book, so I held back my reticence and started reading it. I don't understand why his writing is so popular because it feels like I am reading stuff from the Authoritarian section of Nifty circa the early 2000s. D/s, punishment, and TPE are fine concepts in that genre, but his characters are warped and inhuman with their responses, along with the contrivances he makes in the plot so they can hurt each other more. (He's made it to my list of modern popular LGBT authors, I just can't review).

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Anyway, I've finished up some BL manga and novels, Heaven Official's Blessing I'll need to wait until December to finish sadly, but I am caught up to present story of Sasaki and Miyano and Given, I have to give higher points to Sasaki and Miyano over Given due to the current storylines of both.

Book wise, I'll be starting on Husband Material by Alexis Hall

[Ron]

Note to self: Ignore anyone who uses DNF, TPE, and or D/s among other shorthand usages as descriptors.  

[Page Scrawler]

7 minutes ago, Ron said:

Note to self: Ignore anyone who uses DNF, TPE, and or D/s among other shorthand usages as descriptors.  

Excuse me. DNF means "Did Not Finish". As to the rest, I can only assume it pertains to the world of Bondage literature.

[W_L]

54 minutes ago, Page Scrawler said:

Excuse me. DNF means "Did Not Finish". As to the rest, I can only assume it pertains to the world of Bondage literature.

You are correct, technically those are terms from BDSM literature. As a very avid gay reader, I don't shy away from various content. Some books are actually made better due to adding aspects of that stuff, like some of Leta Blake's books. Light elements of this are part of mainstream gay literature. For example in omegaverse storylines, where male omegas are presented as female stand-ins, you will see some aspects during the heat. 

----------------

@Ron Not sure if you're being fictitious or genuinely dislike the genre. However maybe your point is directed towards the general use of short-hands. As Page noted, DNF (did not finish) is used on sites like Goodreads and in local reading groups (there are a few in Massachusetts) to denote a novel or story that a reader just could not finish due to content. The author K.M Szpara after my attempts to read 2 of his books is just not my cup of tea, but I know plenty of queer people, who enjoy his writing. They find his social commentary on capitalism, sexual roles, and ownership/relationship dynamics intriguing. While those points may be true, I find his stories to be contrived beyond human understanding and cruel for only the purpose of adding conflict to the characters. There's too much shock and violence.

His book Docile was nominated for a literary award, so it is mainstream gay literature and probably some folks on GA have enjoyed it. I know people like it, I just want to mention that I couldn't finish it and likely will not cover this author in my mainstream reviews.

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Edited September 17, 2022 by W_L

[Ron]

@Page Scrawler and @W_L

We authors don't usually go for acronyms and short cuts as we are wordy people. 

Every writer knows that if it's worth saying it's worth spelling out! Word count, baby! 

 

[Drew Espinosa]

20 hours ago, W_L said:

Anyway, I've finished up some BL manga and novels, Heaven Official's Blessing I'll need to wait until December to finish sadly

Wait, will the final volume of TGCF be released this December? I thought the final volume would be released by Fall 2023.

[W_L]

1 hour ago, Drew Espinosa said:

Wait, will the final volume of TGCF be released this December? I thought the final volume would be released by Fall 2023.

The English translations for Volume 4 is being released on September 27th 2022, Volume 5 is December 20th 2022 and the final volume, volume 6, is April 4th 2023. I didn't know you were a fan @Drew Espinosa 

I've skipped ahead and started reading the translated Chinese-versions (a few fan translations exist from Wuxia world), they are similar to the licensed English translated versions though you will need work through the idioms to understand some stuff. However, it's going to take some time for me to get through the remaining chapters, while still reading other books and working my real job 😛 

To write my fanfiction, I skimmed some of the parts to reach the juiciest scenes and the climactic battle  Now I am going back and forth to cover the bases of all the things I glossed over. I read asymmetrically, especially when it comes to translated stories. 

The Anime should be coming out pretty soon as well and we'll get the animated scene of their big kiss under the water from the books  

Edited September 17, 2022 by W_L

[JamesSavik]

On 9/15/2022 at 11:07 PM, Page Scrawler said:

 The narrative doesn't sound like a 17-year-old; it sounds like an adult author trying to impress his readers with a sophisticated, mature protagonist who's wise beyond his years.

That's not to say that teenagers can't be mature or use complex words, of course. Teenagers aren't known for being formal, so it simply makes the MC sound less believable as a person. 

This is a pet peeve of mine. Too many people write teen and YA character dialogue and inner thoughts as if they're hard bitten forty-year-olds. It doesn't ring true. I've noticed myself doing it and have figuratively slapped my hand numerous times for it.

If there is a reason for a character to sound like that, fine. For instance, I knew a kid whose Dad was an NCO in the Philippines back during the late seventies, early eighties. He grew up over there and saw a few things. With him, it would be believable.

Not so much from your average oversexed Nifty reader teen from the burbs.

This might not be the thread for it, but if hit my not funny bone and I had to bark.

[Drew Espinosa]

8 hours ago, W_L said:

The English translations for Volume 4 is being released on September 27th 2022, Volume 5 is December 20th 2022 and the final volume, volume 6, is April 4th 2023. I didn't know you were a fan @Drew Espinosa 

The Untamed was one of the first BLs I ever watched, so I'm definitely a fan of MXTX. Though I actually haven't ever read TGCF, mainly because I was intimidated by the number of chapters (like 240 or so). But, when I watched the first season of the animated version of Heaven Official's Blessing on Netflix, I just knew I had to read TGCF. However, that is when I found out that the fan-translations of MXTX's works had been voluntarily removed by the translators since her works were going to be officially published in English. But, I have been saving money, so I'll start buying the volumes soon!

8 hours ago, W_L said:

though you will need work through the idioms to understand some stuff.

Yeah, I remember when I read MDZS that the translations also provided footnotes explaining the meaning of idioms used and the terms commonly used in wuxia. I found it really helpful.  

[W_L]

42 minutes ago, Drew Espinosa said:

The Untamed was one of the first BLs I ever watched, so I'm definitely a fan of MXTX. Though I actually haven't ever read TGCF, mainly because I was intimidated by the number of chapters (like 240 or so). But, when I watched the first season of the animated version of Heaven Official's Blessing on Netflix, I just knew I had to read TGCF. However, that is when I found out that the fan-translations of MXTX's works had been voluntarily removed by the translators since her works were going to be officially published in English. But, I have been saving money, so I'll start buying the volumes soon!

Yeah, I remember when I read MDZS that the translations also provided footnotes explaining the meaning of idioms used and the terms commonly used in wuxia. I found it really helpful.  

Drew, I'll send you what I use for my background in a PM.

I bought volumes 1-3 on kindle, but couldn't wait for volumes 4-6, so I had to get my hand on the rest of the story and read what other fans considered the most emotional and meaningful chapters. OMG, it gets really emotional like the temple incident with the thousand stabs to the heart will break you...

[Page Scrawler]

1 hour ago, Drew Espinosa said:

But, when I watched the first season of the animated version of Heaven Official's Blessing on Netflix, I just knew I had to read TGCF.

I loved how Hua Cheng is technically aligned with the "villains" of the story, but he doesn't harbor any malicious intent. 

[Page Scrawler]

I refunded The Book of Dreams, and now I'm reading Like Real People Do, by E.L. Massey.

Nineteen-year-old hockey phenom Alexander Price is the youngest-ever captain in the NHL. With a polarizing social media presence and a predilection for dirty play, he typifies the stereotype of young, out-of-control athlete. But away from the cameras, Alex is a kid with an anxiety disorder and the expectations of an expansion franchise on his shoulders. And maybe he tries too hard to fit the part of asshole playboy, but it’s better than the alternative; in his line of work, gay is the punchline of an insult, not something he can be.

Eighteen-year-old vlogger Elijah Rodriguez is a freshman in college recovering from an injury that derailed his Olympic figure-skating dreams. Mixed-race, disabled, and out of the closet since he was fourteen, Eli is unapologetically himself. He has no qualms about voicing his disapproval of celebrity jocks who make homophobic jokes on Twitter and park their flashy cars in the handicapped spaces outside of ice rinks.

After an antagonistic introduction, Alex and Eli’s inexplicable friendship both baffles and charms the internet. But navigating relationships is hard enough for normal teenagers. It’s a lot harder when the world—much of it disapproving—is watching you fall in love with your best friend.

[W_L]

31 minutes ago, Page Scrawler said:

I loved how Hua Cheng is technically aligned with the "villains" of the story, but he doesn't harbor any malicious intent. 

He's...amoral  Not in a bad way, especially when it comes to Xie Lian 😌 I think Hua Cheng is a good guy beneath all the bluster, he's just harsh with things.

You will realize if the anime continues along the lines of the books, that "villain"/evil and "Heroes"/good aren't always clear-cut in TGCF. Before he became the cool and humble trash-picking god that exists in the current time of the anime and first book, Xie Lian went through a really dark period in his life. (We're talking genocidal dark, not just an emo phase). He's probably one of the most well-rounded gay fantasy heroes that I've read in fiction.

[Drew Espinosa]

7 hours ago, W_L said:

OMG, it gets really emotional like the temple incident with the thousand stabs to the heart will break you...

 My heart barely survived the Bloodbath of Nightless City and the Yi City arc in MDZS!

7 hours ago, Page Scrawler said:

I loved how Hua Cheng is technically aligned with the "villains" of the story, but he doesn't harbor any malicious intent. 

6 hours ago, W_L said:

.You will realize if the anime continues along the lines of the books, that "villain"/evil and "Heroes"/good aren't always clear-cut in TGCF. 

This is why I adore The Untamed/MDZS, no character is truly black or white, but rather are varying shades of gray. And I'd argue that this also applies to someone like Xue Yang. While he may be the most evil character in the entire story, that doesn't mean he's completely evil. It's especially apparent with how he came to care for Xiao Xingchen in his own twisted way.

Edited September 18, 2022 by Drew Espinosa

[BigBen]

13 hours ago, Page Scrawler said:

Nineteen-year-old hockey phenom Alexander Price is the youngest-ever captain in the NHL. With a polarizing social media presence and a predilection for dirty play, he typifies the stereotype of young, out-of-control athlete. But away from the cameras, Alex is a kid with an anxiety disorder and the expectations of an expansion franchise on his shoulders.

I read this!  It's a fanfic from AO3 in the Check, Please Webcomic universe, obviously tidied up for publication.  Not a bad story; I quite enjoyed it.  Kent—sorry, Alex—starts by trying to convince Eli he's not a jerk, and things develop from there.  I enjoyed the AO3 version; I should probably give this a go, if only to see how it's been unlinked from the fandom it started in.  And also, how much impact the story can keep when divorced from the familiar and beloved characters of the comic it sprang from.  Would Kirk/Spock be as meaningful if it weren't set in the Star Trek universe?

 

P.S.—For those who love hockey stories, Gee Whillickers' short story, "Out of My League," is available on Nifty and AwesomeDude.  A very poignant yet ultimately hopeful story of a pair of young players who fall in love at the Mac's Midget Minors in Calgary.  Well worth a read.

Edited September 18, 2022 by BigBen

[Page Scrawler]

9 minutes ago, BigBen said:

read this!  It's a fanfic from AO3 in the Check, Please Webcomic universe, obviously tidied up for publication

OMG! I love Check, Please! 

[BigBen]

It's what got me interested in hockey as a sport.  Though I'm not sure why I like hockey so much, because hockey players are all padded and covered up; not like the scenery in diving, or even the spandex-covered butts of gridiron football, lol!

Edited September 18, 2022 by BigBen

[Parker Owens]

Currently, I’m reading a biography of LBJ in the series by Robert Caro. 

[W_L]

In a few days, I'll be starting "The First to Die at the End" by Adam Silvera, I reviewed They Both Die In The End last year for Halloween, so I will probably keep going. 

There's something about bittersweet love and loss, the hope and hopelessness that makes it all so worthwhile. Knowing the ending isn't as important as experiencing the journey, The greatest thing to fear for a reader is knowing there's a ticking clock and a limited amount of pages before the ending of a story.

[Jdonley75]

I'm about 8 chapters into Dragons of Deceit, the newest DragonLance novel by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman that came out in August.  I'd be done with it already if I wasn't busy working and writing.

[BigBen]

Just reread an old story by David Brin, "Thor Meets Captain America."  Before anyone gets too excited, it's got nothing to do with any movie characters you may have in mind.  Instead, it deals with a suicide mission to blow up Valhalla, in an alternate universe in which World War II is still being fought in 1962, because the Nazis formed an alliance with the Norse gods.  

Without giving too much of the plot away, let me just say that the story is a meditation on the old-fashioned ideal of the U.S. as the fortress of democracy and our human duty to confront evil, regardless of the cost.  Like the Greek gods, the Norse pantheon is not a very likeable group, so the idea of their allying with the Nazis is scarily plausible.

Well worth a read, if you can find it.

Edited December 7, 2022 by BigBen

[Ron]

4 hours ago, BigBen said:

Just reread an old story by David Brin

I like David Brin's work. Three years ago, I reread his entire Uplift series for the second time. I won't be reading the series a third time, twice in forty years is enough. It's time to pass on the paperbacks.