What are you reading for February?

[Anonymous]

I am reading Mayluna. Similar vibe to Daisy Jones.

[Anonymous]

Just finished an ARC of “Bear,” Julia Phillips’ new novel. Felt kinda meh about it— would’ve been better as a short story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m reading Sea of Tranquility. I’m not sure about it.

I loved Station Eleven. I’d say I liked Glass Hotel quite a bit. I’m roughly 1/3 into Sea of Tranquility and not disliking it…but I’m not taking to it in quite the same way. I can’t put a finger on why. I do like speculative fiction/sci fi/time travel stuff. Maybe it’ll improve, I’m not sure.

I posted on a recent thread about Sea of Tranquility. For me, it did not improve. I mean I liked it ok, but I absolutely loved Station Eleven and this was much weaker IMO. Needed to be fleshed out much more. There’s also a specific plot point that I disliked but I won’t mention here as to not spoil it for you.

Yes, I'm the PP above and just finished it. I ended up actively disliking it. I actually laughed aloud a few times towards the end at the absurdity. I think that the strength of my dislike for it is a testament to how good her other books are-- she can do better, so why publish this? Did no one edit it? I thought "Station Eleven" was a truly elegant twist on the dystopian novel, and so I was pretty excited to see what she did with sci-fi/speculative fiction. Not much, it appears.

Anyway, I'm on to reading "Prophet Song" now.

Not the PP you were talking to about Station Eleven / Sea of Tranquility, but someone who agrees and worked in publishing. Two things often happen after a book is big hit, like Station Eleven was in 2020/ 2021. The first is that publishers ask writers for any older manuscripts they've not previously got off the ground, they dust them off and publish them as "new" work in order to cash in further. The other thing, is if they do present new work which isn't quite up to par, the editors are often afraid of getting their red pens out and alienating their new star author. The most obvious example of this is JK Rowling, whose books got longer and longer because the editors just let her do whatever she wanted after a certain level of fame / hits / income.

[Anonymous]

This month I've read:

Tom Lake by Ann Pratchett. I liked it. If you're going to read it I highly recommend you go in with some familiarity with the play Our Town. You'll get so much more out of the book. There's a PBS recording on YouTube that is great. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irIfcI8NYB4

Babel by R. F Kuang. A masterpiece. I picked read Yellowface and loved it. This one is very different but is superbly executed.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (reread). I read if for the first time in 2020 when I was wallowing into the early days of COVID. I got very different things out of it upon a second read/having come out the other side of a global pandemic.

And I'm about 1/3 through The Women by Kristin Hannah. So far I agree with others on this thread. This is one of Hannah's weaker books. I LOVED The Nightingale, liked The Great Alone, enjoyed Firefly Lane and really liked Winter Garden. This one is...fine?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m reading Sea of Tranquility. I’m not sure about it.

I loved Station Eleven. I’d say I liked Glass Hotel quite a bit. I’m roughly 1/3 into Sea of Tranquility and not disliking it…but I’m not taking to it in quite the same way. I can’t put a finger on why. I do like speculative fiction/sci fi/time travel stuff. Maybe it’ll improve, I’m not sure.

I posted on a recent thread about Sea of Tranquility. For me, it did not improve. I mean I liked it ok, but I absolutely loved Station Eleven and this was much weaker IMO. Needed to be fleshed out much more. There’s also a specific plot point that I disliked but I won’t mention here as to not spoil it for you.

Yes, I'm the PP above and just finished it. I ended up actively disliking it. I actually laughed aloud a few times towards the end at the absurdity. I think that the strength of my dislike for it is a testament to how good her other books are-- she can do better, so why publish this? Did no one edit it? I thought "Station Eleven" was a truly elegant twist on the dystopian novel, and so I was pretty excited to see what she did with sci-fi/speculative fiction. Not much, it appears.

Anyway, I'm on to reading "Prophet Song" now.

Not the PP you were talking to about Station Eleven / Sea of Tranquility, but someone who agrees and worked in publishing. Two things often happen after a book is big hit, like Station Eleven was in 2020/ 2021. The first is that publishers ask writers for any older manuscripts they've not previously got off the ground, they dust them off and publish them as "new" work in order to cash in further. The other thing, is if they do present new work which isn't quite up to par, the editors are often afraid of getting their red pens out and alienating their new star author. The most obvious example of this is JK Rowling, whose books got longer and longer because the editors just let her do whatever she wanted after a certain level of fame / hits / income.

This is fascinating and validates my issues with/suspicions about the works of several blockbuster authors!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m reading Sea of Tranquility. I’m not sure about it.

I loved Station Eleven. I’d say I liked Glass Hotel quite a bit. I’m roughly 1/3 into Sea of Tranquility and not disliking it…but I’m not taking to it in quite the same way. I can’t put a finger on why. I do like speculative fiction/sci fi/time travel stuff. Maybe it’ll improve, I’m not sure.

I posted on a recent thread about Sea of Tranquility. For me, it did not improve. I mean I liked it ok, but I absolutely loved Station Eleven and this was much weaker IMO. Needed to be fleshed out much more. There’s also a specific plot point that I disliked but I won’t mention here as to not spoil it for you.

Yes, I'm the PP above and just finished it. I ended up actively disliking it. I actually laughed aloud a few times towards the end at the absurdity. I think that the strength of my dislike for it is a testament to how good her other books are-- she can do better, so why publish this? Did no one edit it? I thought "Station Eleven" was a truly elegant twist on the dystopian novel, and so I was pretty excited to see what she did with sci-fi/speculative fiction. Not much, it appears.

Anyway, I'm on to reading "Prophet Song" now.

Not the PP you were talking to about Station Eleven / Sea of Tranquility, but someone who agrees and worked in publishing. Two things often happen after a book is big hit, like Station Eleven was in 2020/ 2021. The first is that publishers ask writers for any older manuscripts they've not previously got off the ground, they dust them off and publish them as "new" work in order to cash in further. The other thing, is if they do present new work which isn't quite up to par, the editors are often afraid of getting their red pens out and alienating their new star author. The most obvious example of this is JK Rowling, whose books got longer and longer because the editors just let her do whatever she wanted after a certain level of fame / hits / income.

This is fascinating and validates my issues with/suspicions about the works of several blockbuster authors!

I too found the post from the person who worked in publishing fascinating. Though it aligns with what I had already suspected, for years.

[Anonymous]

I just remembered another book I read in February and thought I would post about it before the month closes out.

It was called "Stormy Weather" by Paulette Jiles. Paulette Jiles wrote the book "News of the World" which was made into a Tom Hanks movie a few years ago. She has written less than 10 books, and I have read all but one of her books. Some I have enjoyed immensely, a few did not appeal to me.
This one I really liked.
It is about life in Texas in the 1930's. Told from the point of view of the middle of 3 sisters. It had vibes of "The Four Winds" by Kristen Hannah. But I liked this book much more than the Kristen Hannah book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m reading Sea of Tranquility. I’m not sure about it.

I loved Station Eleven. I’d say I liked Glass Hotel quite a bit. I’m roughly 1/3 into Sea of Tranquility and not disliking it…but I’m not taking to it in quite the same way. I can’t put a finger on why. I do like speculative fiction/sci fi/time travel stuff. Maybe it’ll improve, I’m not sure.

I posted on a recent thread about Sea of Tranquility. For me, it did not improve. I mean I liked it ok, but I absolutely loved Station Eleven and this was much weaker IMO. Needed to be fleshed out much more. There’s also a specific plot point that I disliked but I won’t mention here as to not spoil it for you.

Yes, I'm the PP above and just finished it. I ended up actively disliking it. I actually laughed aloud a few times towards the end at the absurdity. I think that the strength of my dislike for it is a testament to how good her other books are-- she can do better, so why publish this? Did no one edit it? I thought "Station Eleven" was a truly elegant twist on the dystopian novel, and so I was pretty excited to see what she did with sci-fi/speculative fiction. Not much, it appears.

Anyway, I'm on to reading "Prophet Song" now.

Not the PP you were talking to about Station Eleven / Sea of Tranquility, but someone who agrees and worked in publishing. Two things often happen after a book is big hit, like Station Eleven was in 2020/ 2021. The first is that publishers ask writers for any older manuscripts they've not previously got off the ground, they dust them off and publish them as "new" work in order to cash in further. The other thing, is if they do present new work which isn't quite up to par, the editors are often afraid of getting their red pens out and alienating their new star author. The most obvious example of this is JK Rowling, whose books got longer and longer because the editors just let her do whatever she wanted after a certain level of fame / hits / income.

Do you think the authors themselves start refusing edits? I've heard that about Dana Gabaldon...that she blows deadlines and refuses to edit, but her books sell amazingly well, so we get 900 pages of drivel?

[Anonymous]

In Ascension, by Martin Mcinness - it is AMAZING! Best novel I've encountered in years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just finished The Good House by Ann Leary. I read this before and often think about it but couldn't remember the details, so I wanted to read again to remember why it stayed with me. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator is fantastic.

I am frequently disappointed in how books end - too rushed, unresolved issues, too long, unsatisfying resolutions, etc. But this book did not disappoint me. It's a full storyline that felt satisfying.

I loved this book! I listened to it too. Fantastic.

There was a movie made of it that came out during the pandemic so it got lost but I loved that too. Sigourney Weaver and Kevin Klein were the stars. They weren't like I pictured the characters but I loved them and the movie.

I think I've read all her books. She is a good writer. I liked The Good House and The Children the best.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m reading Sea of Tranquility. I’m not sure about it.

I loved Station Eleven. I’d say I liked Glass Hotel quite a bit. I’m roughly 1/3 into Sea of Tranquility and not disliking it…but I’m not taking to it in quite the same way. I can’t put a finger on why. I do like speculative fiction/sci fi/time travel stuff. Maybe it’ll improve, I’m not sure.

I posted on a recent thread about Sea of Tranquility. For me, it did not improve. I mean I liked it ok, but I absolutely loved Station Eleven and this was much weaker IMO. Needed to be fleshed out much more. There’s also a specific plot point that I disliked but I won’t mention here as to not spoil it for you.

Yes, I'm the PP above and just finished it. I ended up actively disliking it. I actually laughed aloud a few times towards the end at the absurdity. I think that the strength of my dislike for it is a testament to how good her other books are-- she can do better, so why publish this? Did no one edit it? I thought "Station Eleven" was a truly elegant twist on the dystopian novel, and so I was pretty excited to see what she did with sci-fi/speculative fiction. Not much, it appears.

Anyway, I'm on to reading "Prophet Song" now.

Not the PP you were talking to about Station Eleven / Sea of Tranquility, but someone who agrees and worked in publishing. Two things often happen after a book is big hit, like Station Eleven was in 2020/ 2021. The first is that publishers ask writers for any older manuscripts they've not previously got off the ground, they dust them off and publish them as "new" work in order to cash in further. The other thing, is if they do present new work which isn't quite up to par, the editors are often afraid of getting their red pens out and alienating their new star author. The most obvious example of this is JK Rowling, whose books got longer and longer because the editors just let her do whatever she wanted after a certain level of fame / hits / income.

So interesting. I really did not enjoy Station Eleven, but I finished it because so many people recommended it and I thought it might grab me at some point. I loved the writing, but the story did nothing for me. But I LOVED Sea of Tranquility. Again, I really appreciated the writing, plus the overall concept and plot, too. Different strokes for different folks, I guess?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m reading Sea of Tranquility. I’m not sure about it.

I loved Station Eleven. I’d say I liked Glass Hotel quite a bit. I’m roughly 1/3 into Sea of Tranquility and not disliking it…but I’m not taking to it in quite the same way. I can’t put a finger on why. I do like speculative fiction/sci fi/time travel stuff. Maybe it’ll improve, I’m not sure.

I posted on a recent thread about Sea of Tranquility. For me, it did not improve. I mean I liked it ok, but I absolutely loved Station Eleven and this was much weaker IMO. Needed to be fleshed out much more. There’s also a specific plot point that I disliked but I won’t mention here as to not spoil it for you.

Yes, I'm the PP above and just finished it. I ended up actively disliking it. I actually laughed aloud a few times towards the end at the absurdity. I think that the strength of my dislike for it is a testament to how good her other books are-- she can do better, so why publish this? Did no one edit it? I thought "Station Eleven" was a truly elegant twist on the dystopian novel, and so I was pretty excited to see what she did with sci-fi/speculative fiction. Not much, it appears.

Anyway, I'm on to reading "Prophet Song" now.

Not the PP you were talking to about Station Eleven / Sea of Tranquility, but someone who agrees and worked in publishing. Two things often happen after a book is big hit, like Station Eleven was in 2020/ 2021. The first is that publishers ask writers for any older manuscripts they've not previously got off the ground, they dust them off and publish them as "new" work in order to cash in further. The other thing, is if they do present new work which isn't quite up to par, the editors are often afraid of getting their red pens out and alienating their new star author. The most obvious example of this is JK Rowling, whose books got longer and longer because the editors just let her do whatever she wanted after a certain level of fame / hits / income.

Do you think the authors themselves start refusing edits? I've heard that about Dana Gabaldon...that she blows deadlines and refuses to edit, but her books sell amazingly well, so we get 900 pages of drivel?

I can't speculate on her or the origin of the behaviors, or that particular author. One way of explaining it broadly, is that it's a kind of entitlement, but it is also about handling sensitive personalities. If you have an author who is crushed by a ton of editorial input on the book they've spent the last year sweating themselves to death by writing and then they go silent and sulk for 2 weeks after getting the feedback, they are more likely to be lost to a rival publisher / agent when they get the chance to leave (when the contract ends or is broken) than if you handle them with kid gloves. Most writers in my experience can be sensitive one way or another. Sometimes they also behave extremely badly and it's always been for those of us behind the scenes to manage it in the best ways possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m reading Sea of Tranquility. I’m not sure about it.

I loved Station Eleven. I’d say I liked Glass Hotel quite a bit. I’m roughly 1/3 into Sea of Tranquility and not disliking it…but I’m not taking to it in quite the same way. I can’t put a finger on why. I do like speculative fiction/sci fi/time travel stuff. Maybe it’ll improve, I’m not sure.

I posted on a recent thread about Sea of Tranquility. For me, it did not improve. I mean I liked it ok, but I absolutely loved Station Eleven and this was much weaker IMO. Needed to be fleshed out much more. There’s also a specific plot point that I disliked but I won’t mention here as to not spoil it for you.

Yes, I'm the PP above and just finished it. I ended up actively disliking it. I actually laughed aloud a few times towards the end at the absurdity. I think that the strength of my dislike for it is a testament to how good her other books are-- she can do better, so why publish this? Did no one edit it? I thought "Station Eleven" was a truly elegant twist on the dystopian novel, and so I was pretty excited to see what she did with sci-fi/speculative fiction. Not much, it appears.

Anyway, I'm on to reading "Prophet Song" now.

Not the PP you were talking to about Station Eleven / Sea of Tranquility, but someone who agrees and worked in publishing. Two things often happen after a book is big hit, like Station Eleven was in 2020/ 2021. The first is that publishers ask writers for any older manuscripts they've not previously got off the ground, they dust them off and publish them as "new" work in order to cash in further. The other thing, is if they do present new work which isn't quite up to par, the editors are often afraid of getting their red pens out and alienating their new star author. The most obvious example of this is JK Rowling, whose books got longer and longer because the editors just let her do whatever she wanted after a certain level of fame / hits / income.

So interesting. I really did not enjoy Station Eleven, but I finished it because so many people recommended it and I thought it might grab me at some point. I loved the writing, but the story did nothing for me. But I LOVED Sea of Tranquility. Again, I really appreciated the writing, plus the overall concept and plot, too. Different strokes for different folks, I guess?

Same same same - though I LOVED the TV version of Station 11. I just found the book itself really hard to get through - but I just tore right through Sea of Tranquility.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just finished an ARC of “Bear,” Julia Phillips’ new novel. Felt kinda meh about it— would’ve been better as a short story.

Hm, I loved her first novel, Disappearing Earth. I'm looking forward to Bear, but maybe I"ll temper my expectations a bit.

[Anonymous]

Just started the Rachel Hawkins book The Villa. Enjoying it so far! I think I got it on Kindle Unlimited.