Hello all,
Gosh, has it been THAT long since I posted? This month just flew by! I'm am sort of glad though as I am super tired of winter. Bring on Spring!!
I have been writing blogs about different authors I have read. More specifically, the ones associated with the All Male Romance website. However, I have not read too many things lately. So I thought I would talk about that.
My "To Be Read" (TBR) pile is very long and contains more books that I have time to read. Does that happen to any of you? LOL. I am sure it has. When on Dreamspinner Press or Samhain Publishing or Extasy Books or Ravenous Romance etc.. It is easy to think, "Wow, I want to read that!" and add it to you cart. The cart then becomes several, if not more, books deep and you checkout with every intention of reading all of then ASAP! Then life happens. Dinner, laundry, job, showering, sleeping, eating, kids, spouses, and the list continues; everything to jump in the way of reading that favorite author or much desired book. At least this is what happens to me.
I have books from Ryan Field, Serena Yates, Chris Owen, Christina Loren, SJ Frost, DC Juris, Rachel Haimowitz, Chloe Stowe, Hal Bodner, Rick Reed, Andrea Speed, Ariel Trachna, Mark Alders, Mary Calmes, and Felicia Watson which are just sitting in my "books" folder waiting to be read. AND THESE ARE JUST THE ONES I'VE PURCHASED ALREADY! I have so many more that I see and think, "mmm I just don't have time right now..." Life goes so fast sometimes.
Here winter has been a pain. Lots of snow. I don't know about you but snow messes up my daily routine. I like routine. I need routine and a set time in my day when I can rad, write, or chill without having to go and do for someone else. I need "me time" and I rarely get it.
The only book I squeezed in lately is The Nourisher by Mark Alders. I already did a blog about Mark so I didn't want to play favorites :s I do love Mark though. He has such an imagination! Never in the world would I have thought reading spider sex could be hot! But when Mark writes it, anything can be hot. And not only that, but it can seem normal and endearing. Vernon is an awesome spider! So, my little plug for Mark is: GO READ THE NOURISHER! (sold though Extasy books)
Today like most days is a run run run day. Always. No time to read. So, think of me, Tristan, and go read one for me. Message me on Goodreads and let me know what you read! I have lots to recommend. I MAY even start writing short reviews about what I thought about the ones I already read and rated on goodreads.com
For now--CIAO!
Tristan ;)
xoxo
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Braden Williams
I've been thinking about a book I recently read by Braden Williams. Originally I gave it a 3 star rating on goodreads. I had to re-rate it, and I'll tell you why.
I'll start with my weird-brain rating system. You'll probably notice I don't "review" the books I read and rate. Mostly this is because I feel I have very little intelligent sounding words to write a proper review. (I lack confidence I guess.) I think, "Should I have a formal 'scale' to assess books or should I go with my gut on placing a STAR on something I've read?" I find it hard to evaluate some and WAY easy for others. Most of the time I wish they had 1/2 star ratings as I think it would make the decision easier.
Like for instance... Light of the Body or Crossing Borders or With Caution... These I knew instantly they were 5 Stars! Why? They suck you in and keep you there; hanging on every word! When I can't get enough, or can't read fast enough that is a definite 5 Star! 4 is still an interesting read, I really liked it, but it just didn't sweep me away in a torrent like the "5 STAR" ones do. I tent to rate many books a 4 star mainly because I feel a 3 is saying something to the author that I didn't really like it. What SHOULD a 3 Star be? I liked it, but may not read it again? It was okay, but I hoped for better? I am not sure. 2 Star is probably a "I didn't like it much" rating; I don't think I have any of those. And a 1 Star? Well, if I just can't finish a book because it's that bad should I even rate it?
I know... I wrote a blurb on the AMR website about "rating books!" so I should give the 1 star if I have to.
So, Braden... Gone Stumping was a very fine read. I liked it. It was cute, it was interesting, and I like that a man wrote gay men. (So often straight women write about gay men, but that is another topic for another time.) I like that it is a man's prospective on men. I also liked the political elements, I was not expecting them. Nice. It was suspenseful enough with wondering how and why the vandalizing happened. (although this is NOT a suspense novella.) I liked the realistic pull of each man toward the other and how they get together finally. It was a very cute story :)
Why did I change my rating? 3 to a 4... Well, I liked it. But that was it. It was nice enough to keep me going and short enough I was not bored. Would I read it again? Maybe. So -- 3 Star. But then I kept THINKING about it! The story stuck with me. I think I even had a partial dream about something IN the story. When my brain kept revisiting the tale of Rafe and Aiden I had to reassess my feelings over it. 3 wasn't fair. I OBVIOUSLY liked it more than that. This is why I'd like the 1/2 rating because if I gave it 3.5 I probably would have been good with that. 4 stars I gave to Str8t Boys and Oleander House and Promises and Lies; does Gone Stumping's quality measure up to those? I'm not sure it does.
This is why I never review a book. Every review would sound the same. I liked it alot! I liked it. It was good. Not so good. etc... PLUS, I hate to sound like I am diss'ing the author!
I liked Braden's style. It was straight-forward and breezy. It carried me along very nicely. I would read something else by him any day!
This was Braden's first publication. Does he have another novel in him? Is he working on it NOW? I haven't heard from him in a long while. I hope he is deep in creating something wonderful. I encourage all of you readers out there, if you are looking for a sweet romantic tale between two realistically written men, go purchase Gone Stumping from Dreamspinner Press. It just might make you smile.
Ciao for now,
Tristan
I'll start with my weird-brain rating system. You'll probably notice I don't "review" the books I read and rate. Mostly this is because I feel I have very little intelligent sounding words to write a proper review. (I lack confidence I guess.) I think, "Should I have a formal 'scale' to assess books or should I go with my gut on placing a STAR on something I've read?" I find it hard to evaluate some and WAY easy for others. Most of the time I wish they had 1/2 star ratings as I think it would make the decision easier.
Like for instance... Light of the Body or Crossing Borders or With Caution... These I knew instantly they were 5 Stars! Why? They suck you in and keep you there; hanging on every word! When I can't get enough, or can't read fast enough that is a definite 5 Star! 4 is still an interesting read, I really liked it, but it just didn't sweep me away in a torrent like the "5 STAR" ones do. I tent to rate many books a 4 star mainly because I feel a 3 is saying something to the author that I didn't really like it. What SHOULD a 3 Star be? I liked it, but may not read it again? It was okay, but I hoped for better? I am not sure. 2 Star is probably a "I didn't like it much" rating; I don't think I have any of those. And a 1 Star? Well, if I just can't finish a book because it's that bad should I even rate it?
I know... I wrote a blurb on the AMR website about "rating books!" so I should give the 1 star if I have to.
So, Braden... Gone Stumping was a very fine read. I liked it. It was cute, it was interesting, and I like that a man wrote gay men. (So often straight women write about gay men, but that is another topic for another time.) I like that it is a man's prospective on men. I also liked the political elements, I was not expecting them. Nice. It was suspenseful enough with wondering how and why the vandalizing happened. (although this is NOT a suspense novella.) I liked the realistic pull of each man toward the other and how they get together finally. It was a very cute story :)
Why did I change my rating? 3 to a 4... Well, I liked it. But that was it. It was nice enough to keep me going and short enough I was not bored. Would I read it again? Maybe. So -- 3 Star. But then I kept THINKING about it! The story stuck with me. I think I even had a partial dream about something IN the story. When my brain kept revisiting the tale of Rafe and Aiden I had to reassess my feelings over it. 3 wasn't fair. I OBVIOUSLY liked it more than that. This is why I'd like the 1/2 rating because if I gave it 3.5 I probably would have been good with that. 4 stars I gave to Str8t Boys and Oleander House and Promises and Lies; does Gone Stumping's quality measure up to those? I'm not sure it does.
This is why I never review a book. Every review would sound the same. I liked it alot! I liked it. It was good. Not so good. etc... PLUS, I hate to sound like I am diss'ing the author!
I liked Braden's style. It was straight-forward and breezy. It carried me along very nicely. I would read something else by him any day!
This was Braden's first publication. Does he have another novel in him? Is he working on it NOW? I haven't heard from him in a long while. I hope he is deep in creating something wonderful. I encourage all of you readers out there, if you are looking for a sweet romantic tale between two realistically written men, go purchase Gone Stumping from Dreamspinner Press. It just might make you smile.
Ciao for now,
Tristan
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