Reading!
Suddenly I find myself, for the first time in a long time, just full of things to post about. I have no idea where to start! Should I try to put everything into one post? Hmm... Well, maybe not. It's getting to be time to start thinking, and posting, about Close Quarters - very exciting, and all you Pros fans should sign up and come and spread the word! - but I'll leave that for later. And maybe I'll skip the horse update, since I feel like that's all I've posted about recently.
So here's my new big thing: after Escapade, I got a Kindle - melina123 convinced me, though it didn't take much. I am a total convert. I've been loading it up with fanfic and ebooks - I always read fanfiction, but I've read more non-fanfiction since I got that Kindle than I had in the past year. Though I have to admit - everything I've been reading is m/m, because...well, that's what I like to read. And there's so much of it now. (And even though Amazon Rank might cause me to reconsider where I buy books and other things, it's not going to affect my Kindle use - not a single one of the ebooks on my Kindle is actually from Amazon!)
And I have read some great stuff.
First, I am absolutely, totally addicted to Manna Francis's Administration Series (which is comprised of about 35 novels, novellas, and short stories, (more than 600,000 words), almost all of which are online, though some have also been published in book form; there are one or two that are in the books but not yet online). I'm not quite finished with it yet; I have one more novella to go (truthfully, I don't want to be finished, though once I'm done I plan to start over) - but it's sucked me in and taken over my brain.
It's difficult to adequately describe this series. It takes place in a kind of darkish dystopic future Europe, and while darkish dystopic futures usually aren't my thing, somehow she draws me in. I'm not sure how - perhaps because the focus isn't on sci-fi details but on characters and relationships; don't get me wrong, she builds a full and layered world, but in the context of these relationships. The primary relationship, between sociopath Toreth and control freak pain-loving Warrick, is not your standard happy m/m love affair, that's for sure - it has elements that again might normally not be my thing, but again somehow Manna makes them my thing. It's scorchingly hot, fascinating, compelling, incredibly complex, constantly evolving, and totally unique. And the writing is exquisite - never an off note. I've never read anything like it before.
Actually, I found another review of the series that in my view sums it up perfectly, so I'm going to quote/paraphrase sarkastic's list of the elements of the Administration series:
a) a dystopian future filled with shades-of-gray characters working for and against an oppressive government;
b) an unlikely relationship formed by two extremely messed up people who have some seriously mind-blowing chemistry;
c) detailed, intricate plots that end up perfectly connected in ways that aren't obvious at all, and are more interesting than most murder mysteries out there;
d) a sexually promiscuous sociopath who manages to fall in love and care for another person without becoming a woobie;
e) lots and lots of hot, dirty m/m sex (and a tiny bit of het, too).
Yeah, that's about it. I love it. I can't imagine I'll ever read anything else like it.
On a more mainstream note (how odd to say that about m/m fic...), I've also fallen in love with two other authors. I finally read Josh Lanyon's Adrien English series, and I'm hooked. Jake and Adrien...well, I can't say too much without being spoilery, but the evolution of their relationship is so heartbreaking and so lovely, and I adore both of them to pieces. This author knows how to resolve deep angst the right way - not an abrupt and unsatisfying fix, but a slow evolution. I can't wait for the next book. I've read a number of Josh's other books recently as well and have loved every single one of them - great stories, great writing, great characters, lots of heat but never over the top.
I'm also really enjoying Jordan Castillo Price (and talk about an author who can write teh sex - blistering). Her PsyCop series is great (and for anyone who's interested, she's giving away a download of the first book in the series today only - you can get it here) - it has just the right level of supernatural elements to make it interesting and fun and unique, and again, I'm besotted with Vic and Jacob. The Channeling Morpheus series is completely different but the characters (this one involves a vampire) are also incredibly endearing.
I have a few other authors on my to-read list, but I'm not so sure abaout them... Anyone know any of the ones I've read and have recs for others I might want to try?
Oh, and if anyone has a spare Dreamwidth invite floating around, I'm in the market...
So here's my new big thing: after Escapade, I got a Kindle - melina123 convinced me, though it didn't take much. I am a total convert. I've been loading it up with fanfic and ebooks - I always read fanfiction, but I've read more non-fanfiction since I got that Kindle than I had in the past year. Though I have to admit - everything I've been reading is m/m, because...well, that's what I like to read. And there's so much of it now. (And even though Amazon Rank might cause me to reconsider where I buy books and other things, it's not going to affect my Kindle use - not a single one of the ebooks on my Kindle is actually from Amazon!)
And I have read some great stuff.
First, I am absolutely, totally addicted to Manna Francis's Administration Series (which is comprised of about 35 novels, novellas, and short stories, (more than 600,000 words), almost all of which are online, though some have also been published in book form; there are one or two that are in the books but not yet online). I'm not quite finished with it yet; I have one more novella to go (truthfully, I don't want to be finished, though once I'm done I plan to start over) - but it's sucked me in and taken over my brain.
It's difficult to adequately describe this series. It takes place in a kind of darkish dystopic future Europe, and while darkish dystopic futures usually aren't my thing, somehow she draws me in. I'm not sure how - perhaps because the focus isn't on sci-fi details but on characters and relationships; don't get me wrong, she builds a full and layered world, but in the context of these relationships. The primary relationship, between sociopath Toreth and control freak pain-loving Warrick, is not your standard happy m/m love affair, that's for sure - it has elements that again might normally not be my thing, but again somehow Manna makes them my thing. It's scorchingly hot, fascinating, compelling, incredibly complex, constantly evolving, and totally unique. And the writing is exquisite - never an off note. I've never read anything like it before.
Actually, I found another review of the series that in my view sums it up perfectly, so I'm going to quote/paraphrase sarkastic's list of the elements of the Administration series:
a) a dystopian future filled with shades-of-gray characters working for and against an oppressive government;
b) an unlikely relationship formed by two extremely messed up people who have some seriously mind-blowing chemistry;
c) detailed, intricate plots that end up perfectly connected in ways that aren't obvious at all, and are more interesting than most murder mysteries out there;
d) a sexually promiscuous sociopath who manages to fall in love and care for another person without becoming a woobie;
e) lots and lots of hot, dirty m/m sex (and a tiny bit of het, too).
Yeah, that's about it. I love it. I can't imagine I'll ever read anything else like it.
On a more mainstream note (how odd to say that about m/m fic...), I've also fallen in love with two other authors. I finally read Josh Lanyon's Adrien English series, and I'm hooked. Jake and Adrien...well, I can't say too much without being spoilery, but the evolution of their relationship is so heartbreaking and so lovely, and I adore both of them to pieces. This author knows how to resolve deep angst the right way - not an abrupt and unsatisfying fix, but a slow evolution. I can't wait for the next book. I've read a number of Josh's other books recently as well and have loved every single one of them - great stories, great writing, great characters, lots of heat but never over the top.
I'm also really enjoying Jordan Castillo Price (and talk about an author who can write teh sex - blistering). Her PsyCop series is great (and for anyone who's interested, she's giving away a download of the first book in the series today only - you can get it here) - it has just the right level of supernatural elements to make it interesting and fun and unique, and again, I'm besotted with Vic and Jacob. The Channeling Morpheus series is completely different but the characters (this one involves a vampire) are also incredibly endearing.
I have a few other authors on my to-read list, but I'm not so sure abaout them... Anyone know any of the ones I've read and have recs for others I might want to try?
Oh, and if anyone has a spare Dreamwidth invite floating around, I'm in the market...