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Bitter Waters by Chaz Brenchley
Traditional or self-published: "Traditional" (an "independent publishing house" with typos all over its website)
Rating: Disliked (Hated-Disliked-Okay-Liked-Loved)
When the book's intro starts this way, the writing better be darned good:
"Go on. I dare you. Just read the first paragraph of the first story in this book and listen to the universe being born. Unless you find reading difficult, you may well be borne away on Disch's wings of song."
Though I have no trouble with my reading skills, first paragraph did not work for me at all.
"Some people think that a breathless hush is the natural state of the universe, as darkness is: that sound is like light, a rebellion of angels, a thin and fierce and ultimately doomed attempt to hold back the crushing weight of utter stillness."
And so, perhaps my fastest ever dropping of a book. The first paragraph was supposed to sell me, it did not, so I stopped reading. With the intro, I got to the 3% mark.
What Every BODY is Saying by Joe Navarro
Traditional or self-published: Traditional
Rating: Disliked (Hated-Disliked-Okay-Liked-Loved)
This is by that same author I read a few days ago, the one who wrote Three Minutes to Doomsday: An Agent, a Traitor, and the Worst Espionage Breach in U.S. History. His intro (written by himself) was just like Three Minutes -- he patted himself on the back way too much for my tastes.
Since this was a nonfiction book, I was hoping it would work better for me, but nope. Oddly I learned not one single thing new, even in the 25% I read (and I skimmed more than that).
This is the video that made me so interested in him, you'd do better (and learn more) watching it than reading any of his books.
That Game We Played During the War by Carrie Vaughn [ <-- Read this story at the link here!]
Traditional or self-published: Traditional
Rating: Loved (Hated-Disliked-Okay-Liked-Loved)
I love this story so much. I reread it again every few months. It's a quiet look at two people during and after a war. About how peace can be made. About relationships. About enemies getting to know each other.
Every time I reread it, I check the author's website hoping she made it into a book, but nope. Unfortunately what she has written is urban fantasy, which I don't usually read, but I'm starting to think I need to make an exception.
You can (and should!) read this story by clicking the link above. It's free on the publisher's website.
Partial book credits:
Point reached in these books: 3 + 25 = 28% [No credit taken for Games, since it was so short.]
Previous abandoned book total: 400%
New total: 428% (4 books!)
Traditional or self-published: "Traditional" (an "independent publishing house" with typos all over its website)
Rating: Disliked (Hated-Disliked-Okay-Liked-Loved)
When the book's intro starts this way, the writing better be darned good:
"Go on. I dare you. Just read the first paragraph of the first story in this book and listen to the universe being born. Unless you find reading difficult, you may well be borne away on Disch's wings of song."
Though I have no trouble with my reading skills, first paragraph did not work for me at all.
"Some people think that a breathless hush is the natural state of the universe, as darkness is: that sound is like light, a rebellion of angels, a thin and fierce and ultimately doomed attempt to hold back the crushing weight of utter stillness."
And so, perhaps my fastest ever dropping of a book. The first paragraph was supposed to sell me, it did not, so I stopped reading. With the intro, I got to the 3% mark.
What Every BODY is Saying by Joe Navarro
Traditional or self-published: Traditional
Rating: Disliked (Hated-Disliked-Okay-Liked-Loved)
This is by that same author I read a few days ago, the one who wrote Three Minutes to Doomsday: An Agent, a Traitor, and the Worst Espionage Breach in U.S. History. His intro (written by himself) was just like Three Minutes -- he patted himself on the back way too much for my tastes.
Since this was a nonfiction book, I was hoping it would work better for me, but nope. Oddly I learned not one single thing new, even in the 25% I read (and I skimmed more than that).
This is the video that made me so interested in him, you'd do better (and learn more) watching it than reading any of his books.
That Game We Played During the War by Carrie Vaughn [ <-- Read this story at the link here!]
Traditional or self-published: Traditional
Rating: Loved (Hated-Disliked-Okay-Liked-Loved)
I love this story so much. I reread it again every few months. It's a quiet look at two people during and after a war. About how peace can be made. About relationships. About enemies getting to know each other.
Every time I reread it, I check the author's website hoping she made it into a book, but nope. Unfortunately what she has written is urban fantasy, which I don't usually read, but I'm starting to think I need to make an exception.
You can (and should!) read this story by clicking the link above. It's free on the publisher's website.
Partial book credits:
Point reached in these books: 3 + 25 = 28% [No credit taken for Games, since it was so short.]
Previous abandoned book total: 400%
New total: 428% (4 books!)
