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* Ravensong by TJ Klune - This book starts right in the middle of events of the last book and expects you to remember every character and relationship. I was able to get on track, but The Green Creek series is not meant to be read very spaced apart. So, my current book is Brothersong. I didn't go right into it from Ravensong, but only had one book in between.
The first third of the book is retelling the last third of the previous book from another POV, spliced in with Gordo's backstory. Few writers could hold my interest by doing that and with the amount of repetition Klune does in general in this series. But I love the writing. These books are very different from other stuff I've read by Klune, on a surprising number of levels. The writing and structure are very different.
I am hoping to get the whole series read fairly soon, swapping between this series and other books until I get them done... but also I don't wan to rush the actual reading. At one point I was trying to get a large chunk read that day and realized I'd like it better if I slowed down.
* The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle - I read this for Horror Book Club, knocking a book off of my must-read list. The writing was amazing. I loved the story. It's set in NYC, I think 1930s, from the perspective of a black man living in Harlem. Amazing descriptions and I love the idea of the reality of NYC versus what people expect. It's somehow based on The Horror at Red Hook by Lovecraft, but I didn't know that going in. I might read Red Hook in prep for the club, but honestly it really works not knowing that. Having the Lovecraft connection become clearer as I read was neat.
* I am soft-DNFing Deviant Desire by Jackson Marsh - This is a recc from the gay men reading gay books group I was in on FB because the site became unusable for me. I liked reccs from there because I was seeing titles I was not seeing elsewhere, including searching Amazon and Goodreads. It wasn't a totally different eco-system, but a chunk of what I saw there I didn't see elswhere. I may pick it back up, especially since Amazon keeps trying to give me ads for the sequel and the sequel is on a train... but it's just not very well written so far. I was having trouble sticking with it when I only have so much time for non-book-club-books. When I go to reread the blurb because I am very confused on who the eventual couple is supposed to be that far into the book, not a great sign. Also, WTF even where some of those interactions? A few sections were well written and I liked them, but not the parts with people interacting...
* Edge of Fate by SJ Himes - Wasn't into this one, but kinda expected that from a book based around Cian. Just, not my vibe. The next book is the final in the series and I hope I really like it. I would rather have gotten [character's] POV on meeting certain other characters over anything that happens in this book, and at first it looked like we'd get that POV sprinkled in? And then we didn't.
The first third of the book is retelling the last third of the previous book from another POV, spliced in with Gordo's backstory. Few writers could hold my interest by doing that and with the amount of repetition Klune does in general in this series. But I love the writing. These books are very different from other stuff I've read by Klune, on a surprising number of levels. The writing and structure are very different.
I am hoping to get the whole series read fairly soon, swapping between this series and other books until I get them done... but also I don't wan to rush the actual reading. At one point I was trying to get a large chunk read that day and realized I'd like it better if I slowed down.
* The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle - I read this for Horror Book Club, knocking a book off of my must-read list. The writing was amazing. I loved the story. It's set in NYC, I think 1930s, from the perspective of a black man living in Harlem. Amazing descriptions and I love the idea of the reality of NYC versus what people expect. It's somehow based on The Horror at Red Hook by Lovecraft, but I didn't know that going in. I might read Red Hook in prep for the club, but honestly it really works not knowing that. Having the Lovecraft connection become clearer as I read was neat.
* I am soft-DNFing Deviant Desire by Jackson Marsh - This is a recc from the gay men reading gay books group I was in on FB because the site became unusable for me. I liked reccs from there because I was seeing titles I was not seeing elsewhere, including searching Amazon and Goodreads. It wasn't a totally different eco-system, but a chunk of what I saw there I didn't see elswhere. I may pick it back up, especially since Amazon keeps trying to give me ads for the sequel and the sequel is on a train... but it's just not very well written so far. I was having trouble sticking with it when I only have so much time for non-book-club-books. When I go to reread the blurb because I am very confused on who the eventual couple is supposed to be that far into the book, not a great sign. Also, WTF even where some of those interactions? A few sections were well written and I liked them, but not the parts with people interacting...
* Edge of Fate by SJ Himes - Wasn't into this one, but kinda expected that from a book based around Cian. Just, not my vibe. The next book is the final in the series and I hope I really like it. I would rather have gotten [character's] POV on meeting certain other characters over anything that happens in this book, and at first it looked like we'd get that POV sprinkled in? And then we didn't.
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Date: 2025-02-27 06:45 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2025-03-01 10:20 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2025-03-02 05:18 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2025-02-28 04:06 am (UTC)From:The Ballad of Black Tom sounds really interesting!
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Date: 2025-03-01 10:02 pm (UTC)From:Black Tom was really good. Worth it just for how good the actual prose was.
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Date: 2025-03-02 05:12 am (UTC)From:That's good to hear! Another to stick on the TBR, ha.