What are you currently reading?

[QualityBookReviews]

An open discussion on what everyone is currently reading. Make recommendations to others, discuss what is new, hot, bestsellers, anything and everything related to books and the authors.

[John McFetridge]

I've started to see almost every issue in the world as a Venn diagram - so I think some make it out of their niche not because they rise to the top but because they overlap something else people are looking for.

[I. J. Parker]

Fate.  Or luck.  I think it depends on whose editor has the clout in the publishing house.

[Dana King]

That makes a lot of sense. An author whose work touches more circles in the diagram sells X books at this overlap and X boos at that one and X books at another. After a while that adds up to a lot of books.

This may also account for the reason so many of those writers don;t get much love from other writers and reviewers. In order for the books to touch as many circles as possible, not a lot of depth can be provided. There is only so much space in the container.

[John McFetridge]

Everytime someone I know reads one of the big crime books (The Girl With... books) it's usually the only crime book they read that year. I'm kind of like that with sci fi (though less so than I used to be, I read almost no current sci fi anymore).

 

[I. J. Parker]

Oh absolutely.  I've said it before:  the real readers go to the library.  But you see where that leaves us.  I have a small group of people who will actually buy all of my books and keep them.  And yes, they bought Kindles in order to read the latest the publisher didn't want.  But the numbers are too small.  I keep writing.  Maybe in time . . .

[Celia Cummings]

i buy all of the books that i read and keep most of them. i give away those that i really didn't like and i've only ever put one book in the recycle bin, which in my mind was the best place for it.

i've just started Pick-up by Charles Willeford whilst reading a Carl Hiaasen at the same time (not RIGHT at the same time). i don't tend to have two books on the go at any one time but it's proving quite enjoyable.

[charlie ness]

I totally agree with that , I.J - and it amazes me how some authors have actually become "bestselling"  - I've just finished one that positively dragged along, had lots of unnecessary descriptions, and had no real tangible conclusion ! -Yet this book, "The Extinction Event" by David Black was "highly recommended" on the cover by authors that I respect. ( Douglas Preston, Ralph Peters, Larry Bond  etc. ) I often wonder - do authors who give glowing reports actually READ the whole book ?

[I. J. Parker]

Never trust a fellow author's blurb.  Some are expected to do these by their publishers.  Some hate to disappoint an author who asked.  None want to be hated.

[Ria Russouw]

The Waters of Africa to be found at Kobo, Smashwords etc.  Its good

[I. J. Parker]

Just finished THE KEEPER OF LOST CAUSES by Jussi Adler-Olsen.  This Scandinavian author of police procedurals is new to me, though he is an award winner and Denmark's top-ranked crime writer.  I've become a little leery of the Scandinavian fad because a number of touted authors have lately been all hype and mediocre quality. (I couldn't finish the third in THE GIRL series).  But this book is really quite good, especially in the characters.  The protagonist and his sidekick are memorable and likeable.  The crime plot isn't quite as good:  a thriller plot with all the weaknesses of most.  On the whole, I recommend this.

[David DeLee]

I just started Jeffery Deaver's XO. I'm enjoying it.

[Ian Paternoster]

I have all 18 of Rebus books, by Ian Rankin on my e-reader.