I've only read her first two books (Monsters and Delicate Edible Birds) but I will be keeping my eye out for her others. She is a remarkable and talented writer that I'm coming to adore.
What Are You Reading?
- Thread starter Dana Jean
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Finished Sarah Lotz novel The Three about three survivors, all children, from four major airplane crashes around the world. And they seem to be different than before, very different..... A very entertaining read actually. Told through interviews articles and blogs and email excerpts. Gives you many views of whats going on but also takes some time to get the fuller picture. Sometimes you feel that the author could have a bit more flexible in the way she tells the story to flesh out some goings on more but overall good. Made me want to read Day Four which is her latest book.
Gray Mountain by John Grisham
I never like the next book I read after a new SK book (it's like eating ground beef after filet mignon) so I don't want to give an opinion on this one since I just finished BoBD the other day.
I never like the next book I read after a new SK book (it's like eating ground beef after filet mignon) so I don't want to give an opinion on this one since I just finished BoBD the other day.
That was an impulse buy for me recently at Walmart. It sounded interesting, so I figured why not? I haven't read it yet, though. Glad to hear it's worth reading.
The Three by Sarah Lotz - 
out of 
Structure wise this reminded me a lot of Robopocalypse and World War Z. Given the global scope of the story, using a journal style approach allows for story telling streamlining but it also prevents me from cottoning to any of the characters. This is the book's biggest failing - no character for me to get behind and care about.
That and the ambivalence that Lofton takes towards owning exactly what the 'three' or four - even that is left ambiguous - plus over foreshadowing their fates - dissipates a lot of the frission. Also some of elements that are played more in the background - specifically the political upheaval in the US - end up becoming more interesting which caused my focus to waver, unsure of which story threads the writer wanted us to follow.
Take a book like this and compare it to King's The Stand and the differences in the approaches to these two books illustrates which one does the superiour job of engaging the readers with the characters by telling the story as a narrative.
Oddly enough though, this style of writing, like Robopocalypse, does compel me to finish the book with the hope of still being surprised in some way. Didn't happen then. Didn't happen now.
The Three does contain some chilling moments and is worth reading but it is not something that will stick with me.
Off to The Bazaar of Bad Dreams
out of Structure wise this reminded me a lot of Robopocalypse and World War Z. Given the global scope of the story, using a journal style approach allows for story telling streamlining but it also prevents me from cottoning to any of the characters. This is the book's biggest failing - no character for me to get behind and care about.
That and the ambivalence that Lofton takes towards owning exactly what the 'three' or four - even that is left ambiguous - plus over foreshadowing their fates - dissipates a lot of the frission. Also some of elements that are played more in the background - specifically the political upheaval in the US - end up becoming more interesting which caused my focus to waver, unsure of which story threads the writer wanted us to follow.
Take a book like this and compare it to King's The Stand and the differences in the approaches to these two books illustrates which one does the superiour job of engaging the readers with the characters by telling the story as a narrative.
Oddly enough though, this style of writing, like Robopocalypse, does compel me to finish the book with the hope of still being surprised in some way. Didn't happen then. Didn't happen now.
The Three does contain some chilling moments and is worth reading but it is not something that will stick with me.
Off to The Bazaar of Bad Dreams
Double Feature again. I need a break from 'have to' books 
Booth still makes me laugh, and Sam is still an insufferable snot (Owen King does a lovely, and not easy, job of making an unlovable main character interesting). I'd forgotten some things that made me think.
Booth still makes me laugh, and Sam is still an insufferable snot (Owen King does a lovely, and not easy, job of making an unlovable main character interesting). I'd forgotten some things that made me think.
some of the stories in The Bazaar of Bad Dreams. Also, Stephen Smoke 'Voices in the Night'. also 'The Wanderer' by Fritz Leiber.
Finished Flesh and bone by Jonathan Maberry. Good but not as good as the beginning of the series (this is the third out of four)
Have finished Under the weather in Bazaar which i wasnt really fond of..... Started Blockade Billy.
Also finished Stone Mattress in Atwoods collection with the same name. Good story.
Have finished Under the weather in Bazaar which i wasnt really fond of..... Started Blockade Billy.
Also finished Stone Mattress in Atwoods collection with the same name. Good story.
Im so glad you like Stone Mattress! I'm looking forward to reading her newest one, The Heart Goes Last. She's got such a definite 'voice' in all her fiction, but especially in her speculative fiction. One of my favorites
Is The Heart Goes Last a speculative one??Im so glad you like Stone Mattress! I'm looking forward to reading her newest one, The Heart Goes Last. She's got such a definite 'voice' in all her fiction, but especially in her speculative fiction. One of my favorites
It is. My sense is that it's much like Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go--not exactly future, but an alternate timeline, if that makes sense. A 'What if?' Never Let Me Go is absolutely lovely and heartbreaking, if you haven't read it, BTW.
I haven't read one of his since Playing for Pizza--that one started well, but went down hill into a ghastly car wreck by the end. I haven't had the heart to pick up one of his since.
Ishiguro is an author i havent even tried i must admit. Something i should make amends for perhaps??
He's very worth a look, at least. I can see that his style might not suit every taste, but I like him.
I hate to say it, but you're not missing much (and I couldn't make it though Playing for Pizza).
I gave up on Gray Mountain about 100 pages in. It was pretty much Erin Brokovitch (sp?) in Coal Country.
Love Blaze! Enjoy!
About to start Harlan Coben's Missing You.
So now I'm reading the newly released " The Bazzar of bad dreams"
Worked out great since I'm in the short story mode!
Taking a break from my other reads and are walking down memory lane... In a little nostalgic mood. Started to read Anne of Avonlea by Lucy Montgomery. The second in her series. At least the four first books are good then they start to decline. But these four......
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