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[c marvel]

Widow's Point trade hardcover by Richard and Billy Chizmar (Hopefully signed by both authors).
Lost and Lonely S/L by Brian James Freeman.
Phoresis by Greg Egan.
Offspring and Off Season by Jack Ketchum trade paperbacks with a signed bookplate for each.

Cap

[Marmaduke Grigsby]

My CD Review Copy Grab Bag arrived today! I am very happy with it.


CD ARCS.jpg

[Sock Monkey]

My CD Review Copy Grab Bag arrived today! I am very happy with it.


[ATTACH=CONFIG]20457[/ATTACH]

Very cool!

[Martin]

My CD Review Copy Grab Bag arrived today! I am very happy with it.


[ATTACH=CONFIG]20457[/ATTACH]

Congratulations! Salome and Lost and Lonely are both great reads.

[Brian861]

Good grabs!

[jeffingoff]

Will be interested to hear what you think.

OK. I bought the CD trade edition of THE MAILMAN on January 3rd and when it arrived I moved it near the top of my TBR pile and then I read it. And I read it all. And I finished it yesterday. And I really really really did not like it. In fact, the more I reflect on it the more I hate it.

I read it with an open mind. I pushed through even though I wasn't enjoying it. It kind of had an upswing somewhere toward the end, but that crashed. I really did hope that the book would win me over. I want to like Little. So many people seem to enjoy him and get what he''s doing and I hate missing out on the fun. I hate being the stick in the mud. But this. I just couldn't do it.

So I think I can close a chapter on my life regarding Little. I wanted to. I tried. I can't.

[Martin]

OK. I bought the CD trade edition of THE MAILMAN on January 3rd and when it arrived I moved it near the top of my TBR pile and then I read it. And I read it all. And I finished it yesterday. And I really really really did not like it. In fact, the more I reflect on it the more I hate it.

I read it with an open mind. I pushed through even though I wasn't enjoying it. It kind of had an upswing somewhere toward the end, but that crashed. I really did hope that the book would win me over. I want to like Little. So many people seem to enjoy him and get what he''s doing and I hate missing out on the fun. I hate being the stick in the mud. But this. I just couldn't do it.

So I think I can close a chapter on my life regarding Little. I wanted to. I tried. I can't.

I really enjoyed The Mailman. For me the author I really wanted to like but could not get into was Anne Rice. I have attempted several of her books, I just do not like her writing.

You made the effort, you can move on in peace.

[jeffingoff]

I really enjoyed The Mailman. For me the author I really wanted to like but could not get into was Anne Rice. I have attempted several of her books, I just do not like her writing.

You made the effort, you can move on in peace.

I had the same reaction to Rice. I tried to read Tale of the Body Thief and Witching Hour.

[Tommy]

I think The Vampire Lestat is an excellent starting place. I loved The Witching Hour but GOD! It's the size of three books and took a LONG time to get through. Her Vampires are much better than the Witches but I love them both. Interview with the Vampire is far from my favorite of hers. That would probably be The Queen of the Damned (and don't watch that shitty movie if you haven't already). Rice can be really excellent once you get on a roll with her. I read 17 of books in a row a few years back.

[Martin]

I think The Vampire Lestat is an excellent starting place. I loved The Witching Hour but GOD! It's the size of three books and took a LONG time to get through. Her Vampires are much better than the Witches but I love them both. Interview with the Vampire is far from my favorite of hers. That would probably be The Queen of the Damned (and don't watch that shitty movie if you haven't already). Rice can be really excellent once you get on a roll with her. I read 17 of books in a row a few years back.

I have tried to read The Vampire Lestat and Interview With the Vampire multiple times. I even tried Sleeping Beauties thinking maybe it was the Vampire stories I did not like. She is actually one of the very few authors I have been unable to force my way through a book for. Something in her writing style just irritates me and I can't get through them.

[RonClinton]

OK. I bought the CD trade edition of THE MAILMAN on January 3rd and when it arrived I moved it near the top of my TBR pile and then I read it. And I read it all. And I finished it yesterday. And I really really really did not like it. In fact, the more I reflect on it the more I hate it.

I read it with an open mind. I pushed through even though I wasn't enjoying it. It kind of had an upswing somewhere toward the end, but that crashed. I really did hope that the book would win me over. I want to like Little. So many people seem to enjoy him and get what he''s doing and I hate missing out on the fun. I hate being the stick in the mud. But this. I just couldn't do it.

So I think I can close a chapter on my life regarding Little. I wanted to. I tried. I can't.

Wow, sorry to hear of your experience and reaction, Jeff, especially given that I was one of those touting him and this work, in particular, as representative of his style. But the silver lining, I suppose, is that you arguably gave him the best shot possible w/ THE MAILMAN, so you don't need to give away any more $$ and time in trying to determine conclusively if he's for you (since I would have suggested THE STORE or one or two others if you were lukewarm)...sounds like that decision has been made.

I'd ask what you found so disagreeable, but in the end it's all moot...you didn't like him, you move on, plenty of other fish in the biblio-sea. There are authors that others swear by but whose appeal totally escapes me...so I get it.

I think you're wrong, but I get it.

[jeffingoff]

Wow, sorry to hear of your experience and reaction, Jeff, especially given that I was one of those touting him and this work, in particular, as representative of his style. But the silver lining, I suppose, is that you arguably gave him the best shot possible w/ THE MAILMAN, so you don't need to give away any more $$ and time in trying to determine conclusively if he's for you (since I would have suggested THE STORE or one or two others if you were lukewarm)...sounds like that decision has been made.

I'd ask what you found so disagreeable, but in the end it's all moot...you didn't like him, you move on, plenty of other fish in the biblio-sea. There are authors that others swear by but whose appeal totally escapes me...so I get it.

I think you're wrong, but I get it.

Yeah, reading a book is such a deeply personal experience and there's no accounting for the chemistry between author and reader. It's either there or it isn't. I really wanted to like him because I liked how people described Little's writing. Based on those descriptions (way out there, darkly humorous, scary, creepy, original) I should have loved it.

Maybe after I chew through some of the titles on my TBR list I'll give him another shot. I know I'm getting a couple of his short stories in Turn Down the Lights and Shivers 8. Who knows?

If you want to know my unfiltered thoughts on The Mailman, I posted a review on Goodreads. It's kinda over the top. I didn't want to be as vocal here, because people can take it personally when you don't like their recommendations. And I don't want anyone here who likes Little to feel insulted. It's all good. I actually feel good that I read the book and gave it an honest shot. I plan on keeping the book, too.

[RonClinton]

If you want to know my unfiltered thoughts on The Mailman, I posted a review on Goodreads. It's kinda over the top. I didn't want to be as vocal here, because people can take it personally when you don't like their recommendations. And I don't want anyone here who likes Little to feel insulted. It's all good. I actually feel good that I read the book and gave it an honest shot. I plan on keeping the book, too.

I'm about as thick-skinned as it comes to getting offended on matters like that...it's unfortunate you didn't like Little and the work in question, but I don't at all see it as a reflection of me or my tastes...tastes vary, and, quite honestly, your like or dislike of something doesn't have any impact at all on my like or dislikes (e.g. Malerman's GOBLIN). So I'd be curious to read your view just on an objective level and get an opposing perspective. I hear some people say they don't like Little, but I've never really read a clear reason why, so I remain a bit puzzled (though, again, largely uncaring as it relates to my own preferences) as to what the issues are. I looked up THE MAILMAN on GoodReads, but I don't see your name, so maybe you can provide a link...?

[Martin]

I'm about as thick-skinned as it comes to getting offended on matters like that...it's unfortunate you didn't like Little and the work in question, but I don't at all see it as a reflection of me or my tastes...tastes vary, and, quite honestly, your like or dislike of something doesn't have any impact at all on my like or dislikes (e.g. Malerman's GOBLIN). So I'd be curious to read your view just on an objective level and get an opposing perspective. I hear some people say they don't like Little, but I've never really read a clear reason why, so I remain a bit puzzled (though, again, largely uncaring as it relates to my own preferences) as to what the issues are. I looked up THE MAILMAN on GoodReads, but I don't see your name, so maybe you can provide a link...?

Ron,
You should be able to read Jeff's review here:

https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/70716397-jeff-terry

Jeff,
I concur with Ron with regards to being offended. I liked it you, did not. I read your review and take no offense in anything you wrote, with the possible exception where you said 'I'm sure you are a wonderful person in every way'. You see I am a very flawed person, like we all are!

[jeffingoff]

I'm about as thick-skinned as it comes to getting offended on matters like that...it's unfortunate you didn't like Little and the work in question, but I don't at all see it as a reflection of me or my tastes...tastes vary, and, quite honestly, your like or dislike of something doesn't have any impact at all on my like or dislikes (e.g. Malerman's GOBLIN). So I'd be curious to read your view just on an objective level and get an opposing perspective. I hear some people say they don't like Little, but I've never really read a clear reason why, so I remain a bit puzzled (though, again, largely uncaring as it relates to my own preferences) as to what the issues are. I looked up THE MAILMAN on GoodReads, but I don't see your name, so maybe you can provide a link...?

My review is overly dramatic. I wrote it in breathless fury. It's more incendiary than it needs to be. I was actually going for funny.

essentially, what I didn't like about the book:
1. I thought the main characters were hollow, one dimensional. For me, they were also unlikable. I actually was hoping that some combo of them would die.
2. The suspension of disbelief was quite extreme. I know that Little tried to cover off on why nobody is doing anything about the Mailman, but he didn't do it convincingly.
3. Like in The CIRCLE, the big baddie is revealed at the end to be completely harmless.
4. there's essentially no change from the first page to the last as far as character development
5. Little does more telling than showing
6. he's obsessed with tedious details
7. he's not a storyteller as much as he's an "event describer"
8. I think those last three points are all kinda saying the same thing
9. I guess, in short, there was nothing that Little put in there that actually got me invested in the story. I understood it and I get what he was going for. I just didn't care.

I think all of this gets to chemistry. While there were few things that were "technically" wrong with the book, I just couldn't line up behind Little and live in his version of Willis AZ.

This is a much more adult version of what I posted on Goodreads