wednesday_10_00 | layout malaise

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layout malaise

I think I changed my layout about 10 times the last couple days; finally settled on this as the least offensive. (1. If a layout doesn't let me edit the sidebar, I want nothing to do with it. 2. Apparently I really like pink and green together at this time of year, because iirc it was the end of winter when I last adopted that color scheme.) But srsly, LJ, maybe it is time to load up some new layouts? Because every time I look for a new one I fee like I've seen every preview about 500 times. I guess they're too busy running header contests to have another style contest or something. And don't get me wrong, I am really enjoying this chickadee right now, but I have other needs and zero design skills, help a girl out.

Moving on: For some reason today I was thinking of this old rant, and I wondered if said sequel had ever been published. And, lo and behold, it lives! (And has since last fall. Where have I been?) So I check out the reviews to see if I am going to bother with this or not. In the first review I see this:

As David is forced to prostitute himself to a sadistic government official to obtain information about Callan's whereabouts, Callan and his fellow prisoners endure torture, disease, and death as they attempt to hold onto hope and remain true to themselves.

Though both young men eventually find comfort in the arms of another, it is their enduring love and faith in each other that carries them through their tremendous hardships.

Yeah, I am not going to read that. EVER. I'm not even sure which paragraph turns me off more.

However, I continue to read the reviews and you gotta love stuff like

What ruined everything for me was David falling completely in love with another man while being completely in love with Callan! No guilt, no second thoughts, just total abandon to his desires. And Callan's reaction to it at the end? Come on! I would be hurt beyond words if my husband did that.

and

Then he invites his new love to join him to get Callan. Oh yeah that would have went over wonderfully. "Sorry you've been suffering love! Here's a guy that's gonna live with us and sleep with me because I love him too! Doesn't diminish how I feel about you. Promise!"

haha, oh man, I haven't even read this book and I hate it with a fiery passion. I'm sorry, fellow fans of fidelity who read this book, thanks for taking one for the team. I only wish I could do more than marking your review as helpful.

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....so... maybe I am still thinking that you should just bring False Colors back to me in a couple weeks. Unread.

Seriously.

PS: Cute layout.

Haha, oh dear. I'm not going to argue with you, though that does make me curious about what happens.

Well, you could still read on the plane(s); I forget where along the page count certain things occur, but maybe if you read slow.... >_> *shifty eyes*

Dang, you replied before I could edit. I just read a spoiler-filled review and I think you were probably right about giving it back unread. :/ I could skim past that stuff, sure, but I'm doubtful of the merits of reading a book that one has to skim (large?) parts of.

I'm sure we must've spoken a bit about the content at some point (I'm not even going to think about gmail searching and getting lost in re-reads of the results today), because I remembered being concerned about content for you but also wanting to share how and why it was a memorable story to me. And from a technical standpoint, I desperately wanted to discuss the author's use of particular plot elements with someone who had experience in reading lots of these sorts of stories - elements like "cheating" (was it even cheating?) or the bookended torture scenes (was this to create some kind of balance? Or did they need to have the same kind of bad memories? Can't they have their own flaws and weaknesses? Upping the page count?). I suppose whether they were enjoyable or necessary depends on POV, and I wanted to talk about it in context of other things, like the personalities of the characters, how they expressed themselves to one another, and the love they struggled with. I really liked the guys, but not as much what happened to them.

But... I'm not sure now how well we could discuss those things, if the others left too bad a taste for you. But, I *was* able to talk about it with someone else, though maybe not as much in depth as I envisioned us doing so, so maybe some of the itch was scratched at least. (I'm not sure you have to skim LARGE parts.... you certainly don't want to miss how the events of those scenes affected character/relationship development....)

Yeah, we did, and you expressed reservations about lending it to me, and I said (maybe foolishly) I would read it anyway, because you wanted to talk about it. I'm glad that you did get to discuss it with someone, though, that makes me feel better.

I really liked the guys, but not as much what happened to them.

Sometimes I will put up with a story's crap if I like the characters, but this one just sounds like a bit much to me, I dunno. (Of course, it's a lot easier for me to make that statement when I have zero attachment to said characters.)

was it even cheating?

If I am interpreting the reviews correctly, they weren't really together, right? I wouldn't count it as cheating.

this one just sounds like a bit much to me

Yeah, I didn't think it was too much (or at least I accepted what was there for the realities of the storyline)... until the other guy got captured and tortured. THEN it was kind of too much. :/ (And I want to say there was something else after that [not torture tho] but now I think I might be confusing the author's other book, so I'm not sure - it's been a while since I read FC, lol.)

I should say that what I loosely summed up as "cheating" was actually not so much about the relations that were had, but about the use/need of that 3rd party in particular. His overall role, etc. Basically: there were some subplot elements that I felt the need to discuss on technical merit/levels.

I really should get smart again and find some discussion groups to join or something.

Stop making me want to read just so I know what you're talking about, dangit!

I really should get smart again and find some discussion groups to join or something.

Dude, if you find a discussion group for m/m romance, please let me know.

Stop making me want to read just so I know what you're talking about, dangit!

LOL, sorry, sorry. If it helps, honestly, more than the actual content (ie the sorts of stuff we usually end up talking about with regards to stories - lol: squee?), I think it was more the technical stuff I wanted to talk about - the whys behind the whats. I wanted a reader to talk about the book with. It's ok, just skip it. But I will point out a particular passage for you. :)

discussion group for m/m romance
I will, though I'm.... not sure it's this that I'm looking for exactly. It's not like I read a lot of m/m romance fiction (despite what it might seem like these days).. it's just certain books.

(Though, to bring this around a little - I'd been curious about the books you are talking about in this entry and now I am SO NOT, so thank you.)

It's not like I read a lot of m/m romance fiction

I don't either, honestly. But I think it would be nice to have a place to discuss it. (I'm sure the solution to that would be for me to post about it more, but, you know, that takes effort and stuff.)

I'd been curious about the books you are talking about in this entry and now I am SO NOT, so thank you.

I could actually bring the first one along, if you'd like to see if you might be interested in just that one. It does stand on its own, and I still like it.

Thanks, but that's ok - I wasn't extremely curious, it'd just showed up on the radar the few times I was in the mood to shop around for ideas. It's probably best to pass on it altogether since if I liked something reasonably well, I tend not to be able to ignore a sequel when I know it exists.(And seriously, I have WAY, WAY too much else to read.)

It's cool. I just--I guess I feel strange about the fact that my (many) negative comments regarding the sequel have made some people go, "UGH, NEVER READING THESE BOOKS" when I actually like the first book, haha. Oh well, I'm not the one who wrote a crap sequel, I should stop feeling guilty about it.

And, editing again to clarify: If I were in your position, I probably wouldn't read the first book, either. But I feel obligated to keep saying that I liked the first one, because I did.

Edited 2011-03-04 18:16 (UTC)

LOL, I had just recently been in search of more gay fantasy (as I so often am) and came across these books. I was tempted to get them (read a sample of the first book and it looked to have reasonably okay writing) and then saw those reviews on Amazon and I was like eehehehe, maaaaybe NOT! (Infidelity is one of my biggest squicks!)

In other fun gay fantasy, have you read Lord of White Hell? It's random cute gay fantasy.

There's a small touch of possible infidelity (Het only) but it's this whole big deal (cause one of the couple is from a society that is VERY ANTI GAY) so its something they must overcome (the whole thing of 'I love you but I probably am gonna have to get married one day so they don't try to arrest/kill me') but them overcoming that is one of the things that makes it so cute! ^_^

If you can separate the two books in your head canon, I think the first one is worth reading; I liked it a lot, anyway. It will leave some questions unanswered, but from what I read in the reviews on Amazon, the sequel doesn't totally answer them anyway, so who cares?

I have read Lord of the White Hell! I'm a big fan of Ginn Hale. (And apparently she's considering a sequel (http://ginnhale.livejournal.com/9758.html)?) I think I've read pretty much all of the Blind Eye Books catalogue, to be honest. >.>

Have you read the Hell Cop anthologies? I think you might like those. They're only available as e-books, though. (Hmm, that reminds me that I downloaded the second one and never read it...)

Hmm, I may have to give it a try. I do have a hard time not reading a sequel when I know there is one even if I know I won't like it...

I need to read more from that publisher. The few I have read have all been fun. I was considering the Hell Cop anthologies, good to have a rec for 'em. Mmmmmm gay fantasy, I do so love how it's starting to get a rather large body of work (in English, cause obviously Japan's been doing well for quite some time)^___^

Which Blind Eye books have you read, just out of curiosity?

Lord of White Hells, Strange Fortune and part of the way through Wicked Gentlemen and then got distracted rereading old fanfic...^_-

Haha! Well, for what it's worth, I would say Wicked Gentlemen, Tangled XY (haven't read Girls yet), and Turnskin are my favorites. (With Turnskin, you just have to look past the furry aspect. It's cute, if a little cheesy.)

eta: favorites among those you haven't read, I should say. I'm not sure where I rank Lord of the White Hell. (I wouldn't count Strange Fortunes in my favorites, though.)

(Also, in case you haven't seen it, there's a really adorable short story on Ginn Hale's website (http://ginnhale.com/extras.html).)

Edited 2011-03-04 15:29 (UTC)

Ohh, thanks for the link to the short story (I will not read porn at work, I will not read...oh hell ^_-)

Will definitely have to check out those other books! Yay, more to read (and pass on to my mom...she was quite enamored of Lord of White Hell ^_^)

Glad to be of service! ^_~

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layout malaise

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I post this as a shipping notice for 8 more books arrives in my inbox.

Re: I post this as a shipping notice for 8 more books arrives in my inbox.

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