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realisaonum · 3 years ago

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book meme

thank you, jen @det395 !! i feel like this meme got away from me a bit, but no shame! i love talking about books and writing so onward ~under the cut~

1- how many books are too many books in a series?

mhmmmmm i guess it depends on the objective of the series, right? is the plan to have x number of books in the series and if so, when we finally get to the end will it be satisfying considering all the books we’ve read leading up to it? OR is the objective of the premise / characters just to exist doing whatever? both can be done well. i would say a lot rides on how much i trust the author.

2- what do you think about cliffhangers?

so this is meant for cliffhangers in a series like between books? i don’t really care if there’s a cliffhanger as long as i have the next book sitting right next to me. otherwise uh, only if the wait between books is tolerable, because at that point you need to know that the author can clear this mess up, right? there’s this other thing, like you know how if the entire series was already written, then they might release the books a month apart or a quarter apart - that could be alright too. but years in between? not especially a fan. is anyone a fan?

3- hardback or paperback?

jen, you and me are complete opposites here. paperbacks stress me out. i will go out of my way to buy a used hardcover if given the choice. of course, there are some publications i don’t mind in paperback —thinking poetry and super indie books that don’t have a hardcover release OR books where the spines are thin enough they won’t break and i won’t be holding them long enough for them to wear. hardcovers are sturdy and i don’t have to worry i’ll accidentally bend the cover in some damaging way. I am invested in keeping my books nice to the point that i create covers for my books out of kraft paper or brown grocery bags while i am reading them. this is something i started when i was in college and didn’t want these books i was hoping to probably resell get thrashed coming in and out of my bag for all these classes. My home library is probs more half and half paperback/hardcover but if given a choice usually it’s hardcover.

4- least favourite book?

i think it’s good to at least attempt to meet a book on its level. there are lots of books i didn’t like, but i wasn’t meeting them on their level and i know that so we’re ignoring those. i do however have a shelf on my goodreads dedicated to books that i have beef with so i’ll just go off on two of them.....

tana french’s the likeness for being plagiaristic shit. it is essentially poorly concealed alternate universe OC insert fic of the secret history. you’ve got french’s dublin murder squad folks and then this group they are investigating who bear a STRIKING resemblance to the greek students in tsh 🤔. this would be one thing. it is pretty well acknowledged that nothing is original and there are enough changes to The Likeness that MAYBE i could let it slide if not for this other thing: french’s book, the likeness, has lines that are just basically reworded quotes from the secret history and french positions these lines so they are said by the counterpart (essentially same!) character that gave them original life in tsh. i cannot stress this enough: you can HEAR how similar the sentences are and their core intent is always the same. it’s thinly veiled theft! it astounds me that French hasn’t been sued frankly. it is one thing to want to capture some of the genius that tartt’s debut novel holds, but it is completely lazy and disgusting theft to go about it in the way French did with this book. and YES the secret history was published before french’s book. if i could stomach how fucking goddamn boring the likeness was to read it a second time and cite every one of these offenses i would, but that’s yet a third strike against it—it’s too boring to be worth it.

T. Kingfisher’s second book of the Clocktuar War duology : The Wonder Engine. this is a book that i feel violated the contract between writer and reader. the first book feels almost like a YA book. the stakes while described as very high are treated, as actions unfold, as very low. nothing truly irreparable happens until the climax of the second book and the fallout of that action is so off-tone of everything that came before i felt deeply betrayed. no, like, completely betrayed as in it ruined the rest of my afternoon, i am still viscerally angry eight months later, and i will never trust this author again. sure, maybe none of those actions that led to the climax were out-of-character, but there was nothing NOTHING in the proceeding action that even came close to that level of consequence. it’s a pity because right up till that point i was having a really good time. the entire vibe of the rising action to the climax of book one all the way through the rising action of book two was just a quippy fun version of roadtrip/quest - it felt like a comfort read. the abrupt tone shift had all the subtlety of dropping a graphically, brutal murder into Blue’s Clues. you don’t do that - this is a basic tenet of a writer / reader relationship. i’m not touching this bitch’s shit again.

5- Love Triangle, yes or no?

not so much. i like jen before me will scream ‘just be poly.’ love triangles that lead into poly relationships? yes, awesome will be glad i read. but i am at a stage in my life where your standard will-they-won’t-they-love-triangle is just fucking pointlessly frustrating to me. an example: i read a Nic Stone’s book Odd One Out a couple years ago and something about the synopsis or the hype made me think that it would resolve the love triangle that way, so when that did not happen i was incredibly frustrated and immediately wanted to resell the book. it’s the potential of the thing. stone’s book could have been the perfect vehicle for opening up the concept of polyamory to a ya audience but instead just really squandered that potential with weak floundering — in my opinion!

6- the most recent book you just couldn’t finish

uhhhhh i’ve got two and i’m not sure i’ve entirely given up quite yet buuuuuuuut

fucking dune. i got really pissed off with this book. So just…setting aside the whole vaguing at a pedophilically inclined queer coded villain - it’s done so poorly, that it's almost funny? like it doesn’t (as of half way through) actually have any consequence on…anything at all and is tacked on like an afterthought to the end of his scenes. honestly it all could just be cut out entirely with no recourse to the larger story. So my actual beef with this book is the pacing is ATROCIOUS. like yo, not only do you expect me to give a shit about these Atreides cunts, when we just met them and we spend the same amount of time with them IF NOT MORE with the antagonist? but you also expect me to believe Paul was able to just convince the leader of the Arrakis people —the leader of an entire planet!!— with a single fucking sentence??? yeah, not so much. it was not set up for me to believe that Paul could do that! maybe if Kynes hadn’t died immediately after—or at least not died at that moment? baring the fact I thought he was by far the most interesting character, IF he had been convinced by Paul in that scene, it would have been great to see some actual work done around that - with a transfer or a liaise of power between Kynes and Paul and the Fremen. By not having any substantive scene that does it - it begs the question of what the fuck was the point of the character in the first place? unplumbed potential!!! over all there seem to be some key scenes missing to get the reader to where the narrative expects us to be? but the choices made of the characters we spend time with and the moments we see with them, the benefit to the larger story…is not always there. hey herbert, these words you have written aren’t doing what you want them to?? i feel like i should finish it but i reaaaaallly don’t want to :) the only thing i can say is it looks like from the trailer, villeneueve is giving space to these moments so that the viewer can foster a genuine connection with the characters? radical concept.

our lady of perpetual hunger - i started this one optimistically bc i like chef memoirs, but i am at the point where she has just given birth to her son and honestly DON’T CARE. i still haven’t officially given up on it yet since i actually fucking bought it like a dope. i certainly would not have if i knew how much NOT about working the line this was gonna be

7- book you are currently reading

Aside from the failures mentioned above, I am working on the second book in B. Catling’s Vorrh trilogy, The Erstwhile. Also very close to finally finishing Iain Sinclair’s The Last London - there’s a review of his work from the LA Times that goes “One of Sinclair’s greatest skills has always been his ability to take diverse if not chaotic source material and refashion it in a way that sometimes seems downright alchemical” which captures some of the wonder I experience when reading his work. His style and how he creates atmosphere and setting is just unique and astounding.

8- last book you recommended to someone

The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Before that I told my brother to read Eat a Peach, as we both love Anthony Bourdain and David Chang talks about him a bit here, plus it’s just a fucking great book. any book that gives insight into Chang’s methodology and paradigm is worth a shot.

9- oldest book you read

I think it might have to be Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (which apparently according to wiki premiered on the stage a whole four months before Hamlet so that’s what we’re going with) and if plays don’t count, I don’t care. I think they count and that’s what we’re going with.

10- the most recent book you read ?

Given the previous question, the most recently published book, right? It’s gotta be the one I just finished: The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic - Revised and Expanded edt., which like just came out this summer. I watched Jessica Hopper’s promo zoom, curtesy of my local indie bookstore, and went ahead and bought it. This was a great decision! It was just what I needed to read these last couple of weeks. i love there’s lots of short pieces that made the read quick and the fact that it’s non-fiction so there was no pressure of a plot or the emotional weight of character investment when I had a lot of big stressors dragging me down irl -it was such a relief. Hopper’s criticism is fun to read and there’s some real art in her appreciation of music here.

11- favourite author?

These are the top in a kind of order but not really: Donna Tartt, Jeff VanderMeer, Megan Whalen Turner, Flannery O’Conner, Chuck Palahniuk, Anthony Bourdain

Other faves very much worth mentioning: Emily O’Neill, Richard Siken, Brandon Sanderson, Warren Ellis, Nathan Englander, Stephen King, Eddie Huang, Carl Hiaassen, Anne Carson, and Iain Sinclair.

12- buying books or borrowing books?

Depends on if my library has it, of course! I nearly always see if my library has a copy first if i have never read it or the author before. If i’ve read the book before or trust the author, I’ll buy it. Like I’ll straight out buy new stuff from Jeff VanderMeer even though with him it’s either this-hits-exactly-and-is-my-new-fave or i-really-disliked-this-but-admire-the-boundaries-you’re-pushing-my-dude - so it’s always a gamble but a worthy one.

12- a book you dislike that everyone else seems to love

a little life (just bc it's torture porn elevated to art doesn’t negate the fact that it’s torture porn. Yanagihara’s project here is repugnant and the fact that this book is lauded as moving lgbt fiction makes my skin crawl)

sharp objects (good writing, compelling story, BUT typographical scarification doesn't work like that - i am not going to get into it but i know from first hand experience how Flynn described it is not accurate)

nesbø’s the snowman (what kinda dumbass detective would think THAT when a woman finds her missing father’s corpse? absolute idiocy - so obviously reverse engineered with that end in mind)

the raven cycle (fuck ronan lynch to start and then fuck him to end as well - there’s some other stuff but mostly he’s a total CUNT and if i don’t say that once a day i have probably died)

14 - bookmarks or dogears?

Bookmarks and sticky notes. Then I can place it pointing directly to the paragraph I last stopped on.

15- The book you can always reread?

This is my question because I reread all the time. ALL THE TIME. Books I reread often: The Secret History, Medium Raw (especially chapter 17 The Fury), Crooked Kingdom, The Violent Bear It Away, and The Goldfinch. Every year like clockwork (since it came out apparently) I will reread Stephen King’s The Outsider.

Other books I feel the urge to reread: VanderMeer’s Acceptance, Englander’s Dinner at the Center of the Earth, Frazier’s Nightwoods, Fresh Off the Boat, the Mr. Mercedes trilogy, the Peter Grant Series (which is queued up for another go here soon I think), any of the stories from A Good Man is Hard to Find, Sanderson’s Wax and Wayne Mistborn books, simon vs the homosapiens’ agenda, and there are two of Alan Morinis’ books on Mussar that I am technically always revisiting—when i need a reminder, i’ll jump around and read specific sections to get centered again.

16- can you read while listening to music?

Yes, but only ambient or near ambient (only usually one track on repeat) or a soundtrack I am extremely familiar with. No new music. I do usually need some audio stimulation or my mind will wander terribly.

17- one POV or multi POV?

Multi pov can certainly be done well (looking at the soc duaology and VanderMeer’s Acceptance) but working a multi-pov means there are more plates spinning, it’s more of a challenge, and some authors pull it off better than others.

18- do you read book in one sitting or in multiple days?

I don’t really do this anymore. that might have something to do with me picking up thicker books? but also i have a full time job now and let’s be real the book has to be hella good if i don’t want to put it down. the last book i attempted to shotgun was the final installment of my favorite series and it still took me two days so....i can get through a lot of books but none of them are ever in one sitting anymore.

19- who to tag:

@sybilius @mouth-rainboy @iwonderifthatisart @phereinnike @magnificentmoose @wambsgangs @moriarteaparty and anyone else if you feel so inclined!

Bonus Question: What’s on your to-read shelf?

As for me, I am excited about one i just picked up, Danforth’s Plain Bad Heroines, which i might start tomorrow and I will be taking Paul Madonna’s Come to Light on my trip to see my brother this coming weekend.

#this took a while but was fun #thanks again jen #very excited to read other folks responses #also like a general content warning? i mention/refer to things in the books but nothing's unpacked here #still to be cautious reference to mature themes #the narrator feeling posthumous

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jmhwritesstuff · 6 years ago

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Writer Ask

(I wasn’t tagged or anything, but I was bored and felt like rambling a little, so I just answered the whole list.)

What age-group do you write?

Mostly YA, but I occasionally border into adult.

What genre do you write?

Fantasy is my go-to, but I’ve dabbled in Contemporary, Horror, and Sci-fi from time to time over the years.

Do you outline according to big ideas or small details?

I’m not great at outlining, but if there’s ever anything (big or small) that I feel the need to write notes on, then I’ll do a little brainstorming so I have a document on hand if I need it.

Which do you prefer–line-editing or plot-revisions?

Plot revisions. It’s frustrating as hell, but I like to make sure everything is as it should be for the purpose of the story.

Do you write better with or without deadlines?

Neither, honestly. Deadlines don’t compel me to get things done, they just stress me out, and no deadlines also stress me out because … it just gives me more reason not to do anything, and then I just feel really bad about it, which makes me not want to do it more. It’s a never ending cycle that I desperately need to break.

What would be the biggest compliment you could hope to receive on your current WIP?

That it’s actually interesting enough to keep readers wanting more.

How long is your current WIP?

It’s still sitting at 40k, but right now I’m abandoning it for something new which is still in the planning stages.

What author would you be most excited to be compared to?

I have no idea. I guess any of the most well-known YA writers.

What do you struggle most with as a writer?

Consistency. I’m forever fighting with myself to get more words down and finish something.

Do you brain-storm story ideas alone or with others?

Mostly alone. Sometimes I have a friend who likes to bounce ideas around with me, but writing has always been such a lonely thing for me.

Do you base your characters off of real people?

Not really. I did it once, but now that I’m rewriting that particular novel, the characters have become their own people.

Is your writing space clean or cluttered?

A bit of both. I like to be organised but there’s not much room, so I just make do.

Do you write character-driven or plot-driven stories?

I think I always fall on the character-driven side. I try to focus more on plot when it’s necessary but it never feels good enough to me, so that’s pretty difficult.

Do you have a favorite writing-related quote?

Something about shovelling sand into a box to later make sandcastles? I don’t know. I’ve seen so many quotes about writing, but not many stand out.

If you transport your original characters into another author’s world, which world would you choose?

I’d like to see them in Throne of Glass. I think giving over my characters to SJM would be a fangirl moment for me, just to see what she would do with them.

Would your story work better as a movie or tv show? Why?

That’s hard to say. Freefall would probably be a movie. But the world of The Divine … maybe a show.

Do you make soundtracks for each story?

I’ve started to! I create playlists on Spotify for them.

If you could assign your story one song, what would it be?

When the Sun Goes Down - Tommee Profitt

Would you rather live in your characters’ world, or have your characters come live in our world?

Characters’ world. I wouldn’t want them to be ordinary.

What book would you love to see adapted for the big or small screen?

I don’t know. I’m open to any - my biggest gripe with most book-to-movie is the production teams behind them. It’s gotta be right. Stop messing with cheap production value on Fantasy.

Do you finish most of the stories you start?

Nope!

Has your own writing ever made you cry?

Yes.

Are you proud or anxious to show off your writing?

Neither, I guess. I like to show my stuff once I consider it a decent standard, and then I enjoy gaining feedback just to see if there’s anything I never considered or maybe missed.

When did you start considering yourself a writer?

Probably when I was around 17. I was writing a bunch of teen drama drabbles and got a lot of readers/likes/comments. That was when I think I really started to consider trying to make some kind of career out of it.

What books are must-reads in your genre?

Stuff by Brandon Sanderson, Brent Weeks, Sarah J Maas, Laini Taylor. So, like, Throne of Glass, Mistborn, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, and The Black Prism. There’s honestly so many, just scour goodreads and dive in.

What would you like to see more of in your genre?

Can I go with less? Like, don't get me wrong, Fantasy is my favourite genre, but the political intrigue part can get really heavy, and really drawn out, really fast. It’s my least favourite part about Fantasy, but unfortunately is a massive convention of that genre. Also, I think I clearly need to read more Fantasy that’s a bit more gruelling - I’ve read so many books that came so close to being dark and tragic, and then shies away from it to make way for happy endings. And Happily Ever Babies. No thank you.

Where do you get inspiration from?

I used to get it from other books, movies, and video games. At this point in time, though … I’m not entirely sure.

On a scale of 1-10, how much do you stress about choosing character names?

Not at all, really. If I don’t think of a name right away that I feel fits the character, then I give them a placeholder name until I find the right one.

Do you tend to underwrite or overwrite in a first draft?

Probably underwrite. Maybe even half and half.

Does writing calm you down or stress you out?

Mostly calms me down, depending on how much pressure I’m feeling that day.

What trope do you actually like?

Friends to lovers. Cold guy with violence in his veins actually has a soft heart. The Chosen One. Parents are conveniently absent. Slow burn. Protagonist has to die to save the day (but actually die).

That’s just off the top of my head. I’m okay with most tropes to be honest.

Do you give your side-characters extensive backstories?

I never used to, but I’m starting to build on that more these days.

Do you flesh-out characters before you write, or let their personalities develop over time?

I write down the basics such as appearance and/or particular quirks or personality traits. But most of the time, the personalities develop on their own, and a lot of what I originally intended them to be doesn’t work out.

Describe your old writing in one word.

Amateur.

Is it more fun to write villains or heroes?

I really enjoy writing heroes - I love giving them their darkest moments and their epic comebacks.

Do you write with a black and white sense of morality?

No.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to new writers?

Write what you want and take every single piece of writing advice with a grain of salt. Not everything you read or try to make your writing better will work for you, so find what does, and don't worry about what everyone else is doing.

What’s one piece of writing advice you try–but fail–to follow?

Set a wordcount goal every day and stick to it in order to form a better and consistent writing habit. I’ve tried and failed this countless times.

How important is positive reinforcement to you as a writer?

Personally, I don’t know. I think it’s important to know the difference between criticism and constructive criticism, though, and that you don’t have to make the changes suggested by others to what you’ve written or where you intend to go with the story.

What would you ask your favorite author if given one question?

How the hell do you do it?

Do you find it distracting to read while you’re writing a first draft?

Not at all. I actually think it helps me a lot.

Do critiques motivate or discourage you?

It’s subjective, unfortunately. Sometimes it’s helpful, and sometimes it isn’t. Sometimes you get feedback from someone who knows what they’re talking about, and sometimes you get utter nonsense. So … learn the difference.

Do you tend to write protagonists like yourself or unlike yourself?

There’s definitely some amount of myself reflected in them. I learnt that while studying self-reflection in prose at university a few years ago.

Our class basically had to sit around a table and discuss personal process within our writing and what messages we think we might be trying to convey within our work. It soon moved on to whether or not we imagine ourselves as the protagonists (because that’s a popular writer stereotype) in our stories. Most of our answers were ‘no’, but most of us did discover a lot of links between the two.

For instance, the majority of my protagonists have always been orphans. No parents, no siblings. I didn’t grow up without a family or siblings, but my familial relationships have always been super strained my whole life. Instead of trying to write positive familial relationships, it was easier to cut them out entirely and replace it with the Found Family trope instead.

How do you decide what story idea to work on?

Whichever one has been running around my head the most at the time is usually the one I end up getting the itch to write.

Do you find it harder or easier to write when you’re stressed out?

Harder.

What Hogwarts house would your protagonist(s) be in?

I don’t know, and I don’t care.

Where do you see yourself as a writer in five years?

Nowhere. And that’s not trying to be self-deprecating. I’m literally struggling to hold on to my passion for it lately. You know how most writers imagine seeing their book on a shelf someday? I don’t get that. Not anymore. Or at least not at this point in time.

Would you ever co-write?

I would! It would depend on a few things, but I like the thought of it.

Are you a fast and rushed writer or a slow and deliberate writer?

Slow and deliberate. I’d like to be fast, but it’s just not in me.

Would you rather be remembered for your fantastic world-building or your lifelike characters?

I don’t know. Characters, probably.

#writer #writing #writer ask #writing questions #long post #jmhwriter

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wegotintoacoma · 7 years ago

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Tagged by @more-than-useless. Thank you for tagging me, Jo!

1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

I don’t even remember when I started buying books instead of just borrowing them from the library, but probably some of my first ones were Percy Jackson. Oh and my Bible. And Fox In Socks by Dr Seuss if you count books that technically weren’t mine/on my shelf to begin with, but have since migrated to my shelf cause it’s always been a favorite and my mom was gonna give it away

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?

Well I just finished my book a few hours ago, so my last read was The Names They Gave Us by Emery Lord, but as of a few hours ago my last read was Lord Of Shadows by Cassandra Clare. And I have no idea what book I’m reading next

3. Which book does everyone like and you hated?

I don’t think I’ve read a book that fits this category???

4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

Oh boy. So many. Basically just a lot of stuff on my to-read list on goodreads. I mean I probably have some on my bookcase that I’ve had for a long while and am probably never going to read, but I still keep them in the hopes of one day reading them

5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?”

I haven’t really thought about this before.... Yeah I don’t think I really have an specific books

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?

Wait till the end

Unless I accidentally read some of it because I’m looking at how many pages are in the book

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?

I don’t necessarily think they’re a waste, but I only skim them if I read them at all

8. Which book character would you switch places with?

So many books character have messed up lives and live in really messed up and dangerous worlds whyyyy. But also like one reason I’d want to switch places with a book character is just to meet all the other book characters in the book(s). Soooooo no idea

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?

So the first one that comes to mind I haven’t actually read (LOTR), but I have a lot of friends (mostly gr friends) that talk about it, so I always think of them when I hear/see something related. Also Les Mis. But technically then they talk about the musical and not the book (I believe). Nothing else that stands out in my mind rn

10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.

Hm. I get most of my books at/from thrift stores/library book sales/book stores/books my sisters are giving away/gifts. I guess I haven’t really gotten any books in an interesting way. Possibly a white elephant/gift exchange

11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?

I’ve bought books for people before for their birthday or christmas. I’ve loaned books out too (some of which I got back slightly coming apart cause they were taken to the pool). Don’t think I’ve ever really given a book away for any special reason/to a special person

12. Which book has been with you to the most places?

Probably my Bible. Other than that I don’t really take my books places unless it’s just the one I’m reading at the moment and it goes with me wherever I end up going

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?

Well I don’t think I’ve reread many books I’ve read in school, and if so they were either poetry books (which I’m pretty much indifferent about (but I like Edgar Allen Poe)) or books my mom read aloud to me and my sisters multiple times cause us younger siblings were going through a year that them older siblings had already gone through (and some I liked and some I’m indifferent towards). Maybe eventually I’ll reread some of the books I read and actually didn’t like

14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?

I think once or twice I just found notes of some sort that someone had stuck in there. But I once put something in a books before I gave it away. So storytime folks: so you know in the Artemis Fowl series? And how they have stuff written in gnommish running across the bottom of all the pages? Well years ago when I got the first book, I started translating it. I never finished and I was cleaning out my books a few months ago and I decided to give the book away. So what I did was I stuck what I had translated in the book and wrote a little note on it and gave it away. I just hope that the papers actually stayed in the book for someone else to enjoy my translations

15. Used or brand new?

Okay so I like both, but I mostly get used. They each have their own pros so it’s hard to choose. And they both smell good in different ways so uuuuuugh

16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?

Never read any of his books, possibly seen one or two (or parts of) the movies

17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

I feel like I have but I can’t remember what movie that was......

18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?

See the problem with that isn’t necessarily that they were introduced, it’s that they were executed poorly. aka PJO and ATLA. And of course there are always elements to book-to-movie films that people won’t like (I have few with some movies)

19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?

Oh yes. Oh boy yes. I can’t remember what books specifically, but I know it’s happened. More than once

20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

No one’s? Like, I am/can be very picky (in more than just books), so I only like half trust other people’s opinions when they recommend books to me

Okay so let’s tag @bananannabeth, @padmeadmidala, @elvendragonlord, @percytheslytherin, and anyone else who feels like it :)

#my post #tagged

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lexxikitty-blog1 · 6 years ago

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Kiss the Girl by Melissa Brayden Series: Soho Loft: #1 Read: February 2016 Rating: 4.75 Stars

There are something like a million and one (or 14 to 78) brilliant reviews on GoodReads. I'm not going to be adding much new to the discussion at this point.

This book is the first book I've read by this author. I was 'pushed' into reading this book because of a group I am in that is currently running a 'pick it' group challenge.

I had been putting off this book because everyone and their pet donkey just absolutely loves this book. And I didn't want to go in, after everyone else, pick at it and go . . . you know what? I don't really like this here. Yes, I felt self conscious.

The book involves Brooklyn Campbell, Hunter something or other, Samantha, and Mallory who jointly run an advertising agency in New York City. They meet in college and they are roughly around the age of 28 (though I believe the prologue indicated some were older than Brooklyn). Brooklyn is the main point of view for this set of friends. Brooklyn was put up for adoption when she was a baby and went in and out of various foster homes until, at some point, she ended her 'tour' in a group home and aged out of the system at 18.

The second group of people this book involves is Jessica Lennox and . . . um, she's friends with her assistant Brent. And is friendly her teenage neighbor Ashton. Lennox is a hard charging head of an advertising agency that she started long ago. It is also located in New York City. Lennox is described as being a bitchy, ball busting, 'get my way or I'll cut you' type of person. Oh, and she might be married to a billionaire who helps her find business. Most of this is based on rumors and nothing but rumors. Lennox, though, likes how the rumors help her in business, so does nothing to 'set people right' and 'fix' her image. I'm using Lennox on purpose, instead of Jessica (or Jess). Because I'm mostly referring to her business persona. Jessica/Jess, though, is nothing like what others see her as being. Oh, and Jessica is really really old...er than Brooklyn. 10 years older. 38. Or, in other words, younger than me.

Before I move on - I rather like both Jessica and Brooklyn.

Okay then. Brooklyn is having a rotten day - pulled over and ticketed for speeding, her car is towed, her heel on her favorite shoes break, and, to top it off, her birth mother has offered contact information through an organization that does stuff like that (Brooklyn had signed up with them when she was 18, i.e., 10 years ago). Gazing around in despair, she contemplates what to do with herself. Spots a neat looking place across the street from a print shop (there's a reason why she is there; oh - and the print shop line was super long - to add to her woes).

Brooklyn enters this lovely looking place. Walks right up to the bar and . . . realizes her purse is in her car (which just got towed away, remember). She kind of whimpers.

Jessica has had a tough day. She decides to do two things she rarely ever does - step out earlish from work, and go home. No the go home isn't the second thing. The second thing is to step into this neat little bar that is near her home. As she sits there looking around kind of happy she decided to step in, she spots a rather attractive woman step in. And overhears her exchange with the bartender (um, I forgot to mention that, Brooklyn's 'realization' about her purse took place out loud). Jessica offers to pay for Brooklyn's drink.

Brooklyn is reluctant but eventually agrees. Jessica introduces herself as Jessica . . . Jess. But without a last name, and makes a game of not saying what her job is (well, one of them do, I forget which one started the game of Brooklyn guessing Jess' job). Both have a fabulous time. It ends with Jessica acquiring Brooklyn's number, and giving a brief kiss. Which expands into a really passionate kiss. The kind that makes your toes curl and your hair stand up straight (or whatever it is that happens). They part.

Jessica and Brooklyn meet again, as someone who read the beginning of this review might suspect, when both turn up for an advertising job. Jessica Lennox is quite well known to Brooklyn's ad agency, but Brooklyn doesn't normally go on calls (and therefore doesn't know what Jessica Lennox, professional ball crusher, looks like). Plus, Jess never gave her last name. Jessica leaves a conference room. Brooklyn spots her. They gaze at each other. Brooklyn is now flustered and somewhat messes up her first ever attempt to talk to clients in a client meeting.

Jess texts Brooklyn. They kind of flirt by text.

The 'Cinderalla kiss' is mentioned by Brooklyn to her coworkers (well, it was mentioned, I forget the sequence now). The idea of having any kind of relationship, friend/romantic or otherwise, with someone like Jessica Lennox is roundly booed by everyone of Brooklyn's friends. Brooklyn kind of agrees with them.

Time passes. The Foster account is fought over by both Brooklyn and Lennox's ad agencies.

Eventually Brooklyn uses that contact number she got for her birth mother. Eventually her relationship with Jess advances . . . somewhat. Meanwhile Ashton, the teenage next door neighbor of Jessica's, is having a rotten time with her alcoholic mother - Jessica tries to help.

There's a really intense scene in a stuck elevator between Jessica and Brooklyn (which occurred, I believe, actually before Brooklyn attempts to contact her mother; it's not related, I'm just fixing the chronology I messed up in my review).

At some point, while reading this book, I was seriously contemplating making a brand new shelf. I would call this shelf something like '6 star books'. Then put this book on said shelf. Because this was, in fact, a really really good book. Until it wasn't.

The 'it wasn't' part occurred when a specific incident occurred. And I could immediately foretell what would then happen next. And everything unfolded almost exactly as I thought it would. About 99.9% exactly like I thought it would. To be fair, everything that happened? Did not seem like a contrived little thing to add to the book to add tension/drama/and conflict. It did, in fact, seem like a natural extension of the book (which is also why I knew immediately what would happen after the fact, and was 99% correct - because everything flowed naturally). Well damn. I was going to pinpoint the 'incident' at the beginning. Ah well. It was when Brooklyn visited Jessica. At her office. A bag may or may not be involved. I'm trying to be vague for those who haven't read the book, while giving enough for those who have to know what I'm referring to. *inserts spoiler tags* <spoiler> (for fuck sake, you have a 'break the tension' group meeting with your friends; it is mentioned that 'business stuff' need to remain secret and . . . . you immediately visit your love interest at their office? Okay, livable but . . . for no fucking reason I can think of, you give your fucking . . . right *tags inserted* You leave your bag outside. With an advertising executive. For a rival agency. You are currently in competition with. And you know she isn't the fucking receptionist. And . . AND . . Jessica's fucking assistant is right there as a potential other person to give the bag too (don't); if you going to do this completely weird ass fucking thing - like bring your fucking back with you into Jessica's place of work (instead of say, leaving it locked tightly and hidden in car), don't fucking leave it outside; why? Why the fuck did she do that? No, I'm serious. Do people do that? Do they leave their fucking bags with rivals (remember, she fucking knows that's not the receptionist? Yes? Well fuck me. Learn something new every day. She's visiting a fucking head of a company; what, did she think Jessica worked in a broom closet and therefore there wouldn't be any room for her bag and coat? No? Maybe it's some kind of 'oops, I brought my bag with me, I trust this non-receptionist rival advertising person with my bag instead of having it near me while I'm in the room with Jessica' thought process. Why the fuck does she even fucking have her fucking bag up in the receptionist area? SHE FUCKING DRIVES EVERYWHERE.) Okay, I've moved from 'this is a natural progression' to 'what the fuck did I just read?'</spoiler>

The book was filled with a ton of tension/drama/etc. based on intergroup dynamics involving the Campbell friend group and their reaction to Brooklyn-Jessica link up; the ad agency competition; the drama over the birth family; and, most specifically of importance for a romance - relationship tension (both because of that issue of Brooklyn's friends not liking Jessica; being rivals; Brooklyn having commitment and trust issues; having to take things slow; etc.). So, tacking on an extra layer, even if a natural development for the book, seemed like a layer too many.

Oh, and, you know (those who have read my reviews before), how I recently made a comment on another book recently read about how it contained that cliche of 'I'm a powerful woman. I'm giving up control and submitting to another woman. I think I like it'? That cliche, once again, turned up in this book. And yes, it once again pulled me from the story. Though I just kind of laughed and dove back in. See, this was when I still thought of this as a six star book, and that specific scene neither increased nor decreased the overall score given to this book. (Though, I also admit (did I admit anything previously, dang it, I don't want ot reread my own review), Brayden handled that scene brilliantly).

So, for these and other reasons, I cannot break open a brand new 6 star shelf and shove this book onto it. Nor, in good conscious can I add this to my super duper and special 5.5 star shelf. I have currently placed it on no specific star shelf. Though I've currently rated it 4 stars. I am contemplating which shelf to add this book to. 3.5? Probably not. 4? Maybe. 4.5? Perhaps. And, surprising, I know, I still have a strong desire to put this on my five star shelf

Review Written: February 3 2016

#Soho Loft #First in Series #Lesbian Fiction #Lesbian Romance #Romance #Contemporary Romance #Book Review #Lesbian Book Review #2016 Reads #4.75 Stars #Bold Strokes Books

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