What are you reading at the moment? Recommendations welcome

KateESal

What's the point of a traditional publishing deal, anyway?

  • KateESal
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The 7 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was recommended to me but the blurb made me pass it by, until now. Damn, Stuart Turton, you actually pulled off something new. A debut novel from a travel writer. Wow. For me it captures the feeling of being caught in a bad dream trying to find your way out. The prose is elegant and spare, the story deft and clever. A new kind of murder mystery. "Gosford Park meets Inception" really doesnt do it justice.
 
Pamela Jo said:
The 7 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle was recommended to me but the blurb made me pass it by, until now. Damn, Stuart Turton, you actually pulled off something new. A debut novel from a travel writer. Wow. For me it captures the feeling of being caught in a bad dream trying to find your way out. The prose is elegant and spare, the story deft and clever. A new kind of murder mystery. "Gosford Park meets Inception" really doesnt do it justice.
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Really enjoyed 7 deaths. Also enjoyed his next book The Devil and the Dark Water. Didn't quite live up to 7 deaths, but a story like his debut will be hard to beat.
 
Insomnia last night. Read Francine Prose's Mr. Monkey and finished at 0130 this morning. Like all her books, I loved it, even though I knew I missed most of her literary allusions like a ten-year-old might. Unless the ten-year-old was a genius in the story. But I am not.

Seriously, reading a story told as a story, from multiple POVs with no slavery to show don't tell, kept me reading. The story, on the surface, is about a failing theatrical company's attempt to stage a play, but it speaks on deeper levels. Not just the rise to middle class for the many under dogs. The story of the short boy who dons a costume made from an old brown bed cover and cavorts in erotic acrobatics as he discovers his budding masculinity, but then ...

"nuff said," as Stan Lee put it. If you love beautiful writing, try Francine Prose.
 
I'm enjoying The Death House by Sarah Pinborough, though I didn't really expect to. I was researching her because of her agent, and SP's better known for psychological thrillers, which this isn't. Excellent characterisation and well written, if a tiny bit slow.

The author might have originally meant it as Y/A, given its cast of young people, but it wasn't marketed as that. A tragic love story in a speculative setting, the plot has strong similarities to Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, though here we know from the outset what the situation of the young people is. The 'feel' is different, too, and I was trying to recall what it reminded me of – it's The Lord of the Flies.

Perhaps more when I get to the end.
 
E G Logan said:
I'm enjoying The Death House by Sarah Pinborough, though I didn't really expect to. I was researching her because of her agent, and SP's better known for psychological thrillers, which this isn't. Excellent characterisation and well written, if a tiny bit slow.

The author might have originally meant it as Y/A, given its cast of young people, but it wasn't marketed as that. A tragic love story in a speculative setting, the plot has strong similarities to Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, though here we know from the outset what the situation of the young people is. The 'feel' is different, too, and I was trying to recall what it reminded me of – it's The Lord of the Flies.

Perhaps more when I get to the end.
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Ooh, that interests me. You got me at LotFs :)
 
RK Wallis said:
Ooh, that interests me. You got me at LotFs :)
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I think you would like it. Now finished it, and I found it very good.

It is tightly plotted – the end is marvellous – and the characters are strong and realistic, seeming age-appropriate when some are young children. (Have the tissues handy.)

I'd be very interested in an opinion from someone who reads regularly in this genre, because I've read almost no Y/A since Treasure Island and The Black Arrow, long years ago. I believe it is Y/A, or maybe crossover, despite not being specifically marketed as such.

It does have marked similarities to Never Let Me Go, in terms of the basic premise and the setting, but (MHO) I prefer it, mainly as the plot is less meandering.
 
Re Y/A – I am completely amazed.

When I checked Wikipedia just now, it said that The Death House (2016) was a HORROR novel. It was even shortlisted in its publication year for a horror prize.

That puts a whole new slant on things. As Y/A/Crossover, it's charming, romantic, elegiac even. As horror, it's probably a bit underpowered. And the sweet, lovely ending doesn't work for that genre at all.

I thought Pinborough did some clever things with scenes where the reader could feel the baddie was any moment going to be really bad – but he did a bit of a last-minute swerve and failed to be 100% evil. How does that fit in with horror?

Can someone else please read this and let us have their view?
 
E G Logan said:
Re Y/A – I am completely amazed.

When I checked Wikipedia just now, it said that The Death House (2016) was a HORROR novel. It was even shortlisted in its publication year for a horror prize.

That puts a whole new slant on things. As Y/A/Crossover, it's charming, romantic, elegiac even. As horror, it's probably a bit underpowered. And the sweet, lovely ending doesn't work for that genre at all.

I thought Pinborough did some clever things with scenes where the reader could feel the baddie was any moment going to be really bad – but he did a bit of a last-minute swerve and failed to be 100% evil. How does that fit in with horror?

Can someone else please read this and let us have their view?
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I'm on the case, lol
 
RK Wallis said:
I'm on the case, lol
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I can't leave it go either.

I never saw the book jacket because I bought the Kindle version, and I vaguely remembered Kindle Store saying this was a love story. Adult or Y/A not specified.

Just checked Kindle: it comes up with
The Death House: A dark and bittersweet tale that will break your heart and make you smile in equal measure

I think that's pretty fair.

I don't understand why the publishers would market any book in a genre that does not do it justice. @AgentPete any thoughts on this one??
 
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KateESal

What's the point of a traditional publishing deal, anyway?

  • KateESal
  • Replies: 36
From Our Blog

Blog Post: I Miss Your Smile

  • From Our Blog
  • Replies: 8
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