Reading Books For Pleasure

I love forum book "clubs"

my favorite kinds of books are study books. For example Global Brain by Howard Bloom is a book about Global information sharing, and how powerful the concept is, starting with the beginning of life, and the miracle of information exchange through evolution in single celled organisms all the way to the development of human societies.

and on that note, I hope you dont mind that I sort of hopped in here like this, I'd like to hear some of your reviews of books that you've read as well as ideas for what book we should collectively read

FurryFury said:

So what should the theme be?

Do we have some nominations?

Fury

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Well, obviously BDSM would come to mind. Just stories or run the gamut from stories to how to books. But it could be widened. Sci Fi (or Sci- fi BDSM, you know Flesh Gordon and the whips of Mongo )

raven2 said:

Well, obviously BDSM would come to mind. Just stories or run the gamut from stories to how to books to. But it could be widened. Sci Fi (or Sci- fi BDSM, you know Flesh Gordon and the whips of Mongo )

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*huge smile*

When I first joined I came up with the idea of people on the forum putting up a story they wanted read and critiqued. I got a little interest, but then it died. No one would critique the stories. We could do something like that.

Anne_Prospere said:

I love forum book "clubs"

my favorite kinds of books are study books. For example Global Brain by Howard Bloom is a book about Global information sharing, and how powerful the concept is, starting with the beginning of life, and the miracle of information exchange through evolution in single celled organisms all the way to the development of human societies.

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Interesting stuff I'm sure. I rarely read books like that though I probably should.

Fury

Anne_Prospere said:

and on that note, I hope you dont mind that I sort of hopped in here like this, I'd like to hear some of your reviews of books that you've read as well as ideas for what book we should collectively read

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I would enjoy reviewing some books.

I would like to hear from others about book ideas before I give my ideas, should I get any ideas! LOL.

Fury

raven2 said:

Well, obviously BDSM would come to mind. Just stories or run the gamut from stories to how to books. But it could be widened. Sci Fi (or Sci- fi BDSM, you know Flesh Gordon and the whips of Mongo )

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That's a wide variety of ideas. There isn't anything I wouldn't hit in there.

Fury

graceanne said:

When I first joined I came up with the idea of people on the forum putting up a story they wanted read and critiqued. I got a little interest, but then it died. No one would critique the stories. We could do something like that.

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That's a good idea too. I like that idea as well but then I'm easy . . .*L*

Fury

FurryFury said:

I pick up my book . . .I see the book mark well into the last third of the pages and feel sad.

I don't want this book to end. I rarely want any book into which I immerse myself to end. That is why I tend to prefer series of books.

Does anyone else feel this way?

KC, it's the book you recommended, The Angry Angel. I didn't want to read it when I read the world Dracula as I didn't enjoy that book. I read one chapter as I often do to get a taste and see if it grabbed me. It did!

Thanks for the recommendation. I would say this has a BDSM feel to it as well as a neck biting lusciousness.

Fury

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KCs book reading suggestion of the week... never ever never finish reading a really good book until you are sure you have found another really good book and have started reading that. Once you are sure, and only whe you are absolutely sure that the second is a good book, finish the first one.

btw the angry angel is part of a series.

Kajira Callista said:

KCs book reading suggestion of the week... never ever never finish reading a really good book until you are sure you have found another really good book and have started reading that. Once you are sure, and only whe you are absolutely sure that the second is a good book, finish the first one.

btw the angry angel is part of a series.

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But, but, KC! It ended, quite suddenly too! The series isn't all written either, is it? *cries*

Fury

FurryFury said:

But, but, KC! It ended, quite suddenly too! The series isn't all written either, is it? *cries*

Fury

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there are three books in the series..go to amazon, they have them. you should also check out other books by the same author, i hear they are quite good but i am not allowing me to order any more books until i read the ones already here *sigh*

Kajira Callista said:

there are three books in the series..go to amazon, they have them. you should also check out other books by the same author, i hear they are quite good but i am not allowing me to order any more books until i read the ones already here *sigh*

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I've got the next one on hold at the library! Yay! Plus I'm reading The Good, The Bad and The Undead by Kim Harrison now. Whew! That was a close one!

Fury

Okay last night I did some research on BDSM novels which I cross referenced with my library database. Below are the results.

If folks are interested in any of these let me know. We could possibly start the book club in March.

However, if nobody is into any of these, that's cool just say so and we will look at something else out. It's all good either way. I ain't pushing anything.

Y'all just keep talking about this with me okay?

Fury

Nominations:

1.) Daughter of the Blood, by Anne Bishop, from The Black Jewels Trilogy which includes-- Heir to the shadows and Queen of the darkness.

Descriptions: Anne Bishop's debut novel, Daughter of the Blood, is like black coffee--strong, dark, and hard on delicate stomachs. Within the Blood (a race of magic-users), women rule and men serve, but tradition has been corrupted so that women enslave men, who seek to destroy their oppressors. Female children are violated before they can reach maturity; men are tortured and forced to satisfy witches' sexual appetites.
Bishop's child heroine, Jaenelle, is destined to rule the Blood, if she can reach adulthood. Her power is hidden; her family believes her mad. Saetan, High Lord of Hell and most powerful of the Blood males, becomes Jaenelle's surrogate father and teacher. He cannot protect her outside Hell, where he rules. She refuses to leave Terreille, risking herself to protect or heal other victims of violence. Can Daemon, Saetan's estranged son, keep her safe from the machinations of the evil High Priestess? Or will he lose his battle to control his destructive urges and endanger her?

Readers may find some aspects of Bishop's world confusing; not least that most of the good guys live in Hell. But her protagonists are compelling, sympathetic characters who overcome terrible adversity. If you like Anne Rice or Laurell K. Hamilton, try this one. --Nona Vero

From Library Journal
The prophecy of a coming Queen destined to shake the foundations of the Dark Kingdom heralds a war of intrigue and Machiavellian politics as three rivals seek control over the innocent young girl fated to ascend to greatness. Lavishly sensual and overtly erotic, Bishop's fantasy debut features a richly detailed world based on a reversal of standard genre cliches of light and darkness. Fans of Tanith Lee's Flat Earth series may appreciate this adults-only series opener. Large libraries may want to consider for their fantasy collections.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

2.) Kushiel's Dart (Kushiel's Legacy) (Paperback) by Jacqueline Carey

From Publishers Weekly
HThis brilliant and daring debut, set in a skewed Renaissance world (people worship Jesus-like "Blessed Elua" but also demigods), catapults Carey immediately into the top rank of fantasy novelists. In the character of PhŠdre n¢ Delaunay, "a whore's unwanted get" sold into indentured servitude in opulent Night Court, the author has created a particularly strong and memorable female lead, and has surrounded her with a large and varied cast, from nobles and priests to soldiers and peasants. An engrossing plot focuses first on court intrigue and treachery, then, in a surprising shift, on high adventure, travel in barbarian lands including Alba (England) and war. Two demigods rule PhŠdre: Naamah, for sensual love; and Kushiel, for sado-masochistic pain, his "dart" being a blood spot in PhŠdre's eye. Not everyone will go for PhŠdre's graphic if elegantly described sexual encounters, which usually involve the infliction of pain, whether from lashing, branding or even cutting. PhŠdre, however, is no clich‚d sexpot but a complex character motivated by religious zeal. In one amusing scene, a group of sailors on the march chants: "Whip us till we're on the floor, we'll turn around and ask for more, we're PhŠdre's Boys!" At the end, the heroine reminds one of an equally strong-minded sister whose home was Tara. No mere feminist novel, this is an assured and magnificent book that will appeal to both male and female readers. (June 4)Forecast: With blurbs from Delia Sherman and Storm Constantine, plus major print advertising both genre and mainstream, this first novel could rack up impressive sales.



From Library Journal
Trained from childhood to a life of servitude and espionage, Ph?dre n? Delaunay serves her master, Anafiel, as a courtesan and spy, ferreting out the dangerous secrets of the noble houses of Terre d'Ange. When she uncovers a treasonous conspiracy, however, her life takes on a new and deadly purpose. Set in a world reminiscent of late medieval and early Renaissance Europe, Carey's first novel portrays a society based upon political and sexual intrigue. The author's sensual prose, suitable for adult readers, should appeal to fans of Tanith Lee, Storm Constantine, and Terry Goodkind. Recommended for adult fantasy collections.

3.) Wild women : contemporary short stories by women celebrating women / edited by Sue Thomas

Contents The tiger's bride / Angela Carter -- Woman from America / Bessie Head -- The English disease / Nina Fitzpatrick -- The smile of a mountain witch / Ohba Minako -- Two words / Isabel Allende -- The debutante / Leonora Carrington -- Liking men / Margaret Atwood -- Simmering / Margaret Atwood -- In the garden / Darcey Steinke -- The odalisque, extinct / Diana Hartog -- Bloodmantle / Tanith Lee -- Sleeping Beauty, revised / Jill McCorkle -- All strapped in / Sue Thomas -- Orchids to you, dear / Fiona Cooper -- Really, doesn't crime pay? / Alice Walker -- Stone-eating girl / Meena Alexander -- The raw brunettes / Lorraine Schein -- I like to look / Kathy Page -- Planetesimal / Keri Hulme -- Perma red / Debra Earling -- The queen's chamber / A. N. Roquelaure (Anne Rice) -- Her thighs / Dorothy Allison -- Four bare legs in a bed / Helen Simpson -- How to save your own life / Erica Jong -- It's bad luck to die / Elizabeth McCracken -- MindMovie / Christine Slater -- A day at the peep show / Veronica Vera -- Roses / Evelyn Lau -- Julia and the bazooka / Anna Kavan -- Silver water / Amy Bloom -- In my next life / Pam Houston -- Many mothers / Beverley Daurio -- Suicide / Mariarosa Sclauzero -- Autobiography / Carol Emshw.

From Library Journal
Capitalizing on the appeal of Clarissa Pinkola Este's popular Women Who Run with the Wolves (LJ 6/15/92), editor Thomas has prepared this volume of short stories that "bring together modern examples of the warrior guises of Wild Woman." Thomas, a novelist and writing instructor whose own "All Strapped In" is included in the volume, divides the works into eight thematic sections-empowerment, sex, and righteous rage, among them-and provides informative introductory remarks to each section. The short stories come from a politically correct mix of contemporary women writers that include Isabel Allende, Margaret Atwood, Pam Houston, Alice Walker, and a number of emerging voices. It's not an essential purchase, but your Wild Women readers will want to check it out.
Debbie Bogenschutz, Cincinnati Technical Coll.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
A hyena who takes the place of an unwilling debutante at the debutante's ball; a woman, worn from years of family duties, who fixes her gaze on a visiting sister who's escaped her portion of the familial burden and turns her to stone; men who jealously vie for kitchen supremacy while their wives work outside their homes; a writer who's researching sex-show performers at the Triple Treat Theater--all these and more are to be found in this compilation of short fiction by contemporary women that examines the wild-woman archetype characterized in various ways by the wanderer, the dreamer, and the story-teller. Editor Thomas distributes the contents (which include stories by Alice Walker, Anne Rice, Margaret Atwood, Erica Jong, Isabel Allende, Andrea Dworkin, and Fay Weldon and stunning supershorts by Kathy Page and Veronica Vera) into eight topical sections on the wild woman per se, the intruder mate, empowerment and self-esteem, sex, extreme behavior, creativity and life phases, rage, and endurance, respectively. What with its contemporary interpretations of archetypal themes, a good addition for the sake of women's studies as well as literature. Whitney Scott


4.) Topping From Below by Laura Reese.

From Publishers Weekly
The title of this devilishly pornographic?albeit literate?novel is taken from the argot of sadomasochism and refers to a rebellious dynamic in which the dominant partner (the "top") is subtly manipulated by the submissive partner (the "bottom"). After her young sister, Franny, is found murdered?bound, gagged and mutilated?Nora Tibbs, a journalist for the Sacramento Bee, discovers in Franny's computer a diary that details her brief affair with "M.," an arrogant music professor in his late 40s. Cruelly exploiting the overweight, love-starved woman, M. forced Franny to submit to a humiliating gamut of outre sexual practices. Convinced that M. is Franny's murderer, Nora sets out to prove his guilt by pretending to submit to his depraved aberrations. But, to her astonishment, she discovers a dark, pagan side of herself when M. enthralls her with intense, if perilous, sexual pleasure. Graphic descriptions of exotic sexual practices (bondage and discipline, sadomasochism, bestiality, etc.) accumulate, counterpointed by Nora's sweetly romantic relationship with a fellow reporter. The suspense, a bit attenuated by thin secondary characters, also is muted by artless foreshadowing, but the conclusion is satisfying in a savage sort of way and Nora's plunge "down, all the way down" under M.'s manipulations will keep most readers gripped even as they're aware that Reese's shameless pandering is manipulating them in turn. Comparison to Story of O is well earned. 100,000 first printing; Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Club alternates.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
After her sister is murdered, Nora Tibbs moves to a small college town near Sacramento. She believes that Franny's lover, Michael, is responsible for her death. Nora becomes entangled in a vicious web of wanting to know more about her sister's life and the dark fascination that Michael holds for both sisters. In her first novel, Reese explores the ghastly realm of women who, through some quirk of nature, allow themselves to be physically brutalized in order to feel loved. She writes well, using succinct prose, and in the process creates a neat little suspense novel. Be forewarned, though: explicit sex, sex with animals, mutilation, and torture are all here for the asking, as is the harsher reality of sadomasochism in all its pain, degradation, and domination. Recommended for adult fiction collections.

5.) Panic snap by Laura Reese.

From Publishers Weekly
Blurring the line between pleasure and pain, Reese (Topping from Below) wraps a wickedly raunchy tale of sexual obsession and sadomasochism inside a taut, suspenseful thriller. Transfigured by extensive plastic surgery and hampered by full amnesia, Carly Tyler, 32, has been pursuing her past ever since she was beaten and left for dead on a California roadside 15 years ago. When a magazine photo of one James McGuane provides Carly with a spark of recognition, she decides to get a job at Byblos, the Napa Valley vineyard run by James's family, in an attempt to find clues about her previous life. There, she meets a man so charged with carnal energy that she is immediately and perilously drawn to him. Carly and James's dominant/submissive sexual relationship involves whips and bondage, psychological torture and devotion, all presented by the author at a pace guaranteed to steam up the windows. The nefarious James is quick to figure out who Carly is (or was). He promises to explain a connection between her and his dead wife if she continues to appease him, and he strings Carly along for months while his jealous twin sister, Gina, does nearly everything possible to get rid of her. As memories trickle back, the three characters veer toward a deadly climax that leaves one of them on trial for murder. Reese's workaday prose is burdened by repetitive character descriptions, but her prowess in mixing erotica and mystery creates frissons of excitement. Agent, Barbara Lowenstein. (Apr.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review


"Wickedly raunchy...suspenseful...charged with carnal energy." --Publishers Weekly

"Blurring the line between pleasure and pain, Reese wraps a wickedly raunchy tale of sexual obsession and sadomasochism inside a taut, suspenseful thriller...Her prowess in mixing erotica and mystery creates frissons of excitement." --Publishers Weekly

"[A] highly erotic novel...dangerous sexual appeal." --Woman's Own

1, 2 and 5 sound good to me Fury.

*HUGE SMILE* March sounds great to me....*thinking of a whole 10 days of fun filled Spring Break headed my way* I'm willing to read just about anything to get this book club idea off and running.

Have to admit kind of excited about *drum roll* *big announcer voice* Number ...5!

Thanks for all the research Fury...I'm impressed

Hisbabydoll26 said:

*HUGE SMILE* March sounds great to me....*thinking of a whole 10 days of fun filled Spring Break headed my way* I'm willing to read just about anything to get this book club idea off and running.

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*smiles*

Great!

Did any books or books appeal to you more than another?

Fury

Is anyone else interested in the Book Club?

Fury

FurryFury said:

Is anyone else interesting in the Book Club?

Fury

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Is this interestED? If so, I'd probably do it, depending on the book. I'm pretty easy to please, though.
I like 2, 4 and possibly 5.

brioche said:

Is this interestED? If so, I'd probably do it, depending on the book. I'm pretty easy to please, though.
I like 2, 4 and possibly 5.

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Yay! That's four of us so far!

Anyone else?

Step right up! The BDSM book club will be starting shortly!

Fury

brioche said:

Is this interestED? If so, I'd probably do it, depending on the book. I'm pretty easy to please, though.
I like 2, 4 and possibly 5.

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I really like 1 because of my love of scifi but as long as the group does not pick 3 anything goes.

leeroy jenkins said:

I really like 1 because of my love of scifi but as long as the group does not pick 3 anything goes.

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Yay! We have another one! *hugs*

Fury

FurryFury said:

Is anyone else interesting in the Book Club?

Fury

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I'm interested, but can't afford to buy any books now. So maybe the next book y'all read.

graceanne said:

I'm interested, but can't afford to buy any books now. So maybe the next book y'all read.

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Check your library online and see which of these books they have. That's what I did. All of these are at my library. I do not plan to spend any money.

Fury

It just occured to me as I started to right this reply, maybe instead of us all reading the one book and then discussing it, we might branch of and have a list of books to read. That way if we all don't want to read the same book we still can get exposure to other book. This idea might will have some effect on the discussion yet, but as we all know TIME is a substance that is always in short supple. The other benefit I see to this is what you might call the Sleepless in Seattle effect meaning that I went out of my way to see both An Affair to Remember and The Dirty Dozen simple because of its inclusion in a film I liked. So if other people read other books it might lend to your actually going out and reading said book. I guess this is like book or movie review with the added benefit that you actually can converse with the reviewer.

Now I am going to step back and give my take on why it is we feel sad when a production of some sort is done. The only answer I have is our humanity and the human condition. I don't know about others but it seems that only some media effect me in this way, maybe its the storytelling in the piece that helps me identify with some of it. A good example is one that FurryFury said LoTR be it the movies or just the books when you see Frodo and Gandalf the White get on the ship to the Undying lands and then Sam return to Rose and this family that leaves you longing for more. Or maybe for you its when you hear The Star Spankle Banner before a NASCAR event, not a sense of loss and ending but of one soaring to hights with pride. These feeling don't just happen for all works of art, just ones that most would equate to having raised the bar over the norm. Watching Titanic has a much more effect on me then watching say The Hulk, becuase the former touches something inside me as the latter makes for good viewing, but it really is just a way to either waste or pass couple of hours of the day.

I guess that is my view basically though I would say with some reservations that maybe for me personally that I would rather have life a more drab then to have the constant reminders that there is much out there I can't seem to obtain easily or even readily.

Whatever ya'll want to do is fine with me. Lord knows I'll be reading regardless.

I have books just waiting for me to love them right now!

I love that!

Fury

Not sure anyone would be interested but while reading some of the stories on the otherside of this site I came across one that included something about the story called The Story of O. I did the whole google thing and this is what I came up with. http://www.olympiapress.com/catalog/ seems this site just has erotic books of years past.

It's feedback from everyone, I'm going to go with. So anyone who has an opinion or idea get them in here please!

Fury