Bookworms

Glyn, you are correct in your assessment. Amazon has become a Vanity publisher. Although, I am very happy that now indie authors and publishers have the same opportunities as those formerly afforded to only the big publishing houses. I've read some really poorly written indie books, but I've also read some great ones that would have never made it through the big houses because they are not considered "pop" enough... translated... not big enough money makers.

Teresa, I would be so happy to take a look at your novel. I'm looking for new and upcoming authors. See my site and my philosophy (www.route11publications.us).

Roger, I would be happy to take a look at your book for two reasons: always looking for a good read, and if it's something I can publish for you with success, we could chat. Simply publishing an ebook does not make it successful. It takes marketing, and I've been successful at this. (Broken Crowns, by Tamara Shoemaker, just published in January, is #2 in three categories paid on Amazon).

Glyn, I started out publishing ebooks only, but I'm venturing into my first hard copy this month. The author I recently published on Amazon as an ebook has done very well, and she's already completed her second book in the series, so we are publishing her first book in hard copy because I think she is going to become a successful author.

So glad I found this group this morning. I LOVE talking about books and finding new reads. I'm not into pop lit; and so it's great to get recommendations from other readers on books worth reading.

Poor Toni… I fear you’re going to be inundated with mss looking for homes!!

Hi Toni, I would be happy to 'gift' you a copy of my first novel in exchange for your professional view, or review, if you felt inclined, and had the time. I've published on both Smashwords ( http://bit.ly/Xkear7 ), where you can download 15% for free, and on Kindle ( http://amzn.to/SPgmvc ) where of course you can read a sample. It's called 'A Mole in the Hand' written under my pen name of Walter Frederick. My first (and only) review on Amazon included this comment "with a strong central character for me very reminiscent of James Bond", so I suppose you will see it's a very 'British' story. My back cover description has this to say: "Could there be a coup d’état in Britain?? It is 2014 and Britain is being torn apart by civil unrest as Trades Unions and protest groups join forces to fight austerity measures. The Coalition Government nears the end of its first term, and city centre riots force the imposition of special powers with nightly curfews. Richard Mastin, a public relations expert, is visited by an American friend now a senior CIA Officer. He issues Mastin with a challenge, and within days he uncovers a plot for a British coup. Mastin is pitted against ex-KGB officers, preparing to unleash hundreds of moles, under cover for decades. Mastin discovers MPs, senior civil servants, and police officers - who were recruited during the Soviet Era. Mastin’s life and family are threatened. He enlists help from old British friends and new American friends. Key recruit is beautiful TV Producer Juliana Weston. He crosses the Atlantic to fight the planned coup. In a dramatic ending he flees to rural Tuscany with all of the computer files without which the coup cannot be launched."

Would appreciate any comments.

Toni, do you simply publish as an ebook, or hard copy as well?

Hi Toni,
What sort of books do you publish? I’m currently looking for a market for my YA novel (written in English), having had it placed as runner-up in a competition recently.

Thanks for the recommendation Toni. It is so easy just to read the 'pop' novels, and we need to rely on recommendations such as yours. The problem with Amazon kindle is that there are too many self published novels to wade through. Having read one or two it does seem that anyone who can write a shopping list also thinks they can write a novel.

I like to read indie authors (I'm a book publisher so always looking for new talent), and I recently read a really excellent book I'd like to recommend (not published by me; this is not a promo): "Blue Hole Back Home" by Joy Jordan-Lake.

You can read my review on Amazon, so I won't go into details here; but the plot is 1970s small-town American, after the Civil Rights era. It is a very realistic depiction of how Civil Rights for African Americans still did not exist many years after. A great story, and great writing, based on true events from the author's childhood. I also grew up in a small southern community, and I can attest that this fictional account is very realistic. The prose in this book is just excellent.

Steinbeck, Grapes of Wrath superb novel, superb film directed by John Ford and superb song written by Woody Guthrie.

Ah Steinbeck! Love him.

I have read The house at Riverton & The forgotten garden by Kate Morton Both very good Anne .

Glyn, I will certainly take a look on Amazon for that.

Cheers

Nick

Well Nick, you can read my novel The Doctor and The Dipsomaniac available on Amazon kindle. If you don’t like it, and this applies to anyone, I’ll give you your money back.
I can also recommend ‘Accused’ by E B Burton, also available as an Amazon kindle.
Glyn

Well part of my new years resolution was to do a lot more non-work related reading , as computing tombs are a little dry.

I have joined Goodreads and signed up to read 25 books at least this year. I'm currently getting my way through Allan Watts "The Wisdom of Insecurity", which is an interesting Philosophical read.

If anyone wants to join the challenge and be-friend me on that site, your more than welcome.

Kind Regards

Nick

www.babelio.com Is a good web site for people who are hunting down books in French.

Fred Vargas! Wonderful. Tried booking her for our literary festival here in 2014. Not interested, sadly.

It's great to see books that people rate in Bookworms as worth a read. Much better than these damned lists of pop stuff.

Thank you to you all.

Thanks for the reading tips Chris. The only book on your list that I've read was a book by Louise Penny and it was an easy fun read with a great surprise ending.

The French books that have marked me are

Delphine de Vigan -Rien ne S'oppose a la Nuit

Frédéric Beigbeder's- Un Roman Francais and Windows on the World

Lionel Duroy- Le Chagrin

In English my choices are:

Brady Udall- The Lonely Polygamist

Candice Millard- The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

Jonathan Franzen's- Freedom, The Corrections and Strong Motion

I'm always looking for new authors to enjoy. I'd particularly like to know more about contemporary French writers. I have recently read and would recommend:

[English:]

Stephen Hunt - The Court of the Air [bizarre fantasy adventure]

Michael Wright - Je t'aime à la Folie [bucolic love story set in Perigord,much better written than most French feel-good books]

Aidan Hartley - The Zanzibar chest [Memoir set in East Africa and Yemen by the Times international correspondent - gripping and heart-rending]

Marina Lewycka - Two Caravans [quirky and funny insight into the lives of East European guest workers in England]

for a really light read,the crime novels of Louise Penny set in Quebec

[English or French:]

Irène Nemirowsky - Suite Française [one of finest books ever written about occupied France]

the crime novels of Fred Vargas with her wonderfully eccentric police Commissioner Adamsberg.

[French:]

Daniel Pennac - Au bonheur des ogres [hilarious novel set in Parisian dept store]. He's written several other novels, not translated into English,but his French is very accessible.

Laurent Gaudé - Eldorado [poignant story of African emigrés trying to reach Europe by boat to Italy]

I agree with you Glyn on Trollope. To misquote Harold Macmillan "There's nothing like going to bed with a Trollope."

It wasn't until I saw two actors perform Moby Dick that I realised the humour of the book. Still working my way through John Updike. Slowly!

Thanks for the tip Glyn. I'll look it up. I used to like Anne Tyler a lot but I haven't read anything by her recently. I've just read that there was some controversy about the Philip Roth book. Evidently he was married to Claire Bloom and the book is said to be roughly based on their life together. I'm more interested in the McCarthy era focus of the book.