1Carol420
Thank you, Threadsong, for this suggestion. I'm going to use most of, or at least the main idea, of what you wrote with your suggestion. I am going to add a few little things to it. Everyone please feel that you can add your contributions to it at any time. ALL GENERAS & AUTHORS ARE WELCOME.
Is there a book that you may have bought, borrowed from the library or that came into your procession in any other way... that you may not have known much about...except maybe the genre... or perhaps you had met the author...maybe someone recommended it, (a friend, a website) and to your surprise you found that you liked it, more than you had expected? We've all encountered books that are, well, duds. We'd love to hear about your "Hidden & Unexpected Treasures" that came to you...unexpectedly.
2threadnsong
So I'll jump in, feet (fingers?) first!
I was just agog after reading a book called Controlled Descent that I bought from the author at DragonCon in the Before Times. There's nothing like a book nerd talking right there with the author at the end of a 4-day sci-fi/fantasy/anime convention! She was interested in selling (or off-loading) her books instead of packing them, I was interested in buying yet more books, and she said that one of her series was a tie-in that involved knitting. I read that book last year called Weaving in the Ends and found that I liked it.
I picked up "Controlled Descent" this month thinking yeah, maybe I'll get through it, cuz post-apocalyptic US is not necessarily my thing, but hey, it's a long month, there's a holiday in it, what have I got to lose??
And wow. It was more than an apocalyptic hellscape full of zombies and daredevil survivalists. Much, much more. There is a young, brash, brainy head of a successful company (sound familiar?) who is tinkering with a new and improved snowmobile before he gets on a plane with his mentor, and they disappear in a plane crash in the Arctic wilderness with another passenger he hardly knows.
Concurrent with this story is a young woman with those amazing office coordinator skills who is struggling to make ends meet (sounding more familiar?) who lands a job doing what she does best: corralling lawyers by organizing their schedules, meetings, helping them with their research, and all that other stuff that I can certainly relate to in previous jobs and in Corporate Life.
These two storylines are so much a glimpse into today: our world, technology, events, corporate geeks, corporate life, and they just sucked me right in. And the best part? Everyone has their self-doubts and their inner thoughts and this author pulls off not just multiple storylines, but also the multiple POV of the different characters. The technology is pretty modern - everyone takes notes on pads - and there is some difference in the US but it's not overdramatized or discussed in lots of overblown detail. It's the backdrop, and the characters and their struggles in a sudden crisis situation are the story.
>1 Carol420: Hope this glimpse into the Hidden Treasure thread starts some good conversations going!
I was just agog after reading a book called Controlled Descent that I bought from the author at DragonCon in the Before Times. There's nothing like a book nerd talking right there with the author at the end of a 4-day sci-fi/fantasy/anime convention! She was interested in selling (or off-loading) her books instead of packing them, I was interested in buying yet more books, and she said that one of her series was a tie-in that involved knitting. I read that book last year called Weaving in the Ends and found that I liked it.
I picked up "Controlled Descent" this month thinking yeah, maybe I'll get through it, cuz post-apocalyptic US is not necessarily my thing, but hey, it's a long month, there's a holiday in it, what have I got to lose??
And wow. It was more than an apocalyptic hellscape full of zombies and daredevil survivalists. Much, much more. There is a young, brash, brainy head of a successful company (sound familiar?) who is tinkering with a new and improved snowmobile before he gets on a plane with his mentor, and they disappear in a plane crash in the Arctic wilderness with another passenger he hardly knows.
Concurrent with this story is a young woman with those amazing office coordinator skills who is struggling to make ends meet (sounding more familiar?) who lands a job doing what she does best: corralling lawyers by organizing their schedules, meetings, helping them with their research, and all that other stuff that I can certainly relate to in previous jobs and in Corporate Life.
These two storylines are so much a glimpse into today: our world, technology, events, corporate geeks, corporate life, and they just sucked me right in. And the best part? Everyone has their self-doubts and their inner thoughts and this author pulls off not just multiple storylines, but also the multiple POV of the different characters. The technology is pretty modern - everyone takes notes on pads - and there is some difference in the US but it's not overdramatized or discussed in lots of overblown detail. It's the backdrop, and the characters and their struggles in a sudden crisis situation are the story.
>1 Carol420: Hope this glimpse into the Hidden Treasure thread starts some good conversations going!
3Carol420
>2 threadnsong: I'm sure that it will. I read the blub for this book and your review makes it sound even more interesting. The topic isn't really my thing either...but hey...you never know what hidden and unexpected treasure you might find.
4threadnsong
>3 Carol420: Absolutely!
5Carol420
I just finished a book that I had some doubts about because it seemed to mirror some like types such as The Amityville Horror and The Haunting of Hill House, but as I got into The Handyman Method - Craig Davidson (a.k.a. Nick Cutter) and Andrew F. Sullivan...I found that even though it's in the same genera as those other two books, that it had a delightfully creepy story all its own. Glad a found this macabre little treasure.
6threadnsong
>5 Carol420: Glad this book worked out so well for you.
7threadnsong
Just finished The Maidens and while there were times I wanted to sit Mariana, the main character down and have a psychoanalysis session with her, I could not have predicted the ending. And the dysfunctional family dynamics in multiple families were very well told.
I also really liked how Michaelides used the landscape and countryside in and around Cambridge as another character. Makes me want to go there someday, though I'll leave the river punting to others.
I also really liked how Michaelides used the landscape and countryside in and around Cambridge as another character. Makes me want to go there someday, though I'll leave the river punting to others.
8Carol420
Like so many unexpected "treasures" I find...this one was for a challenge. It really wasn't what I would usually read but you know how those challenges drive us on:) I found that I enjoyed this fun little book so much that I will look for the next installment...even if it doesn't fit a challenge.
Cutie and The Beast - E. J. Russell
Genera: Paranormal/Fantasy/M/M Romance
5★
I read this book as part of a challenge, and I am so glad that I chose it. I absolutely loved everything about this story. The main characters had plenty of insecurities...but their personalities are actually what sold me on the book. Alun and David were such opposites, yet they were still so in sync with each other. Everything they did had the same intention and the same outcome; they were just very different in their approaches. David was snarky and sarcastic and blunt in the ways he put the “elderly" in their places and opened their minds to new possibilities. The story, based on the title...had a “Beauty and the Beast” aspect, yet the author made it unique to this particular story. Alun’s struggles were often heartbreaking because of the history and the reasoning behind his appearance. It was a nice touch to see little signs that things were healing as the story advanced. Alun was so oblivious to it all due to his guilt and grief. The entire story and the plot were very well done, and I was very happy how the story ended. The "rules" of the supernatural communities and the various inhabitants were interesting as well as spellbinding. This book can easily be described as "simply good fun". The fantasy, the depth, the romance, it was all so well done and so cohesive and comprehensive that I had to give it 5 very bright and enthusiastic stars. Readers have such diverse tastes in books and authors that I seldom recommend a book, but if you are a fantasy genre fan, this might just be your kind of story.
Cutie and The Beast - E. J. Russell
Genera: Paranormal/Fantasy/M/M Romance
5★
I read this book as part of a challenge, and I am so glad that I chose it. I absolutely loved everything about this story. The main characters had plenty of insecurities...but their personalities are actually what sold me on the book. Alun and David were such opposites, yet they were still so in sync with each other. Everything they did had the same intention and the same outcome; they were just very different in their approaches. David was snarky and sarcastic and blunt in the ways he put the “elderly" in their places and opened their minds to new possibilities. The story, based on the title...had a “Beauty and the Beast” aspect, yet the author made it unique to this particular story. Alun’s struggles were often heartbreaking because of the history and the reasoning behind his appearance. It was a nice touch to see little signs that things were healing as the story advanced. Alun was so oblivious to it all due to his guilt and grief. The entire story and the plot were very well done, and I was very happy how the story ended. The "rules" of the supernatural communities and the various inhabitants were interesting as well as spellbinding. This book can easily be described as "simply good fun". The fantasy, the depth, the romance, it was all so well done and so cohesive and comprehensive that I had to give it 5 very bright and enthusiastic stars. Readers have such diverse tastes in books and authors that I seldom recommend a book, but if you are a fantasy genre fan, this might just be your kind of story.
9ColinMichaelFelix
I love this so I'm diving in too. I don't know how hidden this gem is but is was to me. I had never heard of C. J Tudor before but I was just drawn to the cover and the synopsis so I bought The Drift. I was so impressed. Her storytelling was so compelling. I don't do spoilers but it is set in the snow and we initially think we're watching three stories unfold. I will say no more about the story but it was a five star read for me and I highly recommend it. It might be called psychological thriller but I thought it was so much more. this was my first entry but as Arnie once said:" I'll be Bach". LOL. I hope I understood the assignment.
10Carol420
>9 ColinMichaelFelix: If you liked C.J. Tudor you might also like The Burning Girls. I read it in December and afterwards was pretty much hooked on her books.
11threadnsong
A neighbor and I got to chatting just before St. Patrick's Day (as you do) and she said how she had loved a book so much she read it in about 24 hours. She was then kind enough to loan it to me and I wanted to share it here as one of the "surprise" great books I've read.
The title is Things in Jars and it is a combination Victorian London mystery, Irish saga, ghost story, mythology/folklore (the merrow are a sort of mer-folk but with deadly sharp pointy teeth), and carnival creatures.
There are two timelines with section dividers between each:
Bridie as an adult, a smart, pipe-smoking, non-nonsense Irish woman with a widow's cap who happens to investigate murders and who has somehow picked up a recent ghost, Ruby; and the child Brigit, a refugee from both Ireland and the streets of London, working with her relative Gan as a grave robber, and later sold to the benevolent Sir Dr. Eames where she can put her knowledge of anatomy and manners of death to her smart mind.
There is also some very well-done W/W love story for several supporting characters: while not overly involved in scope or detail, they are presented as a point of story-telling and give added depth to several women characters.
However, there are trigger warnings: animal cruelty, sexual violence, and pre-anesthesia operations on humans. Not to mention the sociopathology and laudanam addiction of Dr. Eames' wife and the similarities between mother and son.
And OMG the language the author uses! It is rich, it is mellifluous, it is all the cadence and verse of Irish, and paints amazing pictures with a few brief word-strokes. And because of the visuals Jess Kidd's writing provides, I read this book in several bits and pages and later larger chunks instead of at one sitting.
Highly recommended, especially to my friends the mystery and ghost story junkies!
The title is Things in Jars and it is a combination Victorian London mystery, Irish saga, ghost story, mythology/folklore (the merrow are a sort of mer-folk but with deadly sharp pointy teeth), and carnival creatures.
There are two timelines with section dividers between each:
Bridie as an adult, a smart, pipe-smoking, non-nonsense Irish woman with a widow's cap who happens to investigate murders and who has somehow picked up a recent ghost, Ruby; and the child Brigit, a refugee from both Ireland and the streets of London, working with her relative Gan as a grave robber, and later sold to the benevolent Sir Dr. Eames where she can put her knowledge of anatomy and manners of death to her smart mind.
There is also some very well-done W/W love story for several supporting characters: while not overly involved in scope or detail, they are presented as a point of story-telling and give added depth to several women characters.
However, there are trigger warnings: animal cruelty, sexual violence, and pre-anesthesia operations on humans. Not to mention the sociopathology and laudanam addiction of Dr. Eames' wife and the similarities between mother and son.
And OMG the language the author uses! It is rich, it is mellifluous, it is all the cadence and verse of Irish, and paints amazing pictures with a few brief word-strokes. And because of the visuals Jess Kidd's writing provides, I read this book in several bits and pages and later larger chunks instead of at one sitting.
Highly recommended, especially to my friends the mystery and ghost story junkies!
12Carol420
My library is hosting Grady Hendrix, the author of How to Sell a Haunted House, tonight. Yes...I have a front-row seat. I read the book twice, and not by accident either:) If you like mysteries, ghost stories, and horror, you might want to give this one a try.
Descriptions from the Book Jacket
New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix takes on the haunted house in a thrilling new novel that explores the way your past—and your family—can haunt you like nothing else.
From Amazon
When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world. Most of all, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. Unfortunately, she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market. But some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them
I've also read and reviewed here this month his first novel The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires . USA Today says equal parts heartfelt and terrifying—a gripping new read from “the horror master”
Descriptions from the Book Jacket
New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix takes on the haunted house in a thrilling new novel that explores the way your past—and your family—can haunt you like nothing else.
From Amazon
When Louise finds out her parents have died, she dreads going home. She doesn’t want to leave her daughter with her ex and fly to Charleston. She doesn’t want to deal with her family home, stuffed to the rafters with the remnants of her father’s academic career and her mother’s lifelong obsession with puppets and dolls. She doesn’t want to learn how to live without the two people who knew and loved her best in the world. Most of all, she doesn’t want to deal with her brother, Mark, who never left their hometown, gets fired from one job after another, and resents her success. Unfortunately, she’ll need his help to get the house ready for sale because it’ll take more than some new paint on the walls and clearing out a lifetime of memories to get this place on the market. But some houses don’t want to be sold, and their home has other plans for both of them
I've also read and reviewed here this month his first novel The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires . USA Today says equal parts heartfelt and terrifying—a gripping new read from “the horror master”
13threadnsong
>12 Carol420: Oh, this sounds right up your alley, Carol! I love listening to authors talk about their books, and two of my now-favorite authors, John Scalzi and Lynn Cullen, I heard at local events. Kudos for grabbing a front row seat as well 😉
14Carol420
>12 Carol420: The ladies at my library save me a front row seat. They don't have to, but they do. I think it's their way of repaying all the book discussions I do for them. I've told them I do them because I love discussing books with other people that love discussing books. That's why I belong to 5 different group sites here.
15mnleona
>11 threadnsong: Today, I was going thorough some books I have on my table next to me and found Things in Jars. I must have stopped reading it because of the language. Maybe I will start reading it again.
16threadnsong
>15 mnleona: Oh yay! It is a bit creepy, and yes, I can understand how the language, the way it is written, can be difficult to follow. I hope you pick it up again and make your way through it.
17JessyHere
My hidden treasure of the year was Role playing by Cathy Yardley. I read it for a book bingo challenge I did. The square was 'contemporary romance.' Before I read this book I did not think I liked the romance genre. I tend to read a lot of fantasy and scifi and when romances happen in them I feel like they are taking away from the plot. Dark Lord Beezlethrax is terrorizing the countryside, and you two are in here kissing? Don't you have more important things to do? I also feel like romances in genre fiction tend to be on the edgy side. They'll be like, 'he had me imprisoned and tortured, but I'll forgive him because he's so HAWT.' But seeing the relationship develop in Role Playing where the relationship is the main point of the book? Opened my eyes to the whole genre. I loved the characters, I loved that they were so sweet and kind to each other, and I loved seeing their relationship progress. It was magical. I have read many more romances this year because of this book.
