What Books have you bailed on?

Kreep · **Joined:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:19 pm **Posts:** 237

I had been wanting to pick up The Loch by Steve Alten, but then I read a pile of really bad reviews about his other books. Here's another one. Has anyone read The Loch? Is it any good?

To remain on topic, sort of, I've been pretty lucky the last couple years. I don't think I baled on any books at all. There were a few that I didn't like (Ketchum's Weed Species), or disliked the endings to (Little's The Return), but either they were short enough to get through quickly, or written well enough to keep me interested despite the devolution of the story. Plus, I'm kind of stubborn, and even if I don't like what I'm reading, a lot of times I'll try to plod through it hoping it gets better so that the time I spent on it up to that point hasn't been wasted.

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

My 50 page rule has been in effect for over a decade -- if I'm not caught up in the story by page 50 I move on to something else. Too many books, too little time.

ristow · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2007 2:09 pm

I almost agree with mark. I have a theory that claims the first 50-75 pages are "a contract with the reader." Certain things have to be set up, in terms of character, setting, and plot/stylistic dynamic. Over load those front pages with twoo much exposition on the nature of life, howeve, and you'll lose me. Bryan Brien Keene's Ghoul almost having me put it down, due to persistant favoring talking about the 8-'s tan the inner being of his characters. e

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2007 2:42 pm

The ones that stick out in my mind that I've given up on after 100 pages are, a book called The Piper, (I don't remember who the author was) and Stephen Kings Bag of Bones. I used to be more patient with books than I am now. I remember Peter Straub's Ghost Story taking close to 200 pages before much of anything happened. It ended very strong and ultimatly I'm glade I stayed with it, but if I were to try and read it today, I wouldn't finish it.

ristow · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2007 7:55 pm

deusExMachina · **Joined:** Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:34 pm **Posts:** 546

Raven Bower · **Posted:** Sat Apr 14, 2007 8:15 pm

I'll usually give 50 - 100 pages - more or less depending on the author. Some I trust enough to go futher but that's very, very rare.

Ghost Story by Straub was one of the ones I tossed at pg...oh...50 or so and I struggled to get through those. Some of Saul's recent work does that to me too (I'm forgetting the titles).

Ken - The Loch is on my To Get List. I've read Alten's MEG and The Trench. I like his style, personally. He's very fun to read and his characters are easy to relate to. If you like literary style, fancier prose or fiction with a message then he's not for you. He's more a cut, dry and up front author. I can't vouch for The Loch but if I read it before I see you post on it I'll certainly let you know what I thought of it.

Kreep · **Joined:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:19 pm **Posts:** 237

oldmanmike · **Posted:** Sun Apr 15, 2007 9:34 am

Raven Bower · **Posted:** Sun Apr 15, 2007 1:17 pm

Ah ha! Our local library has The Loch - check with yours Ken, they might have a copy too. I don't normally recommend the library - only because I believe in supporting authors. But it's a good way to test it out if you're not sure you'll like a certain author's style.

Hey Mike, what did you think of the other titles? I still have yet to read MEG - Primal Waters only due to lack of time and a huge stack on the TBR pile...I'm afraid I'm a bit of a book addict...

Kreep · **Joined:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:19 pm **Posts:** 237

oldmanmike · **Posted:** Sun Apr 15, 2007 8:43 pm

Raven Bower · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2007 9:53 am

deusExMachina · **Joined:** Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:34 pm **Posts:** 546

Matt Cowan · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:00 pm

I really don't have a problem with buying used books because my favorite bookstore is actually Half-Priced Books. Every book there is used. The weird thing is, I won't go near a baby, with all the slobbering, diappers and all that stuff. So I do have some amount of germophobia.

Mike and Ceasar, you guys have got to read the short story by Ramsey Campbell (who else?) called Worse Than Bones. It is a great story that appeared in the anthology put out by the Horror Writers Assc. called, The Museum of Horrors. In it the character of the tale, loves used books that have been annotated by its previous owners with different notes or what have you, because it makes it feel as though the book has been 'lived in' to him. He even special orders such books to have them shipped to his house. The one he gets in the story however, causes him to regret that desire.

ristow · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2007 12:06 pm

Cesar,

I definately understand. I really like finding 1960-1980's horror and sci-fi. It's part of what fuels the blog I keep, even thought I haven't been updating a lot, recently. Still, I have the same problem, if it's too damaged, I won't buy it. A fold or two on the cover or back cover is fine by me. A tiny rip, I can live with, but it's the spine most of all. If there are too many white lines on the spine, or if the glue at the top or bottom is messed up, I won't buy it. 1) It's a reminder that somebody else before me abused the book something serious, and 2) I don't want it falling apart while I'm reading it, and 3) I want it to have a little longevity. I don't get rid of a lot of books. In fact, I'm a bit of a pack rat when it comes to books, and I think being an academic has something to do with that..

oldmanmike · **Posted:** Mon Apr 16, 2007 8:53 pm

I just got back from half price books where I purchased a couple cds and House Of Leaves. I was looking for that spider thing book that was reviewed in the last POH but forgot my note that had the title and author at the office.

Raven Bower · **Posted:** Sun Apr 22, 2007 3:39 pm

Ken - I finally read The Loch and here's some opinions on it.

It's in First Person for the most part switching to Third to show events that the main character, Zack, isn't a part of. So it reads a lot differently than his MEG series but still at a decent pace with some suspense - not as high as his others though.

He gets very into science and fish in here - more so than in his others.

Most of the dialog, with the exception of a short span when Zack is in the US, is written 'native-like'. For an example of the dominate dialog you'll read:
"Aye. On the eve o' oor sail, Sir Keith took sick wi' dropsy. Fearful o' his condition, I decided it best if the casket remained wi' me and too' it frae him." Or "Ugh...ye're wastin' valuable time. Whit else is there tae ken aboot it?"

There's more confusing ones in there as well. I found myself having to re-read a lot of the dialog to understand what in the heck his characters were saying.

The characters were decent and he had some nice subplots going. He also played a lot on history and some old culture which was very neat to see.

If you like those sorts of things you'll like The Loch - if not then you likely might want to wait on it and read other stuff first. I'd mark it all and all as an 'ok' book but not good like his MEGs.

Mark Justice · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2005 1:28 am **Posts:** 1683

Raven:

Nice job on the review. Thanks.

Kreep · **Joined:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:19 pm **Posts:** 237

Thanks, Raven.

It sounds like the dialogue would be tough to get through, but hopefully it's the sort of thing where once I get the hang of it, it won't be so bad. As far as the science, history, and culture, I sort of like that stuff. I think it would add a lot to the book, given the subject matter.

Thanks for letting me know your thoughts on it. I appreciate your taking the time to share.

ristow · **Posted:** Sun Apr 22, 2007 8:59 pm

Sarah Pinborough's Breeding Ground

that's the spider book, and it's actually quite good. It's not a gorefest, and unlike a Keene apocalypse, not at is completely psychotic

I had a blast reading that. Plus, it being a leisure title, it's not that hard to find, although Pinborough recently had a new novel released

Kreep · **Joined:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:19 pm **Posts:** 237

Rich, I don't know if you're much into the small press stuff, but if you like spider stories, I have nothing but very high recommendations for Ray Garton',s 'Nids. It's a 130-page novella, packaged with four short stories in a limited edition hardcover published by Spiderweb Press (I think a division of Camelot Books).

It's like $50, so it's really pricey for a small book, but the story is fantastic.

It's slightly over the top, in that special Ray Garton way, but it's highly entertaining from beginning to end. I loved it, and the cover is just gorgeous.

ristow · **Posted:** Sun Apr 22, 2007 10:32 pm

That's a good cover!

I'm not for or against "spider stories" I just like good stories!
I like pinborough's book because it seems a lot calmer than the zombie stuff floating out there. You know...briane keene ob-monsters on crack, with the survivors being half as looney as the critters.

Brian Keene has cornered the end times racket, these days with zombies and worms

I'll keep an out of Nids, though. Ray Garton is a good writer with a good imagination, so I'm sure it's a good read. (who knows, maybe there's critical gold in them thar hills...know of any other spider/insectoid books?

Raven Bower · **Posted:** Mon Apr 23, 2007 6:27 am

Yep you'll like it then Ken. The way Alten wove Scotland's history in with his modern plot and showed how old actions can create havok now is very, very good.

hmm...I don't recall reading any insect books. I remember the movie Squirm though - it's ages old and kind of dorky but creepy too.

deusExMachina · **Joined:** Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:34 pm **Posts:** 546

deusExMachina · **Joined:** Sun Jan 14, 2007 12:34 pm **Posts:** 546

Monty Grue · **Posted:** Mon Apr 23, 2007 11:24 am

Kreep · **Joined:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:19 pm **Posts:** 237

Kreep · **Joined:** Fri Jan 26, 2007 1:19 pm **Posts:** 237

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