Have I become too picky?

Did some really outstanding books spoil me for the average good books? Does reading too much too fast change my view on literature?

Since my last post I've read 10 published books and none of them was worth a blogpost. There was not one bad book among them, I rated them 3 or 4 stars, and I'm sure that some time ago I would have liked them better.

I don't think I made bad choices. Outstanding books are rare. My expectations are high, maybe too high now.

Am I really asking too much?

An outstandig novel needs a good story, an intelligent plot without logical gaps, even if it is placed in a non-existent futuristic world. The plot needs enough twists and surprises to keep me turning the pages in anticipation and longing for the next opportunity to continue when I'm forced to do something else.
I want to read about well-developed characters I can relate to and with whom I can suffer, fear and/or rejoice. I want to know what's going on in their mind. I want life-like dialogues and believable behavior.

But all that is not enough. In addition I want it to be written in a unique outstanding writing style. All these above mentioned 3 and 4 star books are well-written in a way that flows smoothly, doesn't distract from the story, but isn't exceptional, just kind of unremarkable. I love writing with a wow-effect.

Who am I to judge English writing?

I'm just an avid reader. I can't name any criteria why a specific writing is better than others. There's just this feeling when the language reaches my soul, when I want to linger on a phrase because of its beauty, when feelings are expressed the way I feel, when people or situations are fully described in a few sentences...

I don't think I'm asking too much 

There are authors who have got the talent to write the way I love it.
Sometimes it's pure luck when I find one of them.
Probably they are to blame for my actual selectiveness.

This month I had the pleasure to beta-read Chris Brown's new book (I absolutely need to read his first one in this series, Dirty Tiger!)

On Goodreads I met some outstanding writers. I don't think I would have chosen their books in a book store or on amazon.

The first one I discovered was Peter Rosch. His challenging writing in never-ending complex sentences made me translate his book But I love you.

Then there's Mark Matthews. His dark novels about addiction make me experience what his characters go through.

Michael Lewis captured me with a short story. His skillful writing shows in both his untypical  love stories.

The voice of Anthony Vicino's blog made me read all his work although in a genre I don't normally read.

Will Patching is another highly talented author who combines psychological insight with thrilling action.

Looking outside the bestseller lists
All these authors and many more are not (yet) on the bestseller lists. I'm lucky (and proud) I have the pleasure knowing them and I'll continue browsing Goodreads for others.

Amidst all the average books out there, there are some jewels. We just have to find them.

Sci Fi and I

No, it's not my favorite genre. I just don't like all that technical stuff and fictional stories beyond probability.

But I love Anthony's writing, his unique imaginative style

Sentences like "Not sure who invited it, but an awkward silence joined us." or "A seed of guilt sitting in my gut blossomed into full-blown regret. It sank its roots deep, latching on and refusing to let go..." make me linger to digest properly every single word.

But no time for that. The action is evolving at a breathtaking pace.

The first person POV and detailed descriptions of whatever is going on within Tom allow us to live it all and to relate to our hero.


Anthony doesn't re-invent the genre. It's all there: the flawed hero who needs to save the world, a mighty enemy who wants to seize power. As we are far in the future AI and new technologies aren't surprising. Fans of the genre won't be disappointed.

It took me a while to get the concept of this world, but then I emerged deep into the story, that is until the point (around 80-85 %) where things drifted too far from reality or from what I can imagine as future reality. Might be my lack of imagination. I like books that stick to reality or at least stay within the spectrum of possibility.

This book is clearly meant as the first in a series. In general, I don't like series and I hate waiting for the next. But I'm sure I'll read it as soon as Anthony is ready to publish.

Sometimes it's worth reading a book not because of the story but just for the way it is written.

Three free stories worth reading

Two weeks ago somebody "liked" my stories on written by you. I was curious to see who that was and had a look at his blog.

www.anthonyvicino.com

I'm not a fan of science fiction, but the idea of getting free stories just for signing up for his blog was appealing. But before doing so I wanted to know more. And spent the next two hours reading his blog with a lot of helpfull tips for writers, nice videos, some reviews. It was really entertaining. so I decided to give his books a chance ad signed up.

Actually there are 4 different stories that show great writing talent combined with unbelievable imagination.

First I read -



a well crafted story about guilt and what it can do to our mind.

Next was  that's classical sci-fi stuff, but the writing took me in. 

Then of course I couldn't stop myself and read the two stories Hindsight and Infidelity. The first one is written backwards and is somewhat tragic whereas the second is macabre and funny. Both reminded me of Roald Dahl's short stories.

Four stories, four fast and very entertaining but also thought-provoking reads. I read them all within two days.



Anthony might have liked my reviews . He decided to send me his new novella



That's my short review:

Anthony's excellent writing and awesome inner monologue will keep you reading this short novella in one sitting. The story about love above all boundaries has a very unusual setting showing the unlimited imagination of it's author where "purgatory" is not what you expect it to be.

I want to thank Anthony for giving me this free copy, explicitly without the expectation of a review, because he knows that I'm not a sci-fi fan.

If I find more books like his or Michael's Edge of God I might change my opinion about science fiction...