Indie Book Corner

[ottabelle]

I thought (if anyone else reads them, if not you're going to keep hearing from me in sporadic updates ) that we need a place to talk about reviewing indie books or indie e-books or what have you!

The entire reason I wanted a Kindle was for reading self-published/small publisher e-books.

I finally got over the fear of spending 2 measly dollars and picked up two of them.

I picked as my first two The Uneven Passage of Time by Jason Ward, as asked to be looked at here by Neeks, and Public Enemy Zero by Andrew Mayne, the first book I saw that make me feel speechless (typeless?).

Even with my massive load of homework and other obligations I feel I have I'm hoping to get through them very soon.

I understand that the feeling of holding a real book is something special. That feeling never should be taken away and completely replaced with e-books. Breaking into the industry has, as I have heard, become harder and harder. The e-book industry, as I have heard, has gems hidden inside it. So I shall wade and search.

You're coming with me by force.

[limebirdwriters]

Unfortunately I don't have a Kindle, so I can't really do this with you, but I think it's a great idea.

I think Uneven Passage of Time might have been a friend of LimebirdMike if I remember rightly, but hopefully you enjoy it!

Let us know how you get on!

[sharon2306]

Great idea. I got a Kindle for Christmas (love it to bits!) and have just downloaded a few books from indie authors. Not got round to reading them yet as my TBR list is ridiculous but looking forward to them.

[limebirdwriters]

How are you getting on Amber?

[ottabelle]

Um... ._. School is a terrible beast.

[ottabelle]

Jan 26, 2012 10:10:43 GMT sharon2306 said:

Great idea. I got a Kindle for Christmas (love it to bits!) and have just downloaded a few books from indie authors. Not got round to reading them yet as my TBR list is ridiculous but looking forward to them.

My list is very long as well... Need... more time... @.@

[ottabelle]

Guess who finally read something? Me!

It wasn't my original intended book. I read "Maelstrom" 1, by Yamila Abraham and Himitsu Studio. It's part of a series. I'm pretty sure it's indie but not so sure. Genre: I'd say science fiction/romance.

Ok, so here's my admission... it's yaoi.

Definition of yaoi: "A form of hentai involving two or more males in a homosexual relationship, primarily intended for a female audience; A narrative or visual work featuring a romance or sexual relationship between two or more males, primarily intended for a female audience" (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/yaoi) IT'S NOT ALWAYS SMUT, OK? D:

This one wasn't too bad regarding being oversexed. Ok now I'm all bashful to finish my review. >.< ANYWAY.

The book is centered on planet Secren, a mining planet. The main character, Demitri, an earthling and an ex military man is sent to Secren as part of a punishment. There are no women on Secren, and men form bonds cause well, think of Spartan barracks. He meets Malstrum and experiences "lightning", an immediate and extreme longing for a person that happens on Secren. He refuses the feeling and gets himself in all kinds of trouble.

Rating: errr 3/5

When I first started reading, I had a fan girl grin. Then, the next day I got annoyed at the massive amounts of description of the main characters Demitri and Malstrum. That luckily didn't last. When I finished reading it today, I had the fan girl smile back. It's so silly it's funny. Sex scene occurs at the very end, and tries to leave you on a cliff hanger but I have a feeling I know what will start part two. There's also quite a bit of coarse language, which doesn't bother me; and Demitri is extremely homophobic, which did bother me, but made more sense as I thought more about the character.

It's a short read and sort of cute (if you like yaoi) but very silly if you think about it too hard. But it's not the best story I've read, in yaoi.

Status on getting piece 2: Pending decision

Don't read this for the sex, if that's what you're looking for. Which honestly wasn't what I was; I wanted a fan girl grin. If you want something silly, go ahead and get it, it's just $1.50.

www.amazon.com/Maelstrom-1-Yaoi-ebook/dp/B0056UETM4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329965434&sr=1-1

-runs and hides now- ._.

[sharon2306]

Well, that sounds interesting! I've never heard of yaoi. My education is expanding all the time! Which other forum gives you such nuggets of learning lol? Thanks for posting Ottabelle

[ottabelle]

Np Hopefully I'll have another up soon

[termitewriter]

Here are two titles I've read recently; strangely enough, since it's not my usual read, both of them have gay themes. Also, both writers are skilled in the use of the English language.
First, "Hidden Boundaries," by C.S. McClellan. bit.ly/uGbwDp (Smashwords) and amzn.to/xPrCNn (Kindle). I reviewed it on smashwords, where I stated that it is "a sensitive relationship story between a conflicted master and his strong-willed new slave." L:aid in an imaginary country, it's a simply written book that is absorbing to read and carries considerable impact.
Second, "So They Say," by Jack Andrew Urquhart (http://amzn.to/y08ybm Kindle and paperback]), is a book I'm just finishing and intend to review in the next few days. It's a continuous story told in short stories, about a gay man born in the 50s in the South of the USA. It treats of his attempts to find a lasting relationship. For me, the appeal lies in the universality that the author achieves - the need for human beings of all sexual orientations to achieve connections that can make life worthwhile. Jack Urquhart is a considerable stylist, sliding smoothly between past and present tenses and making impressive use of symbolism and metaphor. This book deserves to achieve an audience wider than the gay male community.

[ottabelle]

Wow, the second one sounds especially good.

And the first one appeals to my fangirl.

[ottabelle]

Ok, I have two books to share this time. How do I have two, you ask, considering my lack of reading lately? Well, before I went to bed last night I planned on reading my Hunger Games parody book I bought. It wasn't the Lampoon version, just some indie author I came across.

I read 13%, according to my Kindle, before I gave up.

It wasn't the grammar, as far as I noticed it was fine.

It didn't even offend me as a fan, that wasn't it.

It was just terrible.

I like parody, I really do. Otherwise I wouldn't have bought it right? But parody should at least be recognizable as the original, just funnier.

I read Nightlight, a parody of Twilight. I hadn't even read Twilight (but I dislike it, on principle and on trying to read it) and I still knew what was going on. Of course, I know the storyline for Twilight, but you could read it without but the vaguest idea and still laugh your patootie off.

This made me chuckle once in its length I read. District 12 was the garbage dump, they ugh. I can't even get into it it was that bad.

The Hunger but Mainly Death Games: A Parody - Bratniss Everclean

Rate - Do not go enjoy

Then, I still felt like reading so I opened another comedy book I downloaded a while ago that a fellow blogger spoke of. She didn't exactly sing its praises, but I thought it would be right up my alley.

Nope.

What it is is a 'history' of the famous men and women through the ages. It didn't capture my attention, and it wasn't me just being grumpy from being tired. I really wanted to read, after all I tried two books.

Not funny, clever, or ironic.

Who Was Who: 5000 BC - 1914 Biographical Dictionary of the Famous and Those Who Wanted to Be

Rating: Do not go enjoy

Is it possible I really WAS just grumpy and they could have gotten better? Of course.
Maybe I'll try again sometime and change my mind. If I do, of course you all will know

If YOU wanna try though, here's the Amazon links.

www.amazon.com/Hunger-Mainly-Death-Games-ebook/dp/B006BL0O3K/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334434593&sr=8-1-spell $ .99
www.amazon.com/Who-Was-Biographical-Dictionary-ebook/dp/B002RKSVW0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1334434662&sr=1-1 Free

(I know these reviews are pretty bad. I'll work on getting better. :])