Anna Begins

The Andy Weir ones are all just odd and strange. If you want dystopian, I would have suggested Hugh Howey's website, but I don't want to push him too much http://www.hughhowey.com/books/ Just scroll to "Free to Read" and skip the Molly Fyde ones, as they are part of a series. The rest stand alone

Extra nerd-i-ness is Wil Wheaton does the audiobook narration for Ready Player One

I am the reverse- I got an early start yesterday, but am getting a late one today. Just now getting started at 11:00. Edit: Friday Wolf Skin- Jason Gurley (50 pages) Total= 50 pages Saturday The Caretaker- Jason Gurley (40 pages) The Dark Age- Jason Gurley (30 pages) The Man in the High Castle- Phillip K. Dick (37 pages) Total= 107 pages Sunday The Man in the High Castle- Phillip K. Dick (82 pages) Total= 82 pages Whole read a thon= 239 pages Once I'd made the decision to go and do Man in the High Castle, the read a thon for me was basically doomed. I already have a full Word page review and I am only at 45% in the book .

There is more on this in my thread, but basically they are about 5 minute short stories and we will be reading them together, in 15-20 story segments. Anyone is welcome to join in, they are supposed to be all encompassing genres and are all by indie writers.

We are going to read these together, if anyone wants to join us, we will be doing them in segments, 15- 20 short stories per segment. They have included as many genres as possible in this collection, and the stories are meant to be "on your desktop computer, laptop, or tablet at home or in the office, but also on your smartphone, on the go, while you are commuting or waiting at a coffee shop for your significant other to arrive." They set a limit of a thousand words and you should be able to read each story in under five minutes. (Amazon).

That's what I've heard, about the ending, makes me a little leery. I'm glad it was a good audio, they are very fulfilling when done correctly. I am getting a late start on The Man in the High Castle so not sure about getting that finished by tonight, for the read a thon... but I plan on reading a lot today.

Would "beterschap" be appropriate??? Yesterday, I got some new dishes (most of mine broke in that earthquake we had in August). http://www.pier1.com/Avalon-Dinnerware/PS50488,default,pd.html?cgid=pattern_dinnerware#icid=cat_furniture-subcat-dinnerware-subcat_tile-pattern_dinnerware&start=1 They are sort of a weathered look with the lemons. I just love them and they look even better in person! They are pretty different from what I'd usually choose, but there is something Andy Warhol-ish with the lemons My current ones, look like these: http://www.pier1.com/San-Marino-Dinnerware/PS43648,default,pd.html?cgid=pattern_dinnerware#icid=cat_furniture-subcat-dinnerware-subcat_tile-pattern_dinnerware&start=1 So quite different!

Spent the morning ripping through a few of Jason Gurley's short stories, just found out that he used to design Hugh Howey's book covers. Now am trying to finish The Man in the High Castle by Phillip K Dick before the read a thon ends on Sunday... I don't think I will make it!

I read the free Kindle sample and liked them, so I took the plunge and bought them But I kind of don't mind when it is an indie writer, someone self published (and I KNOW its been done right). Hugh Howey, who built himself a career in this way, always tries to have his short stories cost a dollar. So I don't mind supporting them. Gurley's cost a bit more, and I agree, were an indulgence to buy. I am basically stuck in this world of bizarre pieces of written work though and am seeing it as an overall quest for 2015 I would point you to Andy Weir's (The Martian) website that has some very interesting short stories for free here: http://www.galactanet.com/writing.html Just scroll to "One off's" I thought I would just go to Jason Gurley's promoted website and see if he had any free shorts to link to, but he doesn't. BUT interestingly, he does have a link to the book covers he has designed, a lot of them are Hugh Howey's so that is probably the connection between them. I particularly liked the cover for Peace in Amber by Howey when I first saw it. http://www.jasongurley.com/portfolio/ Otherwise, his website is depressingly... depressing. And I did find a FREE Kindle book of about 5 minute short stories by Indie Authors from Amazon, if anyone is interested... it is called Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories from 101 Authors. Edit: And has a set limit of a 1,000 words.

Title: The Dark Age: A Short Story Author: Jason Gurley Genre: Science Fiction Age: Adult Pages: 30 There are no dimly lit light bulbs in this one (See above), but again, we return to the WSA, the World Space Association, as an astronaut has to leave his family, the day his daughter is born. Part of the mission will be to be in stasis for a century and a half. This one is quite emotional. I’ll even admit to crying a bit at the end.

Title: The Caretaker Author: Jason Gurley Genre: Science Fiction, apocalyptic Age: Adult Pages: 40 Alice Quale is in her second tour as the Argus’s caretaker. She lives aboard the space station between the projects, watering the plants and changing the bulbs, so to speak. One day, while looking down at Earth, Alice sees a glimmer, then several, then hundreds- all over the United States. The nuclear fall- out covers Earth and Alice realizes- she might be the last human alive. Although a completely different topic than Wolf Skin (See above), Gurley drops little keys into his writing that sort of link his style- he likes bare dimly burning lightbulbs and his characters read books (bonus: he likes to mention them by title/ author, so that is fun). This one is just a plain science fiction story, no gore or graphicness, it isn’t even that dark. Knowing what I’ve read of Hugh Howey’s, I can see why Howey likes Gurley enough for the endorsement, it’s just that Howey is such a better writer. But that isn’t to say Gurley is a bad one. Gurley also has some longer stuff I wouldn’t mind trying out. I have two more short stories of his to read. Gurley is an indie, self- published author *Wait don’t run away* but great editing and proofreading make the work these authors I’ve been reading really good and it also gives authors another way into the literary world, especially in experimental works, like with the serial or these short stories.

Noooo- I don't think it would Edited: Yes, I liked it. Great ending.

Aw! That sounds like fun! I hope you get to sleep tonight

lol I LOVE changing mine!

Title: Wolf Skin Author: Jason Gurley Genre: Dystopian, short story Age: Adult Pages: 49 Wolf Skin comes with some high praise from short story master Hugh Howey, so I have been waiting with anticipation to get to it. I decided to read this one and a few of Jason Gurley’s others for March’s read a thon. This has a pretty gruesome beginning and is a dark dystopian. Wolf Skin is about a roving gang who harm, kill, mutilate and steal from the few remaining survivors of the anarchy that has settled on the Earth. The unnamed narrator is old enough to remember the days before, when the world wasn’t destroyed. He describes some of the pleasant things vaguely remembered from the past, tells of his life in the brutal new world and mentions how the world was ruined. And then, he is shot by a woman. The idea of a character in a dystopian reading books about the end of the world was kind of a head spinner. There is a love for books in this one. But WARNING: it is graphic.

Have such a wonderful time! How long will you be gone? Do you have plans?

Just magical realism, really.

I changed my little "Reading Now?" thingy under my avatar to say "read a thon-ing" lol

Aw! << Not at you not sleeping, just the thought of you scaring yourself before bed. I still haven't made a decision about Skeletons at the Feast, but am going to take Nolls advice and set it aside for this weekends read a thon. I have some serious issues with it too, so its not that it its boring or anything.

That ought to not care with those parties! If I were them, I wouldn't be complaining at anything- if anything they couldn't ask for an "otherwise" sound housemate.

I'm afraid I might not come back though!

That is quite the synopsis! I understood about 1/2 of it lol Slang, huh!

What to do what you are on the verge of abandon/ abandon not...

So let me guess... you don't need to read The Giver quartet now?

Ya I can't wait for that one either. US release is March 17th. I will be deciding to continue with Skeletons at the Feast today. It is going ok, but not what I expected. I'm going to give it another 80 pages or so and then decide.