Michelle

I think everyone would agree that a single individual can judge for themselves whether they feel a book is good or bad. However, books are very subjective, and there are plenty of books out which are loved by some, and hated by others. I don't think anyone would argue with that? What I don't like to see are individuals believing that their opinion is the only one. CG, what I personally got from your original points was that you believe that HP is a bad book, and everyone who likes it only does so because they're stupid/gullible enough to fall for clever marketing. Please tell me if I've got that wrong. By all means, please discuss the merits of a book, that's what a forum should be for. But please all accept that everyone reads different books for different reasons - not everyone wants to read difficult, challenging books, and everyone has different tastes. No one should feel bad on this forum because of what they choose to read, and no one should have to justify why they like a book. I asked a while ago that this thread was drawn to a close, but some people have continued the discussion, and on the whole, the points are interesting. Please do not make comments personal, and please respect what I've said in this post.

I think people write reviews in 2 different ways - for some, they want to share the thoughts they had on the book, the storyline etc, and this usually involves discussing important points. For me though, I want to give people an idea of what to expect, so they can choose whether to buy or not.

If anyone else has read it, please share your thoughts in spoiler tags, so we can discuss.

Above has recently been published in the US and is soon to follow in the UK. This is a shame, because there are now lots of reviews from American readers, many of which spoil an important part of this book. If you're in the slightest way way interested in reading this book, please avoid the reviews. (This one will be spoiler free though) Sixteen year old Blythe is kidnapped and kept in captivity by Dobbs, a survivalist who believes the world is rushing towards it's demise. This captivity lasts for many years, during which time Dobbs visits the outside world and returns with supplies, and news of how it's not safe for Blythe to go outside. She's even forced to give birth to, and raise a son, within this captive world. Although this sounds rather grim and dark, it's written in a way which captivates your attention and keeps you reading. The author doesn't focus on details, actions etc, but rather on Blythe's character, making you care for her and her future. Around the middle of the book Blythe and her son do indeed escape, but that second half of the story is not at all what you expect - and sharing that with Blythe, instead of knowing in advance, makes it worth avoiding spoilers. I don't think Above is the sort of book I would have picked for myself, but when it arrived as a review book, I decided to give it a try, and it soon had my attention. Recommended.

I need to write a proper review of Above by Isla Morley, but I just wanted to quickly mention it here. It was sent to me pre-publication, although it has already been published in the US. It tells the story of Blythe, who's kidnapped as a teen, and held captive for many years. The point is, there comes a point half way through the book where she manages to escape, but from here the story is really not what you expect. To me, discovering that for yourself is an important part of the reading experience, and if you read reviews which give the 2nd half away (and many do), something is lost. So if there's even the slightest chance that you might try it, please avoid reviews (apart from mine, as I'm not sharing the second half. ).

I think a reading log is a good way for someone new to become involved, so go right ahead. And I don't have a problem with old threads being resurrected.

I seriously think it's time to draw a line under this whole thing. It's quite obvious that this 'discussion' could go round in circles for eternity, and the longer it does, the more people will argue, take sides, and fall out. Unfortunately I've seen it happen before on here, and I don't really want to go there again. I think in this case everyone needs to agree to disagree - maybe it's more appropriate to have a discussion in the debating section about marketing in general?

Exactly Janet - any publisher worth their salary will be involved in marketing - it doesn't mean someone's been 'had' if they choose to read that particular book!

No one here is ever criticised or put down for what they choose to read, with choose being the appropriate word. Please don't assume that because someone likes something you don't that they are a victim of marketing. We all read different books for different reasons, and that's a personal thing, and not something which should be judged or put down.

Nexus by Ramez Naam is gathering good reviews, and has been shortlisted for 3 awards now. There's a limited time offer to get it half price, if anyone is interested.. http://angryrobotbooks.com/2014/03/nexus-and-crux-ebooks-half-price/

Hmm.. a murderous grudge? Was there more to it than that? I've bought the first McCaffrey dragon book, as I don't mind a bit of fantasy, and The Ship Who Sang is on the wish list. A reviewer described Restoree as 'chick lit in space' which wouldn't be my thing. Is that fair? The Blue World might be worth a look, I've certainly heard the author mentioned a lot. The Margarets also looks intriguing.. but why so many feminist recommendations for me? Do I give off feminist vibes or something? hehe

I've put a couple of Sherri S Tepper's onto my wishlist. I've ordered the first McCaffrey dragon book, and the ship one has gone on my wishlist.

Eon cropped up on audible today, I'm undecided but moving towards trying it. Have you read it? The Engines of God may be worth a try too.

Just finished a very quick read, one of the £1 books, The Boy in the Smoke by Maureen Johnson - for anyone who's read The Name of the Star, it's a little of Stephen's back story. For anyone who hasn't read it, it's a good introduction, to see if you would like her style.

I'm generally not into war/fighting type SF.. but then I liked Starship Troopers, and the Orson Scott Card books! I'll pass on those ones though.

I'm pretty sure I've read TISM in my dim and distant past. I do like short stories, I might try one of his collections.

1984 and I, Robot I've read - Pebble in the Sky has gone on the wishlist.

Hmm.. the Vernor Vinge aren't really appealing to me, and Hyperion I'm not sure about, but I feel bad rejecting a suggestion. :-/ Added: ooh yes, Matheson - those I'm going to look into.

My thoughts: Robert J Sawyer - I loved Flash Forward. I'm not sure about Hominids, but I am going to look through his other books. I always thought of Anne McCaffrey as being fantasy.. I'm also going to take a look at her books now, especially as I also love dragons! The first Julian May book has gone on my wishlist. Robert A Heinlein.. I recently read Starship Troopers. The two you mentioned seem hard to get here, but I'll look at his others. Contact also looks a little difficult to get at the moment, but is going on the wishlist. Golden Witchbreed isn't grabbing me. Thank you - a lot to look into.

Ah yes, I liked The Death of Grass, and The Tripods Trilogy, have you tried any others by him? I think I might have to try The Black Cloud. I've seen the Culture series mentioned before, and am undecided - looking at Wiki, that's the 2nd book, is it the best one to start with? CuriousGeorgette, thank you, I'm taking at a look at your suggestions now.

I've been enjoying some SF recently, and I'd like to get some recommendations as I don't know what to try next. To give an idea of what I've read so far, I've enjoyed a lot of HG Wells and John Wyndham, and quite a bit of Ray Bradbury. I also loved Ender's Game, and recently Earth Unaware / Earth Afire (Orson Scott Card), and have read and enjoyed quite a few of Arthur C Clarke's books, but couldn't tell you off hand which ones. At the moment I'm listening to New Earth by Ben Bova, and I know I've read another of his many years ago, although I can't remember much about it. I find some of his writing a little stilted and cliched (especially the 'romance' issues) but overall it's a good read (listen). I do prefer stand alone books to a series, but will try a series if it's particularly strong. I'm not really interested in various planets, factions etc at war with each other, I seem to prefer exploration type stories, mysteries etc. I'm happy to try older SF as well as modern. So, what recommendations do you have for me to try next?

Glad to hear they arrived, I was getting worried.

I've done that a lot - it's so much more tempting when it comes on, rather than having to dig out the DVD and go to all the effort of putting it on! I'm interested to see what they've done with this film.

I think they will get weaker over time - the bodies are 'dead' so surely they'd continue to rot and decay etc?