Before There Was TV

We're going on hiatus

katayla — Sat, 07 Sep 2013 17:01:51 GMT

Hi everyone. We've made the decision to go on hiatus. We love this community and I personally have been grateful for all the book discussion it's brought into my life, but participation has been low for a long time now.

And the community has served its purpose by bringing book lovers together. I see so many of you on GoodReads, having lots of awesome discussions. So the spirit of beforetv will live on!

Thanks for everything.

Discussion Post: Something About You

spyglass_ — Sat, 31 Aug 2013 18:52:58 GMT

Hi, everyone! Today is our discussion of Something About You. I don't really have any specific questions, but what did you think of it? Did you like Cameron and Jack? What did you think of the supporting characters? How sad are you that this wasn't turned into a TV show (it was pitched to a few networks in the past)?

If you've already read the rest of the series, did you enjoy going back to the beginning? And if you haven't, are you interested in reading more?

It's ficathon time!

katayla — Sat, 24 Aug 2013 16:16:58 GMT

Okay, it is time for another beforetv ficathon!

Here are the rules:

1. The fic must be based on a book

That's all!

(Okay, but here are some guidelines. Prompts should be something like this: Fandom, Character/Couple, Prompt. Bold the title of your fill. Write everything. Reply to your own prompts. Reply to other people's prompts. Reply to prompts that have already been filled. HAVE FUN.)

Discussion Post #106

empressearwig — Sat, 17 Aug 2013 13:55:47 GMT

Happy Saturday, boys and girls!

We have two weeks to go before we do our discussion of Julie Jame's Something About You, so I hope you're all excited for that. Our sort of sister community belovedbooks is talking about Madeleine L'Engle's Troubling a Star tomorrow if you're looking for something to read this Saturday. And finally, we are going to do a book ficathon on LJ next week, so start getting your prompts ready.

With all that said, let's talk books!

(Mirror entry on Goodreads is here.)

Discussion Post #104

katayla — Sat, 10 Aug 2013 15:04:44 GMT

Hey all!

Here's your weekly discussion post. I think some of the active participants are off on vacation, so a vacation-themed question for you: Do you bring lots of books on vacation? Did you ever have to sit in the car with your legs straight out because the car floor was just THAT full of books? (Why didn't I have a Kindle 20 years ago?)

And, of course, fill us in on any books you want to talk about!

GoodReads post here

Discussion Post #104

empressearwig — Sat, 03 Aug 2013 12:47:46 GMT

Happy Saturday!

One quick announcement before you are all free to do your own thing. We will be reading Something About You by Julie James for our August novel, and as it's one of my favorites, I hope you all love it.

With that said, comment here or at Goodreads, whatever you prefer. Happy reading!

Voting Post

katayla — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 03:37:47 GMT

1. Name of book. Something About You by Julie James
2. Small blurb about the book. Of all the hotel rooms rented by all the adulterous politicians in Chicago, female Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Lynde had to choose the one next to 1308, where some hot-and-heavy lovemaking ends with a death. And of all the FBI agents in Illinois, it had to be Special Agent Jack Pallas who gets assigned to this high-profile homicide. The same Jack Pallas who still blames Cameron for a botched crackdown three years ago—and for nearly ruining his career.
3. Why this book is awesome. Hands down, this series is my favorite contemporary romance I've read. Julie James creates fun/funny stories about interesting characters (especially heroines) who are career driven but are so much more than just really good at their jobs. That and great relationships - romantic and otherwise - along with the use of Chicago as the setting make for a combination that I have yet to beat.

1. Name of book. A Face Like Glass by Frances Hardinge

2. Small blurb about the book. In Caverna, lies are an art — and everyone's an artist...

In the underground city of Caverna the world's most skilled craftsmen toil in the darkness to create delicacies beyond compare. They create wines that can remove memories, cheeses that can make you hallucinate and perfumes that convince you to trust the wearer even as they slit your throat. The people of Caverna are more ordinary, but for one thing: their faces are as blank as untouched snow. Expressions must be learned. Only the famous Facesmiths can teach a person to show (or fake) joy, despair or fear — at a price. Into this dark and distrustful world comes Neverfell, a little girl with no memory of her past and a face so terrifying to those around her that she must wear a mask at all times. For Neverfell's emotions are as obvious on her face as those of the most skilled Facesmiths, though entirely genuine. And that makes her very dangerous indeed...

3. Why this book is awesome. Exactly what it says on the tin - wacky and entertaining and creative and fantastic - and also greater than the sum of its parts. A Face Like Glass is a richly layered novel that can mean just as much as you want it to mean. (I am tempted to link my review - no spoilers there - because that's exactly how this book makes me feel every time I read it. It's a treasure.)

1. Name of book. White Cat by Holly Black

2. Small blurb about the book.

Amazon summary:

Cassel comes from a shady, magical family of con artists and grifters. He doesn’t fit in at home or at school, so he’s used to feeling like an outsider. He’s also used to feeling guilty—he killed his best friend, Lila, years ago.

But when Cassel begins to have strange dreams about a white cat, and people around him are losing their memories, he starts to wonder what really happened to Lila. In his search for answers, he discovers a wicked plot for power that seems certain to succeed. But Cassel has other ideas—and a plan to con the conmen.

3. Why this book is awesome.

Cassel has a fantastically entertaining internal voice; snarky and guilt-stricken and the story moves at a very fast pace, the female lead (I don't want to say more) is fierce and determined and damaged and violence (especially in the sequels, which you will want to read after reading this book. The world-build is consistent and interesting and there are some great secondary characters. Also! The hero is a POC.

1. The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock

2. In the backwoods of Ohio, Willard Russell’s wife is succumbing to cancer, no matter how much he drinks, prays, or sacrifices animals at his "prayer log." Meanwhile, his son Arvin is growing up, from a kid bullied at school into a man who knows when to take action. Around them swirl a nefarious cast of characters—a demented team of serial killers, a spider-eating preacher, and a corrupt local sheriff—all braided into a riveting narrative of the grittiest American grain.

3. This book is kind of insane. It is really dark and creepy and every character is really messed up and crazy. But the writing is soo good and you will totally get sucked into the story and at the end I was just like "WTF this book is so creepy but amazing!" I want more people to read it! It is violent and dark, so warnings for that.

View Poll: August Book

Voting will also be open on GoodReads. Please only vote in one place.

Discussion Post: Bitten

katayla — Sat, 27 Jul 2013 14:59:37 GMT

Hi!

This is the book discussion for Bitten. What did you think of it? Were you interested in the world? In reading more of the series? Did you like Elena? Did the romance work for you or not?

You can find this post on GoodReads here Comment wherever!

(And we'd still love to get your nominations for next month's book! On LJ or GoodReads.)

Nomination Post #26

torigates — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 13:33:08 GMT

The theme for August is going to be book(s) you want everyone to read. Nominations will be open until July 29, Voting will be from July 30-31.

Discussion Post #103

empressearwig — Sat, 20 Jul 2013 14:51:33 GMT

Happy Saturday, everyone!

I will edit in the GoodReads link when I figure out how to set up a thread over there (or until I make katayla do it for me), but until then, please use this for all your weekly book discussion needs.

Just a reminder, next Saturday will be our discussion of Kelley Armstrong's Bitten!

Discussion Post #102

katayla — Sat, 13 Jul 2013 15:13:31 GMT

You can also find this post at the GoodReads Community. Comment where you'd like!

Hi! Welcome to another Saturday post!

Romance Around the Corner ran a Heroine Week this week, which was all about the female characters. You can find out more about it here and read all the posts here.

Nominations are open at the Exchange at Fic Corner, the new fanfic exchange for children's and YA lit. You can find out more info here.

And now I am going off to sleep. I mean, to work. Tell us something awesome or terrible about the books you've been reading!

Discussion Post #101

torigates — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 13:32:05 GMT

A couple announcements before I turn over the floor for our weekly discussion post.

First up, July's novel!

And the winner is...

1. Name of book. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
2. Small blurb about the book. Elena Michaels seems like the typically strong and sexy modern woman, She lives with her architect boyfriend, writes for a popular newspaper, and works out at the gym. She's also a werewolf.

Elena has done all she can to assimilate to the human world, but the man whose bite changed her existence forever, and his legacy, continue to haunt her. Thrown into a desperate war for survival that tests her allegiance to a secret clan of werewolves, Elena must recon with who, and what, she is in this passionate, page-turning novel.

3. Why this book is awesome. A really great werewolf book. It's also about home and family and who you want to be.

The second BIG ANNOUNCEMENT is beforetv can now be found on GoodReads here! We're really excited about this, and hope you will be too!

For now, we're sorta still in the developing stages, but please go over and join the group, if you'd like! There will be discussion posts, voting posts, all per usual. At this time I don't think we've fully decided what's going to happen with this comm, so if you have suggestions, please feel free to mention them! The options seem to be either to mirror posts here and on GoodReads, split the content, or transition fully over to that site. Anyway, please let us know what you think!

Voting Post

katayla — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 16:38:53 GMT

1. Name of book. About Last Night by Ruthie Knox
2. Small blurb about the book. Cath Talarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she’s made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go . . . in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her.

Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family’s banking empire. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist and bohemian struggling to break free and lose control. Mary Catherine—even her name turns him on—with her tattoos, her secrets, and her gamine, sex-starved body, unleashes all kinds of fantasies.

When blue blood mixes with bad blood, can a couple that is definitely wrong for each other ever be perfectly right? And with a little luck and a lot of love, can they make last night last a lifetime?
3. Why this book is awesome. Ruthie Knox is awesome at writing sex scenes and a good book around them. (I thought about nominating the last erotica I read, and the sex scenes were fantastic, but the rest suuuucked.) The excerpt for this one really intrigued me.

1. Name of book. Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

2. Small blurb about the book. In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of “rehabilitation”—the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was…

Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a Changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy coexistence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several Changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion—and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities—or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation…

3. Why this book is awesome. This book is an excellent start to an excellent series. I am really terrible at explaining why books are awesome, but I should say that I was not sure I would ever find a paranormal series that *really* worked for me and then this became one of the best and most interesting series I've picked up all year. It is a romance series, but it also has great world building, an enjoyable cast of characters, and really interesting family relationships.

1. Name of book. Fire by Kristen Cashore
2. Small blurb about the book. It is not a peaceful time in the Dells. The young King Nash clings to his throne while rebel lords in the north and south build armies to unseat him. The mountains and forests are filled with spies and thieves and lawless men.

This is where Fire lives. With a wild, irresistible appearance and hair the color of flame, Fire is the last remaining human monster. Equally hated and adored, she had the unique ability to control minds, but she guards her power, unwilling to steal the secrets of innocent people. Especially when she has so many of her own.

Then Prince Brigan comes to bring her to King City, The royal family needs her help to uncover the plot against the king. Far away from home, Fire begins to realize there's more to her power than she ever dreamed. Her power could save the kingdom.

If only she weren't afraid of becoming the monster her father was.
3. Why this book is awesome. BECAUSE FIRE/BRIGAN IS THE BEST SHIP. No seriously.

1. Name of book. A Lady Awakened
2. Small blurb about the book. In order to keep her husband's estate after his death, Martha lies and says she's pregnant... and then hires her handsome neighbor, newly exiled to the country from London by his family, to turn fiction into fact.
3. Why this book is awesome. This is a heroine-driven regency romance; it is Martha who drives the story forward. Both she and the hero have excellent, realistic character arcs and, BONUS, the sex is fucking hot AND MOVES THE ROMANTIC ARC FORWARD.

1. Name of book. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
2. Small blurb about the book. Elena Michaels seems like the typically strong and sexy modern woman, She lives with her architect boyfriend, writes for a popular newspaper, and works out at the gym. She's also a werewolf.

Elena has done all she can to assimilate to the human world, but the man whose bite changed her existence forever, and his legacy, continue to haunt her. Thrown into a desperate war for survival that tests her allegiance to a secret clan of werewolves, Elena must recon with who, and what, she is in this passionate, page-turning novel.

3. Why this book is awesome. A really great werewolf book. It's also about home and family and who you want to be.

View Poll: July's Novel

Nomination Post #25

empressearwig — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 17:26:44 GMT

We are terrible, delinquent mods! We offer our sincerest apologies.

The theme for July is going to be HOT. Interpret that as you will. Nominations will be open until July 2, Voting will be from July 3-5.

Discussion Post: Someday, Someday, Maybe

torigates — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 14:51:20 GMT

Hello and welcome to our discussion of Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham. This post is coming to you on a Sunday because I work weird hours on Saturdays and since I'm supposed to be running it, I wanted to be around to actually run it.

ANYWAY. TO THE BOOK.

What did you think of the book? Did you like Franny? Did you picture her as Lauren Graham? What about the other characters? Did you try to figure it out whenever she name dropped fake celebrities who she might be referring to? Did you ship Franny and Dan? Did you picture Dan as Matthew Perry? How do you feel about this?

Discussion Post #100!!!

katayla — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 14:55:56 GMT

Welcome to our 100th discussion post!

So how about a look back and a look forward? What have you enjoyed about this community? Favorite books we've read? Or ones you discovered through this community? Favorite discussion posts?

Any ideas for us moving forward? Books themes you'd like to vote on? (Favorite theme you'd like to bring back?) Things we can do to make this community better for you?

And reminder! Next week is our discussion for this month's book, Someday, Someday, Maybe, but we're mixing things up on you and the discussion will be on Sunday. One more day to get the book read!

Discussion Post #99

empressearwig — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 10:59:20 GMT

One more post until 100!!!! That's ridiculous to think about.

Happy Saturday, everyone! We should talk about what books you're reading and loving (or hating) and if anyone wanted to offer up commentary on this article about romance heroes, I'd love to hear it.

Have fun!

Discussion Post #98

katayla — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 16:07:22 GMT

Hi everyone!

In case you missed it, our June book is Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham.

And now it is time to talk about books! What is the last truly awesome book you read?

Discussion Post: The Emperor's Soul

katayla — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 15:12:27 GMT

Hi everyone! This is our discussion post for The Emperor's Soul. You should all feel proud of me for remembering to post this when I have this to distract me.

Anyway, what did you think? What do you think about what it said about art and why art does (or doesn't?) matter? About reality? If you've read Brandon Sanderson before, how does it compare to his other work for you? Isn't my kitty pretty? If you haven't read the book, talk about that! (The power of being the discussion leader may be going to my head . . .)

Voting Post

torigates — Tue, 28 May 2013 13:29:39 GMT

And the nominees are...

1. Name of book. Motorcycle Man by Kristen Ashley

2. Small blurb about the book.

Stuck in a colorless world, Tyra Masters decides to chuck her old life and starts searching for something. She doesn’t know what it is until she meets her dream man. The goateed, tattooed, muscled, gravelly voiced motorcycle man who plies her with tequila and gives her the best sex of her life. But she knows it isn’t the tequila and sex talking. He’s it. He’s who she’s been daydreaming about since she could remember.

Until he makes it clear she isn’t who he’s looking for.

Tyra slinks away from his bed, humiliated. The problem is, he’s her new boss. She just may or may not have forgotten to tell him that part.

Kane “Tack” Allen has a rule. He doesn’t employ someone he’s slept with. And he lets Tyra know that in his motorcycle man way. Tyra fights for her job and wins it using sass and a technicality. Tack challenges her that if she hits his bed one more time, she loses her job.

Tyra is determined to keep her job and keep away from Tack. But she makes a big mistake. During their head-to-heads, she lets it all hang out and shows Tack she is who he’s looking for. And Tack has had a good woman slip through his fingers, he’s not about to let that happen again.

Although Tack colors Tyra’s world with a vibrancy that’s blinding, being with him means she has to live in his Motorcycle Club world. Full on, no holds barred. And since Tack’s world, not to mention Tack, is a little scary, Tyra isn’t so sure.

It's Tack's job to convince her

3. Why this book is awesome.

So word is that Kristen Ashley's books are really compelling and once you read them, your life will be devoted to devouring her back list. I tried a sample of this a month or so ago and thought, "Yeah, I can see how people are hooked, but not sure I want to read more." But it turns out I DO want to read more. I DO. And that kind of situation seems perfect for the summer!

1. Name of book. The Hallowed Ones by Laura Bickle

2. Small blurb about the book. If your home was the last safe place on earth, would you let a stranger in?

In this captivating thriller, an Amish settlement is the last safe haven in a world plagued by an unspeakable horror…

Katie is on the verge of her Rumspringa, the time in Amish life when teenagers are free to experience non-Amish culture before officially joining the church. But before Rumspringa arrives, Katie’s safe world starts to crumble. It begins with a fiery helicopter crash in the cornfields, followed by rumors of massive unrest and the disappearance of huge numbers of people all over the world. Something is out there...and it is making a killing.

Unsure why they haven’t yet been attacked, the Amish Elders make a decree: No one goes outside their community, and no one is allowed in. But when Katie finds a gravely injured young man lying just outside the boundary of their land, she can’t leave him to die. She refuses to submit to the Elder’s rule and secretly brings the stranger into her community—but what else is she bringing in with him?

3. Why this book is awesome. A friend just gave this a really good review on GoodReads and I am intrigued!

1. Name of book. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

2. Small blurb about the book. Sixteen-year-old Macy Queen is looking forward to a long, boring summer. Her boyfriend is going away. She's stuck with a dull-as-dishwater job at the library. And she'll spend all of her free time studying for the SATs or grieving silently with her mother over her father's recent unexpected death. But everything changes when Macy is corralled into helping out at one of her mother's open house events, and she meets the chaotic Wish Catering crew. Before long, Macy joins the Wish team. She loves everything about, the work and the people. But the best thing about Wish is Wes—artistic, insightful, and understanding Wes—who gets Macy to look at life in a whole new way, and really start living it.

3. Why this book is awesome. This is the book that always reminds me of summer! It's also my first and favorite Sarah Dessen. She tends to be a bit heavy-handed on the theme and symbolism, but this book balances everything so well - from gotchas to art to running - and is such an honest examination of the different types of grief and friendship. I love it.

1. Name of book. Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham (yes, that Lauren Graham)
2. Small blurb about the book. Franny Banks is a struggling actress in New York City, with just six months left of the three year deadline she gave herself to succeed. But so far, all she has to show for her efforts is a single line in an ad for ugly Christmas sweaters and a degrading waitressing job. She lives in Brooklyn with two roommates-Jane, her best friend from college, and Dan, a sci-fi writer, who is very definitely not boyfriend material-and is struggling with her feelings for a suspiciously charming guy in her acting class, all while trying to find a hair-product cocktail that actually works.

Meanwhile, she dreams of doing "important" work, but only ever seems to get auditions for dishwashing liquid and peanut butter commercials. It's hard to tell if she'll run out of time or money first, but either way, failure would mean facing the fact that she has absolutely no skills to make it in the real world. Her father wants her to come home and teach, her agent won't call her back, and her classmate Penelope, who seems supportive, might just turn out to be her toughest competition yet.
3. Why this book is awesome. My friend Julia said it would make a good romcom. And Lauren Graham.

View Poll: June's Novel

Voting will be open until the 31st.

Discussion Post #97

empressearwig — Sat, 25 May 2013 13:19:11 GMT

Change of plans! We were supposed to talk Brandon Sanderson today, but instead, we have bumped that back to next Saturday. And yes, that's technically June, but sometimes the calendar just works that way. In the meantime, you should go here to nominate books for us to read in June. Our theme is summer reading, which you can take as broadly or narrowly as you want.

So what are we going to talk about instead of Brandon Sanderson? I'm glad you asked.

Unless you've been living under a rock this week, you must have seen that Amazon decided to start licensing fanfic. I don't see any possible way that this is a good idea or will work, but hey, what do I know. I haven't read much in the greater blogosphere about it, but Scalzi's post on it was interesting. Anyway.

What do YOU think? That's what's most important here.

Nomination Post #24

torigates — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:42:05 GMT

The theme for June will be summer reading. This theme is pretty much wide open, whether it's a book set in the summer, a book that reminds you of summer, or just something you'd like to read this summer. Go crazy!

Please use the following format for your nominations:

Discussion Post #95

empressearwig — Sat, 11 May 2013 13:24:09 GMT

Happy Saturday!

Questions: What are you all reading right now? Anything good? Anything terrible? What summer releases are you most looking forward to?

Additionally, one of our members brought the latest in gender of author vs book cover controversies to our attention, so if you'd like to talk about that, we can definitely do that. The articles in question can be found here and here.

May's Novel

torigates — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:53:58 GMT

And the winner is...

1. Name of book. The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson

2. Small blurb about the book. A heretic thief is the empire’s only hope in this fascinating tale that inhabits the same world as the popular novel, Elantris.

Shai is a Forger, a foreigner who can flawlessly copy and re-create any item by rewriting its history with skillful magic. Condemned to death after trying to steal the emperor’s scepter, she is given one opportunity to save herself. Though her skill as a Forger is considered an abomination by her captors, Shai will attempt to create a new soul for the emperor, who is almost dead.

Probing deeply into his life, she discovers Emperor Ashravan’s truest nature—and the opportunity to exploit it. Her only possible ally is one who is truly loyal to the emperor, but councilor Gaotona must overcome his prejudices to understand that Shai’s forgery is as much artistry as it is deception.

Brimming with magic and political intrigue, this deftly woven fantasy delves into the essence of a living spirit.

3. Why this book is awesome. Because Brandon Sanderson is awesome! I love how his brain works. This is a novella and I've heard particularly good things about it. And I know it mentions Elantris in the description, but my understanding is it doesn't have any real connection to the book outside the world it's set in. And it's on Amazon's $3.99 and under list, ~~even if it seems to be $4.99 at the moment.~~ $2.99 now!

Go forth and happy reading!

Discussion Post #94

empressearwig — Sat, 04 May 2013 12:53:20 GMT

Happy May, party people.

We are still voting for our May book, and you should definitely cast a ballot as we are in a four way tie at the moment. YOUR VOTE COULD DECIDE IT.

In other news, there is a massive romance novel going on right now, and it got me to thinking about how awesome going to a book conference would be. Have any of you been? What was it like? If you haven't, is there a conference you dream of going to? Etc. Talk to me.