I’m bored.
Again.
Yep.
So this time I decided to try my hand at an m/m ‘get me the fuck out of this rut’ challenge.
I know. Just when you thought I couldn’t get any more awesome, right. *beams*
How it works:
1. Pick a book from an m/m sub-genre or in a style (eg 1st POV) or form (eg graphic) that you usually avoid like the plague.
2. Read it all. No DNFs allowed.
3. Write a review – long or short – and do the linky thing back here.
4. Once the month is at an end – let’s make it a St Pat’s Day finish date – all the peeps who participated will be put in the running for a $20 ARe voucher.
5. Heck, just for the hell of it, I’ll even put up another $20 for the person who reads the most books out of their comfort zone.
Me, I’m choosing an historical to read. *makes wards-off-evil sign*
What about you? You in?
PS – This is also open to those readers who want to pop their m/m romance cherry. That definitely counts as breaking out from the norm. 😉
ETA: Author Aleksandr Voinov has kindly offered a free copy his novel Test of Faith to a reader interested in testing the m/m historical waters. The copy will go to whoever contacts me first. You snooze and Kris will take it herself. *g*
Kris + Books = Good. *Sometimes*. 
If you are after a historical cherry popper try Standish by Erastes. Or 'An improper Holiday' by K A Mitchell (that ones short and has smex in it)
Does reading about the fetishes on your blog count as 'seriously out of my comfort zone?' LOL!
tish
What if you can't think of anything outside of your comfort zone? (My zone is quite, er, large)
Only one book? *gulp* Okay, I can do that. I'll pick historical and I promise it won't be a Sip or something short.
I might even through in a fantasy that has been sitting in my TBR file for a while.
Hmm. Maybe this is my chance to force myself to read My Fair Captain or Out of the Blue…
I'll play! Hmm, I'll try a fantasy book. Maybe True of Heart by M.L. Rhodes– I've had that in my TBR forever.
I'm not fond of historicals either, but “Whistling in the Dark” by Tamara Allen was good.
I have the same problem as Wren. Aside from brutally hardcore BDSM, I have a large comfort zone. Oh, I do get squirrelly over twincest, though. And I hate present-tense narration.
Is there something on the short side anyone can think of? ('Cause, you know, I really need to write more than read at the moment.)
KZ: JM Snyder does lots of present tense. I'm not a huge fan but I did particularly like Devilish Good Time. It's a Halloween story but …. It's only 25 pages from Aspen Mountain Press.
Most of the twincest I've read tends to be longer.
What happens if you've tried pretty much everything – cos I'll read anything once just to see whether I like it or not. Do I have to go back to my 'don't read that theme/plot/character type again' list and choose something from that?
Tish, LOL. No, my posts don't count. You read my mind. I was going to go for an historical like Standish or Transgressions or something. I think there's one that has blacksmiths?? That sounds appropriately dirty enough for me. 😉
Wren: Do you read m/m/f or ya? What about picking an author you wouldn't usually read?
Tam: You can do it. You can do it. 🙂
Transgressions is the one with the blacksmiths. It's a great book – well I enjoyed it but I like historicals.
Ooh, I could do YA. I never thought of that. I have one in my TBR pile that I keep putting off cos it's YA and it's got nasty religious people in which is another thing I usually avoid. Do I get extra bonus pints for reading two usually avoided themes in one book?
or points even.
Pints would be good too though.
Of gin.
Chris: You should. Do I vaguely recall that you don't read fantasy either?? You should read one of those too. *g*
Richelle: Yay!! You haven't read the Draegan Lords?? Blasphemer!
Oh, and thanks for the rec.
KZ: I think we should make you read yaoi. Shove it down your throat even.
I just read a third person present tense – whatever the fuck that's called – which was about 170 pages. Is that too long??
*snort*
Jen, hun, I think you may have already been into the gin. LOL.
I could let Randy know that you read a book with two icky themes. He might be willing to consider that as worthy. 😉
Oh, it's Transgressions. Cool. I'll have to go back and have a look at blurbs and excerpts as opposed to snarling at book covers as I scroll by.
Ha! I'll have you know I'm perfectly sober. I'm high on the paint fumes cos I've been glossing the wood work this afternoon :).
K.Z., Tempestuous Relations by Amanda Young is a twincest that wasn't too long, but I found it just an “okay” read– certainly not as good as some of her other stuff I've read.
Kris, 170 pages is torture when I have to read it off my computer monitor, since that's the only means I have of reading e-books. And I can't justify spending money on a print edition I might loathe.
Short electronic or used softcover is about the best I can do.
(And, FYI, you're much too far away to shove yaoi down my throat. Na na na na na. I like Katrina's stuff, though. She's a wonderful writer.)
I'm with Wren. My comfort zone is all-encompassing in the m/m romance genre. And outside of it too.
Maybe I'll read an author I'm not at all crazy about? Maybe read the Sean Michael that's knocking around on my reader.
No, I haven't read the Draegon Lords series yet. Anytime I read a blurb and come across the word “dragon” or “sorcerer”, I quickly pass. The only reason I have the first book was that I bought it in a moment of weakness a year ago when it was super on sale somewhere. I tried reading it once, but gave up after about a paragraph. 😛
Jen, so you're not drunk, but stoned. Good to know. *g*
KZ: My reach is looooooong. Be afraid. Be very afraid.
Fair enough about the cost and comfort of reading.
What about trying an author you haven't read before, but are sick of hearing about? You'd probably be able to find something short along those lines? Or what about m/m/m?
Angelia: What is it with you authors?! Geez. 😉
You know I keep waiting for the opportunity here to pimp a certain m/m horror… kinda defeats the purpose if I pimp it to the author. *sigh*
Do you read YA or yaoi??
Richelle: Hmpf!! There's nothing wrong with dragons and sorcerers. Think H R Puffnstuff.
Oh, good point about the fantasy. And hey, that Draegan thingie is already on my reader…
I read m/m because I don't wanna deal with the girl. I just finished Jamie Craig's To Taste the Dawn (the last of the Master Chronicles) and really, I could hardly stand it. I even skipped over the sex.
But YA – Good idea. Recommend something and I'll try it!
Wren: Two good YA are Steve Berman's Vintage, a Ghost Story (both my daughter and I enjoyed that) and J. Tomas Without Sin was also really good. Haven't got the kid to read that yet. Not sure Vintage is e-book, I had that in paper copy but Without Sin is in e-book.
Ummm… does it have to b fiction?
NO I AM NOT DUMB I need to go out and get a book on fixing up the little things that go wrong in my house. I decided that it might be cheaper than using Hire a Hubby to fix up stuff.
Chris: *trout stare*
Wren: O_O I have a list, but I'll stick with my tops in ebooks:
Vintage by Steve Berman
A Strong & Sudden Thaw by R W Day
Without Sin by J Tomas
Masks: Rise of Heroes by Hayden Thorne
Tam: Snap! I should have read your comment first. LOL. And, yep, Vintage is available in an ebook.
Mumma: Oh dear God. No! Don't you even start trying to fix things. You hear me!
*feels unnerved, but can't quite pinpoint the cause*
Thanks for the recs. Will do some reconnoitering.
Chris – hold up a mirror, quick. Reflect back the trout stare!
See, KZ. The force is strong with me. Scared you should be.
Oh, maybe it's like a basilisk or Medusa and the starer will be frozen in stone!
Yep. I'm sure it's like that.
On another note: I just got Vintage (with my free book coupon) at ARe.
So, I'm in!
Missed me. Missed me. Neeener, neen-
*Damn.*
I don't think of much as “outside my comfort zone” … You want to pick one for me?
You can't be TOO stoned (heh) Kris, since you can still type.
Oh Wren, yay on Vintage! That's a great story. I have a review of that over on TDB coming up next week. Hope you enjoy it.
Kassa: *rubs hands together in glee* What about horror? Are you up for that?
Chris. Smart arse. 🙂
Kassa – thanks!
Kris – wait, you're stoned? How did I miss that?
The author did a re-read over Christmas break and found it better than she remembered from Editing Hell.
I read YA. My kids keep me well supplied with YA. (Mom, you gotta read this!) I read some Yaoi, since the kids are all into manga and the oldest likes yaoi and yuri.
We authors tend to write across genres. I've done erotic horror, paranormal romance, pagan inspirational, fantasy, urban fantasy, dark future, space opera, cyber and steampunk, western, contemporary (with and without kink), historical/swashbuckler.
Oh, and children's religious books.
What's left, honestly?
Wren, it is true that I have been accused of that because of the way my brain works. However, I assure you that I am not stoned. I may still be drunk a little from last night, though.
Angelia: What's left? Not a heck of a lot. Bloody hell.
Well, instead of reading something for this challenge you could write a dark future, cowboy space opera short to satisfy the urge I now have. *bats eyelashes*
Drat! Why didn't I think of YA? I've been dying to read Vintage. But then again, we're supposed to come up with something we don't particularly wnnt to read. Right? That means I can't do horror, 'cause I like too much.
KZ: It's mainly a get out of your comfort zone thing, but it's also a get out of the reading rut you may be in. I think finally reading something in a genre that you don't read often would still fit nicely. 🙂
Oh boy I'm excited I like man love and mulah. Great contest Kris.
Horror works for me. Did you have any book in mind or shall I pick some out of a hat -grins-
I'm such a sucker for challenges! 🙂
I don't read YA but I've heard good things about A Strong & Sudden Thaw by R W Day so I'll read that one.
I think I've found something–a present-tense western, which is definitely far afield for me–but now I'm getting hinky about publicly reviewing another author's work. It just doesn't feel right. Do we have to commit to this with blood signatures? Because I might just chicken out at the last minute.
Um, KZ, have you SEEN my reviews? We're talking 2-3 sentences. You don't need to write and epic – you can be politely noncommittal and just say it did or didn't work for you. Or focus on the editing. 🙂
KC: “Oh boy I'm excited I like man love and mulah.” *snort* You make me laugh, although it is a fucking awesome combo. *g*
Kassa: Well… it's not like I haven't been waiting to pimp it or anything LOL, but what about Alive on the Inside by Angelia Sparrow and Naomi Brooks?? 🙂
I'm not too keen on horror fiction – it scares the crap out of me cos my brain is way too fertile – but this was a fascinating read exploring the darkest and deepest of people's motivations within the setting of a freak show carnival. A perfect back drop to its complex themes with a dash of gruesome thrown in too. Still interested?
Lily: Cool! It's a great one to choose.
KZ: What Chris said. 🙂 Just do a major like, a major dislike, what you thought overall (optional) and who you think it might appeal to. Easy Peasy. Now just sign here in blood please…
That's a neat idea… wonder why people hate historicals like that.
On an additional note, I'd be happy to donate a copy of “Test of Faith” – it ticks many boxes – it's m/m, historical, historically accurate and DOES NOT have a HEA/HFN. 🙂
LOL that's been in my TBR forever. I'll tackle it. Thanks!
Another horror idea: Rick Reed has written some superb creepy books.