Blood and Guts

A young woman at Ellsworth AFB recommended "The Dragon Delasangre" by Alan Troop. With dragons in it, I had to get it.  It started out interesting, but soon evolved into step-by-step details of gory activities.  I never finished it.  Maybe it was too realistic for me?  Anyway, I now know my threshold for gory details.

Pleasant Surprise

As I sell at military exchanges, I meet self-published authors that sell their books there.  Recently I purchased one by J. Daniel Stanfield called "Tales of the Faerevold Nil's Passage".  He categorized it as fantasy.  I was very pleasantly surprised when I started reading it.  It was well-written and really kept my interest.  I would call it sci-fi/fantasy as it seemed to have elements of both.  Nils goes into a parallel universe.  All I can say is if you like a good adventure, this is one.  He does slip a moral or two in there, but universal truths never hurt.

Old Friend or Boring

I can read some authors' books and feel like it is going back to an old friend while others I get tired of and it just seems like the same old thing.  Wonder what makes the difference.  Andre Norton's books are in the friend category.  I know I have read over a hundred of her books and will even re-read some, which I almost never do.  Where as Sue Grafton's alphabet novels were enjoyable at first but eventually I felt like they were the same old thing and quit reading the last one about half way through.  I just finished one of the Dragon Lance Chronicles Vol 3 Dragons of Spring Dawning.  It was enjoyable and had new adventures even though it was populated with characters I knew.  What is the difference?  Is it me or the authors?