BOTNS Books Podcast #91: Reviews, plus Recommendations

Aug 24

BOTNS Books Podcast #91: Reviews, plus Recommendations

By Michael Kindness Podcasts Add comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 29:47 — 17.1MB)

We discuss what constitutes a review and exactly what it is that we try to do here. Thanks to all of you who wrote and called with info, we have a big list of series you love. For two books, Michael goes back a year and Ann goes back 75.

What is a Review?

On our Goodreads Group several people mentioned reviews, what are they are, how to write them. Ann and I have always intended Books on the Nightstand to be a recommendation show, not a review show. It’s why we don’t talk about books we don’t like and it’s why we don’t write out a script ahead of time. We’re just here to tell you why we love a book.

As for “real” reviews, we do our best to say what we think they do (analyze characters, plot structure, writing style) and how much they should give away, but we’d love to know what all of you think. We’ve started a new discussion thread for your thoughts.

Series, Redux (9:33)

We heard from so many of you about series you love. So many that we are embarrassed to have forgotten! Here’s the full list of series discussed:

William Kennedy’s Albany Cycle, the first three of which have been published in one book
Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin seafaring adventures. Master and Commander is the first in the series
A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell
Olivia Manning’s The Balkan Trilogy and The Levant Trilogy
The North and South Trilogy and The Bicentennial Series (more commonly known as The Kent Family Chronicles) by John Jakes
Jan Karon’s The Mitford Years
The Shopaholic books by Sophie Kinsella
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House books
Madeleine L’Engle’s series about the Murry family, which begins with A Wrinkle in Time
The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
Remembrance of Things Past/In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust
Authors like P.G. Wodehouse, Dante and William Shakespeare all wrote series and were mentioned
The Rabbit Angstrom books by John Updike
Robertson Davies wrote several trilogies
Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin

Back at our Goodreads group (it really is the place to be), in the discussion on Books in Series, Vanessa told us about her rigid guidelines for series reading and how those are enabled, errr… helped by a site called Fantastic Fiction, which lists authors and their series in order. I heard about the site from a BOTNS listener several years ago, but am finally getting around to checking out now! A British listener mentioned the popularity of historical series in the UK, most notably Bernard Cornwell’s Sharpe books and Conn Iggulden’s Caesar and Khan series.

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (21:51)

Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin arrives in paperback on August 31. It’s the story of Angel Tungaraza, a woman in Rwanda’s capital who runs a bakery out of her apartment. Meeting with her customers, she learns their stories and so do we. Ann cheats a bit and talks about new reissues of several Nancy Mitford novels, most notably Wigs on the Green, a satire of fascists; it has been out of print since the 1930′s.

http://age30books.blogspot.com Heather J.

I’m so glad you mentioned The Kent Family Chronicles – I have every book in the series and LOVED reading them back when I was in high school. They are one of the few series of books that I’ve kept (I usually give books away once I’ve read them).

And I’m a HUGE fan of Bernard Cornwell’s historical fiction, especially his Alfred the Great series (set during the Viking era and following the development of England from several kingdoms into one united land).
http://age30books.blogspot.com Heather J.

I’m so glad you mentioned The Kent Family Chronicles – I have every book in the series and LOVED reading them back when I was in high school. They are one of the few series of books that I’ve kept (I usually give books away once I’ve read them).

And I’m a HUGE fan of Bernard Cornwell’s historical fiction, especially his Alfred the Great series (set during the Viking era and following the development of England from several kingdoms into one united land).
Laura S.

I loved Pat Barker’s Regeneration Trilogy. The series was tough going storywise – with all the death and horrors of war. Also set before, during and after WWI is Anne Perry’s series of novels. Quite a departure from her Victorian mystery novels, this series was also full of the violence of war both on and off the battlefield.
Laura S.

I loved Pat Barker’s Regeneration Trilogy. The series was tough going storywise – with all the death and horrors of war. Also set before, during and after WWI is Anne Perry’s series of novels. Quite a departure from her Victorian mystery novels, this series was also full of the violence of war both on and off the battlefield.
http://www.ritaliccious.wordpress.com Rita

I wrote a post today on what book reviews are to me and how I write them. How coincidental.

As usual, stellar podcast! Thanks guys!
http://www.ritaliccious.wordpress.com Rita

I wrote a post today on what book reviews are to me and how I write them. How coincidental.

As usual, stellar podcast! Thanks guys!
http://silentsgirl.wordpress.com/ Graceann Macleod

I adore the Kent Family Chronicles and they made reading about history such fun. I fell in love with Andrew Stevens when they were made into television miniseries, as well. Historical fiction is perfect for series because it’s so sprawling. Most historical stories can’t be told (at least not well) in only one volume. Plus if you have a long enough writing career, like Howard Fast and John Jakes, the history you write about continues to accrue!

Yay for the shout-out for fantasticfiction.co.uk – I use that one for my series reads all the time, and it’s a lifesaver.
http://silentsgirl.wordpress.com/ Graceann Macleod

I adore the Kent Family Chronicles and they made reading about history such fun. I fell in love with Andrew Stevens when they were made into television miniseries, as well. Historical fiction is perfect for series because it’s so sprawling. Most historical stories can’t be told (at least not well) in only one volume. Plus if you have a long enough writing career, like Howard Fast and John Jakes, the history you write about continues to accrue!

Yay for the shout-out for fantasticfiction.co.uk – I use that one for my series reads all the time, and it’s a lifesaver.
http://www.booksonthenightstand.com Ann Kingman

Rita, I enjoyed your post! Thanks for the lovely things you said about BOTNS, too!
http://www.booksonthenightstand.com Ann Kingman

Rita, I enjoyed your post! Thanks for the lovely things you said about BOTNS, too!
http://www.booksonthenightstand.com Ann Kingman

I’m going to have to poke around and see if the John Jakes books are still in print. Wonder if we can start a revival of those and the 3 Investigators books…
http://www.booksonthenightstand.com Ann Kingman

I’m going to have to poke around and see if the John Jakes books are still in print. Wonder if we can start a revival of those and the 3 Investigators books…
http://bfishreads.blogspot.com Beth F

Some great series there — Glad to see Anthony Powell, Patrick O’Brian, and Robertson Davies there. Audible just released Dance to the Music of Time on audio and I plan to reread all four book that way. I loved Powell when I read him &*%$ years ago and hope I’m still a fan.
http://bfishreads.blogspot.com Beth F

Some great series there — Glad to see Anthony Powell, Patrick O’Brian, and Robertson Davies there. Audible just released Dance to the Music of Time on audio and I plan to reread all four book that way. I loved Powell when I read him &*%$ years ago and hope I’m still a fan.
http://parchmentgirl.com Kate

I’m so glad you listed The Mitford Years series here… it’s my all time favorite!
http://parchmentgirl.com Kate

I’m so glad you listed The Mitford Years series here… it’s my all time favorite!
Alexa

Just been catching up on BOTN’s I missed while on holiday! Thank you so much for mentioning Wigs on the Green. I love Nancy Mitford and The Pursuit of Love is one of my favourite books and I had no idea this book was available! I can’t wait!