ETA: for more information about season two releases, check out this post.
I am seriously tempted to refer to all the humans in the book club as “the red hots”. Someone fucking stop me.
Oh, well, hello, there. Thanks for joining me!
So this is technically the Red and Bad Book Club, but I’m open to anything. The bigger picture is this: I kind of miss weekly TV shows.
Now, don’t get me wrong: I don’t want to go back to pre-DVR, pre-Netflix, pre-torrenting days. (I used to torrent over dial up, people. It would take all week to get last week’s West Wing episode. And I say that as someone who now owns all of those episodes I once stole on DVD. In fact, I bought the first two seasons twice, in both region one and region two.)
Ahem.
While I prefer my television in marathon format, there is something I miss, just a little.
The anticipation. The looking-forward-to-Xday because Y is on. The excitement of the credits rolling.
I can’t produce a new X-Files. But I can do this: I can release Red and Bad once a week by email and provide a good spot in my living room for everyone to gather ’round and chat. And yes, I’ve set this puppy up so season one will run through the end of April, and season two will pick right up the next week.
If everyone likes it. Hell, if anyone likes it.
So that’s the plan, yo.
Let’s start here: introductions and other reasons to leave a comment. (I am not a big commenter on…anything. I briefly tried to participate on the Goodreads machine, but it made me feel a bit seasick. If you’d rather lurk, please do. If you just need a little nudge, go ahead and answer a question!)
Who are you? (Only please reread that as the caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland: Who…are…you?)
Have you ever been part of an in-person book club? Did you enjoy it?
Have you met Red and Bad yet, or is this your first time?
Tell me exactly how you feel about serialized fiction. Right now. Please feel free to ramble/rant.
Hit the comments, yo!
I'm Kris! I've never been to a book club. (Though I have a good association with them because a good friend of mine ran a lesbian book club at Barnes and Noble for a little while, and through that club I found out about Nicola Griffith's Ammonite. Oh, Ammonite. I love you.)
I've already met Red and Bad, and rambled on and on about my feelings as relate to serialized fiction. Who's next?
Hi, I'm Vicky, and I've never been part of a book club before either. I've never really had deep urges to analyse a book/characters/plot/whatever I've just enjoyed (maybe that's why I was so rubbish at English Lit – I didn't care why the Lord of the Flies boys went feral, I just wanted to know if any of them made it out alive) but maybe I've been missing out all these years.
So this is an experiment, and I may just lurk 🙂
I got caught up in the Green Mile hoopla (I was working at a bookstore at the time, which makes it getting on for twenty years ago (was it really twenty years ago?!?)), but I haven't followed any serialized fiction since then until I discovered Cari Z's blog about 18 months ago. She posts every Tuesday, and it's been known to be the highlight of my week. (I read through her blog history and *inhaled* weeks' worth of posts, 50k at a time – catching up with the then present day was a terrible shock.)
General Wendy reporting for book club. Hello, Red Hots! (I would hate for Bad to be left out, so I'll just set this bag of black licorice whips here. You have permission to indulge.)
My first and only organized book club was in fifth grade. After reading The Hobbit in class, a small group of fellow Tolkien enthralled friends decided to meet and discuss The Lord of the Rings after school. It was all kinds of nerdy awesomeness that makes childhood fun. Since then, my "fun" book discussions are mostly one on one.
Oh, I've met Red and Bad! Kris made her universes collide for me when Red and Bad played with Hugh and Truman on her blog, and I was extremely honored. It never ceases to amaze me how an off hand suggestion or comment inspires writers.
I loathe serials. I'm an impatient reader, and I want to know how the arc ends NOW! That said, I love the way a well written serial creates a feeling of anticipation that enhances the whole reading experience.
Hi I'm Mary, I've never been in a book club and like Vicky I don't really analyse characters or plot lines I get swallowed into a new world and want desperately to know what happens next. I did follow a serial on another author's blog but temptation got to much and on each release day I kept checking the site, nearly got caught by my manager! So now I go cold turkey and wait for the complete series to be released. I love Red and Bad. So far I love everything Kris has written, and I can't say that about all the authors I've read. I'm hoping to contribute to the club but I might end up a lurker, I don't check in here enough, time goes so fast.
Hi, I’m Lisa. Never been a part of a book club although my friends and I have read various series books and have casually talked about them. I’m not particularly into serials either……I really like to get caught up and keep reading and reading and reading. Especially if it’s one of Kris’. I too can say that anything by Kris I will read, and you’re right, Mary there aren’t many authors that can be said about! I’m really excited to start!!
I’m Cass. I’ve been in book clubs, but I’m notorious for not reading the book and b.s.ing through the discussion! I love Ripper though, and I’m hoping that short bursts will keep me accountable. Hello everyone!
I’m Marie, and I’ve never been in an official book club. My sister & I and a few friends tend to talk about all our favorite books together as we read them, but it’s very rare that we are actually reading the same book at the same time.
As for Red & Bad, I’m a binge reader so I waited until the whole Serial was released as one set and read it all in one night. Then went totally nuts having to wait for the different parts of the “DVD Extras” to be finished with Hugh & Truman. I’d still love to read a part 3 where H&T discuss it with Will.
As for Serials in general? I LOATH them. I think I mentioned that I am a binge reader/watcher. I was binging before binging was even a term! (Yes, I’m old but I still appreciate good smut!) I would binge read an entire book Series. I have a hard time waiting the usual year between book publications of my favorite authors series. It matters not that the book I just finished was 900 pages long, I want the next one NOW! I guess since in my Real Life, I have to do so much waiting on everybody else so I can complete things that I tend to use up all my patience at work. I suppose I could actually be patient and deal with the books being released on a regular schedule if most of the Serial Book Writers weren’t so HORRID! Over half of the stories that I have started are so full of errors, spelling, grammar, etc. that it makes reading the serial an actual chore. Especially since I’m horridly dyslexic. I have enough problems getting my words & sentences all mixed up on my own. I don’t need any help. THANK YOU KRIS for proof reading your work before you ship it off to the market.
I love the Scientific Method series, I just started the Home series, and have downloaded the Ghost in the Attic, but haven’t had a chance to read it yet. (That danged work keeps getting in the way.) I so enjoy your writing I’m hanging on pins & needles waiting for more.
I’m looking forward to this club. I agree, so far everything I’ve read by Kris has been awesome.
Hi I’m nadine. I’ve never been in a book club before either. My feelings about serials are a bit conflicted. I love having something new to read so regularly, but I’m greedy and want more than just a chapter at a time. With Red and Bad I put off reading until I could buy the whole series and read it all at once. But let’s face it – any amount of new writing from Kris is worth consuming as it’s offered!
Hi, my name is Sine and I have never been part of any formal book club, but have always loved talking about books and films with friends.
I recently found An Impromptu Lesson and The Mail Room free on this blog and read both. But have not red anything else about Red and Bad.
I am getting worse at serialized entertainment as I love to binge (after finishing TSM I pretty much just read the rest of the series in a matter of days). Also I must be honest and admit that my tight budget makes me look at price pr page. And that us usually higher in serialized books. This is a contributing factor to me not having bought Red and Bad series yet; I was waiting for an compilation to be made.
I gave up cable TV a few years back and now heavily rely on on demand services. Before I sort of had an internal week clock set around the TV schedule, but now I kind of expect my entertainment to be there when I need it. If the serialized entertainment is good enough it is amazing to look forward to new stuff every day/week. I have some podcast and Youtube stuff I follow like that. But I often find I forget to come back next week as I am thinking about other stuff.
Having other people reading along and then talking about it every week sounds like the very best way to enjoy serialized books to me. Talking about a book in smaller bites makes sense to me.
And I like the name Red Hots (I would like to try the candy at some time since I love cinnamon, but alas not available where I live.)
I’ve been thinking about Bad and Red this week and have decided that, so far, Bad is the more interesting character. He’s smarmy and arrogant, but he’s got more corners than Red so far. I feel like, I’m “supposed” to hate him, but I don’t. Red just seems so pretty-boy bland at this point, but pretty boys often get on my nerves…