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Hello George Pope!

** On Friday 15.04.22 - 10:53, George Pope wrote to August Abolins:

 GP> Another mut read #1 first is "A Spell for Chemeleon"; the
 GP> first in Piers Anthony's epically long "Xanth" series
 GP> (they can be read in sets of three after you'veread that
 GP> one, or sets of nine -- he wrote them in trilogies
 GP> containing  three trilogies each. Publisghuing, of course,
 GP> one novel at a time!

I believe you mentioned that here before. Thx.  I have a copy  
of that one at the ready.

My first Xanth novel was "Board Stiff".  I loved the opening  
chapter.  The puns were exellent.


 GP> I like Piers -- he personally connects with the reasder..
 GP> ..his puns in Xanth gets lame & expected  after awhile,.
 GP> but his attachment & 4th wall usage in using them is
 GP> funny.

4th wall?

In Board Stiff, he made the punnery part of solving the mystery  
that the character encountered. That was clever.

I still get a chuckle at this part at the beginning:

"... I'm actually a smart girl who would make any man an
excellent wife. But no man sees that. No man is interested in
my mind or personality, just my whatevers. So here is my wish:
I'm board stiff. I want Adventure, Excitement, and Romance."
Now the ripples made her reflection shimmer. She definitely had
the wishing well's attention. "I searched all over for a
suitable offering," she continued. "It occurred to me that how
you look is governed by the sand on your bottom. It is frankly
sort of dull. So I found a pretty colored stone that should add
interest. Here it is: my offering, and I hope you like it." She
brought out the stone, which was like a faceted blue diamond,
sparkling all over. She dropped it into the well. Something
happened. A sudden whirlwind surrounded her, lifting her up and
ripping off her clothing. She was changing, somehow. Then she
fell flat on the ground. Literally. She had been transformed
into a flat, stiff board with two knotholes for eyes."


 >> I keep a small printed list of titles sorted by pubdate.

 GP> Most of your customers just ask for recommendations & you
 GP> can point out when  the stories are stand-alone?

I havent read them all.  But most people tell me that that they  
can enjoy them individually. Sometimes they like to seek out an  
earlier publication to fill in the gap; they tell me it's still  
a good reading experience.


 >> It was simply one of those "necessity is the mother of
 >> invention" moments. I got tired of "looking" across two
 >> shelves for a Jack Reacher title.  But when laid out in
 >> title order, I know which one's I've got or not.

 GP> You don't have a computerized index/db of your stock?

It's is MUCH easier to just look at the shelf and see what is  
missing.   ;)   I *can* usually tell what title I still have in  
stock on the computer, but I can only do that one title at a  
time.


 GP> Hollywood really ought to start reading more than just
 GP> comic books!

LOL.


 GP> The movie based on "One for the Money" by Janet Evanovich
 GP> really missed on the  characters & castying -- none looked
 GP> right except Joe Morelli, maybe.

 GP> Ditto "50 Shads of Grey" -- none looked like they do in
 GP> the novels, IMO.

Did not see that one. I thought the premise of sadomachism is  
too dark for me.


 GP> But maybe today's gen of movie watchers would recognize
 GP> them just fine, or  don't care as they don't read. (had an
 GP> adult lady friend once tell me "I don't  read" (that was
 GP> the beginning of the end for me)

I find that people who say that they don't read CAN be made  
interested in non-fiction: biographies, history, politics,  
books on medical topics, cookbooks, etc..

Same thing with kids. Kids who can't seem to bear struggling  
with Harry Potter, can be fascinated by the Guiness World  
Record books, encyclopedias, game manuals, field guides, maps.

--
  ../|ug

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