Welcome to bookchat where you can talk about anything...books, plays, essays, and audio books. You don’t have to be reading a book to come in, sit down, and chat with us.
The title is in honor of Gilda Radner:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roseanne_Roseannadanna
"Well, Jane, it just goes to show you, it's always something — if it ain't one thing, it's another."
I really enjoy a sharp plot. Great characters are important, of course, but it gives me a real sense of satisfaction when I am involved in a story with a good plot. I want to find out what happens and I immerse myself in the events as they take me down the path to a solution.
In a great book that plot shines like a beacon leading me onward. There will be subplots, too, and the main plot may be a story arc that is followed in several books of a series, but the delight in seeing the story laid out involving much suspense, adventure and twists and turns makes a book superb.
In the series of scifi stories by Jack Campbell (John G. Hemry) featuring Paul Sinclair, we first learn about Paul himself in A Just Determination. We learn that while new at his duties and disliking his captain, he still believes in justice. When his Captain is court-martialed Paul puts himself out on a limb that could easily be sawed off to see justice done.
In the next book, Burden of Proof, the plot thickens. There is a terrible accident in which a man dies. Paul discovers it is being covered up. Campbell is wonderful in dealing out the plot like cards face up on the table. The consequences to Paul for sticking his nose into the accident can be terrible and yet we know from the first book that Paul cannot look in a mirror and sit back when there is an injustice.
Of course, this series really needs to be read in order as it builds up stronger with each book. Number three, Rule of Evidence, is very powerful, but means more after reading 1 and 2. The series ends with Against All Enemies in which Paul’s honesty is used again to solve the problem.
Another series of books with a gripping and intricate plot is one I have mentioned before, The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey, the writing team of Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck. I admit that I cared about the characters, first, but the well-constructed plot made these stories outstanding.
Leviathan Wakes
Caliban’s War
Abaddon’s Gate
Cibola Burn
Nemesis Games
Last week, I mentioned how much I enjoyed The Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn. The plot was gripping and I was led on an interesting journey from world to world.
Good plots are important in all the genres not just scifi/fantasy. What stories have you enjoyed with intricate plotting?
Diaries of the Week:
Write On! Ideas.
By SensibleShoes
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/02/26/1491262/-Write-On!-Ideas
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All Times are EDT, EST
Readers & Book Lovers Series
Schedule Day Time EST/EDT Series Editor(s)
Sunday 6:00 PM Young Reader's Pavilion The Book Bear
(last Sun of the month) 7:30 PM LGBT Literature Chrislove
Monday (occasional) 8:00 PM Books! Susan Grigsby
Tuesday 5:00 PM Indigo Kalliope: Poems from the Left Kit RMP, ruleoflaw
8:00 PM Contemporary Fiction Views bookgirl
Wednesday 8:00 PM Bookflurries Bookchat cfk
Thursday 2:00 PM Self-Publishing 101 akadjian
8:00 PM Write On! SensibleShoes
(once a month) 2:00 PM Monthly Bookpost AdmiralNaismith
Friday 8:00 PM Books Go Boom! Brecht
Saturday 9:00 AM You Can't Read That!
Paul's Book Reviews pwoodford
9:00 PM Books So Bad They're Good Ellid