FREE/BARGAIN — Romance & Discussion

[library addict]

Originally Posted by Atunah

Even if its loosely connected, I have to read in order. I am really OCD on that. I just can't do otherwise.

I get it, I really do.

But for me the published order is what I go by. I really wish authors would include the original pub date on their websites. It's surprising how many author site's do not have this basic info. It would also help if they would include an accurate series order.

And it's even worse a lot of times trying to track down "when" info for short stories that were posted on an author's website. Nalini Singh* isn't the only author who posts slice-of-life type short stories or deleted scenes. And if a new reader is late to the party it can be difficult to find info about these.

I can't tell you how many times I've had to resort to the way back machine or scour an author's blog/twitter/facebook trying to see exactly when something was released. Just put a flipping date!

*FTR Nalini's dates were easy to find after the fact except for the very early stories which Ashwini was very helpful assisting me with

[worktolive]

One really good source for series order of books is FictFact (http://www.fictfact.com). I use it to track many of my series and to tell me the reading order of the various books. It usually includes novellas and shows where they fall in the series timeline. As a series follower, you can also add books and novellas to the series if you notice any are missing, and it then updates the list for everyone so the information is pretty accurate. If you don't want to use it to track your own series, it's still quite helpful as a resource to look them up.

Other useful features are that it will tell you at a glance which of the series you follow have new books coming out soon, and will notify you weekly about new books added to series you are following. You can check off books as you read them and keep track of where you are in the series, which is really helpful when you are picking a series back up after not reading it for a year or two.

[Atunah]

Yes, I use fictfact a lot to follow my series. All 357 of them I have currently started. That is number of series, not number of books.
Maybe I shouldn't be so upset about having a hard time starting another one.

There is also fantasticfiction, which for some reason I can't find my bookmark right now. Its a uk site so whatever the uk address is. Another thing I can't pull out of my brain right now.

Thing is though, I can't tell you how many times I was looking at a series and there are different reading orders on each of the site. And often the author has yet another reading order. Madeline Baker time travel I recently came across. Fictfact is not matching how I am trying to read it and neither is the author site.

And its totally true, so many authors don't have that info on their sites at all. Baffling. Make it easy for the readers. Not have us hunt down all over the internet.

But yeah fictfact has a lot of nice features. It also reminds me every time a new one in the series comes out how far I have fallen behind. I am constantly re-arranging the order of the series too. Dropping those I have lost interest to the bottom of the pile and moving others up I want to get caught up on.

[copyrite]

Originally Posted by Atunah

It also reminds me every time a new one in the series comes out how far I have fallen behind. I am constantly re-arranging the order of the series too. Dropping those I have lost interest to the bottom of the pile and moving others up I want to get caught up on.

Or rearranging yet again when the next notice is sent my way!

Yeah, don't think you're alone with that, Atunah!

[KyBunnies]

Originally Posted by Atunah

There is also fantasticfiction, which for some reason I can't find my bookmark right now. Its a uk site so whatever the uk address is. Another thing I can't pull out of my brain right now.

I constantly use FantasticFiction

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/

[Atunah]

Originally Posted by KyBunnies

I constantly use FantasticFiction

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/

Thanks. I have no clue why I have the uk site in my bookmarks, but I did look and yep, the uk version. Odd. I probably added it so long ago I never checked or changed.
Huh, even more confused now. I know it was a uk address and it still shows in my bookmarks, but when I actually click on it now from my bookmarks, it goes to the .com site.

[KyBunnies]

Originally Posted by Atunah

Thanks. I have no clue why I have the uk site in my bookmarks, but I did look and yep, the uk version. Odd. I probably added it so long ago I never checked or changed.
Huh, even more confused now. I know it was a uk address and it still shows in my bookmarks, but when I actually click on it now from my bookmarks, it goes to the .com site.

On my home computer it is the same. On my work computer it has .com So they must of changed it and redirected the co.uk to go to .com
It is one of the sites I can access from work and check which book I need to start next when listening to audio books.

[library addict]

Originally Posted by KyBunnies

I constantly use FantasticFiction

https://www.fantasticfiction.com/

I have the UK site on my bookmarks too. I didn't realize they had a .com (I usually just type the UK one if I've ever needed to manually look for it.)

I use them and Fiction DB a lot. I will check out FictFact.

But most places don't list the newsletter and website shorts, so tracking down info about them is a PITA. Especially when you subscribe to an author's newsletter and STILL manage to discover these types of "extras" nilly willy. You would think that's the type of thing that would make for a good newsletter entry. And would be highlighted on their website.

I am actually shocked by the number of authors who don't even have a website! They assume everyone is on Facebook.

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by Atunah

Thank you so much for all this. Its very helpful. I guess if you read them by publication, you didn't have a choice of the order. But now I look at this mountain and its overwhelming. Even if its loosely connected, I have to read in order. I am really OCD on that. I just can't do otherwise. Its why I have to skip some series if I cant figure out order. Just can't do it. Any series, I must read in order. Even of folks say it can be read as standalone. I always think, if that was the case, it wouldn't be part of a series, but an actual standalone book.

And she's made "sub-series" about a certain item or situation, with one book in the past (Amanda Quick), one in the "current" (JAK), and one in the future (Jayne Castle). I don't remember if all the sub-series books have the book one AQ, book 2 JAK and book 3 JC. I think if you really tried to stick to chronological order with her series, you'd forget details or might even read the resolution to a problem before you read the book that first included the problem.

[FizzyWater]

I've been trying to get Grace Burrowes to create a book list by chronological order....her books were definitely published "out-of-order".

She told me it had a lot to do with the books her publisher felt were most likely to get people's interest. Then when they did some re-writes/updates to the ones they wanted to publish, some of the dates get out of sync.

Very few of her books have identifiable dates in them - I've tried to create a calendar based on a character's being at Waterloo, then count back and forth based on the seasons she mentioned.

I gave up.

[sufue]

Just For Now is the third in the Escape to New Zealand series by Rosalind James. It is free right now at Kindle US. I don't read much contemporary romance, but picked up one of the books in this series for free, loved it, and binge-read all of the rest of them that were available via KU, which is almost all. Since then, I've been keeping an eye out and picking up titles on sale/free when I can. Although these are a series, I think it only matters a little whether you read them in order.

link: https://www.amazon.com/Just-Now-Esca...dp/B00945K8GI/

Spoiler:

There’s no place like home ...

For teacher Jenna McKnight, nothing spells “heartbreak” like finding her husband with somebody else--in her bed. It’s clearly time to reinvent herself. A new body, a new city, and a new job later, she’s done just that. The beautiful Auckland villa isn’t really her home, though. Finn Douglas and his kids aren’t really her family, however much she wishes they were. And playing house can be a dangerous game.

Rugby star Finn Douglas is just looking for a temporary nanny and housekeeper. Not a girlfriend, and definitely not a wife. He can’t resist Jenna’s cooking, it’s true. Who knew he’d have so much trouble resisting her? He wants to do what’s right for his kids. But waiting is so hard ...

Note: This STAND-ALONE romance, like New Zealand, contains a bit of steam. If that isn't your cuppa, you may want to visit a different country ... er, book.

Note: The first title in James' Not Quite a Billionaire series, Fierce, is still a long term freebie at Kindle US: https://www.amazon.com/Fierce-Not-Qu...dp/B01161WVQM/


EDIT:
Just for Now and Fierce are also free at Kindle UK...
Just for Now: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Just-Now-Es...dp/B00945K8GI/
Fierce: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fierce-Not-...dp/B01161WVQM/

[booklover6]

FYI, many of Rosalind James' titles are available in the Audible Romance Package.

[library addict]

Weekly Report:

Read:
I've had too many distractions this week and didn't read anything new. Doesn't help that none of the three books I did start were holding my interest

Purchased:

[Blossom]

I'm in a book slump but I'm moving again so that's probably why. We're going back to North Carolina. Moving in with the in-law's. Dad needs a caretaker. So hubby will be stepping in and I'll be helping. I haven't told my family yet. My mother in law has asked us to come help her. She's desperate.

I still need to find a book for the Google Play coupon before it expires.



Sent from my Nexus 7

[library addict]

I took a look through the new release threads at Dear Author, but nothing jumped out that was over $5. You're still reading mostly historical and UF?

Good luck with the move.