Q&A with Josh Lanyon discussion

Hi everyone,

Welcome to November 2020! This month we are reading and discussing Two Man Station! Please feel free to start the conversation whenever you are ready, but be aware that there will be spoilers here if you want to avoid them.

I could swear I read this one last year. GR swears I didn't. :-D
Probably forgot to track my progress. I remember some details, though. Might have to look it up again.

I've read this one already, but I recently read an excellent review of the sequel Lights and Sirens - you've inspired me to start it :)
You guys are going to like Two Man Station, I'm looking forward to popping in to see what you think.

Trio wrote: "You guys are going to like Two Man Station, I'm looking forward to popping in to see what you think. "

Haha, it was a DNF for me when I tried it a couple of years ago. I disliked it intensely. So I'm also curious to see what people will think. :)

Lisa Henry is such a versatile author - everything from super dark to humor to something like Two Man Station. I didn't make it through Red Heir and look how popular that one became!

True! I think her versatility keeps her writing fresh. She's not just cranking out variations on the same thing. Even if a given book is a dud for me, I know the next one could be a winner.

Soon as I finish last months BOM, I’ll start this one!

I started this yesterday morning and I’m already quite a bit into it. It’s rather silly, not much has happened, but I’m really enjoying it so far, I had a bit of a laugh over the snake incident, then was horrified at how close Gio had come to getting bitten. I feel like this is a book I really needed just now.

Has anyone else started this, and how are you feeling about it so far?

Calathea wrote: "I could swear I read this one last year. GR swears I didn't. :-D
Probably forgot to track my progress. I remember some details, though. Might have to look it up again."

Sounds like this is a great opportunity for a reread!

Trio wrote: "I've read this one already, but I recently read an excellent review of the sequel Lights and Sirens - you've inspired me to start it :)
You guys are going to like Two Man Station, I..."

Ooohhh! Yay! Do tell us if it’s just as good!

Teal wrote: "Trio wrote: "You guys are going to like Two Man Station, I'm looking forward to popping in to see what you think. "

Haha, it was a DNF for me when I tried it a couple of years ago. I disliked it i..."

Now I’m curious as to why you didn’t like it, though I can see this wouldn’t be for everyone.

For two man station, the locale is a big character...maybe even the major character.

Jordan wrote: " I feel like this is a book I really needed just now.

Has anyone else started this, and how are you feeling about it so far?"

I finished it a couple of weeks ago. I quite liked it. Very slow build, with both MCs imperfect and angst-y, and slow to trust one another.

Even if you don't love the characters or the story, read it just for the brilliant depiction of rural Queensland. Some GR reviewers describe the setting as a "third character" and it's absolutely true. I read the book with Google Maps handy so I could get a feel for the various locations in the novel (yes, authors, some of us readers do that, and it drives us crazy when you're completely inaccurate ("what do you mean, you took the baby in the stroller to Fairmount Park? You live in Society Hill; that's more than four miles away!").

Jordan wrote: "Now I’m curious as to why you didn’t like it, though I can see this wouldn’t be for everyone."

In a word: Parenting.

Honestly, I confuse myself sometimes. I don’t want kids, I don’t want to handle other people’s kids. I’ve been a teen librarian and that was cool, but that’s all I ever want with younger folks. Babies make me nervous and I always make little kids cry by accident somehow. And yet... I occasionally like them in my romance novels. Not often. No. But still, It absolutely makes no sense to me. I’ve even fabricated children for tv characters in my FanFiction romances. Like...what?! Lol. I don’t understand it. I just accept it.

I do really like the description of the setting here. It’s so vivid and engrossing! Yes, a third character, for sure. I like the idea of reading this with a map! I’d like to see where these places are as I have no experience with Australia other than some books I’ve read. I super love this is in a place I’ve never been and don’t get to read about much.

I do also like the relationship between Jason and Gio. I’m cool with however long it takes them to figure things out. But Richard... he’s a bit creepy to me. He’s not, really, but I don’t like him all the same. Lol. I like Taylor too.

This is one of those books I feel like I needed right now with everything going on. It’s slow and easy yet engrossing

Funny story, I actually borrowed this from the library. And then decided I would read book two for sure, maybe even next month. I thought, I’ve got book one, night as well get book two. So I bought book two, but I’ve still only borrowed book one. Sigh... it seems silly to own two without one, but I’m in the middle of the ebook so if I buy it now do I switch copies?! I put myself in an awkward for me position. Lol. Silly brain. I clearly need more sleep!

Jordan wrote: "Sounds like this is a great opportunity for a reread.

"

I seem to remember snakes. Were there snakes? O.O

There is a snake event. (Australia, y'know). But then the book carries on with kids playing outside and people walking around and stuff, as if they hadn't witnessed evidence of world's most poisonous snake running rampant in their village. Go figure. (Australia, y'know).
Other Australian m/m?
Red Dirt Heart series, of course.
And the excellent Tallowood by same author (N. R. Walker) about police man coming to small town to work with hot local cop....hmmmm.

Other mm books withAustralian setting?

WMD wrote: "Other mm books withAustralian setting?"

More N.R. Walker: Galaxies and Oceans, the Imago series, and I think one of the Spencer Cohen series (Book Three|28599180]) are set in Australia.

WMD wrote: "Other mm books withAustralian setting? "

By The Currawong's Call
Death and the Devil series
The Station
The Shearing Gun
Only One Month
Finding North
Duo Ex Machina series
Sean Kennedy's books
The Pearl Trilogy
Bushrangers series

Thanks for that list! I feel like it would be fun to do an MM Australia challenge except that I’m trying to seriously limit my challenges and I’m planning to read all of Ginn Hale’s three duologies next year after the last one comes out next month. So.... yeah. Lol. But I really enjoy reading books set here and don’t read enough of them. ... I’m also trying to clean up my 100+ GR shelves, but I feel the need now to add another one for books set outside the states.

I’m also currently reading a tough nonfiction book as audio for my other book group and I just realized I only have it until tomorrow and I’ve still got nearly 8 hours to go, so while I prefer this one, I’ve got to get through this other one. With a long waitlist this is probably my only chance to read it. Sigh. If it wasn’t such an important and good book, I’d probably put it down. Anyway, can’t wait to get back to Jason and Gio!

Most of Daniel de Lorne's books are set in Australia
also N. R. Walker's Missing Pieces series is good, I'm reading it now
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...

WMD wrote: "Other mm books with Australian setting?..."

Of the ones already mentioned, my favorites are the Red Dirt Heart series by NR Walker and the Tiger's and Devil's series by Sean Kennedy. Another alltime favorite is the Butterfly Hunter series by Julie Bozza. Butterfly Hunter

I do sorta wish the ending had been a little bit more concrete in their relationship, and that it wasn’t the big secret everyone knew, but that they were just out. But I still loved this look into rural policing with a sweet romance mixed in.

Here’s a question for you: whether or not you’ve lived in a rural setting, is there anything you would have wanted to see them handle that we didn’t get? So, we had some flooding in one chapter (wish this had been a bigger plot point myself), a snake in a man’s bathroom in another... perhaps something with some humor? Or something more serious? Anything you’ve personally experienced? Or heard from someone you know?