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Tell us a little about yourself!

Here is me� my name is Cathy, I live in Germany and occasionally I like to read creature features. My special obsession is with anything underground. So the perfect combination would be underwater caves! 😂 I‘ve read Jaws by Peter Benchley, but I think the current fun with shark books started with Meg by Steve Alten. Love the movie, btw! Greig Beck isn‘t bad either.

When I am not reading slightly disreputable horror featuring megalodons, I prefer SF and Fantasy.

Now it‘s your turn!

I'm Trish, also from Germany, and I read almost everything that can't get away from me fast enough. Moreover, I'm slightly bloodthirsty which is why creature features are exactly what the doctor ordered. ;P

Sharks have always been some of my favorite animals and I always hated the bad rep they got. Though I don't mind them being quite hungry in these books.

And yes, for Shark Week, I usually go all out, not just watching the program and reading books, but also having shark-fin-shaped ice cubes, decorations etc. :D

Cathy wrote: "So the perfect combination would be underwater caves.."

Did you ever see the movie 47 Meters Down: Uncaged? The teenage girls have to elude sharks in underwater ruins!

Great thread, Cathy! Thanks for kicking off the intros.

I'm Russ from Atlanta, USA. I am the one moderator of this group who doesn't live in Germany. (I picture the others all drinking together in a biergarten talking about creature features without me!)

I remember as a boy watching a VHS of Jaws with friends and pausing the opening scene when the teenager stripped off her clothes before diving into the surf for her last swim...

Thirty, ahem, years later, here we are. I missed out on years of Shark Week when I didn't have cable TV, so participating in a group read like this is probably a subconscious attempt on my part to make up for lost time.

Ditto Benchley, Alten & Beck but I'd add Guy N. Smith to the list. He does crabs, not sharks, but they're worse because they can dismember you on land or water.

Greetings all. I'm Andy or Andrew (either is fine) from 'the land down under' Australia. We have lots of deadly critters here - snakes, spiders, jellyfish, sharks, crocodiles, drop bears...

Maybe that's why I love a good creature yarn.
I particularly like sea/river critter stories - dinosaurs, the Loch Ness monster, sharks, orca, kraken & octopi, crocodiles & alligators, piranha ... I've even read one featuring Japanese Spider Crabs.

Probably shouldn't read this sorta stuff as Australia is surrounded by water and has many many beaches.

Russ wrote: "I'm Russ from Atlanta, USA. I am the one moderator of this group who doesn't live in Germany. (I picture the others all drinking together in..."

*looool* Well, considering how close we live to one another, we actually could! :D

Andy wrote: "Greetings all. I'm Andy or Andrew (either is fine) from 'the land down under' Australia. We have lots of deadly critters here - snakes, spiders, jellyfish, sharks, crocodiles, drop bears...

Maybe ..."

From Down Under!









Sorry, I love these so I couldn't resist. ,P

Russ wrote: "Cathy wrote: "Did you ever see the movie 47 Meters Down: Uncaged? The teenage girls have to elude sharks in underwater ruins!"

Oh yes, I have. I think. 😆 I have definitely watched something with girls in a dive cage that gets ripped off and tumbles to the ocean floor.

Russ wrote: "� I'd add Guy N. Smith to the list. He does crabs, not sharks, but they're worse because they can dismember you on land or water..."

😆 That does sound worse� fewer teeth though�

I'm Kathryn. I currently live in the U.S. although I also used to live in England. I'm a former librarian and currently work part time in a museum while running my own writing and editing business.

I love the Australia memes. I have family and friends there and that place is truly wild.

Love those Trish! Luckily for me I live in the suburbs. I have been swooped by Magpies a few times like that poor old postie in your picture, but have never had to fight off a Wedge-tailed Eagle ;)

Cool! I was hoping they'd make you guys love too.
Are you even a real Australian if a cyclone hasn't thrown a shark into your yard or through your living room window? ;P

Cathy wrote: "Russ wrote: "Cathy wrote: "Did you ever see the movie 47 Meters Down: Uncaged? The teenage girls have to elude sharks in underwater ruins!"

Oh yes, I have. I think. 😆 I have definitely watched something with girls in a dive cage that gets ripped off and tumbles to the ocean floor..."

No, that's where it gets confusing. There are two separate movies: 1) 47 Meters Down (that's the one with the dive cage) and 2) 47 Meters Down Uncaged. The "Uncaged" one is sort of a sequel, though with an entirely different cast and unrelated storyline. It's the Uncaged one that takes place in underwater Mayan ruins. It's nowhere near as good as the first one, but if you're interested in underwater caves that's the shark flick to watch!

Kathryn wrote: "I'm Kathryn. I currently live in the U.S. although I also used to live in England. I'm a former librarian and currently work part time in a museum while running my own writing and editing business...."

Welcome aboard, Kathryn!

Hi - my name is Neil and I'm in Omaha, Nebraska, USA, and I appreciate the invite to join the group!

I love the Australian memes - they were great! I had some friends who lived in Australia for a few years and still vaguely remember some of the stories about critters they encountered. Good times and crazy stuff!

My dad actually had a HB copy of Jaws but he never let me read it because it was too old for me; I finally obtained a copy myself in my late twenties and read it and was promptly surprised at how different the book was compared to the movie. I used to watch Jaws and Jaws 2 a lot on cable; they were solid staples back in the day.

I do remember two books that came out in the late 80s or early 90s - I think one was Extinct and had a giant shark's teeth-filled mouth on the cover; I never picked it up but always wished I had. There was another one which had a scuba diver swimming along with two giant sharks approaching from behind to swallow the diver whole. I wish I could remember the name 'cuz I wanted to read it but didn't have the money to buy it and when I went back to that gas station/convenience store, it was gone.

Sorry for the lengthy blurb; I got reeled back into "shark attacks" and such partly from a sci-fi book by David Drake called Time Safari in which a T-Rex is dragged under and killed by either a giant alligator or a mosasaur or something, partly from reading Meg a couple of years after it came out, and from reading some historical accounts of various shark attacks that have occurred around the world (mostly the Eastern Sea Board of the United States).

I did watch Shark Week the first couple of years it came out, but then we got rid of cable and I do not get to watch it like I used to, but the first few years tended to have a lot of repeated episodes, anyway, until they built their financial base and fan base up. The one episode I remember enjoying the most was "Air Jaws" from 2001 about the Great Whites in South African waters that would shoot up out of the water like missiles and go airborne trying to catch their prey. Crazy stuff!

Welcome to the group, Neil!

Hi and welcome, Neil!

Cathy wrote: "Welcome to the group, Neil!"

Thank you, Cathy!

Trish wrote: "Hi and welcome, Neil!"

Thank you, Trish!

Hi - I'm from the US (NY), I'm here because Russ invited me, because I've been meaning to read Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 for YEARS now, and this will be the final push I needed to move it to the top of my pile. I don't really follow Shark Week on TV or watch shark movies or really read about sharks much. I like sharks just fine, as much as I like any other marine animal, but it's not a special interest.

Close to Shore describes a real shark attack on the barrier island Long Beach Island (LBI) in NJ, which is where my mother happens to live, so I'm interested! And I've heard this old news story is what inspired Benchley to write Jaws (which I have never read - although I've seen the movie, of course!)

The great whites are still out there just off the coast of NJ (and all along the Atlantic coast). I like to follow Ocearch to see who's swimming around out there. I go to the shore every year, and I usually see dolphins, but I have NEVER seen a shark. But I know they are there!!! Mary Lee was the famous great white in the area for a while - her last "ping" was off the coast of Beach Haven (at the south tip of LBI) a few years ago.

Welcome to the group, Nadine!

Nadine in NY wrote: "Hi - I'm from the US (NY), I'm here because Russ invited me, because I've been meaning to read Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 for YEARS now, and this will be the..."

Yea! So glad you're joining us for this read, Nadine! That's great background for the book.

Russ wrote: "Nadine in NY wrote: "Hi - I'm from the US (NY), I'm here because Russ invited me, because I've been meaning to read Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 for YEARS now,..."



I haven't read this book yet (obviously) but I've read about the attack. The first guy who was attacked was brought to the Engleside Inn in Beach Haven, where he died on the reception desk. There's just something so poignant and also terrifying about that. And then the shark actually followed a river inland - unheard of! No one ever found out why. There's no proof that it was the same shark, of course. The Matawan Creek is quite a ways away from Beach Haven. Some say the Beach Haven attack was a great white and the Matawan Creek attack was a bull shark.

Anyway, I've always been curious to read this book and learn more!

Hi and welcome to the group, Nadine!

Nadine in NY wrote: "Close to Shore describes a real shark attack on the barrier island Long Beach Island (LBI) in NJ, which is where my mother happens to live, so I'm interested! "

Oh goodie, then we have a local here (sort of)! That's great. If there are any inconsistencies about where is what, you can point them out (yes, I'm one of those readers, who pays attention to such things and hates it when books - fiction or not doesn't matter - get them wrong). :)

I started reading Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 the day before - I'll move this comment to the appropriate post if you're creating one for this book. The action starts on the last day of June! So this feels very timely (just 106 years in the past). I'd been wondering how in the world Capuzzo made a full length book out of this incident that could be described in just a short news article. And now I know! He goes wayyyy back in the first few chapters and talks about how society felt about the ocean and sharks back then. It's interesting!

Nadine in NY wrote: "I started reading Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 the day before - I'll move this comment to the appropriate post if you're creating one for this book. The action..."

I've started as well & totally agree, Nadine. I've created a discussion board specific to the book. Looking forward to hearing more of your regional perspective!

I'll start the book on Wednesday, probably (will finish the King book first).

Hi I’m Jenn. I live in the US in New Jersey and totally love Steve Alten’s Meg series. I’m on the 5th book now, Nigtstalkers and his books have given me a new respect and love of Sharks. I now read anything I can get my hands on about sharks in general but especially The Megaladon. I love the movie and can’t wait for The Meg 2: The Trench to come out next year. If anyone has any recommendations please feel free to share:)

Jenn wrote: "Hi I’m Jenn. I live in the US in New Jersey and totally love Steve Alten’s Meg series. I’m on the 5th book now, Nigtstalkers and his books have given me a new respect and love of Sharks. I now read..."

Welcome, Jenn! That's as far as I've gotten with Alten's series as well and I totally agree with you on the movie. I didn't know the sequel is already coming out this year--that's great news.

As far as meg book recommendations I enjoyed Hotel Megalodon.

Our current group read, Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 deals with a great white shark, but it has helped me to understand some of the behaviors that Alten ascribes to megalodons in his books.

Thank you for the recommendation, that sounds like a cool book and I will look into the buddy reading:)

Hi, I'm Randy from southern California, but I go by "RJ" here because I seem to run into a lot of other Randys. I've enjoyed reading about sharks since I was 8 years old and watched JAWS at my neighbors' house (they had cable - this was the mid-late 70s when HBO was new) and then I wouldn't go in our swimming pool for about a month. Eventually I read the book Jaws by Peter Benchley when I was in junior high, taking special note of the naughty parts that didn't make it into the film.

I joined the group because my GoodReads friend Russ notified me that you are reading Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 by Michael Capuzzo which has been on my TBR for a long time, so this is a good excuse for me to read it. Several years ago I read the other book about the Jersey shark attacks of 1916, Twelve Days of Terror: A Definitive Investigation of the 1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks by Richard G. Fernicola and I know that Fernicola and Capuzzo have different opinions on whether the shark was a bull shark or a great white, so it will be interesting to see the other side of the argument.

Looking forward to meeting everyone and talking about books sharks!

I don't have any cool Australian memes (those were terrific by the way) to post but I did enjoy this shark meme:

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "...taking special note of the naughty parts that didn't make it into the film..."

Muhahahahahaha.

Welcome to the group - something tells me, you'll fit right in.

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "I don't have any cool Australian memes (those were terrific by the way) to post but I did enjoy this shark meme: "

Aw, thanks. And this is also cool! :D

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "Hi, I'm Randy from southern California, but I go by "RJ" here because I seem to run into a lot of other Randys. I've enjoyed reading about sharks since I was 8 years old and watched JAWS at my neig..."

I've never read Twelve Days of Terror but it sounds like that would be an important counterpoint. As you progress through the group read I'll be very interested to hear which author you think makes the stronger case.

Russ wrote: "I've never read Twelve Days of Terror but it sounds like that would be an important counterpoint. As you progress through the group read I'll be very interested to hear which author you think makes the stronger case."

The Wikipedia entry for the 1916 attacks quotes from both authors and does a good job contrasting their views. It's been over a decade I'm pretty sure since I read 12 Days so it's not fresh in my head, although some scenes were memorable for sure (view spoiler)[(the attack and sightings in the creek for example) (hide spoiler)].

My name is Ret, and as a science writer, I've had a love-hate relationship with Shark Week. I do, however, love sharks, and I've been fortunate to write about them a fair bit. My favorite shark is the porbeagle. I live on the coast of Maine, where we are once again seeing larger numbers of white sharks! I saw the discussion on [Book:Close to shore], which I liked. Looking forward to discussing more shark lit. Cheers!

Hi Ret, welcome to the group!

Cathy wrote: "Hi Ret, welcome to the group!"
Thank you so much!

Welcome, Ret. Why the porbeagle in particular?

Trish wrote: "Welcome, Ret. Why the porbeagle in particular?"
I live in Maine, and so they are one of six or eight species that regularly show up here. It's a true northern shark with an interesting conservation history--something about which I've been fortunate to write--and they are less well known than whites and blues. The recent research on them has revealed some truly astounding information...and they are pretty "cute." ;-)

Ret wrote: "Trish wrote: "Welcome, Ret. Why the porbeagle in particular?"
I live in Maine, and so they are one of six or eight species that regularly show up here. It's a true northern shark with an interestin..."

Ha! "Cute" always helps. :)

Trish wrote: "Ret wrote: "Trish wrote: "Welcome, Ret. Why the porbeagle in particular?"
I live in Maine, and so they are one of six or eight species that regularly show up here. It's a true northern shark with a..."

As a science writer, I try to ignore that, but.... :-)

Ret wrote: "As a science writer, I try to ignore that, but.... :-)"

*lol* Well ... there IS the science of attraction and "cute" definitely factors in then. Then again, I also find Komodo dragons utterly adorable and cute. ;)

Trish wrote: "Ret wrote: "As a science writer, I try to ignore that, but.... :-)"

*lol* Well ... there IS the science of attraction and "cute" definitely factors in then. Then again, I also find Komodo dragons ..."

YES! I spent a couple of days with Komodos in Indo. Amazing animals!

Ret wrote: "YES! I spent a couple of days with Komodos in Indo. Amazing animals!"

You did! Oh wow! That must have been absolutely amazing! I only know them from books and documentaries.

Trish wrote: "Ret wrote: "YES! I spent a couple of days with Komodos in Indo. Amazing animals!"

You did! Oh wow! That must have been absolutely amazing! I only know them from books and documentaries."

They are really incredible to see in the wild!

Hi everyone, I've been a shark fanatic since age 12 when my mother took me to the drive-in movies to see Jaws. I grew up in Florida and moved to the Bay Area in California right before I saw the movie. I love the water but Jaws ended that for me, at least ocean water. I'm a writer and I have a shark thriller out. Breach is the title. It just released last week.

Holly wrote: "Hi everyone, I've been a shark fanatic since age 12 when my mother took me to the drive-in movies to see Jaws. I grew up in Florida and moved to the Bay Area in California right before I saw the mo..."

Hi, Holly, and welcome! Congratulations on the thriller and check out our folder for author promotions and announcements at /topic/group.... Best of luck and thank you for joining our group!

Hi all, I've been on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ for a while, even published a novel about shark, and just found out this group exists. Its been quiet for some time so I thought I'd introduce myself. I'll avoid the self-promotion bit (if your interested you can see my profile), but I have always had a fascination with sharks and marine in general, having dived quite a bit of south east Asia (Bali, West Papua, Borneo, Sulawesi,...). I'm happiest when there a a water column of at least 10 m above me ;-)