What are you reading?
- Thread starter jennifer75
- Start date
Been about another month - time for another procrastination update...
Recently Finished:
Animist (Eve Forward, fantasy, in paperback): In a vast Archipelago filled with sapient Trading species - Humani, lemur-like Lemyri, swimming Delphini, etc. - human slave Alex has finished training at the College of Animists, which purchased him years ago. Now, to pay off his debt, he has to set out on his spirit quest to find his first Anim, the nonsapient animal with whom he'll bond. Considering how much he has to repay, he hopes for something big and powerful - only to end up with a scrappy little rat named Mote. Then he ends up washed up on the island of Mariposa, where two cities are at war and a ruthless king pushes for genocide against the rodentlike Rodeni, who are often treated like the rats they resemble throughout the Archipelago. Despite being published in 2000, this book has the look and feel of something older, maybe 1980's or earlier, with a drifty POV prone to fits of random omniscience, not to mention a distinct whiff of sexism and racism/speciesism. Characters tend to be shallow, often becoming mere names on the edge of the action, and the story doesn't quite seem to know where it's going half the time; a fair bit of what it sets up, with some effort, in the early parts is completely forgotten by the end. The wrap-up pulls a lot of twists and revelations that were likely intended to segue into future installments, but these have yet to be published if they're in the pipeline at all. There are some nice ideas in here, but it ultimately failed to live up to its full potential.
Frightful's Mountain (Jean Craighead George, adventure, in paperback): The final book in George's My Side of the Mountain trilogy follows the peregrine falcon Frightful. Taken from the nest by the boy Sam when she was just ten days old and trained as his companion and hunter as he lives off the land (in the first book, My Side of the Mountain), she's imprinted on humans... but it's illegal to keep raptors without proper licensing, and a more mature Sam lets her fly free (at the end of the second book, The Far Side of the Mountain.) This book puts the reader alongside, though not strictly in the head of, Frightful as she adapts to living wild, millennia-old instincts struggling with memories. It strikes a different tone than the other two books; though all three are essentially love letters to the Northeastern wilderness, this one in particular is a wake-up call to the dangers threatening that wilderness and the animals that inhabit it. It sometimes wanders between adventures, and not everything or everyone gets a happy ending, but it's a nice finale, and a nice send-off to a classic trilogy.
Currently Reading:
Terry Jones' Barbarians (Terry Jones and Alan Eriera, history, on Kindle): The story of the many cultures that Roman propaganda has smeared as unworthy "barbarians", a stigma that persists in popular culture to this day. So far, its a decent, if not necessarily in-depth, look at people such as the Celts and Goths, revealing facts that have been swept under history's rug by those who refused to acknowledge them as intelligent civilizations - sometimes moreso than their conquerors. I'm nearly 40% through, in the section dealing with Greeks and the innovations and technological prowess that were obliterated until the Antikythera mechanism was unearthed.
Moby Dick (Herman Melville, general fiction, on Nook): The classic tale of mad Captain Ahab and his doomed pursuit of the White Whale who took his leg. I'm finally past the halfway point - according to Nook's somewhat-hinky page counter, I only have about 200 pages left out of nearly 500 - and it's still wallowing along in fits and starts. I stand by my assertion that Melville could've used an honest beta reader and/or editor...
Recently Finished:
Animist (Eve Forward, fantasy, in paperback): In a vast Archipelago filled with sapient Trading species - Humani, lemur-like Lemyri, swimming Delphini, etc. - human slave Alex has finished training at the College of Animists, which purchased him years ago. Now, to pay off his debt, he has to set out on his spirit quest to find his first Anim, the nonsapient animal with whom he'll bond. Considering how much he has to repay, he hopes for something big and powerful - only to end up with a scrappy little rat named Mote. Then he ends up washed up on the island of Mariposa, where two cities are at war and a ruthless king pushes for genocide against the rodentlike Rodeni, who are often treated like the rats they resemble throughout the Archipelago. Despite being published in 2000, this book has the look and feel of something older, maybe 1980's or earlier, with a drifty POV prone to fits of random omniscience, not to mention a distinct whiff of sexism and racism/speciesism. Characters tend to be shallow, often becoming mere names on the edge of the action, and the story doesn't quite seem to know where it's going half the time; a fair bit of what it sets up, with some effort, in the early parts is completely forgotten by the end. The wrap-up pulls a lot of twists and revelations that were likely intended to segue into future installments, but these have yet to be published if they're in the pipeline at all. There are some nice ideas in here, but it ultimately failed to live up to its full potential.
Frightful's Mountain (Jean Craighead George, adventure, in paperback): The final book in George's My Side of the Mountain trilogy follows the peregrine falcon Frightful. Taken from the nest by the boy Sam when she was just ten days old and trained as his companion and hunter as he lives off the land (in the first book, My Side of the Mountain), she's imprinted on humans... but it's illegal to keep raptors without proper licensing, and a more mature Sam lets her fly free (at the end of the second book, The Far Side of the Mountain.) This book puts the reader alongside, though not strictly in the head of, Frightful as she adapts to living wild, millennia-old instincts struggling with memories. It strikes a different tone than the other two books; though all three are essentially love letters to the Northeastern wilderness, this one in particular is a wake-up call to the dangers threatening that wilderness and the animals that inhabit it. It sometimes wanders between adventures, and not everything or everyone gets a happy ending, but it's a nice finale, and a nice send-off to a classic trilogy.
Currently Reading:
Terry Jones' Barbarians (Terry Jones and Alan Eriera, history, on Kindle): The story of the many cultures that Roman propaganda has smeared as unworthy "barbarians", a stigma that persists in popular culture to this day. So far, its a decent, if not necessarily in-depth, look at people such as the Celts and Goths, revealing facts that have been swept under history's rug by those who refused to acknowledge them as intelligent civilizations - sometimes moreso than their conquerors. I'm nearly 40% through, in the section dealing with Greeks and the innovations and technological prowess that were obliterated until the Antikythera mechanism was unearthed.
Moby Dick (Herman Melville, general fiction, on Nook): The classic tale of mad Captain Ahab and his doomed pursuit of the White Whale who took his leg. I'm finally past the halfway point - according to Nook's somewhat-hinky page counter, I only have about 200 pages left out of nearly 500 - and it's still wallowing along in fits and starts. I stand by my assertion that Melville could've used an honest beta reader and/or editor...
The Best American Short Stories 2016, edited by T.C. Boyle.
I get this anthology every year, and this one is by far one of the best in several years. I'm about 25% through it, and there's not been a weak story yet.
I get this anthology every year, and this one is by far one of the best in several years. I'm about 25% through it, and there's not been a weak story yet.
It's not been a month, but I'm once again procrastinating - time for an update.
Recently Finished:
And Then There Were None (alternately titled Ten Little Indians or Ten Little Negroes, Agatha Christie, suspense, on Kindle): Mysterious letters summon ten strangers to a mansion on Soldier Island, just off the Dover coast. Here, an unknown assailant accuses each of murder, and intends to make them pay - patterning attacks after an old nursery rhyme. Can they unite long enough to survive, or is the killer among them already? This is my first foray into Christie's work, still considered a masterpiece, and I fully enjoyed it. Though over 70 years old, it still produces real suspense and scares, managing the tricky feat of establishing ten distinctive characters who have their own hidden histories and react to the stress in unique ways. Thoroughly entertaining, and it kept me guessing all through.
Dragon Magic (part of the Magic Sequence books, Andre Norton, fantasy, in paperback): New to middle school, four boys at the same bus stop each have their own problems... and each finds a different adventure when they find the strange old puzzle in an abandoned house, a jigsaw puzzle with jewel-like pieces depicting four famous dragons. Andre Norton was writing MG/YA adventure and genre books before they were really a separate category in the bookstore, and my first introduction to her work was as a youngish kid with Fur Magic, another title in this sequence of stand-alone tales. So I tried this one... but, as a kid, I grew impatient and gave up, turned off by the lack of real dragons and the stiff style. (It's also an all-boys club, but most such books were then.) But I remembered most of what I read, and it kinda nagged and gnawed at me, so when I found this copy cheap at Half Price Books I gave it another try. This time it went down much easier, though I can still see why I gave up as a kid. Highly imaginative, it offers life lessons to the modern boys with retellings of four dragon-related myths: Sigurd and Fafnir, Daniel and the dragon of Babylon, the final days of "Caesar" Artos Pendragon of Britain, and a hero known as the Slumbering Dragon in ancient China. In doing so, Norton uses a somewhat stiff, stylized format, reminiscent of old epics, which likely helped with my youthful disinterest... and, indeed, two stories don't even have proper dragons, which would've hacked me off if I'd stuck with it long enough to reach them. There's also some unfortunate yet inevitable stereotyping and aging, particularly with black George's infatuation with the Black Power movement (which emphasized Swahili names and education, as well as distrust of the "whiteys), and also with the Asian boy being so studious and dutiful that he's the last one to work up the nerve to break the rules and go into the abandoned house. Overall, though, I found it a fun read with a touch of nostalgia. (I also see that there's a posthumous sequel, Dragon Mage, by Andre Norton and a co-author. May have to track that one down.)
League of Dragons (The Temeraire series, Book 9, Naomi Novik, in hardcover): In the final installment of this alt-history fantasy, Napoleon flees the rout in Russia, but the war is far from lost. With no small influence from the exiled Chinese Imperial dragon Lien, he plots to subvert the European dragon population by offering them what no other area power ever has: power over their own lands and fate, proposing to carve up all conquered lands between dragons if they flock to his banner. Naturally, former naval captain Will Laurence and the steadfast dragon Temeraire must find a way to thwart a French victory and the defection of the continent's dragons - while attempting to secure draconic rights in England and rescuing Temeraire's abducted egg from Lien's treacherous clutches. For the last few books, Novik's story has been cleanly outshone by its imaginative alternate Earth, as the plotline grew stretched and convoluted and far too many characters and subplots burdened the stories. In this finale, she couldn't hope to wrap up half the side arcs, and doesn't really seem to try. To be sure, plenty of things happen, and there are the usual battle sequences and reversals of fortune and whatnot, but the actual conclusion left me somewhat dissatisfied, even where the main arc was concerned, and the more I think on it the less ultimately satisfied I was with how things fell out - just a little too manipulated, not to mention completely avoiding a final confrontation that I felt was necessary for real closure. Still, I liked the characters and would read on in the world if more books appeared (which I'm guessing is the plan, despite this being the finale - many loose ends left dangling and characters unresolved), though next time I wouldn't bother springing for hardcover... and might even wait for the library so I'm not out any money.
Currently Reading:
HTML5 and CSS3 for Dummies (David Karlins, computers, in paperback): A guide to what's new and improved in HTML5 and CSS3. I'm plotting a total website update, so I got this to help me brush up my rusty web design skills. On some levels, it helps, though on others the subject is so overwhelming that I feel I need to seek other resources to really wrap my head around it. There are just so many things one can do... yet I'm really more interested in basic stuff, such as making the site mobile-friendly, and not so much in fancy tricks. Overall, it's decent, though somehow I remember previous Dummies books being a little more geared for us dummies, and not so much just showing off what cool things one can do.
West with the Night (Beryl Markham, autobiography, on Kindle): A lady bush pilot from 1920's/30's Africa recounts stories of her career and life. With an engaging voice and interesting tales of a world as alien from its location as its age, I'm enjoying this one more than I expected to. Entertaining thus far, and not as dated as I'd expected.
Magick Made Easy (Patricia Telesco, magic, on Nook): A book on practical, simple magic for modern times. I picked this up to spark story ideas. So far, it's not bad, but I keep setting it aside for some reason.
I really need to finish up my 2016 Book Challenge with Animal Farm and a Book That's Been Banned (really don't want to cheat and use the same book for both...), but I plan to get back to that one in August; I'm still a bit mentally exhausted for tackling the unabridged Moby Dick.
Recently Finished:
And Then There Were None (alternately titled Ten Little Indians or Ten Little Negroes, Agatha Christie, suspense, on Kindle): Mysterious letters summon ten strangers to a mansion on Soldier Island, just off the Dover coast. Here, an unknown assailant accuses each of murder, and intends to make them pay - patterning attacks after an old nursery rhyme. Can they unite long enough to survive, or is the killer among them already? This is my first foray into Christie's work, still considered a masterpiece, and I fully enjoyed it. Though over 70 years old, it still produces real suspense and scares, managing the tricky feat of establishing ten distinctive characters who have their own hidden histories and react to the stress in unique ways. Thoroughly entertaining, and it kept me guessing all through.
Dragon Magic (part of the Magic Sequence books, Andre Norton, fantasy, in paperback): New to middle school, four boys at the same bus stop each have their own problems... and each finds a different adventure when they find the strange old puzzle in an abandoned house, a jigsaw puzzle with jewel-like pieces depicting four famous dragons. Andre Norton was writing MG/YA adventure and genre books before they were really a separate category in the bookstore, and my first introduction to her work was as a youngish kid with Fur Magic, another title in this sequence of stand-alone tales. So I tried this one... but, as a kid, I grew impatient and gave up, turned off by the lack of real dragons and the stiff style. (It's also an all-boys club, but most such books were then.) But I remembered most of what I read, and it kinda nagged and gnawed at me, so when I found this copy cheap at Half Price Books I gave it another try. This time it went down much easier, though I can still see why I gave up as a kid. Highly imaginative, it offers life lessons to the modern boys with retellings of four dragon-related myths: Sigurd and Fafnir, Daniel and the dragon of Babylon, the final days of "Caesar" Artos Pendragon of Britain, and a hero known as the Slumbering Dragon in ancient China. In doing so, Norton uses a somewhat stiff, stylized format, reminiscent of old epics, which likely helped with my youthful disinterest... and, indeed, two stories don't even have proper dragons, which would've hacked me off if I'd stuck with it long enough to reach them. There's also some unfortunate yet inevitable stereotyping and aging, particularly with black George's infatuation with the Black Power movement (which emphasized Swahili names and education, as well as distrust of the "whiteys), and also with the Asian boy being so studious and dutiful that he's the last one to work up the nerve to break the rules and go into the abandoned house. Overall, though, I found it a fun read with a touch of nostalgia. (I also see that there's a posthumous sequel, Dragon Mage, by Andre Norton and a co-author. May have to track that one down.)
League of Dragons (The Temeraire series, Book 9, Naomi Novik, in hardcover): In the final installment of this alt-history fantasy, Napoleon flees the rout in Russia, but the war is far from lost. With no small influence from the exiled Chinese Imperial dragon Lien, he plots to subvert the European dragon population by offering them what no other area power ever has: power over their own lands and fate, proposing to carve up all conquered lands between dragons if they flock to his banner. Naturally, former naval captain Will Laurence and the steadfast dragon Temeraire must find a way to thwart a French victory and the defection of the continent's dragons - while attempting to secure draconic rights in England and rescuing Temeraire's abducted egg from Lien's treacherous clutches. For the last few books, Novik's story has been cleanly outshone by its imaginative alternate Earth, as the plotline grew stretched and convoluted and far too many characters and subplots burdened the stories. In this finale, she couldn't hope to wrap up half the side arcs, and doesn't really seem to try. To be sure, plenty of things happen, and there are the usual battle sequences and reversals of fortune and whatnot, but the actual conclusion left me somewhat dissatisfied, even where the main arc was concerned, and the more I think on it the less ultimately satisfied I was with how things fell out - just a little too manipulated, not to mention completely avoiding a final confrontation that I felt was necessary for real closure. Still, I liked the characters and would read on in the world if more books appeared (which I'm guessing is the plan, despite this being the finale - many loose ends left dangling and characters unresolved), though next time I wouldn't bother springing for hardcover... and might even wait for the library so I'm not out any money.
Currently Reading:
HTML5 and CSS3 for Dummies (David Karlins, computers, in paperback): A guide to what's new and improved in HTML5 and CSS3. I'm plotting a total website update, so I got this to help me brush up my rusty web design skills. On some levels, it helps, though on others the subject is so overwhelming that I feel I need to seek other resources to really wrap my head around it. There are just so many things one can do... yet I'm really more interested in basic stuff, such as making the site mobile-friendly, and not so much in fancy tricks. Overall, it's decent, though somehow I remember previous Dummies books being a little more geared for us dummies, and not so much just showing off what cool things one can do.
West with the Night (Beryl Markham, autobiography, on Kindle): A lady bush pilot from 1920's/30's Africa recounts stories of her career and life. With an engaging voice and interesting tales of a world as alien from its location as its age, I'm enjoying this one more than I expected to. Entertaining thus far, and not as dated as I'd expected.
Magick Made Easy (Patricia Telesco, magic, on Nook): A book on practical, simple magic for modern times. I picked this up to spark story ideas. So far, it's not bad, but I keep setting it aside for some reason.
I really need to finish up my 2016 Book Challenge with Animal Farm and a Book That's Been Banned (really don't want to cheat and use the same book for both...), but I plan to get back to that one in August; I'm still a bit mentally exhausted for tackling the unabridged Moby Dick.
I'm reading Alexander Chee's Queen of the Night.
"Lilliet Berne is a sensation of the Paris Opera, a legendary soprano with every accolade except an original role, every singer’s chance at immortality. When one is finally offered to her, she realizes with alarm that the libretto is based on a hidden piece of her past. Only four could have betrayed her: one is dead, one loves her, one wants to own her. And one, she hopes, never thinks of her at all. As she mines her memories for clues, she recalls her life as an orphan who left the American frontier for Europe and was swept up into the glitzy, gritty world of Second Empire Paris. In order to survive, she transformed herself from hippodrome rider to courtesan, from empress’s maid to debut singer, all the while weaving a complicated web of romance, obligation, and political intrigue.
Featuring a cast of characters drawn from history, The Queen of the Night follows Lilliet as she moves ever closer to the truth behind the mysterious opera and the role that could secure her reputation -- or destroy her with the secrets it reveals."
I'm loving it so far. Such delicious intrigue and descriptive language. Very surreal, very beautifully rendered. Everybody should read it stat.
"Lilliet Berne is a sensation of the Paris Opera, a legendary soprano with every accolade except an original role, every singer’s chance at immortality. When one is finally offered to her, she realizes with alarm that the libretto is based on a hidden piece of her past. Only four could have betrayed her: one is dead, one loves her, one wants to own her. And one, she hopes, never thinks of her at all. As she mines her memories for clues, she recalls her life as an orphan who left the American frontier for Europe and was swept up into the glitzy, gritty world of Second Empire Paris. In order to survive, she transformed herself from hippodrome rider to courtesan, from empress’s maid to debut singer, all the while weaving a complicated web of romance, obligation, and political intrigue.
Featuring a cast of characters drawn from history, The Queen of the Night follows Lilliet as she moves ever closer to the truth behind the mysterious opera and the role that could secure her reputation -- or destroy her with the secrets it reveals."
I'm loving it so far. Such delicious intrigue and descriptive language. Very surreal, very beautifully rendered. Everybody should read it stat.
- Joined
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- Website
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Just started Barkskins by Annie Proulx. I fell in love with her when I read the short story Brokeback Mountain. It's no wonder they made it into a movie. Such stark, raw, un-embellished imagery.
Two-thirds through Middlemarch and staggered by the depth and intimacy and wit and aspiring to write like that.
- Joined
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- Messages
- 1,045
- Reaction score
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Just started This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett. Can already tell I'm going to love it.
Just finished Kraken by China Mieville. Still simmering on what my exact thoughts on the novel are going to be, but I was completely enamored up until the last chapter or so.
I'm set to start The Idealist: Aaron Swartz and the Rise of Free Culture on the Internet by Justin Peters, tonight.
I'm set to start The Idealist: Aaron Swartz and the Rise of Free Culture on the Internet by Justin Peters, tonight.
I ended up buying a stack of Shirley Jackson books off eBay after loving We Have Always Lived in the Castle and Haunting of Hill House. She's fast becoming my favorite author with her adept way of writing character inner monologues. She manages to make her writing feel so personal, with her often third person limited perspective going into such detail over the protagonist that by the end it feels like parting with a dear friend.
I love that book. I'm not a habitué of horror, and it took me an unreasonable amount of time to read it.
Right now, By Schism Rent Asunder by David Weber, second book of his Safehold series.
I was skeptical at first cause I really don't like books where churches, religion, or religious people are made out to be the bad guys, but Weber manages to pull it off.
I was skeptical at first cause I really don't like books where churches, religion, or religious people are made out to be the bad guys, but Weber manages to pull it off.
I've been engulfed in To the End of the Land by David Grossman. It's shaping up to be a wonderful book, I think.
I'm reading "Travels with Charlye," by John Steinbeck. I'll probably go back to the Hemingway short story collection once that's done. Can't get back into speculative fiction for some reason...
I absolutely loved that book. I was already a fan of Stephen King, but that book was what really made me sit up and pay attention to his storytelling skills. Perhaps my favorite King novel of all time.
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I liked that book too...but the rape scene/vision seemed a little over the top, even for him. I was physically uncomfortable reading it (which I guess was the point).
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The last part of Kol Anderson's Broken series. It could use some tech refinement, but I love me a low budget smut and angst fest.
Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake, Eric Gill by Fiona McCarthy, and A Farewell to Arms by Hemingway.
Dang, almost another month...
Recent Reads:
City (Clifford D. Simak, sci-fi, on Kindle): In a collection of nine stories, Simak relates the decline and collapse of humanity and the rise of the Doggish race, who consider Man a mere myth of an earlier age.
A classic SF book, the ideas hold up reasonably well, even if it can't help show its age in the style and storytelling. (Almost zero female characters, for instance.) Some of the images linger long after reading.
Feel the Heat (Book 1 of the Rockford Fire Department series, Kathryn Shay, romance, on Kindle): Francesca "Francey" Cordaro has worked her whole life to fit into a man's world as she follows in the family tradition of firefighting, and she has the perpetual reminder of her parents' failed marriage to show her what happens when people in her job marry someone outside their league. But when she rescues charming bachelor CEO Alex Templeton from a suspicious warehouse fire, sparks fly...
This one has a bit of a twist on the typical romance tropes, with two alpha characters who really struggle with their relationship dynamics. It was bogged down by some stilted situations and dialog, not to mention too many names and subplots that try to drag it back down to the standard genre cliches. Overall, though, it's not a bad romance.
Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy (Book 1 of the Wings of Fire series, Tui T. Sutherland, MG fantasy, on Nook): When a hairless little "scavenger" killed the old SandWing queen, it created a power vacuum - since none of her three daughters killed her, none was the clear heir to the crown. Thus began a war that's raged for decades, dragging other dragon tribes into a species-wide bloodbath that has no end in sight. But the aloof NightWings, said to be gifted with futuresight, have a prophecy: five dragonets, hatched on the brightest three-moon night, will end the war and choose the rightful dragon queen. Now the five younglings, raised in secret underground by surly guardians from the banned Talons of Peace, are ony two years out from their date with destiny - but things are going all wrong, and the dragonets must flee to save themselves from their own keepers. Thus, they find themselves thrust into a world far more cruel and violent than they ever imagined, one that may have no room for prophecies or peace.
Kicking off a popular recent series, this is a fun, action-packed tale, with more death and darkness and betrayal than one might expect from a MG read. The characters start as simple tropes, but develop a little more dimension as the story goes, and the world's full of interesting dragon tribes and histories. If the voice and dialog read a little human and young-modern, if the odd anachronism slips in, well, it is aimed at younger readers. Overall, I found it enjoyable, and I might read Book 2 if I find it cheap enough.
Currently Reading:
Vengeance Road (Erin Bowman, western, on Kindle): In the vein of True Grit, 18-year-old Kate sets off in pursuit of the men who murdered her father, still not knowing why anyone would want to kill him.
I just started it today, and it's moving along quite nicely.
How to Build a Dinosaur (Jack Horner and James Gorman, science, in papeback): A paleontologist discusses modern methods that are revolutionizing the field, including developmental evolution and new techniques that are revealing surprising details in fossils.
A discount buy, it's interesting so far, though it tends to wander into page-filling tangents now and again. Interestingly, one of his prize pupils started out as a young earth creationist until she sat in on a few of the author's classes and started seeing the science and evidence her upbringing had sheltered her from.
Recent Reads:
City (Clifford D. Simak, sci-fi, on Kindle): In a collection of nine stories, Simak relates the decline and collapse of humanity and the rise of the Doggish race, who consider Man a mere myth of an earlier age.
A classic SF book, the ideas hold up reasonably well, even if it can't help show its age in the style and storytelling. (Almost zero female characters, for instance.) Some of the images linger long after reading.
Feel the Heat (Book 1 of the Rockford Fire Department series, Kathryn Shay, romance, on Kindle): Francesca "Francey" Cordaro has worked her whole life to fit into a man's world as she follows in the family tradition of firefighting, and she has the perpetual reminder of her parents' failed marriage to show her what happens when people in her job marry someone outside their league. But when she rescues charming bachelor CEO Alex Templeton from a suspicious warehouse fire, sparks fly...
This one has a bit of a twist on the typical romance tropes, with two alpha characters who really struggle with their relationship dynamics. It was bogged down by some stilted situations and dialog, not to mention too many names and subplots that try to drag it back down to the standard genre cliches. Overall, though, it's not a bad romance.
Wings of Fire: The Dragonet Prophecy (Book 1 of the Wings of Fire series, Tui T. Sutherland, MG fantasy, on Nook): When a hairless little "scavenger" killed the old SandWing queen, it created a power vacuum - since none of her three daughters killed her, none was the clear heir to the crown. Thus began a war that's raged for decades, dragging other dragon tribes into a species-wide bloodbath that has no end in sight. But the aloof NightWings, said to be gifted with futuresight, have a prophecy: five dragonets, hatched on the brightest three-moon night, will end the war and choose the rightful dragon queen. Now the five younglings, raised in secret underground by surly guardians from the banned Talons of Peace, are ony two years out from their date with destiny - but things are going all wrong, and the dragonets must flee to save themselves from their own keepers. Thus, they find themselves thrust into a world far more cruel and violent than they ever imagined, one that may have no room for prophecies or peace.
Kicking off a popular recent series, this is a fun, action-packed tale, with more death and darkness and betrayal than one might expect from a MG read. The characters start as simple tropes, but develop a little more dimension as the story goes, and the world's full of interesting dragon tribes and histories. If the voice and dialog read a little human and young-modern, if the odd anachronism slips in, well, it is aimed at younger readers. Overall, I found it enjoyable, and I might read Book 2 if I find it cheap enough.
Currently Reading:
Vengeance Road (Erin Bowman, western, on Kindle): In the vein of True Grit, 18-year-old Kate sets off in pursuit of the men who murdered her father, still not knowing why anyone would want to kill him.
I just started it today, and it's moving along quite nicely.
How to Build a Dinosaur (Jack Horner and James Gorman, science, in papeback): A paleontologist discusses modern methods that are revolutionizing the field, including developmental evolution and new techniques that are revealing surprising details in fossils.
A discount buy, it's interesting so far, though it tends to wander into page-filling tangents now and again. Interestingly, one of his prize pupils started out as a young earth creationist until she sat in on a few of the author's classes and started seeing the science and evidence her upbringing had sheltered her from.
Among other things, I'm reading "Daniel Deronda". It's my second book by George Eliot. The first was "Adam Bede", and I couldn't get past the first chapter, but I love DD.
I just finished rereading The Tracey Fragments by Canadian author Maureen Medved and I adore it.
I started Under The Skin by Michel Faber and I'm already 124 pages into it. I really like his writing. It doesn't touch me on the level of poetry but it's very neat and tight, and I have a hard time disliking that type of writing. (Especially after editing dozens of essays by university students, all of whom could use an English composition refresher course)
I started Under The Skin by Michel Faber and I'm already 124 pages into it. I really like his writing. It doesn't touch me on the level of poetry but it's very neat and tight, and I have a hard time disliking that type of writing. (Especially after editing dozens of essays by university students, all of whom could use an English composition refresher course)