He knows all my faults.
Riding instructor replies: Yes, our horses have us figured out in about five minutes. We begin to understand them in so many years.
Monday, January 31, 2011
The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook
Title: The Iron Duke
Author: Meljean Brook
Publisher: Berkley Sensation (2010)
Before doing a little write-up about this book I gave myself a cooling off period. This, I think, was very wise. You see, I had all kinds of expectations at the outset; I saw The Iron Duke on so many tops in 2010 lists, heard rave reviews, etc and so I was pretty excited to give it a read. I wasn't just disappointed (which happens and isn't that big a deal, we can't all like the same books) but downright livid! I honestly thought I must have been reading a different book! If I hadn't read the book on my Kindle I swear it would have been in tatters from multiple airborne trips ending against my wall. Usually if I dislike something this much I stop reading and don't bother to go through the trouble of a post, I mean, why re-live a yucky experience, but I feel the truth must out. (I sure would have liked a bit of a heads up because then I would have known to pass.) So then I tried to imagine what I would say but my brain fizzed out as it tripped over all the expletives and indignant mental shouting. To remain calm, and hopefully not be a complete jizzwad, I think the best thing for me to do is head chronologically through the book using subject headings to recount my comments (best thing about reading on the Kindle is the ease of note taking) so SPOILERS ABOUND!
In addition to the spoiler warning: I'm sure it's obvious but I really am about to crap all over this book so if you liked it then maybe you'll want to not read this. A friendly warning from one who keenly dislikes reading books I enjoy get crapped on...
Summary -
The Iron Duke is an alternate history, steampunk "romance." Romance gets the quoties because I've hardly read less romantic material, more on that later. Within the last decade the British Isles have been released from the oppressive rule of the technologically advanced Horde by a pirate-turned-savior who has been awarded a dukedom for his trouble. Mina, our heroine and a police detective, is mixed race Caucasian/Horde and subject to much indignity due to the hatred folks retain for the Horde. A murder investigation on the Iron Duke's property begins our story.
The World Building -
The award for Most Disappointing Thing That Didn't Actually Personally Offend and Make Me See Red is that the set up here is bang-up awesome but poorly executed and explored. The opportunity for cross-cultural interestingness alone is fantastic. You have the folks born on the Isles and previously subjugated by the Horde, the New Worlders who escaped and have now returned, and those like Mina who are mixed race and suffering for it. And, yeah, you do get a few good scenes because of this but the lack of internal consistency in how the various cultures behave sort of ruins the whole thing.
And speaking of internal consistency, don't get me started on the science! I don't mind hokey science if it at least follows some system of logic but holy damn, the liberties taken here are just plain crazy! I wonder if the author realizes just how advanced nanotechnology is. As in, there are progressive steps one would have to take to get to the nanogoodness and there are types of technology that would get left behind if nanobots were to be in common use. OH, and let me add that if the Iron Duke's nanobots could really do some of the things they are supposedly able to do I am pretty sure he would have melted from the heat produced by that type of activity. And oh, OH! That reminds me, that pneumatic heart pump at the end used to save Mina! Whoa! So much wrong with that that I don't even know where to begin. When blood is bubbling out of your mouth your heart is not your only concern. It's possible I would have bought it if the science leading up to it had been better presented but to explain it away with the murky and dubious power of the nanobots and other such nonsense was not going to work. (side note: for a book with awesome use of science and a culture adapted to nanotechnology let me recommend The Diamond Age.)
The Writing -
The writing style was also not to my taste. Way too explanatory. Example:
The Romance -
This is really the epicfuckingfail of the entire book.
The Hero is too stupid to live. Props to Brook since it's so often the heroines who fall into this trap so I suppose this can be thought of as innovative. His TSTL complex is different from the ordinary you literally would die if you were this stupid (he seems to avoid death fairly well, though it often appears to be blind luck) but that he's too stupid to live in society because he has no idea how to act around other humans. At first, this appeared to be a funny angle on his character as he has a friend who was always giving him tips on how to interact with Polite Society. Then it became more obvious that he was socially awkward in general - ok still funny but then it just ran right off a cliff into no one is this stupid! No one would do these things and not notice what they were doing and why it made people angry. Again, this is really too bad because, unlike Mina, he was raised in a Creche and so his socialization was in direct contrast to hers and could have been really interesting. Instead it was completely illogical, falling apart quite quickly into Complete Idiotic territory.
The Heroine is not so bad at first (neither character is developed well as their behavior in the second half of the book doesn't track at all with their behavior in the first half) and has quite a bit of potential to be an excellent protagonist. Her commitment to her work and her family is admirable and believable. How she gets through the days with her Horde parentage is realistic and, moreover, makes her dedication to living the life she has chosen even more admirable. But then she starts interacting with the hero and I pretty much lost most of my interest in her.
The Courtship is of the combative variety (read: sgwordy's least favorite) which I've always found to be the least creative way to generate tension but whatever, I'll still buy it if the rest of the book supports it. This very combativeness, though, becomes the highlighter of Idiot Boy's character. He's attracted to her from their first meeting and proceeds to suggest that he should become "her man." He does this in his usual graceless manner and when she declines, his response is "do you already have a man?" She does not and so he doesn't accept her refusal. He's all "you're not already owned (this social more, btw, not really in keeping with the world building or his background) and I get to have whatever I want so I will have you." She's all "I carry weapons all the time and I will shoot you." He is the worst kind of bully and it's pretty obvious why she wouldn't want to be around him even if you ignore the problems it would create for her family due to her racial background. Example:
Iron Duke speaking- "...I'd give everything you asked of me."
How, pray tell, would he be able to do this when he never listens to her or takes seriously anything she says?
So for the first half of the book Mina does not want to be around the Duke because he does not recognize that other people have personal will and dignity. Sensible. But then there's an about face to her aversion and it's that she has PTSD. This is also quite reasonable once you learn of her past but it was never once hinted at or obvious from her behavior in the first half. And even though Mina initially pointed out the irony of the Iron Duke treating her exactly as the Horde treats people she never mentions this again and it's no longer part of her reasoning for not wanting to be with him. In fact, she is attracted to him now because even though he disregards and undermines her at pretty much every turn she's now got the hots for him and it's only her PTSD that's holding her back from an intimate relationship. Wha????
And then he date rapes her! He fucking date rapes her! That is the culmination of his courtship. I have been an overbearing, dignity stealing, bully of a d-bag and now I will show you how great it would be if you were my girlfriend because I'm awesome at oral sex. And even though she repeatedly said no it's only after he's decided he's done that he notices she really meant no. (Holy fuck! Blood pressure rising at alarming rate just thinking about this again.) If I was able to retain an objective sort of attitude at this point it's actually pretty realistic that he would do this. He has ignored everything she's said so why would he start listening to her now? But what really takes the cake, the bakery and the whole friggin' town in which the bakery is located is that because he's genuinely sorry and misunderstood she's like "yeah, I can see how guilty he feels so it's ok. I need to learn to be intimate and I may as well let him help me do it."
Seriously! My brain cannot comprehend this much awful! I am stunned! How can anyone recommend this book?
And the amazing thing here is that, at the point of the date rape, I'm only halfway through my notes on how awful this book is. I feel like this post is the length of a novel and I've left so much of the bad out in what is clearly a failed attempt at brevity.
Supporting Characters -
There is a hero in this book and his name is Newberry. He is Mina's partner and how she can stomach the Duke's behavior when she knows what it's like to be respected and admired by a colleague I'll never know.
The Duke has a close friend who's mildly interesting and the airship's captain is pretty cool, too. That is, until these two have to start behaving in really odd ways so that I, the Idiot Reader, can receive some very heavy-handed messages re the captain's feline genes. And also, they are on her airship of which she is the captain and yet she still calls the Duke 'captain.' Is that weird to anyone else?
Ok, see how I tried to move on and address other things? I even clicked through my notes for some other topics (and, believe me, there are many to pick from) but he date raped her! I just can't get over it. Even if this hadn't happened the book would still suck but since it did the book has officially moved over into offensive territory. Again, how can anyone recommend this book?!? And what the shit is up with putting it on a 'best of' list? Heinous foul!
rating: 1 of 5 stars
Author: Meljean Brook
Publisher: Berkley Sensation (2010)
Before doing a little write-up about this book I gave myself a cooling off period. This, I think, was very wise. You see, I had all kinds of expectations at the outset; I saw The Iron Duke on so many tops in 2010 lists, heard rave reviews, etc and so I was pretty excited to give it a read. I wasn't just disappointed (which happens and isn't that big a deal, we can't all like the same books) but downright livid! I honestly thought I must have been reading a different book! If I hadn't read the book on my Kindle I swear it would have been in tatters from multiple airborne trips ending against my wall. Usually if I dislike something this much I stop reading and don't bother to go through the trouble of a post, I mean, why re-live a yucky experience, but I feel the truth must out. (I sure would have liked a bit of a heads up because then I would have known to pass.) So then I tried to imagine what I would say but my brain fizzed out as it tripped over all the expletives and indignant mental shouting. To remain calm, and hopefully not be a complete jizzwad, I think the best thing for me to do is head chronologically through the book using subject headings to recount my comments (best thing about reading on the Kindle is the ease of note taking) so SPOILERS ABOUND!
In addition to the spoiler warning: I'm sure it's obvious but I really am about to crap all over this book so if you liked it then maybe you'll want to not read this. A friendly warning from one who keenly dislikes reading books I enjoy get crapped on...
Summary -
The Iron Duke is an alternate history, steampunk "romance." Romance gets the quoties because I've hardly read less romantic material, more on that later. Within the last decade the British Isles have been released from the oppressive rule of the technologically advanced Horde by a pirate-turned-savior who has been awarded a dukedom for his trouble. Mina, our heroine and a police detective, is mixed race Caucasian/Horde and subject to much indignity due to the hatred folks retain for the Horde. A murder investigation on the Iron Duke's property begins our story.
The World Building -
The award for Most Disappointing Thing That Didn't Actually Personally Offend and Make Me See Red is that the set up here is bang-up awesome but poorly executed and explored. The opportunity for cross-cultural interestingness alone is fantastic. You have the folks born on the Isles and previously subjugated by the Horde, the New Worlders who escaped and have now returned, and those like Mina who are mixed race and suffering for it. And, yeah, you do get a few good scenes because of this but the lack of internal consistency in how the various cultures behave sort of ruins the whole thing.
And speaking of internal consistency, don't get me started on the science! I don't mind hokey science if it at least follows some system of logic but holy damn, the liberties taken here are just plain crazy! I wonder if the author realizes just how advanced nanotechnology is. As in, there are progressive steps one would have to take to get to the nanogoodness and there are types of technology that would get left behind if nanobots were to be in common use. OH, and let me add that if the Iron Duke's nanobots could really do some of the things they are supposedly able to do I am pretty sure he would have melted from the heat produced by that type of activity. And oh, OH! That reminds me, that pneumatic heart pump at the end used to save Mina! Whoa! So much wrong with that that I don't even know where to begin. When blood is bubbling out of your mouth your heart is not your only concern. It's possible I would have bought it if the science leading up to it had been better presented but to explain it away with the murky and dubious power of the nanobots and other such nonsense was not going to work. (side note: for a book with awesome use of science and a culture adapted to nanotechnology let me recommend The Diamond Age.)
The Writing -
The writing style was also not to my taste. Way too explanatory. Example:
The Blacksmith glanced at Mina.The Blacksmith and the Duke have a friendship previous to this scene. Also, they are privy to info that Mina is not. This is all very obvious to the reader so when the Blacksmith glances at Mina it's billboard obvious that he's not sure if he should speak openly to his friend. But, you know, just in case I'm an idiot I get an extra line explaining to me that this was a look to be interpreted and responded to. Ugh! How I hate to be treated like an idiot! The book is riddled with this nonsense. It's like I don't know how humans interact or something and so I need several lines to get me through one exchange. Oh, and there're the dreaded infodumping dialogue and infodumping internal monologues.
Interpreting that look as well, Trahaearn [Iron Duke] said, "You can tell her."
The Romance -
This is really the epicfuckingfail of the entire book.
The Hero is too stupid to live. Props to Brook since it's so often the heroines who fall into this trap so I suppose this can be thought of as innovative. His TSTL complex is different from the ordinary you literally would die if you were this stupid (he seems to avoid death fairly well, though it often appears to be blind luck) but that he's too stupid to live in society because he has no idea how to act around other humans. At first, this appeared to be a funny angle on his character as he has a friend who was always giving him tips on how to interact with Polite Society. Then it became more obvious that he was socially awkward in general - ok still funny but then it just ran right off a cliff into no one is this stupid! No one would do these things and not notice what they were doing and why it made people angry. Again, this is really too bad because, unlike Mina, he was raised in a Creche and so his socialization was in direct contrast to hers and could have been really interesting. Instead it was completely illogical, falling apart quite quickly into Complete Idiotic territory.
The Heroine is not so bad at first (neither character is developed well as their behavior in the second half of the book doesn't track at all with their behavior in the first half) and has quite a bit of potential to be an excellent protagonist. Her commitment to her work and her family is admirable and believable. How she gets through the days with her Horde parentage is realistic and, moreover, makes her dedication to living the life she has chosen even more admirable. But then she starts interacting with the hero and I pretty much lost most of my interest in her.
The Courtship is of the combative variety (read: sgwordy's least favorite) which I've always found to be the least creative way to generate tension but whatever, I'll still buy it if the rest of the book supports it. This very combativeness, though, becomes the highlighter of Idiot Boy's character. He's attracted to her from their first meeting and proceeds to suggest that he should become "her man." He does this in his usual graceless manner and when she declines, his response is "do you already have a man?" She does not and so he doesn't accept her refusal. He's all "you're not already owned (this social more, btw, not really in keeping with the world building or his background) and I get to have whatever I want so I will have you." She's all "I carry weapons all the time and I will shoot you." He is the worst kind of bully and it's pretty obvious why she wouldn't want to be around him even if you ignore the problems it would create for her family due to her racial background. Example:
Iron Duke speaking- "...I'd give everything you asked of me."
How, pray tell, would he be able to do this when he never listens to her or takes seriously anything she says?
So for the first half of the book Mina does not want to be around the Duke because he does not recognize that other people have personal will and dignity. Sensible. But then there's an about face to her aversion and it's that she has PTSD. This is also quite reasonable once you learn of her past but it was never once hinted at or obvious from her behavior in the first half. And even though Mina initially pointed out the irony of the Iron Duke treating her exactly as the Horde treats people she never mentions this again and it's no longer part of her reasoning for not wanting to be with him. In fact, she is attracted to him now because even though he disregards and undermines her at pretty much every turn she's now got the hots for him and it's only her PTSD that's holding her back from an intimate relationship. Wha????
And then he date rapes her! He fucking date rapes her! That is the culmination of his courtship. I have been an overbearing, dignity stealing, bully of a d-bag and now I will show you how great it would be if you were my girlfriend because I'm awesome at oral sex. And even though she repeatedly said no it's only after he's decided he's done that he notices she really meant no. (Holy fuck! Blood pressure rising at alarming rate just thinking about this again.) If I was able to retain an objective sort of attitude at this point it's actually pretty realistic that he would do this. He has ignored everything she's said so why would he start listening to her now? But what really takes the cake, the bakery and the whole friggin' town in which the bakery is located is that because he's genuinely sorry and misunderstood she's like "yeah, I can see how guilty he feels so it's ok. I need to learn to be intimate and I may as well let him help me do it."
Seriously! My brain cannot comprehend this much awful! I am stunned! How can anyone recommend this book?
And the amazing thing here is that, at the point of the date rape, I'm only halfway through my notes on how awful this book is. I feel like this post is the length of a novel and I've left so much of the bad out in what is clearly a failed attempt at brevity.
Supporting Characters -
There is a hero in this book and his name is Newberry. He is Mina's partner and how she can stomach the Duke's behavior when she knows what it's like to be respected and admired by a colleague I'll never know.
The Duke has a close friend who's mildly interesting and the airship's captain is pretty cool, too. That is, until these two have to start behaving in really odd ways so that I, the Idiot Reader, can receive some very heavy-handed messages re the captain's feline genes. And also, they are on her airship of which she is the captain and yet she still calls the Duke 'captain.' Is that weird to anyone else?
Ok, see how I tried to move on and address other things? I even clicked through my notes for some other topics (and, believe me, there are many to pick from) but he date raped her! I just can't get over it. Even if this hadn't happened the book would still suck but since it did the book has officially moved over into offensive territory. Again, how can anyone recommend this book?!? And what the shit is up with putting it on a 'best of' list? Heinous foul!
rating: 1 of 5 stars
Sunday, January 30, 2011
An Exchange in the Brotherhood
sgwordy: Oh my gosh, finally! Finally! A disguise!
Dr Musacha: Cool.
sgwordy: After how many hours of Assassin's Creed you're finally an assassin.
Dr Musacha: I feel so ill-equipped for this.
Dr Musacha: Cool.
sgwordy: After how many hours of Assassin's Creed you're finally an assassin.
Dr Musacha: I feel so ill-equipped for this.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
I don't think anyone will be able to accuse Ubisoft of skimping on the graphics or the game play in this latest Assassin's Creed installment. The story, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired. Or everything to be desired because there really isn't a story. I think the developers are as seduced by the beauty of this game as I am and wanted another chance to show off. Originally planned as a trilogy this is, essentially, an add-on that unfolds like a Rome sandbox. As Ezio, alternately charming and fierce (seriously, what is his deal with his sister? why all the drama all of a sudden?) but always deadly, you get to faff about Rome accomplishing various tasks. One of these tasks involves a tank! I guess all the story is left for ACIII and Brotherhood is simply for stabby good times and the reconstruction of Rome. Hm.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
If it was a movie, I wouldn't believe it.
I'm reading Dark Alliance: the CIA, the Contras and the Crack Cocaine Explosion by Gary Webb and my mind, it is blown. This book is fascinating! It's not like I didn't already know about the CIA/Contra/drug thing but reading this makes me realize I didn't really know. Holy damn, it's hard to believe what people will do. One particular nougat of information that I have never once come across is that the crack epidemic was predicted by researchers well before it happened. These same researchers testified before Congress, requested research monies, and suggested ways to prevent the epidemic. They were ignored.
side note: I recognize some of the documented events from their appearance in The Power of the Dog.
side note: I recognize some of the documented events from their appearance in The Power of the Dog.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg
Title: Falling Angel
Author: William Hjortsberg
Publisher: Harcourt (1978)
After a brief respite for the holidays, Michael (aka The Bomb) and I are back for another joint post wherein I will review the novel and Michael will review the movie it inspired.
You can get to Michael's film review of Angel Heart by clicking here.
Two comments to kick us off:
1. Thanks to Michael for suggesting this title as I'd never heard of it but loved it, and for loaning the book to me as I couldn't find a copy myself.
2. I wonder if the Essex County Council misses their book. Perhaps Michael had trouble finding a copy, as well. ;)
In Falling Angel New York private eye, Harry Angel, is hired to determine whether or not Johnny Favorite is dead or still hospitalized in a coma. Favorite, once a famous singer, was injured in WWII and a man to whom he has a debt, Louis Cyphre, has recently been given the runaround from hospital personnel. What appears to be a straightforward case takes a turn for the worse when Angel's witnesses turn up dead.
I quite liked the writing style and had good intentions of sharing several quotes. Unfortunately I wasn't reading this with pen and paper nearby and I'm terrible at sifting for the lines I liked later. Instead I'll give you the quote the author chose to share at the beginning:
Alas, how terrible is wisdom when
it brings no profit to the man that's wise!
---Sophocles, Oedipus the King
On top of the enjoyable writing style, I absolutely dug the dialogue. I really hope people spoke this way in the fifties! The dialogue was such a trip and I really enjoyed the way it supported the atmosphere. Problem was, I couldn't figure if it was authentic or just reminded me of movies set in the same time period. If anyone out there can set me straight on this I'd love to know.
The tone of the book was pitch-perfect (hehe, see what I did there?) and, better yet, you don't quite realize it until the book is over. Forgive me for gushing, but this book has several things going for it that are right up my alley: writing that requires the reader to participate in the story, shifting appearances, and parts that made the whole - in other words, clarity isn't found until the last page. The attitude of the protag was also tons of fun. As you navigate the story, at times heartening and at times horrific, Angel is the perfect companion. I weary of crime fiction in the first person but was glad to have it here.
The book surprised me in its gruesome violence. The surprise was because it was unexpected (didn't even notice the book is horror/crime fiction) but you'll notice my use of 'gruesome' rather than 'gratuitous.' It took me til the end but I did - and do - think the violence was pertinent to the story, or at least my interpretation of it. Still, one scene in particular had me cringing. Some mental images can never be undone. Oi! You have been warned.
For all my enjoyment of the style I found the book a bit dated. --Aside: I find crime fiction in general to be pretty in its time even if set in an alternate decade - do others feel that crime fiction is dated when read well past its publication?-- Speaking of dated, Angel is in his late 30s and the love interest is in her late teens. An age disparity this great rarely works for me in novels set after WWI. And for most of the book it was driving me a little nutty. But with the completion of the book I realized it followed the tone and intent of the story.
Angel's discovery of Favorite's life is really well done. Tracing his past back through his friends was a great way for the story to reveal itself through layers. As I said, I'm a big fan of shifting perspectives so going between folks with vastly different opinions of and experiences with Favorite was much to my taste. (I like the missing persons searches that occur via friends rather than events because then you can have the shifting perspectives business.)
This story is like a perfectly served meal; the next course is ready right when you finish with the current and it's always the right temperature. This, coupled with the tone of the book, bump Falling Angel up into more than just a horror or crime story. Even when you can't explain the melancholic, bittersweet turn to Angel's narration you are immediately sucked in to his emotional state while waiting anxiously for the next clue to Favorite's whereabouts.
I'm just going to make one small comment that will ruin part of the book if you're a first time reader. Highlight if interested: One of the stupid blurbs had me on the lookout for a surprise and so I predicted the identity twist well before the halfway mark. Grrr! Grrr! Why do blurbers and reviewers do this???? If you enjoyed the surprise then I will, too - if you just give me the chance. I've said before I'm a gullible reader who is very easily tricked but not if there's a big sign telling me to look out for a surprise. That being said, I still loved the ending. I didn't predict the 'deal with the devil' bit and it totally rocked my world to spiral into the horror that became Angel's reality.
I won't quote it here but the second paragraph on p. 8 has got to be one of the best bits in the book. If you read the book (and I encourage you to do just that) you'll want to give that part a second glance once you've finished.
Lastly, I hated the movie adaptation. It's not often that I feel all that strongly about movie adaptations but in this case I think they lost what was best in the book, ruined the rest, and added shit to fill the holes. But, I'll leave more details re this for my comments at the movie review. I'm looking forward to Michael's take on the movie - he always gets me thinking and often changes my mind on certain points - and some interesting discussion.
And in case you haven't already been, here's the link again for the movie review!
rating: 4 of 5 stars
Click here for an index of the joint post series
Author: William Hjortsberg
Publisher: Harcourt (1978)
After a brief respite for the holidays, Michael (aka The Bomb) and I are back for another joint post wherein I will review the novel and Michael will review the movie it inspired.
You can get to Michael's film review of Angel Heart by clicking here.
Two comments to kick us off:
1. Thanks to Michael for suggesting this title as I'd never heard of it but loved it, and for loaning the book to me as I couldn't find a copy myself.
2. I wonder if the Essex County Council misses their book. Perhaps Michael had trouble finding a copy, as well. ;)
In Falling Angel New York private eye, Harry Angel, is hired to determine whether or not Johnny Favorite is dead or still hospitalized in a coma. Favorite, once a famous singer, was injured in WWII and a man to whom he has a debt, Louis Cyphre, has recently been given the runaround from hospital personnel. What appears to be a straightforward case takes a turn for the worse when Angel's witnesses turn up dead.
I quite liked the writing style and had good intentions of sharing several quotes. Unfortunately I wasn't reading this with pen and paper nearby and I'm terrible at sifting for the lines I liked later. Instead I'll give you the quote the author chose to share at the beginning:
Alas, how terrible is wisdom when
it brings no profit to the man that's wise!
---Sophocles, Oedipus the King
On top of the enjoyable writing style, I absolutely dug the dialogue. I really hope people spoke this way in the fifties! The dialogue was such a trip and I really enjoyed the way it supported the atmosphere. Problem was, I couldn't figure if it was authentic or just reminded me of movies set in the same time period. If anyone out there can set me straight on this I'd love to know.
The tone of the book was pitch-perfect (hehe, see what I did there?) and, better yet, you don't quite realize it until the book is over. Forgive me for gushing, but this book has several things going for it that are right up my alley: writing that requires the reader to participate in the story, shifting appearances, and parts that made the whole - in other words, clarity isn't found until the last page. The attitude of the protag was also tons of fun. As you navigate the story, at times heartening and at times horrific, Angel is the perfect companion. I weary of crime fiction in the first person but was glad to have it here.
The book surprised me in its gruesome violence. The surprise was because it was unexpected (didn't even notice the book is horror/crime fiction) but you'll notice my use of 'gruesome' rather than 'gratuitous.' It took me til the end but I did - and do - think the violence was pertinent to the story, or at least my interpretation of it. Still, one scene in particular had me cringing. Some mental images can never be undone. Oi! You have been warned.
For all my enjoyment of the style I found the book a bit dated. --Aside: I find crime fiction in general to be pretty in its time even if set in an alternate decade - do others feel that crime fiction is dated when read well past its publication?-- Speaking of dated, Angel is in his late 30s and the love interest is in her late teens. An age disparity this great rarely works for me in novels set after WWI. And for most of the book it was driving me a little nutty. But with the completion of the book I realized it followed the tone and intent of the story.
Angel's discovery of Favorite's life is really well done. Tracing his past back through his friends was a great way for the story to reveal itself through layers. As I said, I'm a big fan of shifting perspectives so going between folks with vastly different opinions of and experiences with Favorite was much to my taste. (I like the missing persons searches that occur via friends rather than events because then you can have the shifting perspectives business.)
This story is like a perfectly served meal; the next course is ready right when you finish with the current and it's always the right temperature. This, coupled with the tone of the book, bump Falling Angel up into more than just a horror or crime story. Even when you can't explain the melancholic, bittersweet turn to Angel's narration you are immediately sucked in to his emotional state while waiting anxiously for the next clue to Favorite's whereabouts.
I'm just going to make one small comment that will ruin part of the book if you're a first time reader. Highlight if interested: One of the stupid blurbs had me on the lookout for a surprise and so I predicted the identity twist well before the halfway mark. Grrr! Grrr! Why do blurbers and reviewers do this???? If you enjoyed the surprise then I will, too - if you just give me the chance. I've said before I'm a gullible reader who is very easily tricked but not if there's a big sign telling me to look out for a surprise. That being said, I still loved the ending. I didn't predict the 'deal with the devil' bit and it totally rocked my world to spiral into the horror that became Angel's reality.
I won't quote it here but the second paragraph on p. 8 has got to be one of the best bits in the book. If you read the book (and I encourage you to do just that) you'll want to give that part a second glance once you've finished.
Lastly, I hated the movie adaptation. It's not often that I feel all that strongly about movie adaptations but in this case I think they lost what was best in the book, ruined the rest, and added shit to fill the holes. But, I'll leave more details re this for my comments at the movie review. I'm looking forward to Michael's take on the movie - he always gets me thinking and often changes my mind on certain points - and some interesting discussion.
And in case you haven't already been, here's the link again for the movie review!
rating: 4 of 5 stars
Click here for an index of the joint post series
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Monday, January 17, 2011
The Duke's Wager, To Wed a Stranger by Edith Layton
Title: The Duke's Wager, To Wed a Stranger
Author: Edith Layton
Publisher: Signet (1983), Avon (2003)
Is anyone else suffering from the uncreative winter doldrums? No? It's just me whining about the cold, wanting to hibernate and wondering if the sun even exists? Huh. Well, I've never professed to being all that mature. Anyway... I bring my winter whininess up at all because I read The Duke's Wager the day after Christmas and To Wed a Stranger not that much later and have not been all that inspired to write (anything at all really, all I really want to do is wrap up in a blanket and read books) so I'm hoping flipping through the two will help me remember what it is I originally thought about them.
The short version: The Duke's Wager was so compelling - alternating between super awesome and super frustrating - that I was all geared up to gallop through Layton's back list but then To Wed a Stranger was so dull that I wonder if I should bother. What I'm thinking is that maybe I should stick with the Signets and pass on the Avons. Anyone out there know anything about romance publishing lines to help me with that? Do different lines have different requirements which might affect the type of book produced?
The long version: The Duke's Wager took what is, without a doubt, an uninspiring plot line - notorious rakes pursue gorgeous woman to any length - and made it fascinating. Whether purposely done or not, the adversarial relationship between the two men was the most compelling aspect of this would-be tired plot. And I don't mean adversarial as it relates to the woman but as it relates to the men, what they think of themselves and what they think of each other. So, the set-up: New to London, Regina Berryman made a teensy mistake in going to the opera on the night when only courtesans and their lovers attend. It is on this night that Jason Thomas and St. John Basil (both titled, rich, dissolute - natch!) see her for the first time. Thomas is like, I'll take that, thank you; Regina, shocked to her dainty little toes (they never make an appearance that I remember but I'm sure the descriptor works), runs out. The hunt begins for our Thomas (or rather for "his man" who waits outside Regina's house - with carriage - for an abduction, can we say creep?) and Basil joins later. As you have probably surmised, Thomas plans to just take what he wants but Basil goes about the courtship in what appears to be a more honorable manner.
What appears to be is significant because the book has several shifts in perspective for the reader. I've mentioned before how much I enjoy this in books. The slightly less gullible may not be so enamored with such a style, but you don't have to be the gullible reader I am to appreciate the nuanced perspectives given of the characters in this story. Things are not necessarily as they appear for almost the entire length of the book.
The main weakness of the story, and the source of all my frustration, is the heroine. She's intelligent and self-aware but given to moments of unexpected stupidity and commits the unforgivable (for me) crime of having the hots for a guy who demeans her. Yuck! So you'd think a romance where the heroine partly ruins the story would immediately get the chuck but the guys are so interesting that I couldn't put it down (plus the two female supporting characters are pretty friggin' awesome). These are not two people who are immediately described and spend the rest of the book showing you how well they match that description. These are two people that one feels one knows immediately (romance cliches are so informative) but who slowly unfold as events force their true characteristics to the surface. What's more, even if they're doing something that gives you the heebies you want to continue to get to know them because they are so dang interesting.
I also really liked the dark side of Regency life that Layton focused on. She brings some very real aspects of the culture to the table and lays them out for everyone to see. Nothing is swept under rugs and it paints a picture not often seen in romances. She also tends to spend a lot of time in the characters' heads. They think a lot and the reader gets to be there for all that thinking. I'm not so fond of that style but the book wasn't over-long so it was kept in check. Not so in To Wed a Stranger...
To Wed a Stranger is far less compelling and almost half again as long (felt twice as long, actually but I don't think it actually was in word count). In this one, a notorious flirt who never managed to catch a husband has finally settled on a complete stranger who needs her money. Can they work it out and have a happy marriage? These are not books packed with action so it's a must that the characters keep your interest. Doubly so since you spend so much time in their heads. I was so not interested. I liked how, once again, Layton took tired romance plot lines/situations and turned them upside down (a worse first time/wedding night I've never read) but that was about all the book had going for it. And speaking of the wedding night, in The Duke's Wager there was a kiss or two but that's about it and still the book managed so much better in the realm of intimacy tension. But again, in stories like these it really comes down to the characters; if you don't care about them you don't really care if they ever find emotional or physical fulfillment with each other.
Most annoying thing, though, was that the makings of an interesting plot with intriguing dramatic tension was so obvious. This is why I was wondering if Avon has requirements to their lines that would affect the book. Cut some of the useless sex scenes, develop the mom's character earlier - and with some subtlety - and you would get to the end with problems I can believe in. Problems that I would want to see the characters overcome. Ugh! So disappointing.
So I need some help here, do I try another Layton and so maybe re-capture (and hopefully improve upon) the awesome to be found in The Duke's Wager or is this a one hit wonder?
Two more things before I'm done. Thing, the first: when a notorious rake has done so many awful things that if I only believed half it would mean he's the devil himself, how can I not feel cheated when a threesome seems to be one of his personal low points? [side note: the book is bereft of sex scenes but not sexual situations or language. another interesting style choice by Layton.]
Thing, the second: my favorite bit from The Duke's Wager -
ratings:
The Duke's Wager - 3 of 5 stars
To Wed a Stranger - 2 of 5 stars
Had to close comments due to SPAM - the SPAMbots have the hots for this post.
Author: Edith Layton
Publisher: Signet (1983), Avon (2003)
Is anyone else suffering from the uncreative winter doldrums? No? It's just me whining about the cold, wanting to hibernate and wondering if the sun even exists? Huh. Well, I've never professed to being all that mature. Anyway... I bring my winter whininess up at all because I read The Duke's Wager the day after Christmas and To Wed a Stranger not that much later and have not been all that inspired to write (anything at all really, all I really want to do is wrap up in a blanket and read books) so I'm hoping flipping through the two will help me remember what it is I originally thought about them.
The short version: The Duke's Wager was so compelling - alternating between super awesome and super frustrating - that I was all geared up to gallop through Layton's back list but then To Wed a Stranger was so dull that I wonder if I should bother. What I'm thinking is that maybe I should stick with the Signets and pass on the Avons. Anyone out there know anything about romance publishing lines to help me with that? Do different lines have different requirements which might affect the type of book produced?
The long version: The Duke's Wager took what is, without a doubt, an uninspiring plot line - notorious rakes pursue gorgeous woman to any length - and made it fascinating. Whether purposely done or not, the adversarial relationship between the two men was the most compelling aspect of this would-be tired plot. And I don't mean adversarial as it relates to the woman but as it relates to the men, what they think of themselves and what they think of each other. So, the set-up: New to London, Regina Berryman made a teensy mistake in going to the opera on the night when only courtesans and their lovers attend. It is on this night that Jason Thomas and St. John Basil (both titled, rich, dissolute - natch!) see her for the first time. Thomas is like, I'll take that, thank you; Regina, shocked to her dainty little toes (they never make an appearance that I remember but I'm sure the descriptor works), runs out. The hunt begins for our Thomas (or rather for "his man" who waits outside Regina's house - with carriage - for an abduction, can we say creep?) and Basil joins later. As you have probably surmised, Thomas plans to just take what he wants but Basil goes about the courtship in what appears to be a more honorable manner.
What appears to be is significant because the book has several shifts in perspective for the reader. I've mentioned before how much I enjoy this in books. The slightly less gullible may not be so enamored with such a style, but you don't have to be the gullible reader I am to appreciate the nuanced perspectives given of the characters in this story. Things are not necessarily as they appear for almost the entire length of the book.
The main weakness of the story, and the source of all my frustration, is the heroine. She's intelligent and self-aware but given to moments of unexpected stupidity and commits the unforgivable (for me) crime of having the hots for a guy who demeans her. Yuck! So you'd think a romance where the heroine partly ruins the story would immediately get the chuck but the guys are so interesting that I couldn't put it down (plus the two female supporting characters are pretty friggin' awesome). These are not two people who are immediately described and spend the rest of the book showing you how well they match that description. These are two people that one feels one knows immediately (romance cliches are so informative) but who slowly unfold as events force their true characteristics to the surface. What's more, even if they're doing something that gives you the heebies you want to continue to get to know them because they are so dang interesting.
I also really liked the dark side of Regency life that Layton focused on. She brings some very real aspects of the culture to the table and lays them out for everyone to see. Nothing is swept under rugs and it paints a picture not often seen in romances. She also tends to spend a lot of time in the characters' heads. They think a lot and the reader gets to be there for all that thinking. I'm not so fond of that style but the book wasn't over-long so it was kept in check. Not so in To Wed a Stranger...
To Wed a Stranger is far less compelling and almost half again as long (felt twice as long, actually but I don't think it actually was in word count). In this one, a notorious flirt who never managed to catch a husband has finally settled on a complete stranger who needs her money. Can they work it out and have a happy marriage? These are not books packed with action so it's a must that the characters keep your interest. Doubly so since you spend so much time in their heads. I was so not interested. I liked how, once again, Layton took tired romance plot lines/situations and turned them upside down (a worse first time/wedding night I've never read) but that was about all the book had going for it. And speaking of the wedding night, in The Duke's Wager there was a kiss or two but that's about it and still the book managed so much better in the realm of intimacy tension. But again, in stories like these it really comes down to the characters; if you don't care about them you don't really care if they ever find emotional or physical fulfillment with each other.
Most annoying thing, though, was that the makings of an interesting plot with intriguing dramatic tension was so obvious. This is why I was wondering if Avon has requirements to their lines that would affect the book. Cut some of the useless sex scenes, develop the mom's character earlier - and with some subtlety - and you would get to the end with problems I can believe in. Problems that I would want to see the characters overcome. Ugh! So disappointing.
So I need some help here, do I try another Layton and so maybe re-capture (and hopefully improve upon) the awesome to be found in The Duke's Wager or is this a one hit wonder?
Two more things before I'm done. Thing, the first: when a notorious rake has done so many awful things that if I only believed half it would mean he's the devil himself, how can I not feel cheated when a threesome seems to be one of his personal low points? [side note: the book is bereft of sex scenes but not sexual situations or language. another interesting style choice by Layton.]
Thing, the second: my favorite bit from The Duke's Wager -
Jason speaking to his childhood nanny : "But you hope that the 'person' is a female one, and a pure honest, well-bred one at that, for somewhere in that reasonable breast lurks the unreasonable belief that your nursling will be saved by the love of a good woman."
She knew the moment had passed, and so she retorted, "Nonsense, arrant nonsense, Jason. The love of a good woman would roll of your back like water off a duck's. I make no doubt you've enjoyed the love of a good many women and some of them good women at that, but that would not change you in the least." ... "But," she said succinctly as she rose to leave, "the love for a good woman...ah that, my lad, would make all the difference in the world."
ratings:
The Duke's Wager - 3 of 5 stars
To Wed a Stranger - 2 of 5 stars
Had to close comments due to SPAM - the SPAMbots have the hots for this post.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
2010 Favorites
Favorite fiction: The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow
Favorite non-fiction: Comeback America by David Walker
Favorite mystery/thriller: I can't decide between a couple Crais titles so this one will be a mystery. (hee)
Favorite historical fiction: Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Favorite fantasy: A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
Favorite Sci-fi: Tie!
Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
Favorite Romance: Tie!
Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale
The Spymaster's Lady by Joanna Bourne
Surprise hit: Tie!
The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston
The Lion's Daughter by Loretta Chase
Surprise blunder: Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel
Favorite author discovered in 2010: Tie!
Robert Crais
Most re-read book first read in 2010: Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale
Most recommended and recommendation actually taken: White Cat by Holly Black
Most recommended books I wish people would have read but usually didn't:
Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow
The Blue Orchard by Jackson Taylor
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
And since I do occasionally do something other than read...
Movies:
Favorite - Black Swan
Surprise hit - Killers
Surprise blunder - Iron Man 2
Video games:
Favorite - Assassin's Creed 2 (b/c Ubisoft still owns me)
Surprise hit - Dante's Inferno
Surprise blunder - Resident Evil: 5
Favorite non-fiction: Comeback America by David Walker
Favorite mystery/thriller: I can't decide between a couple Crais titles so this one will be a mystery. (hee)
Favorite historical fiction: Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Favorite fantasy: A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
Favorite Sci-fi: Tie!
Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
Favorite Romance: Tie!
Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale
The Spymaster's Lady by Joanna Bourne
Surprise hit: Tie!
The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston
The Lion's Daughter by Loretta Chase
Surprise blunder: Beatrice and Virgil by Yann Martel
Favorite author discovered in 2010: Tie!
Robert Crais
Most re-read book first read in 2010: Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale
Most recommended and recommendation actually taken: White Cat by Holly Black
Most recommended books I wish people would have read but usually didn't:
Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow
The Blue Orchard by Jackson Taylor
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
And since I do occasionally do something other than read...
Movies:
Favorite - Black Swan
Surprise hit - Killers
Surprise blunder - Iron Man 2
Video games:
Favorite - Assassin's Creed 2 (b/c Ubisoft still owns me)
Surprise hit - Dante's Inferno
Surprise blunder - Resident Evil: 5
"I find myself unable to be the controller."
The Kinect has become part of the entertainment system in my living room and my feelings are tepid. Some parts of it are awesome (like when it listens to my voice commands (keyword there is when)) and some parts of it are irritating as shit (like when I'm using the voice commands and am suddenly shunted into a menu in which the actual controller has to be used, WTF?). I've got some really specific feedback for Microsoft but their current feedback system is "can we record all your voice commands whenever you are verbally communicating with the Kinect?" Uh, creepy much? Gonna have to pass on that one, Big Brother!
And while we're on the subject Kinectimals is trash but our tiger cub, Richard Parker, is uber cute!
And while we're on the subject Kinectimals is trash but our tiger cub, Richard Parker, is uber cute!
Another Roundup
Well I got festive but not wordy this holiday season cuz I've been busy but I'm never too busy to read. So, on that note... more book fun...
I'm a big McFadden fan and, not surprisingly, this is another great novel. Her characterization and writing are so satisfying and her ability to bring a character right into your heart and mind is amazing. I have no trouble connecting with her characters and feeling something for or about them. Like them or hate them, you can never ignore them. And the ending! Holy damn! I felt wrung dry in the way only a satisfying novel can accomplish. There were some details to the ending that were predictable (and one quite annoying) but it doesn't at all detract from the power of the decisions the characters made.
Favorite line:
Pearl watched him disappear into the crowd and wished that it would swallow and digest him, finally discharging him as the shit she knew he was.
rating: 4 of 5 stars
I picked this one up due to an author I adore mentioning in an interview that she liked it. As I was reading I wanted to call her up and say, "Have you read your books? How can you be familiar with your own books and their superiority and still find this book satisfying?" Ouch! I know, I'm so mean. Anyway, this book definitely didn't do it for me. I liked the fun life on Mars world, the dialogue was pretty snappy, and huge kudos to the author for not being one of those that insists on explaining every tiny detail in minutiae (and with repetition) but I didn't care for the characters (two in particular got the old blood boiling but not in the good way) which rendered the story moot because if I don't care about the characters then I don't care what happens to them.
rating: 2 of 5 stars
My second attempt at a Harlequin was almost as unsuccessful as my first. I will continue to look elsewhere for my romances.
rating: 2 of 5 stars
This is a creative though slightly bland re-invention of the Cinderella story (I know it probably seems weird to use creative and bland in the same sentence but that's truly how I felt at the end). I really liked the world-building and the political/cultural background for the world but at no point was I really drawn into the story. Ash is a pretty satisfying character to follow and I like her dedication to seeking her own truth and happiness but there wasn't any point at which I was worried about her getting her ending. Lacking in dramatic tension I would say so a book to read more when you don't want your mind stretched. While she didn't live an easy life, as a journey in literature, it all felt too easy. One thing captured so well by the author is the awkward "getting to know you" as you try to date as a young person. Some of the scenes with Ash and the King's Huntress were totally cracking me up in a nostalgic manner as they tried to work out their feelings. I felt this as an adult thinking back on dating in high school but I'd be interested to hear a teen reader's reaction to them. I don't think I even know any teenagers... I will be sure to accost the next one I see out in the wild...
rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is another one that I liked for the world-building but not as much for the characters and I can't comment on the story because it didn't engage me enough to actually finish the book. I really like historical fiction and so I was quite happy to be reading a book not set in Europe (so so so much historical fiction is in Europe, please bring on new terrain, authors/publishers!) but I just couldn't get into the story or characters. The action wasn't engaging me and the characters were oddly inclined to spill their life stories at the smallest provocation. Example: How are you today? Oh fine, and this is how I have been every previous day of my life... Ok, I exaggerate but that's how it was feeling so I decided to pass on finishing this.
rating: DNF
You know, this one really got my brain going and swinging like a ping pong from what I loved to what drove me nuts so I'm gonna save this book for SBD and do an actual review.
rating: stay tuned
On my nightstand:
Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg (joint post coming with lp13)
The Known World by Edward P. Jones
The Sentry by Robert Crais (lp13 - you rock!!!!)
Death to the BCS by Dan Wetzel, Josh Peter, and Jeff Passan
What have you been reading this holiday season?
Title: Sugar
Author: Bernice L. McFadden
Publisher: Dutton (2000)
I'm a big McFadden fan and, not surprisingly, this is another great novel. Her characterization and writing are so satisfying and her ability to bring a character right into your heart and mind is amazing. I have no trouble connecting with her characters and feeling something for or about them. Like them or hate them, you can never ignore them. And the ending! Holy damn! I felt wrung dry in the way only a satisfying novel can accomplish. There were some details to the ending that were predictable (and one quite annoying) but it doesn't at all detract from the power of the decisions the characters made.
Favorite line:
Pearl watched him disappear into the crowd and wished that it would swallow and digest him, finally discharging him as the shit she knew he was.
rating: 4 of 5 stars
Title: Black Hole Sun
Author: David Macinnis Gill
Publisher: HarperCollins (2010)
I picked this one up due to an author I adore mentioning in an interview that she liked it. As I was reading I wanted to call her up and say, "Have you read your books? How can you be familiar with your own books and their superiority and still find this book satisfying?" Ouch! I know, I'm so mean. Anyway, this book definitely didn't do it for me. I liked the fun life on Mars world, the dialogue was pretty snappy, and huge kudos to the author for not being one of those that insists on explaining every tiny detail in minutiae (and with repetition) but I didn't care for the characters (two in particular got the old blood boiling but not in the good way) which rendered the story moot because if I don't care about the characters then I don't care what happens to them.
rating: 2 of 5 stars
Title: Make Me Yours
Author: Betina Krahn
Publisher: Harlequin Blaze (2009)My second attempt at a Harlequin was almost as unsuccessful as my first. I will continue to look elsewhere for my romances.
rating: 2 of 5 stars
Title: Ash
Author: Malinda Lo
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company (2009)
This is a creative though slightly bland re-invention of the Cinderella story (I know it probably seems weird to use creative and bland in the same sentence but that's truly how I felt at the end). I really liked the world-building and the political/cultural background for the world but at no point was I really drawn into the story. Ash is a pretty satisfying character to follow and I like her dedication to seeking her own truth and happiness but there wasn't any point at which I was worried about her getting her ending. Lacking in dramatic tension I would say so a book to read more when you don't want your mind stretched. While she didn't live an easy life, as a journey in literature, it all felt too easy. One thing captured so well by the author is the awkward "getting to know you" as you try to date as a young person. Some of the scenes with Ash and the King's Huntress were totally cracking me up in a nostalgic manner as they tried to work out their feelings. I felt this as an adult thinking back on dating in high school but I'd be interested to hear a teen reader's reaction to them. I don't think I even know any teenagers... I will be sure to accost the next one I see out in the wild...
rating: 3 of 5 stars
Title: Silver Phoenix
Author: Cindy Pon
Publisher: Greenwillow (2009)
This is another one that I liked for the world-building but not as much for the characters and I can't comment on the story because it didn't engage me enough to actually finish the book. I really like historical fiction and so I was quite happy to be reading a book not set in Europe (so so so much historical fiction is in Europe, please bring on new terrain, authors/publishers!) but I just couldn't get into the story or characters. The action wasn't engaging me and the characters were oddly inclined to spill their life stories at the smallest provocation. Example: How are you today? Oh fine, and this is how I have been every previous day of my life... Ok, I exaggerate but that's how it was feeling so I decided to pass on finishing this.
rating: DNF
Title: The Duke's Wager
Author: Edith Layton
Publisher: Signet (1983)
You know, this one really got my brain going and swinging like a ping pong from what I loved to what drove me nuts so I'm gonna save this book for SBD and do an actual review.
rating: stay tuned
On my nightstand:
Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg (joint post coming with lp13)
The Known World by Edward P. Jones
The Sentry by Robert Crais (lp13 - you rock!!!!)
Death to the BCS by Dan Wetzel, Josh Peter, and Jeff Passan
What have you been reading this holiday season?
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
sgwordy gets festive at work
I bet you didn't even know you could get plastic horse Christmas lights, didja?
So Much Funny
I love these websites! And don't miss this entry! So fucking funny. Snorted tea through my nose.
(hat tip: THE tot)
(hat tip: THE tot)
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Reading Roundup
Ok, I'm willing to admit that maybe I'm busy and 'behind on the internet' and pretty much everything because I read too much. Well, of course, one can never read too much. ;-)
Title: Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
Author: Beverly Daniel Tatum
Publisher: Basic (1997)
Very interesting book about race relations and racial/ethnic/cultural identity development. Highly recommended!
rating: 4 of 5 stars
Title: Frederica
Author: Georgette Heyer
Publisher: Can't Find It (1965), Sourcebooks has a 2009 reprint
I almost always enjoy Heyer's historical romances and this was no exception. It was no Friday's Child but still a solid romp with lots of laughs.
rating: 3 of 5 stars
Title: Comeback America: Turning the Country Around and Restoring Fiscal Responsibility
Author: David M. Walker
Publisher: Random House (2010)
As a fiscal realist and a person who is more afraid of the country imploding from stupid political decisions than exploding from terrorist attacks this book was like reading the notes of a soul-mate. If you have any interest AT ALL in learning about how we've gotten so far into debt, what we are continuing to do that is crippling to the strength of the nation, and the steps we need to take NOW to fix it then READ THIS BOOK!
rating: 4 of 5 stars
Title: Falling Free
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Publisher: Baen (1988)
This is a very cool set-up featuring a group of individuals engineered for life in free fall. Bujold's imagination and ability to bring life in free fall to, er, life is most enjoyable. That said, I thought several times of not finishing the book. The ending is so self-evident (and the baddie so unoriginal) that you have to be really invested in the process to want to keep turning pages. I was mostly meh but I can see it having more appeal to other sci-fi fans, it just didn't catch me is all.
rating: 3 of 5 stars
Title: Scandal in Spring
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Publisher: Avon (2006)
I'm pretty sure this is the last Kleypas I'm reading.
rating: 2 of 5 stars
Title: Clay's Ark
Author: Octavia E. Butler
Publisher: Aspect (1984)
Another story with a great set-up. Butler's writing, characterization and imagination are a sheer joy to experience. This tends heavily toward slice-of-life and I really like more of a plot in my stories. To anyone familiar with the book that probably sounds ludicrous due to the escape attempts and fight at the ranch but for some reason it just felt more like an eventography to me than a story. Interesting, but lacking in the amount of dramatic tension I prefer. However, Butler's characters are just dynamite which was enough to keep me reading. I was also super intrigued by Eli's idea that he was preserving as much humanity as possible (in the face of alien micro-organism invasion) but at the same time removing free will from others. Very interesting dichotomy that made his character simultaneously intriguing and infuriating. The daughters, too, were incredibly interesting. Even when their actions gave me the heeby jeebies I was able to fully understand what drove them.
rating: 3 of 5 stars
Books that got the DNF:
Title: The Sharing Knife, Volume Four: Horizon
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Publisher: Eos (2009)
I quite enjoyed the first of this series and even stayed interested through the second. The third was a bit of a letdown and I couldn't muster the interest to finish the fourth. I think I was supposed to care more about the scientific nature of ground. I thought this was an angle of the series not THE series and I really wasn't interested in chapters upon chapters detailing our protags' adventures in ground research.
Series bonus: Fantastic cover art!
Title: I'd Know You Anywhere
Author: Laura Lippman
Publisher: William Morrow (2010)
I had heard so much positive buzz surrounding Lippman that I went into this book with very high expectations. I very quickly discovered that this was a book set in the suburbs! Gah! Much hate for settings in suburbs but I continued on in an effort to expand horizons, etc. As I read on I wasn't liking anything about the way the story was unfolding. It was all tell, tell, tell but still nothing happening. I feel most suburb books are like this and it drives me nuts.
Title: Savages
Author: Don Winslow
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (2010)
After my love affair with The Power of the Dog I hate the idea of not liking anything Winslow wrote but this story is definitely not for me. I enjoyed the rhythm and style of the writing (he makes great use of white space if that makes any sense at all:) but the tone was driving me nuts. He wouldn't just let the characters be (cool - hehe) but insisted on relentlessly reminding me who they were and what they were about and repeating passages almost verbatim only a few pages apart and that was wearying. Also, like the Lippman above, lots of tell, tell, tell but still nothing was happening. I don't have a short attention span but if I'm already trying to filter out annoyances while I wait for things to get started I am probably going to lose interest.
What have you been reading lately?
Title: Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
Author: Beverly Daniel Tatum
Publisher: Basic (1997)
Very interesting book about race relations and racial/ethnic/cultural identity development. Highly recommended!
rating: 4 of 5 stars
Title: Frederica
Author: Georgette Heyer
Publisher: Can't Find It (1965), Sourcebooks has a 2009 reprint
I almost always enjoy Heyer's historical romances and this was no exception. It was no Friday's Child but still a solid romp with lots of laughs.
rating: 3 of 5 stars
Title: Comeback America: Turning the Country Around and Restoring Fiscal Responsibility
Author: David M. Walker
Publisher: Random House (2010)
As a fiscal realist and a person who is more afraid of the country imploding from stupid political decisions than exploding from terrorist attacks this book was like reading the notes of a soul-mate. If you have any interest AT ALL in learning about how we've gotten so far into debt, what we are continuing to do that is crippling to the strength of the nation, and the steps we need to take NOW to fix it then READ THIS BOOK!
rating: 4 of 5 stars
Title: Falling Free
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Publisher: Baen (1988)
This is a very cool set-up featuring a group of individuals engineered for life in free fall. Bujold's imagination and ability to bring life in free fall to, er, life is most enjoyable. That said, I thought several times of not finishing the book. The ending is so self-evident (and the baddie so unoriginal) that you have to be really invested in the process to want to keep turning pages. I was mostly meh but I can see it having more appeal to other sci-fi fans, it just didn't catch me is all.
rating: 3 of 5 stars
Title: Scandal in Spring
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Publisher: Avon (2006)
I'm pretty sure this is the last Kleypas I'm reading.
rating: 2 of 5 stars
Title: Clay's Ark
Author: Octavia E. Butler
Publisher: Aspect (1984)
Another story with a great set-up. Butler's writing, characterization and imagination are a sheer joy to experience. This tends heavily toward slice-of-life and I really like more of a plot in my stories. To anyone familiar with the book that probably sounds ludicrous due to the escape attempts and fight at the ranch but for some reason it just felt more like an eventography to me than a story. Interesting, but lacking in the amount of dramatic tension I prefer. However, Butler's characters are just dynamite which was enough to keep me reading. I was also super intrigued by Eli's idea that he was preserving as much humanity as possible (in the face of alien micro-organism invasion) but at the same time removing free will from others. Very interesting dichotomy that made his character simultaneously intriguing and infuriating. The daughters, too, were incredibly interesting. Even when their actions gave me the heeby jeebies I was able to fully understand what drove them.
rating: 3 of 5 stars
Books that got the DNF:
Title: The Sharing Knife, Volume Four: Horizon
Author: Lois McMaster Bujold
Publisher: Eos (2009)
I quite enjoyed the first of this series and even stayed interested through the second. The third was a bit of a letdown and I couldn't muster the interest to finish the fourth. I think I was supposed to care more about the scientific nature of ground. I thought this was an angle of the series not THE series and I really wasn't interested in chapters upon chapters detailing our protags' adventures in ground research.
Series bonus: Fantastic cover art!
Title: I'd Know You Anywhere
Author: Laura Lippman
Publisher: William Morrow (2010)
I had heard so much positive buzz surrounding Lippman that I went into this book with very high expectations. I very quickly discovered that this was a book set in the suburbs! Gah! Much hate for settings in suburbs but I continued on in an effort to expand horizons, etc. As I read on I wasn't liking anything about the way the story was unfolding. It was all tell, tell, tell but still nothing happening. I feel most suburb books are like this and it drives me nuts.
Title: Savages
Author: Don Winslow
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (2010)
After my love affair with The Power of the Dog I hate the idea of not liking anything Winslow wrote but this story is definitely not for me. I enjoyed the rhythm and style of the writing (he makes great use of white space if that makes any sense at all:) but the tone was driving me nuts. He wouldn't just let the characters be (cool - hehe) but insisted on relentlessly reminding me who they were and what they were about and repeating passages almost verbatim only a few pages apart and that was wearying. Also, like the Lippman above, lots of tell, tell, tell but still nothing was happening. I don't have a short attention span but if I'm already trying to filter out annoyances while I wait for things to get started I am probably going to lose interest.
What have you been reading lately?
Monday, December 13, 2010
Delicious, Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas
Title: Delicious, Not Quite a Husband
Author: Sherry Thomas
Publisher: Bantam Books (2008, 2009)
Just a warning here, folks, if you're a fan of these this might not be a post you're interested in.
I first picked up Delicious because of all the positive chatty associated with Sherry Thomas and I thought the book was just ok. I certainly did not understand why everyone was raving but I thought maybe it was just that this one didn't quite catch my interest so I decided to try another. Bad decision.
In Delicious Verity Durant is the creme de la creme when it comes to cooking up the good stuff. She could work anywhere but she stays on the estate owned by her ex-lover. She's fairly infamous for being the cook he had a relationship with but she stays on cooking for him and his lovers of the month. When he dies unexpectedly and his brother, Stuart Somerset, inherits, Verity realizes hiding her secret will be impossible and decides to move on. When the sparks start to fly between her and Stuart she finds it harder and harder to leave.
I'm not a foodie but I was charmed with the magical satisfaction diners obtained from Verity's meals just as I was in that 90s movie, Simply Irresistible. I also liked the well-done back stories for all the characters. It was clear how current actions were informed by past experiences and definite priorities. I was really impressed with Michael's character as he was featured so few times yet came across quite vividly. Verity annoyed me a bit in her "I really am leaving in about five minutes but while I'm here I'm going to be deliberately enticing and torture Stuart and myself with what I've decided we can't have." So her thinking was correct in that they didn't make a good match for his life goals but her inability to follow through when, in every other way, she was very staunch in her decision making was irritating. I guess that's the crux of the story, can't stay away and all, but it just didn't wash with me. I also thought the ending was too easy. All this, "no, no, no we can't" and such a big deal made of everything but here we are at the end of our page count so let's get out our bows and tidy everything up. Ugh! just too easy. And wtf was up with Verity getting behind that screen? Can you say privacy violation? She really did not strike me as a person who would eavesdrop. I mean, I know she's got to hear the big speech and all, but really, that was just too easy and too lazy. So, solid potential but a few pitfalls along the way. This is what led me to pick up Not Quite a Husband so as to give Thomas another try.
side note before I move on: The courtship of the side characters (Marsden and Bessler) was just freaking weird. Their interactions, especially in the beginning, gave me the heebie jeebies. Anyone else have a different take on the two of them? In the end, I decided it was worth it for the "symphonic concerts" and "music halls." hehehehehe
In Not Quite a Husband Bryony and Leo were a surprise match. Bryony, an obsessed medical practitioner when it was not the thing for women to work, and Leo, handsome, cavalier, sought-after, would not ever have been paired by society but marry they did. It ended in an annulment and now Bryony is half a world away working. Leo is sent to fetch her back for her family. I was immediately sucked in by this storyline. I luuuuurved the idea of not quite getting it right the first time and trying again a few year later, older and wiser. Yummy! Again, back stories started to develop nicely and I was gearing up for good times. Then, horrors!, really inappropriate sexual scenes reared their ugly heads.
Dubiousness set in when Sickness forced a situation of intimacy but, whatev, what is romance without some tropes? And, not a big surprise, they got into a bit of the humpty hump. We're still ok here, people - nothing particularly innovative but the story is still intriguing me and everyone is acting in character and with free will intact. Bryony asks not to speak of the first "indiscretion" again and even goes so far as to rebuff Leo's advances later. Then when he's almost entirely better and slumbering peacefully she starts taking liberties with his person. I wanted to throw the book across the room. You've already been all "keep your hands to yourself, pardner" and now he's asleep and you're going to take advantage??? ASLEEP!!!!!! Fucking asleep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you say inappropriate????!!!!!!!!!!!????????? Non-consenting sex is ew! One must be awake to consent! And even if you know someone does actually want to do the Deed with you s/he still needs to be awake! Holy damn! This reminds me of when I had to read that piece of trash Water for Elephants years ago and was flabbergasted when the guy was raped and no one ever commented on it and my book club members didn't even notice! Wha?????????????? I very politely asked my fellow members how they would have responded to the scene if the guy had been a gal and the same things had happened. I swear I actually saw the light bulbs appear atop their heads. But anyway, let's not get me started on Water for Elephants. Let's get back to the inappropriate on display here...
These types of dodgy encounters just irritate the shit out of me. I find they are too often glossed over PERIOD but especially when men are on the receiving end. I like romance novels because they are positive depictions of emotional and sexual relationships not because people are so overwhelmed by their burning loins that they can't be bothered to wake a person up! Grrr! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
So, anyway, as you can imagine nothing could redeem this story me for after that. It was just too irksome. Again, this book had so much potential and then even bigger pitfalls than Delicious. There was more I didn't like but I'm all irritated again and would rather go focus on something I do like rather than something that makes me angry.
ratings-
Delicious 3 of 5 stars
Not Quite a Husband 1 of 5 stars
Author: Sherry Thomas
Publisher: Bantam Books (2008, 2009)
Just a warning here, folks, if you're a fan of these this might not be a post you're interested in.
I first picked up Delicious because of all the positive chatty associated with Sherry Thomas and I thought the book was just ok. I certainly did not understand why everyone was raving but I thought maybe it was just that this one didn't quite catch my interest so I decided to try another. Bad decision.
In Delicious Verity Durant is the creme de la creme when it comes to cooking up the good stuff. She could work anywhere but she stays on the estate owned by her ex-lover. She's fairly infamous for being the cook he had a relationship with but she stays on cooking for him and his lovers of the month. When he dies unexpectedly and his brother, Stuart Somerset, inherits, Verity realizes hiding her secret will be impossible and decides to move on. When the sparks start to fly between her and Stuart she finds it harder and harder to leave.
I'm not a foodie but I was charmed with the magical satisfaction diners obtained from Verity's meals just as I was in that 90s movie, Simply Irresistible. I also liked the well-done back stories for all the characters. It was clear how current actions were informed by past experiences and definite priorities. I was really impressed with Michael's character as he was featured so few times yet came across quite vividly. Verity annoyed me a bit in her "I really am leaving in about five minutes but while I'm here I'm going to be deliberately enticing and torture Stuart and myself with what I've decided we can't have." So her thinking was correct in that they didn't make a good match for his life goals but her inability to follow through when, in every other way, she was very staunch in her decision making was irritating. I guess that's the crux of the story, can't stay away and all, but it just didn't wash with me. I also thought the ending was too easy. All this, "no, no, no we can't" and such a big deal made of everything but here we are at the end of our page count so let's get out our bows and tidy everything up. Ugh! just too easy. And wtf was up with Verity getting behind that screen? Can you say privacy violation? She really did not strike me as a person who would eavesdrop. I mean, I know she's got to hear the big speech and all, but really, that was just too easy and too lazy. So, solid potential but a few pitfalls along the way. This is what led me to pick up Not Quite a Husband so as to give Thomas another try.
side note before I move on: The courtship of the side characters (Marsden and Bessler) was just freaking weird. Their interactions, especially in the beginning, gave me the heebie jeebies. Anyone else have a different take on the two of them? In the end, I decided it was worth it for the "symphonic concerts" and "music halls." hehehehehe
In Not Quite a Husband Bryony and Leo were a surprise match. Bryony, an obsessed medical practitioner when it was not the thing for women to work, and Leo, handsome, cavalier, sought-after, would not ever have been paired by society but marry they did. It ended in an annulment and now Bryony is half a world away working. Leo is sent to fetch her back for her family. I was immediately sucked in by this storyline. I luuuuurved the idea of not quite getting it right the first time and trying again a few year later, older and wiser. Yummy! Again, back stories started to develop nicely and I was gearing up for good times. Then, horrors!, really inappropriate sexual scenes reared their ugly heads.
Dubiousness set in when Sickness forced a situation of intimacy but, whatev, what is romance without some tropes? And, not a big surprise, they got into a bit of the humpty hump. We're still ok here, people - nothing particularly innovative but the story is still intriguing me and everyone is acting in character and with free will intact. Bryony asks not to speak of the first "indiscretion" again and even goes so far as to rebuff Leo's advances later. Then when he's almost entirely better and slumbering peacefully she starts taking liberties with his person. I wanted to throw the book across the room. You've already been all "keep your hands to yourself, pardner" and now he's asleep and you're going to take advantage??? ASLEEP!!!!!! Fucking asleep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can you say inappropriate????!!!!!!!!!!!????????? Non-consenting sex is ew! One must be awake to consent! And even if you know someone does actually want to do the Deed with you s/he still needs to be awake! Holy damn! This reminds me of when I had to read that piece of trash Water for Elephants years ago and was flabbergasted when the guy was raped and no one ever commented on it and my book club members didn't even notice! Wha?????????????? I very politely asked my fellow members how they would have responded to the scene if the guy had been a gal and the same things had happened. I swear I actually saw the light bulbs appear atop their heads. But anyway, let's not get me started on Water for Elephants. Let's get back to the inappropriate on display here...
These types of dodgy encounters just irritate the shit out of me. I find they are too often glossed over PERIOD but especially when men are on the receiving end. I like romance novels because they are positive depictions of emotional and sexual relationships not because people are so overwhelmed by their burning loins that they can't be bothered to wake a person up! Grrr! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!
So, anyway, as you can imagine nothing could redeem this story me for after that. It was just too irksome. Again, this book had so much potential and then even bigger pitfalls than Delicious. There was more I didn't like but I'm all irritated again and would rather go focus on something I do like rather than something that makes me angry.
ratings-
Delicious 3 of 5 stars
Not Quite a Husband 1 of 5 stars
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Book Rankings vs. Keeper Shelf (not necessarily a direct relationship)
Last month I was inspired to write about book grading systems and this led to what might be found on the ole Keeper Shelf. My Keeper Shelf includes books that I've rated from 3 - 5 stars and there are many books I've rated above average that I'm not at all interested in keeping. So, how is it that I might want to keep a book but not give it a "good" rating? Well, I have a very healthy appreciation for the fact that what I enjoy and what is an example of an excellent book are not always one and the same. Let's start with some examples from the Keeper Shelf and then some explanations.
sgwordy's Keeper Shelf, a mostly random sampling
3 of 5 star books-
R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton
The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale
Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Dream Hunter by Laura Kinsale
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Neffenegger
4 of 5 star books-
Gates of Fire by Stephen Pressfield
White Cat by Holly Black
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin
Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley
Stalking the Angel by Robert Crais
5 of 5 star books-
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Without Remorse by Tom Clancy
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow
The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale
While I was riffling through the shelf, trying to cover several genres, I realized it takes any one of the following three things to get a book on my Keeper Shelf:
1. It's a book I will read again
2. It's a book I want to remember to recommend to people
3. It's a book I want to "show off" that I've read (tip of the cap to Seinfeld for recognizing this tendency)
If I had to get all scientific (and, really, why not?) I'd say ~87% of the Shelf is stacked with books from number 1, ~10% from number 2, and ~3% from number 3. All books listed above are for reason number 1.
The 4 and 5 star categories probably don't need any explanation (unless we want to quibble over the ratings:) but why do I want to read books again when I've "only" rated them 3 stars? The truth of the matter is, and I'm sure this will come as no surprise, books are read for so many different reasons that they do not always have to be wonderful to attract an audience. I rate a book 3 stars if it will be satisfying to its intended audience, but probably unsatisfying to a wider audience, and it's not offensively bad. (Obviously that's pretty subjective but critiques usually are.)
Let's take The Actor and the Housewife as a very good example of a perfect book to receive 3 stars from me. First off, this is going to appeal to specific groups of people but will be completely uninteresting to a wider audience. It's certainly not offensively bad: it's well-written (though perhaps too long), the characters are depicted well enough but they are not the types to draw in a wide audience, the story/plot is well-defined and easy to follow but it's going to appeal even less to a wider audience than the characters. These are not necessarily bad things but it definitely means the book is a solid 3 stars. I connected with this book on a pretty personal level and truly enjoyed it. However, I was part of one of those specific groups. This is not a wider audience book and I think I've only recommended it to one person. (I've also given 3 stars to books I personally didn't like but that I knew filled my criteria. In those cases I was not the target audience but I was able to see how the book would be satisfying if a reader was - these obviously don't make it on my Keeper Shelf.)
How do I decide if something gets bumped up from 3 to 4? The writing is generally better (in my case I lean quite heavily towards rewarding anyone who says more with fewer words (oh, irony!)); characterization, plot, storyline, dramatic tension, etc have all been kicked up a notch; but most importantly the book will reach out to a wider audience. For this example we'll look at White Cat. The book is intended for young adults interested in speculative fiction. However, the writing, characterization, dramatic tension, and story environment are going to be satisfying to a lot of people who might never have thought to pick up YA books or spec fiction. I've recommended this title to several people and they've been universally satisfied. In fact, I'm looking forward to reading it again myself but it's still out on loan. It keeps getting cycled through many pairs of hands. Hmmm, better re-think that strategy. :)
Being completely cognizant of how utterly subjective this all is I now want to do a post dedicated to my complete bafflement as to how some books get on folks' Keeper Shelves and/or get high ratings. But that's the joy of being a reader, there is so much out there to sample and love or revile. It keeps the bloggers blogging, yeah?
What's on your Keeper Shelf that might not get a high ranking?
sgwordy's Keeper Shelf, a mostly random sampling
3 of 5 star books-
R is for Ricochet by Sue Grafton
The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale
Atonement by Ian McEwan
The Dream Hunter by Laura Kinsale
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Neffenegger
4 of 5 star books-
Gates of Fire by Stephen Pressfield
White Cat by Holly Black
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin
Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley
Stalking the Angel by Robert Crais
5 of 5 star books-
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
Without Remorse by Tom Clancy
Persuasion by Jane Austen
Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
The Power of the Dog by Don Winslow
The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale
While I was riffling through the shelf, trying to cover several genres, I realized it takes any one of the following three things to get a book on my Keeper Shelf:
1. It's a book I will read again
2. It's a book I want to remember to recommend to people
3. It's a book I want to "show off" that I've read (tip of the cap to Seinfeld for recognizing this tendency)
If I had to get all scientific (and, really, why not?) I'd say ~87% of the Shelf is stacked with books from number 1, ~10% from number 2, and ~3% from number 3. All books listed above are for reason number 1.
The 4 and 5 star categories probably don't need any explanation (unless we want to quibble over the ratings:) but why do I want to read books again when I've "only" rated them 3 stars? The truth of the matter is, and I'm sure this will come as no surprise, books are read for so many different reasons that they do not always have to be wonderful to attract an audience. I rate a book 3 stars if it will be satisfying to its intended audience, but probably unsatisfying to a wider audience, and it's not offensively bad. (Obviously that's pretty subjective but critiques usually are.)
Let's take The Actor and the Housewife as a very good example of a perfect book to receive 3 stars from me. First off, this is going to appeal to specific groups of people but will be completely uninteresting to a wider audience. It's certainly not offensively bad: it's well-written (though perhaps too long), the characters are depicted well enough but they are not the types to draw in a wide audience, the story/plot is well-defined and easy to follow but it's going to appeal even less to a wider audience than the characters. These are not necessarily bad things but it definitely means the book is a solid 3 stars. I connected with this book on a pretty personal level and truly enjoyed it. However, I was part of one of those specific groups. This is not a wider audience book and I think I've only recommended it to one person. (I've also given 3 stars to books I personally didn't like but that I knew filled my criteria. In those cases I was not the target audience but I was able to see how the book would be satisfying if a reader was - these obviously don't make it on my Keeper Shelf.)
How do I decide if something gets bumped up from 3 to 4? The writing is generally better (in my case I lean quite heavily towards rewarding anyone who says more with fewer words (oh, irony!)); characterization, plot, storyline, dramatic tension, etc have all been kicked up a notch; but most importantly the book will reach out to a wider audience. For this example we'll look at White Cat. The book is intended for young adults interested in speculative fiction. However, the writing, characterization, dramatic tension, and story environment are going to be satisfying to a lot of people who might never have thought to pick up YA books or spec fiction. I've recommended this title to several people and they've been universally satisfied. In fact, I'm looking forward to reading it again myself but it's still out on loan. It keeps getting cycled through many pairs of hands. Hmmm, better re-think that strategy. :)
Being completely cognizant of how utterly subjective this all is I now want to do a post dedicated to my complete bafflement as to how some books get on folks' Keeper Shelves and/or get high ratings. But that's the joy of being a reader, there is so much out there to sample and love or revile. It keeps the bloggers blogging, yeah?
What's on your Keeper Shelf that might not get a high ranking?
Sunday, December 5, 2010
"Thank God and Dr Pepper."
You just can't make this stuff up!
I'm gonna assume she's thanking God for her awesome chest-pass skills and Dr Pepper for the money.
I'm gonna assume she's thanking God for her awesome chest-pass skills and Dr Pepper for the money.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Reading Roundup
Time and/or interest often prevents me from reviewing much of what I read so when the mood strikes I'm going to start listing just a few comments on recently read books. These will include those books I start but then decide are not for me. So here we go...
(cue jazz hands)
Non-fiction written very well in a narrative style. Fuller does a great job of highlighting a problem in her adopted state (Wyoming). Colton is at once no one and everyone; learning his story is so many things but a few words I would use are: matter-of-fact, cheering, heart-breaking, educational, necessary. I was especially impressed with how much Fuller could do with so few words. The book is only about 200 pages, and reads very quickly, but it doesn't feel like anything is left out. She conveys the topic well.
Favorite lines:
rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is one of the books I don't plan to finish. The writing is very good and the characters intriguing but the plot is one that I don't enjoy much. It's a bit along the lines of the creation of a new faith/philosophy/religion and that storyline has never appealed to me. I'm going to stick with Butler's other work as she is a lovely writer so there's no reason to hang around in a story that isn't interesting to me.
rating: DNF
Is it just me or is the punctuation in that title odd? Anyway... this book is awesome in so many ways but evokes in me the same feelings I had when finishing Red Mars and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: I'm just not that interested. The story in this book is awesome, the world-building is fantastic, the details will blow you away (and I can't be the only one that cried a bit for Harv) but when push came to shove I just didn't care what happened. I think I need more of a narrative drive from books. A great big awesome world where stuff happens is just not enough. I need specific things to happen that directly pertain to the plot which will have a definite climax and then resolution. (If these things are not there I'd rather be reading non-fiction which also occurs in a great big awesome world where stuff happens, but in that case at least I'm learning something.) It's even better if I'm turning pages in the story just dying to know what the big climax will be. And even though I did read all the way to the end I feel like I ran out of pages rather than that the story ended.
rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is another that I don't plan to finish. It's YA which isn't a turn-off for me book-wise (I read tons of YA and some of my all-time fave books are found in this section) but this felt on the earlier spectrum of YA than I am interested in. YA can encompass so many types of stories and target audiences that it's truly as varied as the fiction section. The writing felt very explanatory, for lack of a more technical term, and I've always associated that with the younger YA audience and it usually doesn't keep my interest.
rating: DNF
What have you been reading lately?
(cue jazz hands)
Title: The Legend of Colton H. Bryant
Author: Alexandra Fuller
Publisher: Penguin Group (2008)
Non-fiction written very well in a narrative style. Fuller does a great job of highlighting a problem in her adopted state (Wyoming). Colton is at once no one and everyone; learning his story is so many things but a few words I would use are: matter-of-fact, cheering, heart-breaking, educational, necessary. I was especially impressed with how much Fuller could do with so few words. The book is only about 200 pages, and reads very quickly, but it doesn't feel like anything is left out. She conveys the topic well.
Favorite lines:
Jake says, "Happy now?"
"Born happy," says Colton.
It isn't just plain poverty - an ordinary lack of money - that keeps you on the wrong side of despair. It's a whole raft of poverties - a poverty of choice and a poverty of support and a poverty that comes with the certain knowledge that no one's going to take you seriously when you're invisibly decked out in an apron, working the night-shift.
rating: 4 of 5 stars
Title: Parable of the Sower
Author: Octavia E. Butler
Publisher: Warner Books (1993)
This is one of the books I don't plan to finish. The writing is very good and the characters intriguing but the plot is one that I don't enjoy much. It's a bit along the lines of the creation of a new faith/philosophy/religion and that storyline has never appealed to me. I'm going to stick with Butler's other work as she is a lovely writer so there's no reason to hang around in a story that isn't interesting to me.
rating: DNF
Title: The Diamond Age; or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer
Author: Neal Stephenson
Publisher: Bantam Books (1995)
Is it just me or is the punctuation in that title odd? Anyway... this book is awesome in so many ways but evokes in me the same feelings I had when finishing Red Mars and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell: I'm just not that interested. The story in this book is awesome, the world-building is fantastic, the details will blow you away (and I can't be the only one that cried a bit for Harv) but when push came to shove I just didn't care what happened. I think I need more of a narrative drive from books. A great big awesome world where stuff happens is just not enough. I need specific things to happen that directly pertain to the plot which will have a definite climax and then resolution. (If these things are not there I'd rather be reading non-fiction which also occurs in a great big awesome world where stuff happens, but in that case at least I'm learning something.) It's even better if I'm turning pages in the story just dying to know what the big climax will be. And even though I did read all the way to the end I feel like I ran out of pages rather than that the story ended.
rating: 3 of 5 stars
Title: Tantalize
Author: Cynthia Leitich Smith
Publisher: Candlewick Press (2007)
This is another that I don't plan to finish. It's YA which isn't a turn-off for me book-wise (I read tons of YA and some of my all-time fave books are found in this section) but this felt on the earlier spectrum of YA than I am interested in. YA can encompass so many types of stories and target audiences that it's truly as varied as the fiction section. The writing felt very explanatory, for lack of a more technical term, and I've always associated that with the younger YA audience and it usually doesn't keep my interest.
rating: DNF
What have you been reading lately?
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