all good people read good books
I made it a point to get some more reading time in over the break than I usually do, and a quick spin through my collection (electronic and paper) turned up these three, which I finished and enjoyed. I don't usually report on my reading but felt like doing it at least for the first one.
Swordspoint, by Ellen Kushner, self-described as "a melodrama of manners," is in a historical fantasy setting where rich aristocrats hire swordsmen to act out their squabbles, all of petty and political. The characters are likeable, the plot is interesting enough, and the twists, although not unguessable (which likely translates to "pretty obvious," coming from me), are still intriguing. I did not feel particularly drawn in at any point, yet wanted to keep reading. The writing is rich with details and foreshadowing, enough that after I finished the book, I immediately flipped back to reread several scenes that had seemed to have little importance the first time around. I didn't feel like the story made that much of an impression, yet the characters kept rolling around in my head for the next couple days, and good characters in a book is really something that catches me. So while initial feelings of the book were more neutral, I've ended up upgrading it to "liked it." This was my first Kushner, and I think I want to read more by her.
But perhaps one of the most refreshing things about this book (to me) was that bisexuality - in both affairs and relationships - was considered normal and unremarkable, was treated with respect, and was a trait common to not just one, but several characters, both important and not. That the book is over 25 years old makes that, in my mind, even more nifty. I cannot at the moment think of any other books where bisexuality was written so casually and not made into a Defining Characteristic somewhere. Anybody else know of some?
Westmark, by Lloyd Alexander, is YA historical fiction. It's an easy, light read, and having read another of Alexander's series previously, I can also say that it shares a lot of the same tropes: a protagonist young male orphan who goes through hardship and adventure, a spunky girl sidekick who turns out to be a lost princess, a comedic relief sidekick, a horrible evil bad guy and a war he provokes. I'll probably finish the series just because.
Assassin's Apprentice, by Robin Hobb, was the only one of the three with actual magic. This book caught my interest from fairly early on, and for the most part, didn't let it go. It had complex and likeable characters, a variety of intrigue, and a plot that mostly winds down by the end, but includes a few overarching conflicts that don't get resolved in the first book (but I assume they do later). This was the first Hobb that I have read, and I like her style a lot. This was definitely my favorite of the three and the one I am most eager to continue.
Although not intentionally picked as such, all three of these are the first book in a series or trilogy (and the last, the first trilogy in a series of trilogies!). Moreover, they are also enough decades old that the sequels that I don't already have should be quite easy to acquire. So I have my leisure time cut out for me for the next while! If anybody else is looking for recommendations, I'd probably include all three to varying degrees.
What have you read lately, and would you recommend it?
Swordspoint, by Ellen Kushner, self-described as "a melodrama of manners," is in a historical fantasy setting where rich aristocrats hire swordsmen to act out their squabbles, all of petty and political. The characters are likeable, the plot is interesting enough, and the twists, although not unguessable (which likely translates to "pretty obvious," coming from me), are still intriguing. I did not feel particularly drawn in at any point, yet wanted to keep reading. The writing is rich with details and foreshadowing, enough that after I finished the book, I immediately flipped back to reread several scenes that had seemed to have little importance the first time around. I didn't feel like the story made that much of an impression, yet the characters kept rolling around in my head for the next couple days, and good characters in a book is really something that catches me. So while initial feelings of the book were more neutral, I've ended up upgrading it to "liked it." This was my first Kushner, and I think I want to read more by her.
But perhaps one of the most refreshing things about this book (to me) was that bisexuality - in both affairs and relationships - was considered normal and unremarkable, was treated with respect, and was a trait common to not just one, but several characters, both important and not. That the book is over 25 years old makes that, in my mind, even more nifty. I cannot at the moment think of any other books where bisexuality was written so casually and not made into a Defining Characteristic somewhere. Anybody else know of some?
Westmark, by Lloyd Alexander, is YA historical fiction. It's an easy, light read, and having read another of Alexander's series previously, I can also say that it shares a lot of the same tropes: a protagonist young male orphan who goes through hardship and adventure, a spunky girl sidekick who turns out to be a lost princess, a comedic relief sidekick, a horrible evil bad guy and a war he provokes. I'll probably finish the series just because.
Assassin's Apprentice, by Robin Hobb, was the only one of the three with actual magic. This book caught my interest from fairly early on, and for the most part, didn't let it go. It had complex and likeable characters, a variety of intrigue, and a plot that mostly winds down by the end, but includes a few overarching conflicts that don't get resolved in the first book (but I assume they do later). This was the first Hobb that I have read, and I like her style a lot. This was definitely my favorite of the three and the one I am most eager to continue.
Although not intentionally picked as such, all three of these are the first book in a series or trilogy (and the last, the first trilogy in a series of trilogies!). Moreover, they are also enough decades old that the sequels that I don't already have should be quite easy to acquire. So I have my leisure time cut out for me for the next while! If anybody else is looking for recommendations, I'd probably include all three to varying degrees.
What have you read lately, and would you recommend it?