reading Wednesday
What did you just finish reading?
Martha Wells' City of Bones, which although among her earlier novels, felt very much like a Martha Wells novel. If you like the Books of the Raksura because they have an alienated hero who stumbles upon a community that accepts him, and because of the complex and detailed world-building around him, give City of Bones a try. It's less alien than The Cloud Roads, but in some ways more, well, magical. Good stuff.
Also Theodore Dreiser's Sister Carrie, which surprised me, because after reading An American Tragedy, I expected it to end in tears. And it didn't--or at least, it didn't for Carrie. It's a remarkably sensible and sympathetic look at a young woman who gets "into trouble" and uses the skills she's allowed to have to make her way in the world. Carrie goes from naivete to a certain sophistication, from poverty to wealth, and isn't held by the novel to be a Fallen Woman. I found it surprisingly modern and encouraging for the time.
What are you reading?
I'm reading Ankharet Wells' The Maker's Mask, but I'm only a little ways into it. It's ... complicated. I haven't figured out the world-building yet, but it does remind me a little bit of the Steerswoman novels by Rosemary Kirstein. I got it because
coffeeandink said it was one of the best self-published novels she'd read in the last few years.
I'm also listening to The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer on audiobook, and also The Case for God by Karen Armstrong (although I admit the Armstrong is mostly being used as a soporific...)
What will you read next?
Maybe Red Shift by Alan Garner. Whatever comes up next for book club. I'll probably get back into the Aubrey-Maturin series on audiobook, as well. And I have a big stack of nonfiction TBR as well.
Crossposted from DW, where there are
comments; comment here or there.
Martha Wells' City of Bones, which although among her earlier novels, felt very much like a Martha Wells novel. If you like the Books of the Raksura because they have an alienated hero who stumbles upon a community that accepts him, and because of the complex and detailed world-building around him, give City of Bones a try. It's less alien than The Cloud Roads, but in some ways more, well, magical. Good stuff.
Also Theodore Dreiser's Sister Carrie, which surprised me, because after reading An American Tragedy, I expected it to end in tears. And it didn't--or at least, it didn't for Carrie. It's a remarkably sensible and sympathetic look at a young woman who gets "into trouble" and uses the skills she's allowed to have to make her way in the world. Carrie goes from naivete to a certain sophistication, from poverty to wealth, and isn't held by the novel to be a Fallen Woman. I found it surprisingly modern and encouraging for the time.
What are you reading?
I'm reading Ankharet Wells' The Maker's Mask, but I'm only a little ways into it. It's ... complicated. I haven't figured out the world-building yet, but it does remind me a little bit of the Steerswoman novels by Rosemary Kirstein. I got it because
coffeeandink said it was one of the best self-published novels she'd read in the last few years.
I'm also listening to The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer on audiobook, and also The Case for God by Karen Armstrong (although I admit the Armstrong is mostly being used as a soporific...)
What will you read next?
Maybe Red Shift by Alan Garner. Whatever comes up next for book club. I'll probably get back into the Aubrey-Maturin series on audiobook, as well. And I have a big stack of nonfiction TBR as well.
Crossposted from DW, where there are
comments; comment here or there.