Chhhhhhhhhhhhapter!

[grooot]

Crawled on my hands and knees over broken glass a la Bruce Willis in Die Hard to bring you Mongoose Chapter 30.

It took me quite a while to figure It what I wanted to do in this chapter. So....hope it is well received.

Comments

[chienne_folle]

I like most science fiction and fantasy, though there are a few subtypes that I'm not wild about. I don't much care for dystopian fiction, because my mind comes up with awful scenarios on its own, thanks. :-) And I'm not much into stories that focus on the military or politics. My favorite stories are ones that read rather like the anthropology of alien cultures, like Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card or The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin. Not that that's all I read, by any means, just that those especially light me up.

I also read mysteries, mostly the old classics like Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh (speaking of NZ authors), Rex Stout, and Arthur Conan Doyle.

I read some paranormal stuff, as long as the romance isn't too sappy, which most of them are, so I read fairly few in this genre. I like the Anita Blake books, especially the first dozen or so. I'm not as fond of the books after Incubus Dreams. I don't care for the same author's Merry books, though, partly because the denouement was so thoroughly dishonest and such a cop-out. I also don't get why Hamilton is so taken with characters like Richard and Frost, who clearly have their heads up their asses. I thought Doyle was worth ten of Frost and didn't get why Merry was so crazy for Frost. I like Anita because she's a tough lady who kicks ass and doesn't have much patience for girly shit. I'm not much good at kicking ass, but I don't have any patience for girly shit, so she's a great Mary Sue for me. :-)

There's a lot of YA that I enjoy, starting with the HP books but by no means limited to them. I love the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix, which isn't nearly as widely known as it should be. The first novel in the trilogy seems like it's going to be relatively conventional, but then books two and three blow that out of the water. :-)

I've never heard of Margaret Mahy, but if you like her, I'm certainly willing to give it a whirl. Which one of hers is your fave?

[grooot]

So... they aren’t long. My absolute favourite is called The Changeover. It’s sold as a “supernatural romance” but don’t let that put you off. Mahy is not a soppy, mushy writer.

Agh it’s just so good!

Now I’m terrified you find it, read it and think meh.

[chienne_folle]

I can get it through interlibrary loan, so I've requested it.

And really, don't be terrified! There are books where my husband and I both agree that THIS book is FABULOUS, and then there are books that I love but my husband doesn't, or he loves it but I don't. I don't know of any two humans who agree on everything! I'm more worried that if I don't like the book, you'll think less of me. :-)

My husband and I met at a party (which we both attended solely because it was a good-bye party for a person we cared about) where everyone else was drinking and dancing sloppily as they all got drunk, which neither of us thinks is a good time. I was sitting on the sides watching the drunk people act like jerks, and Norman came over to talk to me. We started discussing science fiction, and he shyly confessed that although he knew they were objectively terrible, although he knew the prose was purple and the social attitudes dated, he secretly adored the Lensman novels by E. E. "Doc" Smith. And I said, "God, I love those books! I mean, they're terrible by all known measures, and yet they're SO good!"

We spent HOURS talking about science fiction novels we loved, and after I finally went home, everyone said to Norman, "Hey, Cory only ever stays at a party for 15 minutes! What did you DO to get her to stay for THREE HOURS?" Norman said, "Er, I talked to her?" "Huh," they said, "we never tried that." *rolls eyes*

So Norman and I got together partly because of our mutual love of science fiction, and even WE don't agree on every book. :-)

[grooot]

Oh my god that story!!! Er.....I talked to her. ha!

Oh if you don’t like it that’s cool, I’m sure we can find ONE we both enjoy! Your turn next. :)

One of my colleagues gave me A Little Life to read. It is bloody harrowing and I’ve stopped reading it. Real life is full of enough terrible things thanks. It’s got amazing reviews and it was very well written but...ugh. No thanks.

[chienne_folle]

I've gotten the book from the library, so I'm good to go. I hope to start reading it tonight or tomorrow.

Yeah, I don't do harrowing anymore. I used to be a therapist for adults who'd been physically, sexually, or emotionally abused as children, and I've heard enough terrible things for one lifetime. I mean, it was an honor to be there for people whose parents had failed them, and I don't begrudge a single moment of that journey. But now that I'm done with it, I don't need to hear terrible stuff. I didn't get get the tee shirt for hearing terrible stuff; I got the freaking sweatshirt AND the matching pants! :-)

[grooot]

OH exciting! I’ll read it again too!

So the good thing is, neither of us will recommend anything harrowing so that’s good! :)