How is it already the end of January?
So I have some reviews that I need to do, so...
I keep reading Raymond E Feist's books on the hope that they get back to the quality of Magician and the few books that came after it. But I can really say they don't.
While I enjoyed it, it wasn't brilliant and took me ages to get into. Nothing much happened for huge amounts of the book. There are bits I enjoyed - Tomas freaking the fuck out of the newest elves was a particular highlight.
There were various moments in the book, the cliffhangers in particular, that weren't exactly...cliffhangery. I should have been going 'OMG, WTF is going to happen?' but I very rarely was.
I found Miranda's death to be the most shocking thing and it did make me shed a few tears. I was gutted that Caleb and his family died. I had hoped that they'd be okay, but it wasn't to be.
The biggest problem I have with these books now is that there are SO damn many characters in them. There are the ones who are always here, Pug, Magmus and Tomas, but the ever in expanding characters because of the number of places the Conclave of Shadows reaches is dizzying.
Plus, I still miss Jimmy the Hand. And Prince Arutha. No characters can be as awesome as them, in my opinion. I'm really tempted to re-read Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon. Those were brilliant.
I've already got the sequel At the Gates of Darkness but I'm not compelled to read it immediately.
Well, on the one hand it was awesome being back with the werewolves and only the werewolves and I do love Elena and Clay and it's interesting seeing how they've changed since they got the twins and how they prioritise things differently.
Also interesting is that Jeremy is setting up Elena to be pack leader. I think that's kind of awesome.
My biggest grip is that Clay calling Elena 'darling' all the time kept throwing me out of the story. I just. I can't see him calling her that all the time.
I have to admit, though, that I can't wait for Waking the Witch which is all about Savannah.
I would totally recommend reading her YA series which is set in the same universe has her Women of the Otherworld books.
They are The Summoning, The Awakening and, in April 2010, The Reckoning.
I think that because it's been so long since I've read the rest of these series I missed some of the clues Terry Brooks peppered thoughout the book. Despite this, though, I kind of loved the book.
Mistaya was kind of annoying at times, but at the same time I still enjoyed her. I think she was quite a good representation of a headstrong fifteen year old who believes she knows better than her parents.
It's definitely been set up for a sequel and I'm kind of looking forward to it. There were some interesting strands to the plot left open and I'm looking forward to seeing where they go.
So, this was kind of amazing and brilliant. Despite being about his experience of being part of the vanguard into Iraq, this was so much more. It covered his training and his time in Afganistan before his time in Iraq. It's a great companion piece to Evan Wright's Generation Kill.
It's so stark and honest and explains the mentality of being a soldier so well.
I cannot recommend this book enough. It's one of those you have to read to appreciate it. But read it.
I've been looking up museums I could go to this year. So far, I've got the Cartoon Museum (which I'm thinking is a dead cert), The National Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, The Sherlock Holmes Museum, Science Museum, Tate Britain or Victoria and Albert.
I've also been starting to organise going to see Macbeth at The Globe with krazykipper and Blenheim Palace with krazykipper and valderys.
I've also got to get around to sorting out my times in America. If I don't it will suddenly be the end of May and I'll have nothing booked. This will happen to me.
So, I think I've decided that I'll go to San Francisco and New York. I love NYC and haven't been there for four hours and San Francisco is a city I have always wanted to go to. Now all I need to do it actually book hotels and things like that.
Although I had been thinking about going driving down the coast of California and maybe even going to Yosemite, the booking of the car, along with all the motels I'd have to stay in and the gas made it just too expensive, considering what I'm already doing.
I think I might have that for next year. Just go over to California and explore *nods*
I keep reading Raymond E Feist's books on the hope that they get back to the quality of Magician and the few books that came after it. But I can really say they don't.
While I enjoyed it, it wasn't brilliant and took me ages to get into. Nothing much happened for huge amounts of the book. There are bits I enjoyed - Tomas freaking the fuck out of the newest elves was a particular highlight.
There were various moments in the book, the cliffhangers in particular, that weren't exactly...cliffhangery. I should have been going 'OMG, WTF is going to happen?' but I very rarely was.
I found Miranda's death to be the most shocking thing and it did make me shed a few tears. I was gutted that Caleb and his family died. I had hoped that they'd be okay, but it wasn't to be.
The biggest problem I have with these books now is that there are SO damn many characters in them. There are the ones who are always here, Pug, Magmus and Tomas, but the ever in expanding characters because of the number of places the Conclave of Shadows reaches is dizzying.
Plus, I still miss Jimmy the Hand. And Prince Arutha. No characters can be as awesome as them, in my opinion. I'm really tempted to re-read Silverthorn and A Darkness at Sethanon. Those were brilliant.
I've already got the sequel At the Gates of Darkness but I'm not compelled to read it immediately.
Well, on the one hand it was awesome being back with the werewolves and only the werewolves and I do love Elena and Clay and it's interesting seeing how they've changed since they got the twins and how they prioritise things differently.
Also interesting is that Jeremy is setting up Elena to be pack leader. I think that's kind of awesome.
My biggest grip is that Clay calling Elena 'darling' all the time kept throwing me out of the story. I just. I can't see him calling her that all the time.
I have to admit, though, that I can't wait for Waking the Witch which is all about Savannah.
I would totally recommend reading her YA series which is set in the same universe has her Women of the Otherworld books.
They are The Summoning, The Awakening and, in April 2010, The Reckoning.
I think that because it's been so long since I've read the rest of these series I missed some of the clues Terry Brooks peppered thoughout the book. Despite this, though, I kind of loved the book.
Mistaya was kind of annoying at times, but at the same time I still enjoyed her. I think she was quite a good representation of a headstrong fifteen year old who believes she knows better than her parents.
It's definitely been set up for a sequel and I'm kind of looking forward to it. There were some interesting strands to the plot left open and I'm looking forward to seeing where they go.
So, this was kind of amazing and brilliant. Despite being about his experience of being part of the vanguard into Iraq, this was so much more. It covered his training and his time in Afganistan before his time in Iraq. It's a great companion piece to Evan Wright's Generation Kill.
It's so stark and honest and explains the mentality of being a soldier so well.
I cannot recommend this book enough. It's one of those you have to read to appreciate it. But read it.
I've been looking up museums I could go to this year. So far, I've got the Cartoon Museum (which I'm thinking is a dead cert), The National Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, The Sherlock Holmes Museum, Science Museum, Tate Britain or Victoria and Albert.
I've also been starting to organise going to see Macbeth at The Globe with krazykipper and Blenheim Palace with krazykipper and valderys.
I've also got to get around to sorting out my times in America. If I don't it will suddenly be the end of May and I'll have nothing booked. This will happen to me.
So, I think I've decided that I'll go to San Francisco and New York. I love NYC and haven't been there for four hours and San Francisco is a city I have always wanted to go to. Now all I need to do it actually book hotels and things like that.
Although I had been thinking about going driving down the coast of California and maybe even going to Yosemite, the booking of the car, along with all the motels I'd have to stay in and the gas made it just too expensive, considering what I'm already doing.
I think I might have that for next year. Just go over to California and explore *nods*