First trimester books
No, not books about the first trimester but rather novels that have been distracting me from the woes of the first trimester.
In the order in which I read them:
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
I actually started reading this before I knew I was pregnant and I finished it before the worst of the nausea hit, which is good because I've learned the hard way that King and upset stomachs do not mix well. I found it difficult to get back into a headspace where I could read King again after so long away from his style. This is izhilzha's favorite King novel, though, so I stuck it out even though it didn't do a lot for me at first, because Izh has yet to steer me wrong when it comes to fiction. I think I had an especially hard time because the first half of the book is a lot of disconnected story threads that don't seem to be going anywhere in particular. That, and the main character's in a coma. Once he wakes up, though, the narrative takes on more color and all the threads start pulling together. By the end, I was quite taken with the main character and very impressed with the tightness and completeness with which everything had been worked into the grand plot. Plus, it has psychometry, which is one of my favorite psychic powers. Definitely glad I read this one. *thumbs up*
Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
I started this at some point last year and for some reason never finished it. I hadn't read any Temeraire in a while, so it was nice to get back to him and Laurence and the Napoleonic flyboys. I think the first Temeraire book is still my favorite, but I liked this book at least as well as the second one. I still miss Lily and Maximus and their captains, but the little troupe of feral dragons amused me greatly and I loved how they turned up again at the end to save the day. Yay little ferals! And I liked the general direction that the Dragons' Rights stuff was taking in this book better than in the last one, for some reason. Probably my favorite part of the book was anything involving Iskierka (I think that's how it's spelled). I love Temeraire being all put out that he has to lose one of his crew to her, and I love him trying to keep her in hand and pronouncing that he was never this silly when he was newly hatched. Heh. Oh, and "We are taking your cows, but it is not stealing, for we are at war!" Oh, Temeraire. Gotta get the fourth book, since I don't think I have a copy. Possibly there is one that I could liberate from the store...
The Provincial Lady in London by E.M. Delafield
I read Provincial Lady books when I'm sick or stressed and don't have the energy or mental togetherness to keep track of anything plotty. There's not much I can say about these books other than that they are hilarious and entertaining without being taxing. The narrator's tendency to take two steps forward and ones step back in any venture she undertakes is rendered amusing rather than frustrating by the way she writes about it in her diary. Her private opinions of the other characters are priceless and her perpetual state of slight bafflement with everything from where the money goes to why there are always too many tea towels and not enough blankets in the house tickles me. I think I have at least one other book in this series, must find out if there are more.
Thud! by Terry Pratchett
I think I'm just going to read nothing but Pratchett until I'm feeling all the way better again. There is nothing so cheering as a PTerry book. I continue to love the Watch to bits. Vimes just keeps getting more awesome, Carrot still amuses me with how secretly cunning he is, Fred and Nobby crack me up as always, and Detritus is and always will be love. The vampire/werewolf thing between Angua and Sally was amusing, as was all the dwarf/troll stuff, and of course we cannot forget Mr. A.E. Pessimal. But Sybil and Wilikins the butler sort of stole the show for me, this time. The scene where the deep dwarves attempted to invade the house may be the best thing I've read in a long time. Wilikins with his ice knife, Sybil with her dragons and armor, Vimes crazy with rage that they attacked his family...awesome. And of course:
'Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? your grace.'
'I know that one,' said Vimes. 'Who watches the watchman? Me, Mr. Pessimal.'
'Ah, but who watches you, your grace?' said the inspector, with a brief smile.
'I do that, too. All the time,' said Vimes. 'Believe me.'
PTerry! Why so awesome?
I'm reading Mort right now, because I got halfway through the book I started after Thud! (Mythago Wood, if you're interested) and decided I needed something lighter. So of course I picked up a book about Death. *grin*
In the order in which I read them:
The Dead Zone by Stephen King
I actually started reading this before I knew I was pregnant and I finished it before the worst of the nausea hit, which is good because I've learned the hard way that King and upset stomachs do not mix well. I found it difficult to get back into a headspace where I could read King again after so long away from his style. This is izhilzha's favorite King novel, though, so I stuck it out even though it didn't do a lot for me at first, because Izh has yet to steer me wrong when it comes to fiction. I think I had an especially hard time because the first half of the book is a lot of disconnected story threads that don't seem to be going anywhere in particular. That, and the main character's in a coma. Once he wakes up, though, the narrative takes on more color and all the threads start pulling together. By the end, I was quite taken with the main character and very impressed with the tightness and completeness with which everything had been worked into the grand plot. Plus, it has psychometry, which is one of my favorite psychic powers. Definitely glad I read this one. *thumbs up*
Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
I started this at some point last year and for some reason never finished it. I hadn't read any Temeraire in a while, so it was nice to get back to him and Laurence and the Napoleonic flyboys. I think the first Temeraire book is still my favorite, but I liked this book at least as well as the second one. I still miss Lily and Maximus and their captains, but the little troupe of feral dragons amused me greatly and I loved how they turned up again at the end to save the day. Yay little ferals! And I liked the general direction that the Dragons' Rights stuff was taking in this book better than in the last one, for some reason. Probably my favorite part of the book was anything involving Iskierka (I think that's how it's spelled). I love Temeraire being all put out that he has to lose one of his crew to her, and I love him trying to keep her in hand and pronouncing that he was never this silly when he was newly hatched. Heh. Oh, and "We are taking your cows, but it is not stealing, for we are at war!" Oh, Temeraire. Gotta get the fourth book, since I don't think I have a copy. Possibly there is one that I could liberate from the store...
The Provincial Lady in London by E.M. Delafield
I read Provincial Lady books when I'm sick or stressed and don't have the energy or mental togetherness to keep track of anything plotty. There's not much I can say about these books other than that they are hilarious and entertaining without being taxing. The narrator's tendency to take two steps forward and ones step back in any venture she undertakes is rendered amusing rather than frustrating by the way she writes about it in her diary. Her private opinions of the other characters are priceless and her perpetual state of slight bafflement with everything from where the money goes to why there are always too many tea towels and not enough blankets in the house tickles me. I think I have at least one other book in this series, must find out if there are more.
Thud! by Terry Pratchett
I think I'm just going to read nothing but Pratchett until I'm feeling all the way better again. There is nothing so cheering as a PTerry book. I continue to love the Watch to bits. Vimes just keeps getting more awesome, Carrot still amuses me with how secretly cunning he is, Fred and Nobby crack me up as always, and Detritus is and always will be love. The vampire/werewolf thing between Angua and Sally was amusing, as was all the dwarf/troll stuff, and of course we cannot forget Mr. A.E. Pessimal. But Sybil and Wilikins the butler sort of stole the show for me, this time. The scene where the deep dwarves attempted to invade the house may be the best thing I've read in a long time. Wilikins with his ice knife, Sybil with her dragons and armor, Vimes crazy with rage that they attacked his family...awesome. And of course:
'Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? your grace.'
'I know that one,' said Vimes. 'Who watches the watchman? Me, Mr. Pessimal.'
'Ah, but who watches you, your grace?' said the inspector, with a brief smile.
'I do that, too. All the time,' said Vimes. 'Believe me.'
PTerry! Why so awesome?
I'm reading Mort right now, because I got halfway through the book I started after Thud! (Mythago Wood, if you're interested) and decided I needed something lighter. So of course I picked up a book about Death. *grin*