Week 2 reading
Got 4 books read this week, 2 novels and 2 manga.
(6) Angel in a Red Dress by Judith Ivory-This one is a rewrite of an older book written under Ivory's Judy Cuevas pseudonym. I generally avoid the original versions of the Cuevas books because, while interesting, they're usually too unconventional even for me. The rewrites, though, take out the more extreme elements and make the books more accessible(and it should be noted that, even then, many romance readers still find them to be too extreme. I find them nice and original.) This one is set against the French Revolution, a period rarely touched on in romance novels(I think because publishers don't like it when nobility gets offed, given how much they love their dukes and earls...) and features a heroine whose husband is divorcing her(a huge no-no in romance novels!) because she supposedly can't have children(unheard of!) Anyone familiar with romances, particularly historical romances, can already see why the people who only like their historical romances to feature 18 year old society virgins who get pregnant the first time they have sex run away. Which is a pity, as Ivory really is one of the best writers out there. She portrayed the realities of a divorcee as realistically as she possibly could, and her characters actually act like...you know...people. I don't know if it's my favorite Ivory, but it was pretty good.
(7) Negima Vol 12 by Ken Akamatsu-Dang...even though I always remember Negima as taking farlonger than any other manga out there to read(except Love Hina, and, you know, same mangaka...) I always forget just HOW long it takes to read. But it's always worth it, and, really, more bang for your buck is great if it's worthwhile bang. With it whittled down to only a few contestants left, it looks like the martial arts tournament is finally drawing to a close. Not that it hasn't been a blast throughout(I can't pick my favorite match, they're all great, though I must say that Eva not even bothering with more than one blow on her much-hyped opponent in this volume is kinda hard to top.) but I'm ready to move on and get some secrets about Nagi addressed, and it looks like we're finally about to make it there.
(8) One Good Night by Mercedes Lackey-A very loose sequel to the awesome Fairy Godmother, this is another that starts as yet another conventional retelling of a common story--in this case, St. George and the Dragon--and then wildly veers off to tell its own story(which, of course, is the entire point of the series) Intelligent heroine, warrior heroine, and lovable(but far from cuddly) dragons, how could it go wrong? Not as good as Fairy Godmother, but that's only because it has very high standards to live up to.
(9) Saiyuki Reload Vol 6 by Kazuya Minekura--we finally take(for about 2/3s of the volume) a break from the boys travelling with Bishop Hazel. Not that it's not a good story, but I'm ready for it to start warpping up, much like the Kami-sama story in Saiyuki. I rather like Zakuro, the boys' new quasi-antagonist(and what is it with Goku becoming BFF with enemies, anyway? Has he no concept of self-preservation? "Oooh...you're supposed to kill us, but you're nice and cool, lets be friends! And then, if you ever take your job, you know, seriously, I'll be horribly crushed." *pets the monkey*) and hope he hangs around. And I definately hope he doesn't pull Kougaiji's "I'll show up 5 pages a book" act that he's been doing for most of Reload. *is not pleased by this, but thinks it shall be changing soon*
Currently reading: Double Dealing by Jayne castle(aka Jayne Ann Krentz and Amanda Quick) and Inu Yasha Vol 28.
Goal for the week: those 2, Traitor to the Blood by Barb and C.J. Hendee, and Adventures in Oz by Eric Shanower.
(6) Angel in a Red Dress by Judith Ivory-This one is a rewrite of an older book written under Ivory's Judy Cuevas pseudonym. I generally avoid the original versions of the Cuevas books because, while interesting, they're usually too unconventional even for me. The rewrites, though, take out the more extreme elements and make the books more accessible(and it should be noted that, even then, many romance readers still find them to be too extreme. I find them nice and original.) This one is set against the French Revolution, a period rarely touched on in romance novels(I think because publishers don't like it when nobility gets offed, given how much they love their dukes and earls...) and features a heroine whose husband is divorcing her(a huge no-no in romance novels!) because she supposedly can't have children(unheard of!) Anyone familiar with romances, particularly historical romances, can already see why the people who only like their historical romances to feature 18 year old society virgins who get pregnant the first time they have sex run away. Which is a pity, as Ivory really is one of the best writers out there. She portrayed the realities of a divorcee as realistically as she possibly could, and her characters actually act like...you know...people. I don't know if it's my favorite Ivory, but it was pretty good.
(7) Negima Vol 12 by Ken Akamatsu-Dang...even though I always remember Negima as taking farlonger than any other manga out there to read(except Love Hina, and, you know, same mangaka...) I always forget just HOW long it takes to read. But it's always worth it, and, really, more bang for your buck is great if it's worthwhile bang. With it whittled down to only a few contestants left, it looks like the martial arts tournament is finally drawing to a close. Not that it hasn't been a blast throughout(I can't pick my favorite match, they're all great, though I must say that Eva not even bothering with more than one blow on her much-hyped opponent in this volume is kinda hard to top.) but I'm ready to move on and get some secrets about Nagi addressed, and it looks like we're finally about to make it there.
(8) One Good Night by Mercedes Lackey-A very loose sequel to the awesome Fairy Godmother, this is another that starts as yet another conventional retelling of a common story--in this case, St. George and the Dragon--and then wildly veers off to tell its own story(which, of course, is the entire point of the series) Intelligent heroine, warrior heroine, and lovable(but far from cuddly) dragons, how could it go wrong? Not as good as Fairy Godmother, but that's only because it has very high standards to live up to.
(9) Saiyuki Reload Vol 6 by Kazuya Minekura--we finally take(for about 2/3s of the volume) a break from the boys travelling with Bishop Hazel. Not that it's not a good story, but I'm ready for it to start warpping up, much like the Kami-sama story in Saiyuki. I rather like Zakuro, the boys' new quasi-antagonist(and what is it with Goku becoming BFF with enemies, anyway? Has he no concept of self-preservation? "Oooh...you're supposed to kill us, but you're nice and cool, lets be friends! And then, if you ever take your job, you know, seriously, I'll be horribly crushed." *pets the monkey*) and hope he hangs around. And I definately hope he doesn't pull Kougaiji's "I'll show up 5 pages a book" act that he's been doing for most of Reload. *is not pleased by this, but thinks it shall be changing soon*
Currently reading: Double Dealing by Jayne castle(aka Jayne Ann Krentz and Amanda Quick) and Inu Yasha Vol 28.
Goal for the week: those 2, Traitor to the Blood by Barb and C.J. Hendee, and Adventures in Oz by Eric Shanower.