books etc
Happy easter! If you're celebrating it. I hope everyone is having a nice weekend in any case. :)
I have been reading books much less than I used to because of lack of time and neccessary concentration. I have though read a couple of nice things in the past year that I don't think I've written about before or I might have forgotten I've already done so? Anyway. No major spoilers anywhere, I swear! :)
His Majesty's Dragon by NaomiNovik
I like dragons. :) Temeraire is the dragon most important to the story and he is my favourite dragon of all dragons everywhere. :) The series is set in the time of Napoleon's wars so it's kind of fantasy version of Master and Commander. There are five books so far I think.
I love this series. The first novel is my favourite. I feel the latest one is a bit overly threaded with sadness, but I still love the whole series so far and am really excited that the author is writing more and hopeful that things turn for the better for my favourite dragon and his companions. :) I have read the series once through and am rereading very slowly. Am currently on novel no 3. :) I love the audiobook format - these are wonderfully performed. Anyway, a hint of how much I like these books might be that I've named my work computer Temeraire, for which I am getting slack from my coworkers. :P
First novel available for free. :D
Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
I love time travel stories, but they have to be done well - and this one is. It is a love story between a man, who travels through time, unvoluntarily, and a woman, who doesn't. I've read it twice so far and am itching to again. :)
Oh, um, just now I was googling to see if the author has a webpage (under construction so am not linking) and apparently there will be a film o.O. I am unsure if that is a good thing or not.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
This is Kipling's The Jungle Book, retold with the orphan raised in a cemetery. It is really lovely. Especially when read by Neil himself. :)
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
A children's book about a little girl who finds a door on the other side of which she finds the world is the same only better. Or is it? :P I liked it, it is quite creepy. o.O
It is available for free somewhere online but I don't think I have the link anymore. Google it. :)
I am so eagerly awaiting the animation it's ridiculous. It only comes to cinemas on May 14th here, wah. We are SO behind everyone... But, at least it's not too long now. :)
The Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
This is a story about a couple of teenagers who are at the wrong place at the wrong time and are wrongly accused of being terrorists. And how one of them fights back.
I read it in a day. And so did s. The book isn't perfect, but it is well written and feels scarily contemporary despite it being sci-fi. It might make you not a little paranoid. :P
Neil Gaiman wrote a very nice and very spot on recommendation here, which is what made me want to read it.
The author is really very nice in that he gets the way the torrent world works and he allows the digital version of his work to be freely distributed on the web (link above with the title :)). So you can read it as a pdf for free. :)
And last but definitely not least!
I have been reading sarahtales's lj for quite some time now. I find her writing really funny and I think she could write about shopping lists and make it interesting and fun. :) Now she's written a book! It is a YA contemporary fantasy and it is the first of a series (I think it is a trilogy?). And I was lucky indeed to get an advanced reader copy, also called ARC and have read it already even though it doesn't come out until June:
The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
I loved it! I really recommend it. :)
Quite some time ago now Sarah posted and squeed in her lj about an ad her lovely publishers put somewhere online and I looked at the ad. And was quite interested in what it had to say, namely, that if anyone would like to read the Demon's Lexicon ARC that they should write an email saying so to a certain email address. And I thought to myself, oh, hm, this must only be for very special people in the business. Which I am not. But, well, the ad didn't say specifically that you had to be in the publishing business/working in bookshops/libraries etc., so I gave it a shot, saying that I am a fan and would love to read it. I mean, so what, no one will write back anyway, but no harm in writing an email, yeah? And, surprise, surprise, I got a very nice email back, saying that they would love to send me the ARC, if only I give them an address. o.O I couldn't believe it! I live in Slovenia! I never get free stuff like that, ever ever! I thought maybe it's a scam or something, but what the hell, I gave them my real address and told them I'll understand if they change their mind when they see I live really far away. And the really nice lady in charge of this emailed me that it's no problem, they'll send the ARC to me even though I live in Europe. I was really really really happy! :) But I still sort of didn't really believe it'll really happen, until...
It took a little while, but I went to check my post every single day even though I usually leave it to S. :P and one day I got a little paper in my mailbox saying that some people from UPS have a package for me. :D:D:D I was so excited I gave them a call right away and well - they only deliver in the morning, which is a problem for me because I am at work in the morning and I so didn't want to have the book delivered at work - I mean, having it and not being able to read it??? Torture! :P So, I was a very 'responsible adult' (hehe, as if) and told them to deliver next morning and took a day off work. :D To read a book. :P Sarah was pleased when I shared that little information. :D And I have to say I had a great day. :) I got the book and was able to relax in my comfy bed with it and read all day in peace. Well, almost. My best friend came round for a chat when I was in the middle of it! I am usually really happy when she comes by, but this time I couldn't wait for her to leave so I could find out what happens next! :P
I thought it would be bigger. I have no idea why! It is totally big enough and all. :) Just, the first time I had it in my hands it felt smaller than I expected.
I love all the main characters, they are all complex and interesting individuals. There is so much spark between them all and I love the funny one liners and the brotherly and sisterly love, which is so very strong and clear. I very much enjoyed all the lovely unique similes (they are called that, right? Am not native speaker :/). The combination of the ordinary world with the fantastical was very interesting. Most of all I love the plotty twists and turns. :)
The writing makes me love (as much as one can love a fictional character) someone who kills people and lies really well and often and I personally hate lying and think killing is wrong ALWAYS... but I love this person (um, fictional character). Wah! I feel so conflicted!
I also think Sarah did something really original that is VERY spoilery and so I can't say anything about it, but - I haven't seen anything quite like that anywhere before and I loved it.
When I saw the awesome Japanese cover it really made me wistful for the book again, because the art is so attentive to detail and even though I've been really busy lately, I MADE time for a chapter or a few or at least a bit of chapter a day and I just finished rereading this morning :). I love how it is like a whole different book on a reread.
One thing that bothered me when I was reading the cookies Sarah posted was that Nick's mother seemed very unmotherly. But now that I read the book I can understand it and I was glad there are real reasons behind it.
I really hope the book does well, I think it totally deserves to. :)
I am a bit annoyed with my boyfriend because he started to read and is still on page 20. :( I don't know how he can not keep reading. :( So perhaps I should say that it really grabbed me and didn't let go, but that may not be true of everyone. However it is also true that S. only reads books while hiding under some tree on the beach in the summer, when he goes through books really fast, while at home he never really reads. :/ so... there's time for him yet. It's just really annoying because I thought I would be able to talk to him about all the spoilers! :/
You know what is awesome about my new vaio? It has a slot for my camera card. :D I no longer need to use a cable or a connecting thingie - I can just take the memory card from the camera and slide it in the slot in the laptop and viola! There are the photos. :D
I can't figure out the network though. Internet works fine, but I can't see s.'s macbook and he can't see my vaio and it's annoying because we have to email each other things we could have shared otherwise by just having public folders for each other. There is always dropbox, but it's still annoying. BTW I hope everyone knows about dropbox, because it is awesome! :) Very useful if you use multiple computers or if you want to backup something quickly or if you want to share something with your friend. :)
I actually came around to making a couple of Easter eggs this year. :) Not very elaborate, but here they are, on the left:
my 5 minute creations (hey, I was in a hurry! :P) and on the right are S.'s: one a tribute to Space Invaders and the other a pirate. Hm. I suppose boys will be boys, even when they 'grow up'. :P
And I always put one chocolate bunny per person on the kitchen table on Easter morning. And when I turned my back, S. put them together like this. And, well, I thought it was awfully cute, so here they are. ♥
:P
Oh, um, this entry seems really long o.O I guess you can tell I had half a day to myself (while s. went to visit his grandad) after a looong time, no? :)
I have been reading books much less than I used to because of lack of time and neccessary concentration. I have though read a couple of nice things in the past year that I don't think I've written about before or I might have forgotten I've already done so? Anyway. No major spoilers anywhere, I swear! :)
His Majesty's Dragon by NaomiNovik
I like dragons. :) Temeraire is the dragon most important to the story and he is my favourite dragon of all dragons everywhere. :) The series is set in the time of Napoleon's wars so it's kind of fantasy version of Master and Commander. There are five books so far I think.
I love this series. The first novel is my favourite. I feel the latest one is a bit overly threaded with sadness, but I still love the whole series so far and am really excited that the author is writing more and hopeful that things turn for the better for my favourite dragon and his companions. :) I have read the series once through and am rereading very slowly. Am currently on novel no 3. :) I love the audiobook format - these are wonderfully performed. Anyway, a hint of how much I like these books might be that I've named my work computer Temeraire, for which I am getting slack from my coworkers. :P
First novel available for free. :D
Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
I love time travel stories, but they have to be done well - and this one is. It is a love story between a man, who travels through time, unvoluntarily, and a woman, who doesn't. I've read it twice so far and am itching to again. :)
Oh, um, just now I was googling to see if the author has a webpage (under construction so am not linking) and apparently there will be a film o.O. I am unsure if that is a good thing or not.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
This is Kipling's The Jungle Book, retold with the orphan raised in a cemetery. It is really lovely. Especially when read by Neil himself. :)
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
A children's book about a little girl who finds a door on the other side of which she finds the world is the same only better. Or is it? :P I liked it, it is quite creepy. o.O
It is available for free somewhere online but I don't think I have the link anymore. Google it. :)
I am so eagerly awaiting the animation it's ridiculous. It only comes to cinemas on May 14th here, wah. We are SO behind everyone... But, at least it's not too long now. :)
The Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
This is a story about a couple of teenagers who are at the wrong place at the wrong time and are wrongly accused of being terrorists. And how one of them fights back.
I read it in a day. And so did s. The book isn't perfect, but it is well written and feels scarily contemporary despite it being sci-fi. It might make you not a little paranoid. :P
Neil Gaiman wrote a very nice and very spot on recommendation here, which is what made me want to read it.
The author is really very nice in that he gets the way the torrent world works and he allows the digital version of his work to be freely distributed on the web (link above with the title :)). So you can read it as a pdf for free. :)
And last but definitely not least!
I have been reading sarahtales's lj for quite some time now. I find her writing really funny and I think she could write about shopping lists and make it interesting and fun. :) Now she's written a book! It is a YA contemporary fantasy and it is the first of a series (I think it is a trilogy?). And I was lucky indeed to get an advanced reader copy, also called ARC and have read it already even though it doesn't come out until June:
The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
I loved it! I really recommend it. :)
Quite some time ago now Sarah posted and squeed in her lj about an ad her lovely publishers put somewhere online and I looked at the ad. And was quite interested in what it had to say, namely, that if anyone would like to read the Demon's Lexicon ARC that they should write an email saying so to a certain email address. And I thought to myself, oh, hm, this must only be for very special people in the business. Which I am not. But, well, the ad didn't say specifically that you had to be in the publishing business/working in bookshops/libraries etc., so I gave it a shot, saying that I am a fan and would love to read it. I mean, so what, no one will write back anyway, but no harm in writing an email, yeah? And, surprise, surprise, I got a very nice email back, saying that they would love to send me the ARC, if only I give them an address. o.O I couldn't believe it! I live in Slovenia! I never get free stuff like that, ever ever! I thought maybe it's a scam or something, but what the hell, I gave them my real address and told them I'll understand if they change their mind when they see I live really far away. And the really nice lady in charge of this emailed me that it's no problem, they'll send the ARC to me even though I live in Europe. I was really really really happy! :) But I still sort of didn't really believe it'll really happen, until...
It took a little while, but I went to check my post every single day even though I usually leave it to S. :P and one day I got a little paper in my mailbox saying that some people from UPS have a package for me. :D:D:D I was so excited I gave them a call right away and well - they only deliver in the morning, which is a problem for me because I am at work in the morning and I so didn't want to have the book delivered at work - I mean, having it and not being able to read it??? Torture! :P So, I was a very 'responsible adult' (hehe, as if) and told them to deliver next morning and took a day off work. :D To read a book. :P Sarah was pleased when I shared that little information. :D And I have to say I had a great day. :) I got the book and was able to relax in my comfy bed with it and read all day in peace. Well, almost. My best friend came round for a chat when I was in the middle of it! I am usually really happy when she comes by, but this time I couldn't wait for her to leave so I could find out what happens next! :P
I thought it would be bigger. I have no idea why! It is totally big enough and all. :) Just, the first time I had it in my hands it felt smaller than I expected.
I love all the main characters, they are all complex and interesting individuals. There is so much spark between them all and I love the funny one liners and the brotherly and sisterly love, which is so very strong and clear. I very much enjoyed all the lovely unique similes (they are called that, right? Am not native speaker :/). The combination of the ordinary world with the fantastical was very interesting. Most of all I love the plotty twists and turns. :)
The writing makes me love (as much as one can love a fictional character) someone who kills people and lies really well and often and I personally hate lying and think killing is wrong ALWAYS... but I love this person (um, fictional character). Wah! I feel so conflicted!
I also think Sarah did something really original that is VERY spoilery and so I can't say anything about it, but - I haven't seen anything quite like that anywhere before and I loved it.
When I saw the awesome Japanese cover it really made me wistful for the book again, because the art is so attentive to detail and even though I've been really busy lately, I MADE time for a chapter or a few or at least a bit of chapter a day and I just finished rereading this morning :). I love how it is like a whole different book on a reread.
One thing that bothered me when I was reading the cookies Sarah posted was that Nick's mother seemed very unmotherly. But now that I read the book I can understand it and I was glad there are real reasons behind it.
I really hope the book does well, I think it totally deserves to. :)
I am a bit annoyed with my boyfriend because he started to read and is still on page 20. :( I don't know how he can not keep reading. :( So perhaps I should say that it really grabbed me and didn't let go, but that may not be true of everyone. However it is also true that S. only reads books while hiding under some tree on the beach in the summer, when he goes through books really fast, while at home he never really reads. :/ so... there's time for him yet. It's just really annoying because I thought I would be able to talk to him about all the spoilers! :/
You know what is awesome about my new vaio? It has a slot for my camera card. :D I no longer need to use a cable or a connecting thingie - I can just take the memory card from the camera and slide it in the slot in the laptop and viola! There are the photos. :D
I can't figure out the network though. Internet works fine, but I can't see s.'s macbook and he can't see my vaio and it's annoying because we have to email each other things we could have shared otherwise by just having public folders for each other. There is always dropbox, but it's still annoying. BTW I hope everyone knows about dropbox, because it is awesome! :) Very useful if you use multiple computers or if you want to backup something quickly or if you want to share something with your friend. :)
I actually came around to making a couple of Easter eggs this year. :) Not very elaborate, but here they are, on the left:
my 5 minute creations (hey, I was in a hurry! :P) and on the right are S.'s: one a tribute to Space Invaders and the other a pirate. Hm. I suppose boys will be boys, even when they 'grow up'. :P
And I always put one chocolate bunny per person on the kitchen table on Easter morning. And when I turned my back, S. put them together like this. And, well, I thought it was awfully cute, so here they are. ♥
:P
Oh, um, this entry seems really long o.O I guess you can tell I had half a day to myself (while s. went to visit his grandad) after a looong time, no? :)