bbc + books
North and South (BBC 2004; not the one about the American Civil War, the one based on Elizabeth Gaskell's book). Kinda Pride and Prejudice-ish, despite the leading man's denial of. XD Also watched Downton Abbey. Both series have pretty background music (I think these are the tracks?). Despite my support of Butler guy / Maid girl in Downton, I liked North and South better.
Luther. So I'm not a fan of mysteries. Despite the fact I can watch Law and Order like whoa, I've never gotten through an entire BBC mystery series. But I loved Luther. Mostly because of how whacked out Alice is. It's also one of the few times I'll say I'm in it for the power play/ cat and mouse dynamic, but don't want to see Alice/Luther as a couple. I'd much rather eliminate the UST and go for what an off-the-wall relationship as flat mates/ BFFs they would be.
Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham. One of my friends is a big fan of Kareena Kapoor, so I can say I've seen a movie with her in it now. XD The first part dragged for me, but I liked the second half a lot more. It moved a lot quicker. Also, lol, Shah Rukh Khan = the Gerard Depardieu of Bollywood.
The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden by Catherynne M. Valente (The Orphan's Tales #1)
I feel my original writing style is quite similar to Valente's; obviously not as good as hers though. XD I always wondered how you can sustain such rich, lyric writing for a whole novel, and Valente's answered the questioned. The first few pages are so rich you just sink into the text. It's also a slow read, and the book clocks in around 400 pages. As you'll hear with this duet, it's similar to The 1001 Nights with the way the stories weave in and out of each other. A lot of the time I'd forget whose tale I was in, but that doesn't really matter. I couldn't tell you what the linear story told in the tales are, but the mythos is rich. The cover and illustrations are also wonderful.
I was rec'd it over at ontd_literature for feminist retellings of fairytales. There are various cultures represented in the tales; Asia, Africa, and Europe all have some representation. And yes, there are subtle warpings of fairy tales, but they fit within the tale so well you're never jolted out of it. Particularly interesting is the maiden who, when rejected by the maidens, is told by the witch to join the witches and monsters (not phrasing it well, but eh). Tomomo (Tommy), the fox-woman, was an awesome figure too; also hinted to be a lesbian. The other choice I found interesting is that on a ship of monsters, the blacks are there. Why they are considered monsters is something interesting; are they monsters by virtue of black=evil, or because that's how they're perceived to be? Or are they not monsters at all since they're paying customers on the ship? I'll certainly be reading the second half; I'm very curious what's going on with our narrator, her history, and what happened to the the prince and his goose girl. Out of all the characters who reappear, the prince and the goose do not.
The little raft that grew into a big ship, and what it says to its star, was the most freaking heartwrenching scene ever.
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire (October Daye #1)
The book bloggers I follow love this series, and so do my friends who read fantasy. Quite honestly I wasn't even going to finish the book if it wasn't for how very loved it is by everyone and their dog. The book opens, and we quickly find out Toby is married and has a kid. Two things I'm not too keen on reading about; there are instances this doesn't bother me, and I can't quite figure out what does and does not bother me, but eh. But regardless, I chugged through to see what's so great about it.
Let's start with what I liked. The world-building/atmosphere is great. The fae world is properly shady; particularly Devin. It's not black/white; it's pretty real. Devin's both a skeevy guy, but also kinda likable. There's so much history here that I want to know about. Why is the Kitsune woman the hero of flowers? Does Tybalt got a thang going on for Toby (which is usually enough to keep me reading)? What's so special about Toby's mother? What's up with the roses, particularly in the sea-witch scene? There are plenty of reasons to keep reading, alas, I don't think I will. It's also a pretty quick read, and the pacing's good. Also props for killing off a character, and letting another live that isn't typical. The nursery rhymes, Miss Suzy, and Outer Limits references were also appreciated.
So here's why I won't. I find Toby rather dull. Even though she comes fully loaded with relationships to delve into and a rich world, I'm rather bored by her character. Perhaps her 1st person narration will appeal to others because it's not the typical snarky voice typical to urban fantasy. Personally, i find it dull, with a slight undertone of boring. Even the rare instances of self-deprecating humor don't elicit any laughter out of me (something that in Anita Blake, despite all its faults, is something that always makes me laugh).
And now a tangent: as I said, the snarky 1st person narration by a woman is one of the hallmarks of urban fantasy. And while, yes, I suppose it can become tiresome at times, it's not something you find in any other genres. So maybe I'm just too used to ass-kicking snarky women to really appreciate Toby.
My other beef with Toby is that there were too many love interests for her. Honestly, it kinda brewed on Mary Sue for me. She has too many friends (something that also might be due to how used to snarky loner women I am). A minor annoyance is how repetitive it gets with Toby constantly blacking out after injuries.
So, I will be Googling what happens in the series. Because honestly, despite how much more I want to learn about the world, I can't trek through Toby's voice.
Yeah, I hate to say it, since no one else seems to agree with me, but I don't like Rosemary and Rue.
1/2way through Lagaan and just started Mockingjay. Will be a post on those as well as Glee (Chris Colfer is the cutest thing ever, and my fangirlness of Darren Criss surprised me).
Also, great frustration with Amazon for not letting me download Born This Way.
Luther. So I'm not a fan of mysteries. Despite the fact I can watch Law and Order like whoa, I've never gotten through an entire BBC mystery series. But I loved Luther. Mostly because of how whacked out Alice is. It's also one of the few times I'll say I'm in it for the power play/ cat and mouse dynamic, but don't want to see Alice/Luther as a couple. I'd much rather eliminate the UST and go for what an off-the-wall relationship as flat mates/ BFFs they would be.
Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham. One of my friends is a big fan of Kareena Kapoor, so I can say I've seen a movie with her in it now. XD The first part dragged for me, but I liked the second half a lot more. It moved a lot quicker. Also, lol, Shah Rukh Khan = the Gerard Depardieu of Bollywood.
The Orphan's Tales: In the Night Garden by Catherynne M. Valente (The Orphan's Tales #1)
I feel my original writing style is quite similar to Valente's; obviously not as good as hers though. XD I always wondered how you can sustain such rich, lyric writing for a whole novel, and Valente's answered the questioned. The first few pages are so rich you just sink into the text. It's also a slow read, and the book clocks in around 400 pages. As you'll hear with this duet, it's similar to The 1001 Nights with the way the stories weave in and out of each other. A lot of the time I'd forget whose tale I was in, but that doesn't really matter. I couldn't tell you what the linear story told in the tales are, but the mythos is rich. The cover and illustrations are also wonderful.
I was rec'd it over at ontd_literature for feminist retellings of fairytales. There are various cultures represented in the tales; Asia, Africa, and Europe all have some representation. And yes, there are subtle warpings of fairy tales, but they fit within the tale so well you're never jolted out of it. Particularly interesting is the maiden who, when rejected by the maidens, is told by the witch to join the witches and monsters (not phrasing it well, but eh). Tomomo (Tommy), the fox-woman, was an awesome figure too; also hinted to be a lesbian. The other choice I found interesting is that on a ship of monsters, the blacks are there. Why they are considered monsters is something interesting; are they monsters by virtue of black=evil, or because that's how they're perceived to be? Or are they not monsters at all since they're paying customers on the ship? I'll certainly be reading the second half; I'm very curious what's going on with our narrator, her history, and what happened to the the prince and his goose girl. Out of all the characters who reappear, the prince and the goose do not.
The little raft that grew into a big ship, and what it says to its star, was the most freaking heartwrenching scene ever.
Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire (October Daye #1)
The book bloggers I follow love this series, and so do my friends who read fantasy. Quite honestly I wasn't even going to finish the book if it wasn't for how very loved it is by everyone and their dog. The book opens, and we quickly find out Toby is married and has a kid. Two things I'm not too keen on reading about; there are instances this doesn't bother me, and I can't quite figure out what does and does not bother me, but eh. But regardless, I chugged through to see what's so great about it.
Let's start with what I liked. The world-building/atmosphere is great. The fae world is properly shady; particularly Devin. It's not black/white; it's pretty real. Devin's both a skeevy guy, but also kinda likable. There's so much history here that I want to know about. Why is the Kitsune woman the hero of flowers? Does Tybalt got a thang going on for Toby (which is usually enough to keep me reading)? What's so special about Toby's mother? What's up with the roses, particularly in the sea-witch scene? There are plenty of reasons to keep reading, alas, I don't think I will. It's also a pretty quick read, and the pacing's good. Also props for killing off a character, and letting another live that isn't typical. The nursery rhymes, Miss Suzy, and Outer Limits references were also appreciated.
So here's why I won't. I find Toby rather dull. Even though she comes fully loaded with relationships to delve into and a rich world, I'm rather bored by her character. Perhaps her 1st person narration will appeal to others because it's not the typical snarky voice typical to urban fantasy. Personally, i find it dull, with a slight undertone of boring. Even the rare instances of self-deprecating humor don't elicit any laughter out of me (something that in Anita Blake, despite all its faults, is something that always makes me laugh).
And now a tangent: as I said, the snarky 1st person narration by a woman is one of the hallmarks of urban fantasy. And while, yes, I suppose it can become tiresome at times, it's not something you find in any other genres. So maybe I'm just too used to ass-kicking snarky women to really appreciate Toby.
My other beef with Toby is that there were too many love interests for her. Honestly, it kinda brewed on Mary Sue for me. She has too many friends (something that also might be due to how used to snarky loner women I am). A minor annoyance is how repetitive it gets with Toby constantly blacking out after injuries.
So, I will be Googling what happens in the series. Because honestly, despite how much more I want to learn about the world, I can't trek through Toby's voice.
Yeah, I hate to say it, since no one else seems to agree with me, but I don't like Rosemary and Rue.
1/2way through Lagaan and just started Mockingjay. Will be a post on those as well as Glee (Chris Colfer is the cutest thing ever, and my fangirlness of Darren Criss surprised me).
Also, great frustration with Amazon for not letting me download Born This Way.