Holy Bananas, Batman!
In the brief few days since I posted last, a great many things have happened, the most significant of which being that my hair is rather ginger (and I love it), my sister has visited (which was marvellous), and that I went to see The Dark Knight, which was awesome. It actually managed to combine two of my favourite filmly things: decent characterisation/plot/etc. and things blowing up. I like it when things blow up in a remotely intelligent way.
And the hype about Heath Ledger isn't hype. He's completely disturbing, it's brilliant, and I love him.
I did have a couple of quibbles, but they are quibbles that I have with anything that can be labelled 'action', and may, in this case, be imagined quibbles. I'm not sure; perhaps you can tell me.
1) Why are there never any useful women? Ever? I know they must be hiding somewhere! In this case, you have the wife/mother who does nothing but cry every time she's in a scene, the female cop who is a pseudo traitor, and the woman who actually does things and occasionally, you know, has a spine. And then she died. Of course, thought I, her death is necessary so that Christian Bale and that other guy can work through their manly issues (or not) and duel to the death. Because they can't have manly issues some other way.
Where are the action movies with women characters who don't make me want to bash my head in on the sticky, popcorn-coated seat in front of me? Can someone please gently guide me to them, before I feel compelled to start writing them myself?
2) Did every single not American person have to be a villain? Seriously? Combined with the 'Yay, America!' moments that popped up every so often, it made me cringe a bit.
Other than that, though, it was a clever film, and that's what makes me hesitant to take these things totally at face value. I think that the first is probably just a product of the genre, so I'm not really sure it's something worth remarking on, but the second made me wonder if perhaps there was a touch of self-consciousness about it-especially when it hit the point where the boat full of convicts (all black) didn't blow up the other boat... I don't know. Am I imagining things? Did this bother anyone else?
Other than that, though, awesome movie.
Anyway, onto books...
59) Men At Arms - Terry Pratchett
Can I ever discuss Terry Pratchett rationally? I do really adore the City Watch books-love all the characters and the plots and, well, everything...
60) The Book of Lost Things - John Connolly
Thoughts are here. Basically, I love this book more than words can rationally express. Beautiful, touching, and even occasionally funny.
61) Feet of Clay - Terry Pratchett
*points up* The love continued!
62) Have His Carcase - Dorothy L. Sayers
I was somewhat sad upon finishing this, as it's the last Sayers novel I read that had Harriet Vane in it-and I love Harriet. She didn't disappoint me in the slightest this time around, but I wish there was more.
So if you know any good Sayers fanfic, please send me there ASAP.
63) The Awakening - LJ Smith
Ah, a series called The Vampire Diaries... I went in with no expectations whatsoever, especially after experiencing the vampire butchery of Twilight, and found myself pleasantly surprised. Yes, there is a bit too much sap too quickly, but overall, the plot is twisty and dark and doesn't back away from the things that Stephenie Meyer likes to ignore in favour of glittering vampires.
Elena is the sort of character that I normally despise (pretty, popular, spoiled, and knows it), but I enjoyed her in spite of myself-and it was, quite frankly, a relief to find a girl with a spine in a book with vampires. The other characters were interesting as well-I was pleased to see that Stephen was weakened by only drinking animal blood, and that Damon was the stronger of the two (and the only slightly more evil). I also liked that Elena had proper friends in Meredith and Bonnie, not just people who latched themselves on, or conveniences.
It had its cheesy moments, and its saccharine moments, but by and large it was redeemed and the book(s) was/were redeemed.
64) The Struggle - LJ Smith
See The Awakening.
65) The Grand Sophy - Georgette Heyer
Very fun-I am much enjoying my foray into Heyer, and I think this is my favourite so far.
66) Flora's Dare - Yseabeau S. Wilce
As it was an ARC, I don't want to spoil much... However, suffice it to say that it was everything I could have possibly hoped for in a follow-up to Flora Segunda.
67) V for Vendetta - Alan Moore
I'd have to do a full-length post on this one to do my ponderings on it justice, but overall I think I preferred it to the movie (although I haven't seen the movie in a couple of years, so I'd have to rewatch to be sure)-the atmosphere was more bleak and haunting, and I think that the format worked better for the story that was being told.
68) Charmed Life - Diana Wynne Jones
Thoughts on the awesomeness of Diana Wynne Jones can be found here.
69) The Lives of Christopher Chant - Diana Wynne Jones
See Charmed Life.
Tomorrow will involve a day trip to Vancouver to meet up with B, and then Wednesday I have friends coming to visit... And the rest of August shall be rather busy as well. Should speed up the waiting for classes to start up, because I'm getting bored with summer. But my book lists go up today!
ETA: And I'm reading Atwood's Surfacing again... Which is an amazing book and you should all read it, but I generally dislike reading the same novel for different classes. There tends to be a lot of repetition.
And the hype about Heath Ledger isn't hype. He's completely disturbing, it's brilliant, and I love him.
I did have a couple of quibbles, but they are quibbles that I have with anything that can be labelled 'action', and may, in this case, be imagined quibbles. I'm not sure; perhaps you can tell me.
1) Why are there never any useful women? Ever? I know they must be hiding somewhere! In this case, you have the wife/mother who does nothing but cry every time she's in a scene, the female cop who is a pseudo traitor, and the woman who actually does things and occasionally, you know, has a spine. And then she died. Of course, thought I, her death is necessary so that Christian Bale and that other guy can work through their manly issues (or not) and duel to the death. Because they can't have manly issues some other way.
Where are the action movies with women characters who don't make me want to bash my head in on the sticky, popcorn-coated seat in front of me? Can someone please gently guide me to them, before I feel compelled to start writing them myself?
2) Did every single not American person have to be a villain? Seriously? Combined with the 'Yay, America!' moments that popped up every so often, it made me cringe a bit.
Other than that, though, it was a clever film, and that's what makes me hesitant to take these things totally at face value. I think that the first is probably just a product of the genre, so I'm not really sure it's something worth remarking on, but the second made me wonder if perhaps there was a touch of self-consciousness about it-especially when it hit the point where the boat full of convicts (all black) didn't blow up the other boat... I don't know. Am I imagining things? Did this bother anyone else?
Other than that, though, awesome movie.
Anyway, onto books...
59) Men At Arms - Terry Pratchett
Can I ever discuss Terry Pratchett rationally? I do really adore the City Watch books-love all the characters and the plots and, well, everything...
60) The Book of Lost Things - John Connolly
Thoughts are here. Basically, I love this book more than words can rationally express. Beautiful, touching, and even occasionally funny.
61) Feet of Clay - Terry Pratchett
*points up* The love continued!
62) Have His Carcase - Dorothy L. Sayers
I was somewhat sad upon finishing this, as it's the last Sayers novel I read that had Harriet Vane in it-and I love Harriet. She didn't disappoint me in the slightest this time around, but I wish there was more.
So if you know any good Sayers fanfic, please send me there ASAP.
63) The Awakening - LJ Smith
Ah, a series called The Vampire Diaries... I went in with no expectations whatsoever, especially after experiencing the vampire butchery of Twilight, and found myself pleasantly surprised. Yes, there is a bit too much sap too quickly, but overall, the plot is twisty and dark and doesn't back away from the things that Stephenie Meyer likes to ignore in favour of glittering vampires.
Elena is the sort of character that I normally despise (pretty, popular, spoiled, and knows it), but I enjoyed her in spite of myself-and it was, quite frankly, a relief to find a girl with a spine in a book with vampires. The other characters were interesting as well-I was pleased to see that Stephen was weakened by only drinking animal blood, and that Damon was the stronger of the two (and the only slightly more evil). I also liked that Elena had proper friends in Meredith and Bonnie, not just people who latched themselves on, or conveniences.
It had its cheesy moments, and its saccharine moments, but by and large it was redeemed and the book(s) was/were redeemed.
64) The Struggle - LJ Smith
See The Awakening.
65) The Grand Sophy - Georgette Heyer
Very fun-I am much enjoying my foray into Heyer, and I think this is my favourite so far.
66) Flora's Dare - Yseabeau S. Wilce
As it was an ARC, I don't want to spoil much... However, suffice it to say that it was everything I could have possibly hoped for in a follow-up to Flora Segunda.
67) V for Vendetta - Alan Moore
I'd have to do a full-length post on this one to do my ponderings on it justice, but overall I think I preferred it to the movie (although I haven't seen the movie in a couple of years, so I'd have to rewatch to be sure)-the atmosphere was more bleak and haunting, and I think that the format worked better for the story that was being told.
68) Charmed Life - Diana Wynne Jones
Thoughts on the awesomeness of Diana Wynne Jones can be found here.
69) The Lives of Christopher Chant - Diana Wynne Jones
See Charmed Life.
Tomorrow will involve a day trip to Vancouver to meet up with B, and then Wednesday I have friends coming to visit... And the rest of August shall be rather busy as well. Should speed up the waiting for classes to start up, because I'm getting bored with summer. But my book lists go up today!
ETA: And I'm reading Atwood's Surfacing again... Which is an amazing book and you should all read it, but I generally dislike reading the same novel for different classes. There tends to be a lot of repetition.