long overdue book post, fiction (part 1)

[sub_divided]

I thinnnnnk I've read twenty-one books since last bookblog -- six fiction and fifteen nonfiction -- but I dunno, I could be forgetting a few. Anyway, fiction in this post, non-fiction in the next, though really I want to crawl into a hole and not blog the nonfiction at all. (Laziness, or cowardice? You decide!)

The Ministry of Pain, Dubravka

Comments

[kuuriku]

This post is exceptionally helpful as I'm in the process of generating a Summer Reading List. The Will of the Empress review was especially great since I read a ton of Pierce's books my senior year (kind of late to start reading teen fantasy, but whatever), but lost interest with the Trickster couplet and Aly. I might give this book a try.

I look forward to the next book post and the nonfiction (which I should probably read more of) post. :D

[sub_divided]

Glad I could help! To read Will of the Empress, you need to have read the first four books in the Circle Opens series, but I dunno know if you need to have read the next four. Events are mentioned, but not in a way that affects the plot...mostly it's character stuff. And a minor character from Daja's second reappears, but he was REALLY minor in her book.

You SAY that, but I read 93% of those books for school.

[svz_insanity]

I liked The Will of the Empress, having been a Tamora Pierce fan since I was in fifth grade. (I feel old now...) I was afraid that it would be horrible because I wasn't too fond of Aly's books. I liked how it wasn't all sunshine and roses like the earlier books and how everyone grew apart. (I wish we saw more of Evy. I liked her.)

[sub_divided]

I...don't really remember Evy. XD; The stonemage from Briar's book? The only thing I really remember about Briar's second book is the ending, which is probably why I got so impatient with his post-traumatic stress disorder.

Tricked trilogy: only read the first one, but I agree. Weak main character propped up by God who is way too well behaved, considering his rep. Also, bad bad bad impression of colonial India.

[sub_divided]

Oh yeah, and I got into Tamora Pierce in fifth grade too! With Wild Immortals, which had just come out.

[svz_insanity]

My friend Adrian got me to read "Wild Magic" and I never looked back. *snickers* I remembered he bribed the librarians to make it so the computer screen saver would marquee "READ WILD MAGIC" in blinding colors.

[senri]

The Ministery of Pain sounds really interesting and I think it's one I'll certainly pick up - from the spoilers you listed it sounds pretty intense.

You know, it's kind of a relief to meet another person who couldn't swallow the Series of Unfortunate Events? And it's not because I dislike Snicket, I've heard radio interviews of the man and he's funny, and I enjoy flipping through the books myself. I think the same thing that got to you bothered me: the relentless progression of one horrible situation after another. Even if I forcibly remind myself every page that it's dark humor, not serious, I can't quite parse that kind of reading.

[senri]

Also OH MY GOD, The Things They Carried! I read that the summer after my freshman year for required reading, and oh, lord, it must be one of my favorite school-introduced books ever. I'm really excited to hear your take on it now. XD

[sub_divided]

It's not all like the last fifty pages. But yeah, pretty intense. I gotta admit, there were parts that went over my head -- ironic knowing comments about poets I hadn't heard of, for instance. On the other hand, there were time I got the joke, like the scene where all of the characters are drinking to celebrate Tanja's birthday, and one of the students say something that breaks the mood.

And then, he smashes a glass with his hand, and slams his head into the table. And as he's lead out of the room to the bathroom, with blood running down his face, someone else says: Wow, that was just like in that movie Time of the Gypsies. And I kind of had to laugh, cause it's true: I've yet to see a Gypsy movie that doesn't have one of these smashed-glass cut-hand scenes.

Soooo, I guess what I'm saying is, you have to be a little familiar with the background. Not that familiar though: what do I know about Yugoslavia?

(whooo let's hear it for drunk replies! :D)

[mythicbeast]

I haven't had the inclination to pick up The End yet, likely because I flipped through it quickly at the bookstore (to the last two chapters), BOGGLED at the end (though not as much as I could have, because I'd been having a nagging suspicion about how things would turn out) and then realized I didn't want to read about horrible things happening to people.

Sad fact: though I say that, I do have books 1-12.

I should really catch up with Circle of Magic. Tamora Pierce's books are, while teen fantasy through and through, really fun to read through for some reason (with a good dollop of Suspension of Disbelief, of course).

[mythicbeast]

Also, The Immortals still owns my heart as THE BEST series in Tortall's arsenal. D: Oh, Rikash, whhhhhyyyy

repost, closing quotations and parentheses in the right place

[sub_divided]

Nothing sad about owning the Horrible Events books, Lemony Snickett is a good writer. They're way better than the Artemis Fowl books.

I had to read the end because I had to know whether the series really would end horribly. Normally I'd be too cool to worry ("oh, it's a children's series, of course there's going to be a happy ending") but this series is...different. As the author continually reminds us.

Tamora Pierce's books have real geography -- not just the "draw a fantasy map" kind, but the "mix and match parts of real countries to make something new, yet believable" kind. And she has good characters. (I love The Immortals too!)

[mythicbeast]

Artemis Fowl was okay until the sequels started being written, I think, which just killed things. :( I love Lemony Snicket-- have you read his autobiography? I loved it (and I loved more that it had a reversible jacket cover-- the man writes his own crack, I swear). I don't know about you, but I think the illustrations Mr. Helquist does really add something to the books-- quirkiness factor, if nothing else.

The Unfortunate Events books are really one of the most peculiar things to turn up in children's/young adult's books in recent years, I think-- not the standard dragon-fantasy fare, for sure. It's why I couldn't resist leafing through The End, either.

She does have a good sense for worldbuilding, doesn't she? And her characters are interesting, though the way she carries out some of the romantic subplots is a bit gratuitious sometimes (really, does EVERYONE need to get together with someone? I liked Aly better with Kyprioth single).

Hello

[anonymous]

Hey, just wanted to see if you were still alive.

Tomorrow is my last day of student teaching (bittersweet in a lot of ways). We need to hang out at some point (although I will be gone this weekend...long story).

Hope all of your classes went well and that you are surviving finals.

Thanks.

-Steve

Re: Hello

[sub_divided]

Still alive, just not sleeping very well. I've got a paper due 4:00pm tomorrow that I know I'll still be writing at the last minute, but do you want to meet for dinner? I'll be all sleep-deprived but I'll try to keep up my end.

Congrats on finishing! You're right, we should catch up. I'll still be on campus over the spring semester, so if you'll be around, no need to rush things.

-Sonya