[Books] Rouse, Turner

[thefourthvine]

Book I Have an Issue With: At Least in the City Someone Would Hear Me Scream, by Wade RouseI love essays, particularly funny ones. Find me a book of them and I will happily hand over $12 for the privilege of reading it. And this one starts off really well, because there's a raccoon attack. Raccoons to the head are funny. It's a basic rule of

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[stasia]

... I clicked on Post Comment before reading Hannah's comment, but that's what I was going to say. San Francisco has, as one of its names, "The City". Really. There are hats and everything.

New York, for me (and I was born there, I still have family there, and I still say I'm from there, even though the last time I lived there was when I was 6), either New York, Manhattan, or The Big Apple. It wouldn't occur to me, if you said you were from 'the city', that you meant NY.

However, I'm amused by your frustration with the first book. Essays are a difficult style to pull off. I've never found a book of essays that was consistent enough to make me happy to buy all of it. Well, except for anything by Thurber, but, well, I'll read anything by the man who wrote The Night the Bed Fell on Father. *grin*

I agree with wanting to read about someone who becomes great, who works for her success rather than has it handed to her because she's Speshul or Majickal. (Not that I won't read those stories as well, but I get tired of being excluded.) One I've found is Keladry of Mindelin, in Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small quartet. I do like most of her books (I like that she has strong girls AND boys), but really, I'm a Kel fan.

Um, on a last note - did chicken happen?

Stasia

[musesfool]

Huh. I've lived in New York my whole life, and nobody I know who is from here calls it The Big Apple. That is very much a tourist/marketing term. We always call it "the city."

[stasia]

I wouldn't call it that, but if someone said it, I'd know what they were talking about. I have a secret fondness for the Apple grocery stores, even though every one I've been in hasn't been particularly clean.

I miss NY, sometimes.

Stasia

[thefourthvine]

Essays are a difficult style to pull off. I've never found a book of essays that was consistent enough to make me happy to buy all of it.

See, I only ask for a few hits in a book of essays, because, yeah, it's hard to hit a high note consistently. So I'm happy to have paid for Me Talk Pretty One Day, because of the essay of the title, which is hurt-yourself-laughing funny. I'm happy to have bought David Rakoff's books, even though they aren't super funny, because they are consistently amusing. I'm happy to have bought A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again for just two of the essays, which are truly funny and also validate all my fears about cruise ships and chickens (living). And so on. And, of course, I am happy to have purchased everything by James Thurber, because he really IS just that funny, at least in the things he wrote in the first part of his life. (I'm also happy to have Thurber's friend and co-worker E. B. White's essays, although they are, in the main, not funny and not intended to be.)

One I've found is Keladry of Mindelin, in Tamora Pierce's Protector of the Small quartet.

I will have to read this. *makes notes*

Um, on a last note - did chicken happen?

I am still preparing for chicken to happen; I am planning on embarking on Actual Chicken next weekend. You have to be braced for the sudden introduction of deceased poultry!

[stasia]

Here's Tamora Pierce's website; I do recommend you read all the books in the Tortall series, starting with the Alanna ones. I prefer Kel, but there are story and world building stuff that happen in the earlier books (the Alanna ones, and the Daine ones; which means the first quartet and the second.) ... OH. And you're okay with spoilers! Good, that helps.

Oh, I'm all jumbled up, here, and not making sense. There are four quartets in the Tortall universe. They begin with the Alanna books (she pretends to be a boy in order to be a knight), the second one is about Daine (who can talk to and become animals), and the third one is about Keladry (who is just a person, but who wants to be a lady knight and is willing to do whatever work is required). There are many other books and stories set in Tortall. I think she's working on another full quartet with the Terrier books; they're set ... erm, 500 years before Alanna.

ANY. WAY. This is turning into an essay.

About the chicken - I just wanted to say that, everyone's warnings aside, it's not toxic. Really. I've been eating chicken all my life and cooking it for just slightly less. I cut it last, then put the cutting board into the sink for washing. You'll be fine. Earthling will be fed and happy.

I can't wait to hear more about his, and your, adventures!

Stasia

[deepbluemermaid]

I second the recommendation for Tamora Pierce's Keladry books as an example of success through sheer bloody-minded determination & stubbornness! They were the ones I read first, then I went back to read the Alanna & Daine books. You can still enjoy the Kel series without that back story, but it definitely helps to have a greater sense of the Tortall world.

[stasia]

Exactly. She becomes Great because she works at it, which is something I find desperately inspiring and encouraging, when I find myself faced with difficulties.

I read the books in order, and while Kel can be read as a standalone, I'd say that at least the last Daine book is good for setting up the world Kel's living in.

Stasia