Some of my latest reading
Since my backlog on book comments has already gotten ridiculously large, I decided to post the comments I've already written and post the rest later when I've finished them. At least that way writing commentary on about 4 months reading won't feel quite so intimidating (and might even fit within LJ's posting limits)
So, "latest" reading, a partial commentary:
36. Janet Kagan: Mirabile
Fun sf collection of short stories set on the planet Mirabile where the native and imported species and plant life can produce some very unexpected results.
37. Jake T. Forbes & Chris Lie: Jim Henson's Return to Labyrinth, Vol. 3 (manga)
This manga has been getting better and better with each volume. The first book relied a bit too heavily on introducing the setting and characters that were already familiar from the movie, in the second volume the story started picking up, and in the third book it really got going. I can't wait for the fourth and final (?) volume.
38. Deborath J. Ross (ed.): Lace and Blade 2
An anthology of fantasy/swashbuckling stories. I liked the first volume as well and will probably also buy the third volume that was recently announced.
39. Dana Stabenow (ed.): Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy
An anthology of detective stories/mysteries that have some kind of a supernatural element to them. Mostly entertaining with some good stories and some mediocre stories (but isn't that true of all theme anthologies...)
42. Maggie Shayne; MaryJanice Davidson; Angela Knight; Jacey Ford: Kick @$$
Romance/suspense anthology featuring kickass women. Light Summer reading, but otherwise forgettable.
53. Alys Clare: Whiter Than the Lily
I haven't read any other Hawkenlye mysteries set in medieval times, but this one stood well on it's own. In it, Josse d-Acquin has to solve the tragic death of a young married woman who came to the Hawkenlye monastery in order to get help in getting a child. Her husband is much older than she, and after her death which looks very much like it was caused by poison, there is some suspicion that she might have had a lover. But how and why did she really die? In order to find out, Josse must travel to a remote village with an intimidating reputation, that is still under pagan influence.
I quite liked this and might check out other books in this series as well.
54. Bill Willingham et al.: Fables 12: The Dark Ages (graphic novel)
This book deals with the aftermath of the war, but also introduces a new Big Bad. There are also some character developments that I didn't like that much. I wonder how long this comic can keep going now that the big conflict with the Adversary has been resolved. I think I'll at least give it until after the crossover with the Jack books before I decided whether to continue buying this or not.
(57.-58.) Natsuki Takaya: Fruits Basket 20-21
Looks like this manga is gearing towards the end, since a lot was happening in these two volumes. One by one the Sohma seem to be escaping the Zodiac curse, though it is no magic road to happiness. Just look at Momiji who is still apart from his real family and now doesn't even have the connection with the rest of the Zodiac. Still, there is hope for the characters once they learn to live again without constantly having to refer to Akito's wishes and whims.
She, on the other hand, remains just as batshit crazy as ever, as does her mother. I can see how she could develop into the selfish despot she is, and I guess we are supposed to feel sorry for her, but I just can't forgive all the crazy and hurtful stuff she's done in the past.
Tohru and Kyo finally managed to confess to each other and Kyo told her about his role in her mother's death, but they still need to work out some things about themselves and their families. And it doesn't help that Tohru ended up in the hospital and her friends are blaming Kyo for it.
The scene with Machi and Yuki at the end of vol. 21 was really cute and goes well with the themes of loneliness and alienation that were constant in these volumes: you don't have to be alone, you can try to connect with other people, even if it's with just one person...
(59.-60.) Yumi Tamura: Basara 2-3 (manga)
Sarasa's journey continues and she finds new allies and adversaries on the way. I quite liked how other people were starting suspect that Sarasa/Tatara might be the same person while Shuri and Sarasa still remained completely unaware of each others' identities.
I don't like the artwork that much, but this manga came highly recommended by some people whose opinions I trust and after I got over the art, I liked the characters and the story seems very interesting. I'm currently reading book 4 and have vols. 5 & 6 waiting :).
61. Janet Evanovich: Finger Lickin' Fifteen
This is the usual kinds Stephanie Plum hijinks with the amusing cast of side characters attached. This time Stephanie is on one of her off-phases with Morelli and is working for Ranger to discover who is breaking into his clients' accounts and whether it's an inside job or not. And on the lighter side of things, Lula witnessed the murder of a popular TV chef and is now determined to find the killers for the reward money. In order to do that, she wants to join a BBQ sauce competition. With the help of Grandma Mazur... Only craziness and destruction can be the result of that combination :D.
It's entertaining enough to read one of these book once a year, but they are starting to get a bit old, you can only repeat the same jokes that many times and the way Stephanie is vacillating between Morelli and Ranger is starting to get tiresome. Though it strongly looks like the author is more on the side of Morelli, since SPOILER! even though Stephanie worked for Ranger and even slept in his bed several times during this book, nothing really happened between the two except some heavy innuendo.
"Only" 14 books left to comment on now...
So, "latest" reading, a partial commentary:
36. Janet Kagan: Mirabile
Fun sf collection of short stories set on the planet Mirabile where the native and imported species and plant life can produce some very unexpected results.
37. Jake T. Forbes & Chris Lie: Jim Henson's Return to Labyrinth, Vol. 3 (manga)
This manga has been getting better and better with each volume. The first book relied a bit too heavily on introducing the setting and characters that were already familiar from the movie, in the second volume the story started picking up, and in the third book it really got going. I can't wait for the fourth and final (?) volume.
38. Deborath J. Ross (ed.): Lace and Blade 2
An anthology of fantasy/swashbuckling stories. I liked the first volume as well and will probably also buy the third volume that was recently announced.
39. Dana Stabenow (ed.): Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy
An anthology of detective stories/mysteries that have some kind of a supernatural element to them. Mostly entertaining with some good stories and some mediocre stories (but isn't that true of all theme anthologies...)
42. Maggie Shayne; MaryJanice Davidson; Angela Knight; Jacey Ford: Kick @$$
Romance/suspense anthology featuring kickass women. Light Summer reading, but otherwise forgettable.
53. Alys Clare: Whiter Than the Lily
I haven't read any other Hawkenlye mysteries set in medieval times, but this one stood well on it's own. In it, Josse d-Acquin has to solve the tragic death of a young married woman who came to the Hawkenlye monastery in order to get help in getting a child. Her husband is much older than she, and after her death which looks very much like it was caused by poison, there is some suspicion that she might have had a lover. But how and why did she really die? In order to find out, Josse must travel to a remote village with an intimidating reputation, that is still under pagan influence.
I quite liked this and might check out other books in this series as well.
54. Bill Willingham et al.: Fables 12: The Dark Ages (graphic novel)
This book deals with the aftermath of the war, but also introduces a new Big Bad. There are also some character developments that I didn't like that much. I wonder how long this comic can keep going now that the big conflict with the Adversary has been resolved. I think I'll at least give it until after the crossover with the Jack books before I decided whether to continue buying this or not.
(57.-58.) Natsuki Takaya: Fruits Basket 20-21
Looks like this manga is gearing towards the end, since a lot was happening in these two volumes. One by one the Sohma seem to be escaping the Zodiac curse, though it is no magic road to happiness. Just look at Momiji who is still apart from his real family and now doesn't even have the connection with the rest of the Zodiac. Still, there is hope for the characters once they learn to live again without constantly having to refer to Akito's wishes and whims.
She, on the other hand, remains just as batshit crazy as ever, as does her mother. I can see how she could develop into the selfish despot she is, and I guess we are supposed to feel sorry for her, but I just can't forgive all the crazy and hurtful stuff she's done in the past.
Tohru and Kyo finally managed to confess to each other and Kyo told her about his role in her mother's death, but they still need to work out some things about themselves and their families. And it doesn't help that Tohru ended up in the hospital and her friends are blaming Kyo for it.
The scene with Machi and Yuki at the end of vol. 21 was really cute and goes well with the themes of loneliness and alienation that were constant in these volumes: you don't have to be alone, you can try to connect with other people, even if it's with just one person...
(59.-60.) Yumi Tamura: Basara 2-3 (manga)
Sarasa's journey continues and she finds new allies and adversaries on the way. I quite liked how other people were starting suspect that Sarasa/Tatara might be the same person while Shuri and Sarasa still remained completely unaware of each others' identities.
I don't like the artwork that much, but this manga came highly recommended by some people whose opinions I trust and after I got over the art, I liked the characters and the story seems very interesting. I'm currently reading book 4 and have vols. 5 & 6 waiting :).
61. Janet Evanovich: Finger Lickin' Fifteen
This is the usual kinds Stephanie Plum hijinks with the amusing cast of side characters attached. This time Stephanie is on one of her off-phases with Morelli and is working for Ranger to discover who is breaking into his clients' accounts and whether it's an inside job or not. And on the lighter side of things, Lula witnessed the murder of a popular TV chef and is now determined to find the killers for the reward money. In order to do that, she wants to join a BBQ sauce competition. With the help of Grandma Mazur... Only craziness and destruction can be the result of that combination :D.
It's entertaining enough to read one of these book once a year, but they are starting to get a bit old, you can only repeat the same jokes that many times and the way Stephanie is vacillating between Morelli and Ranger is starting to get tiresome. Though it strongly looks like the author is more on the side of Morelli, since SPOILER! even though Stephanie worked for Ranger and even slept in his bed several times during this book, nothing really happened between the two except some heavy innuendo.
"Only" 14 books left to comment on now...