Reading roundup

[hamsterwoman]

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! I think I've thanked everyone individually, but if I've missed you accidentally -- THANK YOU! :D I will do a post about the birthday later (it was fun!), but for now:

33. Justine Larbalestier, Liar -- back when this book first came out and the various YA authors whose blogs I follow were talking about how

Comments

[esc_key]

I like Pam now. :) And on a final vampire note, I liked the relative absence of Bill.
Pam's my favorite. :D I like Eric when he's being snarky but I don't like he when he's all schmoopy over Sookie (LOL, I wrote Snooki).

[hamsterwoman]

I like Eric when he's being snarky but I don't like he when he's all schmoopy over Sookie

Ditto! So far that was just in book 4, but I understand there's more of that sort of thing in the later books. Give me snarky Eric any day!

Also, LOL "Snooki" XD and I like your icon even more now!

[esc_key]

LOL when I saw him on the phone on the show I totally thought he was texting Pam snarky comments about the club kids. And it makes me happy to believe it is true. XD

[hamsterwoman]

I haven't watched the show, but that would be totally in character for book!Eric from what I've seen so far XD (Also, for a show I've never even seen, I'm kind of bummed that he's apparently cut his hair in the later seasons, because in this icon and a couple of others from the same time period he looks a lot more like my mental vision of Eric. But anyway...)

BTW, I randomly came across "The True Meaning of Smekday" at the library last week, and remembered the campaign posts from chickfight, so I knew I had to read it. (Although I haven't actually started it yet. But that's next on my list!)

[loupnoir]

I'll be interested in your Sookie comments when you get to the last few books in the series. I'll wait.

The warrior anthology sounds interesting. Normally, I'm not much for short stories. I try, but generally, unless the book's a single author collection, I get bored. However, your description has piqued my interest. Now, will my library system have it?

I'm slogging through a Meiville novel right now, Perdido Station -- please excuse me if I got the spellings wrong. I'm too lazy to go find the book. I wasn't sure I liked it at first. So much exposition, so much telling, so much description the story was lost, but I kinda like it. The more I read, the more I like it. It's my current "before bed" book and that means it's going to need to be renewed, and I'm not sure I can do that. I think someone else is waiting for it. Guess I better read faster, eh?

[hamsterwoman]

"Slogging" seems to happen a lot with Mieville novels, at least judging by what I've seen on my flist. I've been intrigued by Perdido, but it sounded too horror-flavored to be the right starter book for me. I'm less leery of it now that I've finished and liked one. Somebody is waiting for my copy of The City and the City, too... I've been done with it for a while now, actually, but hadn't gotten around to writing up the quotes. Well, now I can finally return it.

"Warriors" is odd... It's definitely quite varied, much more so than most anthologies I've seen, maybe any of them. But I'm not sure I would've persevered (it's looong, like, almost 800 pages in hardback) if there hadn't been stories from authors I already liked a lot sprinkled throughout to anchor me.

I got my copy from the library -- hopefully yours will have it, too. (I don't suppose yours does ILL with Bay Area libraries?)

[esc_key]

I've tried to get through Predido and failed several times. The whole bug thing... I just can't picture it.

[hamsterwoman]

Yeah, the bug thing... I love bugs and all, but I have a hard time with that concept.

[angerfish]

I liked Mystery Knight a lot! Actually sometimes I enjoy the Dunk and Egg stories a bit more than ASoIaF proper. Dunno why. Maybe because they're a little less DOOM ALL THE TIME!!! but still pretty dark with interesting characters.

Uhh now I probably should someday read the rest of the anthology. >.>

[hamsterwoman]

The thing I like about Dunk & Egg is that the stories are well defined -- no cliffhangers! :D And, definitely, the ratio of funny to DOOM is a lot closer to what I usually aim for in my reading than ASOIAF proper. It's not the sweeping vistas and twisted plots and amazing character reveals, but for sheer enjoyment -- I hear you!

I can't say there's anything in the rest of the anthology that I would say is OMG MUST READ NOW! But most of the stories were at least either interesting or enjoyable. (Although, come to think of it, quite a few of them were rather dark, especially taken en masse.)

[lyssa027]

I love Pam, you get to see a bit more of her in the later books, and Amelia also becomes one of my favorite characters as the novels progress. I like the Sookie Stackhouse novels, but I don't take them seriously really, I kind of read them for brain garbage, I'm also more of a Dresden girl, but I do think they get better as they go on ;-) I also dislike Bill a lot, Eric amuses me.

[hamsterwoman]

I'm glad to hear there's more Pam and Amelia later on! And, solidarity on the Bill dislike! I was reading some reviews for book 6, and they were like, "Oh, she reveals something terrible about a beloved character" and I was all, Bill?! Beloved? Who are these people? Edward Cullen fans?

I have a hard time taking these as seriously as Dresden Files (which is already not super serious, you know?) because the scope seems a good deal narrower. Well, and I'm more attached to more DF characters than this series' characters. Because, really, I've gotten kind of fond of Sookie, I guess, but other than Eric and maybe Pam and Amelia a bit, I can't say I care about any of them.

[lunylucy]

I followed your Sookie Stackhouse tag to see what you had to say about the first book because I skimmed that one after watching the show, but apparently you haven't read it heh. I did notice you mentioning that people were casting Askars as Jaime and my mind temporarily went to a Very Happy Place. Although to be honest I've gotten so used to him as Eric I'm not sure he could fit my mental image of Jaime, but their combined hotness would be something to behold NNGHHHH.

I keep meaning to continue with these books, but I find that I like the show better so far (as surprising as that is) although I might eventually give in and read for all the Eric/Sookie I am told the future books contain. Plus it seems like they diverge more and more from the books with each season. Why haven't you given the show a try? It'll take you outside of Sookie's head at least.

[hamsterwoman]

Yeah, I skipped book #1 and that's one I'm not sure I'm going back for, because, ugh, Bill, and also Jason's apparently not particularly great there, either, and I hate the way Sookie talks about Arlene, plus not that fond of early!Sookie herself. So... probably save myself some teeth-grinding by not reading it. The books do seem to be improving on the whole, though!

but their combined hotness would be something to behold NNGHHHH. Heh. Funny thing is, neither Jaime nor Eric is at all my usual type, but -- yeah

[lunylucy]

The first book and first season of the show are the same almost word for word, although Jason was way more unsympathetic in the book. And I think S2 pretty much had the same storylines too though with more variation. Anyway, you should check it out if you come across it. This show is pure fanservice and lulz.

Same with me in regards to Jaime, Eric and types! It's all in becoming familiar with the character. This is a rather obvious point when it comes to Jaime, but I remember seeing people gush over Eric and the actor many times before (picspams and all) and while I could definitely agree that he was attractive, he didn't have the same effect on me as he does now when I "know" him.

[hamsterwoman]

Interesting! I didn't realise S1 and book 1 were *that* close -- maybe I'll try to watch S1 in lieu of reading the book, since it sounds like it likely mitigates the things I'm afraid I'll find annoying in the book.