Reading roundup (more Smek, more Locke) and watching roundup (B5, Angel)

[hamsterwoman]

9. Adam Rex, Smek for President (Smekday #2) -- I was so excited when I learned that a sequel to The True Meaning of Smekday was coming out! I preordered this in hardcover, which hasn't happened since... Captain Vorpatril's Alliance, I think (well, I would've done it for Hawk if I didn't think the ebook option would be faster, and I would've done

Comments

[meathiel]

You're doing well with the bingo.

I may read the Max Gladstone book as I haven't come up with a book for that square yet!

[hamsterwoman]

It feels like I'm getting all the easy ones out of the way, but I have to admit it's going faster than I thought it would be! (I think it's 'cos between the three cards, I'm more likely to have a book I can check off *somewhere* without particular effort, at least in these early stages...)

I liked the Max Gladstone book, though I do think they're probably something like an acquired taste. (I guess another way to fill the "do not fall in love" square would be to read something where it's centered on a family relationship, father-daughter or brother-sister or something like that... but, yeah, there are not that many...)

[aome]

I don't have nearly the same quibbles with Locke #3 that you do, but I also don't have the chance to read as much as you do and therefore have less to compare it to, maybe? Except this:

because the other situation Locke and Sabetha made me think about were Kvothe and Denna.THIS. It is what drove me nuts the most about Locke and Sabetha, and touches upon one thing you mentioned about them - how both Locke and Kvothe turn into pathetic eggshell-walking wimps whenever their chosen woman is involved. I do not get WHY either woman continues to keep them at arm's length for SO FREAKIN' LONG (so I'm pretty tired of their behavior, too), nor why either man allows himself to keep following around like a beaten puppy. It was fun for a short while, young love or something, and then got old very very quickly. Either get together or give up and move on, please

[hamsterwoman]

I normally don't have so many quibbles with books I thoroughly enjoy, but something about the Locke books brings it out in me... I suspect it's that I love the way he writes Locke and Jean and the Bastards as a group so much, that it makes me kind of resent the time he spends doing anything else, because pirates and politics and Bondsmagi just don't live up to the Bastards shenanigans for me. Which, it's not fair to complain because an author is writing not exactly what I want to be reading, but I do think Lynch is still sort of coming along in terms of craft when it comes to some of the things he's attempting, and loving the books requires -- to use his own terms -- choosing to be charmed (as opposed to being swept away by the pure genius of the narrative), and I happily choose to be charmed by Jean and Locke and the Bastards -- but not so much by the other stuff.

Either get together or give up and move on, please.Yes please! I kind of have an easier time forgiving it with Kvothe, because Kvothe in the past-story is still quite

[aome]

It's here. :)

(Edit: Which apparently you figured out already. :P)

[a_phoenixdragon]

Angel improves over time. At this point, Joss was still trying to set up to separate him from Buffy and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Still love the series as a whole, though. In the end (as I'm sure I've mentioned), I didn't watch for Angel himself, though DB did give a little more 3D quality to the character after a year or so - I watched for everyone else. And yes, we will see Phantom!Dennis again (orrrr not see him as the case may be). Rather love Dennis. He's marvelous!

[hamsterwoman]

Oh, good to know about Phantom!Dennis -- I find the idea of Cordelia having a ghost roommate rather cute!

[isiscolo]

Okay, carefully not looking at the spoilers, but - thanks for the Republic of Thieves comments. I might have mentioned to you that I read the first two books a while back, then reread them in preparation for reading #3, but got totally bogged down about halfway through #2 and abandoned it, wondering if maybe I shouldn't bother with #3. Now I feel a bit more encouraged to read it!

[hamsterwoman]

There's just something about book 2 -- it doesn't seem to work as well as the others... I think everyone I know who's read all three lists the second one as their least favorite. Maybe it's great if one really, really loves pirates? I think I didn't enjoy #3 quite as much as the first one, but a lot of that is probably difference in expectations. I certainly did enjoy it enough to finish it very quickly -- and I hope you will enjoy it too, when/if you end up reading it! (Also, I didn't feel like there was anything from book 2 other than the situation at the end that had any bearing on the events of book 3, so you could probably just dive in without finishing your reread.)

(Also, book 4 is slated to be published some time this year, though a date has not yet been announced as far as I could find.)