Tuesday, November 24, 2009
13. 11/24/09 From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris (359 pages)
I'm really starting to enjoy the way both Charlaine Harris and Sookie Stackhouse drop men like hot potatoes. I know they all continue to hang around because Sookie's so awesome, but still, in most books the author is reluctant to move from relationship to relationship so quickly. Its refreshing. Its a little more realistic, that Sookie takes other peoples baggage and actions into account. There was a little too much going on in this installment, what with were wars, vampire hostile takeovers, Jason's marriage hitting the rocks, Amelia getting caught on the whole Bob thing, but (although he was a nice guy) I was glad to see the back of Quinn. A weretiger? Really? Come on! There's gotta be a line somewhere. That being said, Sam turning into a lion was pretty excellent. Oh, and the twist at the end was intriguing.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
12.11/22/09 The Magicians by Lev Grossman (402 pages)
I loved this book. It was sad, and dark, and it bitchslapped Narnia. Finally real, unhappy people ended up as the heroes in a fantasy story. None of their problems were solved by magic. College had drinking and sex and foolishness. There were lots of hurt feelings, and death came without any sense of fairness. Nothing was resolved neatly. All questions were answered, but there wasn't really any closure. And the climax of the story was chilling and a half. I made lots of gasping and squeaking noises while I was reading the last few chapters, and Sadie got to have a good laugh at my expense. But seriousy? HE BIT OFF SOMEONE'S HANDS!! And you probably won't be able to figure out who he is. I couldn't.
10. 11/14/09 Twilight by Stephenie Meyer (498 pages)
I've read this book several times. Its not particularly well written. Its a feminist nightmare (although Twlight itself isn't the real problem there. Its New Moon and, most of all, Eclipse that are the culprits). All that being said, I still love it. And I do like that Bella wants to be a vampire so that she and Edward can be equals. She's not a total moron, just masochistic apparently. I also appreciate that she refuses to believe in the whole vampires are damned thing. It strikes me as a breath of fresh air that the heroine isn't tortured...at least about that. What can I say? I like vampires, and my review of Twilight has always been that its weirdly compelling, despite my philosophical problems with it. I offer no excuses, just the facts.
9. 11/11/09 All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris (323 pages)
I've been reading the Sookie Stackhouse novels because I love True Blood, and my cousin had all of them so its free. They're fun. They're not very well written. And I know I'm going to look unbelievably shallow when I say this, but I can't help it, it drives me crazy: the descriptions of attire in this book are horrifying. I'm totally going along with it all, believing that suddenly this backwoods barmaid is irresistable to the entire supernatural community when I get a painfully detailed description of her outfit. After that I can't believe she's 26, let alone hot. Skin tight stretch khakis? Blazers? Scrunchies? So many problems. Also, anyone with breasts as reportedly impressive as Sookie's cannot wear a loose halter evening gown with no back without Serious Support Work. Its not only impractical, it would probably look bad, rather than hot and racy. Maybe I just misinterpreted how big her boobs are. I doubt it, though, given how many times it gets mentioned.
So this is the one where lots of vampires get blown up. That's really the plot in a nutshell. It was entertaining, but I think the show is better. The books as a series fall victim to several common problems of fantasy literature. 1- the Anita Blake Used to be a Vampire Hunter and is Now a Supernatural Mega Skank problem. Anita can sleep with whoever, and whatever, she wants, but it was way cooler when she was a badass bounty hunter. In a related story, I fail to see Sookie's appeal, other than the previously mentioned fabulous rack. 2- The This is the Worst Monster You Have Ever Seen...Except This One trap. Seriously? Fantasy writers are turning into the authors who cried Evil. I never believe them anymore when they say someone is super powerful or scary. And finally 3- The Vampires Have a Giant Secret Society With a Rigid Social Hierarchy and Probably Some Royalty of Some Sort game. Really? That's been a secret all this time? Huh.
Like I said, fun. But if you're going to buy something, buy True Blood. Eric is HOT.
So this is the one where lots of vampires get blown up. That's really the plot in a nutshell. It was entertaining, but I think the show is better. The books as a series fall victim to several common problems of fantasy literature. 1- the Anita Blake Used to be a Vampire Hunter and is Now a Supernatural Mega Skank problem. Anita can sleep with whoever, and whatever, she wants, but it was way cooler when she was a badass bounty hunter. In a related story, I fail to see Sookie's appeal, other than the previously mentioned fabulous rack. 2- The This is the Worst Monster You Have Ever Seen...Except This One trap. Seriously? Fantasy writers are turning into the authors who cried Evil. I never believe them anymore when they say someone is super powerful or scary. And finally 3- The Vampires Have a Giant Secret Society With a Rigid Social Hierarchy and Probably Some Royalty of Some Sort game. Really? That's been a secret all this time? Huh.
Like I said, fun. But if you're going to buy something, buy True Blood. Eric is HOT.
8. 11/9/09 The Sandman Volume 5: A Game of You by Neil Gaiman (approx. 100 pages)
Neil Gaiman rocks, and so does The Sandman. This is not my favorite volume, but its like how a "bad" episode of Battlestar Galactica is better than almost all other television. And yes, I am aware that I am showing my uber-nerdiness here. This volume is a good example of the complex ideas that consistently pop up in the Sandman books. It looks like a dream fantasy, but has a great deal to say about personal identity, how much we construct ourselves and how much the outside world has to do with it. And doesn't everyone have a right to be, whether we approve of them or not? I don't know if I'm meant to compare the Cuckoo with Wanda the transsexual or not, but I do. Most readers now automatically feel that Wanda has the right to be whoever she wants to be, whoever she knows she is, and we're all proud of her for leaving her roots to do just that. At the same time, we're all rooting for the Cuckoo to be defeated when all she wanted was that very same thing- to escape from a place where she was trapped in a mold created and enforced by others. If you haven't read The Sandman, you should really give it a shot, and try not to let the graphic novel format scare you, or trick you into underestimating it. Plus, it hilarious to think of Morpheus as the original Emo Kid.
7. 11/8/09 Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger (402 pages)
I loved, loved, loved The Time Traveler's Wife, but I loved it before most other people. Everyone says things like that, I know, but I remember when I took the first copy out of the box at work and had never heard of it. The cover was intriguing, and there was time travel, so I gave it a shot. Then later, mostly after the trade had been released, the book clubs got a hold of it.
Audrey Niffenegger has made pretty clear, I think, that she's a little more Neil Gaiman/Edward Gorey than Nicholas Sparks and that her first novel was a fluke, so it shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone that her second novel is radically different, and a lot more effed up. I know a lot of people have been put off by this, but I really liked it. (Of course, I worship at the altar of Neil Gaiman- see the post that follows this one- so I may be biased.)
There's a ghost, her odd lover, the OCD neighbor upstairs, some really odd twin nieces, and an intruguingly lively cemetary next door. Personally, I think the weirdest bit is the relationship between the twins. They're adults, and should be in college, but they still sleep in the same bed? Did no one think to do something about this over the years? Doesn't strike me as a great way to socialize your already really weird children. The fact that three out of the four main characters talk to the ghost fits right in with the story, and is far less creepy than Julia and Valentina dressing alike at 21.
After The Time Traveler's Wife, a lot of readers will look for romance in this book. It is there. Julia gets a sort of crush on the middle aged OCD man upstairs who still loves his missing wife, and Valentina definitely gets involved with her dead aunt's lover. ( Apparently Robert went for Elspeth the Cougar, but was not averse to being all Experienced Older Man either. Talk about having your cake and eating it too, jeez). So, love is there, but its uncomfortable and kinda freaky.
As the story progesses things get creepier, twistier, and more unhealthy for all involved, and I don't want to give everything away and spoil the weird, but lets just say the happiness rate at the end point is only like 50/50. I thought it was a very interesting book, and I think others will too, if they don't go into it expecting more Epic Tales of Love.
Also, it was worth the whole thing just for the scene where Elspeth the ghost gets all hot and bothered when she realizes that David Tennant is playing the Doctor on Doctor Who. Best of all the episode was The Girl in the Fireplace! Good to know that Audrey Niffenegger likes Neil Gaiman AND Stephen Moffat. You really can't go wrong.
Audrey Niffenegger has made pretty clear, I think, that she's a little more Neil Gaiman/Edward Gorey than Nicholas Sparks and that her first novel was a fluke, so it shouldn't really come as a surprise to anyone that her second novel is radically different, and a lot more effed up. I know a lot of people have been put off by this, but I really liked it. (Of course, I worship at the altar of Neil Gaiman- see the post that follows this one- so I may be biased.)
There's a ghost, her odd lover, the OCD neighbor upstairs, some really odd twin nieces, and an intruguingly lively cemetary next door. Personally, I think the weirdest bit is the relationship between the twins. They're adults, and should be in college, but they still sleep in the same bed? Did no one think to do something about this over the years? Doesn't strike me as a great way to socialize your already really weird children. The fact that three out of the four main characters talk to the ghost fits right in with the story, and is far less creepy than Julia and Valentina dressing alike at 21.
After The Time Traveler's Wife, a lot of readers will look for romance in this book. It is there. Julia gets a sort of crush on the middle aged OCD man upstairs who still loves his missing wife, and Valentina definitely gets involved with her dead aunt's lover. ( Apparently Robert went for Elspeth the Cougar, but was not averse to being all Experienced Older Man either. Talk about having your cake and eating it too, jeez). So, love is there, but its uncomfortable and kinda freaky.
As the story progesses things get creepier, twistier, and more unhealthy for all involved, and I don't want to give everything away and spoil the weird, but lets just say the happiness rate at the end point is only like 50/50. I thought it was a very interesting book, and I think others will too, if they don't go into it expecting more Epic Tales of Love.
Also, it was worth the whole thing just for the scene where Elspeth the ghost gets all hot and bothered when she realizes that David Tennant is playing the Doctor on Doctor Who. Best of all the episode was The Girl in the Fireplace! Good to know that Audrey Niffenegger likes Neil Gaiman AND Stephen Moffat. You really can't go wrong.
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