Books

So if you looked at my blog recently (and it's okay if you haven't; I know there haven't been any substantial updates in a while) you'd probably be thinking that I haven't read anything in quite some time. And you'd be wrong. Hah! Believe it or not, I've actually managed to read quite a few books recently. Not so many as I'd like, but more than what the pressures of life would suggest right now. Mostly that's been catching up on some favorite authors. And since books are one of the great unifying things between my friends and I love hearing your thoughts on the ones I like or the ones I should like or the ones I hate with a fiery passion, I'll give you my thoughts in the interest of sparking a bit of conversation.

The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
I dislike being coerced into reading books, although i admit to having used the tactic on others rather shamelessly in the past. So I went into the first book of "The Wheel of Time" rather dubiously. But it's one of Nick's two favorite series, so I'm not getting out of reading the entire thing eventually. This book wasn't bad. There are many things I enjoyed about it. Only problem I foresee is that I'm just not sold on any of the main characters yet. In fact I'm half-way through the second book but had to give up when the characters just started being too stupid to deal with anymore. Conversation with Nick:

Him: But that just means it's realistic! There are tons of stupid people in the world!
Me: Yes! And I deal with them ALL THE TIME! I read books to get AWAY from the stupid people! Not invite them to frolic gaily through my imagination!

So. I'll get back to the series eventually.

Chalice ~ Robin McKinley
I heart Robin McKinley. She's one of those authors that I pull a book of hers off the shelf to look at a certain part and two hours later I realize that I'm still standing next to the bookcase but I've finished reading the book from the spot I had flipped to. This book is drink of fresh water sweetened with the slightest bit of honey. And when you read it you'll know what I mean. It is in the vein of her other books that are influenced by fairy tales, and it brings a freshness to the genre that is appealing to me.

The Tales of Beedle the Bard ~ J.K. Rowling
In many ways I am a bad Harry Potter fan. I've only read the last two books once (perhaps because she killed my favorite character. Again. Everyone always kills my favorites. Why? What did I do?) and haven't been able to muster the same enthusiasm for the series that I once did. I'd still defend them on the radio to a fundamental moron who didn't actually bother to read them though. That was fun. Anyway. This collection of fairy tales from the Potter stories was rather rejuvenating. All the humor of the series, and all the whimsy and horror of the best fairy tales.

Dragonhaven ~ Robin McKinley
I still love Robin McKinley. And who would have ever thought that I'd think Lois was the perfect name for a dragon? This book is written in the same style as Sunshine (arguably my favorite McKinley book) a style I like to call first person rambling. For me it works well because it relates the story in the same way my brain tells stories to myself. All the same tangents and side-paths that i would expect in my own musings are there, and it becomes all the more easy to put myself in the character's life.

Turn Coat ~ Jim Butcher
Has it really been a year already since Small Favor came out? Really? Yet another book in the Dresden Files and as wonderful as all those that came before it. Though I can't help but feel bad for Harry. He must be so tired.

And while we're on the subject:
Welcome to the Jungle and Stormfront Vol. 1 ~ also by Jim Butcher and a variety of artists
These are graphic novels. A prequel to the series and the first volume of the first book. Incredible artwork. They actually do add another texture to the stories - it's not just a rehashing of what we already know. And incredible artwork. Awesome.

And.

Backup ~ Jim Butcher
Novella about Thomas, a very important supporting character in the Dresden Files. The type of vampire who wears Buffy the Vampire Slayer t-shirts. Does NOT sparkle. I like him. It's especially amusing to see Harry Dresden's world from a different perspective than his own. Since I like the series as a whole so well I'll give you a taste from the opening passage of this book:

Let's get something clear right up front.
I'm not Harry Dresden.
Harry's a wizard. A genuine, honest-to-goodness wizard. He's Gandalf on crack and an IV of Red Bull, with a big leather coat and a .44 revolver in his pocket. He'll spit in the eye of gods and demons alike if he thinks it needs to be done, and to hell with the consequences - and yet somehow he manages to remain a decent human being.

For the record, I did make a very teensy tinsy change to that passage to protect those who have not read the series from what I consider to be a rather important spoiler. But I think you get the idea.

Also, the binding of this book is classy. Slim and elegant, with both blue and payne's gray printing throughout.

The Graveyard Book ~ Neil Gaiman
I'm so annoyed that it took me until the very end to realize that the title is a play on The Jungle Book. But oh well. This year's Newberry Medal winner, and isn't it about time for Neil Gaiman? He so rocks. And so does this book. Melancholy and enrapturing. Is that a word? Is there a better one I could use? Gaiman always brings so much heart and tenderness to spooky things. I love it!

Mirrormask ~ Neil Gaiman
This was originally designed as a movie, written by Gaiman and directed by the gentlemen who did the artwork for this version (the same person, coincidentally did the illustrations in The Graveyard Book, and the pictures complimented the text perfectly). I think the movie might be the better format for this particular work, but I haven't seen it so who am I to say? It'd probably owe a fair bit to Labyrinth. But I really really like the idea of a girl running away from the circus to join real life.

The High King's Tomb ~ Kristen Britain
...
...
Kristen Britain writes
WAY
TOO
SLOW.
...
Seriously.
I adore the Green Rider books more each time I read them, and this was the first time reading High King's Tomb, and now my brain is all stuck in the series again, trying to figure out a way for everything to be resolved.
IT'S DRIVING ME CRAZY.
I distinctly remember first starting to read Green Rider while waiting in line at midnight to pick up my copy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire at a Barnes and Noble in Springfield, IL while visiting my great and uncle. This was the summer after sophomore year of high school. Green rider was already in mass market paperback by that point. The third one has been around for a couple of years now. As of march of this year, Kristen Britain is still working on the fourth book, with not even a working title listed and no publishing date in sight. And her contract has been renewed. Great for her, but it means that it will take EVEN LONGER for the series to finish up. I realize that I'm not always the fastest at getting things accomplished either, but I think my productivity level would go WAY UP if my brain wasn't so busy trying to figure out scenarios for how the series should play out. And if I wasn't pining for a horse again.
Oy.

I just finished that one today, so it may take a while for the craziness to subside. In the meantime though, I do have the next book lined up. I'm starting a little late, but I think it will be fun. Feel free to read along:

http://infinitesummer.org/
Infinite Jest! A thousand pages! Plus end notes. A lot of them.