Forgot to update a couple days ago. ^^;
No surprise, of course.
No surprise, of course.
What are you reading?
- Thread starter Dante's Stalker
- Start date
I've started reading The Traitor's Kiss by Erin Beaty and I've discovered I've confused this book with one that had a similar, much cooler, concept. So...I'm thinking about DNFing this one because it's...it's bad.
The book follows this girl named Sage who's Not Like Other Girls™. She doesn't like dresses or perfume or anything feminine and doesn't want to get married or go to the matchmaker (which, y'know, not wanting to get married because you just don't want to is one thing and perfectly reasonable; not wanting to get married because you think married women are weak or are less than non-married is another entirely). She's also "not attractive" even though she's slim and blonde and somehow has attractively curvy hips even though she's stick-skinny everywhere else. (I mean, I thought she was unattractive because of her personality but yeah, sure, "standard model for commercially attractive" is apparently hideous now.) So they've already told us the love interest is coming in next chapter (literally tells us he's coming) and I just...no. I don't care. About any of the characters in this book. I know how this is going to go. She's going to whine about how she despises him for absolutely no reason, he'll have one reasonably charming line, she'll be won over, and they'll get married. I'm calling it right now: this'll be the entire plot. And I can admit to liking cheesy or cliché romances, but I'm so bored of these specific tropes. I expected more.
I don't really see a point to finishing this when I could go read something more entertaining.
The book follows this girl named Sage who's Not Like Other Girls™. She doesn't like dresses or perfume or anything feminine and doesn't want to get married or go to the matchmaker (which, y'know, not wanting to get married because you just don't want to is one thing and perfectly reasonable; not wanting to get married because you think married women are weak or are less than non-married is another entirely). She's also "not attractive" even though she's slim and blonde and somehow has attractively curvy hips even though she's stick-skinny everywhere else. (I mean, I thought she was unattractive because of her personality but yeah, sure, "standard model for commercially attractive" is apparently hideous now.) So they've already told us the love interest is coming in next chapter (literally tells us he's coming) and I just...no. I don't care. About any of the characters in this book. I know how this is going to go. She's going to whine about how she despises him for absolutely no reason, he'll have one reasonably charming line, she'll be won over, and they'll get married. I'm calling it right now: this'll be the entire plot. And I can admit to liking cheesy or cliché romances, but I'm so bored of these specific tropes. I expected more.
I don't really see a point to finishing this when I could go read something more entertaining.
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Just finished:
I am so, so glad I finally gave this a chance. Whatever other people's complaints, whatever assumptions people have about it--I don't care. This book was effing fantastic, and constantly took my expectations and turned them on their heads. The few things I was right about still came as a surprise, because there was enough red herring going around to allow for the possibility of things turning out differently than they did. Suffice it to say, I can't wait for the sequel next year.
Now I'm onto:
And because I expect I'll finish it by tomorrow, I'll add my next read as well:
I am so, so glad I finally gave this a chance. Whatever other people's complaints, whatever assumptions people have about it--I don't care. This book was effing fantastic, and constantly took my expectations and turned them on their heads. The few things I was right about still came as a surprise, because there was enough red herring going around to allow for the possibility of things turning out differently than they did. Suffice it to say, I can't wait for the sequel next year.
Now I'm onto:
And because I expect I'll finish it by tomorrow, I'll add my next read as well:
Sorry for the double-post. ^^;
Just finished this. I love this series so much. Even though she posts it for free on DA and her website (and I read it as she does), there's just something about owning it in a cohesive, paperback form. Can't wait until Volume 3. ^^
(Edit to avoid triple-posting)
More than halfway through. I. Love. Thrawn. Sooooo much. I hope Zahn doesn't have another one in this series, if only because I don't think I can survive waiting for it to come out. Thrawn definitely feels tamer this time around, but I think that's because Vader might be overshadowing him a bit. Which, to be frank, annoys me. I like Thrawn better than any of the main canon characters, and considering Vader had his freaking limelight, I hope Thrawn steps out of that shadow as the story continues. I assume he will, since if this is the last book, it'll need to bridge the gap between it and the Thrawn trilogy originally set after the movies. Or at least give us a glimpse of Thrawn's character growth into the ruthless tactician in that series. (I mean, he's very much a tactician here, but I'm looking for less of that moral ambiguity, and more of that spine-tingling antagonism I so love).
Just finished this. I love this series so much. Even though she posts it for free on DA and her website (and I read it as she does), there's just something about owning it in a cohesive, paperback form. Can't wait until Volume 3. ^^
(Edit to avoid triple-posting)
More than halfway through. I. Love. Thrawn. Sooooo much. I hope Zahn doesn't have another one in this series, if only because I don't think I can survive waiting for it to come out. Thrawn definitely feels tamer this time around, but I think that's because Vader might be overshadowing him a bit. Which, to be frank, annoys me. I like Thrawn better than any of the main canon characters, and considering Vader had his freaking limelight, I hope Thrawn steps out of that shadow as the story continues. I assume he will, since if this is the last book, it'll need to bridge the gap between it and the Thrawn trilogy originally set after the movies. Or at least give us a glimpse of Thrawn's character growth into the ruthless tactician in that series. (I mean, he's very much a tactician here, but I'm looking for less of that moral ambiguity, and more of that spine-tingling antagonism I so love).
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"I wish sometimes you had a few bad motives, you might understand a little bit more about human beings..."
"The Quiet American" by Graham Greene
Greene knocks it outta the park again with another fantastic novel. Set during the last years of the French rule over Vietnam, Thomas Fowler is a cynical old British journalist reporting on the crumbling regime and the slow rise of the communist faction. Suddenly the young and idealistic soldier Pyle barrels into his life who brings chaos with his ideas of bringing democracy as well as his interest in Fowler's mistress. This was a fantastic novel delving deep into the psyche of it's three main characters - Fowler's unwillingness to choose a side even as the country is falling apart, Pyle's unwavering belief that the childlike Vietnamese can be "saved" if they do as the Americans tell them and have the authoritarian Genral The elected, and lastly Phoung the young woman caught between the affections of two men - does she stick with her safe lover Fowler or go with the young wealthy Pyle who has a bright future?
It really makes you think about morality, politics and life in general.
"The Quiet American" by Graham Greene
Greene knocks it outta the park again with another fantastic novel. Set during the last years of the French rule over Vietnam, Thomas Fowler is a cynical old British journalist reporting on the crumbling regime and the slow rise of the communist faction. Suddenly the young and idealistic soldier Pyle barrels into his life who brings chaos with his ideas of bringing democracy as well as his interest in Fowler's mistress. This was a fantastic novel delving deep into the psyche of it's three main characters - Fowler's unwillingness to choose a side even as the country is falling apart, Pyle's unwavering belief that the childlike Vietnamese can be "saved" if they do as the Americans tell them and have the authoritarian Genral The elected, and lastly Phoung the young woman caught between the affections of two men - does she stick with her safe lover Fowler or go with the young wealthy Pyle who has a bright future?
It really makes you think about morality, politics and life in general.
I think i saw the movie based on this novel in class once
Out of curiosity, was it the '58 adaptation (in black & white) or the '02 one (in color)?I think i saw the movie based on this novel in class once
02' because it was with Brendan Flesher as Pyle and Micheal Caine as Fowler.
Ah okay, that one is much truer to the plot of the novel than the '58 one which changed a lot of the more anti-American elements.
I'm rereading Story by Robert McKee. Its a great book on how to write a good screenplay and McKee is a bit of a philosopher as well.
Stories are equipment for living after all.
Stories are equipment for living after all.
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Not quite 100 pages in, and honestly...my head hurts. I'm okay with a certain level of purple prose. I can read a wide variety of narratives that put other people off their literary appetites. But this? This is too much even for me. This is purple prose, concentrated. The writing is so frigging flowery, I've lost the train of what was going on more times than I can count already, and while I appreciate turns of phrase--especially when a writer doesn't use the same old tired ones we've seen a million times before--the phrases used in this book have been...well, questionable. And don't even get me started on the footnotes; it feels like completely lazy story-telling to me, when there are so many of them, and many of those happen to take up a good chunk of the pages they're on.
I want so, so badly to like this, but I honestly don't think I can make myself feel more than "meh" about it. I'm going to do my damndest to finish this, but I highly doubt I'll continue with the series.
Started this two days ago, and expect it to take a minimum of five days more. ^^;
Of course, I'm not surprised that I've been enjoying it, since I did read The Name of the Wind late last year. I did, however, forget how much I enjoyed the banter between characters, the flow of the story, and moreover, Kvothe himself. The number of times I've found myself chuckling so far (not quite 300 pages in) is a good omen in my books (pun only somewhat intended.)
Edit: Also reading a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
Only a couple of chapters in, but I really like it so far. :thumbsup:
Of course, I'm not surprised that I've been enjoying it, since I did read The Name of the Wind late last year. I did, however, forget how much I enjoyed the banter between characters, the flow of the story, and moreover, Kvothe himself. The number of times I've found myself chuckling so far (not quite 300 pages in) is a good omen in my books (pun only somewhat intended.)
Edit: Also reading a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
Only a couple of chapters in, but I really like it so far. :thumbsup:
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Far out! I've been meaning to get tucked into this very book (it's been on my nightstand for eons now) but after reading your review I probably won't even bother. I'll go swap it with something more interesting at the free bookcase.
Not quite 100 pages in, and honestly...my head hurts. I'm okay with a certain level of purple prose. I can read a wide variety of narratives that put other people off their literary appetites. But this? This is too much even for me. This is purple prose, concentrated. The writing is so frigging flowery, I've lost the train of what was going on more times than I can count already, and while I appreciate turns of phrase--especially when a writer doesn't use the same old tired ones we've seen a million times before--the phrases used in this book have been...well, questionable. And don't even get me started on the footnotes; it feels like completely lazy story-telling to me, when there are so many of them, and many of those happen to take up a good chunk of the pages they're on.
I want so, so badly to like this, but I honestly don't think I can make myself feel more than "meh" about it. I'm going to do my damndest to finish this, but I highly doubt I'll continue with the series.
+Currently picking up where I left off with Arcane Guardian by Rebel Dynasty.
@Dante's Stalker Lol, I probably should've updated after I finished it. ^^; I found once I started ignoring the foot notes, I was able to enjoy the book a bit more. They also became less frequent, which was nice, and the purple prose felt less condensed. I don't know why it was so much worse early on, other than to think Kristoff hadn't hit his stride until halfway in, or something (or I got used to it by then; hard to say). I'd say still give it a chance, just to see for yourself whether you can get through enough to see whether it's worth it or not, but it's totally up to you. ^^
Sandman universe is a new imprint by DC. Its focuses on 4 new titles that act as pseudosequels to Neil Gaiman's Sandman. So the issue acts as a showcase for the books. As someone new to Sandman its easy to get into. The snippets work well on their own save one. I'd give it 3 out of 5 stars.
Stumptown is a neo-noir following Dex a PI with a gambling problem. She reluctantly takes a case to solve her debt and gets in over her head. Its a well-done detective series but nothing really out of the ordinary. 3 out of 5 stars.
Letter 44 is about a newly elected president discovering that the previous administration covered up the existence of aliens. Its a decent political thriller but still in its early stages. There are stand-in for Bush and Obama and the book looks to be a rumination on Obama's presidency. On how this for change candidate deal with the reality of change. So people sensitive about politics should be wary but its nothing overtly offensive or caricaturish. Its 3.5 out of 5 stars.
The clean room focuses on a journalist trying to figure out why her photographer boyfriend commited suicide. She suspects a controversial self-help guru. The truth is more complicated, insidious and otherworldy . The book is a horror/mystery title but I'm not generally a horror fan so i give it 3 out 5 stars.
The American Way: those above and below use superheroes to talk about race tensions in the 1970s. Its a great read but it can rely too much on its predecessor. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Stumptown is a neo-noir following Dex a PI with a gambling problem. She reluctantly takes a case to solve her debt and gets in over her head. Its a well-done detective series but nothing really out of the ordinary. 3 out of 5 stars.
Letter 44 is about a newly elected president discovering that the previous administration covered up the existence of aliens. Its a decent political thriller but still in its early stages. There are stand-in for Bush and Obama and the book looks to be a rumination on Obama's presidency. On how this for change candidate deal with the reality of change. So people sensitive about politics should be wary but its nothing overtly offensive or caricaturish. Its 3.5 out of 5 stars.
The clean room focuses on a journalist trying to figure out why her photographer boyfriend commited suicide. She suspects a controversial self-help guru. The truth is more complicated, insidious and otherworldy . The book is a horror/mystery title but I'm not generally a horror fan so i give it 3 out 5 stars.
The American Way: those above and below use superheroes to talk about race tensions in the 1970s. Its a great read but it can rely too much on its predecessor. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
It's been on my shelf for about a year, so I figured it was about time. ^^; Not too far into it yet, but I'm liking it so far.