Reading List Update
Jul. 5th, 2007 01:37 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jedibuttercup7.5 more books since I posted June 10. 4 keepers, 2 borrowed and 1.5 rejects.
37. Dragon's Lair by Sharon Kay Penman. Paperback, 317pp. A "Medieval Mystery". This book was a gift from my mother, who thought a mystery set during the reign of King Richard the Lionheart would appeal to me, and of course it did. Intriguing mystery plus fascinating historical detail equals win. The cameo appearances of historical figures like Richard's brother John and Llewelyn the Great were neat, too.
38. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. Paperback, 240pp. 1st of a series. Blame my 12-year-old cousin for this one. I'd seen the movie; when I spotted her reading this, I had to check. And became engrossed. Very funny, even more so than the movie, and very high school flashback as well.
39. The Woad to Wuin by Peter David. Paperback, 504pp. 2nd of a series. I loved the first in this series, "Sir Apropos of Nothing", very much indeed; perfect parody/satire of the fantasy genre, but an absorbing story in its own right, as well. Unfortunately, the close focus and balance of humor and plot in that first book give way here to a much looser focus and several really blunt deus ex machinas that ruined it for me-- the "lord of the cock rings" and "amnesiac peace lord" parts in particular. Though I finished it, and even got partway into the sequel "Tong Lashing" (this is where the .5 book comes in), I'm getting rid of them, pronto. They had become an unpleasant chore to read.
40. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher. Paperback, 342pp. 2nd of the Dresden Files series. Just as good as the first. A quick and satisfying read. Harry Dresden is, IMHO, pretty much John McClane does wizardry; love how human and yet determined he is, and the excellent mix of urban fantasy with mystery that makes up the plot of each book.
41. Princess in the Spotlight by Meg Cabot. Paperback, 272pp. 2nd of a series. Also borrowed from my cousin. Continues the everywoman/Cinderella story of teenage Mia Thermopolis, and is very nearly as funny as the first.
42. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher. Paperback, 378pp. 3rd of the Dresden Files series. This one does primarily ghosts and vampires, where the last featured werewolves. Begins more in medias res of an investigation than the previous two, not to mention introducing a not-previously-mentioned godmother, all of which surprised me at first, but none of that turned out to be a hindrance to my enjoyment. Established more of Harry's backup cast, whom I am enjoying very much as well.
43. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher. Paperback, 371pp. 4th of the Dresden Files series. This one's NeverNever creature of choice was the Fae. The character starts off the book in a deep depression due to events of the previous, but one still gets a sense that he is growing as a person as time passes, which I love in fictional protagonists. Some interesting politics crop up, and the mystery and its resolution promise to have impact in future stories, which I look forward to reading. As soon as I get my hands on them!
Next up: Hood, by Stephen Lawhead. First of a new trilogy. I am a sucker for anything and everything Robin Hood, so I've been looking forward to this.
~
37. Dragon's Lair by Sharon Kay Penman. Paperback, 317pp. A "Medieval Mystery". This book was a gift from my mother, who thought a mystery set during the reign of King Richard the Lionheart would appeal to me, and of course it did. Intriguing mystery plus fascinating historical detail equals win. The cameo appearances of historical figures like Richard's brother John and Llewelyn the Great were neat, too.
38. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. Paperback, 240pp. 1st of a series. Blame my 12-year-old cousin for this one. I'd seen the movie; when I spotted her reading this, I had to check. And became engrossed. Very funny, even more so than the movie, and very high school flashback as well.
39. The Woad to Wuin by Peter David. Paperback, 504pp. 2nd of a series. I loved the first in this series, "Sir Apropos of Nothing", very much indeed; perfect parody/satire of the fantasy genre, but an absorbing story in its own right, as well. Unfortunately, the close focus and balance of humor and plot in that first book give way here to a much looser focus and several really blunt deus ex machinas that ruined it for me-- the "lord of the cock rings" and "amnesiac peace lord" parts in particular. Though I finished it, and even got partway into the sequel "Tong Lashing" (this is where the .5 book comes in), I'm getting rid of them, pronto. They had become an unpleasant chore to read.
40. Fool Moon by Jim Butcher. Paperback, 342pp. 2nd of the Dresden Files series. Just as good as the first. A quick and satisfying read. Harry Dresden is, IMHO, pretty much John McClane does wizardry; love how human and yet determined he is, and the excellent mix of urban fantasy with mystery that makes up the plot of each book.
41. Princess in the Spotlight by Meg Cabot. Paperback, 272pp. 2nd of a series. Also borrowed from my cousin. Continues the everywoman/Cinderella story of teenage Mia Thermopolis, and is very nearly as funny as the first.
42. Grave Peril by Jim Butcher. Paperback, 378pp. 3rd of the Dresden Files series. This one does primarily ghosts and vampires, where the last featured werewolves. Begins more in medias res of an investigation than the previous two, not to mention introducing a not-previously-mentioned godmother, all of which surprised me at first, but none of that turned out to be a hindrance to my enjoyment. Established more of Harry's backup cast, whom I am enjoying very much as well.
43. Summer Knight by Jim Butcher. Paperback, 371pp. 4th of the Dresden Files series. This one's NeverNever creature of choice was the Fae. The character starts off the book in a deep depression due to events of the previous, but one still gets a sense that he is growing as a person as time passes, which I love in fictional protagonists. Some interesting politics crop up, and the mystery and its resolution promise to have impact in future stories, which I look forward to reading. As soon as I get my hands on them!
Next up: Hood, by Stephen Lawhead. First of a new trilogy. I am a sucker for anything and everything Robin Hood, so I've been looking forward to this.
~
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no subject
Date: 2007-07-05 09:47 am (UTC)Glad to hear that The Princess Diaries is good; I'd wondered about it, but hadn't got quite interested enough to read it. Mind, I likely wouldn't enjoy it as much as you, because of the culture gap.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-10 02:23 am (UTC)I soldiered through so I could report having read it, but when the third book started off with an evil Ronald McDonald type leading an actual demonic version of Dungeons and Dragons aboard a ship actually named the LARP, and a quick flip to the back showed Apropos having used a sword of destruction to essentially nuclear-bomb an Asian town? Not what I read fantasy fiction for.
As for Princess Diaries-- yeah, it's pretty culture-specific; the European characters (father, grandmother) are all filtered through Mia's very liberal, teenaged American prejudices. I had a best friend just like her in high school (though her parents were merly rich, not royalty). My cousin's intent now on making me read them all, so I'll just have to enjoy them on your behalf! =)
no subject
Date: 2007-07-05 03:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-10 02:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-05 03:45 pm (UTC)I'm looking forward to "Hood" myself. Lawhead is startlingly inconsistent, but when he's on, he's one of the best out there in the fantasy / semi-historical fiction genre.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-10 02:36 am (UTC)I'd intended to pick up his modern-day Arthur books after this series, but I'm not so interested in them now.
Re: Lawhead-- the only other things I've read of his were that celtic trilogy, which I don't remember much of besides that it was fascinating and wrenching to read, and Byzantium, which bored me. Any comments you care to share on his other stuff? I'm only 141 pages into Hood now due to getting sidetracked by other books, but so far, so good.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-05 07:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-10 02:39 am (UTC)I'm definitely interested in the historical ones-- if I see them, I'll pick them up. I haven't read much medieval history in a while, not since the last time I thumbed through Tuchman's "A Distant Mirror", but I'm definitely fond of the era.
no subject
Date: 2007-07-10 08:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-07-06 04:15 am (UTC)Just wanted to let you know that I'm happy that you are enjoying The Dresden Files and to let you know of a few "extras" out there just in case you haven't heard of them. There's one short story (http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/restoration/) and one vignette (http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden/vignette/) posted on Jim's website for reading. They aren't spoilery, so you can read them without fear. Also, there's a short story involving Billy and the Alphas, Harry, Murphy and the Fae in the romantic fantasy anthology My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding. And best of all, he has another short story in an anthology (Many Bloody Returns) starring Harry and another character you haven't met yet- but you'll have to wait until September or so to read that one as it isn't out yet :(.
Hope this helps and enjoy the rest of the books :)
no subject
Date: 2007-07-10 02:45 am (UTC)I've gobbled up everything through Book 8 in the last few days, and hope to pick up the newest next time I'm in Borders. *loves* I don't know why no-one ever rec'ced these to me before; they're amazingly good.
Do you know anything about the TV series-- whether it lives up to the promise of the books?
no subject
Date: 2007-07-10 04:15 am (UTC)The TV show is rather different from the books, Bob is now a necromancer named Hrothbert of Bainbridge cursed to haunt his skull forever- he's played by Terrence Mann (you can see Bob in the icon on my last comment). The show is fun to watch, I'd reccomend it, but don't expect everything to be the same as the books, they had to change a few things for it to appeal to the masses of the boob tube. :S