Princess Orchid Posted August 31, 2007 Share Posted August 31, 2007 I'm starting a day early, as I'll probably not remember to start this tomorrow (it being Saturday and all...). Right now, I'm reading Jasper Fforde's First Among Sequels. I've read all his previous books (both the Jack Spratt and Thursday Next series), but in a bit of a haphazard order. I may go back and red them again when I've finished this one tho, as I've got some memory blanks! I shall also be stopping by Waterstones on my way home to search out the new Alexander McCall Smith book from the Isabel Dalhousie series. It hadn't been released yet last time I checked, but that was a couple weeks ago. I've found myself drawn to series recently, and I'm not entirely sure why... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted September 1, 2007 Author Share Posted September 1, 2007 I'm just over halfway through First Among Sequels, and it's fantastic so far - not surprising really, as I loved all JF's previous books. They're just quite fun. Tbh, I prefer the Nursery Crime series over Thursday Next tho. A few things I'd like to mention that made me smile in this one - the dodgy exchange of cheese, and the reference to Paul Atreides from Frank Herberts "Dune". JF seems to be very consistent in his style. You can dive into any of his books, read them in order or not, and they just feel quite "comfortable", if that makes sense. His style doesn't change drastically from book to book, and when you know what to expect, you more or less get it. Unlike other series, I don't think it matters terribly what order you read his books in - I know "The Eyre Affair" came first, but I started with "Lost in a Good Book" and that didn't impede my enjoyment of the series at all. I went by Waterstones on my way home from work last night, and was VERY disappointed to find he new AMS book is not due out until October. I *did* welcome the following into my home, and they are now in my TBR pile: Bones to Ashes (Kathy Reichs) "Babies die. People vanish. People die. Babies vanish." Deluxe (Diana Thomas) "Down the dusty roads of Xi'an the motor scooters zoom,weaving around potholes and rickety bicycles, bip-bip-bipping their horns as they circle the city's sixteenth-century tower." The Scandal of the Season (Sophie Gee) "London,1711. The noise cold be heard streets away" The President's Last Love (Andrey Kurkov) "Kiev, 1975. The scent of acacia and blossoming chestnut are in the air as I, aged fourtenn, return home on foot from the city centre afte a few drinks." Brasyl (Ian McDonald) "May 17-19, 2006. Marcelina watched them take the car on Rua Sacopa." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted September 4, 2007 Author Share Posted September 4, 2007 Finished First Among Sequels last night, and I enjoyed it - as with all of Fforde's books, I didn't find it page-turningly, fingernail-chompingly must-find-out-what-happens-NOW(ly?) exciting, but it was quite intelligent, with some pop culture references (the parallels with Big Brother) as well as the usual well thought out literary references. I read somewhere on the forum that there is missing text on his website, but I'm not desperately seeking it out at the moment, and the idea just seems a bit gimmicky and faffy to me. This morning, I received from Amazon my latest order, which included a Pilates DVD (I live in hope), a collection of essays about Canadian Comfort Food (I'm intrigues as to the differences between that sort of cooking here in the UK and over there in the Great White North - I seem to remember a lot of references to potatoes and stews in my school lunches), AND (DUN DUN DUN!) a collection of essays about my favourite TV show, which has sadly been cancelled. So, instead of sticking to my proposed TBR list, I will be reading (and in fact have already started reading) Neptune Noir (edited by Rob Thomas) , which may involve a brief spell of hibernation for me. I've already dived into it, and I've been saving the reading of the pieces about my favourite character for last. Must draw this out for as long as possible, as the last 2 episodes are on this week and next. *sniff* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted September 5, 2007 Author Share Posted September 5, 2007 OK, I probably won't be terribly objective about this one, as I love love LOVE the tv show, and am absolutely distraught it's been cancelled, but Neptune Noir is pretty damned good so far. I'm about halfway through, and I can feel myself nodding in agreement to quite a lot of the points brought up in the essays (and grinning randomly or giggling on the bus). What I found myself quite surprised about was the piece by John Ramos (aka Couch Baron on Television Without Pity). CP is very straight-talking (pun not intended, but only if you've read any of his comments of the "Logan Echolls" character on the show) on TWoP, and I'm sure his essay contribution is slightly toned down for the anthology, but I was expecting a punchy commentary and not a somewhat psychological breakdown of the interpretations of lying on the show (and the reactions to it). I guess it's the same as expecting an actor to embody everything that is his or her character in real life - you never get what you expect! Nevertheless, I think John Ramos is an exceptionally intelligent and witty commentator, either as CB or as himself. Now what I'd like to see is a collection of essays by Couch Baron... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcow Posted September 5, 2007 Share Posted September 5, 2007 Bones to ashes sounds like a good read, look forward to seeing what you think of it Princess Orchid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted September 6, 2007 Author Share Posted September 6, 2007 I've just started Bones to Ashes, which is quite different from the only other Kathy Reichs book I've read (Break no Bones), but looking good so far. I finished Neptune Noir this morning - saved one chapter to read today, and it was totally worth it. This is definately something I will keep and read again - probably when I've finished watching the DVDs. A few of the essays exactly voiced my thoughts on particular scenes and episodes, just far more eloquently than I could manage! I'm a little sad to have finished the book already tho, which is rare for me. I usually race to the end. Guess it's different as this was a colelction of essays, and not an actual "story". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted September 6, 2007 Author Share Posted September 6, 2007 OK, just something I noticed about the way Kathy Reichs writes that annoys me slightly - the need to overexplain some words and terms, especially the French ones. I understand a lot of folk may not understand French, but it seems the words she feels the need to translate are things like Bonjour, comment ca va, and ca marche. which IMO are fairly self explanatory. Ruins the flow somewhat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted September 7, 2007 Author Share Posted September 7, 2007 Another thing I noticed - may be just me though. I'm reading Bones to Ashes in a slightly French-Canadian accent. Is that strange? Hm...things to ponder. I have to admit, I've spent less time reading books from my TBR pile, and more time reading the Television Without Pity Forums. There's a thread in the VM section that has had me nearly peeing myself with laughter all last night. It's probably lucky I can't get access to TWoP's boards at work, else they'll REALLY know how unproductive I'm being today! The recaps alone are close to setting me off into fits of hysterics. God I love the internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted September 11, 2007 Author Share Posted September 11, 2007 I finished Bones to Ashes during my lunch break yesterday. I enjoyed the book, and I did find myself racing at the end to finish it as I desperately wanted to know who the killer was. I loved the forensic'y bits, and the storyline was easy to get into - it was the interactions between Tempe and Ryan, and Tempe and her sister that felt a bit stilted for me. And I preferred the second half of the book to the first. I didn't really care for all the childhood flashbacks, which is not somethng I noticed in other books of hers. I just started Five quarters of an orange (Joanne Harris), which I am thoroughly enjoying. I like her books - they make me hungry.... I can't remember if this is one I've read before, but I can't remember any of the details so this must be a new one for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted September 13, 2007 Author Share Posted September 13, 2007 Nearly finished the Joanne Harris. Wow, there was a plot twist I definately was not expecting! I'm about 15 pages from the end, and I've been racing to finish it. Have saved a wee bit for the bus journey into town tho. I can't decide what I'll read next. I've got some TBRs, but I'm not feeling terribly inspired to read anny of them. I may start reading the Mallory Towers books from Kell, as I've not had a gander at them since I was still in middle school. Hmmm...decisions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted September 18, 2007 Author Share Posted September 18, 2007 Had a bit of a busy weekend, so didn't have time to update. I started On the Street Where You Live (Mary Higgins Clark), which I have been having great difficulty in putting down. Tbh, I've never read any of her books before this one, as I always thought she'd be one of those ubiquitous generic mystery authors. Turns out I was wrong. I was so engrossed, I actually missed my stop on the bus on my way into work on Friday morning, and then "enjoyed" a 20 minute walk when I eventually got off the bus. I went into the bank on Friday afternoon, and got into a discussion with the teller about MHC - he's read every single one of her books, and was quite jealous I was reading her for the first time. I think my favourite aspect would have to be the way she paints so many characters as potential suspects, but it's done so seamlessly. Often you find it's quite obvious who the perpetrator is, but I honestly have no idea. Really looking forward to finishing this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maureen Posted September 23, 2007 Share Posted September 23, 2007 Sounds like an enjoyable author Princess. I too would not have picked up any of her books, but I may well do so after your review. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted September 24, 2007 Author Share Posted September 24, 2007 Definately do! She'd not an author I've ever really thought about before reading this book (off my radar, I guess), but I'll definately be looking for more of her work! I don't get online much during the weekend, so to bring things up to speed, I started and finished the first 2 books in Enid Blyton's Malory Towers Series. I haven't read these since I was in Primary school (so probably around the age of 9). I still remember random events though, so it's quite a thrill to suddenly realise I *do* know what happens next! I loved these books when I was a kid, and they're just as pleasing now. I also started and finished Dead Girls (Janet Lee). Janet Lee is a Canadian author, and tbh I think I must have picked up this book thinking it was about something else. Oh, and it was one of the recommended Canadian Fiction items in Pages when I was last in Toronto. First, I'll mention what I considered the good points. The book is actually a series of short stories set in and around Vancouver, but they've all got in the background a common news story about a serial-killing dentist (bodies of several dead prostitutes were found buried in his yard). I should add here that the serial killer is in no way a main part of any of these stories (in most it's just mentioned that this is on the news, or it is on the telly in a hospital room). The style in which Janet Lee writes is quite, for lack of a better word, fluid. Nothing is really in sharp focus, all the characters feel quite dreamy and...vague... Tha brings us to the bad points. I don't know if this was used as a device to sharpen up the writing, or to oversensualise the characters, but there was a quite gratuitous use of sex as a common theme between the stories. Only in 1 of the stories did I find this justified. Maybe she was trying to contrast the dreamy and vague style of writing with..um...a lot of graphic sex. I just don't think it worked. I don't think I'm terribly prudish, and in some cases using the description of sex as a device is necessary, and adds to the character of the book. Not here. And I found her characterisations too vague - I want to sympathise with the characters I'm reading, and I don't feel like I got to know the ones in this book at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted September 27, 2007 Author Share Posted September 27, 2007 I'm almost finished the 3rd Malory Towers book. REALLY enjoying them again. I've also started Extra Large Medium (Helen Slavin), which was really good to begin with, but I'm not sure if it's because my lunch was getting cold or what, but I've sort of lost interest a bit since the protagonist switched from a narrative to a slightly more introspective POV. Anyways, the book is about Annie, who can talk to dead people. She says thay are full of the mundane, and they are always dressed in chocolate brown. The first few chapters, right up until she meets and marries Evan Bees, are witty and well put together. After Evan disappears, the story kind of goes downhill, and this was the point I started to drift a bit - which is unfortunate, as the journey she takes (metaphorical) after Evan vanishes is the premise for the book. Ah well. I shall report back when I get further into it. Oh, and I also started (and finished) Was she pretty? (Leanne Shapton). Great idea for a book, but I actually didn't realise it was a...um...I can't really describe it as a picture book, but it's not really crammed full of text, if you know what I mean. Imagine those simple line drawings in Alice in Wonderland, or maybe Le Petit Prince, then remove the detailing...and add maybe a line or two of text per illustration. Basically, the author had the thought that everybody you see walking down the street is somebody's ex. I'll not refute that for now. She interviews friends, and sort of sums up their exes in a sort of (disjointed) chain, which I think is a really interesting idea if done well. In this case, it's more cute and twee than anything else. A mini coffee table book. Maggie O'Farrell did something like this awhile back, from what I remember (preying on our innate curiousity about our partner's exes), called "My Lover's Lover". I think it's a theme best explored with some form of narrative, and I was disappointed with the lack of substance in this picture book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted September 28, 2007 Author Share Posted September 28, 2007 Not a book, but I really have to post this. Tonight, somewhere in the world (unfortunately not here, more's the pity), a show I very much want to watch will be premiering. Thankfully, it is being TiVo'd by my lovely parents in Toronto, so I'll be able to watch the episodes of it back-to-back-to-back when I go home for Christmas. It's got vampires. Really sexy vampires. In designer suits. And Jason Dohring from Veronica Mars (a show I am still mourning the loss of, don't laugh at me!). And VAMPIRES - I love vampires! Anyways, the show is called Moonlight, and I shall most likely be reading recaps all weekend rather than anything in book form. Because I'm a geek like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 It's got vampires. Really sexy vampires. In designer suits. And Jason Dohring from Veronica Mars (a show I am still mourning the loss of, don't laugh at me!). And VAMPIRES - I love vampires! Anyways, the show is called Moonlight, and I shall most likely be reading recaps all weekend rather than anything in book form. Because I'm a geek like that. I think I shall have to look out for that - I adore anything vampire-related! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted September 28, 2007 Author Share Posted September 28, 2007 Me too! I think my fixation started with the Lost Boys (the film), and "The Vampire Diaries" (a series by LJ Smith), which I remember reading as a kid. Apparently the books are about to be re-published, which is definately something I plan to look into. There's something nice I think about re-reading books I remember from childhood. I was quite into my young adult horror when I was in primary school (aged 8-10). A lot of Christopher Pike (Remember Me, Sati, Midnight Club, The Return, Spellbound, Bury me Deep, The Visitor...) and R.L. Stine (the Fear Street series). Ah...memories! Of blood and gore and murder! I think I had a bit of a misspent youth... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kell Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Me too! I think my fixation started with the Lost Boys (the film)... I was quite into my young adult horror when I was in primary school (aged 8-10)... and R.L. Stine... Ah...memories! Of blood and gore and murder! I think I had a bit of a misspent youth... I used to LOVE the Point Horror books around that age! I think R L Stein wrote a whole batch of those... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
korrie Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Hope u don't mind my jumping in. But, I'm a huge fan of vampire books. I just read the republished version of Vampire Diaries. (Books 1 and 2 have been released in one book but I'm still trying to find out when books 3 and 4 will be available). I'm 27 so I'm not exactly the targeted age for L.J. Smith's books but oh well. I also like Amanda Ashley and J.R. Ward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted September 29, 2007 Author Share Posted September 29, 2007 Korrie, I don't mind at all! Actually, I'd like to know where you managed to find books 1 and 2 of the Vampire Diaries, as this is something I'd definately want to re-read. And I'm 28, so I'm probably outside their target'd age bracket as well. Hee. And Kell, I remember Point Horror! Wow, I hope my mum hasn't given away all my old books...(although I couldn't blame her if she did , as they were taking over the house...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted October 2, 2007 Author Share Posted October 2, 2007 I finished Extra Large Medium on the bus home last night, and yeah, I was a bit disappointed. The reason behind Evan Bees' disappearance was really anticlimactic (ok, the actual reason wasn't - unless I misinterpreted - but the way it was expressed to the reader was less than inspiring). The ending smacked a little too much of "oh look - strings! Let's tie them together somehow!", rather than something that felt natural. It was a bit jarring, and I don't feel it made that much sense. Having said that, the first half of the book was fantastic. I think I started losing interest when the narrative started jumping from character to character, which gave the entire thing a disjointed feel. I started Moral Disorder (Margaret Atwood) this morning. I'm not far enough into the story to pass judgement yet. I have high hopes though, as I loved The Penelopiad. In other news, I finished the 5th Malory Towers book last night, so only one to go. I'll be sad to finish them once again, but I'm sure I'll pick them up again in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted October 3, 2007 Author Share Posted October 3, 2007 Just popped in to say, I'm halfway through Moral Disorder, and although parts of it are really compelling, mostly it's falling a bit flat with me. I know MA likes to go off on tangents a bit, but I found myself losing interest in bits. Not a good sign. Maybe I'm just tired... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted October 7, 2007 Author Share Posted October 7, 2007 I'm on the last chapter of Moral Disorder, and although there were some parts I really enjoyed (strangely the farm chapters), I found the book/story as a whole lacking. I didn't like the change from first person to third about halfway through, as there didn't seem to be a need for it - and it didn't make sense why at that point the switch was made. I'll get into my favourite bits in more depth tomorrow, but in the meantime... I started a couple other books this weekend - Stephen Clarke's "Merde Actually" as a bit of light and fluffy reading, and Nury Vittachi's "Shanghai Union of Industrial Mystics", which is quite good so far. I'm not expecting anything especially groundbreaking or thought-provoking from the Stephen Clarke, but he always makes for some good light reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted October 11, 2007 Author Share Posted October 11, 2007 I finished Shanghai Union of Industrial Mystics last night, and it was funny funny funny. One of those books with such an outrageous plot you don't expect it to be any good (gimmicky), but it was really well done. Funny - both slapstick silly and witty. I'd definately recommend it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Orchid Posted October 17, 2007 Author Share Posted October 17, 2007 Ok, to quickly update - I still haven't finished the last few pages of Moral Disorder, partly due to my parents being in town. I'm also not much farther into Merde Actually. However, I remembered the other day that Alexander McCall Smith's new book, The Careful Use of Compliments, came out at the beginning of October - seems like just yesterday I was whinging about it not being out yet here! Really enjoying it, really enjoying more tales of Isabel Dalhousie and her companions/acquaintances/new baby Charlie. She seems a bit too calm of a mother though! I've always been torn between favouring AMS's Isabel Dalhousie or his Scotland Street series, but I think I definately prefer (marginally) Scotland Street - possibly because there is a greater and more varied cast of characters. All of Isabel's friends are very genteel and polite, well mannered, from a certain class of Edinburgh society. The Scotland Street characters are more "colourful", in a way. I'm going to St Andrews tonight, so have packed an extra book for the journey back. I'm pretty certain I'll have my AMS book finished by the time I even get there, so I also have with me Rats Saw God (by Rob Thomas). I'm really looking forward to this one, as RT created/produced my favourite show of all time, Veronica Mars. "Rats Saw God is a young adult novel by Rob Thomas. No, not the singer for Matchbox 20. Yes, that Rob Thomas. Our Rob Thomas. Featuring a Logan-like protagonist, Rats Saw God is an unsurprisingly awesome... Hello? Anyone still reading this? Oh, you all ran to the store to buy the book as soon as you saw "Logan-like," didn't you. Rats." (from marsinvestigations.net) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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