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effexHELLO INTERNET!
It is Friday and I have a couple of sweet hats and a plan to see Ponyo this evening with friends, which means this is officially a *good* day. Not matter what else happens. Studio Ghibli cures all ills.
Which is good, because this month has sucked. Sucked!
I have gotten some reading done.
Currently Reading:
Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
Fire Logic by Laurie J. Marks (reread)
The Short Victorious War David Weber (reread)
Finished Reading:
Shadow Magic by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett
The Dracula Tape by Fred Saberhagen
On Basilisk Station by David Weber (reread)
Honor of the Queen by David Weber (reread)
Villains by Necessity by Eve Forward (reread)
Another book that I can't remember arrrrrrrrg
To Read Pile:
Field of Dishonor by David Weber (reread)
The Holmes-Dracula File by Fred Saberhagen
An Old Friend of the Family by Fred Saberhagen
Twelve Kingdoms, Volume 1: Sea of Shadow by Fuyumi Ono
Nation by Terry Pratchett
I'm reading the Saberhagen books on recommendation bycimorene - she's right, the first one's hilarious and also very meta and fanfiction-y. I look forward to the next one, in which Sherlock Holmes and Dracula apparently team up to fight evil (I am not kidding).
The Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett book, the sequel to Havemercy, is also good! Lots of fannish tropes (seeing as they are former HP fanfic authors - the bookstore is full of them, it is wonderful - this makes sense), which is fun in a mainstream book and also very comfortable. Not enough women, though, pretty sure it doesn't pass the Bechdel test.
Villains by Necessity is an old, old favorite. I haven't read it in a while and it doesn't quite hold up on the reread - there are racial/social/gender issues I'd like to see addressed - but as a basic critique of old school fantasy/adventure it works pretty well. The scene with the gnifty gnomes will never stop being funny.
David Weber... some of you might have seensynecdochic's rec for the Honor Harrington books? I read that, remembered vaguely reading them as a teenager and (like the sheep I am) raided my parent's library for the first four so I could have a reread (my parents have an actual library, as in a room strictly for books. It is full of scifi and fantasy ((and some romance and period mysteries)), some of which they've had since they were teenagers. Finding the Weber and Saberhagen books was easy). And. She's right about the treatment of gender being miles above most scifi, though there are still issues. Also issues with race, genetic 'blending' and exotic oriental eyes (arg). And the politics.
But mostly I can not get past his prose (okay, I can, I'm on book three, but I've been laughing all the way) - Synecdochic describes it as 'workmanlike' but I'm going to have to go with 'bad' and 'plodding.' Did you know Honor has a soprano voice? That she is like cold, cold steel when angry? That people's mouths tighten when they're upset? I do, because Weber has told me so. Repeatedly. Also, Honor is *totally* a Mary Sue.
None of this is enough to make me stop reading, apparently.
Speaking of books! In honor of thoroughly ticking off one John C. Wright (and if you're not up on the latest round of SFF!fail,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
coffeeandink's got a write up.) Sam aka copperbadge has posted the first chapter (and part of the second) of his new novel in progress - The Valet Of Anize. Go check it out!
Also,halcyonjazz's been putting out some really excellent commission work. My first two are this one (Teddy and Billy from Young Avengers) and this one (Wendy Watson from The Middle Man), which I love with all due fervor. I am also very fond of everything she's done for tussah (more Billy/Teddy!), the Persona 4 (second listed) piece for nozomi_no_da, the Chase (Runaways!) piece for cloen, and the Doctor and Donna (<3 <3) piece for jeremymlad.
Up this weekend - Comic Con swag! My Psych Magic 8 Ball says I should totally post pictures. Also, webcomics.
It is Friday and I have a couple of sweet hats and a plan to see Ponyo this evening with friends, which means this is officially a *good* day. Not matter what else happens. Studio Ghibli cures all ills.
Which is good, because this month has sucked. Sucked!
I have gotten some reading done.
Currently Reading:
Perdido Street Station by China Miéville
Fire Logic by Laurie J. Marks (reread)
The Short Victorious War David Weber (reread)
Finished Reading:
Shadow Magic by Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett
The Dracula Tape by Fred Saberhagen
On Basilisk Station by David Weber (reread)
Honor of the Queen by David Weber (reread)
Villains by Necessity by Eve Forward (reread)
Another book that I can't remember arrrrrrrrg
To Read Pile:
Field of Dishonor by David Weber (reread)
The Holmes-Dracula File by Fred Saberhagen
An Old Friend of the Family by Fred Saberhagen
Twelve Kingdoms, Volume 1: Sea of Shadow by Fuyumi Ono
Nation by Terry Pratchett
I'm reading the Saberhagen books on recommendation by
cimorene - she's right, the first one's hilarious and also very meta and fanfiction-y. I look forward to the next one, in which Sherlock Holmes and Dracula apparently team up to fight evil (I am not kidding).The Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett book, the sequel to Havemercy, is also good! Lots of fannish tropes (seeing as they are former HP fanfic authors - the bookstore is full of them, it is wonderful - this makes sense), which is fun in a mainstream book and also very comfortable. Not enough women, though, pretty sure it doesn't pass the Bechdel test.
Villains by Necessity is an old, old favorite. I haven't read it in a while and it doesn't quite hold up on the reread - there are racial/social/gender issues I'd like to see addressed - but as a basic critique of old school fantasy/adventure it works pretty well. The scene with the gnifty gnomes will never stop being funny.
David Weber... some of you might have seen
synecdochic's rec for the Honor Harrington books? I read that, remembered vaguely reading them as a teenager and (like the sheep I am) raided my parent's library for the first four so I could have a reread (my parents have an actual library, as in a room strictly for books. It is full of scifi and fantasy ((and some romance and period mysteries)), some of which they've had since they were teenagers. Finding the Weber and Saberhagen books was easy). And. She's right about the treatment of gender being miles above most scifi, though there are still issues. Also issues with race, genetic 'blending' and exotic oriental eyes (arg). And the politics.But mostly I can not get past his prose (okay, I can, I'm on book three, but I've been laughing all the way) - Synecdochic describes it as 'workmanlike' but I'm going to have to go with 'bad' and 'plodding.' Did you know Honor has a soprano voice? That she is like cold, cold steel when angry? That people's mouths tighten when they're upset? I do, because Weber has told me so. Repeatedly. Also, Honor is *totally* a Mary Sue.
None of this is enough to make me stop reading, apparently.
Speaking of books! In honor of thoroughly ticking off one John C. Wright (and if you're not up on the latest round of SFF!fail,
coffeeandink's got a write up.) Sam aka copperbadge has posted the first chapter (and part of the second) of his new novel in progress - The Valet Of Anize. Go check it out!Also,
halcyonjazz's been putting out some really excellent commission work. My first two are this one (Teddy and Billy from Young Avengers) and this one (Wendy Watson from The Middle Man), which I love with all due fervor. I am also very fond of everything she's done for tussah (more Billy/Teddy!), the Persona 4 (second listed) piece for nozomi_no_da, the Chase (Runaways!) piece for cloen, and the Doctor and Donna (<3 <3) piece for jeremymlad. Up this weekend - Comic Con swag! My Psych Magic 8 Ball says I should totally post pictures. Also, webcomics.
