Well, having never read a Henry James I'll have to take your word. I've been trying to read some of those 'great' novels or writers everyone's supposed to read, you know, before you drop off the face of the earth. I have even got a Leo Tolstoy novel, but haven't made up my mind to go for that or not. To be honest I'm having mixed results with the whole idea. I tried American Gods and got about two thirds in. Not going back to that.
It really depends on the story, my mood, a lot of things. I mean... like... I really, really like McDonald's Filet-O-Fish sandwiches. I know there's nothing gourmet going on there. I know it. But I like them. *shrug* I'm still in book three of G.R.R. Martin's Project Runway: King's Landing Edition. An entire generation practically treated these books as literal porn, fapping away at the hot dragons, hot queens, hot knights, hot greyscale, Hot Pie (seriously, there's an actual character named Hot Pie), and I'm trudging through these books out of sheer stubbornness, wading through paragraph after paragraph of inexplicably intricate, detailed, tip to toe descriptions of EVERYone's clothing, because I'm not kidding when I say Project Runway: King's Landing Edition. These books would have been two-thirds the size they are without these tedious descriptions. And yet.... HBO porned the living daylights of them. There's no explaining it.
What, you think I won't admit to contemplating an Amos/Bobbie/Wreybies fanfiction? Pfft. Have you met me??
I suspect you are contemplating amos & wreybies fan fiction - with bobbie guarding the door, so no officers enact "a don't ask, don't vaporise with a plasma rifle" policy
It waxes about clothing but also about building, history, lore, food, drinks, routines, structures. It's a waxy series. Tolkien did the same thing more or less so it's always kind of been a thing to have expository style in high fantasy. The Windup Girl sci-fi book you recommended I got, and I found the same thing. When you do this sort of rich visual worlds with fantastical concepts it does encourage exposition. It's worth pushing through with Ice and Fire I think, because the world-building is usually fairly good, it has complicated characters with complex morality struggles and some fun political scheming and battles. I do prefer some of the tv versions of things but the book version has it's advantages (e.g. book Littlefinger is more believable that people would underestimate him)
The Windup Girl is by Paolo Bacigalupi isn't it. Interesting book, written some short stories as well which are excellent.
Friday evening I always sit in the sauna after swiming. Among the regulars is a poet/translator that I sometimes discuss literature with. Last time I admitted I tend to have a romantic touch in many things i write. He imeadetly said I must read Turgenjev. I went to the library and got "My first love" by Ivan Turgenjev. I have only read 10 pages or so. But it's a little magic to read something that was published 158 years ago.
The Windup Girl is great, it's a novel, Pump Six is a collection of short stories, some (one?) of which take place in the same world as TWG. The Water Knife is very good as well, The Drowned Cities was good, haven't read Shipbreaker yet, but it's come recommended.
Trying my hardest to get to Empress Theresa... but I just can't.... there is so much more to do to hurt myself instead. .
I know... I know... Teresa is such a well written and engrossing book about a good Catholic Girl, with no sex and violence... I mean what is not to love about it. I think the truth is.... it makes my writings look like a steaming pile of crap... you know what character development, straight forward, etc. Though Bag of Coke bottles is by far the greatest character every devised, how could we every compete with that. Though on a serious note, if you turn this book into one about a young person going through mental illness, Schizophrenia in this case. then the book is actually not that bad.
Up to A Feast for Crows and about 12 chapters in or something. Sometimes the exposition in the series gets a little bogged-down but the detail does add to the world-building, character establishment/development, and the sense of scale and intimacy. I really like Asha Greyjoy much as I enjoyed Yara on tv. I'm not a big fan of book Cersei tbh because while her paranoia is a interesting expression of her breakdown it does play a part in book Cersei generally being a less sympathetic and slightly less competent villain (not that tv one is genius or book one is just dumb). But I prefer book Jaimie's journey slightly because his involvement with the Kingsguard becomes an interesting theme and character point that Tv Jaimie doesn't really get. And I usually love me some politics.
Right, so in about a month then. I've read Windup Girl and the Pump Six series of shorts. Actually more than one of those is connected to his novel, if I remember rightly. I haven't read The Water Knife yet but I think it's in same vein as the others isn't it? A similarly damaged planet? I also recommend Ted Chiang's short stories if you haven't read them.
Haha, actually I was thinking of the size of the things, I've never read them but a friend at work has and they were pretty big looking.
Just finished my episodic sweep through The Book of Surprises, a compendium of short stories (fiction and nonfiction) and essays, and excerpts from larger ones, all with the common theme of odd and unexpected content and endings. Selected and edited by Rudolf Flesch. My father gave it to me when I was a young teen, but I never grew to appreciate it until I reached the same age he was when he gave it to me. Too bad, and I don't think I ever properly thanked him once I did understand its value. Double too bad since he's gone now. But still, thanks Dad.
I'm about to finish A Storm of Swords. Thoughts thus far: Spoiler: Contains Mild Spoilers Book Arya > TV Arya: I like TV Arya too, don't get me wrong, but book Arya is a much more serious and layered person. She's my favorite character so far, and by a wide margin. I'm on Team Arya. Just read the bit last night where she takes care of the Tickler, and frankly it was chilling. Book Sansa < TV Sansa: Book Sansa needs to pull a Tommen Baratheon and dive out a window. Yes, yes, character growth, blah, blah, blah. Whatever. I just don't buy her survival in Westeros to this point. People who are extremely capable, well-trained, and well-armed drop like flies, but little Miss Sansa "Oh, dear, it's not like in the songs, can I get another lemon-cake, if you would be so kind, Ser Whateveryournameis, who isn't really a proper knight because you're not handsome and gallant and dreamy" manages to live? Nope. (And yes, I know all about the whole culture of courtly courtesies and pleasantries, no need to 'splain me. By all rights she should have died a book ago.) Book Cersei < TV Cersei: Totally agree with you on all points you mentioned. Book Cersei is just angry and frustrated. I don't get that same sense of her genuinely understanding the "game of thrones" that TV Cersei is clearly very aware of. Book Jaimie = TV Jaimie: I like them each in their own way. I wouldn't leave either of them alone near children Book Brienne < TV Brienne: I was really hoping for her to be as present in the written story as the TV story. I love her on TV. Book Podrick doesn't exist compared to TV Podrick: I've written some naughty fanfiction concerning Podrick and a young Dornish vendor in King's Landing who looks remarkably like me , so you can imagine my disappointment. Speaking of disappointment... No Renly/Loras story to speak of in the books. Yes, it's hinted at and made reference via the odd snide quip here and there from other characters. I know that. I know. But seriously, these are modern books and I shouldn't have to rely on near-subtext for the LGBT angle. Either do it, or don't. Squeamish concession is way worse. Also, speaking of that, where the flip is Olyver? I knew I wasn't going to get the full-on porn that HBO gives us, but come on, at least a snog up in the solar!
The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde, part of the Thursday Next series about mysteries in the world of books. I always love good surreal comedy, and this series has delivered in spades. There's a lot of clever stuff here, from the use of footnotes as a form of communication--and one part where the narrator escapes into the footnotes while the story switches to third person--to cute ideas like anger counselling for the cast of Wuthering Heights. Also, finished Ivanhoe at last. The book has some flaws when it comes to pacing and uneven character development--and the lavish over-description that you'd expect from an early 19-th century work--but I never felt bored, and enjoyed it a lot overall. Also, based on some quotes I've seen from the author, I seriously suspect this was the novel that invented shipping (Wilecca OTP!).
I just finished the late show by michael connelly (Renee Ballard #1) - it was okay but not as good as the Bosch or Haller books, connelly is not as good at female characters as he is at male ones , which matters less in supporting cast but shows up when its an FMC
FMC? My sister loves Connelly, has all his books. I've read a few of the Bosch ones, and love the Amazon series.
Olyvar was invented as part of the altered plot. Book Loras basically took a vow of chastity. On that note I prefer book Renly because he's a more sympathetic character while still having the potential to be viewed as a villain if you want.
