One imperfect letter, one missing page

Originally posted in January of 2007 (multiple posts combined) in fiveforsilver:

5. *Conrad's Fate by Diana Wynne Jones (375)

A Chrestomanci book. Really, I couldn't put it down! I went to the bookstore this morning for some other things, had a bagel while I was there and needed something to read, so I picked this up. I read probably a quarter of it at the store, before I had to leave, and the rest of it at home later (before and after class).

6. *The Grand Tour by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer (469)

Sequal to Sorcery and Cecelia, which I read in December. I got this from the library on Monday, was distracted by it from the book I was reading (a reread, not a big deal), and then was distracted from it to read Conrad's Fate.

I enjoyed both this and Cecelia, my only problem being keeping track of which girl was writing which part (letters in the first book, journal entries in the second) and which characters are which. Even though the girls were written by two different authors, the styles were not so distinct that I could easily tell them apart, and Thomas and James were such similar characters that I frequently got them confused.

7. Trickster's Choice by Tamora Pierce (403)
8. Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce (444)

Some of the most recent books in the Tortall series. Another strong female character - with magic. Aly is possibly more a Mary Sue than any of the other heroines, but even so, I find these books enjoyable and often hilarious. The spying and intrigue remind me at times of what used to be one of my favorite tv shows, Alias.

However, due to having read these books a number of times and possibly due to reading more, er, better-written books recently, I'm starting to notice a lot more flaws than I used to as I read these - unnecessary text that just bloats it instead of adding substance, the degree to which Aly gets nearly nothing wrong, or what she does get wrong turns out to not be a problem in the end (or is even an asset).

I probably won't read these books again for a long time.

9. Sunshine by Robin McKinley (389)

I am a McKinley fan, so I bought Sunshine as soon as it came out. I wasn't sure about it the first time I read it - it is so totally different from all her other books, I really didn't know what to think - but with each subsequent reading, I love it more and more. I identify in many ways with the main character, because she thinks things that I would think - when faced with a wold that includes far too many of the bump-in-the-night types of supernatural creatures and nowhere near enough of the three-wishes-and-happily-ever-after sort, she thinks "Who invented this system?"

Some people don't like Sunshine because they find it slow, and at times the action is interrupted for explanation, like someone getting sidetracked when telling a story (oh, and that reminds me of this thing I've been meaning to tell you...). McKinley takes great pleasure in giving a huge amount of little details about the universe she has created, little bits of information about different kinds of demons and other Others (non-humans), and for me, things like that can bring a depth to the world that it wouldn't otherwise have. The narration has a conversational tone, as though you're sitting across the table (maybe in Charlie's Cafe, with a plate of muffins or some dessert "with no socially redeeming value") and listening to her tell you the story.

10. *Earth by David Brin (652)

This book was long, technical, at times confusing, very detailed, and really, really great.

There were characters I liked, there were characters I loved, there were characters I hated from the moment I was introduced to them. There were characters I didn't much care for, but then grew to like. There was at least one character who I totally misunderstood - as I was supposed to - until the end.

It was not an easy book. It's taken me several weeks to read (with some interruptions), when a less complex book of the same length would take me a week or less.

No, I haven't explained the plot...to explain the plot is to give too much away. If you like SF - particularly hard SF - check it out, it's right up your alley.

11. Wild Magic by Tamora Pierce (299)

I had some free time today - long enough that I had to find something to do and not long enough to walk back home and actually do something. So I went to the library and read this.

It's fun enough. It's clearly a YA book. I got through the whole thing in a little over two and a half hours (though I've read it before, which of course makes it go faster). Since I tend to go on about how Pierce's heroines are Mary Sues, I'd say that Daine is more a Mary Sue than Kel (and on par with or more than Alanna) but definitely less than Aly.

11 / 85 books (12.9%)
4 / 25 new books (16.0%)
3,954 / 30,000 pages (13.2%)

Currently reading:
*A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
*The Rough Guide to Sci-Fi Movies by John Scalzi

Originally posted December 05, 2006 in fiveforsilver

89. Mairelon the Magician by Patricia C. Wrede (280)
90. Magician's Ward by Patricia C. Wrede (288)

A street thief, Kim, is hired to break into the wagon of a market magician, Mairelon, to see if he has a certain silver bowl. Little does she know he isn't simply a market magician...

I was going to read some more new books, when someone on my flist mentioned The Ordinary Princess, which I read when I was young, which got me on a nostalgia kick. I was visiting my parents at the time, so I searched my bedroom and found my copy, and some other J/YA books I read around the same age. So here's what I've read the past couple of days:

91. The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye (128)

What happens when Princess Amythest turns out ordinary instead of beautiful and silly, like a "normal" princess?

92. The Farthest-Away Mountain by Lynne Reid Banks (130)

Dakin dreams of finding the secrets of the Farthest-Away Mountain.

93. The Fairy Rebel by Lynne Reid Banks (118)

Adults don't usually see fairies, but Jan and Tiki become friends. So after Tiki gets in trouble with the Fairy Queen for helping Jan, Jan and her husband Charlie must help Tiki in return.

94. The Last Slice of Rainbow and Other Stories by Joan Aiken (144)

A series of unrelated fantasy short stories. They all have morals (sharing, not being rude, not being greedy, etc) but they're not overwhelming.

94 / 100 books (94.0%)

26 / 30 new books (86.7%)

35,536 / 50,000 pages (71.1%)

In the same vein...currently reading:
The Castle in the Attic

Up next:
Eyes in the Fishbowl
Afternoon of the Elves
And possibly From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Originally posted May 31, 2006 in fiveforsilver

I'm currently reading The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova (642, hardcover) and since it's not exactly easily portable (for a book), I read these in the meatime:

35. Searching for Dragons by Patricia C. Wrede (242)
36. Calling on Dragons by Patracia C. Wrede (244)

These are fun books, dragon and princess fantasies with a lot of other fairy tale parodies thrown in. These are the second and third in a series of four (Dealing with Dragons is the first, Talking to Dragons is the fourth, and there is a short story anthology that includes several related stories called Book of Enchantments).

37. A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazney (280)

One of my favorite books, this is the story told from the perspective of a dog, Snuff. I can't come up with anything better than a bit of what's on the back of the book: It's not often that you read a book that forces you to root for Jack the Ripper to save the universe, but Roger Zelazny is not your typical author...

38. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (249)

A sweet book about a little girl who goes from incredible wealth to complete poverty in an instant when her beloved father dies after losing his fortune. She is forced to work practically as a slave at the boarding school where she had been the star student, mocked by girls who once envied her and all but starved by the headmistriss who had never liked her.

38 / 100 total books (38.0%)

11 / 30 new books (36.7%)

14,349 / 50,000 pages (28.7%)