by Helen Fielding
Really? I liked this one almost as much as the first one -- though I could have done without the whole Thailand thing. ]]>
bookshelves: fiction, read-2009
Chris's birthday present to me! I'm not sure whether I agree with her decision to go with this over The Playboy Sheikh's Virgin Stable-Girl, but... PREGNESIA. It's almost as good a word as "revirginification."
So terrible. It's not even transcendentally terrible, just terribly mediocre. ]]>
bookshelves: fiction, read-2009, reviewed
I don't think any of Scalzi's books will ever be among my favorites, but damn can he put a story together. ]]>
Ellen
added a quote:
"Words... They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good any more... I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little or make a poem which children will speak for you when you're dead." — Tom Stoppard
"Words... They're innocent, neutral, precise, standing for this, describing that, meaning the other, so if you look after them you can build bridges across incomprehension and chaos. But when they get their corners knocked off, they're no good any more... I don't think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones in the right order, you can nudge the world a little or make a poem which children will speak for you when you're dead." — Tom Stoppard
bookshelves: fiction, read-2008, reviewed
I gave this two stars after reading it, but I'm upping it to four after seeing it performed. Must read again! ]]>
by Carla Cassidy
Erin wrote: "Did you see the amazing review of this on Smart Bitches?"
Yep -- that's why Chris picked it out! (For others reading, the review is here.) I bought a (used) copy of Savage Moon for similar reasons, though I haven't been able to get all the way through it. ]]>
by Rebecca Stead
You're the third person I know to review this positively. I'm sold! Since this will appear in my feed: anyone have a copy to lend me? ]]>
bookshelves: fiction, read-2009, reviewed
Steampunk zombies!
That's just so much fun to say.
Okay, the unexpectedly low rating on this book probably deserves some explanation. There were so many good things about it. I love alternate history where it takes you a minute to remember which things actually happened; as always, Priest makes the setting (in this case Seattle) into a character; the concept is pretty damn cool.
And yet... I just didn't care. I was moderately creeped out by the zombies, but other than that, I didn't connect much to the story. I don't read much steampunk, but the minor characters still seemed like caricatures to me (earthy female bartender! criminal but good-hearted steamship captains! evil genius inventor with low self-esteem! minimally useful Asian people who speak English surprisingly well!).
If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, you'll probably enjoy it. If you're not convinced, I wouldn't put it on the must-read list. ]]>