Kelly's updates http://www.goodreads.com/user/updates_rss/94602 en-US Sat, 26 Jul 2008 06:20:26 -0700 60 Kelly's updates http://www.goodreads.com/ 200 41 http://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_logo.gif 32721024 Sat, 26 Jul 2008 06:20:26 -0700 Review28337758 <![CDATA[Kelly added 'A Dance with Dragons']]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28337758 A Dance with Dragons (A Song of Ice and Fire, Vol. 5) by George R.R. Martin
bookshelves: to-read
Amazon claims that this will be out in September of this year. I'll believe it when I see it in my hands, George. Until then, I will assume this is another in your WEB OF LIES. ]]> 32720457 Sat, 26 Jul 2008 06:09:26 -0700 Comment1324656 <![CDATA[new comment from Kelly]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28337127 Sherri's review of Apprenticed to Pleasure: An Erotic Sci-fi Novel
by Brandon Fox

HAHAHAHAHA. Is this title, or hell, that cover, for real? This isn't some kind of joke? ]]> 32660558 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:49:06 -0700 Rating679139 <![CDATA[Kelly voted on a review]]> http://www.goodreads.com/ 1167793 Kelly read and liked Sherri's review of Tigana: 10th Anniversary Edition:

"I read this book only once, shortly after it's publication, and it has remained so firmly and clearly in my memory that I've never felt I would read it again because I could just remember it. I shall read it again (one day) but it will be les...more "
]]> 32651766 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:55:06 -0700 Review28284586 <![CDATA[Kelly added 'Pre-Raphaelite Poetry: An Anthology']]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28284586 Pre-Raphaelite Poetry: An Anthology (Dover Thrift Editions) by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
bookshelves: poetry, to-read
]]> 32650725 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:48:40 -0700 Comment1318831 <![CDATA[new comment from Kelly]]> http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show_group/44348.Which_literary_characters_do_you_wish_to_encounter_ Kelly made a comment in the True North group:

That's a wonderful story, Frederick. Rather sad, but something of a motivator for acting /now/, and not putting off things. ]]> 32649413 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:40:33 -0700 Comment1318714 <![CDATA[new comment from Kelly]]> http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show_group/44611.The_Funky_Fantastic Kelly made a comment in the True North group:

Sherri: I am honored to be a judge. This'll be a haaard day next Friday, though. :)

Other than add my books, so, here goes!:
1. Tigana- Guy Gavriel Kay
2. Lions of Al-Rassan- Guy Gavriel Kay
3 and 4. The Sarantine Duology (Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors)- Yup, by Kay again.
4. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell- Susanna Clarke (Yes, I'm still pushing this.)
5. American Gods- Neil Gaiman (Stands out far and away above his other work, in my opinion.)
6. A Game of Thrones- George R.R. Martin
7. The Mists of Avalon- Marion Zimmer Bradley
8. Sea Dragon Heir- Storm Constantine
9. Luck in the Shadows- Lynn Flewelling
10. Archangel - Sharon Shinn
11. The Belgariad/Mallorean books (Can use Pawn of Prophecy, the first Belgariad book, to represent the series, if you like)- David Eddings (I actually find the Elenium/Tamuli books to be a bit more mature, but I also give the Belgariad books credit for getting me into fantasy, so I'll throw them up here.)
12. The Black Jewels Trilogy - Anne Bishop (Daughter of the Blood can be used here.)
13. Neverwhere- Neil Gaiman
14. The Once and Future King- T.H. White

Sarah: I think as long as you don't bring up the two biggies- LOTR and HP, you're good. Those two are kind of cop-outs that you can say even if you haven't read fantasy.

... would we count Slaughterhouse Five as fantasy? That would sort of open up the definition of it a little bit...


... I'll add as I think of more. ]]> 32642165 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:58:53 -0700 Comment1318029 <![CDATA[new comment from Kelly]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25405422 Rebecca's review of Goblin Market
by Christina Rossetti

I really don't know anything about him, I'm ashamed to say! Apparently, I have missed out. ]]> 32641984 Fri, 25 Jul 2008 11:58:02 -0700 Comment1318013 <![CDATA[new comment from Kelly]]> http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show_group/44089.Discussion_about_Your_Personal_Top_Ten Kelly made a comment in the True North group:

Accepted! And I see you've created a new topic. Excellent. :) ]]> 32499363 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:41:26 -0700 Review22070504 <![CDATA[Kelly added 'His Majesty's Dragon']]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22070504 4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars to: His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, Book 1) by Naomi Novik
bookshelves: brit-lit, fantasy, fiction
I believe I can safely say that this is the first and likely only book in which I finished it and thought: "OMG, I want to hug a dragon."

Temeraire is sooo adorable. Can I say that about a dragon? He is, though! Lovable, intelligent, sincere, earnest, and AWESOME. Novik has a wonderful creation in Temeraire the dragon. He's appealing to read about all on his own, even without the drama of battle and human relations surrounding him. I give the books an extra star just for him.

Otherwise? As evidenced by the fact that I finished this in less than two days, I was really into this book. Adding in dragons to the Napoleonic Wars is a really fun idea (that I wish I'd thought of first, sigh), and there's a whole set of tactics and battle strategy to learn along with it that's really interesting. Also, its really entertaining to see these stuffy 19th century British people just accept dragons as a fact of life and then go off to their tea parties a moment later. Just like they had seen any other panda at the zoo. That amused me. I really liked a lot of the supporting cast of characters- Jane Roland, Berkley and Maximus, Volly and James, Harcourt, etc. The prose is engaging, the action moves fast, and it rips you along like the best epic movies. Loved it.

However! I just must say! Our hero Captain Laurence, is a huge priss with some big ass stick up his butt. Actually, he would probably benefit from an actual stick up his butt, but the shock of the idea might even kill him. He's a good guy, but good God damn, he needs to loosen up. Your six week old dragon knows how to have more fun than you do! We really need a main character whose thoughts don't pull me out of the story to roll my eyes at him this often. I think Novik is equally guilty of that sort of attitude in her writing. I think she tried just a bit too hard to get in some Jane Austen and capture the spirit of the era, and her sometimes stiff prose and dialogue suffers a bit for it at times. When she loosens up a bit, and just lets it flow, its great. I hope she lets both her main character and herself loosen up a bit more.

Also, I have to say that Naomi Novik does throw an awful lot at you very fast, without much explanation. She tends to have her characters do things, or bring up dragon types, as if she expects it to mean something to us, and only later does she thrown in an explanation. Not a big fan of exposition, this girl. I mean, I figured it out, but it does throw you out of the story trying to figure out what's going on sometimes.

... but as evidenced by the fact that I'm immediately starting the second one, it obviously didn't bother me /that/ much. ]]> 32499374 Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:28:55 -0700 Review28166639 <![CDATA[Kelly added 'Throne of Jade']]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28166639 Throne of Jade (Temeraire, Book 2) by Naomi Novik
bookshelves: currently-reading
Alt Napleonic history, but with DRAGONS, take two! Whoohoo!

Barnes and Noble: You made a good buisness decision putting in a store three blocks from my work. Bad for my wallet, but reeeally good for you. ]]>