colleen the convivial curmudgeon > Recent Status Updates

I wanna finish this tonight if it kills me. I just want it to be done so I can move on to other things. I mean, it's not dreadful, which is why I'm still reading it - well, that and my whole completionist issue - but it's just not gripping me.

I don't know if it's "cranky book fussies" or just blah writing, but I'm not getting into this at all. Due at the library on Thursday... I guess we'll see what happens.

"For a self-taught man he is a pretty good poet - good grasp of the metaphor. They are all written to somebody called Millie."
"That would be his wife," said Tiffany. "You must've noticed her in the village - more freckles than anyone I've ever seen. She is very sensitive about it."
Preston nodded. "That might explain why his latest poem is entitled 'What Good Is the Sky Without Stars'?"

"Here was a person whose mere existence had led Tiffany, one evening, to wonder about that whole business of sticking pins into a wax figure. She hadn't actually done it, because it was something that you shouldn't do, something that witches greatly frowned on, and because it was cruel and dangerous, and above all because she hadn't been able to find any pins."

"It's like a disease... it sort of creeps up. It's in the wind, as if it goes from person to person. Poison goes where poison's welcome. And there's always an excuse, isn't there, to throw a stone at the old lady who look funny. It's always easier to blame somebody. And once you've called someone a witch, then you'd be amazed how many things you blame her for."

"That was the thing about thoughts. They thought themselves, and then dropped into your head in the hope that you would think so too. You had to slap them down, thoughts like that; they would take a witch over if she let them. And then it would all break down, and nothing would be left but the cackling."

Scary, scary chalk monsters! Grrr... argh...

I'm sort of in a weird place with this book. At the start, I was a bit underwhelmed. Last night I got to a point where I was starting to get into it more, but when I saw I had around 300 pages left I was like, "OMG, really?" So, yeah...

"You forgot one small detail," she said. "I kind of hate people."
"No, you don't," Holly said.
"I really do," said Angela... "Have you met people? They're very annoying."

'"Be reasonable, Cambridge," said Rusty. "Not doing thing you *can* do is the whole point of laziness. Not doing thing you *can't* do is just sensible."

Not very far in, but I like the voice so far.

This feels like it's taking forever. In fairness, tho, I am reading it sporadically...

I have one thing to say about 'And About Time Too... ' and that's: D'awwwww

'The Wolf' was bittersweet, but I suppose it had to happen. A bit miffed at Will, tho, for not paying attention.

'The Hibernian' - a nice glimpse at the first meeting of Halt and Crowley.

I liked 'Bridal Dance' a lot. Lots of camaraderie and meeting up with old friends... and it was nice to see a case where Will was solo and took charge.

'Dinner for Five, - in which Jenny bakes a tart and kicks ass.

'Purple Prose' is definitely my favorite so far. The comraderie with Halt and Will, and wry humor, are the best parts of the series, and in abundance in this story.

The Roamers was a pretty good story, though it reminded me too much of the one where he had to rescue Tug. Also, I was a little put off by some of the stereotypes - though this series has made use of a lot of cultural stereotypes, to be honest. I liked Alyssa's role in the story, though, especially the end. :>

It's cool to see Gilan front and center.

The foreword made me a bit sad. Or wistful, at the very least.

Not sure what I think of 'Death of a Hero'.

I appear to have dust in my eye. Lots and lots of dust...

"Come on, kid, you're not stupid or anything." Sure coulda fooled me...

Dickens is a character in this book. I also feel it might've been written as a sort of homage, what with the 500 words where 5 would suffice...

This must be the week for random fucks. The word, I mean, not the deed.

If you are bothered by the casual usage of the word 'fuck', you may want to skip this one. Luckily, I'm totally fucking ok with the word in its many fucking forms. Fuck.

"Oh dear gods, he's not really that stupid, is he?" "Well, he is only 14." "I know, but come on! That was so obvious!" "Well, yes, but, ya know... it is a kids book and all" "That's no excuse!" "Yeah, it was pretty damn stupid... "

The internal debates one has while reading...

Well, I didn't see that coming, but my reaction was , "Huh." I have zero emotional connection to yhis book at all. And there's somethong about the writing that's kind of annoying me. Like a background hum. Hard to explain... but puttin gyour teeth on edge, regardless.

I feel like we're still in set-up territory, and I'm not really meshing with anyone.