11 posts tagged “reading”
My kitty is currently curled up sweetly in my reading chair, and I am loathe to disturb her. So I took a picture of her for you all to enjoy instead.
After which, she woke up and blinked at me a few times blearily before smacking her little kitty lips together and setting her nose back down under her tail once more. Ah, such sweet peace.
Somewhere before Thanksgiving I subscribed to one of Taste Of Home's many periodicals. I believe it was "Cooking For 2". Since then, I have not only received the aforementioned title, but also Taste of Home's Quick Cooking, an their main title, Taste Of Home. In addition to these, I've received several bills asking me to pay for each subscription. I'm annoyed because 1) obviously, I only asked to be subscribed to ONE of these titles, so no, I will not pay for subscriptions to these others and 2) I am not so dumb as to forget what I've subscribed to, and mindlessly shell out money for subscriptions to magazines that I didn't sign up for.
Despite my resistance to paying for these extra titles, I'm still receiving them. I'll happily peruse them and pretend I'm enough of an organized cook that I might actually use some of the recipies within them someday. But I'm still not going to pay for them.
On the reading side, I am currently finishing up this book:
I loved the first one of this series, Odd Thomas. The subsequent books have been all right, but not up to par with the first one, I don't think. Although I think this one is better than the second one (Forever Odd.)
And since both of these books are relatively quick reads, I'm going to start on these after I'm finished with them:
SO, that was a tangent. Anyway, I'm currently making my way through the innards of a Twinkie. So far the book is excellent; the author is funny, makes lots of pop culture references, and is even going so far as to debunk some of the more popular Twinkie-related urban legends. No, a Twinkie is not made up entirely of chemicals. Although the simple-seeming little cakes DO consist of over 35 ingredients. And no, Twinkies do not have a shelf-life of 25 years either... more like 25 days.
I'm not necessarily a big fan of Twinkies (as I grow older, I find them a bit too sweet for my tastes) but I've eaten them, and I've been and continue to be a consumer of convenience foods, and it does interest me to learn where those unpronounceable ingredients come from, exactly.
Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill. I have to read this during the day, while at work (on breaks and lunch, because no, contrary to what some believe, librarians do NOT sit around reading all day). Because I am a wuss and this book is somewhat creepy so far. I'd probably be all right reading it at home before bed but I'm scared of the dreams it might inspire.
Then again, I'm only in the first half and it hasn't gotten too bad yet, so maybe it won't. But we'll see. I do like it, so far. It's pretty obvious even by the writing that this guy is Stephen King's son.
So since I can't read the creepy book at home in the evening, I'm also starting in on Jim Butcher's fantasy series. It's been a long time since I've read a "pure" fantasy book (as opposed to a contemporary fantasy, like his Dresden Files books) so it's something different but also a bit like coming home. So far so good, too; his characters are strong and a bit snarky just like I like 'em. ^_^
Oh heck yeah, I'm burning through these! I'm really liking where the Harry Dresden character is going. He's the perfect blend of funny/snarky, do-gooder/badguy. Doesn't hurt that he's tall, dark and handsome too. Although the pics on these newer covers have him wearing a hat, and he doesn't wear a hat. Get it right, people. :-)
The SciFi show continues to not amaze me. It's all right and of course I'll keep watching (because the guy playing Harry pretty much has Harry's personality dead-on) but I wish they'd get it together and really make it all that it COULD be. Plus, I'm finding it interesting how they're working with the changes they've made. (Justin was Harry's uncle, and he killed him as an adult instead of a teenager. Also, Bob is not just a spirit but actually used to be a sorcerer and was Harry's teacher. In-ter-es-ting...)
The new book comes out SOON and I'll be done with this one in time to read it, I think. YAY.
Well poo. I started this post earlier today and it disappeared. Harumph.
I'm on book 7 of the Dresden Files! I really like how this character has developed. Many people compare this series of books to the Laurell Hamilton Anita Blake series, but at this point I have to say that's an unfair comparison. Yes they're both set in Midwestern cities, and yes both involve magic, monsters, mystery and mayhem, but the main huge difference is Harry Dresden becomes more and more interesting as the series continues while Anita Blake becomes less and less interesting. As far as I can tell from the latest Anita Blake book I read, she's really nothing more than a Mary Sue for the author to live out her fantasies of sleeping with a whole lot of men.
Anyway, this wasn't meant to be just a rant about the Anita Blake series. Jim Butcher has another Dresden book coming out in April, White Night. Maybe by the time it comes out I'll have also finished book 8 and then I'll be all caught up!
There's no image of it available (it's an old book) but I also picked up my first Nero Wolfe novel, "A Family Affair". So far I love how it's written, and I can see why these books have continued to be so popular. The author actually assumes the reader is intelligent and can keep up with the jokes. I'm particularly enjoying it because The Husband and I recently finished watching our DVD sets from the A&E series, and I've been missing my daily dose of the curmudgeonly Nero and the dapper Archie Goodwin.
As someone who never really had a taste for mysteries, I'm certainly reading a lot of them lately!
Also, the Sci Fi tv show is picking up. The latest episode, Rules of Engagement, finally explained a few things that had been left hanging in previous episodes. Questions like, does the show's Murphy really believe Harry is a wizard? And is he hiding his actual abilities from people? It's quite a bit different from the books in several ways, but so far they're making it work. I think the character of Harry is done very well though; he's almost exactly as I'd pictured him in my head.
Meanwhile, I'm also on a cookbook kick. Why? Certainly not because I cook. I guess I just like to pretend I might start some day. Plus, while at the gym I like to set the TV closest to me on the Food Network. They're often playing that Rachel Ray's 30 Minutes Meals show, and she makes it look so easy. I suppose it is pretty easy if you've got someone stocking your kitchen with exactly what you need. ^_^ Getting all he right ingredients together at the same time has always been my failing.
Anyway, my latest purchase is a book I became enamored with when cataloging it for our library. The Lee Bos.
I've begun re-reading the Harry Dresden books by Jim Butcher in anticipation for the new Sci-Fi series, The Dresden Files, starting January 21st. I CAN'T WAIT! I hope it's a successful series. We need more snarky-hot men on TV. No, I'm serious; WE DO. Well, I do, anyway.
In addition, I'm also reading Peter Pan in Scarlet, on loan to me from a friend. I had NO IDEA there was a Peter Pan "sequel". I'm thrilled with it so far.
And as if reading two books at once wasn't enough, I'm also making my way through the short stories in The Ladies of Grace Adieu, by Samantha Clarke. She wrote the Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell book that I just couldn't force myself to finish. I do like her writing style, but due to my short attention span, her short stories are much more to my taste.
SO, I've finally finished Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier.
It was long but worth it; a great book with lovely imagery. This is the guy who also wrote Cold Mountain and now I'm getting to see that if I read his stuff, I'll have to be prepared to be left a little bit depressed. But again, it's worth it.
I finished Charles de Lint's Widdershins, which wraps up the story of Geordie and Jilly and lots of other characters in his Newford world. I thought it was all right; I will always love how de Lint combines the magics of Western Native American beliefs along with European "Faerie" mythology. But I felt his writing in this book just went all over the place... it was almost like he was getting paid per word, so he had his characters yammering on incessantly about things that could have been resovled much more succinctly.
Right now I'm back to the Young Adult section, and I'm reading Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin. This one is about a girl who finds herself dead, and finds out the afterlife is "just another life". So far its entertaining, if a little depressing. I'm already halfway through the book, and I hope she starts learning something about her experience soon. So far, she's only been mopey.
Next on my list is Charles Frazier's new Thirteen Moons. I can't express how much I loved his book Cold Mountain (and the movie made from it was outstanding) so I'm really looking forward to it.
THIS. Finally! I read the first two in this series several months ago, and since then have been reading the Artemis Fowl series, and the Maximum Ride series. After I finish Specials, I think I'm going to take a break from the YA genre for a little while. It's been completely unintentional, but I've read nothing but young adult books for several months now. After Specials? I'm thinking...
... perhaps Jane Eyre (by Charlotte Bronte). OR one of the many cool e-books I've downloaded via my library's new MyMediaMall thingie... I've got The Historian (by Elizabeth Kostova) or The Bluest Eye (by Toni Morrison).
ADULT books. Go me.
