Read Books
Since finishing up grad school, I've rediscouvered a previous love of mine: reading books. Real books! It has been amazing.
I've read Guy Gavriel Kay's Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors. Can I just point out that these are two of the most beautiful books ever written. Those of you who follow my tastes know I love Kay's books and I can't believe how long I waited to read these. I just knew once I started the first I wouldn't be able to stop reading them. And I wasn't. And they are rather huge books. These two books are similar to Kay's other works in their scope and their emotional tie to the characters. It is filled with mosaics and queens and kings and empires and war and love and hatred and revenge and loss and beauty. I started the second book the same day I finished the first. Kay is astounding.
Next mention has to go to the first book in Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials series: The Golden Compass. I had SO MUCH FUN with this book. I think I got from this what I didn't get (gasp) from Harry Potter. I didn't finish the first Potter book. I wasn't into it. Probably just not the right time. But this book? This book was the perfect time and an amazing read. Any of you who love these kinds of books who haven't read this series yet - go get it (from the library if you like) NOW! I was right there all along with Lyra and her daemon. I want a daemon! I think Chuck is my daemon as Mr. Pooks was before him. I finished this book yesterday morning and it was all I could do not to head down to the library right then and there in my PJs to get the next one! But I didn't. Because I had promised Leone I'd read this next:
Robin McKinley's Sunshine. I finished this book about an hour ago. Yes, about 24hrs. No, I haven't done much of anything but read. (If you missed it, I have the week off from the uni and I'm just tutoring and making flopped bread - another story.) This book was AWESOME!!!! I almost have to go read it again. Any of you buffy fans out there who haven't read this yet, you have til Christmas. Okay, I loved the characters so much. And Amber Benson is quoted on the back talking about how before this book she didn't know dessert and blood went together so well. And much like how the Golden Compass isn't Harry Potter, Sunshine isn't Buffy. But the things I loved about Buffy, I loved about Sunshine. I am actually considering writing to McKinley to tell her how much I loved this book and how it recaptures what I love and re-read The Blue Sword over and over again.
On the upcoming list of reads:
Kay's latest which I have courtesy of Julia and Jason The Last Light of the Sun.
The second Pullman book in the series - The Subtle Knife which I will get from the Library
and
Tamora Pierce's Trickster's Choice. She is the author of my much beloved Hand of the Goddess series from high school.
Really, anyone liking Harry Potter or Buffy or beautifully written books needs to read all these listed above. And if you don't like any of these things, who are you and how did you get to my blog?
Now, if you'll excuse me I need to go read something!
xoxo
jenn
I've read Guy Gavriel Kay's Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors. Can I just point out that these are two of the most beautiful books ever written. Those of you who follow my tastes know I love Kay's books and I can't believe how long I waited to read these. I just knew once I started the first I wouldn't be able to stop reading them. And I wasn't. And they are rather huge books. These two books are similar to Kay's other works in their scope and their emotional tie to the characters. It is filled with mosaics and queens and kings and empires and war and love and hatred and revenge and loss and beauty. I started the second book the same day I finished the first. Kay is astounding.
Next mention has to go to the first book in Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials series: The Golden Compass. I had SO MUCH FUN with this book. I think I got from this what I didn't get (gasp) from Harry Potter. I didn't finish the first Potter book. I wasn't into it. Probably just not the right time. But this book? This book was the perfect time and an amazing read. Any of you who love these kinds of books who haven't read this series yet - go get it (from the library if you like) NOW! I was right there all along with Lyra and her daemon. I want a daemon! I think Chuck is my daemon as Mr. Pooks was before him. I finished this book yesterday morning and it was all I could do not to head down to the library right then and there in my PJs to get the next one! But I didn't. Because I had promised Leone I'd read this next:
Robin McKinley's Sunshine. I finished this book about an hour ago. Yes, about 24hrs. No, I haven't done much of anything but read. (If you missed it, I have the week off from the uni and I'm just tutoring and making flopped bread - another story.) This book was AWESOME!!!! I almost have to go read it again. Any of you buffy fans out there who haven't read this yet, you have til Christmas. Okay, I loved the characters so much. And Amber Benson is quoted on the back talking about how before this book she didn't know dessert and blood went together so well. And much like how the Golden Compass isn't Harry Potter, Sunshine isn't Buffy. But the things I loved about Buffy, I loved about Sunshine. I am actually considering writing to McKinley to tell her how much I loved this book and how it recaptures what I love and re-read The Blue Sword over and over again.
On the upcoming list of reads:
Kay's latest which I have courtesy of Julia and Jason The Last Light of the Sun.
The second Pullman book in the series - The Subtle Knife which I will get from the Library
and
Tamora Pierce's Trickster's Choice. She is the author of my much beloved Hand of the Goddess series from high school.
Really, anyone liking Harry Potter or Buffy or beautifully written books needs to read all these listed above. And if you don't like any of these things, who are you and how did you get to my blog?
Now, if you'll excuse me I need to go read something!
xoxo
jenn
posted by jenn at 4:17 p.m.
8 Comments:
Damn you, Jenn. I have no time to read all these books!
But I am going off to Amazon right now to add them to my list. Except for His Dark Materials which I have already read in its entirety. I liked The Subtle Knife the best of all of them; I seem to have a preference for the middle parts of things.
i'm so glad we read all the same books... it makes things so much easier.
i will add to the positive Kay testimony. i met a girl years ago who swore by tiguana - but i didn't actually read it until you lent it to me.
but phillip pullman is such a genius! the whole series rocks. and i've read another book by him - 'i am a rat' - which is also excellent. and jason totally recommends his victorian detective series as well.
i just reread tamora pierce's series. so so so good. god, no wonder we grew up with a healthy appreciation of sexuality.
anyway, good to know i'm not the only one going through a young adult literature spree. i think it's one of the best genres out there (if you don't count christopher pike of course)
I told you Sunshine was awesome!
It's good to have other recommendations from you, since we seem to like the same kind of stuff.
YAY! for reading!
After your recommendation, I'm starting His Dark Materials next.
And after talking to you, and reading your entry, I definitely want to read Sunshine now. Maybe I can read that when I visit.
In just a little over two weeks! *happy dance*
*kisses*
Jim
Hey, I told you about Sunshine, too and offered to lend it to you, don't you remember????
And Jim, you are just too sweet. When are you coming to visit US again, hmmmmmm?
Actually Liz, you held up your copy and said something along the lines of "hahaha I have a hardcover copy!"
But yes, you did then suggest I read it asap.
;)
Books! I love recommendations. I didn't know Robin McKinley had an adult novel - and you know how much I love the world of Damar. McKinley and Pierce books were on the "oft checked out" list when I was young.
Thanks for the book tips hon. I've read the ones by Kay, of course, but I'll totally be heading to the library to check out the others. I suppose I should be encouraging you all to buy books and keep the publishing industry in Canada alive. Oh well…
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