return of the semi-coherent lists!

[glass_icarus]

♠ So apparently, after this summer's two-trips-in-a-week to Canada, I'm considering making... another two trips to Canada in the next two months? Am I secretly Canadian? A bird confusedly migrating in the wrong season/opposite direction? IDEK GUYS, WHAT IS THIS. My Toronto friends are finally coming down to visit next month, but 3 trips to 1 (and 4:1, and 5:1, and 6:1) is clearly an uneven rate of exchange!

♠ Things I need to catch up on: Kuroko and Free! I have no idea why I haven't been in the headspace for these when I enjoy them so much; I guess the wedding I went to last weekend threw me off my pace in more ways than one. I'm more caught up with Free! than I am with Kuroko though- I've watched through episode 7 and it's GREAT. :D Bracing myself for the v. shiny back inkstone informs me is in episode 8!

♠ In related news, I need to start considering my Touch Pass assignment- it's been so long since I've written fic for anything, augh. Does anyone want to talk Kuroko characters with me or throw out some random prompts so I can get my hand back in? ^^;

♠ Finally, some booklog catch-up:
+ Penhallow, Georgette Heyer: The ultimate anti-mystery, which is interesting conceptually but dull to actually read. (Apparently this was a contract-breaker or something?) Still, I finished it? Somehow I couldn't abandon it when I meant to; maybe I should do something about this resurgence of completist tendencies.
+ The City in Which I Love You, Li-Young Lee: I enjoyed this (Li-Young Lee's writing is gorgeous as always), but I'm fonder of his more recent poetry books. The newer ones spoke to me more and I felt like they were perhaps better/more coherent collections, idk.
+ Real Time: Stories and a Reminiscence, Amit Chaudhuri: I liked the short story about the woman trying to write a novel best, since I identified more with the language theme.
+ Appalachian Elegy: Poetry and Place, bell hooks: Quite pretty. I thought the language was deceptively simple- some of the metaphors were obvious, but some I felt I was definitely missing (not a bad thing; it just required more thinking).
+ The Convenient Marriage, Georgette Heyer: I thought this was less entertaining than her other romances, but I appreciated the fact that it was about a couple that wasn't falling in love, but rather learning how to love each other.
+ The Unknown Ajax, Georgette Heyer: LOVED THIS! Ahahaha, the bumbling-but-only-a-facade was DEFINITELY a winner. Thanks for the rec, kate_nepveu!
+ Divergent, Veronica Roth: I remembered inkstone talking about this a while back, so I picked it up. WINNER! I really enjoyed the dystopic worldbuilding, and I found the social sects intriguing. Also, I liked Tris as a protag, she's so self-aware.
+ Hikaru no Go, v.3-4: INTERNET GO! :D I like this development, ahaha.
+ Sepharad, Antonio Munoz Molina: Like I said on goodreads, this is a collection of short stories rather than a coherent novel-type narrative. The writing was quite pretty, but once I realized it was a book of short stories, I got a little tired of all the male character POVs.
+ The Secret of Chimneys, Agatha Christie
+ The Sherbrooke Twins, Catherine Coulter: Meh. I was in the mood for insipid brain-fluff, but I'd forgotten exactly how fluffy Coulter is.
+ Wizard's Daughter, Catherine Coulter: Don't even bother reading this one. It was even more ridiculous than the other- not to say that I won't pick up fluff, obviously I have and do and will, but if I wanted fantasy with my romance, I'd read one of the bajillion fantasy books with romance subplots out there. It would have the benefit of actually more or less making sense, unlike this haphazardly stuffed into a romance plot with no alternate-Regency-or-whatever worldbuilding business.

Comments

[whymzycal]

Oooh, welcome back! And huzzah for booklog catch-up. I now have Things to Read!

[glass_icarus]

Thanks! :) I'd say my top recs from this list are Divergent, The Unknown Ajax, and Hikaru no Go (if you haven't already read it, that is!).

[whymzycal]

Ooh, fantastic! *writes it down*

Your icon reminds me that I want to re-watch A:tLA. ♥

[glass_icarus]

ME TOO

LET'S DO IT

AND SQUEE

[whymzycal]

I APPROVE OF THIS PLAN.

[inkstone]

It is a very nice back.

[glass_icarus]

Hee!

[cordialcount]

Uneven rate of exchange, but if you get the better side of the bargain you'd want it that way. :D

Also, I liked Tris as a protag, she's so self-aware.

Self-awareness is one of my favorite things in a protagonist, and this isn't a point I've seen anyone mention about Divergent before. I've been promising myself I'll try YA sf: would this be a good choice?

[glass_icarus]

I think Divergent is a good book! Whether it makes a good first stab at YA or a typical YA SF novel, I can't say (I'm still very much an SF/F genre reader and for some reason tend to have trouble thinking of dystopic settings in the same way as I do other things), but I enjoyed reading it and have picked up the sequel at the library.