![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Book/DVD Recs as of 1/22/09
Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 09:17 pm~In books:
The Fire Kimono, by Laura Joh Rowland: I have said/written this before, and I will say it again: this is the most amazing historical murder mystery series I have ever read, and this latest volume only serves to devote me further to the awesomeness of the books and their plots as a whole. Rowland ups the stakes in the political power play that the main character is involved in, and the twists and turns that result made me get through this in two days flat. It is also a testament to Rowland's writing that 10 or so volumes in, I still remember and care about the characters, even the bad guys. And as for the novel's final plot twist... well. I cannot wait to read the next volume, although I fear more and more for the main character's safety with each passing chapter.
Gods Behaving Badly, by Marie Phillips: The Greek Gods aren't dead; they're living in a disgustingly messy house in London, bickering nonstop and squandering what little power they have on petty attacks against each other and mortals who annoy them. Add to this equation Alice and Neil, mortals who have been friends for years (and the unacknowledged romantic tension between them is just staggering), and who have no idea who Alice's new employers really are (she's a cleaning lady), and Aphrodite's decision to get revenge on Apollo with the help of Eros, and chaos ensues. There are so many wonderful, funny touches in this story, like Apollo's terrible "I'm a psychic, really!" TV show, Artemis's annoyance over the British banning fox hunting, and Zeus's conviction that Dr. Who is really a God, just like him. The Gods cannot eat mortal food, yet they keep buying anyway and letting it rot in the kitchen. The Underworld wants to recruit more people who were champion Scrabble players in their mortal lives, because it's boring in the Underworld and the souls there want challenges. The love story that arises out of all this crazy is actually rather touching, and the conclusion to the story is Neil Gaiman comic book-worthy. In fact, I find myself hoping that Marie Phillips might turn her attention to graphic novels next, because I'm betting that whatever she sets her mind to will be simply fantastic.
The Singing, by Alison Croggon: As sad as I am to see the series end, this was a very satisfying read that brought the series to a strong conclusion and reaffirmed my faith in all of the characters. I wish I knew a tween reader I could hand these books to.
Good Poems for Hard Times, edited by Garrison Keillor: It's hard to write about such a diverse volume of poetry, but ( here are two of my favorites so far: )
These poems all capture some facet of the human experience; they're like little pocket mirrors when you least expect them. Oh, you say, that's me, and that's everyone else, too. And that knowledge is immensely comforting.
~On DVD:
Attention, new Dr. Who fans! Do you think Rose Tyler is wholesome and sweet, innocently adorable and feisty? Then watch ( 'Secret Diary of a Call Girl' and have your brain messed with for life! And not in a good way, either. )
~In reading progress: The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, Volume 1, by Gordon Dahlquist: A book this long should not fly by so quickly or plunge me into its world so convincingly. Cannot wait to see where this one goes, and I'm especially pleased that Volume 2 comes out in February.
The Fire Kimono, by Laura Joh Rowland: I have said/written this before, and I will say it again: this is the most amazing historical murder mystery series I have ever read, and this latest volume only serves to devote me further to the awesomeness of the books and their plots as a whole. Rowland ups the stakes in the political power play that the main character is involved in, and the twists and turns that result made me get through this in two days flat. It is also a testament to Rowland's writing that 10 or so volumes in, I still remember and care about the characters, even the bad guys. And as for the novel's final plot twist... well. I cannot wait to read the next volume, although I fear more and more for the main character's safety with each passing chapter.
Gods Behaving Badly, by Marie Phillips: The Greek Gods aren't dead; they're living in a disgustingly messy house in London, bickering nonstop and squandering what little power they have on petty attacks against each other and mortals who annoy them. Add to this equation Alice and Neil, mortals who have been friends for years (and the unacknowledged romantic tension between them is just staggering), and who have no idea who Alice's new employers really are (she's a cleaning lady), and Aphrodite's decision to get revenge on Apollo with the help of Eros, and chaos ensues. There are so many wonderful, funny touches in this story, like Apollo's terrible "I'm a psychic, really!" TV show, Artemis's annoyance over the British banning fox hunting, and Zeus's conviction that Dr. Who is really a God, just like him. The Gods cannot eat mortal food, yet they keep buying anyway and letting it rot in the kitchen. The Underworld wants to recruit more people who were champion Scrabble players in their mortal lives, because it's boring in the Underworld and the souls there want challenges. The love story that arises out of all this crazy is actually rather touching, and the conclusion to the story is Neil Gaiman comic book-worthy. In fact, I find myself hoping that Marie Phillips might turn her attention to graphic novels next, because I'm betting that whatever she sets her mind to will be simply fantastic.
The Singing, by Alison Croggon: As sad as I am to see the series end, this was a very satisfying read that brought the series to a strong conclusion and reaffirmed my faith in all of the characters. I wish I knew a tween reader I could hand these books to.
Good Poems for Hard Times, edited by Garrison Keillor: It's hard to write about such a diverse volume of poetry, but ( here are two of my favorites so far: )
These poems all capture some facet of the human experience; they're like little pocket mirrors when you least expect them. Oh, you say, that's me, and that's everyone else, too. And that knowledge is immensely comforting.
~On DVD:
Attention, new Dr. Who fans! Do you think Rose Tyler is wholesome and sweet, innocently adorable and feisty? Then watch ( 'Secret Diary of a Call Girl' and have your brain messed with for life! And not in a good way, either. )
~In reading progress: The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, Volume 1, by Gordon Dahlquist: A book this long should not fly by so quickly or plunge me into its world so convincingly. Cannot wait to see where this one goes, and I'm especially pleased that Volume 2 comes out in February.
