Well, let me tell you: a mishmash of styles (as usual) and one of the most fabulous books I’ve read in a very very long time, that’s what! The most fabulous one is Passage by Connie Willis. If you don’t know her, you should. I first read her in novella form – Inside Job and All About Emily are incredible. Sassy, snappy, quirky, clever and just plain fun – full of allusions and references from history, pop culture, sci-fi… I loved her so much I decided to try her novels. The first (To Say Nothing of the Dog) was just not for me – despite a fabulous title and great premise full of time travel and Willisian quirkiness and fabulous reviews/blurbs, I just could not get into it. Undaunted, I tried again – yes, her novellas were THAT good – and this one, well, this one is amazing. Passage is about NDEs – near death experiences – and the people who study them (and live through them), but it’s also about the quest for meaning in life – and death. It’s beautifully written full of incredibly real characters who live and breathe and practically jump off the page. I cannot say enough good things about it – and I’m not even done. I’ve just hit the big plot jump alluded to in the jacket blurb, and it’s killing me to not sit and read it through to the end, but time, blogs, and kids wait for no book… 🙂
Other than that, I’ve recently joined the ranks of the Plum fanatics – and NOT because of the movie. I managed to score One for the Money, book one of Janet Evanovich’s silly-fun series, on the two-for-twenty-five-cents table at the library used book sale. It’s not high literature, but it’s fun summer reading. Stephanie Plum is Everywoman – if Everywoman was a Jersey-girl in the 1990s. She gets herself into trouble through the one-two punch of her big mouth and her attitude, but somehow manages (through a combo of luck, a few wits and good friends, mostly) to scrape her way out without too many bruises. If you are looking for something goofy and light and entertaining, I’m through the first book and have Two for the Dough, Three To Get Deadly and Four to Score sitting here – courtesy, again, of the library.
On Kindle, I’m working my way through Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox, a review book that I’m not sure if I can finish just now. It’s not bad or poorly written, it’s just very involved and detailed and I just don’t know that I’m in the right head-space for it. Her childhood sucked, but in a slogging rather than dramatic way, and the book is weighing heavily as a result. I’m having trouble getting to the good bits, full of movies and marriages and drama, and don’t know if I’m going to be able to finish it on time – and I hate when that happens. Blech.
Speaking of which, my next LuxuryReading.com book review is also due soon – Midnight in Peking. To be honest, I haven’t even read the jacket blurb since it came in, so can’t even tell you what it’s about. I’m guessing China (teehee), and seem to recall something about a murdered woman in the early 1900s (but don’t quote me on that) – but that and the fact that it’s non-fiction is about all I’ve got. How awful is that?? Eek. I guess I’d better get cracking on that one, because I owe her a review on August 21. Double eek.
I also have Diana Gabaldon’s The Scottish Prisoner from the library (I LOVE James Alexander Malcolm Mackenzie Frasier, and if you aren’t familiar with her Outlander series you simply MUST become so tout sweet…) so that’s up soon too. AND I’ve been plugging away at my own writing, and doing some critiquing for The Writing Buddy, both of which also entail reading – hers being much more fun than mine, since mine is self-editing reading, which is stinky, and hers is see-what-happens-next reading which is WAY better…
Too many books, too little time… 🙂 Happy Tuesday!
10 comments to What am I Reading This Week, You Ask?
Janet Evanovich’s “Plum” series is a lot of fun! In my VERY humble opinion, her characters outshine her plots, but who am I to judge? My favorite was Eleven on Top. (Although I can’t remember exactly why – *embarrassed* – but I remember finishing that one and thinking: Whew! Now THAT was a good story.)
Now that you’ve read the first book, how do you think it compares to the movie? I think they did a good job. (Wait, did you see the movie?)
I’m in the “Morelli” camp, by the way. 😀 Ranger… meh.
Okay, I sent you an email a few minutes ago. Time to eat… then… read. “I hear a little voice coming from over my right shoulder…”
Her characters DEFINITELY outshine her plots – she’s not writing the great American novel, that’s for sure, but she’s fun and that’s good too! I haven’t seen the movie, so don’t have a comparison. Katherine Heigl irks me for mysteriously inexplicable reasons, so I doubt I’ll see it, but despite that she actually strikes me as a good choice to play Stephanie Plum.
Hooray for edit-reading! I hope you like the revision and that it addresses the stuff you/Gordon raised (there are also a few changes to address stuff my friend Geoff commented on). Me, I’m heading back through a Door – if you don’t hear from me shortly, call Anne Lace and see where I ended up… 😉
You know, you’re not the only one who has said to me: I don’t like K. Heigl. I didn’t really know much about her (didn’t watch Grey’s Anatomy), so didn’t go in with any preconceived ideas. I think she did a good job of bringing the character to the big screen. I honestly don’t know who else I would have picked, to be honest. They did a good job casting Morelli. Plus, Jason O’Mara is easy on the eyes. Heheh.
If I see Templeton I shall throw something at him and run the other way. Which is what I occasionally think Emily should do… 😉
I’m a big fan of easy on the eyes, and am now curious to see how the translation of book to movie went, so perhaps I shall have to let my KH thing go long enough to watch!
Now that you are reading the series (when you get through most of it), you should check out her book, “How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author.” I liked it because she uses examples from her books, and if you have read the series, it’s quite enjoyable.
Oh yeah, and I completely forgot that I’m also reading Edith Wharton’s “The Custom of the County” – teehee, nothing like forgetting all about the literature and focusing on the big-haired bounty hunters… 😉
And is it wrong that I want to be a franchise like Janet Evanovich?? Even if it would mean selling out?? I want someone to play chicken leg games on MY book website!!!
I would LOVE to go to Comic-Con – just to attend would be a fabulous people-watching experience, but can you imagine how FREAKING SWEET it must be to see whack-a-doodles dressed up like YOUR characters?!
I’m totally going to be Tara, when I attend your C-C debut, of course. For mine, I’m thinking Dr. Richardson (you don’t know her yet, she’s the shrink in JPW – I will send you her stuff today, just so you know what I mean) or the unnamed protag from Numbers! 🙂
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Janet Evanovich’s “Plum” series is a lot of fun! In my VERY humble opinion, her characters outshine her plots, but who am I to judge? My favorite was Eleven on Top. (Although I can’t remember exactly why – *embarrassed* – but I remember finishing that one and thinking: Whew! Now THAT was a good story.)
Now that you’ve read the first book, how do you think it compares to the movie? I think they did a good job. (Wait, did you see the movie?)
I’m in the “Morelli” camp, by the way. 😀 Ranger… meh.
Okay, I sent you an email a few minutes ago. Time to eat… then… read. “I hear a little voice coming from over my right shoulder…”
😀
Her characters DEFINITELY outshine her plots – she’s not writing the great American novel, that’s for sure, but she’s fun and that’s good too! I haven’t seen the movie, so don’t have a comparison. Katherine Heigl irks me for mysteriously inexplicable reasons, so I doubt I’ll see it, but despite that she actually strikes me as a good choice to play Stephanie Plum.
Hooray for edit-reading! I hope you like the revision and that it addresses the stuff you/Gordon raised (there are also a few changes to address stuff my friend Geoff commented on). Me, I’m heading back through a Door – if you don’t hear from me shortly, call Anne Lace and see where I ended up… 😉
LOL! Of course if you see Templeton… 🙂
You know, you’re not the only one who has said to me: I don’t like K. Heigl. I didn’t really know much about her (didn’t watch Grey’s Anatomy), so didn’t go in with any preconceived ideas. I think she did a good job of bringing the character to the big screen. I honestly don’t know who else I would have picked, to be honest. They did a good job casting Morelli. Plus, Jason O’Mara is easy on the eyes. Heheh.
If I see Templeton I shall throw something at him and run the other way. Which is what I occasionally think Emily should do… 😉
I’m a big fan of easy on the eyes, and am now curious to see how the translation of book to movie went, so perhaps I shall have to let my KH thing go long enough to watch!
I am such a dope! I forgot to add…
Now that you are reading the series (when you get through most of it), you should check out her book, “How I Write: Secrets of a Bestselling Author.” I liked it because she uses examples from her books, and if you have read the series, it’s quite enjoyable.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-i-write-janet-evanovich/1008079580
AND, I wanted to send you a link to this:
http://www.stephanieplum.com/
I personally like the chicken leg toss (I SWEAR this is NOT how I spend my time!):
http://www.stephanieplum.com/#/games/cluckinabucket/
😀
Excellent – thanks! That’s part of what I liked about Stephen King’s “On Writing” too – references to books/plots I knew already.
And hooray for mindless book-related procrastination games!! I would never judge you for spending time that way, so no need to swear! 😉
Oh yeah, and I completely forgot that I’m also reading Edith Wharton’s “The Custom of the County” – teehee, nothing like forgetting all about the literature and focusing on the big-haired bounty hunters… 😉
And is it wrong that I want to be a franchise like Janet Evanovich?? Even if it would mean selling out?? I want someone to play chicken leg games on MY book website!!!
On Writing stares at me from my coffee table.
PS, it’s not selling out! Are you kidding me? LOL! Gordon and I talk about how cool it would be to take D2D to Comic-Con! 😀
Who are YOU going to dress up as?
I would LOVE to go to Comic-Con – just to attend would be a fabulous people-watching experience, but can you imagine how FREAKING SWEET it must be to see whack-a-doodles dressed up like YOUR characters?!
I’m totally going to be Tara, when I attend your C-C debut, of course. For mine, I’m thinking Dr. Richardson (you don’t know her yet, she’s the shrink in JPW – I will send you her stuff today, just so you know what I mean) or the unnamed protag from Numbers! 🙂