Reading Reading Reading.

[lit_gal]

Thanks so much for the advice on "abet" guys. Um... I got so much good advice that I don't think I'm going to answer all those comments because WOW... ya'll are logophiles! I'm trotting right along with my Moonridge stories. I'm discovering all sorts of things about the characters by writing this story. And the manips have now been beta'ed and I'm rather proud of them. And I've been reading more print books.

These are out of five stars.


Pretender by C.J. Cherryh.  God I love this series.  I feel like I should take notes on the psychology and political maneuvering she includes, and that makes the geek/nerd in me so very, very happy.  The first book in the series starts weak, finds its feet halfway through the novel, and after that, it's all golden.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. I wanted to love this book; I tried to love this book.  I can't.  I can appreciate the poetic language and her viewpoint, but these short snippets of life on Mango Street leave me not knowing the characters as little more than dressing on an artsy-fartsy window.  I can appreciate this book but I will never love it.

An Unfinished Life by Mark Spragg.  I really loved these characters--flawed, struggling, real and lovable. And Spragg just has a remarkable talent for turning a beautiful phrase.  And unlike many books, there are no villains here.  All the damage done is done by people who believe they're in the right.  I do like that in a story.  So, why not five stars?  It's not the sort of book that leaves you thinking about the implications when you've finished the last page.

Comments

[sparrow2000.livejournal.com]

It's funny, Maz has just introduced me to C J Cherryh. She lent me her battered copy of Angel with the Sword at the tail end of last year and I just loved it. My Christmas present was the Chanur saga trilogy which is sitting on my shelf calling to me. Shit I can't believe I haven't read a book book in 6 months, it's just been so crazy, but that's first on my list when things finally calm down.

[sosaith.livejournal.com]

I had a very similar reaction when I read La Casa en Mango Street. It was the first book I had ever read in Spanish, and I wanted to like it more than I did.

I appreciate the book recs as, since I discovered fanfiction, I've spent a lot less time reading actual books.

[swanpride.livejournal.com]

C.J.CHerryh is great...it is the only Sci-Fi author I read. Sadly her books are very hard to get in Germany. My favourite in the pretender series is the second volume. Have you ever read Tripoint?

[raissad.livejournal.com]

I read Mango Street for one of my lit courses and had the same reaction. There was no drive, even collected vignettes need drive.

[shakatany.livejournal.com]

C. J. Cherryh is one of my two favorite SF writers (the other being Lois McMaster Bujold) and her Foreigner series is one of the best. I've been reading SF since I was 12 and after decades of reading it I'm sort of gafiating except for those 2 and a few others. Like one of your other commenters, I'm doing most of my fiction reading online these days.

Shakatany

[joyleaf41.livejournal.com]

I see I shall have to start tracking down Cherryh's Foreigner series and start reading that. I started by reading her Faded Sun trilogy and then found Serpent's Reach in her Alliance-Union universe. I have read and enjoyed several more set in the universe. A bit creepy with their Azi but I did like the fact that several of her characters in the Cyteen trilogy are gay.
Hubby prefers the Chanur books.

[heeroluva.livejournal.com]

I agree with you assessment of The House on Mango Street. The sad thing is that I had to read it for an English class about seven years ago and it was the best book out of the lot.