summer reading ~

[lookingland]

i've read a lot of books this summer (some of which have been surprisingly fun like last week's Brief Honors: a Romance of the Great Dividable, which was a morality tale about the evil of big corporations ~ written in 1877!). as i have been reading this summer, i have thought it would be fun to share some of these books in more depth (i wish i had journaled more about Montmorency because those books are so much fun and the plots are so twisty). so i thought i would like to blog a book in august ~ just for fun, give a blow-by-blow of my impressions for each chapter. i can't decide which book to choose and since i am no longer a paying lj peep, i cannot make the pretty poll thing, but feel free to express yourself in the comments if you have an opinion.


these are the candidates on the docket:

The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters by Dalquist ~ at 725 pages this is quite the tome, but less daunting than Stephenson's Baroque Cycle (which i am still mulling through). also, i love the chapter format (had to send away to Ireland for it special). It's a fantasy adventure, but what if it sucks and then i will spend all my energy quibbling? that isn't a good thing. or i might challenge myself to not quibble, which would be fabulous.

Loveless by Azarrello ~ okay, it's a graphic novel, but it has twenty four parts, so it would be substantial enough to report on, i think. grim western, mature themes, probably lots to enjoy and/or criticize, and it's not as huge an investment as a "real" novel.

Oh Please Read Something New out of Your Vast S. Weir Mitchell Collection! ~ because i still have a handful of books i have been saving and you know how i love to go on about this guy's work, complete with side stories on obscure post-Civil War minutiae. of the books of his that i haven't read i would probably choose John Sherwood, When All the Woods are Green, or In War Time. I'm leaning toward In War Time because it opens with an army hospital post-Gettysburg and i am a ghoul for that sort of thing.

or, if none of these ideas seem fun to you, feel free to suggest something completely different ~ on the understanding that i rarely actually read book recommendations because my tastes are entirely too flaky. so if you want to increase the chances that i might actually look at something you suggest, just make sure the plot doesn't rely on telephones, cars, or understanding the least bit about the 21st century ~ because all of that might be too much of a challenge to my enfeebled antiquarian brain.

my idea is to read this book in August and just do a periodic update on its progress in an impressionistic sort of way (not necessarily a blow by blow, though spoilers would definitely be included, so consider that).

by the way i do have three other books on my reading list this summer, which i will probably be taking with me on vacation at the end of the month (so they aren't good blogging prospects, i don't think, it being hard to blog on the beach): The Birth House by ami mcKay, The Count of Monte Cristo by Dumas, and The Year of Jublio by howard bahr.

opinions, oh flist of mine?

: D

Comments

[orchard-mnt.livejournal.com]

(http://s277.photobucket.com/albums/kk76/kitty19672007/thanks/?action=view&current=Coffee-1.gif)

[amberdulen.livejournal.com]

I vote for the Dalquist! But pick the one you want to read the most. :)

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

it's so much easier for people to vote when there's a poll, isn't it? hahahaha ~ but thank you for your input! in truth, i will probably read them all and then torture you with each and every one whether you want it or not ~

: o p

~ and mebbe in august i'll pick something entirely different.

[bachsoprano.livejournal.com]

I'm in the middle of Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks, which is about faith, gardening, class, faith, fear, and the Black Plague. And, it's short (though not as short as Silk). I'm really enjoying it (it's one of those books that leaves me thinking, "I wish I could write like this"...)

Sorry about being awol lately. I haven't forgotten I owe you an email...:)

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

i'm still trying to forgive Brooks for that mash she made of March. i think she is a wonderful writer with immense gifts, but that book just disappointed me to many an end. maybe i should read something else from her just to wash the taste out. ha!

no worries on the awol. i am barely above water. next week things will be less crazy and i will catch up with you, i promise!

: D

[bachsoprano.livejournal.com]

Oh, I remember you didn't like March, but I had forgotten Brooks had written it.

I finished Year of Wonders this afternoon and what I really liked about this story is that in spite of the horrors, the main character never lost a sense of hope. The ending felt a little...nice, for lack of a better term, but that's probably just me being picky. But, I think the atmosphere, wonderful language, and fascinating (and terrifically flawed) characters make up for the ending. The other thing - I read it and came away with all sorts of ideas about my writing, especially ways to explore my stories that I hadn't considered before, so yay for that!

Might be an idea to take a peek at the first couple of pages and see if it grabs you. And, there's a lot of pus and pestilence in it, which is always a bonus...:D

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

pus and pestilence?

i'm in!

hahahahaha ~ yes, now i remember, it's a plague book, innit?

much as i hated what she did with March, it is gorgeously written, so i am certainly willing to try other books of hers.

[bachsoprano.livejournal.com]

Oh, PS: Hope the crazies are manageable, and a catch-up would be good! I just didn't want you to think I was being rude by not replying, but I'm having a bit of a time finding the right words for things...and stuff...:D

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

no no no ~ !

i am have been neglectful of my flist (oy vey), so i am far far behind.

if anybody's been neglectful, it's me!

but i am looking forward to next wednesday when all of the crazies will be just a memory.

: D

[bachsoprano.livejournal.com]

Nah, we're both just crazy busy!

By the way, I saw your post this morning, and if you get a sec, I posted some photos that might bring a little cheer, or at least a smile, should you need one. :)

[utter-scoundrel.livejournal.com]

I'm only familiar with Azzarello. I don't read Loveless, but another comic of his called 100 Bullets is great so....

That's not much help.

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

Loveless got canned, apparently, so it ends with issue #24. i've heard good things about 100 Bullets, so mebbe i give it a try.

: D

[utter-scoundrel.livejournal.com]

100 Bullets is good. But it's also confusing. Now that it's entering its final arc, I'm thinking of re-reading the whole series.

[lookingland.livejournal.com]

sometimes it's hard getting a sense of continuity when the release times are so far apart.

in this way, i have always liked comic one-shots, though i appreciate the long arcs when you're catching up and can read a whole run in one spell.

: D