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booktards)
Books I'm reading or have recently finished:
American Gods, by Neil Gaiman: Oh. My. Gosh. This is a truly wonderful piece of literature, and a rousing good story, as well. But then, that's what![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
firecat had said, and she's smart. ;-) I have some issues with the epilogue, but really, if your first real issue with a book happens in the epilogue, that's a pretty good endorsement. Basically, I disliked the amount of stuff that happens in the epilogue. Major mysteries are solved, there's action galore, and it's really a part of the book, not an epilogue at all, I think, but hey, that's faint criticism. I adored this book, and would highly recommend it. In fact, I would be happy to gift it to the first person on my friends list who hasn't read it yet and asks for it. I'll even pay for shipping.
I probably would have enjoyed American Gods even more if I had been better educated on the mythological references, but still, charming story, well-written, with fully realized characters, tons of humor, and even a murder mystery. How can that be bad?
Violet & Claire, by Francesca Lia Block: I was mildly disappointed by this, mainly because I was so enchanted with Block's earlier work, especially the Weetzie Bat books. This book is written from three points of view: the first section is from Violet's viewpoint, and though the character Violet is a writer, the writing is klunky and inelegant here. The second section is more poetic, which makes sense, because it's from the viewpoint of Claire, a poet. The third section is told in the third person, and it doesn't really work, because the omniscience is jarring once we've been in both characters' heads. Still, it's not a bad book, and it deals matter-of-factly with issues of sex, sexuality, and gender, as Block usually does.
How to Dunk a Doughnut: The Science of Everyday Life, by Len Fisher: I am having SUCH fun with this book. I checked it out of the library, and I'm so glad I did. I have an utter crush on the author, and it has one of the best first lines I've read in recent memory, namely -- well, wait, lemme give you the whole first paragraph:
If you're at all geeky or enjoy lucid explanations of how science works, or you're just like me and you get hot when scientists get all excited about shit, get this book!
booktards)Books I'm reading or have recently finished:
American Gods, by Neil Gaiman: Oh. My. Gosh. This is a truly wonderful piece of literature, and a rousing good story, as well. But then, that's what
firecat had said, and she's smart. ;-) I have some issues with the epilogue, but really, if your first real issue with a book happens in the epilogue, that's a pretty good endorsement. Basically, I disliked the amount of stuff that happens in the epilogue. Major mysteries are solved, there's action galore, and it's really a part of the book, not an epilogue at all, I think, but hey, that's faint criticism. I adored this book, and would highly recommend it. In fact, I would be happy to gift it to the first person on my friends list who hasn't read it yet and asks for it. I'll even pay for shipping.I probably would have enjoyed American Gods even more if I had been better educated on the mythological references, but still, charming story, well-written, with fully realized characters, tons of humor, and even a murder mystery. How can that be bad?
Violet & Claire, by Francesca Lia Block: I was mildly disappointed by this, mainly because I was so enchanted with Block's earlier work, especially the Weetzie Bat books. This book is written from three points of view: the first section is from Violet's viewpoint, and though the character Violet is a writer, the writing is klunky and inelegant here. The second section is more poetic, which makes sense, because it's from the viewpoint of Claire, a poet. The third section is told in the third person, and it doesn't really work, because the omniscience is jarring once we've been in both characters' heads. Still, it's not a bad book, and it deals matter-of-factly with issues of sex, sexuality, and gender, as Block usually does.
How to Dunk a Doughnut: The Science of Everyday Life, by Len Fisher: I am having SUCH fun with this book. I checked it out of the library, and I'm so glad I did. I have an utter crush on the author, and it has one of the best first lines I've read in recent memory, namely -- well, wait, lemme give you the whole first paragraph:
Scientists, like hangmen, are socially disadvantaged by their
profession. People are naturally curious about their work and their motivation for doing it but are rather afraid to ask about the details. The fear in the case of scientists is that the questioner won't understand the answer, and will end up looking foolish. This fear can be so great that guests at parties, having discovered that I am a scientist, usually turn to my wife and ask her what I do, rather than approach me directly.
If you're at all geeky or enjoy lucid explanations of how science works, or you're just like me and you get hot when scientists get all excited about shit, get this book!