Stuff we're reading / watching / listening to

[C is for]

Several recently published Robin McKinley books which all turned out to be lame.

I've heard her more recent stuff isn't nearly as good as her older stuff.

The first time I tried to read Chalice I couldn't get through it, though there may have been extenuating circumstances there. I enjoyed it earlier this year when I read it (oh, wait, must've been last year; time flies when you read lots of books). I loved Pegasus but I was the only one of my family that did -- my dad thought it was just unbearably slow and even my mom was ambivalent. So I can see why people wouldn't like it.

And I simply could not get through Sunshine. So I guess it depends on how recently you're counting the published...

Her older stuff is probably better...generally.

[Rifka]

The first time I tried to read Chalice I couldn't get through it, though there may have been extenuating circumstances there. I enjoyed it earlier this year when I read it (oh, wait, must've been last year; time flies when you read lots of books). I loved Pegasus but I was the only one of my family that did -- my dad thought it was just unbearably slow and even my mom was ambivalent. So I can see why people wouldn't like it.

And I simply could not get through Sunshine. So I guess it depends on how recently you're counting the published...

Her older stuff is probably better...generally.

Chalice was one of the ones that I finished reading. It had an interesting set-up, but was too boring. There was hardly any dialogue, which made it hard to get through. Then, at the end things seemed tied up way too easily. There wasn't enough explanation of what exactly happened. I thought it essentially seemed like the story Beauty, but without the satisfactory explanations and character depth of Beauty. I also just read Dragonhaven and didn't really like it. Again, the idea was intriguing, but the writing style drove me crazy. She tried to write it to sound like a 17 year old boy writing it and it just sounded dumb. It jumped around too much and once again the action built toward a climax and then suddenly just kind of dissipated. There really was no climax. The third book I read was the Door in the Hedge. It was a collection of short stories-- retellings of fairy tales or new fairy tales she created. All the stories in the book felt cramped and not detailed enough-- probably because they were so short. I thought she did a better job with the retellings than with her own creations, but even the retellings felt quite lacking. I've definitely decided I like some of her earlier works (Beauty, The Hero and the Crown, the Blue Sword) better than her later works. She's a very hit and miss author.

[Tao]

I just finished reading Terry Pratchett's Pyramids which I found all too fitting: based in a near-near eastern setting, filled with jokes about math and physics, as well as poking fun at philosophy and philosophers, it fit me well.

[C is for]

The first time I tried to read Chalice I couldn't get through it, though there may have been extenuating circumstances there. I enjoyed it earlier this year when I read it (oh, wait, must've been last year; time flies when you read lots of books). I loved Pegasus but I was the only one of my family that did -- my dad thought it was just unbearably slow and even my mom was ambivalent. So I can see why people wouldn't like it.

And I simply could not get through Sunshine. So I guess it depends on how recently you're counting the published...

Her older stuff is probably better...generally.

Chalice was one of the ones that I finished reading. It had an interesting set-up, but was too boring. There was hardly any dialogue, which made it hard to get through. Then, at the end things seemed tied up way too easily. There wasn't enough explanation of what exactly happened. I thought it essentially seemed like the story Beauty, but without the satisfactory explanations and character depth of Beauty. I also just read Dragonhaven and didn't really like it. Again, the idea was intriguing, but the writing style drove me crazy. She tried to write it to sound like a 17 year old boy writing it and it just sounded dumb. It jumped around too much and once again the action built toward a climax and then suddenly just kind of dissipated. There really was no climax. The third book I read was the Door in the Hedge. It was a collection of short stories-- retellings of fairy tales or new fairy tales she created. All the stories in the book felt cramped and not detailed enough-- probably because they were so short. I thought she did a better job with the retellings than with her own creations, but even the retellings felt quite lacking. I've definitely decided I like some of her earlier works (Beauty, The Hero and the Crown, the Blue Sword) better than her later works. She's a very hit and miss author.

I was actually going to mention The Door in the Hedge as one of her older ones I didn't really like. I remember picking it up in 6th grade and being pretty apathetic towards it. I think that might be the one with the retelling of Twelve Dancing Princesses that was my introduction to the fairytale (it was years before I read another retelling, and now they're all over the place), but other than that, nothing really exciting.

[Katya]

I was actually going to mention The Door in the Hedge as one of her older ones I didn't really like. I remember picking it up in 6th grade and being pretty apathetic towards it. I think that might be the one with the retelling of Twelve Dancing Princesses that was my introduction to the fairytale (it was years before I read another retelling, and now they're all over the place), but other than that, nothing really exciting.

Have you read Jessica Day George's retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses? It's my favorite book of hers (so far) and I think it's a perfect example of what a fairytale retelling should be.

[Katya]

Just finished watching the documentary Good Hair. I feel like every white person in America should watch it.

[C is for]

I was actually going to mention The Door in the Hedge as one of her older ones I didn't really like. I remember picking it up in 6th grade and being pretty apathetic towards it. I think that might be the one with the retelling of Twelve Dancing Princesses that was my introduction to the fairytale (it was years before I read another retelling, and now they're all over the place), but other than that, nothing really exciting.

Have you read Jessica Day George's retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses? It's my favorite book of hers (so far) and I think it's a perfect example of what a fairytale retelling should be.

Ha. Yes. I like Princess of Glass better. Not sure why.

Tangent story: one time Jessica Day George came to a local...middle school and spoke. Actually Shannon Hale was in charge, but she brought JDG and James Dashner and Brandon Mull and Ally Condie with her, so it was a big deal. Since Shannon Hale was the most popular we didn't stand in her line (it was way long) so we just stood in Jessica's. It was really slow, though. We figured out why when we finally got to her table. She'll talk forever! She was so friendly! (We were in the same ward once, though not at the same time, so we talked about that.) Also she uses a stamp to sign books; we were sad that we'd lost Dragon Slippers and couldn't get the dragon stamp, but the other stamps are nice too. Anyway. She's a good lady and actually the kind of writer I aspire to be, if I ever get back to writing. Even though she's not at all my favorite writer. /irrelevant paragraph

I don't know why I'm so active and rambly these days. Welcome back C is for Continuously Chatting!

[Katya]

I was actually going to mention The Door in the Hedge as one of her older ones I didn't really like. I remember picking it up in 6th grade and being pretty apathetic towards it. I think that might be the one with the retelling of Twelve Dancing Princesses that was my introduction to the fairytale (it was years before I read another retelling, and now they're all over the place), but other than that, nothing really exciting.

Have you read Jessica Day George's retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses? It's my favorite book of hers (so far) and I think it's a perfect example of what a fairytale retelling should be.

Ha. Yes. I like Princess of Glass better. Not sure why.

Tangent story: one time Jessica Day George came to a local...middle school and spoke. Actually Shannon Hale was in charge, but she brought JDG and James Dashner and Brandon Mull and Ally Condie with her, so it was a big deal. Since Shannon Hale was the most popular we didn't stand in her line (it was way long) so we just stood in Jessica's. It was really slow, though. We figured out why when we finally got to her table. She'll talk forever! She was so friendly! (We were in the same ward once, though not at the same time, so we talked about that.) Also she uses a stamp to sign books; we were sad that we'd lost Dragon Slippers and couldn't get the dragon stamp, but the other stamps are nice too. Anyway. She's a good lady and actually the kind of writer I aspire to be, if I ever get back to writing. Even though she's not at all my favorite writer. /irrelevant paragraph

I don't know why I'm so active and rambly these days. Welcome back C is for Continuously Chatting!

I've heard her on Writing Excuses and I'm not surprised she's chatty. She sounds fun.

I liked Princess of the Midnight Ball better because I felt there were too many storylines to balance in PoG. (Also, the ending was weird, but I understand she may have had to change it at the last minute.)

[Dragon Lady]

Hey! A book I've read! I forgot I was getting into her books. I should go stick them on my Goodreads To Read list. (Yeah, like I ever actually read things off that list…) But in good news, I really liked Princess of the Midnight Ball.

[Katya]

Hey! A book I've read! I forgot I was getting into her books. I should go stick them on my Goodreads To Read list. (Yeah, like I ever actually read things off that list…) But in good news, I really liked Princess of the Midnight Ball.

[Whistler]

I just started on The Cloud Atlas, and it's more engaging than I thought some old-timey-wannabe writing might be.

Just finished Crumb's Illustrated Genesis and it has me thinking about matriarchy.

[Portia]

I've taken the advice of Uffish Thought and gone on a Wodehouse kick. Best decision I ever took. :D

[Architect]

I've been reading Harry Potter in French. It's been half a decade since I read them all, and I figured I needed to do something to refresh those neurons. Plus, as they're basically kids books, especially the first few, they're not impossible for me to read.
Currently just starting "Chamber of Secrets".

[Dragon Lady]

When I was in Israel, my brother and I stopped at a bookstore and he bought me Harry Potter 6 in Hebrew (because he's awesome). At the checkout the girl checking us out asked, surprised, "You speak Hebrew?" "Heh. No, but I read Biblical Hebrew, and I love Harry Potter, so I thought it'd be fun to have this." "Oh, you should totally read this, then. That's how I learned English—by reading Harry Potter in English."

Awesome.

[Yarjka]

I read Harry Potter in Russian on my mission. I actually got in big trouble for it with the Mission President when he found out, but my language was much better than most as a result. I still recommend it as the best way to learn a language. It's much easier to read than classic Russian fiction because of its familiarity, and the sentence constructions are generally a little simpler in a translated young adult book than in books written for adults in the original.

[Architect]

Seriously, my French has actually improved a ton since I started reading Harry Potter. I'd say I'm already quite a bit better now than when I was in high school French class 4+ years ago. If I can get my hands on them I'm going to try to read them all.

[mic0]

You guys are making me want to buy Harry Potter in Chinese... in fact, I think I will.

[Katya]

You guys are making me want to buy Harry Potter in Chinese... in fact, I think I will.

I own Harry Potter in Chinese . . . but I haven't read it.

[Digit]

Once when I was on a flight from the Philippines back to the states, one of the in-flight movies on the flight from Narita Japan to Detroit, MI was What Women Want and one of the characters (I think Mel Gibson's) was named Nick, and in the Japanese dubbing, every time someone called Nick, yelling Niku with a Japanese accent, my seatmate chuckled. I learned that Niku is Japanese for "meat."

[Sky Bones]

I gave away a few of my English Harry Potter books to some of my junior high students in Japan. They were thrilled to pieces about it.