Book recs + I watched Avengers

[luzula]

1) I went to see Avengers with my boyfriend tonight (yes, I know, I'm probably the last person in the fannish world to see it). It was good entertainment, and I was entertained! Total crack, though--I mean, Norse gods and aliens and superheroes all thrown in a blender. But I suppose comics are like that. *has never read superhero comics* There was some stuff that kind of threw me out: like, why is Sherlock Holmes flying around in a high-tech suit? why do the Norse gods speak British English and everyone else American English? But overall it was fun. Favorite character: probably Bruce Banner. I will try some fic, but I suspect I'm not going to be fannish about this.

2) I mentioned a while back that I was reading Doc by Mary Doria Russell, but I wanted to take a moment to rec it now that I've finished it. I guess you could say it's a western, and it's about Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp and related people, but it's not at all about that gunfight they're famous for. The book is set before that and there's not a lot of violence. It's a very human book, very warm-hearted, and the setting feels very real. It left me with so much love for these characters. (And helens78, if you're reading this: there's a Lawful Good character in here that you would probably love.)

3) I just finished listening to Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, read by the author. I recommend it! Great reading, and it's a captivating story about family ties and things coming full circle.

4) Must start working on my Midsummer Santa contribution. Please tell me to do so? I know what I'm going to do, I just need to get started.

Comments

[wintercreek]

I still haven't see Avengers! Nor have I seen the movies leading up to it. Maybe later in the summer I'll have a marathon and get caught up.

Doc! Isn't it fantastic? Apparently MDR deliberately mixed genres in writing it - there are elements of a western, of course, but also a mystery. She also describes it as having an arch shape, anchored by piano music: the use of the same piece on both ends of the book, and the interlude in the middle about Doc's ghost life (am I remembering correctly that she uses that phrase?) as the keystone of the arch: the turning point that holds everything in place or could make it all fall into an entirely different shape. Oh, how I love author meta. I need to reread Doc soon and think about the structure of it some more. (Also! MDR has said she's planning a sequel, which will deal with the famous gunfight, because she's not done with these characters yet. \o/)

[luzula]

Oooh, another fan of Doc! Yeah, I do remember that bit about the turning point of the book. And a sequel! That makes me so excited. I may need to buy the book--I borrowed it from the library, but I will definitely want to reread it, and also lend it to friends.