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

[helens78]

Oooh, Doc sounds awesome! I love Westerns, and I particularly love the Earps. :D I've put a hold on it at the library!

[jesse_the_k]

Thanks for reminding me about Doc.

Doria Russell's third book, A Thread of Grace, is a World War II partisan story set in Italy as the Allies are invading and the Italian Fascists are crumbling. It's a real thriller, with several lifeboats worth of wanderers and locals conspiring to save lives. It's got a neat bibliography, and it turns out that much of it is based on real people and real events.

[luzula]

Oh good! \o/ I think you'd enjoy it.

[luzula]

Yes, I've heard about that book! It's definitely on my to-read-some-time list, if not on my immediate to-read list.

not the last one

[ride_4ever]

No, you haven't been the last one in the fannish world for seeing The Avengers. I'm supposed to be going to see it next weekend....

[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/)

[brigantine]

why do the Norse gods speak British English and everyone else American English?

*giggles* I imagine because the film makers didn't want to make up a whole alien language for them to speak (omg complicated in so many ways!), but thought it would sound kind of odd for a guy from an alien race to sound exactly like a guy from California. So they just tweaked the accent so that they'd not sound as though they'd just popped round from San Francisco. That's my theory, anyway. :)

Dr. Banner! He's adorable. I love fanfics where he gets a girlfriend. Or a boyfriend. Some good lovin', anyway. ;)

I have not read "Doc," but it sounds intriguing.

*pokes gently* Hey. Work on your Midsummer Santa! *poke* Hee.

Re: not the last one

[luzula]

I hope you enjoy it! It's quite entertaining.

[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.

[luzula]

I never really understood that--are they Norse gods or are they aliens, or somehow both? Confusing.

Also, I have now started on my Midsummer contribution! I have a good feeling about it. \o/

[brigantine]

Aliens. They used to visit Earth a long time ago, and our ancestors assumed they were gods, because of their shiny technology, and that's how they've been portrayed in all of our stories about them, because we didn't know any better. But, yeah. Shiny, shiny aliens.

(ETA: I forgot to add, Thor explained this to his Earthling sweetie Jane in the movie "Thor," so anyone who hasn't seen that is, yeah, gonna be a little confused.)

Midsummer!! \o/!

[glitteryv]

Add me to the short list of people who haven't seen the Avengers. I had a serious bout of hype aversion when 90% of my friends on Twitter went crazy for that movie (and the fandom.) If I'm not mistaken, the US release date for DVD and digital formats is in late September. So I might watch it then? (or not. Again, hype aversion. I'm the kind of person who will fall for a soft pimping rather than an overtly enthusiastic one. I don't know why.)

Hope you got started with your Midsummer Santa. Sadly, I couldn't participate as I've got to big bangs back-to-back. Thought it wouldn't be fair for my Midsummer Santa recipient if they ended up with a sub-par fic. But yays you for participating!

BTW, thanks for the postcard. I so wish we could switch places right now. Temps have been hovering on the high levels. The heat + humidity = miserable!Luce

[luzula]

Yeah, I get the hype aversion thing--I've got that, too. Like, I haven't ever watched an episode of SPN, because it's such a huge fandom.

And yeah, I've gotten started with my Midsummer contribution now! I have a good feeling about it.

And I'm glad the postcard got to you.

[desireearmfeldt]

Must start working on my Midsummer Santa contribution. Please tell me to do so?

Go go go! *shakes encouraging pom-poms*

[china_shop]

1) You succumbed! (Not the last person though. I still haven't seen it. :-)

4) Doo eeet!! *cheers you on*

[hurry-sundown.livejournal.com]

Hey, baybee, got your postcard today. Thanks for thinking of me! Hope it was a good trip.

[luzula]

I have started on it now! \o/

[luzula]

1) I did succumb! Although when I say I'm going to give the fic a try, what I really mean is that I'll download a couple of podfics--there's so little podfic in my core fandoms that I'm always looking for more in peripheral fandoms.

4) I have gotten started now! And I have a good feeling about it.

[luzula]

Oh, I'm glad it got to you! And yes, it was a great trip.