Recent reading
Oct. 23rd, 2014 11:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
luzulaThe Interior Life by Katherine Blake
As recced by Jo Walton andsineala. This book is very meta: it's about an American housewife in the '80s who starts living a fantasy life in her head, by which I mean: in her head there is a fantasy about a fantasy-style pseudo-medieval world. It influences her RL in various ways, for example, her fantasy alter ago gets together with a hot guy which revitalizes her own sex life with her husband (ha, how many fic writers will recognize this?). Some of her concerns felt very far from my own life, for example her efforts to help her husband rise in the corporate hierarchy. But others felt closer, such as her getting into various kinds of organizing (in her case the PTA). Anyway, the book was very readable and enjoyable, though I facepalmed a bit at the conceptions of love in the fantasy world, which seem to consist of staring into someone's eyes the first time you see them and then loving each other for life. But hey, it's easy to put a meta interpretation on that, too--this is her fantasy, after all. And also I appreciated the focus on women's work, both in the real and fantasy world.
Saga 1-3 by Brian Vaughn and Fiona Staples
Yes, I read graphic novels sometimes. This one I read because a colleague at work recommended them and then I saw them at the library. I liked them, I guess? But I found it hard to turn off my worldbuilding brain. I think I'm just reading them wrong--like, I'm supposed to admire how badass someone is, but instead I wonder how on earth the weird creature they're defeating would work evolutionarily. Ah well.
Ha'Penny by Jo Walton (audiobook)
I read this trilogy in the wrong order--this is the second book but I read the third book before this one by mistake. Oh well. Anyway, like the others, this is a mystery novel set in a semi-fascist Britain which made peace with Hitler in the 1940's. Although in this one the mystery doesn't remain a mystery for long and then it turns into more of a political thriller. Anyway, I recommend the whole trilogy! Also the audiobook reader is really good.
As recced by Jo Walton and
sineala. This book is very meta: it's about an American housewife in the '80s who starts living a fantasy life in her head, by which I mean: in her head there is a fantasy about a fantasy-style pseudo-medieval world. It influences her RL in various ways, for example, her fantasy alter ago gets together with a hot guy which revitalizes her own sex life with her husband (ha, how many fic writers will recognize this?). Some of her concerns felt very far from my own life, for example her efforts to help her husband rise in the corporate hierarchy. But others felt closer, such as her getting into various kinds of organizing (in her case the PTA). Anyway, the book was very readable and enjoyable, though I facepalmed a bit at the conceptions of love in the fantasy world, which seem to consist of staring into someone's eyes the first time you see them and then loving each other for life. But hey, it's easy to put a meta interpretation on that, too--this is her fantasy, after all. And also I appreciated the focus on women's work, both in the real and fantasy world.Saga 1-3 by Brian Vaughn and Fiona Staples
Yes, I read graphic novels sometimes. This one I read because a colleague at work recommended them and then I saw them at the library. I liked them, I guess? But I found it hard to turn off my worldbuilding brain. I think I'm just reading them wrong--like, I'm supposed to admire how badass someone is, but instead I wonder how on earth the weird creature they're defeating would work evolutionarily. Ah well.
Ha'Penny by Jo Walton (audiobook)
I read this trilogy in the wrong order--this is the second book but I read the third book before this one by mistake. Oh well. Anyway, like the others, this is a mystery novel set in a semi-fascist Britain which made peace with Hitler in the 1940's. Although in this one the mystery doesn't remain a mystery for long and then it turns into more of a political thriller. Anyway, I recommend the whole trilogy! Also the audiobook reader is really good.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-10-23 10:03 pm (UTC)I've been reading Saga and I must admit I don't get why everybody's so excited about it. I mean, sure, it's an entertaining and colourful story, but still - the reaction some parts of the internet has to it feels out of proportion, somehow.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-10-24 07:21 am (UTC)I didn't even know about the internet's reaction to Saga--I just had my co-worker's recommendation...but yeah, I don't actually think I'll keep reading it.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-10-24 05:27 pm (UTC)Reaction - well, mostly I keep seeing it recced all over the place. And frankly, it's not that awesome. Entertaining, but not something I'll mourn when it's gone and be upset if the libraries stop buying and definitely not something I'll go out and actually buy.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-10-24 12:07 am (UTC)I agree that a lot of The Interior Life was really dated, but, yeah, a lot of it was surprisingly relatable. And sweet.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-10-24 07:25 am (UTC)Heh. : )
Were you the one who nominated it for Yuletide, btw? I was confused by the main character and Amalia being piped together in one character tag. I mean, I didn't consider them as being the same person? And if they were, then Marianella should've been in there as well, since the main character was seeing things through her eyes as well.
(no subject)
Date: 2014-10-24 07:38 am (UTC)