Back in Cali
Dec. 22nd, 2006 01:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
talkingsoupSo I have some things to report on, yuh.
I finished Squire, by Tammy (that is, Tamora Pierce) a few days ago, and it's my favorite so far in that series. Seeing as I haven't yet read Lady Knight yet I can't really say for sure, but wow. Brilliant book. I've been taken with the series ever since Kel climbed that bluff to save some kittens from a giant spider monster. The characters are so awesome, the world setting is awesome, and Julie has told me many times about Tammy's extensive knowledge of all things medieval warfare-ish, and, um, yeah. I didn't even know there were names for some of those things. Oh man. Awesome book, can't wait to read the last one in the series. And then to read the rest of her books.
Also read Invisible Cities by Italo Calavino, lent to me by Molly. I don't know why. I remember it coming up in conversation at some point, I just don't remember the context. In any case, I'm glad she lent it to me, because the book is awesome. It's short, only a bit over 100 pages long, and has no real plot, but it's utterly brilliant. The premise is, Marco Polo is describing his travels to Kublai Kahn in order to cheer the emperor up. He describes city after city in these amazing ways. The cities themselves are amazing. Cities of the dead, cities of deja'vu, cities of memory, cities of desires, cities with oddities in terms of architecture or citizens, cities that aren't really cities, disappeared cities, hidden cities, beautiful cities, ugly cities. Each one is unique and yet similar, and each one is totally fantastic. The book is amazing. Read it. If nothing else, it'll give you some freaking awesome ideas for settings.
Also read The Fourth Bear by Jason Fforde, which is a "Nursery Crime Novel." Pretty much, Jack Spratt is an investigator of nursery crimes in Reading, and with the help of Sergent Mary Mary and an alien named Ashley, he has to track down journalist Henrietta Hatchett, aka Goldilocks, who has gone missing while investigating a story on cucumbers. Meanwhile the homicidal maniac the Gingerbreadman has broken out of prison and is killing people, and Spratt has to deal with all kinds of personal woes including a car sold by Dorian Gray, Punch and Judy for neighbors, and bears making illegal porridge deals in underground parking lots.
It's the most brilliant fucking book ever.
Like, everything in this book is hilarious and yet not. People are getting killed and things are blowing up and children are getting their thumbs chopped off but then you remember just what the hell you're reading and it's like, I don't know. The plot and characters and whole storyline is completely and utterly ridiculous, and yet the author manages to make it serious, intriguing and fun. Everything is accounted for, and by that I mean, there are legitimate explanations for everything, and no plot holes, so the story is entirely un-ridiculous while also being entirely ridiculous. It's a fantasy world, but it's not a complete departure--it's comparable to the real world, which is exactly what you want when writing a book like this.
And the book is just so much fun. It's full of plot twists and nursery rhyme humor and puns and bad jokes and the fourth wall is pretty much nonexistent. It keeps you guessing and laughing until the end. Think of it as a comedic crime drama that happens to include nursery rhyme characters.
Now I have to read the first one in the series. And check out Jason Fforde's other series, Thursday Next. Oh man. So much awesome.
Finished The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya in ASIC last Thursday, of course, and I love it. Definitely one of my top ten. God I wish they'd made more. I loved the out-of-order ness. And like Noein, they managed to combine the kind of la-dee-da life genre with sci-fi action. Though no flying baby machines and guys in cloaks. Oh well. Have downloaded the whole thing and will force Julie to watch it, along with Noein and Gankutsuo, upon my return.
I guess we're watching FMA next semester, which is fine by me. Druther watch something I haven't seen, but there you go. I haven't seen it in Japanese, so I guess that counts--plus it's the second half, which is more interesting.
That's all the reviewing I had.
Have done almost all of my Chrismahanukwanzaayule shopping. I'm working tomorrow and the day after, 10-7, so I'm gonna have to get the rest of it done during my breaks. Had Ben's birthday dinner today, Chinese restaurant, and a pretty awesome cake afterwards. He has school up till tomorrow I guess. Man that fucking sucks. I wonder why? Is every school dragging it out to the last minute this year? It's not like next year is a leap year. It's such a drastic difference from when we got out last year--I mean pretty much the whole of December was break, at least for us Ithacans. Obviously it's different for high school, but the 22nd is still pretty down-to-the-wire.
Haven't gotten any writing done and don't intend to until tomorrow or the day after. Although in a fit of insanity last week, when I'd finished two of my papers and figured I had some time to myself, I did get a bit done on Mot. I rather like it too, though I'm starting to wonder at my portrayal of E. I need to make it so that both of them are falling apart. In any case, I really need to get the next chapter of my fic done, so I'll focus on that first.
Deposited $167 in my bank accounts today, the money from the credit card fuck-up compliments of the Health Center. Fuck yes.
About games. There are a few I've been eyeballing. Okami. Shadow of the Colossus. Thoughts, anyone? Still looking forward to when Spore and World of Mana comes out. XOMG Secret of Mana sequel *flails*.
Things I Miss Already from Ithaca:
1. Friends.
2. The ability to communicate instantly with said friends.
3. Liquid soap.
4. The desk. Damn.
5. My tea.
6. My anime.
7. The view.
But it's not as bad as before. I'm glad for the break, and I'm looking forward to Christmas and to New Year's. And to getting a whole shitload of writing done.
I finished Squire, by Tammy (that is, Tamora Pierce) a few days ago, and it's my favorite so far in that series. Seeing as I haven't yet read Lady Knight yet I can't really say for sure, but wow. Brilliant book. I've been taken with the series ever since Kel climbed that bluff to save some kittens from a giant spider monster. The characters are so awesome, the world setting is awesome, and Julie has told me many times about Tammy's extensive knowledge of all things medieval warfare-ish, and, um, yeah. I didn't even know there were names for some of those things. Oh man. Awesome book, can't wait to read the last one in the series. And then to read the rest of her books.
Also read Invisible Cities by Italo Calavino, lent to me by Molly. I don't know why. I remember it coming up in conversation at some point, I just don't remember the context. In any case, I'm glad she lent it to me, because the book is awesome. It's short, only a bit over 100 pages long, and has no real plot, but it's utterly brilliant. The premise is, Marco Polo is describing his travels to Kublai Kahn in order to cheer the emperor up. He describes city after city in these amazing ways. The cities themselves are amazing. Cities of the dead, cities of deja'vu, cities of memory, cities of desires, cities with oddities in terms of architecture or citizens, cities that aren't really cities, disappeared cities, hidden cities, beautiful cities, ugly cities. Each one is unique and yet similar, and each one is totally fantastic. The book is amazing. Read it. If nothing else, it'll give you some freaking awesome ideas for settings.
Also read The Fourth Bear by Jason Fforde, which is a "Nursery Crime Novel." Pretty much, Jack Spratt is an investigator of nursery crimes in Reading, and with the help of Sergent Mary Mary and an alien named Ashley, he has to track down journalist Henrietta Hatchett, aka Goldilocks, who has gone missing while investigating a story on cucumbers. Meanwhile the homicidal maniac the Gingerbreadman has broken out of prison and is killing people, and Spratt has to deal with all kinds of personal woes including a car sold by Dorian Gray, Punch and Judy for neighbors, and bears making illegal porridge deals in underground parking lots.
It's the most brilliant fucking book ever.
Like, everything in this book is hilarious and yet not. People are getting killed and things are blowing up and children are getting their thumbs chopped off but then you remember just what the hell you're reading and it's like, I don't know. The plot and characters and whole storyline is completely and utterly ridiculous, and yet the author manages to make it serious, intriguing and fun. Everything is accounted for, and by that I mean, there are legitimate explanations for everything, and no plot holes, so the story is entirely un-ridiculous while also being entirely ridiculous. It's a fantasy world, but it's not a complete departure--it's comparable to the real world, which is exactly what you want when writing a book like this.
And the book is just so much fun. It's full of plot twists and nursery rhyme humor and puns and bad jokes and the fourth wall is pretty much nonexistent. It keeps you guessing and laughing until the end. Think of it as a comedic crime drama that happens to include nursery rhyme characters.
Now I have to read the first one in the series. And check out Jason Fforde's other series, Thursday Next. Oh man. So much awesome.
Finished The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya in ASIC last Thursday, of course, and I love it. Definitely one of my top ten. God I wish they'd made more. I loved the out-of-order ness. And like Noein, they managed to combine the kind of la-dee-da life genre with sci-fi action. Though no flying baby machines and guys in cloaks. Oh well. Have downloaded the whole thing and will force Julie to watch it, along with Noein and Gankutsuo, upon my return.
I guess we're watching FMA next semester, which is fine by me. Druther watch something I haven't seen, but there you go. I haven't seen it in Japanese, so I guess that counts--plus it's the second half, which is more interesting.
That's all the reviewing I had.
Have done almost all of my Chrismahanukwanzaayule shopping. I'm working tomorrow and the day after, 10-7, so I'm gonna have to get the rest of it done during my breaks. Had Ben's birthday dinner today, Chinese restaurant, and a pretty awesome cake afterwards. He has school up till tomorrow I guess. Man that fucking sucks. I wonder why? Is every school dragging it out to the last minute this year? It's not like next year is a leap year. It's such a drastic difference from when we got out last year--I mean pretty much the whole of December was break, at least for us Ithacans. Obviously it's different for high school, but the 22nd is still pretty down-to-the-wire.
Haven't gotten any writing done and don't intend to until tomorrow or the day after. Although in a fit of insanity last week, when I'd finished two of my papers and figured I had some time to myself, I did get a bit done on Mot. I rather like it too, though I'm starting to wonder at my portrayal of E. I need to make it so that both of them are falling apart. In any case, I really need to get the next chapter of my fic done, so I'll focus on that first.
Deposited $167 in my bank accounts today, the money from the credit card fuck-up compliments of the Health Center. Fuck yes.
About games. There are a few I've been eyeballing. Okami. Shadow of the Colossus. Thoughts, anyone? Still looking forward to when Spore and World of Mana comes out. XOMG Secret of Mana sequel *flails*.
Things I Miss Already from Ithaca:
1. Friends.
2. The ability to communicate instantly with said friends.
3. Liquid soap.
4. The desk. Damn.
5. My tea.
6. My anime.
7. The view.
But it's not as bad as before. I'm glad for the break, and I'm looking forward to Christmas and to New Year's. And to getting a whole shitload of writing done.
