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glitch25So apparently my nesting instincts are kicking in. My desire to read is up again and I'm knocking back books left and right. All of these have been read in e-book form, and I'm thankful to the script hackers who have given me the ability to buy them, but convert them so I can read them on my linux machines.
At some point, I want to write a little something about my history with "reading" and how it's been an evolving hobby for me.
But for the moment, here are some thoughts on my latest reads.
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
Strangely enough, as much of a movie fan as I am, I missed hearing about the movie on this one. I had been browsing some food storage items on Amazon at work (oops!), and it lead to my current supervisor having a discussion about disaster preparedness, and he mentioned that after having seen the movie, he felt that much more compelled to do something about it.
I've seen enough movies that start as books to know how different the two can be, and since I hadn't been exposed to either, I opted to start with the book.
It is a tale of a man and his young son traveling the wastelands of a post-disaster United States in search of food, shelter, and friends.
I love post apocalyptic visions and fiction, and even for me, this book was a bit depressing up to and including the end. I really appreciated the realistic vision, and depending on what happens, I can see this being how things will be. And just from reading the book, yeah. I too am pulled towards working on my preparedness as well as learning how to hide it. :-)
As for the writing itself, the style was good. I found it easy to read and filled with appropriate detail and it kept me interested. However in terms of tone, if any of his other books are similar, particularly having seen a few movies first, I'm not so sure how excited I am to read the associated books. I'll have to pick something again of which I've never heard and see where that puts me.
Bullet - Laurell K Hamilton
I accept that I'm along for this roller coaster ride until it ends. LKH's characters and writing in the beginning got me hooked, but I recognize that the whole Anita Blake universe would have to be shaken to the core for there to be any meaningful improvement to the plot and the current direction this series has gone. It has gotten so bad that it is almost a game of figuring out "What Will The Orgy Scene Look Like" before you get to it in the book. Because there always is one. And at least for the last slew of books, it's always eye-roll inducing.
That said, I enjoy the general writing style, and I am never spared the imagery LKH tries to portray (sometimes I wish I was!) so I know there is potential there. I just wish it had taken a different path. I remember a time where the direction was a little more unexpected. The plot harder to unfold. Now, not so much.
Were it me, about the only thing I think could get things maybe moving in a worthwhile direction would be if somehow AB could survive the death of the rest of the Triumvirate, and dealing with the associated aftermath, and how that might affect/cause the death of her own triumvirate.
But even that probably wouldn't be enough to save this series. Sad, really.
Dexter 1 and 2 - Jeff Lindsay
We ended up on the Showtime's Dexter scene a little late. We had missed the first two seasons and got interested at the beginning of the 3rd, so we struggled to catch up and were caught up mid season 3 and enjoyed Season 4.
Along those lines, I had heard that Season 1 had followed the first book fairly faithfully, but that the show had departed thereafter on it's own. Liking the first season, I decided to test the suggestion and see if I'd stay interested in the books as well.
So far, I'm loving them just as much! If you haven't read the first book, it does mirror season 1 pretty well. There are differences (a few interesting ones at that if you follow the show), but the overall plot is the same. Things definitely take a few twists and turns in the subsequent books, and I much prefer the sinister end to Doakes in the book than the series.
I'm just now starting Book 3: Dexter in the Dark, and am anticipating enjoying it as much as I have the first two!
If you like the series, but want something that goes in a different direction, read them. You'll like them!
This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection - Carol Burnett
As a fan of certain reality TV shows, I appreciate the literary versions too; those being autobiographies of famous people I enjoy particularly when they include anecdotes from the time they spent on sets or involved with beloved shows/movies.
This book is a series of anecdotes about various points in Carol's life as she traveled through her experiences on stage, on tv, and in life. Having been brought up with Carol's show as a family favorite, I learned to love her at a young age, and have appreciated her work since, so it was fun to read about those times, and others.
Not all fun and laughs, but a really good insight into some of the going's on in the life of a favorite comedienne.
At some point, I want to write a little something about my history with "reading" and how it's been an evolving hobby for me.
But for the moment, here are some thoughts on my latest reads.
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
Strangely enough, as much of a movie fan as I am, I missed hearing about the movie on this one. I had been browsing some food storage items on Amazon at work (oops!), and it lead to my current supervisor having a discussion about disaster preparedness, and he mentioned that after having seen the movie, he felt that much more compelled to do something about it.
I've seen enough movies that start as books to know how different the two can be, and since I hadn't been exposed to either, I opted to start with the book.
It is a tale of a man and his young son traveling the wastelands of a post-disaster United States in search of food, shelter, and friends.
I love post apocalyptic visions and fiction, and even for me, this book was a bit depressing up to and including the end. I really appreciated the realistic vision, and depending on what happens, I can see this being how things will be. And just from reading the book, yeah. I too am pulled towards working on my preparedness as well as learning how to hide it. :-)
As for the writing itself, the style was good. I found it easy to read and filled with appropriate detail and it kept me interested. However in terms of tone, if any of his other books are similar, particularly having seen a few movies first, I'm not so sure how excited I am to read the associated books. I'll have to pick something again of which I've never heard and see where that puts me.
Bullet - Laurell K Hamilton
I accept that I'm along for this roller coaster ride until it ends. LKH's characters and writing in the beginning got me hooked, but I recognize that the whole Anita Blake universe would have to be shaken to the core for there to be any meaningful improvement to the plot and the current direction this series has gone. It has gotten so bad that it is almost a game of figuring out "What Will The Orgy Scene Look Like" before you get to it in the book. Because there always is one. And at least for the last slew of books, it's always eye-roll inducing.
That said, I enjoy the general writing style, and I am never spared the imagery LKH tries to portray (sometimes I wish I was!) so I know there is potential there. I just wish it had taken a different path. I remember a time where the direction was a little more unexpected. The plot harder to unfold. Now, not so much.
Were it me, about the only thing I think could get things maybe moving in a worthwhile direction would be if somehow AB could survive the death of the rest of the Triumvirate, and dealing with the associated aftermath, and how that might affect/cause the death of her own triumvirate.
But even that probably wouldn't be enough to save this series. Sad, really.
Dexter 1 and 2 - Jeff Lindsay
We ended up on the Showtime's Dexter scene a little late. We had missed the first two seasons and got interested at the beginning of the 3rd, so we struggled to catch up and were caught up mid season 3 and enjoyed Season 4.
Along those lines, I had heard that Season 1 had followed the first book fairly faithfully, but that the show had departed thereafter on it's own. Liking the first season, I decided to test the suggestion and see if I'd stay interested in the books as well.
So far, I'm loving them just as much! If you haven't read the first book, it does mirror season 1 pretty well. There are differences (a few interesting ones at that if you follow the show), but the overall plot is the same. Things definitely take a few twists and turns in the subsequent books, and I much prefer the sinister end to Doakes in the book than the series.
I'm just now starting Book 3: Dexter in the Dark, and am anticipating enjoying it as much as I have the first two!
If you like the series, but want something that goes in a different direction, read them. You'll like them!
This Time Together: Laughter and Reflection - Carol Burnett
As a fan of certain reality TV shows, I appreciate the literary versions too; those being autobiographies of famous people I enjoy particularly when they include anecdotes from the time they spent on sets or involved with beloved shows/movies.
This book is a series of anecdotes about various points in Carol's life as she traveled through her experiences on stage, on tv, and in life. Having been brought up with Carol's show as a family favorite, I learned to love her at a young age, and have appreciated her work since, so it was fun to read about those times, and others.
Not all fun and laughs, but a really good insight into some of the going's on in the life of a favorite comedienne.