Reading meme and other things...
Nov. 25th, 2017 10:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkat1. Good news the acid reflux and heartburn appear to have retreated, bad news, I have had a scratchy throat all day, and am wondering if I'm developing a cold or allergies.
Drinking tea.
2. Longmire S6 is better than S5, which went quite dark in tone, and made me wonder if the writers intended to turn the lead into an anti-hero. Also the leads, all of them, were horribly and rather violently tortured throughout the season. I found it scarier than Stranger Things. The very last episode of the season had my favorite character staked out in the middle of the desert and left for dead.
But S6 is resolving some of that, and is a bit lighter in tone. Not overly so, but in comparison to S6.
The series is about a sheriff in Wyoming, near the Crow and Cheyenne reservations. His best friend is an "Indian" (aka Native American) -- they still call them Indians in Wyoming. (It's all Columbus's fault, the Europeans came here, thought they were India but they were geographically challenged and none too bright, and called the natives "Indians". The term is not flattering to the Europeans who invaded the Americas for their own greedy reasons. Actually American history isn't flattering to Europeans. Sorry, it's not.)
Anyhow, this is a modern Western, there's a lot of Native American religious themes and politics. And it reminds me at times of Tony Hillerman's mysteries. They are based on a series of mystery novels, which I'm told are very different from the series.
MD talked me into trying it, well, MD and my parents, who are hooked on it.
3. Finished True Pretenses by Rose Lerner -- it's a distinctive historical romance in how it subverts or goes against various conventions yet remains within the guidelines. The writing style is reminiscent of Georgette Heyer, and I believe it takes place during the Regency era, but honestly I can't tell.
It does drag a bit in places though. Although overall, better than most, and innovative in that the hero is a Jewish Swindler and not an English Lord. And the heroine sort of makes a deal with him to get her money. Deals with politics a bit, but it's more background. Heavy themes are economic disparity, classicism, anti-semitism, and a little on LGBTQ. (The heroine's brother is gay and in the closet -- because honestly you'd have to be at that time.)
The British don't tend to come out well in these books. Making me wonder what the British think of the Americans writing them. Also how realistic the fictionalized settings are, or the history. Although this one feels well-researched and rather accurate, even if I can't quite place the time period. (I'm usually skeptical -- romance novels aren't known for their historical or cultural accuracy. Actually none of the genres are -- it's one of the big critiques of genre.) Americans have a love/hate relationship with their British and European forebears sort of like kids irritated at their parents.
Started reading Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber -- who apparently was in the Buffy fandom at one point. I can tell because at one point in the book she replicates a crime blog with comments, and one of the commentators is "spuffyshipper". (I'm guessing she wasn't a spuffy shipper, because the commentator comes across as a nitwit in the book.) It leaped off the page at me and smacked me on the nose. (People? You need to be careful about that in books. Yes, it makes it more real. But you don't know who is picking up the book. OTOH, does it matter? I don't know. I had an epithany of sorts recently -- in that I was nicer before I came online. Somehow the combination of the events that brought me into the Buffy fandom and what occurred afterwards...along with being online under the name shadowkat...brought out a snarky somewhat dry bitter wit, that while funny at times, can be unintentionally biting and critical at others. Mostly it's harmless and directed at myself...but even then, hardly helpful. I was angry and the internet stoked that anger into a burning rage. Now, I'm working to change it. Ranting on the net is not good for you, no matter what you might think. Nor is complaining about things you have no control over. Sometimes it's better not to say or write what you think, no matter how witty it is inside your head.)
The book is a suspense thriller mystery novel about ...eh, I'm going to cheat and put the description from Good Reads...
It's engrossing in its own way. I'm rather curious about the twin sisters, and sibling relationships is a big time story kink for me. But there are different bits and pieces that yank me out of the novel. Outside of the "spuffyshipper" bit which is relatively harmless. For example? They state that the bullet that killed the protagonist's father and was found in the wall didn't have the DNA and/or fingerprints of the guy convicted of the crime. Of course it wouldn't have the DNA or fingerprints. It wouldn't have it if hadn't gone through the victim first and was contaminated with their DNA. I mean honestly, let's think about that logically. DNA is a delicate substance and can easily be contaminated. That's why they tell people not to contaminate crime scenes. I can tell the writer knows nothing about criminal law or procedure. (She's a bankruptcy attorney. I worked briefly with criminal law, and spent time talking to fingerprint and DNA experts. Had a long conversation with one when I was robbed.) Another instance? The accused's fingerprints are found all over the house and upstairs. That places him at the crime. But there's no way he could have been upstairs at that time. He did however rob the home several nights before the murder takes place. Or so he says. That explains the fingerprints. (Seriously? His fingerprints would have been smeared or long gone by then. The only way they could have remained is if the house was covered with dust, never cleaned, and no one entered it after he robbed it. Which was not the case.) Took me out of the book. I tend to be fairly lenient for the most part...but there are certain things that irritate me.
Also, I feel like I've seen or read it before...there's a formulaic feel to the story and plot structure that is bugging me. Nice use of technology, blogging and a decent commentary on the dangerously exploitive nature of blog and pod-cast journalism and social media. That part I'm enjoying and is clearly a heavy theme in the novel and the writer knows a lot about it. That's what she's familiar with, not the rest. But, it feels a bit preachy in places and a tad one-sided. Also maybe I've read too much fanfic -- but there's a cliche aspect to it. That may change, I don't know yet.
At the same time, it is rather compelling and while I think I've already figured out the mystery and plot, I'm curious to see if I'm right.
That said? So far the only character I like is Caleb. I want to smack the female characters upside the head.
So we shall see. But so far True Pretenses was better written and more thoroughly researched. Nothing in that novel kicked me out of the story. Oddly, Historical romance novels I've found to be better written than a lot of the best-selling suspense thrillers and contemporary romances -- and more realistic. It's weird. You'd think it would be the opposite. But the contemporary writers are a tad lazy when it comes to research and assume they know stuff about certain things. They don't. Particularly in regards to criminal and police procedure. Not to mention various occupations such as journalism, marketing, finance, and running a business.
I'm in a bit of a reading slump. Nothing I've read has surprised or blown me away of late. But then it may well be what I'm reading ...which are cheap books on Kindle. Or my mood. This one was on sale for $1.99. (It's not self-published, it was published by Simon and Schuster. They need better editors.)
Drinking tea.
2. Longmire S6 is better than S5, which went quite dark in tone, and made me wonder if the writers intended to turn the lead into an anti-hero. Also the leads, all of them, were horribly and rather violently tortured throughout the season. I found it scarier than Stranger Things. The very last episode of the season had my favorite character staked out in the middle of the desert and left for dead.
But S6 is resolving some of that, and is a bit lighter in tone. Not overly so, but in comparison to S6.
The series is about a sheriff in Wyoming, near the Crow and Cheyenne reservations. His best friend is an "Indian" (aka Native American) -- they still call them Indians in Wyoming. (It's all Columbus's fault, the Europeans came here, thought they were India but they were geographically challenged and none too bright, and called the natives "Indians". The term is not flattering to the Europeans who invaded the Americas for their own greedy reasons. Actually American history isn't flattering to Europeans. Sorry, it's not.)
Anyhow, this is a modern Western, there's a lot of Native American religious themes and politics. And it reminds me at times of Tony Hillerman's mysteries. They are based on a series of mystery novels, which I'm told are very different from the series.
MD talked me into trying it, well, MD and my parents, who are hooked on it.
3. Finished True Pretenses by Rose Lerner -- it's a distinctive historical romance in how it subverts or goes against various conventions yet remains within the guidelines. The writing style is reminiscent of Georgette Heyer, and I believe it takes place during the Regency era, but honestly I can't tell.
It does drag a bit in places though. Although overall, better than most, and innovative in that the hero is a Jewish Swindler and not an English Lord. And the heroine sort of makes a deal with him to get her money. Deals with politics a bit, but it's more background. Heavy themes are economic disparity, classicism, anti-semitism, and a little on LGBTQ. (The heroine's brother is gay and in the closet -- because honestly you'd have to be at that time.)
The British don't tend to come out well in these books. Making me wonder what the British think of the Americans writing them. Also how realistic the fictionalized settings are, or the history. Although this one feels well-researched and rather accurate, even if I can't quite place the time period. (I'm usually skeptical -- romance novels aren't known for their historical or cultural accuracy. Actually none of the genres are -- it's one of the big critiques of genre.) Americans have a love/hate relationship with their British and European forebears sort of like kids irritated at their parents.
Started reading Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber -- who apparently was in the Buffy fandom at one point. I can tell because at one point in the book she replicates a crime blog with comments, and one of the commentators is "spuffyshipper". (I'm guessing she wasn't a spuffy shipper, because the commentator comes across as a nitwit in the book.) It leaped off the page at me and smacked me on the nose. (People? You need to be careful about that in books. Yes, it makes it more real. But you don't know who is picking up the book. OTOH, does it matter? I don't know. I had an epithany of sorts recently -- in that I was nicer before I came online. Somehow the combination of the events that brought me into the Buffy fandom and what occurred afterwards...along with being online under the name shadowkat...brought out a snarky somewhat dry bitter wit, that while funny at times, can be unintentionally biting and critical at others. Mostly it's harmless and directed at myself...but even then, hardly helpful. I was angry and the internet stoked that anger into a burning rage. Now, I'm working to change it. Ranting on the net is not good for you, no matter what you might think. Nor is complaining about things you have no control over. Sometimes it's better not to say or write what you think, no matter how witty it is inside your head.)
The book is a suspense thriller mystery novel about ...eh, I'm going to cheat and put the description from Good Reads...
Josie Buhrman has spent the last ten years trying to escape her family’s reputation and with good reason. After her father's murder thirteen years prior, her mother ran away to join a cult and her twin sister Lanie, once Josie’s closest friend and confidant, betrayed her in an unimaginable way. Now, Josie has finally put down roots in New York, settling into domestic life with her partner Caleb, and that’s where she intends to stay.
The only problem is that she has lied to Caleb about every detail of her past—starting with her last name.
When investigative reporter Poppy Parnell sets off a media firestorm with a mega-hit podcast that reopens the long-closed case of Josie’s father’s murder, Josie’s world begins to unravel. Meanwhile, the unexpected death of Josie’s long-absent mother forces her to return to her Midwestern hometown where she must confront the demons from her past—and the lies on which she has staked her future.
It's engrossing in its own way. I'm rather curious about the twin sisters, and sibling relationships is a big time story kink for me. But there are different bits and pieces that yank me out of the novel. Outside of the "spuffyshipper" bit which is relatively harmless. For example? They state that the bullet that killed the protagonist's father and was found in the wall didn't have the DNA and/or fingerprints of the guy convicted of the crime. Of course it wouldn't have the DNA or fingerprints. It wouldn't have it if hadn't gone through the victim first and was contaminated with their DNA. I mean honestly, let's think about that logically. DNA is a delicate substance and can easily be contaminated. That's why they tell people not to contaminate crime scenes. I can tell the writer knows nothing about criminal law or procedure. (She's a bankruptcy attorney. I worked briefly with criminal law, and spent time talking to fingerprint and DNA experts. Had a long conversation with one when I was robbed.) Another instance? The accused's fingerprints are found all over the house and upstairs. That places him at the crime. But there's no way he could have been upstairs at that time. He did however rob the home several nights before the murder takes place. Or so he says. That explains the fingerprints. (Seriously? His fingerprints would have been smeared or long gone by then. The only way they could have remained is if the house was covered with dust, never cleaned, and no one entered it after he robbed it. Which was not the case.) Took me out of the book. I tend to be fairly lenient for the most part...but there are certain things that irritate me.
Also, I feel like I've seen or read it before...there's a formulaic feel to the story and plot structure that is bugging me. Nice use of technology, blogging and a decent commentary on the dangerously exploitive nature of blog and pod-cast journalism and social media. That part I'm enjoying and is clearly a heavy theme in the novel and the writer knows a lot about it. That's what she's familiar with, not the rest. But, it feels a bit preachy in places and a tad one-sided. Also maybe I've read too much fanfic -- but there's a cliche aspect to it. That may change, I don't know yet.
At the same time, it is rather compelling and while I think I've already figured out the mystery and plot, I'm curious to see if I'm right.
That said? So far the only character I like is Caleb. I want to smack the female characters upside the head.
So we shall see. But so far True Pretenses was better written and more thoroughly researched. Nothing in that novel kicked me out of the story. Oddly, Historical romance novels I've found to be better written than a lot of the best-selling suspense thrillers and contemporary romances -- and more realistic. It's weird. You'd think it would be the opposite. But the contemporary writers are a tad lazy when it comes to research and assume they know stuff about certain things. They don't. Particularly in regards to criminal and police procedure. Not to mention various occupations such as journalism, marketing, finance, and running a business.
I'm in a bit of a reading slump. Nothing I've read has surprised or blown me away of late. But then it may well be what I'm reading ...which are cheap books on Kindle. Or my mood. This one was on sale for $1.99. (It's not self-published, it was published by Simon and Schuster. They need better editors.)