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Wed Reading Meme...
Apr. 30th, 2014 06:46 pmApparently Anne Rice is still waging war against negative book reviewers on Amazon and Good Reads. Seriously.
She really needs to take a page out of Neil Gaiman and GRR Martin's books and learn not to read the reviews of her books on the internet.
I learned ages ago, while playing the Great Goblin in a Children's Theater production of The Hobbit (I was 12 and 5'10, inches from 6 foot), not to read reviews. There was a horrible one about my performance in the production in the Kansas City Star. I was understandably upset over it. (Hello, 12!) And the professional actor playing Gandalf provided some sage advice. (Apparently he was well cast). He told me never to read reviews. He avoided them. If they are rave reviews - you get cocky and it hurts your product, and if they are negative reviews - you get self-conscious and it hurts your product. Plus, when it comes to cultural works of art (theater, books, tv shows, movies, etc), all reviews tend to be subjective. I've never forgotten it. Hey, it came from Gandalf!
Speaking of reviews?
1. What did you just finish reading?
Gunmetal Magic by Illona Andrews - this is yet another novel in the Kate Daniels series, except it focuses on her best friend Andrea Nash, a werehyena, who is also beastkin (ie. her father was hyenawere - in that he was a hyena that turned into a human through the Lyc-V virus. How he found his way to Texas and the Southern US, I've no clue. Maybe he was in a zoo?)
It's a fun book, which continues to explore the relationship between mythology and belief, and storytelling. The world-building in this series is rather good and quite innovative. And the hero, Raphael, is a bit different than the other books - he's not as strong as the heroine.
The mythos in this one is Egyptian. With a touch of Russian. Worth a read and not that expensive on the Kindle.
2.) What are you reading now?
Magic Gifts by Illona Andrews - a novella, which came with Gunmetal Magic. It focuses on what Kate Daniels was doing during Gunmetal Magic and is sort of a parallel story. Features Kate and her hubby/mate/companion/significant other, Curran, the Beast Lord of the Shapeshifters. The writers have a sense of humor.
This story is quite funny places.
The mythology is Norse mythology. Focus on draugh's and dvergues. The writers have clearly extensive research, more than most.
And they have an unique and highly amusing take on Vampires and necromancy, which I have not seen done anywhere else.
3.) What will you be reading next?
Magic Rises by Illona Andrews - the sixth and last published book in the series, until Magic Breaks comes out in July. Between then, will most likely grab the latest Dresden. The folks on Amazon and Good Reads are upset with the cost of Magic Breaks - which is $10.99 for Kindle. That's not bad. Dresden's latest will by 14.99 and Kim Harrison's was 14.99.
This is why I hate series - you get addicted and feel compelled to buy all of them.
[And yes, I know, I could be smart andrent check them out from the library, but I don't wanna.]
I went from binge reading romance novels to binge reading urban fantasy with some romance involved. Mainly it's the mythology and humor that is holding my interest.
Work was abymssal, less said about it the better. Suffice it to say, there's a reason I'm loving violently humorous urban fantasy novels on my commute.
It's pouring outside. Been pouring all day. Cold rain. And lots of it. I wandered down the block at work, came to the intersection right before my train station, looked at the gigantic puddle. It looked back at me. I turned around and walked down the steps of the subway and crossed underneath the street, then took the escalator up on the other side. Tonight curling up in warm apartment with a book and tv. All that's missing is a cat and a fire. Can't have either (allergic to cats and don't have a fireplace), so will pretend they are there and make do.
She really needs to take a page out of Neil Gaiman and GRR Martin's books and learn not to read the reviews of her books on the internet.
I learned ages ago, while playing the Great Goblin in a Children's Theater production of The Hobbit (I was 12 and 5'10, inches from 6 foot), not to read reviews. There was a horrible one about my performance in the production in the Kansas City Star. I was understandably upset over it. (Hello, 12!) And the professional actor playing Gandalf provided some sage advice. (Apparently he was well cast). He told me never to read reviews. He avoided them. If they are rave reviews - you get cocky and it hurts your product, and if they are negative reviews - you get self-conscious and it hurts your product. Plus, when it comes to cultural works of art (theater, books, tv shows, movies, etc), all reviews tend to be subjective. I've never forgotten it. Hey, it came from Gandalf!
Speaking of reviews?
1. What did you just finish reading?
Gunmetal Magic by Illona Andrews - this is yet another novel in the Kate Daniels series, except it focuses on her best friend Andrea Nash, a werehyena, who is also beastkin (ie. her father was hyenawere - in that he was a hyena that turned into a human through the Lyc-V virus. How he found his way to Texas and the Southern US, I've no clue. Maybe he was in a zoo?)
It's a fun book, which continues to explore the relationship between mythology and belief, and storytelling. The world-building in this series is rather good and quite innovative. And the hero, Raphael, is a bit different than the other books - he's not as strong as the heroine.
The mythos in this one is Egyptian. With a touch of Russian. Worth a read and not that expensive on the Kindle.
2.) What are you reading now?
Magic Gifts by Illona Andrews - a novella, which came with Gunmetal Magic. It focuses on what Kate Daniels was doing during Gunmetal Magic and is sort of a parallel story. Features Kate and her hubby/mate/companion/significant other, Curran, the Beast Lord of the Shapeshifters. The writers have a sense of humor.
This story is quite funny places.
The mythology is Norse mythology. Focus on draugh's and dvergues. The writers have clearly extensive research, more than most.
And they have an unique and highly amusing take on Vampires and necromancy, which I have not seen done anywhere else.
3.) What will you be reading next?
Magic Rises by Illona Andrews - the sixth and last published book in the series, until Magic Breaks comes out in July. Between then, will most likely grab the latest Dresden. The folks on Amazon and Good Reads are upset with the cost of Magic Breaks - which is $10.99 for Kindle. That's not bad. Dresden's latest will by 14.99 and Kim Harrison's was 14.99.
This is why I hate series - you get addicted and feel compelled to buy all of them.
[And yes, I know, I could be smart and
I went from binge reading romance novels to binge reading urban fantasy with some romance involved. Mainly it's the mythology and humor that is holding my interest.
Work was abymssal, less said about it the better. Suffice it to say, there's a reason I'm loving violently humorous urban fantasy novels on my commute.
It's pouring outside. Been pouring all day. Cold rain. And lots of it. I wandered down the block at work, came to the intersection right before my train station, looked at the gigantic puddle. It looked back at me. I turned around and walked down the steps of the subway and crossed underneath the street, then took the escalator up on the other side. Tonight curling up in warm apartment with a book and tv. All that's missing is a cat and a fire. Can't have either (allergic to cats and don't have a fireplace), so will pretend they are there and make do.