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Wed Reading Meme...
Jul. 2nd, 2014 08:41 pm1. What you just finished reading?
Eh. nothing. Although, I've just about given up on Lord of Light by Roger Zelzany. For a couple of reasons: 1) too distracted, just don't have the head space for it right now - and it is a book that requires a bit of concentration. 2) it's a guy book - and a lot The Skin Game, which was more entertaining. Actually the two writers more or less tell the same tale - the trickster hero's journey. But women really don't have much role in it. And I'm in a frame of mind right now for women's stories - I crave them. I want the heroine's journey. I'm frakking tired of the hero's, trickster or otherwise, which has gotten a bit old hat. Gee, I wonder why. Let me think.
2. What I'm reading Now?
Shadow Lover by Anne Stuart - which is a gothic romance, although more gothic than romance, and not all that great. But it requires little concentration and is a quick read.
What is it about?
Alexander MacDowel, who disappeared 18 years ago, returns to his family home in Vermont just in time to see his dying mother, Sally. And then there is Carolyn Smith, Sally's foster daughter, who was treated more like an impoverished relative/live in servant than daughter and Alex relentless teased and tormented as a child. She was thirteen when he left, at the age of 17. Except here's the thing, Caroline witnessed Alex's murder 18 years ago. Shot in the back, and left to die on a beach. So who is this stranger? Is he Alex returned from the grave or a con artist - come to grab Alex's inheritance? He knows far too much about her, about Alex, and about the family...to be a stranger. Some things that only Alex could possibly know.
The story is told in Alex's pov and Carolyn's. Although it feels more like Carolyn's story than Alex's. This jumping back and forth between he thought, she thought - is a style I like but isn't always a great idea in gothic mysteries. The writer gives away too much, because - how do you hide a character's identity when you are in his point of view? You can't. That said, the writer does keep you guessing for a bit, but not that long. It's fun. Not all that taxing. And I haven't found anything offensive or triggery in it to warn you about. Although admittedly very little in books bothers me, as you well know. Rape scenes in books don't tend to bother me. In tv shows and movies - yes, books no. Same with murder, torture, etc. I think it's because I don't tend to visualize them quite the same way. I sense them, but don't visualize them.
I've come to the conclusion that we will never really understand why one person loves or hates a book. Mainly because we can't quite visualize how they read. We assume they read the same way we do - but no. I don't see necessarily see pictures as I read, yet I do. It's hard to articulate or explain. Sort of like a dream? (shrugs) Doesn't matter.
3) What you will be reading next?
Magic Breaks, when it eventually is released. Or I might try Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon, although I'm admittedly on the fence. It's long. The book is huge. And I don't like her writing style all that much, nor am I into the Arthurian legends being retold from a female perspective. (My favorite characters were Merlin and Arthur, I didn't like anyone else.) And, as you know, I tend to be more character focused than thematically focused. MZB had a bit of an agenda with Mists of Avalon - it's a feminist text. Which is ironic, considering the allegations against her that were printed in various media outlets. So with both the allegations, the hubbub regarding them, and the rest - I'm wondering if I should bother with it. On the other hand, the allegations have admittedly made me curious about it - want to see what all fuss is about. And I'm not a sheep or a lemming, when everyone else goes right, I tend to go left just to be ornery. It gets me in trouble a lot. I did, however, manage to return MD's copy to her, since I unearthed my own underneath my bed.
Mists came out in 1983, and was the hot book in college. All my girl-friends were reading it. I kept trying and not getting very far. Bewildered and befuddled by their praise and adoration of a text that I found to be plodding and preachy and sort of silly. Rituals in novels don't do a lot for me. People assumed I'd love it - since I'm a huge fan of metaphor, mythology, and cultural anthropology. Heck, co-worker assumed I'd love Lord of Light for the same reasons. The two novels remind me of each other actually. Mists is sort of the feminist take on Lord of Light. So maybe my problem with Lord of Light is the same one I had with Mists? Too much bloody explaining and not enough story. Also, I'm not a fan of battles. They bore me.
Or I'll try Unveiled by Courtney Milan. Don't know. Never really do. I read things based on mood. My heart is guiding my reading material not my head.
Eh. nothing. Although, I've just about given up on Lord of Light by Roger Zelzany. For a couple of reasons: 1) too distracted, just don't have the head space for it right now - and it is a book that requires a bit of concentration. 2) it's a guy book - and a lot The Skin Game, which was more entertaining. Actually the two writers more or less tell the same tale - the trickster hero's journey. But women really don't have much role in it. And I'm in a frame of mind right now for women's stories - I crave them. I want the heroine's journey. I'm frakking tired of the hero's, trickster or otherwise, which has gotten a bit old hat. Gee, I wonder why. Let me think.
2. What I'm reading Now?
Shadow Lover by Anne Stuart - which is a gothic romance, although more gothic than romance, and not all that great. But it requires little concentration and is a quick read.
What is it about?
Alexander MacDowel, who disappeared 18 years ago, returns to his family home in Vermont just in time to see his dying mother, Sally. And then there is Carolyn Smith, Sally's foster daughter, who was treated more like an impoverished relative/live in servant than daughter and Alex relentless teased and tormented as a child. She was thirteen when he left, at the age of 17. Except here's the thing, Caroline witnessed Alex's murder 18 years ago. Shot in the back, and left to die on a beach. So who is this stranger? Is he Alex returned from the grave or a con artist - come to grab Alex's inheritance? He knows far too much about her, about Alex, and about the family...to be a stranger. Some things that only Alex could possibly know.
The story is told in Alex's pov and Carolyn's. Although it feels more like Carolyn's story than Alex's. This jumping back and forth between he thought, she thought - is a style I like but isn't always a great idea in gothic mysteries. The writer gives away too much, because - how do you hide a character's identity when you are in his point of view? You can't. That said, the writer does keep you guessing for a bit, but not that long. It's fun. Not all that taxing. And I haven't found anything offensive or triggery in it to warn you about. Although admittedly very little in books bothers me, as you well know. Rape scenes in books don't tend to bother me. In tv shows and movies - yes, books no. Same with murder, torture, etc. I think it's because I don't tend to visualize them quite the same way. I sense them, but don't visualize them.
I've come to the conclusion that we will never really understand why one person loves or hates a book. Mainly because we can't quite visualize how they read. We assume they read the same way we do - but no. I don't see necessarily see pictures as I read, yet I do. It's hard to articulate or explain. Sort of like a dream? (shrugs) Doesn't matter.
3) What you will be reading next?
Magic Breaks, when it eventually is released. Or I might try Marion Zimmer Bradley's Mists of Avalon, although I'm admittedly on the fence. It's long. The book is huge. And I don't like her writing style all that much, nor am I into the Arthurian legends being retold from a female perspective. (My favorite characters were Merlin and Arthur, I didn't like anyone else.) And, as you know, I tend to be more character focused than thematically focused. MZB had a bit of an agenda with Mists of Avalon - it's a feminist text. Which is ironic, considering the allegations against her that were printed in various media outlets. So with both the allegations, the hubbub regarding them, and the rest - I'm wondering if I should bother with it. On the other hand, the allegations have admittedly made me curious about it - want to see what all fuss is about. And I'm not a sheep or a lemming, when everyone else goes right, I tend to go left just to be ornery. It gets me in trouble a lot. I did, however, manage to return MD's copy to her, since I unearthed my own underneath my bed.
Mists came out in 1983, and was the hot book in college. All my girl-friends were reading it. I kept trying and not getting very far. Bewildered and befuddled by their praise and adoration of a text that I found to be plodding and preachy and sort of silly. Rituals in novels don't do a lot for me. People assumed I'd love it - since I'm a huge fan of metaphor, mythology, and cultural anthropology. Heck, co-worker assumed I'd love Lord of Light for the same reasons. The two novels remind me of each other actually. Mists is sort of the feminist take on Lord of Light. So maybe my problem with Lord of Light is the same one I had with Mists? Too much bloody explaining and not enough story. Also, I'm not a fan of battles. They bore me.
Or I'll try Unveiled by Courtney Milan. Don't know. Never really do. I read things based on mood. My heart is guiding my reading material not my head.