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Wed Reading Meme...
Aug. 13th, 2014 08:51 pmTelevision is not holding my attention this summer for some reason. Probably have other things on the mind. I did try Manhattan - didn't make it past the first 20 minutes. Also tried the Divide, got bored during the second episode. I don't think it is the tv shows, I think it is me - I'm just not in the mood to watch them. Too many other things distracting me.
1. What I just finished reading?
Magic Breaks by Illona Andrews. You can read my review here .
The gist? I loved it. But I honestly don't know if anyone else would. It's frigging hard to rec books to other people, isn't it?
2. What I'm reading now?
76% of the way through The Hidden Blade by Sherry Thomas - which is a young adult/coming of age tale that takes place in the late 1800s. It's in England and Peking, China. The writer's native language is Chinese, and the bits in China are well written and vivid. She's also no slouch when it comes to England. Although I think her Chinese characters are a bit more multifaceted, which is a nice change of pace actually, it's usually the opposite.
There's a lot of nice flips or role reversals in this novel. For one thing, the writer depicts a loving romantic relationship between two men, which is cruelly split apart by a holier than thou sort who uses religion as a weapon. It's realistic for that time period - homosexuality was not tolerated in 19th Century England. However, the Chinese had no problems with it. Culturally the Chinese were fine with homosexuality. Yet women in China were more restricted than women in England. The book explores the sociological/cultural differences between the two countries during the 1880s in some depth.
Another role reversal is that the female character is learning to become a martial artist, and how to kill. While the male character is cooped up, learns how to speak various languages, letters, and becomes a traveling companion to two elderly ladies.
Normally, in these sorts of novels it's the exact opposite - with the boy learning to become the martial artist or fighter, and the girl learning languages and traveling with the elderly ladies. Yet, it is realistically done and fits the time period.
I wouldn't say the book is beautifully written or literary, but it is engaging and I'm enjoying it.
3. What I'm Reading Next?
The sequel to The Hidden Blade, which is My Beautiful Enemy by Sherry Thomas. The sequel is a romantic adventure novel.
I like Thomas, she's a bit subversive and reverses various romantic tropes, exploring them from another angle.
1. What I just finished reading?
Magic Breaks by Illona Andrews. You can read my review here .
The gist? I loved it. But I honestly don't know if anyone else would. It's frigging hard to rec books to other people, isn't it?
2. What I'm reading now?
76% of the way through The Hidden Blade by Sherry Thomas - which is a young adult/coming of age tale that takes place in the late 1800s. It's in England and Peking, China. The writer's native language is Chinese, and the bits in China are well written and vivid. She's also no slouch when it comes to England. Although I think her Chinese characters are a bit more multifaceted, which is a nice change of pace actually, it's usually the opposite.
There's a lot of nice flips or role reversals in this novel. For one thing, the writer depicts a loving romantic relationship between two men, which is cruelly split apart by a holier than thou sort who uses religion as a weapon. It's realistic for that time period - homosexuality was not tolerated in 19th Century England. However, the Chinese had no problems with it. Culturally the Chinese were fine with homosexuality. Yet women in China were more restricted than women in England. The book explores the sociological/cultural differences between the two countries during the 1880s in some depth.
Another role reversal is that the female character is learning to become a martial artist, and how to kill. While the male character is cooped up, learns how to speak various languages, letters, and becomes a traveling companion to two elderly ladies.
Normally, in these sorts of novels it's the exact opposite - with the boy learning to become the martial artist or fighter, and the girl learning languages and traveling with the elderly ladies. Yet, it is realistically done and fits the time period.
I wouldn't say the book is beautifully written or literary, but it is engaging and I'm enjoying it.
3. What I'm Reading Next?
The sequel to The Hidden Blade, which is My Beautiful Enemy by Sherry Thomas. The sequel is a romantic adventure novel.
I like Thomas, she's a bit subversive and reverses various romantic tropes, exploring them from another angle.