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Wed Reading Meme
May. 31st, 2017 08:33 pm1. What I just finished reading?
The drakon trilogy by Shannon Abe, which included "The Smoke Thief", "The Dream Thief", and "The Queen of Dragons".
While she's good at witty dialogue, the writer sucks at plotting and structure. And while I adored "The Smoke Thief", the later two books don't quite work, in part because for some reason or other she feels this need to write a first person expository perspective that pops up intermittently in book. For example, first chapter (hero's pov), second chapter (heroine's pov), third chapter - brother's pov, fourth chapter -- some weird omniscient party commenting on everything in first person perspective. I thought it was the heroine for a bit, but then I realized it couldn't be, so I've really no idea. While certainly ambitious, it was mainly jarring and disruptive of the action, also added nothing to the story. I skimmed after a while.
The last book in the trilogy, Queen of Dragons, irritated me. There's a plot about the hero's brother (Rhys) and a little girl (Honor) being taken, and his sister (Lia) and her husband (Zane) (from the last novel) infiltrating the sanf ( the drakon hunter sect) in order to protect and save the sister's family of drakon. Also, the hero/heroine (Kit/Rue) from the first book have mysteriously disappeared without a trace -- to find the hero/heroine (Zane/Lia) from the second book. But...this plot sort of takes place off-page. And every once and awhile pops up. Also, there's subplot about the brother who was taken by the drakon hunters, Rhys, being in love with the heroine as well -- but this dropped when he's kidnapped. The heroine, Mari, finds him, but loses him when she's taken by the hunters, one of which is the hero from the previous book, Zane. Zane uses the Dramur or dreaming diamond to keep her from turning into a drakon. He's trying to keep everyone safe as a double-agent. But can't keep the sanf from torturing her. Before they do, she's rescued in dramatic fashion by the hero, Kimber. Kimber and Mari go back to Kimber's house, he recuperates, they swear their love for each other. The end.
And I'm thinking...okay, but what about Rhys, Zane, his wife, the missing girl Honor, the missing Marquess and Marchioness (the hero/heroine from the Smoke Thief).
Confused? Yeah, so was I. The damn book gave me a headache.
Like I said, bad plotting.
Also read a review in The Economist on a new book that I'd been flirting with by David Goodhart entitled The Road to Somewhere: The Populist Revolt and the Future of Politics is published by C Hurst & Co.
And realized, I sort of agree with the reviewer, although I admittedly have not read the book. But mainly I don't think I agree with either on the depiction of the divide or I find myself heavily questioning it - which would pose problems in reading the book. It could just piss me off. And I'm trying to avoid things that piss me off. (grins)
And of course, now the silly Economist won't let me access it again without subscribing so, I had to go to the Guardian and read its review. Which sort of agreed with the Economist, interestingly enough and I found myself agreeing with. (I like The Economist slightly better, because it's less emotionally charged, and more objective in its analysis, at least for the most part. But the Guardian is cheaper and easier to access, so there's that.)
He argues that the key faultline in Britain and elsewhere now separates those who come from Somewhere – rooted in a specific place or community, usually a small town or in the countryside, socially conservative, often less educated – and those who could come from Anywhere: footloose, often urban, socially liberal and university educated. He cites polling evidence to show that Somewheres make up roughly half the population, with Anywheres accounting for 20% to 25% and the rest classified as “Inbetweeners”.
I don't agree with this categorization. Too many generalizations. Although it may work in Britain, (or not according to the Guardian) it doesn't quite work here.
Let me try to explain.
( Read more... )
2. What I'm reading now?
Eh, a bunch of stuff.
* Let's Develop! by Fred Neuman -- basically a primer on social group psychology and emotional/creative developmental psychology
*White Hot by Illona Andrews
* Joss Whedon's Wonder Woman Script -- which I'm going to try to access on my ipad via email download.
And whatever else...catches my eye.
The drakon trilogy by Shannon Abe, which included "The Smoke Thief", "The Dream Thief", and "The Queen of Dragons".
While she's good at witty dialogue, the writer sucks at plotting and structure. And while I adored "The Smoke Thief", the later two books don't quite work, in part because for some reason or other she feels this need to write a first person expository perspective that pops up intermittently in book. For example, first chapter (hero's pov), second chapter (heroine's pov), third chapter - brother's pov, fourth chapter -- some weird omniscient party commenting on everything in first person perspective. I thought it was the heroine for a bit, but then I realized it couldn't be, so I've really no idea. While certainly ambitious, it was mainly jarring and disruptive of the action, also added nothing to the story. I skimmed after a while.
The last book in the trilogy, Queen of Dragons, irritated me. There's a plot about the hero's brother (Rhys) and a little girl (Honor) being taken, and his sister (Lia) and her husband (Zane) (from the last novel) infiltrating the sanf ( the drakon hunter sect) in order to protect and save the sister's family of drakon. Also, the hero/heroine (Kit/Rue) from the first book have mysteriously disappeared without a trace -- to find the hero/heroine (Zane/Lia) from the second book. But...this plot sort of takes place off-page. And every once and awhile pops up. Also, there's subplot about the brother who was taken by the drakon hunters, Rhys, being in love with the heroine as well -- but this dropped when he's kidnapped. The heroine, Mari, finds him, but loses him when she's taken by the hunters, one of which is the hero from the previous book, Zane. Zane uses the Dramur or dreaming diamond to keep her from turning into a drakon. He's trying to keep everyone safe as a double-agent. But can't keep the sanf from torturing her. Before they do, she's rescued in dramatic fashion by the hero, Kimber. Kimber and Mari go back to Kimber's house, he recuperates, they swear their love for each other. The end.
And I'm thinking...okay, but what about Rhys, Zane, his wife, the missing girl Honor, the missing Marquess and Marchioness (the hero/heroine from the Smoke Thief).
Confused? Yeah, so was I. The damn book gave me a headache.
Like I said, bad plotting.
Also read a review in The Economist on a new book that I'd been flirting with by David Goodhart entitled The Road to Somewhere: The Populist Revolt and the Future of Politics is published by C Hurst & Co.
And realized, I sort of agree with the reviewer, although I admittedly have not read the book. But mainly I don't think I agree with either on the depiction of the divide or I find myself heavily questioning it - which would pose problems in reading the book. It could just piss me off. And I'm trying to avoid things that piss me off. (grins)
And of course, now the silly Economist won't let me access it again without subscribing so, I had to go to the Guardian and read its review. Which sort of agreed with the Economist, interestingly enough and I found myself agreeing with. (I like The Economist slightly better, because it's less emotionally charged, and more objective in its analysis, at least for the most part. But the Guardian is cheaper and easier to access, so there's that.)
He argues that the key faultline in Britain and elsewhere now separates those who come from Somewhere – rooted in a specific place or community, usually a small town or in the countryside, socially conservative, often less educated – and those who could come from Anywhere: footloose, often urban, socially liberal and university educated. He cites polling evidence to show that Somewheres make up roughly half the population, with Anywheres accounting for 20% to 25% and the rest classified as “Inbetweeners”.
I don't agree with this categorization. Too many generalizations. Although it may work in Britain, (or not according to the Guardian) it doesn't quite work here.
Let me try to explain.
( Read more... )
2. What I'm reading now?
Eh, a bunch of stuff.
* Let's Develop! by Fred Neuman -- basically a primer on social group psychology and emotional/creative developmental psychology
*White Hot by Illona Andrews
* Joss Whedon's Wonder Woman Script -- which I'm going to try to access on my ipad via email download.
And whatever else...catches my eye.