books books i need more books!

[schmerica]

I have finished all three paperbacks I brought to my parents' house. OH NOES. And I don't share taste with my mother, father or sister! I might end up just having to reread All American Girl until we leave tomorrow morning!

The worst part is that I know have I have between 1 and 4 unread books waiting at home for me. ANGST.

What I ended up reading over the holiday:

Laura Kinsale, Seize the Fire: Jennifer Crusie was my much beloved introduction to romance novels last fall, but in the last year of much experimenting with the genre, I have not loved anything else the way I have the three Kinsales I read. First was Flowers from the Storm, and then Midsummer Moon, which was completely different, and now this one, which was completely different from both. I didn't like this one quite as much as those two, but I did like it quite a lot -- the first half, especially, as I loved it completely without reservations right up until they get rescued from their magical year on their desert island off the coast of South America. I think that might just be because I didn't love Sheridan wholeheartedly enough to really care as much about his angst and mental problems as I might. Olympia, on the other hand, I adored.

Jo Beverley, Hazard: Okay, so I picked this up in the used bookstore because a) I've liked everything I've read from Jo Beverley before and b) the cover was pretty and the back cover made it look interested. If I had realized it was part of the extended Company of Rogues universe and actually the sixth in the series, I wouldn't have picked it up, because I've only ever read Beverley's Malloren books, and starting a series in the middle really kind of sucks, because all the references are annoying. So, there was that. It was also a little slow and draggy for a lot of it, without much plot, but I found the characters likeable enough that it was still entertaining.

Elizabeth Peters, The Falcon at the Portal: Halfway through this book, I was already writing this review in my mind, and it was going to be something about how even though they're still witty and charming, the Amelia Peabody books had really gotten kind of bloated and also they're kind of less interesting with the children all grown up, but then I kept on reading and suddenly OMG Nefret and Ramses are MAKING OUT! No, they are DOING IT! OMG there is a SECRET BABY SCANDAL! OMG Nefret GOT MARRIED! OMG Nefret miscarried Ramses's baby! OMG Swiss sanatarium? OMG WTF when did this become a SOAP OPERA? WOW. Which I suppose shows the dangers of forming opinions before you finish.

Comments

[corinna-5.livejournal.com]

Dude, imagine reading Falcon when you know you have to wait a full year for the next installment! It was not pretty!!

I do think that the books get more bloated with secondary characters as she goes, and I am torn between wishing she'd write something else for a change just to give these people a break, and enjoying the visits with the extended Emerson clan.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

Heh. You know, I get the feeling I would enjoy the books just as much if it was just them sitting around being brilliant and witty and ridiculous and without any semblance of a plot, but that says more about me than it does anything else.

[mollita.livejournal.com]

*snicker* OMG it is SUCH a soap opera. And while part of me is very, very annoyed at how utterly unnecessary most of it was (dude! People! Have a conversation and clear the air!), another "I secretly love watching Days of Our Lives" part of me just eats it up. And the next one in the series...oh man. Lots of good, soapy, wartime fun.

But also, yes to the bloated and less interesting. I think EP hit that point of cranking out a book per year regardless of quality, rather than managing to write a great book each year. But I thought I was seeing small signs with the last one that she might be getting back on track, so I'm gonna stick with it at least through next March.

And besides, I'm gonna marry Ramses someday. Or just write plenty of gratuitous David/Ramses/Nefret. *g*

[viggorlijah.livejournal.com]

Uh.

http://www.oggham.com/words/archives/000557.html

Because it should be canon!

[mollita.livejournal.com]

Oh, oh, oh. I read this ages ago and I think I was terrible and forgot to write and tell you much I absolutely adore it. Just -- *yes*. Because it should be canon, and how you wrote it is how it's always happened in my head, Nefret and Ramses pulling David into their fold because OMG, so much love.

Also, your story *really* reminds me how much I want Emerson/Amelia/Sethos.

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

Ahahahaha. See, the soap opera thing at least got my attention back again when I was like "these keep getting longer, and having less interesting characters, and I was never here for the plot anyway." So now I have to keep on reading!

[mollita.livejournal.com]

You do! Because even when you get mad at the characters, there's at least one or two more of wild insanity before it *really* gets less interesting for awhile.

[musesfool.livejournal.com]

Oh god! I have such LOATHING for Nefret after Falcon. I never loved her as much as I think I was supposed to, but that killed all love I had for her. Gah! She was everything the early Amelia books had poked fun at! And I was supposed to take it seriously. I read and reread that damn book so many times, hoping the ending would be different. Gah!

The first mailing list I ever joined was after I read Falcon and couldn't bear the suspense until the next book came out.

I mean, I still enjoy the books, but more as a catching up with old friends than for any plot reasons, you know?

[pearl-o.livejournal.com]

Oh, I always liked Nefret -- especially in her first few books -- but that was just ... bizarre.

I read and reread that damn book so many times, hoping the ending would be different. Gah!

Heee. Oh, Vic, you're such a glutton for punishment!