October books
Dec. 8th, 2004 02:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jinianI'm falling down on the job again. Fortunately for all of you who must be waiting on seat-edges, I am well enough right now to write fairly acceptably but not to do differential equations. (The test Monday went well, though, I think.)
Point of Honour, Madeleine E. Robins.
Alternate-Regency mystery, made more interesting by the ass-kicking female detective of ruined reputation. Only a little emotionally involving, but intellectually very good. Sequel next month.
Helen Van Pelt Wilson's African-Violet Book.
Lots of great information, including the piece I was looking for about where African violets grow wild: warm-temperate forest understories near African rivers. I'm very tempted to breed some of mine now, though I may not be by the time more than one of the same clone is blooming. (Though there should be some interesting genetic variety just from self-fertilizing. Hmm. Wonder if the plants will go for it.)
The Glasswrights' Apprentice, Mindy L. Klasky.
Worldcon report rec by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fairmer. There's a reasonably interesting political plot, but Rani, the titular apprentice, is frustratingly foolish. Apparently there are sequels, but I'm not quite interested enough to read them when my library queue is as big as it is.
The Grand Tour, Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer.
Some thoughts are here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/gwyneira/17094.html
Sugar and Other Stories, A.S. Byatt.
My view may be colored by having read this in two disctinct chunks with many other works between, but the stories that I most recall were about human failure modes: cowardice, terror, inadequacy, mislaid love. They were masterfully rendered, and almost enjoyable to read.
The Anvil of the World, Kage Baker.
Very different from her Company books, which is a good thing in my opinion. This is a fix-up novel set in a rather patchwork fantasy world, with snips of Pratchettesque humor, Lovecraftian horrors, fearsome nurses, fanon Malfoy in disguise, and a beautifully understated predestination plot. Excellent book.
The Last Light of the Sun, Guy Gavriel Kay.
I didn't perceive quite the plot symmetry that I do in Tigana, so I can't say this is Kay's best book; however, I think his craft has grown tremendously over the years. The way he has of telling tangential stories about ordinary people near the plot really worked for me in this one, and the way he has of making sweeping statements about the nature of life was less annoying. A very good read, and fun to see the brightly flagged tie-ins with Al-Rassan and Sarantium.
Wizard at Work, Vivian Vande Velde.
desayunoencama recommendation. Vaguely charming, slight, very much for children in its jokes and mild moral lessons.
White Midnight, Dia Calhoun.
Tacoma writer Calhoun continues her ruling spree, this time with extra plants! This book sets up morally interesting situations and does not cop out, and the ending is wonderful. Calhoun found a space for self-actualization that I didn't think was there. (The unattractive heroine is accurately painted on the cover, which is an interesting choice; bad cover art does turn me off, and it wouldn't necessarily occur to someone just looking at the outside that it's correct rather than badly made.)
Hottentot Venus, Barbara Chase-Riboud.
Depressing, as one might expect, historical novel about Saartjie Baartman, the so-called Hottentot Venus, and the thorough exploitation she underwent in the early 1800s. Possibly the book was brought on by the eventual return of her remains to South Africa in 2002, as it ends there. Well written, and my web pokings agree with the author's research. Chase-Riboud seems to focus on black women in history.
The Bone Doll's Twin and Hidden Warrior, Lynn Flewelling.
Damned unannounced "Book one of n"s. This is quite good in the way of long, immersive fantasy. (It's a little weird to like it so much, since the thing it's doing is the thing a lot of EFP also does. But they do it because of LotR, I think, so it's probably all right.) Effectively creepy in parts, minor but interesting gender introspection. The last book in this trilogy is supposed to be released in about a year.
Well Wished, Franny Billingsley.
Much simpler than her The Folk Keeper, but more emotionally interesting. The relationship between the drama-queen protagonist and her grandfather, in particular, made up for an uneven start and too much forced inaction.
The Paper Bag Princess, Robert N. Munsch, ill. Michael Martchenko.
Very short picture book about a princess who discovers looks aren't the most important thing. Probably a good book to have around very little kids.
Newton's Wake, Ken MacLeod.
Mentioned circapapersky, but I'd have grabbed it anyway if I'd known about it. I found it lots of fun, as post-Singularity space opera ought to be, and didn't think too hard about it. There are a few MacLeod themes, but none of them are played too loudly for my unanalytical approach to work.
Locust: The Devastating Rise and Mysterious Disappearance of the Insect that Shaped the American Frontier, Jeffrey A. Lockwood.
This one got its own post.
Firegold, Dia Calhoun.
Calhoun's first novel, set in the same world as White Midnight a couple hundred years later. It's a much more typical coming-of-age story, but still quite a good one. Somehow I think she heard a lot about how apples don't come true from seed after she screwed that up in this one, and that's why WM is so accurate. I'm greatly amused.
Pastries, Bharti Kirchner.
Saw this while looking for SF author events. Mildly entertaining mainstream novel about the owner of a small cafe in Wallingford (a Seattle neighborhood pretty close to me). She deals with romance, employee tensions, family issues, and the threatened opening of a competing megastore. There is an extremely dubious coincidence at the end.
The Conqueror's Child, Suzy McKee Charnas.
This isn't an ending, though it's the last book and I kind of wanted one. It does bring up all the issues I was worried about at the end of The Furies; in short, can former slaves make a society that includes their former masters and isn't terribly abusive?
The Grand Ellipse, Paula Volsky.
I've liked a couple of Volsky's other books, but not to excess. Fortunately, this one's having a hot-air balloon on the cover was enough for me to pick it up at the library. Yes, there's a plot, which does not suck, but the reason to like the book is for the different magics and technologies that the contestants (the Grand Ellipse is a race) find along their way.
Wren to the Rescue, Wren's Quest, and Wren's War, Sherwood Smith (sartorias).
These are excellent YA adventure and people should read them. It's odd to me that I like them as much as I do when I feel like I can't get any insight into the emotions of the main character. Wren Journeymage is done and will be out eventually, according to the author's web site.
The Blood Doctor, Barbara Vine.
Mentioned circapapersky. I wish I'd realized how depressing this was going to be. The main character is investigating his grandfather, a famous doctor, for a biography; trying to have a baby with his wife though he feels at best ambivalent about it; and losing his hereditary peerage. Nothing good happens. It was interesting but would've been more so if I hadn't known anything about hemophilia.
Dragonsong, Anne McCaffrey.
Bad depressive episodes necessitate comfort reading. This one's still among the best books for that, even if it has started to sound a bit like Cress Delahanty to me these days.
The Hex Witch of Seldom, Nancy Springer.
A Firebird book, therefore worth a try. It didn't do much for me, though. Contains teenage rebellion for a very good reason, horses, archetypes at large.
The Wanderer, Cherry Wilder and Katya Reimann.
I liked The Rulers of Hylor trilogy enough that I hunted for and snatched up book 2, which I couldn't find at home, while in England a couple of years ago. I hadn't heard that Cherry Wilder had died. Katya Reimann, whose work I also enjoy, did a wonderful job of keeping the voice of the book consistent with the others of the series as she completed and polished Wilder's manuscript. Definitely a worthy addition/wrap-up book.
The Steerswoman's Road, Rosemary Kirstein.
The first two books in a series mentioned bypapersky, diony, mrissa, and others. Very, very good fantasyland-feeling SF with a heroine who's not great with people but has a holy vocation for truth. (Prime geek wish-fulfillment.) Third and fourth books will be written up for November. Warning! The series is not over, and any of the books is a frustrating place to stop.
Voyage of the Shadowmoon, Sean McMullen.
In which we examine a very unusual ship in fantasyland, the only vampire in the world, and the politics and logistics of having a really, really big bomb. Included a little too much communication with the magical analogue of our world, but was lots and lots of fun.
A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray.
(gwyneira read this, which reminded me I'd missed a hold on it months ago. This time I actually got it.) I found it enjoyable but not impressive, with fairly interesting magic. What I really wanted more of was darkness; I felt like there was fantastic peril all around the heroine, and then ooh maybe things will be bad but nah, it's all right. I don't require that anyone be messily killed, but I want there to be more drama if disaster is averted, and it'd be nice if all of the hinted trouble materialized. Maybe it was just not the right day for this book.
Manga:
Fushigi Yuugi #2 and #3, Yuu Watase.
Less compelling than I found the anime, but that's probably due to knowing the plot. The art's better, though. There's certainly no reason not to check out the whole series from the library.
Knitting books:
Knitting on the Edge, Nicky Epstein.
Exhaustive! Ten times as many kinds of ribbing as I could have made up, then that many tassels and floral patterns and zillions of other things too. Really impressive. Good photos, good instructions.
The Knitter's Guide to Sweater Design, Carmen Michelson.
Also extremely exhaustive, much harder to read. I'm sure all the information I could ever want is in here, but it's not much fun finding it.
Viking Knits, Elsebeth Lavold.
Very fine cabled knotwork patterns. Pictures of pieces seem strangely high-fashion. (Maybe I just don't like fashion photography? But Dalegarn does well on its patterns.)
Point of Honour, Madeleine E. Robins.
Alternate-Regency mystery, made more interesting by the ass-kicking female detective of ruined reputation. Only a little emotionally involving, but intellectually very good. Sequel next month.
Helen Van Pelt Wilson's African-Violet Book.
Lots of great information, including the piece I was looking for about where African violets grow wild: warm-temperate forest understories near African rivers. I'm very tempted to breed some of mine now, though I may not be by the time more than one of the same clone is blooming. (Though there should be some interesting genetic variety just from self-fertilizing. Hmm. Wonder if the plants will go for it.)
The Glasswrights' Apprentice, Mindy L. Klasky.
Worldcon report rec by
fairmer. There's a reasonably interesting political plot, but Rani, the titular apprentice, is frustratingly foolish. Apparently there are sequels, but I'm not quite interested enough to read them when my library queue is as big as it is.The Grand Tour, Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer.
Some thoughts are here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/gwyneira/17094.html
Sugar and Other Stories, A.S. Byatt.
My view may be colored by having read this in two disctinct chunks with many other works between, but the stories that I most recall were about human failure modes: cowardice, terror, inadequacy, mislaid love. They were masterfully rendered, and almost enjoyable to read.
The Anvil of the World, Kage Baker.
Very different from her Company books, which is a good thing in my opinion. This is a fix-up novel set in a rather patchwork fantasy world, with snips of Pratchettesque humor, Lovecraftian horrors, fearsome nurses, fanon Malfoy in disguise, and a beautifully understated predestination plot. Excellent book.
The Last Light of the Sun, Guy Gavriel Kay.
I didn't perceive quite the plot symmetry that I do in Tigana, so I can't say this is Kay's best book; however, I think his craft has grown tremendously over the years. The way he has of telling tangential stories about ordinary people near the plot really worked for me in this one, and the way he has of making sweeping statements about the nature of life was less annoying. A very good read, and fun to see the brightly flagged tie-ins with Al-Rassan and Sarantium.
Wizard at Work, Vivian Vande Velde.
desayunoencama recommendation. Vaguely charming, slight, very much for children in its jokes and mild moral lessons.White Midnight, Dia Calhoun.
Tacoma writer Calhoun continues her ruling spree, this time with extra plants! This book sets up morally interesting situations and does not cop out, and the ending is wonderful. Calhoun found a space for self-actualization that I didn't think was there. (The unattractive heroine is accurately painted on the cover, which is an interesting choice; bad cover art does turn me off, and it wouldn't necessarily occur to someone just looking at the outside that it's correct rather than badly made.)
Hottentot Venus, Barbara Chase-Riboud.
Depressing, as one might expect, historical novel about Saartjie Baartman, the so-called Hottentot Venus, and the thorough exploitation she underwent in the early 1800s. Possibly the book was brought on by the eventual return of her remains to South Africa in 2002, as it ends there. Well written, and my web pokings agree with the author's research. Chase-Riboud seems to focus on black women in history.
The Bone Doll's Twin and Hidden Warrior, Lynn Flewelling.
Damned unannounced "Book one of n"s. This is quite good in the way of long, immersive fantasy. (It's a little weird to like it so much, since the thing it's doing is the thing a lot of EFP also does. But they do it because of LotR, I think, so it's probably all right.) Effectively creepy in parts, minor but interesting gender introspection. The last book in this trilogy is supposed to be released in about a year.
Well Wished, Franny Billingsley.
Much simpler than her The Folk Keeper, but more emotionally interesting. The relationship between the drama-queen protagonist and her grandfather, in particular, made up for an uneven start and too much forced inaction.
The Paper Bag Princess, Robert N. Munsch, ill. Michael Martchenko.
Very short picture book about a princess who discovers looks aren't the most important thing. Probably a good book to have around very little kids.
Newton's Wake, Ken MacLeod.
Mentioned circa
papersky, but I'd have grabbed it anyway if I'd known about it. I found it lots of fun, as post-Singularity space opera ought to be, and didn't think too hard about it. There are a few MacLeod themes, but none of them are played too loudly for my unanalytical approach to work.Locust: The Devastating Rise and Mysterious Disappearance of the Insect that Shaped the American Frontier, Jeffrey A. Lockwood.
This one got its own post.
Firegold, Dia Calhoun.
Calhoun's first novel, set in the same world as White Midnight a couple hundred years later. It's a much more typical coming-of-age story, but still quite a good one. Somehow I think she heard a lot about how apples don't come true from seed after she screwed that up in this one, and that's why WM is so accurate. I'm greatly amused.
Pastries, Bharti Kirchner.
Saw this while looking for SF author events. Mildly entertaining mainstream novel about the owner of a small cafe in Wallingford (a Seattle neighborhood pretty close to me). She deals with romance, employee tensions, family issues, and the threatened opening of a competing megastore. There is an extremely dubious coincidence at the end.
The Conqueror's Child, Suzy McKee Charnas.
This isn't an ending, though it's the last book and I kind of wanted one. It does bring up all the issues I was worried about at the end of The Furies; in short, can former slaves make a society that includes their former masters and isn't terribly abusive?
The Grand Ellipse, Paula Volsky.
I've liked a couple of Volsky's other books, but not to excess. Fortunately, this one's having a hot-air balloon on the cover was enough for me to pick it up at the library. Yes, there's a plot, which does not suck, but the reason to like the book is for the different magics and technologies that the contestants (the Grand Ellipse is a race) find along their way.
Wren to the Rescue, Wren's Quest, and Wren's War, Sherwood Smith (
sartorias).These are excellent YA adventure and people should read them. It's odd to me that I like them as much as I do when I feel like I can't get any insight into the emotions of the main character. Wren Journeymage is done and will be out eventually, according to the author's web site.
The Blood Doctor, Barbara Vine.
Mentioned circa
papersky. I wish I'd realized how depressing this was going to be. The main character is investigating his grandfather, a famous doctor, for a biography; trying to have a baby with his wife though he feels at best ambivalent about it; and losing his hereditary peerage. Nothing good happens. It was interesting but would've been more so if I hadn't known anything about hemophilia.Dragonsong, Anne McCaffrey.
Bad depressive episodes necessitate comfort reading. This one's still among the best books for that, even if it has started to sound a bit like Cress Delahanty to me these days.
The Hex Witch of Seldom, Nancy Springer.
A Firebird book, therefore worth a try. It didn't do much for me, though. Contains teenage rebellion for a very good reason, horses, archetypes at large.
The Wanderer, Cherry Wilder and Katya Reimann.
I liked The Rulers of Hylor trilogy enough that I hunted for and snatched up book 2, which I couldn't find at home, while in England a couple of years ago. I hadn't heard that Cherry Wilder had died. Katya Reimann, whose work I also enjoy, did a wonderful job of keeping the voice of the book consistent with the others of the series as she completed and polished Wilder's manuscript. Definitely a worthy addition/wrap-up book.
The Steerswoman's Road, Rosemary Kirstein.
The first two books in a series mentioned by
papersky, diony, mrissa, and others. Very, very good fantasyland-feeling SF with a heroine who's not great with people but has a holy vocation for truth. (Prime geek wish-fulfillment.) Third and fourth books will be written up for November. Warning! The series is not over, and any of the books is a frustrating place to stop.Voyage of the Shadowmoon, Sean McMullen.
In which we examine a very unusual ship in fantasyland, the only vampire in the world, and the politics and logistics of having a really, really big bomb. Included a little too much communication with the magical analogue of our world, but was lots and lots of fun.
A Great and Terrible Beauty, Libba Bray.
(
gwyneira read this, which reminded me I'd missed a hold on it months ago. This time I actually got it.) I found it enjoyable but not impressive, with fairly interesting magic. What I really wanted more of was darkness; I felt like there was fantastic peril all around the heroine, and then ooh maybe things will be bad but nah, it's all right. I don't require that anyone be messily killed, but I want there to be more drama if disaster is averted, and it'd be nice if all of the hinted trouble materialized. Maybe it was just not the right day for this book.Manga:
Fushigi Yuugi #2 and #3, Yuu Watase.
Less compelling than I found the anime, but that's probably due to knowing the plot. The art's better, though. There's certainly no reason not to check out the whole series from the library.
Knitting books:
Knitting on the Edge, Nicky Epstein.
Exhaustive! Ten times as many kinds of ribbing as I could have made up, then that many tassels and floral patterns and zillions of other things too. Really impressive. Good photos, good instructions.
The Knitter's Guide to Sweater Design, Carmen Michelson.
Also extremely exhaustive, much harder to read. I'm sure all the information I could ever want is in here, but it's not much fun finding it.
Viking Knits, Elsebeth Lavold.
Very fine cabled knotwork patterns. Pictures of pieces seem strangely high-fashion. (Maybe I just don't like fashion photography? But Dalegarn does well on its patterns.)
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-12-08 10:30 pm (UTC)What would be a good beginning knitting book, do you think? I keep thinking I'd like to learn, and although my mother knits reasonably well, she's not very good at explaining it. I always end up with something mysterious and triangular.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 08:32 pm (UTC)"Mysterious and triangular" is a great phrase! (And if you're going for ribbing I bet I know just what the problem is.) Do you know what you want to make? The Urban Knitter and Simple Knits With a Twist both had lots of fun beginner stuff, if not. The best technique book I've found is Vogue Knitting Quick Reference, which is $20 but has good written and drawn instructions for just about every procedure plus a lay-flat comb binding that makes it vastly easier to use than a glued or sewn binding would.
Having another person around who can explain knitting is pretty useful, but I've done all but a little of my learning from books and the web. There are lots of great web tutorials on Kitchener stitch, which is what you use to make seamless sock toes. knitty.com is especially wonderful; in fact, it was recommended to me out of the blue by a previously unknown girl in my o-chem class today.
no subject
Date: 2004-12-10 08:32 pm (UTC)I've no idea what I want to make, other than vague ideas about warm things in the winter (I doubt that it's a coincidence that I'm thinking about learning to knit just when it gets cold). Thanks for the recs!
no subject
Date: 2004-12-10 11:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-17 11:33 pm (UTC)(Sorry to take so long to reply! Either LJ didn't email your comment, or my freaky mail server is on the fritz again.)
whoops, forgot Kay
Date: 2004-12-08 10:40 pm (UTC)I should really read it again, because I would like to pin down why I didn't like it quite as much as most of his other books.
Re: whoops, forgot Kay
Date: 2004-12-09 06:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 07:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-12-09 08:10 pm (UTC)Oh. He hadn't. Apparently there is another one coming in the "saga", but I am annoyed and may disregard it. It's unnecessary.