Books for January, 2004

[pegkerr]

I've decided to start doing this again. However, my list isn't very long this month. There's been this ice palace, you see, and, um, I've been reading a lot of stuff online.

Wizard of the Pigeons by Megan Lindholm. Re-read. Um. There was much to admire here, but the grayness and mental illness and desperation made it a bit of a slog to get through during a cold, dark January.

Goa by Kara Dalkey

Bijapur by Kara Dalkey

Bhagavati by Kara Dalkey These three books, The Blood of the Goddess triology, have been on my shelf forever and I'm just getting around to them for the first time. I think that it would have helped to have read her Euryale first, which (I think) is the only book of hers left that I haven't gotten around to yet. I admire her for writing a fantasy in a world which hasn't been plumbed very often (that I know of) by American fantasy writers (I dunno, but maybe I'm just displaying my shocking ignorance). The research involved must have been intense, but she renders a convincing, exotic India. Interesting to include the culture clash of the Porteguese Inquisition. Most of Kara's other work, I believe, have been intended for YA audiences, but this was definitely for an adult audience, including adult sexuality. The clash of cultures/religion was thoughtfully explored. But . . . hmm. Perhaps my mood is a bit fussy this month. The third volume felt---well, I was ready for the story to wrap up a little more quickly. And I couldn't buy into the relationship of Thomas and Adita as one of searing cross-cultural passion. What did they really see in each other? Other than pretty bodies? I didn't quite connect as much as I wanted with either of these characters; I felt a little remote from them, although I can't quite pinpoint why, and I can clearly see how she was trying to set them up so we'd connect with them. I feel almost guilty for carping, because of all the careful work she obviously put into it, and I can't articulate my dissatisfaction very well. As I said, it might not have been Kara, but perhaps just midwinter crankiness on my part making me sink a little less deeply into a book than I usually do. Still, a fine achievement, with extra points for a freshly exotic, well-researched world.

(Apropos of nothing, I immediately see the character Lockhart being played by Sean Connery.)

Beauty by Robin McKinley. Re-read (for like, the billionth time). Actually I read this to the girls this month, but I think it's substantial enough to include on my own list. (We're midway through Rose Daughter as an interesting contrast, which I suppose will go on my list for next month).

And that's it for the month. Short, I know. As I've said, I've been distracted.

Comments

[kayselkiemoon.livejournal.com]

The Blood of the Goddess triology

cool! I've been hankering to read these for a long time, but the only one I can ever find in a bookstore is the second one. thanks for sharing your thoughts on it!

[klostes.livejournal.com]

and, um, I've been reading a lot of stuff online.

Sucks, the way that eats up the reading time, doesn't it? Guh.

And I enjoy your reading lists very much, short or long. I'm always prowling for new books to read, and you seem to recommend stuff that I haven't seen before. Very nice to have as a resource.

The one from your list I've enjoyed most so far was Shippey's "Author of the Century". Probably the geekiest book I've ever read, but it was *fun*, and while I'd seen it around, I hadn't thought of reading it until I read your reviews. So thank you!

[splagxna.livejournal.com]

i will have to read the dalkey. i've read a ton of her YA stuff... even after i was 'too old' for such... and always loved it. the trilogy sounds neat, especially if i can think about sean connery while reading. :-)

have you gotten your hands on mckinley's 'sunshine' yet? i had a great time with it... which reminds me that i need to push it on my sister, who refuses to read fantasy novels except that she steals all of my mckinley, and rereads and rereads and rereads... she's had my copy of beauty for about ten years, i've given up on getting that one back!

Re:

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

No, I haven't read "Sunshine," nor have I heard of it. Is that a short story or a novel, or . . . ?

Re:

[splagxna.livejournal.com]

it is a novel, out fairly recently (since oct-nov, I think) - I would classify it as something between YA and 'adult.' really interesting ideas... more scifi than her previous works, at least in terms of setting... and about vampires. and sunshine. sort of.

Wizard of the Pigeons

[scottscidmore.livejournal.com]

The "the grayness and mental illness and desperation" does make it a down read, but it is there for a reason. It's Seattle in winter during a somewhat depressing period of time. It is a fairly accurate description of that area of Seattle, when I read it I was saying "yes, I know that building, and know which dumpster that is" (I'd spent a lot of time in Seattle's industrial and decaying regions). At the time of the story many of the people in the area would have been in such a state, the area was Skid Row.

Seattle winters are greyer, darker, and wetter than MNPLSTPL, although they are warmer. Reading WotP here in the winter is no easier than where you are 8-)

You've got me interested in Kara Dalkey, I'll have to watch for her books. Thanks.

[stinaleigh.livejournal.com]

My list would be atrociously long as I did more reading than I should have. But the short version would be something like this: All of Bujold (except Falling Free and the one with Spirit in the title); Robin Hobb's Assassin trilogy, and several re-reads of various favorite regency romances. Probably at least 20-24 all together. And quite a bit on-line as well.

I am going to try to go to the ice palace on Monday I think.

Re: Bujold

[magentamn.livejournal.com]

The book you're thinking of is "The Spirit Ring"; quite unlike anything else she has written, to the best of my knowledge. Pure fantasy, set in medieval Europe, as I recall.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

It was particularly interesting for me to read The Spirit Ring, because I'd written Emerald House Rising, also a book about a girl who is the daughter of a goldsmith. And we used one of the same critical sources, The Autobiography of Benvenuto Cellini. He was a character. He's been in the news recently, since his famous salt cellar was stolen from a museum in Vienna.

Re:

[dreamingcrow.livejournal.com]

And of course, The Spirit Ring is the only one of hers that I haven't read. I just finished Emerald House Rising and added it to my read list today and I'd love to make that my next one, I think.

I'm glad I finally found a copy of your book. I'd read The Wild Swans when it was published, but hadn't managed to get my hands on that one until now. I love your characterizations. They have such a texture to them that the people seem to have a life beyond the book. That's one of my most important criteria for an enjoyable book. :)

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Oh, and also, she's written other books set in a sort of different medieval Europe. Try The Curse of Chalion and Paladin of Souls. I'm critiquing in manuscript the third in the series right now.

[ionas.livejournal.com]

I had trouble with the Dalkeys--I so wanted to like them. Admired what she was aiming at. But I kept feeling like the ingredients for the cake had not been mixed enough, and there were too many raw chunks of research, too many authorial intrusions to let the reader know what to be thinking about the characters, and the books--all three of them--never came to life for me.

But I admire her Little Sister tremendously.

[(Anonymous)]

_Sunshine_ is fabulous. It made it really quickly to my mental list of favorite books ever, despite what I think are a few tiny structural flaws. I have to find the Dalkey trilogy - it was reccommended to me a while ago, but the books are hard to find and I haven't had any luck at all.

Genibee
genibee.diaryland.com