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Apr. 28th, 2008 05:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
fiercebunnyI haven't done a books post in almost 4 months when I was disenhearted by my computer eating my last attempt at one. I'll try to post a few of the ones I've read in the meantime, just to catch up.
In February, I read several books from Joan Aiken's Wolves Chronicles: The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Black Hearts in Battersea, Nightbirds in Nantucket, The Stolen Lake, and The Cuckoo Tree. They're set in an alternative universe where the Stuarts never lost the English throne and supporters of the Hanovers constantly scheme to upset the monarchy. Generally involve orphans, plucky street urchins and the like. These are awesome. If you like odd childrens' fantasies, these should definitely be checked out. (Plus Edward Gorey did the cover art for most of them, always a plus.) Aiken has the best names for her characters, Dido Twite, Dutiful Penitence Casket, etc.
Amazon cancelled my order for Dido and Pa :P Why are these books so hard to find?
The Lady in the Tower by Jean Plaidy - reread this novel about Anne Boleyn. Plaidy is generally more sympathetic about Anne than some other writers I've read recently.
Brilliance by Rosalind Laker - I've really liked the Laker books I've read in the past, so when I saw this one involving the beginnings of cinema in fin-de-siecle France, I thought it would be perfect. One of my favorite subjects in my favorite time period. But it fell far short of what I expected. It reminded me of writing classes in college where the teacher's always telling you to show and not tell; there's not a lot of show here, so it's kind of hard to get to engaged with what's going on in the story. A disappointing entry.
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami - I keep trying to read Murakami even though I don't always 'get' him. This early novel is one of his more straightforward works and I quite liked it. I think I probably would have had better luck getting into his writing if I'd started with this one first.
More updates later.
In February, I read several books from Joan Aiken's Wolves Chronicles: The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Black Hearts in Battersea, Nightbirds in Nantucket, The Stolen Lake, and The Cuckoo Tree. They're set in an alternative universe where the Stuarts never lost the English throne and supporters of the Hanovers constantly scheme to upset the monarchy. Generally involve orphans, plucky street urchins and the like. These are awesome. If you like odd childrens' fantasies, these should definitely be checked out. (Plus Edward Gorey did the cover art for most of them, always a plus.) Aiken has the best names for her characters, Dido Twite, Dutiful Penitence Casket, etc.
Amazon cancelled my order for Dido and Pa :P Why are these books so hard to find?
The Lady in the Tower by Jean Plaidy - reread this novel about Anne Boleyn. Plaidy is generally more sympathetic about Anne than some other writers I've read recently.
Brilliance by Rosalind Laker - I've really liked the Laker books I've read in the past, so when I saw this one involving the beginnings of cinema in fin-de-siecle France, I thought it would be perfect. One of my favorite subjects in my favorite time period. But it fell far short of what I expected. It reminded me of writing classes in college where the teacher's always telling you to show and not tell; there's not a lot of show here, so it's kind of hard to get to engaged with what's going on in the story. A disappointing entry.
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami - I keep trying to read Murakami even though I don't always 'get' him. This early novel is one of his more straightforward works and I quite liked it. I think I probably would have had better luck getting into his writing if I'd started with this one first.
More updates later.
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Date: 2008-04-29 05:58 pm (UTC)I never finished Lady in the Tower. I tend to get bored quickly with Jean Plaidy novels, which is strange considering how much I love her writing as Victoria Holt :p
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Date: 2008-04-30 01:52 am (UTC)As for Laker, my favorite of hers that I've read so far is Circle of Pearls. It's out of print, but shouldn't be too hard to find. That one's set during the English Civil War. I found the conflicts between the Puritans and Cavaliers really interesting. The Restoration is really becoming one of my favorite time periods. The Golden Tulip is my second favorite and is about the art movement in Holland during the time of Vermeer. To Dance With Kings is about three or four generations of fan makers from the reign of Louis XIV to XVI. The last two are both in print and I'd highly recommend them both. Really, Laker doesn't vary too much when it comes to plots, but the settings and characters are pretty much her strong point.
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Date: 2008-04-30 08:43 am (UTC)To Dance With Kings is definitely going on my wishlist--a novel about fan makers is right up my alley :p Thanks for the suggestions :D