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Lifelode, by Jo Walton
This was a lovely book. Kind of like Ursula LeGuin's early stuff and yet still very much uniquely a Jo Walton book (even though ALL of her books are quite different). I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think the only reason I haven't read the first trilogy Walton wrote is that then I will be ALL OUT of books by her to read, and that would be utterly tragic.
(150/275)
The Portable MLIS: Insights from the Experts, edited by Ken Haycock and Brooke E. Sheldon
This had a meh first few essays and a meh last few essays but there were parts in the middle that were REALLY good. The essay on library systems was particularly keen.
(151/275)
You Don't Look Like a Librarian, by Ruth Kneale
Cute, fluffy. I didn't take it very seriously because I was really sick while reading it. Not sure if taking it seriously would've resulted in greater appreciation or lower tolerance of irritating bits. Probably the former.
(152/275)
The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner
This was BRILLIANT YA fantasy-without-too-much-fantasy-in. The characterization, plot, setting, etc., were all good, but best of all they were seamlessly devoted to the furthering of the *story* - and the story was amazing. Seriously, Lloyd Alexander caliber quest fantasy with a very NON-standard quest protagonist. Don't know how I missed this when it came out, but I"m ever so excited to read the rest of the series.
(153/275)
Holes, by Louis B. Sachar
Very tasty modern parable YA which managed to still have the little Sachar goofy touches without taking away from the seriousness of the point. I enjoyed it a lot although it did suffer a bit from coming right after the AMAZINGNESS of The Thief.
(154/275)
Starclimber, by Kenneth Oppel
This was a good conclusion to a great series. Paradoxically, I would've enjoyed the novel more if it hadn't been so full of information about stuff I already read a lot about - namely training to go into space and Emily Carr .... the infodumps were handled just as smoothly and not-detracting-from-the-plot-ly as in the first two books, but since I already KNEW all about that stuff, I got impatient more than a few times. But it was still very WHEE ADVENTURE in many places and if you think being a cabin boy in a blimp would be awesome you should go read the first book, Airborn, because that's how the story starts.
(155/275)
Marvel Zombies: Dead Days, by Robert Kirkman et al
Meh. The art for this was really interesting and occasionally beautiful but the story - OY. Marvel Universe is just silly at this point. And then it didn't even end! There was just a giant cliffhanger! ARGH!!! Can't recommend it but you might want to flip through it looking at the zombified heroes & other pretty drawings.
(156/275)
Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie
The thing about Salman Rushdie is that I really really don't feel *qualified* to review his novels (with the exception of Fury, which still pisses me off because someone of his verbal gifts should not have lowered himself to the self-indulgence of writing yet another of those tiresome May-December romances from the point of view of the December which are LAME, lame I tell you and I don't care how brilliant the novelist writing it is.... oh, sorry, tangent.) Anyway, this book was not quite as wonderful and amazing as The Satanic Verses but it was still pretty bloody wonderful and amazing and even though it really made me work for my immersion in the story, when I was immersed, it was a headlong tumble down the rabbit hole, AND had very true things to say about the present century through a pan-Indian perspective, and I loved it. And I now feel much better about reading the rest of his opus instead of fearing that it willl disappoint me...
(157/275, 9/75)
This was a lovely book. Kind of like Ursula LeGuin's early stuff and yet still very much uniquely a Jo Walton book (even though ALL of her books are quite different). I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think the only reason I haven't read the first trilogy Walton wrote is that then I will be ALL OUT of books by her to read, and that would be utterly tragic.
(150/275)
The Portable MLIS: Insights from the Experts, edited by Ken Haycock and Brooke E. Sheldon
This had a meh first few essays and a meh last few essays but there were parts in the middle that were REALLY good. The essay on library systems was particularly keen.
(151/275)
You Don't Look Like a Librarian, by Ruth Kneale
Cute, fluffy. I didn't take it very seriously because I was really sick while reading it. Not sure if taking it seriously would've resulted in greater appreciation or lower tolerance of irritating bits. Probably the former.
(152/275)
The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner
This was BRILLIANT YA fantasy-without-too-much-fantasy-in. The characterization, plot, setting, etc., were all good, but best of all they were seamlessly devoted to the furthering of the *story* - and the story was amazing. Seriously, Lloyd Alexander caliber quest fantasy with a very NON-standard quest protagonist. Don't know how I missed this when it came out, but I"m ever so excited to read the rest of the series.
(153/275)
Holes, by Louis B. Sachar
Very tasty modern parable YA which managed to still have the little Sachar goofy touches without taking away from the seriousness of the point. I enjoyed it a lot although it did suffer a bit from coming right after the AMAZINGNESS of The Thief.
(154/275)
Starclimber, by Kenneth Oppel
This was a good conclusion to a great series. Paradoxically, I would've enjoyed the novel more if it hadn't been so full of information about stuff I already read a lot about - namely training to go into space and Emily Carr .... the infodumps were handled just as smoothly and not-detracting-from-the-plot-ly as in the first two books, but since I already KNEW all about that stuff, I got impatient more than a few times. But it was still very WHEE ADVENTURE in many places and if you think being a cabin boy in a blimp would be awesome you should go read the first book, Airborn, because that's how the story starts.
(155/275)
Marvel Zombies: Dead Days, by Robert Kirkman et al
Meh. The art for this was really interesting and occasionally beautiful but the story - OY. Marvel Universe is just silly at this point. And then it didn't even end! There was just a giant cliffhanger! ARGH!!! Can't recommend it but you might want to flip through it looking at the zombified heroes & other pretty drawings.
(156/275)
Midnight's Children, by Salman Rushdie
The thing about Salman Rushdie is that I really really don't feel *qualified* to review his novels (with the exception of Fury, which still pisses me off because someone of his verbal gifts should not have lowered himself to the self-indulgence of writing yet another of those tiresome May-December romances from the point of view of the December which are LAME, lame I tell you and I don't care how brilliant the novelist writing it is.... oh, sorry, tangent.) Anyway, this book was not quite as wonderful and amazing as The Satanic Verses but it was still pretty bloody wonderful and amazing and even though it really made me work for my immersion in the story, when I was immersed, it was a headlong tumble down the rabbit hole, AND had very true things to say about the present century through a pan-Indian perspective, and I loved it. And I now feel much better about reading the rest of his opus instead of fearing that it willl disappoint me...
(157/275, 9/75)
