So, a friend of ours loaned us this webcomic in 'analog form' because apparently he's been a fan of the series for ages, and yet we'd never heard of it. Shocking!
I read through the first three books pretty quickly and I thought it was cute, though not a whole heck of a lot happens in those first books. These two guys, Piro (a quiet, shy nerdy guy) and Largo (a kind of paranoid leet geek) end up flying to Japan on a whim and then don't have any money to go home. So they stay there, and meet some Japanese people, and have random adventures.
I'll keep reading this series because I hear it gets into a more interesting and involved story once you get to books 4 and 5. But so far, like I said, not much has happened. I also can't tell apart the female characters, except for Ping, who has these battery pack things coming out of the back of her head (she's a prototype game controller for dating sim games. If you don't know what this is, don't ask. LOL)
Friday, February 29, 2008
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Yes, I'm still here!
So, I bet you thought I'd abandoned this blog.... or maybe stopped reading altogether. Well, luckily (?) that isn't true. I just got kinda sidetracked from my blogging for a while. I guess I needed a break.
To help myself catch up, I'm just going to give you a very quick rundown on what I've read since September 23.
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner (an old favourite that I decided to re-read)
The Homeward Bounders by Diana Wynne Jones (an excellent, thought provoking work of children's fantasy)
The Moon of Gomrath by Alan Garner (this is the sequel to "Weirdstone" above. I found it in a used book store in Scotland. Not nearly as good as the original.)
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (Megan was right... the book really is way better, story-wise, than the movie, though I have no complaints about Miyazaki's adaptation)
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan (Just as funny and exciting as the first two Percy Jackson books. Hurry up and write the next one, Rick...)
Stardust by Neil Gaiman (a very sweet, charming novel - great if you want some light fantasy)
The Owl Service by Alan Garner (I usually like Garner's books, but I couldn't finish this one.. it was boring :-()
Star Trek: The Next Generation and X-Men: Planet X by Michael Jan Friedman (Yes, this really was as hokey as the title sounds. But with a premise like that, how could I NOT read it? Geek alert!)
The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt (this was a very detailed fantasy novel that sounded so interesting but ended up being confusing because I couldn't keep track of the various characters, countries, political factions, etc. If only they had included a map and list of characters...)
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger (I read this because Megan wanted me to but honestly, the film was so faithful to the novel that I didn't find it all that exciting of a read. Only read this if you haven't seen the movie.)
The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman (book two of the Sally Lockhart series, well worth reading. I love his fiesty heroines)
The Tiger in the Well by Philip Pullman (another great installment in the Sally Lockhart series. I loved it!)
The Stone Book Quartet by Alan Garner (I'm not too big on short stories. These were very very loosely tied together, and really not action-packed, but sweet and well-written).
Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay (I took my time getting to this one, but honestly, while good, it wasn't worth anticipating. I wish he'd just written his story instead of tripping over his fumbling attempts to be modern with references to "jpegs" and such. I did like it, but probably won't read it again... this is the first Kay novel that I've been disappointed with.)
The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason (this was nicely written, and well researched, but ultimately it turned out to be one of those depressing "literary" novels where the ending makes you feel like throwing yourself off a bridge. Geeeeeez why do so many good writers hate their characters and do awful things to them?)
The Tin Princess by Philip Pullman (It took me a long time to get over the fact that Sally Lockhart isn't the star of this book. I felt betrayed. But then I realized this was a great tale in its own right. But please bring back Sally, Philip Pullman!)
and last but not least, Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik. If you have even the least inclination toward books featuring dragons, or historical fantasy, you must must must read this series.
To help myself catch up, I'm just going to give you a very quick rundown on what I've read since September 23.
The Weirdstone of Brisingamen by Alan Garner (an old favourite that I decided to re-read)
The Homeward Bounders by Diana Wynne Jones (an excellent, thought provoking work of children's fantasy)
The Moon of Gomrath by Alan Garner (this is the sequel to "Weirdstone" above. I found it in a used book store in Scotland. Not nearly as good as the original.)
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones (Megan was right... the book really is way better, story-wise, than the movie, though I have no complaints about Miyazaki's adaptation)
The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan (Just as funny and exciting as the first two Percy Jackson books. Hurry up and write the next one, Rick...)
Stardust by Neil Gaiman (a very sweet, charming novel - great if you want some light fantasy)
The Owl Service by Alan Garner (I usually like Garner's books, but I couldn't finish this one.. it was boring :-()
Star Trek: The Next Generation and X-Men: Planet X by Michael Jan Friedman (Yes, this really was as hokey as the title sounds. But with a premise like that, how could I NOT read it? Geek alert!)
The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt (this was a very detailed fantasy novel that sounded so interesting but ended up being confusing because I couldn't keep track of the various characters, countries, political factions, etc. If only they had included a map and list of characters...)
The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger (I read this because Megan wanted me to but honestly, the film was so faithful to the novel that I didn't find it all that exciting of a read. Only read this if you haven't seen the movie.)
The Shadow in the North by Philip Pullman (book two of the Sally Lockhart series, well worth reading. I love his fiesty heroines)
The Tiger in the Well by Philip Pullman (another great installment in the Sally Lockhart series. I loved it!)
The Stone Book Quartet by Alan Garner (I'm not too big on short stories. These were very very loosely tied together, and really not action-packed, but sweet and well-written).
Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay (I took my time getting to this one, but honestly, while good, it wasn't worth anticipating. I wish he'd just written his story instead of tripping over his fumbling attempts to be modern with references to "jpegs" and such. I did like it, but probably won't read it again... this is the first Kay novel that I've been disappointed with.)
The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason (this was nicely written, and well researched, but ultimately it turned out to be one of those depressing "literary" novels where the ending makes you feel like throwing yourself off a bridge. Geeeeeez why do so many good writers hate their characters and do awful things to them?)
The Tin Princess by Philip Pullman (It took me a long time to get over the fact that Sally Lockhart isn't the star of this book. I felt betrayed. But then I realized this was a great tale in its own right. But please bring back Sally, Philip Pullman!)
and last but not least, Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik. If you have even the least inclination toward books featuring dragons, or historical fantasy, you must must must read this series.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
The Careful Use of Compliments by Alexander McCall Smith
The latest in the Isabel Dalhousie series was a real joy to read. McCall Smith is back in his best thoughtful form as he chronicles Isabel's efforts to cope with new motherhood, internal politics at the applied ethics journal she edits, and the distance of her niece Kat.
The best thing about this series is the very low-key mystery that is gently incorporated into each book, and I particularly enjoyed the one in here about a suspected forged painting by a Scottish artist.
The best thing about this series is the very low-key mystery that is gently incorporated into each book, and I particularly enjoyed the one in here about a suspected forged painting by a Scottish artist.
Section 31: Abyss by David Weddle and Jeffrey Lang
I've suddenly woken up to the fact that 2007 will be over in a few months and I haven't yet made even a tiny dent in the stack of books waiting to be read on my bookshelf. I decided that since I'm reading so fast and prolifically these days, I had better take advantage of it and start working on my new year's resolution to read at least half of those books. Of course, it really doesn't help that I've acquired yet MORE books instead of whittling down my to-read pile.
So here's my first selection in my renewed effort to work my way through some of these dusty books: a Star Trek novel. I'm not sure if it has been revealed on this blog before now, but I have a guilty secret -- I actually read Star Trek novels! And in many cases, I even like them. This is probably no surprise to anyone who's seen the Starfleet Academy sticker on the back of our family minivan. Laugh all you like - to a trekkie who is starved for new episodes to watch, the licensed novels are a treasure. A well-written Trek novel is pure brain candy for me. It's like watching an episode in my head.
Section 31: Abyss is one of the books based on the Deep Space Nine series, after the events in the final episode. The premise is that once again, Dr. Bashir receives an unwelcome visit from a agent in Section 31, the mysterious rogue spy organization that nobody in Starfleet will admit the existence of. Instead of his planned vacation on Earth with Ezri Dax, he finds himself in a runabout on his way to a planet in the Badlands where a crazed madman is trying to breed himself an army of Jem Hadar. It's up to Bashir, along with Dax, Ro Laren (yeah, she has mysteriously reappeared as a DS9 crew member in the novels) and Taran'atar, a Jem Hadar who is bound to help them as much as he can, although he may not like it very much.
Like I said - brain candy. A fun story, nothing more or less; a way to feed my Star Trek addiction without turning on the TV. If you liked DS9, you would probably enjoy it; if not, you probably aren't even reading this post any more.
So here's my first selection in my renewed effort to work my way through some of these dusty books: a Star Trek novel. I'm not sure if it has been revealed on this blog before now, but I have a guilty secret -- I actually read Star Trek novels! And in many cases, I even like them. This is probably no surprise to anyone who's seen the Starfleet Academy sticker on the back of our family minivan. Laugh all you like - to a trekkie who is starved for new episodes to watch, the licensed novels are a treasure. A well-written Trek novel is pure brain candy for me. It's like watching an episode in my head.
Section 31: Abyss is one of the books based on the Deep Space Nine series, after the events in the final episode. The premise is that once again, Dr. Bashir receives an unwelcome visit from a agent in Section 31, the mysterious rogue spy organization that nobody in Starfleet will admit the existence of. Instead of his planned vacation on Earth with Ezri Dax, he finds himself in a runabout on his way to a planet in the Badlands where a crazed madman is trying to breed himself an army of Jem Hadar. It's up to Bashir, along with Dax, Ro Laren (yeah, she has mysteriously reappeared as a DS9 crew member in the novels) and Taran'atar, a Jem Hadar who is bound to help them as much as he can, although he may not like it very much.
Like I said - brain candy. A fun story, nothing more or less; a way to feed my Star Trek addiction without turning on the TV. If you liked DS9, you would probably enjoy it; if not, you probably aren't even reading this post any more.
The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson is back, and this time he's got friends. A good thing, too, because things aren't going too well over at Camp Half-Blood. The new activities director is a bit of a sadist, and someone has poisoned the protective shield that keeps monsters away from the camp. Meanwhile, everyone is making fun of Percy because of his newly discovered half-brother. What else can a guy do in that situation except to go on a life-threatening quest to save the world from evil?
I was delighted to find this book every bit as hilarious and smart as its predecessor. Riordan has completely won me over to his unique brand of humor, mixing modern America with ancient Greece in a ridiculous and yet strangely believable way.
I was delighted to find this book every bit as hilarious and smart as its predecessor. Riordan has completely won me over to his unique brand of humor, mixing modern America with ancient Greece in a ridiculous and yet strangely believable way.
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