from one extreme to another
Nov. 25th, 2006 09:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
violaceaRead two books in the past two days, and let me tell you, I hit both extremes on the fluff scale.
1) Only Human, by Gareth Roberts. Doctor Who tie in novel, Nine and Rose and Jack era. I was entertained - the writing style was ATROCIOUS, but the plot was fun and the characters all behaved like they should. It read like it could have been an episode, if they had enough budget to do it. So, while I spent parts of the books wondering precisely how one gets a book contract with the BBC, because the standards can't be that rigorous, I enjoyed it enough to possibly pick up another tie-in novel. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't already madly obsessed with DW, though.
But, like I said, everyone was in character, which goes a long way. In the current Torchwood mode, I was struck by a bit at the end, from Jack's data-record. (He's been stuck in 21st century London without the Doctor and Rose for a while.) "Peacetime is a bit freaky. Everyone here ... has that deadly combination of contentment and ennui. Without the flavour of danger, without the constant lurking threat of death, life's one, long slow afternoon watching VH1 Smooth." If that doesn't explain just about everything about Jack in Torchwood, I don't know what does.
2) Singer of Souls, by Adam Stemple. Very good book. A real page-turner - I picked it up at dinner last night, intending to read a chapter or two before getting back to writing, but didn't put it back down until it was done. If dark stories about Faerie are your thing, I highly recommend it. But, as a warning, there's a bit in the story that refers to Scottish faerie tales never ending well, and that's foreshadowing. Dark ending, dark dark ending, the darkest I've read recently. Make sure you're in the proper frame of mind before reading it, because it hits hard. In a good way, though, one that makes you think.
So, yes, slowly working my way through my gigantic TBR pile. Not sure what to go to next! So, because I'm bored, maybe I'll create a poll ... behind the cut, tell me what I should read next!
[Poll #875075]
1) Only Human, by Gareth Roberts. Doctor Who tie in novel, Nine and Rose and Jack era. I was entertained - the writing style was ATROCIOUS, but the plot was fun and the characters all behaved like they should. It read like it could have been an episode, if they had enough budget to do it. So, while I spent parts of the books wondering precisely how one gets a book contract with the BBC, because the standards can't be that rigorous, I enjoyed it enough to possibly pick up another tie-in novel. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone who isn't already madly obsessed with DW, though.
But, like I said, everyone was in character, which goes a long way. In the current Torchwood mode, I was struck by a bit at the end, from Jack's data-record. (He's been stuck in 21st century London without the Doctor and Rose for a while.) "Peacetime is a bit freaky. Everyone here ... has that deadly combination of contentment and ennui. Without the flavour of danger, without the constant lurking threat of death, life's one, long slow afternoon watching VH1 Smooth." If that doesn't explain just about everything about Jack in Torchwood, I don't know what does.
2) Singer of Souls, by Adam Stemple. Very good book. A real page-turner - I picked it up at dinner last night, intending to read a chapter or two before getting back to writing, but didn't put it back down until it was done. If dark stories about Faerie are your thing, I highly recommend it. But, as a warning, there's a bit in the story that refers to Scottish faerie tales never ending well, and that's foreshadowing. Dark ending, dark dark ending, the darkest I've read recently. Make sure you're in the proper frame of mind before reading it, because it hits hard. In a good way, though, one that makes you think.
So, yes, slowly working my way through my gigantic TBR pile. Not sure what to go to next! So, because I'm bored, maybe I'll create a poll ... behind the cut, tell me what I should read next!
[Poll #875075]
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-11-25 05:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-25 05:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-25 11:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-11-27 05:14 am (UTC)However, I do have two recommendations:
1) Disappearing Nightly by Laura Resnick. Absolutely hilarious urban fantasy. Very, very good and very funny.
2) Ivy Cole and the Moon by Gina Farago. Set in my neck of the woods, it's a dark story about a female werewolf. I'm thoroughly enjoying so far, and the woman knows the Blue Ridge Mountains.