Binge Reading
So, I have gone on somewhat of a book buying/book reading binge this month, which when I think about it, it isn't really all that different from any other week or month of the year. But this month I've added some really spectacular books to my ever-growing library.
First of all I grabbed up the latest offering from Canadian writing legend (and queen) Margaret Atwood, aptly named MaddAdam. If you haven't been following, it's the third in the series. I feel like I may have told you this already, but bear with me. I haven't stared to read it, mainly because I'm a little swamped with other books, but I eye it tenderly as it sits there on my bookshelf.
I also bought The Cuckoo's Calling, from the amazingly wonderous J.K. Rowling, though she writes this work under a different guise. There's a BUNCH of speculation abounding on the internet about why she chose to do this, but really ... who cares? If I were to speculate (and I will, though very briefly) I think it might have something to do with her last novel The Casual Vacancy. It had been her first novel aimed towards adults after her worldwide success with the Harry Potter novels, and I think a lot of people picked it up expecting it to either be set in the same universe as Harry Potter, or at the very least a little similar.
I assure you it is not. I did offer a small review of it after I was reading (which you can find here, if your interested), which admittedly does not do the book at the heavy subject matter any justice whatsoever. The fact that it was so different from Harry Potter disappointed a lot of readers I think, though if you take the time to read the book jacket you'll quickly understand that this all occurs in a very non-magical plane - no matter how desperately some characters (and readers) might wish it to be magical.
Anyway. Moving on.
I also picked up two Neil Gaiman works this week! The first is Make Good Art, which made it's way in to print after Neil gave the speech back in 2012 to a group of college graduates. The speech also has a floppity-gillon views on YouTube as well. I watched it again this morning after sharing it with a friend of mine. So, I have my own copy of it now.
I also picked up Neil's latest offering in children's books - though I hardly think you need to be a child to read it or enjoy it - Fortunately, The Milk. Again, I haven't started to read it just yet but I suspect that by week's end I will have. I'm not entirely sure about the entire premise of the story other then Dad has to go buy milk, and a whole series of things happens to me involving pirates, time travel, and dinosaurs. Australia may or may be replaced by a decorative plate with the aforementioned country on it.
And then ... THEN! Oh then ... I checked out Jason McIntyre's blog (follow the link on the side to be thrown, nay HEAVED in to a world of fandom) and discovered he's released another short story involving The Night Walk Men. I'm not going to spoil any of the details about who these Night Walk Men are, or what they do, or their purpose in being or anything of the sort ... but they're probably my most favorite group of characters outside of Dean Koontz' Odd Thomas, and Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys. This short story introduces a new Night Walk Man named Corinthian, and I bought it for my Kindle in a moment of pure fan girl bliss! I hope that at some point, all of Jason's e-books get collected in to one amazing paperback offering. It'd be awesome to have a collection that gathers all the Night Walk Men tales together, and a paper copy of The Devil's Right Hand - a Night Walk Men novel - all in one place, like my bookshelf.
Jason has also put out some other really great works outside of TNWM, and they're all very intense, very real reads that I loved. His SHED trilogy remains unknown to me (for the time being) but rest assured that they will all be collected.
I also picked up a copy of The Shining the week as well, by Stephen King. Purely by accident mind you, but I have found a solution to the problem! Vicki Trask - Aiden's Angel extraordinaire and fellow blogger - is putting together a surprise package, and it's quite possible that this will end up as part of that so it will eventually find it's way to a good home and library.
I think that's about all I've got for now. I've been hatching plans for most of the morning (and afternoon) on a different writing project and I have so many ideas floating about my head right now, that they need some serious sorting out, and if I'm lucky some slanted writing in lined paper with brightly colored ink!
First of all I grabbed up the latest offering from Canadian writing legend (and queen) Margaret Atwood, aptly named MaddAdam. If you haven't been following, it's the third in the series. I feel like I may have told you this already, but bear with me. I haven't stared to read it, mainly because I'm a little swamped with other books, but I eye it tenderly as it sits there on my bookshelf.
I also bought The Cuckoo's Calling, from the amazingly wonderous J.K. Rowling, though she writes this work under a different guise. There's a BUNCH of speculation abounding on the internet about why she chose to do this, but really ... who cares? If I were to speculate (and I will, though very briefly) I think it might have something to do with her last novel The Casual Vacancy. It had been her first novel aimed towards adults after her worldwide success with the Harry Potter novels, and I think a lot of people picked it up expecting it to either be set in the same universe as Harry Potter, or at the very least a little similar.
I assure you it is not. I did offer a small review of it after I was reading (which you can find here, if your interested), which admittedly does not do the book at the heavy subject matter any justice whatsoever. The fact that it was so different from Harry Potter disappointed a lot of readers I think, though if you take the time to read the book jacket you'll quickly understand that this all occurs in a very non-magical plane - no matter how desperately some characters (and readers) might wish it to be magical.
Anyway. Moving on.
I also picked up two Neil Gaiman works this week! The first is Make Good Art, which made it's way in to print after Neil gave the speech back in 2012 to a group of college graduates. The speech also has a floppity-gillon views on YouTube as well. I watched it again this morning after sharing it with a friend of mine. So, I have my own copy of it now.
I also picked up Neil's latest offering in children's books - though I hardly think you need to be a child to read it or enjoy it - Fortunately, The Milk. Again, I haven't started to read it just yet but I suspect that by week's end I will have. I'm not entirely sure about the entire premise of the story other then Dad has to go buy milk, and a whole series of things happens to me involving pirates, time travel, and dinosaurs. Australia may or may be replaced by a decorative plate with the aforementioned country on it.
And then ... THEN! Oh then ... I checked out Jason McIntyre's blog (follow the link on the side to be thrown, nay HEAVED in to a world of fandom) and discovered he's released another short story involving The Night Walk Men. I'm not going to spoil any of the details about who these Night Walk Men are, or what they do, or their purpose in being or anything of the sort ... but they're probably my most favorite group of characters outside of Dean Koontz' Odd Thomas, and Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys. This short story introduces a new Night Walk Man named Corinthian, and I bought it for my Kindle in a moment of pure fan girl bliss! I hope that at some point, all of Jason's e-books get collected in to one amazing paperback offering. It'd be awesome to have a collection that gathers all the Night Walk Men tales together, and a paper copy of The Devil's Right Hand - a Night Walk Men novel - all in one place, like my bookshelf.
Jason has also put out some other really great works outside of TNWM, and they're all very intense, very real reads that I loved. His SHED trilogy remains unknown to me (for the time being) but rest assured that they will all be collected.
I also picked up a copy of The Shining the week as well, by Stephen King. Purely by accident mind you, but I have found a solution to the problem! Vicki Trask - Aiden's Angel extraordinaire and fellow blogger - is putting together a surprise package, and it's quite possible that this will end up as part of that so it will eventually find it's way to a good home and library.
I think that's about all I've got for now. I've been hatching plans for most of the morning (and afternoon) on a different writing project and I have so many ideas floating about my head right now, that they need some serious sorting out, and if I'm lucky some slanted writing in lined paper with brightly colored ink!
Comments
Post a Comment