While She Knits

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

For those of you who may be new, While She Knits is a usually-on-a-Friday book discussion post where we talk about what we're reading while we wait (and wait and WAIT) for Megan's next book.  It hasn't happened much lately, but with some recent activity here it would be great to get it going again.

  idiosyncreant started the posts way back in 2007 and others picked it up later and no one has done it much lately.  To be honest, I'm pretty much out of new ideas.   Have ideas for future While She Knits posts?  Message me or just post it yourself some Friday.  Anyone chock full of ideas and interested in becoming the regular While She Knits poster?  You can look at past posts and questions by clicking on the tags-->while she knits to get an idea of what would be involved.  (There are also some terrific book recommendations there.)

I tried to remember how it got that knitting name and FINALLY found it.   This is fun.  :)  emerald_happy had this discussion with MWT:

I sent MWT an email joking about Nahuseresh being Sophos in disguise. Unfortunately, I forgot to edit it and it ended up quoting/writing this:"Willow: "Dear Ms. Turner, There is no need to go to the trouble of  writing a fourth Attolia book. We have everything figured out.  Nahuseresh is Sophos in disguise, Irene is pregnant, and Heiro is going to run off to marry Dite. Also, the magus and Eddis are going to hook up. Sincerely, Sounis

Ah, seriously though, less than a week til paperback KoA! SQUEE!  *cannot wait*"

I also forgot to edit out 'Willow'. I am so sorry, Willow. *offers copious amounts of ice cream* I sent MWT a hasty email when I'd realised saying:

ARGH. Um....i should have edited that a little before sending! we are looking forward to a 4th book! Please write one! Very very sorry. And that was also a cracky situation. um...we weren't being  serious

Emerald *takes Checkers' idiot icon*

She replied:

(subject line: knit one, purl two.) nope! sorry! too late.  You never get another book.  you never get to  read about the buffed up Sophos now.  I've decided to take up knitting. yes emerald, it's all your fault.

And now for the While She Knits question:  what are you reading?  Like it?  Hate it?  Feeling meh about it?  Discuss.

Comments

[tencups-i-swear.livejournal.com]

I'm reading One flew over the cuckoo's nest currently, for my English class, and I'm tossing up whether or not I like it or not.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

I loved that when I read it in high school but my memory of it now is that it was one of those books that played on emotions to make you think a certain way. Sort of, I dunno, manipulative? Maybe I'm only remembering how easily it manipulated *my* thinking back then.

[brandy-painter.livejournal.com]

I just read A Corner of White by Jaclyn Moriarty and LOVED it, but acknowledge it won't appeal to everyone.

I also recently enjoyed Jinx by Sage Blackwood, which fans of Diana Wynne Jones should definitely give a try.

I read Kiki Strike for the first time a couple weeks ago too and now know what all the fuss is about. I can't wait to read the other two.

I'm currently in between books having just DNFed That Time I Joined the Circus.

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Ow! Ow! WSK! The Master approves! :)

How about some themed posts? Like pirates, spies, and dancing bears oh my! Basically, favorite books that feature particular themes or tropes. So, favorite examples of Gender Bender, Luke, I Am Your Father, Crowning Moment of Awesome, and so on. Otherwise, there's always the classics. Favorite books of the year, favorite Gen-like characters, etc.

Alright, awesome books I've read lately.


Bad Girls Don't Die (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3678651-bad-girls-don-t-die)

Awesome, rebel-without-a-cause lead character, and if you don't mind some heavy Ju-on scare tactics, you'll love the horror packed thrill ride. Booktrailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36lBeqV7V00)


Team Human (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12640578-team-human)

Fo those of you looking for a (I CAN'T STOP LAUGHING) really good, highly tasteful parody on the Undying Love Genre. Also check out, The Vampire is Just Not That Into You. (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6362080-the-vampire-is-just-not-that-into-you)


Beautiful Creatures (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6304335-beautiful-creatures)

Can occasional feel long-winded (it is nearly 600 pages), but Hook-handed Thieves, is it worth it! Warning: may tear out your heart and step on it a few times. I also highly recommend the movie. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9rjhB7KWEc)


The Selection (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10507293-the-selection)

This book is so darn cheesy, but I couldn't help but enjoy it. Mostly romantic plot drive with a few political and class reform threads thrown in. (It's based on the story of Esther.) Steer clear if you don't have the stomach for love triangles and romantic drama. Like a spiny ride at the fair, you'll either enjoy the go around (like I did), or it will just make you sick. Booktrailer. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzYBBPjWIIU)


The Shifter (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6316125-the-shifter)

Everyone should read this book! Why have I not read this book sooner? Oh, the pain, the heartbreak, and I really needed a tissue. (And not only because I had the flu when i read this.) Also check out Touch of Power (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV9O3N1oUDc) for a similar read.


Inside Out (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7059135-inside-out)

Very original dystopian, scifi with a twisty, peril heavy plot that keeps you on your toes. Highly detailed world building involves the reader into the story. Booktrailer. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFymddB9-7Q)

[elvenjaneite.livejournal.com]

LOVE Team Human! :D

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Epp! LJ marked my comment as spam. ): Unlock, please?

Thank you, Checks! :)

[lizzyazula.livejournal.com]

I'm reading The Glassmakers Daughter by V. Briceland, a title I saw a few times in other While She Knits posts. It's not really captivating me at the moment, but hopefully it will improve upon acquaintance? I did just reread a host of dwj books though, and anything after that is bound to be some sort of let down.

[rosaleeluann.livejournal.com]

Haven't had a whole lot of reading time lately, but I did read Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson a couple weeks ago. I liked it alot, but didn't absolutely love it. Very interesting magic system and world, characters were good but not great. I'm about a hundred pages into the sequel and stopped there, not because I'm not interested, but because I've been insanely busy getting ready for my final show... which will go up Tuesday, and then I might have time to read again.

But the nice thing about art homework is that at you can watch/listen to stuff at the same time without it making you totally ineffective (though I admit that it reduces effectiveness a LITTLE bit.) So I've been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer while painting. Now I finally get all the references people make to it. It's kinda hilarious too--the clothes are very 90s, the computers are huge, not to mention the phones, and also no cell phones so sometimes I'm like "JUST CALL HIM YOU--oh wait. Oh yeah. You poor souls." Haha. Anyway. I think Buffy is there with Mistborn in the "like it alot but don't quite love it" category. Which is part of why I CAN do homework while "watching" it, ha.

[rosaleeluann.livejournal.com]

Oh, and as far as WSK goes, I think themes are nice but not always necessary. I really enjoy the "what're you reading and what do you think of it" posts as much as themed ones.

A few ideas for themes--

A book you were surprised to like/dislike and why
Books that are very different from what you normally read that you love anyway
Books with unusual/unique settings (like our favorites :-)

Thats all I've got at the moment.

[manderelee.livejournal.com]

I WEEP AT THIS POST!!

...because I haven't read anything!!! Except textbooks and printouts and more textbooks and more printouts. T__T My profs have no mercy.

Ok, well maybe that's a bit of a lie. I did manage to sneak to the library and checkout a couple of books, but I've been so busy, that I hardly get through a third before the 3 weeks expire and I have to return them. Most of them were children's books like Artemis Fowl, The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy, and a book that Megan Whalen Turner has recently reviewed - Passion Blue by Victoria Strauss. But I never even got halfway through them.

I really like the typical WSK post, where we just talk about the books we've recently read. I like to look up books this way, and add any thing interesting on my TBR pile in Goodreads. Though I don't know how I'll even be able to make my way through the pile. OTL

Though one thing I've always wondered about is people's opinions on Sounisian recommended books. It's always been a 50/50 for me; some books I absolutely adore, and some books I can't even get through to the end. Maybe one time, we could do a WSK post about Sounisian recced books and if people liked the ones they tried and why.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I felt the same way about Divergent the first time I read it, but the second book, Insurgent, does a pretty good job of explaining why the society is that way. (Hint: It's not the reason you might think.) I'm kind of glad I gave them another chance, even though I did so only because I thought my 12 year-old son would like them and I was looking for a new read-aloud.

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

heh. heh. Well, we all know what I'VE been reading lately. :)

[live-momma.livejournal.com]

I'm reading Devil's Bride, and it's terrible! It's not badly written, it's just a horrible plot with characters that I want to stab. The main character is a strong female because she considers defying the asshat alpha male "hero". She doesn't actually DO so, but he can tell she's thinking about it, which no one has ever done before, so he's impressed. O.o I keep thinking she'd be better off with the villain! Oh, and it's supposed to be a murder mystery, except it's totally obvious who dun it. If only he'd succeeded in killing the hero as he originally intended, this book would be sooo much better.

I just finished Angels of Darkness, which was much better. Ilona Andrews is always fun to read, and Sharon Shinn's contribution wasn't half bad (if you liked her Samaria series, you'll like this story).

[mairelon.livejournal.com]

I just finished reading the latest Artemis Fowl book, which I found rather disappointing, especially compared to the earlier books in the series.

I'm currently re-reading Mara, Daughter of the Nile for the tenth time. I highly recommend this, especially if you like spies and romance in ancient Egypt!

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

Me too re the AF finale, Mairelon. It felt a bit rushed and muddled to me, and I was disappointed by the lack of any progress or resolution in a Certain Relationship which was, uh, basically my main reason for reading the series.

I will have to check out Mara now! I love spies.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

I just finished reading Susanna Kearsley's The Splendour Falls, which hit all the same satisfying buttons for me as Mary Stewart's suspense novels -- gorgeously described contemporary real-world settings (in this case Chinon, France), engaging and diverse characters, a historical angle, a twist of murder, plenty of red herrings, and a just-enough-not-too-much dash of romance. I've got two more of hers coming in the post and I look forward to them.

[elvenjaneite.livejournal.com]

Re-reading The Rook by Daniel O'Malley at the moment--cool adult fantasy, set in London. Also TRYING to re-read Ballet Shoes, because I <3 Noel Streatfeild, and also Melissa Wiley is doing a discussion at her blog. And The Cultural Atlas of Spain and Portugal, because of reasons.

[emerald-happy.livejournal.com]

LOL. *facepalms* I totally forgot about that. ALL MY FAULT. XD

I'm reading a story the boy lent me called Door into Summer by Robert Heinlein. It starts with a cat who keeps trying all of 11 doors in a house in the hope one door will lead to summer and not crappy snowy winter cold. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand that's as far as I got so far.

I reread Heyer's Frederica and other than that I've been hunting down every DWJ book I can get my paws on. I read Chrestomanci in order finally and got frustrated by Charmain in HOMY again sigh.

[willow-41z.livejournal.com]

I'd forgotten that too.

Reprobates need good memories!

[booksrgood4u.livejournal.com]

Yay! WSK rocks!! So, after reading 28 books last year, this year is looking to be about quality instead of quantity. I'm not reading anything right now, because I as rather swamped in schoolwork, including an essay due on Easter Sunday (What's up with that?)

However! I read two utterly amazing books from uterrly amazing series already this year...
Scarlet, The Lunar Chronicles, Book 2 by Marissa Meyer - This is a great series. They're more than your average fairytale retellings. Thye just give new life to stories we've heard over and over again. So even if you think you're not into post-modern, high-tech-y worlds with robots and cyborgs, give this series a try anyway.

And also, The Spirit War, The Legend of Eli Monpress, Book 4 by Rachel Aaron, which I have been waiting to read for 9 WHOLE MONTHS! You all are probably tired of hearing me talk about this series, but it is really entertaining and a good choice for QT fans. And I shall stop now. I promise.

Also finished up the Riyria Revelations (michael SUllivan) and read Wither (Lauren DeStefano). I wasn't really a fan of Wither, but the cover gave me some inspiration for one of my Graphic Design homework projects. So I'll reserve final judgement until Tuesday when my teacher sees it.....If he likes it than the read was worth it XD

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Who has homework due on Easter? Slave drivers! XD

I'm a bit surprised you read Wither, but not too surprised you didn't enjoy it. The Chemical Garden Trilogy is one of my favorite series, but there is a definite icky factor in regards to the subject matter that can turn people off. However, I did feel that DeStefano handled the subject of polygamy rather tastefully when all is considered, and her writing is so beautifully structured and touching. Plus, I do love Rhine and her brother.

[tiegirl.livejournal.com]

Lol, Em! Way to go!

Also, also: I finally read Code Name Verity and I can't recommend it enough. No one (except my brother) around here will read my recs, and this book IS SO GOOD. it falls in the category of books I wouldn't normally pick up, but man am I glad I did. "Kiss me, Hardy, kiss me quick!" Just keeps popping into my head at odd times, months after I finished the book.

Right now I'm reading Robin Hobbs' (sp?) Soldier Son series and am finding it slow going. I loved her Assassin's Apprentice series, so I'll keep going with this one.

Hi, everyone! It's so nice to "see" everyone here!

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

FLY THE PLANE, MADDIE.

*sobs*

I read it, it is WONDERFUL. One of the best books I read last year. (The other best book I read was A Face Like Glass, by Frances Hardinge.)

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Here are some things I've read since the first of the year:

Ruins by Orson Scott Card, second in the series after Pathfinder. I liked it; didn't love it because of all the angsty self-introspection the characters were always going through, but the time travel stuff is done very well.

Son, the final book after The Giver. Good, better than the others in the series.

Reached by Allie Condie, last in the Matched trilogy. I liked the way she got out of changing-the-entire-world, but it seemed a little too small and self-contained for an epic ending.

Bitterblue, last book after Graceling and Fire. Liked it a lot but, once again, it just didn't seem big and sprawling enough to end it all. I think she did an excellent job of bringing the reader back up to speed without having to reread the other books, which must be tough to do.

Requiem; last book in the Delirium trilogy. Liked it.

Keeping the Castle by Kindl; loved this. A middle grade version of Pride and Prejudice and a lot of fun.

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde--delightful! Reminded me a lot of DWJ's books. I am KICKING MYSELF because I had the chance to have the author at my school for free a few months ago but had to pass because of being off work that week due to family issues. At that time, I had no idea how lovely his book is.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Oh! Also, they are yarn bombing my downtown , which has been fun to see!

[queenofattolia.livejournal.com]

Just started reading Ben Aaronovitch's Peter Grant series: Rivers of London, Moon Over Soho and Whispers Underground. People keep describing it as an adult Harry Potter-ish series, but it has a lot more in common with the television series Lewis or even Doctor Who (probably because Aaronovitch has written a ton of DW novels). It's a continuing police procedural with magic, supernatural beings and wizards, and it's so British it makes my teeth hurt. Really, if you miss London, it will make you want to return there even more than Sherlock.

As I read these books I keep picturing David Tennant as Chief Inspector Nightingale and Ukweli Roach as Constable Grant, so there's that. Fun.

Also, for those of you still reading traditional urban fantasy [g], Patricia Briggs' new Mercy Thompson novel Frost Burned is a cracker, even if it is a little facile in the end.

[beth-shulman.livejournal.com]

Bookshelves of Doom hosted an Elizabeth Peters week, so basically I have been reading ALL THE ELIZABETH PETERS recently. And you know what? They're hilarious. Not great literature, but FUN, FUN reading - they're mysteries/thrillers with a lot of tongue-in-cheek literary references and general outrageousness.

I've also been rereading Lloyd Alexander, and I'd forgotten how nearly perfect the Prydain Chronicles are. I need to give the books to my younger cousin.

And I just finished reading the Touchstone series by Andrea K. Host, and while there are a lot of typos and grammar errors (it's self-published), overall I thought it was a really strong series.

[madclairvoyant.livejournal.com]

I am reading the Howl series, and I watched the anime too. It is quite hilarious, and my favourite one is House of Many Ways. Just imagine the chaos that a 6 year old 'Twinkle' and a 2 year old Morgan can cause. I pity Sophie. Coincidentally, my friend and I were babysitting the other day, albeit quite unwillingly. She claims to be allergic to children, and if the children were like our dear Twinkle, she would break out in hives and cry in a corner. I wonder what will happen to someone who is drafted to babysit Howl and Gen as children.

P.S. Slightly off topic, I noticed that the Wife of Bath's fifth husband is called Jankyn, and he sort of used the same ways against the Wife of Bath as she used against her previous husbands. Is it just me, or does it sound suspiciously like Howl's surname, Jenkins, and Howl is known to eat the hearts of young girls...

[hazelwillow.livejournal.com]

I just started The Lady and the Unicorn by Tracy Chevalier. I'm only on the second chapter so I'm not totally hooked yet, but it seems good.

Before that I re-read the King of Attolia!

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

I just finished a book that was fantastic--best book of the year for me, so far. It's A Brief History of Montmaray by Michelle Cooper. Megan recommended it to me some while back, and it's sort of like historical fiction with a made-up setting of a tiny island between England, France, and Spain and the family that lives there in 1936. Lovely writing, funny, and terribly suspenseful. It reminded me a bit of I Capture the Castle. There are two sequels, which I'll dash to the library to get. You can read a little more about it, without spoilers, at the author's site (http://www.michellecooper-writer.com/montmaray.html).

[elle-winters.livejournal.com]

I always love going through these posts when I'm on break, I get all my recommendations from you guys right here!

And WAY TO GO EM! Now we know who to REALLY blame for the books coming out so late!

El

[(Anonymous)]

Recent reads that I enjoyed enough to recommend to you all, and that fit the ethos (zeitgeist?) around here:

Splendors and Glooms, by Laura Amy Schlitz --Victorian Gothic sort of mystery fantasy with a Dickensian flair, distinct voice, and well-developed characters. At or near the top of my list of favorite books read so far this year.

Entwined, by Heather Dixon and The Princess Curse, by Merrie Haskell. Both are based on the fairy tale "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," the first being a straightforward retelling and the latter from the POV of a servant (rather than princess or suitor) and a bit twistier. I enjoyed both, but I think The Princess Curse may be my favorite of the several retellings of tTDP that I've read. Ignore the cartoony cover, it doesn't do the book justice.

For Darkness Shows the Stars, by Diana Peterfreund --A futuristic semi-sci-fi/steampunk retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion.

Knight's Castle, by Edward Eager --Children's story; clever and funny; modern (i.e., 1950s) kids travel to land of Ivanhoe and Robin Hood, sort of. And Ivanhoe gets Rebekah, haha.

[(Anonymous)]

That was me, Handmaiden. I forgot to add that before posting.