While She Knits: February Blahs
Feb. 7th, 2014 08:50 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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queensthiefAre you between books, and just can't seem to find something you really want to read? Are the books you have just not working for you right now? Do you need suggestions for your To Be Read list, and NOW?
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sounis can help. Tell us what you need to beat those February Polar Vortex Blahs.
sounis can help. Tell us what you need to beat those February Polar Vortex Blahs.
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Date: 2/8/14 01:56 am (UTC)Ok, here's my problem. I need something really good to read, but it can't involve murdered cats. The last two books I've started have, coincidentally, had cats killed in the first few chapters. I just can't *do* dead cats right now, I don't care if you ARE Neil Gaiman. So, here's what I need right now:
Escapist fare, or
Something fantasy-ish, with characters and a story line similar to Queen's Thief, or the Farsala books, or the Eli Monpress series
Help me,
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Date: 2/8/14 02:01 am (UTC)Seconding this request!!!
Also, I'm actually reading 2 really good books right now: Seraphina and The Way of Kings, but I just haven't had time to pursue my reading, because of school.
Still, they're lacking a bit on the Monpress-y side, even if they've got the politics flavour that I like.
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Date: 2/8/14 12:57 pm (UTC)Hope you enjoy, and find something good.
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Date: 2/9/14 02:50 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2/9/14 04:08 am (UTC)You might like the Shatter Me series. It has its sappy moments, but it gets extra bonus points for having awesome covers.
Booktrailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT1KL-wmNyU)
I loved it. Check out my Year of 100 Books (http://ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com/23785.html) post for a review. I also think you'd like...
Booktrailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36lBeqV7V00)
Booktrailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXrMAFGWyuE)
Booktrailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV9O3N1oUDc)
Booktrailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFymddB9-7Q)
For an extra special bonus! A book with cats in which no cats die at all!
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Date: 2/11/14 04:32 pm (UTC)The Knight and Rogue series by Hilari Bell is also very enjoyable. Fisk, the titular rogue, is very entertaining.
And can someone clue me in on the 'while she knits' joke? I'm lost.
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Date: 2/8/14 08:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2/8/14 09:45 pm (UTC)I'd also recommend N. D. Wilson's Ashtown Burials series, though I don't think that quite fits your description...
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Date: 2/9/14 01:18 am (UTC)One summer I read Joan Vinge's Cat series--Psion, Catspaw, Dreamfall. They may be a bit hard to find, but very good.
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Date: 2/8/14 11:54 pm (UTC)I just finished the first book of his new series -- it's called The Screaming Staircase, and it's great fun. No dead cats at all! Teenage ghost hunters, with a rather Sherlockian vibe -- I loved it!
I also just read a middle grade fantasy by Karen Foxlee called Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy, which is a pretty amazing Snow Queen retelling. I fear that this one actually does have dead cats, of the large and dangerous variety (lions, snow leopards and such). But you don't actually see any of them die. They are museum exhibits that come to life periodically and then retreat to their cases in an unsettling and unpredictable way. But perhaps that would not suit you? Too many cats, or too dead? I do recommend the book, though!
Last week, I read Rachel Neumeier's Floating Islands, which I actually thought was wonderful -- better than I expected (and it was well reviewed, so I thought it might be good).
Right now, I have a hold on the third book of Veronica Rossi's trilogy, which I am expecting will be amazing.
(So much better than Veronica Roth's. I was going to edit that out, but I won't! I really didn't enjoy Divergent or its sequels.)And, if you should happen to be in the mood for something more realistic… today I (finally!) read Tanita Davis's A La Carte, at Elizabeth Wein's recommendation, and I loved it!
Or, if you'd like something with a real, live cat in it (a book, I mean, not your house!), I also just read James Bowen's The World According to Bob, and I loved that, too! (Better than the first one, imo).
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Date: 2/9/14 01:14 am (UTC)I've heard good things about Floating Islands.
And totally agree about Divergent. Couldn't even pick up the second book.A cat book where the cat lives. Sounds perfect.
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Date: 2/9/14 02:50 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2/19/14 06:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2/9/14 07:15 pm (UTC)Get thee to a bookstore and pick up Rosamund Hodge's Cruel Beauty. I read the book in one sitting on the release day and then blathered about it all over Twitter because I loved it so much. Now I'm just kicking myself that I bought the e-book instead of a physical copy.
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Date: 2/10/14 06:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2/11/14 04:31 am (UTC)Would Checks be so kind as to unlock our comments? Please and thank you! :) And is there anyway to whitelist certain sites for the community? I like to link to YouTube and Goodreads when I give recs.
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Date: 2/15/14 01:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2/10/14 06:32 am (UTC)Chex, I would pass on my non-fiction recs but I recall that you're not so much into non-fic (plus, that probably doesn't fit the 'light' bill:). However, I'm always happy to recommend anything by N.K. Jemisin. She's a great fantasy writer.
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Date: 2/12/14 02:58 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2/13/14 01:48 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2/15/14 07:44 pm (UTC)But also, I would again like to plug Amanda McCrina's His Own Good Sword an historical fantasy based on ancient Rome. And, if you'd like to give mysteries a try, the Medicus series by Ruth Downie. Hope this helps!
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Date: 2/15/14 07:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2/17/14 07:03 am (UTC)New fantasy releases that I enjoyed:
The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley. Focuses on the three children of a murdered emperor. Really well written for a debut.
Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan. Not as well written but the abilities/magic were amazing and reminiscent of wheel of time. Basically, main character is a sniper fighting ridiculously powerful mages.
The Riyria series by michael sullivan. Again not the greatest but a story with male friendship/duo as the central relationship is fairly rare, & I enjoyed it in this story (only rarer thing would be a story with friendship between two women - if someone can recommend me something with a female duo, please do!)
epic fantasy seems to be dominated by the guys :S gonna check out this cruel beauty book though :D
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Date: 2/19/14 06:37 am (UTC)(no subject)
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