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July booklist
Making up for the tiny month of June, I guess. Read lots, saw lots of movies, and generally got to relax this month. Can't wait for the insanity that is August.
Books:
* The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay - now, my fantasy-reading friends have been trying to get me to read this for years, but I was intimidated by the size of the thing (it's three books in one) and the whole "people transported from the modern world into a parallel fantasy universe" cliché. Having read other books by Kay, however, I finally screwed up my courage and dived in. This is one reason why my booklist was so small and sad for June - I picked this up sometime around mid-June and didn't put it down for a few weeks. I lugged it around, day after day, because I couldn't bear to leave it behind. All I can say is: read it. I prefer it to George R.R. Martin, who I find flighty and scattered (though good); I definitely prefer it to Robert Jordan, who I can't even get through for sheer frustration. Pick it up, slog through the first 100 or so pages (because let's be honest, Kay can be pretty damn scattered too, and those pages are not his best), and let the story transport you.
* The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan - I took a fantasy break and headed for something cultural and "classic". I thoroughly enjoyed the story, though I did have some trouble keeping the characters straight in my head.
* Guide to the Etruscan and Roman Worlds at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology by Donald White, etc. - research book detailing the collections on display at the Penn Museum
* Pegasus by Robin Mckinley - I was hesitant to try this one, but it was recommended and I've enjoyed some of McKinley's work before, so I gave it a try. It was very light, very fluffy, with some good bones... and a surprise cliffhanger ending. Grr.
* China's First Emperor and His Terracotta Warriors by Frances Wood - I found this quite disorganized and was disappointed to find it actually spoke very little about the terracotta warriors themselves, detailing instead the First Emperor's life and political career over and over, covering the same ground repeatedly.
* Naked City edited by Ellen Datlow - short story collection (which I'm not usually a fan of) that contained enough good authors to catch my eye, and introduced me to two fantastic new authors that I will now be actively trying to find.
* Bitten by Kelley Armstrong (reread)
* Stolen by Kelley Armstrong (reread)
* Broken by Kelley Armstrong (reread)
* Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong (reread)
Movies:
* Eat Pray Love (2010) - after all the hype about the book, I figured I should at least make an effort. This movie rubbed me the wrong way right from the start, from the "if your life sucks, just give up on it and start over" premise to the endless searching and happy ending. This is why I avoid popular things.
* Ouran High School Host Club (2006) - okay, technically not a movie, but I did watch the entire series in about a week, so it should count. It's ridiculous and silly and absolutely wonderful.
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1) (2010) - I finally sat down and watched this, in a prelude to...
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) (2011) - I enjoyed it. I was frustrated by the first part, since it was all just setup and "let's go here! no, wait, over there!", but I found this was a good ending to the franchise. And I didn't hate the epilogue nearly as much in the movie as I did in the book.
* The King's Speech (2010) - I hesitated a long time before watching this, for the simple reason that this hits close to home. I found the story itself to be well thought out and beautifully filmed, amazingly acted, and the character interaction was very well done. The end result, however, was one I found a little misleading and overly optimistic - I felt like it was saying "everyone can be fixed, just keep trying!". I'm glad this movie was made, but I don't necessarily agree with the end message.
Museums 'n Stuff:
* Hidden Treasures from the Bytown (Bytown Museum, Ottawa) - we got a complimentary tour of the Bytown when we went for our volunteer day orientation. The exhibit is small and unassuming, with few artifacts or information presented. The material itself is quite beautiful and rare, however I'm glad I didn't make the trip just for this exhibit.
Books:
* The Fionavar Tapestry by Guy Gavriel Kay - now, my fantasy-reading friends have been trying to get me to read this for years, but I was intimidated by the size of the thing (it's three books in one) and the whole "people transported from the modern world into a parallel fantasy universe" cliché. Having read other books by Kay, however, I finally screwed up my courage and dived in. This is one reason why my booklist was so small and sad for June - I picked this up sometime around mid-June and didn't put it down for a few weeks. I lugged it around, day after day, because I couldn't bear to leave it behind. All I can say is: read it. I prefer it to George R.R. Martin, who I find flighty and scattered (though good); I definitely prefer it to Robert Jordan, who I can't even get through for sheer frustration. Pick it up, slog through the first 100 or so pages (because let's be honest, Kay can be pretty damn scattered too, and those pages are not his best), and let the story transport you.
* The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan - I took a fantasy break and headed for something cultural and "classic". I thoroughly enjoyed the story, though I did have some trouble keeping the characters straight in my head.
* Guide to the Etruscan and Roman Worlds at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology by Donald White, etc. - research book detailing the collections on display at the Penn Museum
* Pegasus by Robin Mckinley - I was hesitant to try this one, but it was recommended and I've enjoyed some of McKinley's work before, so I gave it a try. It was very light, very fluffy, with some good bones... and a surprise cliffhanger ending. Grr.
* China's First Emperor and His Terracotta Warriors by Frances Wood - I found this quite disorganized and was disappointed to find it actually spoke very little about the terracotta warriors themselves, detailing instead the First Emperor's life and political career over and over, covering the same ground repeatedly.
* Naked City edited by Ellen Datlow - short story collection (which I'm not usually a fan of) that contained enough good authors to catch my eye, and introduced me to two fantastic new authors that I will now be actively trying to find.
* Bitten by Kelley Armstrong (reread)
* Stolen by Kelley Armstrong (reread)
* Broken by Kelley Armstrong (reread)
* Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong (reread)
Movies:
* Eat Pray Love (2010) - after all the hype about the book, I figured I should at least make an effort. This movie rubbed me the wrong way right from the start, from the "if your life sucks, just give up on it and start over" premise to the endless searching and happy ending. This is why I avoid popular things.
* Ouran High School Host Club (2006) - okay, technically not a movie, but I did watch the entire series in about a week, so it should count. It's ridiculous and silly and absolutely wonderful.
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1) (2010) - I finally sat down and watched this, in a prelude to...
* Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) (2011) - I enjoyed it. I was frustrated by the first part, since it was all just setup and "let's go here! no, wait, over there!", but I found this was a good ending to the franchise. And I didn't hate the epilogue nearly as much in the movie as I did in the book.
* The King's Speech (2010) - I hesitated a long time before watching this, for the simple reason that this hits close to home. I found the story itself to be well thought out and beautifully filmed, amazingly acted, and the character interaction was very well done. The end result, however, was one I found a little misleading and overly optimistic - I felt like it was saying "everyone can be fixed, just keep trying!". I'm glad this movie was made, but I don't necessarily agree with the end message.
Museums 'n Stuff:
* Hidden Treasures from the Bytown (Bytown Museum, Ottawa) - we got a complimentary tour of the Bytown when we went for our volunteer day orientation. The exhibit is small and unassuming, with few artifacts or information presented. The material itself is quite beautiful and rare, however I'm glad I didn't make the trip just for this exhibit.