I thought I'd read pretty much all of hers, but that one I haven't. Her settings generally are brilliant.
I love that scene where Eowyn and Merry slay the Lord of the Nazgul in all his pride. Neither of them are "men"--- sorry about that, turkey!
I got partway through one of the last Tommy and Tuppence books and couldn't go on, it scared me so much. Not because of the plot, but because it was so clear that Miss Christie in her old age was losing it. The story was all over the place, all irrelevant blind alleys and loose ends. As someone who ain't that young herself anymore, that worries me. I've got at least four more books I want to write before I shuffle off this mortal coil, but how much longer do I have before my work goes off the rails like that T & T story?
I agree. I wrote 8 books on the trot (including critiquing and editing) in about 3-4 years, before running into a blank wall. =( Made a few false starts, gave up, tried again, gave up. I only got started on my current WIP last May, and finding it slow going. (The knock on the head I got in October, with accompanying whiplash injuries, probably didn't help much). I'm persevering. The outline and beat sheet took it out of me, and my last two chapters went through 4-5 drafts. The current one? Only 3. Yay, progress?
I’m a few chapters into Mervyn Peake’s Titus Groan, and as a result I’ve learned where a certain — though I surmise no longer active — forum member got their username. So far it’s been an engrossing and especially atmospheric read. Very gothic. Very unique. It’s early, but I’m impressed.
I loved this, and Gormenghast, and I've got Titus Alone waiting on my shelf to read eventually. Such an odd, beautiful bit of story. Currently reading: The Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan. I'm determined to finish it before the end of the year. I also recently read Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate. Heartbreaking, but well told
Every once in a while, I defy my better judgement and queue up a short story collection, forgetting, or at least ignoring, the fact that I don't enjoy most of them. Still, sometimes it pays off, and Peter Clines's Dead Men Can't Complain and Other Stories (2017) was a rare treat. Most of the stories weren't quite as captivating as his better novels, but the majority featured everything I love about good shorts: unique and clever premises, quick pacing and satisfying payoffs. I only wish there had been more. 4 stars. I decided to let my luck ride and jumped into another collection, The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson (1949.) I read "The Lottery" in an English class somewhere around the sixth grade and it really stuck with me. I'd read "The Tell-tale Heart" and "The Monkey's Paw" and other scary stuff as a kid, but this was dark in an entirely different way. It was less fantastical and yet somehow more demented. I loved it. A few years ago, I read two Shirley Jackson novels: The Haunting of Hill House and We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Both were brilliant, and between those and "The Lottery," I was sure I'd fancy this collection. I did not. It seemed like every story was more boring and pointless than the last. The prose was top notch and all that, but the stories weren't terribly interesting, and most just ended without a resolution. I was so bored. I heard 25 shorts, and I honestly thought the titular story was the only one worth the time I invested (about 8 hours.) 2 Stars.
I am Rebel by Ross Montgomery - Paperback I am sucker for a good book cover. This book is critically well received and apparently successful (aren't they all). I chose this book as my WIP is about a dog too. So it is about a dog named Rebel and its strong bond with its young owner Tom. There is a war and Rebel defines himself by the end of the book. I am a quarter way through and I can't complain. It is well written from the point of view of Rebel and as you may expect the dog sees things in a simplistic way which allows even complex scenarios to be explained simply. As any dog owner understands, dogs switch between positive, stressed, and usually energetic and docile states; Rebel fits the bill and is consistent with the average dog imo. However, I think the writer has possibly missed a trick here by not choosing a charismatic breed? I will be able to judge better by the end of the book... The story itself is told in a traditional way and is a little dull. Well it is a children's book so maybe that is why? Sometimes these plain books can be adapted into films. It wouldn't surprise me if it is as there is certainly room for another creative to adapt and embellish this story. Conclusion: Just a nice story about a dog and its owner. I don't regret buying it but not thrilled but I do keep turning pages. Maybe its a bit like Cold Play, dull as dishwater the first time you listen but in the end you get hooked, even if your a little resentful. Not a classic but a well written book so far that I will be sure to finish.
