Books, books and more books - an update on all things bound

[featherynscale]

First off, I finished The Dark Tower sometime over the weekend, and still haven't quite recovered. I haven't been along for that ride as long as some, but I picked up The Gunslinger when I was a sophomore in high school, so that's...*churning* *processing* *calculating*... 12 or 13 years. And most of the thought related to the series in those 13 years has been along the lines of "You're just building up expectations which are no doubt going to be destroyed by your standard stupid King ending. It's all going to be for nothing." Surprisingly, this turned out not to be the case. There is a fairly standard moment of Stupid King Ending, but it's earlier in the book, and actually established as a plausible event (sort of) within the story, so it's fairly palatable. The actual endings, of which there are two, are pretty damned stunning. It ends the only way it could possibly end and still be satisfying, and King provides further ending material for those who Just Have To Go On. So, to my partners, and other folks who haven't made it to the Tower yet, keep going. It's worth it.

Second, I actually am going to make my 50 books this year with quite a bit to spare. I've finished 47 and am currently reading 2 more. So that's 49, and only one more to go. Had I been feeling more dramatic and less greedy, I'd have saved the Tower for 50. Oh well.

Third, I am in the middle of the second to newest Anita Blake book (mmm....Twinkies), and will soon be done with those as well. I've finished the Tower, I'm almost out of Blake, and I'm still waiting (oh so patiently) for George R.R. Martin's next. I need a new series or three. Any suggestions? Or hell, good books that don't come in a series (I mean, gods forbid I should read anything that isn't sci-fi/fantasy)?

Fourth, I am proud to announce that I am doing my part to keep our Kansas City Public Libraries in business, by dutifully checking out thousands of books at a time, and then failing to return them until I've piled up a substantial fee. I forgot to take my books back *again* today. Perhaps I will be smarter tomorrow. They say reading will do that for you.

EDIT: And rio_luna promised me her Diaspora religion reading list... *poke poke*

Comments

Re: electron trail

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

I've actually got a small stack downstairs of your recommendations as well - I didn't ever finish Mote in God's Eye, and I've also got The Gripping Hand, and something by Koontz the title of which I do not remember.

I'm sort of searching around for something that will not immediately offend my family when they see me carrying it off the plane. I think I'm going to opt for the Tesla bio.

Re: electron trail

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

Ahh, okay, didn't realize the point of this stage of the game. Let me think then... this?

Or perhaps something like the Tesla bio would be better.

Just so you know

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

You have problems.
Or you want me to have problems, one or the other or both.

Actually, that sounds like a fine book, and plane reading in view of the relatives is not the only reading I do.

Re: Just so you know

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

Convenient, since we own it.

Re: Just so you know

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Do we? I don't recall having seen it when I reorged the bookshelves, but then, there are a lot of books.

Re: Just so you know

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

That's because it's not on the shelves, but cleverly hidden under the antique table. kittenpants got it a few years ago, and it stayed disturbingly close to our bedside for a long while before we moved to the new house...no idea why it's out and about right now.

It's like a plushy sex-change book, or something...got a mind of its own.

Re: electron trail

[capriciouslass.livejournal.com]

How about this one? Carol recommended it highly.