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

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*

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

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*