The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
(The Hitchhiker's Trilogy #2) by Douglas AdamsRead: 12/15/08 (and also12/15/02-1/21/03)LibraryThing tags: Humor, Science Fiction
I don't think this one is quite as good as the first one. But it's still funny. Yes. I mean, after all, it's got the story of the Nutri-Matic and the tea. Oh, and it's got the story of Marvin and that huge (and "depressingly stupid") battle machine, one of my favorites.
This isn't so much a review as a let's-let-everyone-know-what-Marcy's-reading-these-days. Yes. I should tag it that way. Meh.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
(The Hitchhiker's Trilogy #1) by Douglas Adams
Read: 9/5/08-9/7/08 (and also 12/9/02-12/15/02)
LibraryThing tags: Humor, Science Fiction, Movie Inspiration, Sonderbook (click here for Sondy's review)
Let's laugh a bit now, shall we? Okay. Classic book. Read it if you like the more random and silly style of British humor (as opposed to the witty style, although there is some wit involved). Yep. And that's all I have to say about that.
As for quotes, first there's the classic:
“‘Arthur!’ he said, ‘this is fantastic! We’ve been picked up by a ship powered by the Infinite Improbability Drive! This is incredible! I heard rumors about it before! They were all officially denied, but they must have done it! They’ve built the Improbability Drive! Arthur, this is…Arthur? What’s happening?’
Arthur had jammed himself against the door to the cubicle, trying to hold it closed, but it was ill fitting. Tiny furry little hands were squeezing themselves through the cracks, their fingers were ink-stained; tiny voices chattered insanely.
Arthur looked up.
‘Ford!’ he said, ‘there’s an infinite number of monkeys outside who want to talk to us about this script for Hamlet they’ve worked out.’”
And then, although this is better with the longer context:
“Eventually, of course, after their Galaxy had been decimated over a few thousand years, it was realized that the whole thing had been a ghastly mistake, and so the two opposing battle fleets settled their few remaining differences in order to launch a joint attack on our own Galaxy—now positively identified as the source of the offending remark.
For thousands more years, the mighty ships tore across the empty wastes of space and finally dived screaming on to the first planet they came across—which happened to be the Earth—where due to a terrible miscalculation of scale the entire battle fleet was accidentally swallowed by a small dog.”
Graceling
by Kristin Cashore
Read: 12/4/08-12/6/08
LibraryThing tags: Fantasy, YA, Romance
I really really liked this book. It had a couple issues, but those were relatively minor things I'll discuss with you after you read it. It was beautifully done (like the cover), with intriguing characters and plot and a truly romantic romance, not one of those Sleepless in Seattle affairs where the couple never actually spends any time together.
You know how sometimes you figure things out long before the characters do, and then the author treats these simple, obvious things like they're big surprises? Well, I was quite impressed, because every time I figured such things out in this book, the characters figured it out very quickly after I did, and often some added surprise that I hadn't seen was thrown in as well. And then the plot moved forward, there were later twists as well... so on and so forth. Well done.
I had been eyeing this book for some time at work. Finally I looked closer, then started reading, then bought it. I justified the expense by saying I'd give it to Melanie for Christmas after I finished. Which is why this review is post-dated, so that it will pop up the day after Christmas. Enjoy, Melanie! Part of the jacket cover is spoiler free and gives a good description of where things stand at the beginning of the book: "In a world where people born with an extreme skill--called a Grace--are feared and exploited, Katsa carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing. She lives under the command of her uncle Randa, King of the Middluns, and is expected to execute his dirty work, punishing and torturing anyone who displeases him." Despite that, it's not at all a book with a dark, hopeless tone. It doesn't make light of the hard things in her life, but neither does it become bogged down in them.
Plus, I like the author's blog. http://www.kristincashore.blogspot.com/. More on that later, probably. I like it as much as Shannon Hale's, although it looks like I'm a little more likely to disagree with Kristin Cashore on a thing or two. I don't mind.
I updated all my amazon lists, and added one called "Christmas" which has some of the things I want the most on it. I don't particularly need books... I already have plenty, plus I can generally get them for pretty darn cheap at work. But there are a few novel related things I want very very much, and those are on that list. Also anything about the middle ages or fairy tales or Rumpelstiltskin in particular, including novel-length retellings, would be helpful. But don't get me Women in the Middle Ages or Life in a Medieval Castle or Spinning Straw into Gold or The Crimson Thread -- I already have those. I'll also want things on gypsies and on slavery for another book, just not Bury Me Standing or a book called Gypsies by Bart McDowell. Again, I have those. In general I want things to make my life more sane and productive... But I'll admit, there are some pretty intriguing things on those lists, especially the default list, which mostly has books I haven't read yet on it. As always, check my comments on an item before you buy it.
I read some Christmas poetry this year (11/27/08-12/1/08), because of SLOBS, although I didn't go to the meeting which discussed the poems. I can't do quite my typical review because I don't have a book of the poems, just a printout, which I will loan to you if you want. But I do want to find more by some of these poets. I particularly liked "Christmas Mourning" by Vassar Miller, "The Nativity of Christ" by Robert Southwell, and "Good Is the Flesh" by Brian Wren. I encourage you all, find some poetry this Christmas. Let yourself pause a moment for beauty and wonder.
"Gift better than Himself God does not know;
Gift better than his God no man can see.
This gift doth here the giver given bestow;
Gift to this gift let each receiver be.
God is my gift, himself he freely gave me;
God's gift am I, and none but God shall have me." -from "The Nativity of Christ," by Robert Southwell
No Plot? No Problem!: A Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days
by Chris Baty
Read: 9/26/08-11/30/08
LibraryThing tags: Writing, Humor
I had to give this book five stars because I wasn't just rating the book, but the entire concept and program. And it got me to write a novel, so there you go. Far better than The Weekend Novelist ever managed. I highly, highly recommend this book for anyone who so much as thinks it might be kind of fun to write a novel someday. It's all about the amateur effort. It works well for those who want it to be more than an amateur effort too, but it's a wonderful place to begin, regardless.
And it's light and encouraging and silly, with such helpful advice about the last week of the month as: "But make sure, when you're at the store, to pick up two bottles of champagne. If you are underage, you can pick up a champagne substitute, such as beer." and observations on the Inner Editor like: "Because this month, you'll leave your Inner Editor here with me at the fully licensed, board-certified No Plot? No Problem! Inner Editor Kennel -- where it can spend its days carping with other Inner Editors, happily pointing out typos in the newspaper and complaining about the numerous plot holes on daytime television. It will be very, very happy here."
The only reason I didn't read this book in one day is because I wasn't "allowed" to. There were sections specifically to read on the first week of the noveling month, or after finishing, or what-have-you. So I finished it as quickly as I could.
