Fringeous Interruptous...

Because of the Fringe it took me awhile to finish J.D. Robb's Strangers in Death. I am done now and I have started Angie Sage's Queste (one of the Septimus Heap books). This is a series that I think should be read more. I find it well written and I like the characters (or don't like them, as you are supposed to). There are many book series out there trying to be the next Harry Potter series. It is hard to understand why some are successful and some are not. What is the allure of the Potter books compared to the Artemis Fowl or Septimus Heap series? Is it the fact that EVERYONE is reading them so there is that 'community of readership'? That is the same reason for Book Clubs. You not only want to read the books, but you want to have the shared experience with other.

More Vampires...

The Front was a very quick read. It was okay, but I prefer the Scarpetta books. I am now reading New Moon, the book that follows Twilight. Twilight was a quick read for such a long book, so I figure I will sail through this one and make my decision on the third.

I didn't post about but did read several Robert Crais books in the past little while. I also read the new Artemis Fowl book (The Time Paradox). I really liked that one. I think Eion Colfer is one of the best writers for youth. Clever, funny, well-written and engaging. It is also original.

5 Billion Adolescent Girls can't be wrong?.....

Just read Twilight. Not bad, but not great. It picked up at the end but there was little suspense until the last third and the dialogue is so stiff and unrealistic. Quite a bit of over-writing, but the target audience might like that. I bought the second book and if that fails to thrill me I will stop there.

I am reading Patrica Cornwell's The Front now.

And I read this...

This is not a book. It's a blog post, but it has to do with books and what is in them. The comments are also enlightening.

http://jaslarue.blogspot.com/2008/07/uncle-bobbys-wedding.html

I have lost track... but I will try to re-start....

I am currently reading The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. I picked up in Safeway from their book bin about 10 months ago for cheap and because the cover looked good. Finally got around to reading it. It has been slow going because of my trip.

Before the trip I read Careless in Red by Elizabeth George. It is her latest. I liked it. It was very thoughtful and follows Lynley's grieving after Helen's death. I recommend because I love Elizabeth George's writing, but you'd have to go back and read the rest of the series (or at least several of them) to understand a bit of it.

Don't worry, I haven't given up on books (as if!)....

I have just been too busy to blog about it. I know that I have been reading in the past little while. I will try to remember what I can. I read the first book in the Dexter series (the one the TV show is based upon - slightly different than the show - the books came first). It was alright. not as gory as I was worried about. I also re-read the first 4 Narnia books because Prince Caspian was released as a movie. Now I have to get to see the film. I am now reading The Two Minute Rule by Robert Crais. I just finished two others by him (The Forgotten Man and Demolition Angel). Fairly good procedural. Well written and interesting, developed characters. Good for the busy brain because of the pattern of the genre. I have the new Elizabeth George novel in my trunk so I will get to that when I am done this one.

How One Book Makes You Read Another...

I just finished reading Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte). I had never read it before. I mostly stayed away from those books unless I had to read one for an English class. My sister seemed to really like them (you know, the Bronte Sisters, Jane Austen...) so I figured they could be her kind of books. I read Pride and Prejudice because it was on the syllabus for first year English. It was okay, but never made me want to pull out any of the others by Austen. So, anyhow, I was reading the Jasper Fforde books and the first one, The Eyre Affair, has a lot to do with Jane Eyre so I kept thinking I should probably read it. When I was at Cole's, picking up some books for Mark, there was Jane Eyre, just waiting for me on the bargain stacks. It was alright and added much to the appreciation of The Eyre Affair. Now I am onto the next in the Jasper Fforde series and I am content. It seems to have a lot to do with Hamlet and I have already read that several times.

I do want to say that I have loved reading Edith Wharton for some time... but she was American so for some reason that made the difference for me.