As for me, I'm very absorbed in Justin Cronin's The Passage. I've never read a book this long (900+ pages!), and I keep being amazed that it's totally holding my attention! Has anyone read it? What did you think? (No spoilers, please). It occurs to me that it's had a huge influence on other plotmasters, including Eric Kripke, the creator of the new TV show, Revolution, where the batteries and power all blinker out in a post-tech world. But if The Passage just came out, that cross-pollination would be impossible, right? I guess it proves that ideas truly ARE "in the air".
Which brings me to Revolution. I found that in the first episode, I was chuckling at the "wrong" places, like the scene where the militias and the villagers exchange fire. No, I'm not a lover of violence. It had much more to do with the fact that this battle seemed so predictable, and staged, and the villagers seemed so perfectly put together in their survivalist gear: patched American Eagle jeans and artfully sweat-dotted tee-shirts. Each woman had a crossbow a la Hunger Games huntress, Katniss Everdeen. Call me cynical, but these types of shows (and novels) need to go further than simply window-dressing a post-apoc, post-tech setting. The one shining gem in the first episode, for me, was the geek guy (worked for Google?) who was really out of shape but super-witty and charming in his dark asides. I am eager to see how this geekster does on a long, grueling hike with only a sinewy squirrel for dinner!
As far as other reading material, I am thoroughly enjoying a client's middle-grade fantasy manuscript, the second one that I've worked on for her. I LOVE it when I can see how much better someone's writing is getting, partially from my counsel. I feel like a proud mama bear.
As far as reading that I should be getting to? Well, I need to re-read Vonnegut's BLUEBEARD, a wicked send-up of the art world of the sixties. I'm teaching this book in a few weeks, and I need to write up class discussion questions and essay prompts. So, it's the surrounding work, not the book itself, that has me a little anxious.
Now, tell me all about what you're reading, avoiding reading, watching!
I'm getting ready to read Crossed by Ally Condie. I liked Matched (though I didn't love it) so I'm going in a little hesitant.
ReplyDeleteI have Matched loaded on my Kindle, and I'm going to give it some attention!
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to read Gaiman's The Graveyard Book since August, but editing manuscripts is taking up the most of my reading time, so I haven't been able to finish it. I'm looking forward to the new season of Once Upon a Time. I love a kooky fairy tale, even if it is a little Disney-fied.
ReplyDeleteI heard that "The Dog Star" is interesting, set in Colorado where a man and his dog are the only ones left (almost) after a flu epidemic. I am reading, "Once Were Brothers"--"From Nazi occupied Poland to a Chicago Courtroom." I am more of a history buff, past not future.
ReplyDeleteHi, Catherine. I've been on a WWII kick: Code Name Verity, Diary of a Young Girl, The Book Thief and The Baker's Daughter. Also recently read The Fault in Our Stars, Skippy Dies (highly recommend) and The Cat's Table. As for TV--my teenage daughter and I are so into Project Runway (might go hear Tim Gunn speak next week!), Switched at Birth and Parenthood.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been reading lately, but I'm hoping that will change soon!
ReplyDeleteRereading Vonnegut. Nice.
ReplyDeleteRight now, I am reading mid-century memoirs published by a small press in order to get my footing in a particular time period.
This is so very interesting! Suze, I'd love to know what time period. Wenlaoshi, I'm into Project Runway too! Kind of like Dimitri. You? Tracey, I will have to check out Once, I've heard so much about it.
ReplyDeleteThe Passage must be good then. I shall add it to my ever-growing list.
ReplyDeleteI think Revolution is a disappointment. The lead teen girl, I've wanted to smack her several times already. That's never a good thing, is it?
I'm reading Inbetween by Tara Fuller and I'm loving it.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on that M Pax. But I'll watch a few more episodes and see if the writing improves because I so wanted to like it. Kelly, I'll take a look at Fuller's book.
ReplyDeleteI just started BEING FRIENDS WITH BOYS by Terra Elan McVoy and I'm already hooked. I really want to read SEND ME A SIGN by Tiffany Schmidt but it's not out yet. I've been avoiding reading some Jane Austen that one of my friends swears will change my life but for some reason her work makes me a bit "meh." I know that's blasphemous for some people. I did enjoy PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES though. I dropped cable to save money on bills so I've been watching a lot of reruns on the channels that come through the digital feed for free like "Kojak", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "MASH", "The Partridge Family", and "Get Smart." I finally saw "The Dark Knight Rises." I know, I'm late! I haven't seen "Revolution" but everyone I know that watched it shared your opinion. I guess the crossbow is the hot new weapon now. I think what post-apocalyptic shows tend to miss is how desperately dangerous our world would become in surprisingly short order as our structures break down. I think "The Walking Dead" does a great job of demonstrating that.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with your assessment on 'Revolution'. Those people are the cleanest, most fashionable post-apoc survivors ever. And it kinda rubbed me the wrong way that they had chubby/nerdy/comic relief guy on there (15 years of roughing it, and he's still carrying a spare tire? I really don't believe that).
ReplyDeleteI loved the 'Last Resort' premiere, though. That was a bit more my speed.
I'm currently reading 'Blood Red Road' and 'Partials', both of which I heard good things about, and I am actively avoiding my editing duties! @_@ Uh oh, time to get on that already!
Adrianne, Kojak, OMG, the Greek, lollypop sucking detective, right? Some of those old shows are so way out there... I will look into Walking Dead. Nickie, I guess it's true that a geekster would lose his spare tire after a few years of post-apoc living. Unless he stumbled upon a secret stash of M&Ms at an abandoned bodega, or something. I love the title Blood Red Road-gotta check that out!
ReplyDeleteHey, Eric Kripke's the guy who gave us 'Supernatural!' I am faithfully watching that every week. 'Revolution' hasn't gotten to Singapore yet. I'm also waiting for the latest 'Sherlock' and 'Justified' seasons. As for books, I'm reading 'Dandelion Wine' and 'Kilimanjaro and Beyond' and catching up on Julia Cameron's 'Finding Water' again.
ReplyDeleteLOVED Dandelion Wine!!!!!!! I need to watch some Supernatural episodes now.
ReplyDelete*I miss all the good TV shows, but I did enjoy a few episodes of "Community" with my daughter last night. I like really good, stupid laughs.
ReplyDeleteReading...currently Faulkner's The Bear, about as far from stupid as it gets. I love how he gets inside the inside of his characters. And eager to pick up Louise Erdrich's The Beet Queen as soon as I can get over to the indy store I ordered it from...oh, and will listen to Julian Barnes' The Sense of an Ending on my drive to Cape Cod in Oct., as long as I can figure out how to transfer it from my computer to my Iphone.
I'm reading Uncontrollable thanks to the author giving me a copy for review. Just finished Cassa Star which turned out to be quite a good sci-fi novel. I just read a blog post about someone considering War and Peace. I have never tackled that one, but I'm sorely tempted. I'd have to have my own copy because I couldn't keep it out of the library for the length of time I'd need to read it.
ReplyDeleteNo TV. I gave that up.
Lee, that made me laugh. War & Peace, eh? Yeah, I'd have that sucker out quite a while from a library too. I have Alex's novel loaded on my Kindle. Glad to hear you liked it. I have so many books to skim for my lit class that I don't have huge blocks of time for leisure reading. But I will find it! I'm determined.
ReplyDeleteI'm almost positive that Cronin wrote that book with the assistance of his young daughter when she asked him a "what if" question. I've heard good things about it.
ReplyDeleteReading Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry. Interesting so far.
I'm reading Crown of Embers by Rae Carson and am really enjoying it, the first one in series I loved! I'm watching Season 1 of Game of Thrones, because I have to weight for the DVD releases of the series. Love the GoT books and the TV adaptations not too shabby :)
ReplyDeleteI don't feel I need to be reading anything; I'm on top of my reading and reviewes, so really I feel like I should be writing more.
The Passage sounds like an excellent book.
Candilynn, it makes sense that Cronin's novel might have been inspired by his daughter. The girl in The Passage is transcendent and magical. Doesn't everyone think of their daughter that way?!
ReplyDeleteKatja, I admire that you are such a fast reader! Good luck with getting more writing done.
and hopefully I use the right words in my writing too :) just noticed the weight instead of wait...could have something to do with the diet I'm on!
DeleteYay for your improving pupil! Mama Bear always knows best.
ReplyDeleteAs for reading, I recently finished THE HELP. The characterizations were very good, but if there was a plot in there, I missed it. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'll bet they hired some very good screenwriters to fix the problems.
Lexa, I'd be curious about your take on the film, after reading the book. I had a mixed reaction...
ReplyDeleteOh, laughing, as I watched the premiere of Revolution and thought the same thing. Quickly bored and not eager to watch on. Avoiding reading? HA - my 350 page manuscript that needs editing. Reading? Tons of fun stuff for the Bram Stoker Award considerations. Right now its Lost Girl of the Lake by Joe McKinney and Michael McCarty.
ReplyDeleteDonna, reading for the Bram Stoker awards must be an absolute blast!
ReplyDeleteI'm in between books, at the mo. Got an idea for a short story that I'm researching and also need to write a bit of flash fiction for Jackie Felger's Spooktoberfest this month. I find when I'm actively writing, I don't have the head space for reading, know what I mean? But my stack of To-Be-Read is rather tall, I must admit. :-)
ReplyDeleteMina's Resurrection Blogfest!