50 Book challenge

[fenchurch]

I decided to try the 50 book challenge (50bookchallenge) this year, since I've noticed a definite drop in the number of books I read these days. In part, I blame the internet and fanfic... the former taking up the spare time I used to use for reading and the latter filling the mental niche that books used to solely own. But the thing that caused my bookreading to take a major hit last year was the car accident. I had a few months where holding a book to read was very difficult (and, in the beginning, pretty much impossible) and I plain and simply got out of the habit.

I'm not off to a particularly fiery start this year, either... but I got a bit stuck on one book and kept thinking I should finish it before seriously moving on to another. I finally got smart, put it down, and picked up one of the other numerous books that I had on my Teetering Pile (several of which I'd already started reading previously).

So, without further ado, the first six books of the year, in the order I finished reading them.

1) Blood Price by Tanya Huff. I've had this book for ages but had put off reading it due to a less-than-stellar experience with one of the author's other books (which I'll get into if anyone is interested), but the television series and ensuing LJ discussions of the series got me curious. Fun read! I'm now trying to track down a copy of the sequel.

2) Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey. A re-read. I was just in the mood. The typographical errors bug me even more than they did the first time I read the book, back in middle school.

3) Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey. See above.

4) Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Blackout by Keith R. A. DeCandido. Yay, professional fanfic! Surprisingly good professional fanfic! I thought the author did a really good job of capturing Spike's personality... and making him a sympathetic character while still being, technically, a bad guy. If you're a Spike fan and haven't read this one yet, it's definitely worth picking up.

5) The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown. This one has been on my Teetering Pile for years... and um, yeah. It's an interesting mystery... how the heck this book became such a raging bestseller. Wow, was that BAD. It's written like a poorly done Young Adult novel. Make that an *extremely* poorly done Young Adult novel. Although I guess it takes talent, of some sort, to take such a convoluted plotline and make it so facile, straightforward and linear. And the conspiracy aspect very quickly became really silly... which mostly made me want to reread In the Country of the Blind by Michael Flynn, because he at least knows how to handle the silliness of the issue while still keeping the story from becoming a farce.

I also have very little respect for an author who feels the need to deliberately withhold information from the reader in order to create an artificial sense of suspense... and he also apparently went to the Marti Noxon school of chapter endings where every single one needs to end on a cliffhanger, no matter how manipulative the writing has to be in order to make it happen.

Ugh. I could go on (and did, at length, to taradaktyl one morning when we were walking), but it's mostly rehashing what I said above but with more specific examples.

At least I know not to bother with any of his other books.

6) Conrad's Fate by Diana Wynne Jones. After the last book, I wanted to read a GOOD young adult novel... and what a difference this was, on every level (but I would expect no less from DWJ). CF is a very typical DWJ tale, complete with my least favorite aspect of her stories: the adult (usually a close family member) lying, misleading and manipulating a child into horribly self-destructive acts. I know it's most likely a reflection of her own childhood... but it reminds me a bit of the vilification of fathers over in the Whedonverse. After awhile you almost have to roll your eyes and say "Here we go again."

All that being said, it was a delightful book... entertaining and with some real plot twists and a fairly complex storyline.

Comments

[fenchurche.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll add that one to my Books to Remember wishlist out on Amazon. There's really nothing like a poorly written novel with an interesting premise to get you searching for more but better books in the same vein.