50 Books Challenge - Update

[alexmegami]

34. The Science of Discworld III: Darwin's Watch. Terry Pratchett, Jack Cohen, Ian Stewart.

OMG I fucking hate math. Seriously, I couldn't grasp 99% of what was said on the subject. My eyes just started spinning. It made finishing this REALLY hard.

I got two really interesting things from this book: one, the source of Aleph Zero's name. Two, why women's bodies don't (usually) spontaneously abort fetuses.

But. Eyes, spinning.

I love Ridcully, though. And Rincewind is growing on me, in the presence of other, stable(?) characters.

35. Fragile Things. Neil Gaiman.

There is one incident in a short story (Feeders and Eaters) that just so deeply disturbed me that I am actually still really uncomfortable just thinking about it.

True story: you can do with people what damn well like, and I'm okay with the chicken and the sheep, and maybe even a chihuahua, but please, please, please leave the cat out of it.

Otherwise, I really enjoyed it (hardly a surprise)... especially A Study in Emerald, The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch, Keepsakes and Treasures, and The Monarch of the Glen.

36. Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast. Robin McKinley.

I finished this in 2.5 hours. It didn't really add much in terms of content, I think, but I thought it was beautifully written and a fairly solid retelling. (I also didn't realize when I first came across it that it was YA, for some reason, but that's neither here nor there.)

Thank you, roseneko! :D

37. 100%. Paul Pope.

I waffled over whether or not to include this on my list, as it is a comic, but I decided: Watchmen counted, and I fucking hated it; I liked this, and it was about the same length (if not density), so - yes. I count it.

It is weird and a little bit wonderful. I'm not sure what else I can really say about it. I'm not sure if I loved it, but I had a pretty strong emotional reaction to parts (even to the point of quotage!). So, yes.

----

Aaaaaaaaaaand I am 3 weeks behind. Yes. How is this happening? :( And I've been ultra-lax with Fanart100 too (okay, so one every day and a half isn't going to happen - but seriously, nothing for almost a month?)

Currently working on: Grave Peril (OMG Dresden Files! I finally found you~), Something Wicked This Way Comes. Looking for my copy of The Night Garden (...where did it GO? Rage).

I am seriously contemplating using the strength of the Canadian vs. the US dollar to go on a massive Amazon.com shopping spree.

I mean, seriously. Oadenol's Codex is up for $16.49, vs. the $26 at the FLGS, and $18.25 at Amazon.ca. Hell - that makes it the almost the same price to ship from the States.

I am ludicrously desirous of Exalted books that I will probably not read.

Get Your Cyborg Name

Get Your Monster Name

Comments

[roseneko.livejournal.com]

You're welcome! =)

Re: Fragile Things: I distinctly remember having a similar reaction to the cat bit, although (interestingly) I can't remember any of the details at the moment. I think my mind might've blocked it out. =)

Also, there's an illustrated edition of "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch" that's just come out...I think I might have to nab that sometime shortly. It was such a delightfully surreal story.

(Come to think of it, I really should read Fragile Things again; though I have to admit to a certain amount of trepidation towards pulling it off my shelf and potentially damaging the lovely but oh-so-fragile cover. Maybe I should get a paperback or ex-library "reading copy". Does this mean I'm a crazy book collector yet? =D)

On Beauty: I'd say your assessment is pretty much spot-on. Interestingly, McKinley has done another retelling of the same story, titled Rose Daughter, which, according to the blurb on Amazon, is "fuller bodied, with richer characterizations and a more mystical, darker edge." From what I've read, it does sound somewhat more fairy-tale-like...I'll let you know if I end up nabbing that one, reading it, and mailing it to you too. =D

[roseneko.livejournal.com]

Blah. My HTML is teh sux0rz. Here are the links, properly this time:

Rose Daughter

The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch

[alexmegami]

*laughs* The HTMLz, it eatses you?

Yay, sending me books! :D That's going to get expensive for you, though, if you keep doing it :(

[mistress-gwen.livejournal.com]

Dude. If you liked Beauty at all, you should read McKinley's Rose Daughter. Kinda more grown-up-ish retelling, and she did a few very interesting things differently.

[alexmegami]

Will do. Eventually. When I have a pile smaller than 10 next to the bed ;)

[idavale.livejournal.com]

Oadenol's Codex is really only useful if you are running a 2nd ed game, and even then it isn't necessary. There isn't much in the way of story fluff/world info added (except for the single coolest artifact I've seen yet). Just rules rules and more rules. The manse section is kinda handy, but that and the item creation section add more layers of complexity to the game. Which is what Exalted needs. Yeah.

And I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who stumbled across the Night Garden!

[alexmegami]

Sometimes rules can be good; I'm not actually huge on story fluff, though world info can be good. I'm torn on it, though.
How about the Black and White Treatises? Worth it/not?

Yes, and if only I could stumble back across it...! ;)

[idavale.livejournal.com]

The rules the Codex added weren't really needed, IMHO, since I think Wonders already had an artifact creation system. Why have two? Anyways, the chapters on demenses and mortal thaumaturgy were all right, nothing that an inventive GM couldn't have made up on their own though. I would've skipped buying it if I weren't running a game.

If you play sorcerers or run a sorcery-heavy campaign, B&W Treatises is pretty important to have. Lots of good spell options, and the details on necromancy were almost worth the price alone. It is a much better buy then the Codex.

Alas, so many books, so little time...

[alexmegami]

Does it? I had a suspicion so, but Patrick was swearing up and down that it didn't. If it does, then yeah, I can probably leave off getting it for now.

Schweet. I'll probably order a copy of B&WT soon, then.

[idavale.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty sure it does, but Pat might be right. I had a vague memory that Wonders of the First Age has some creation rules. It has never come up in my campaign so I haven't bothered to study them that much. :P

[firstfaerie.livejournal.com]

Loved "Beauty", it was the first Robin Mckinley I read. Read Spindle's End, if you haven't (which is a very fun retelling of Sleeping Beauty), and if you're in a mood for short stories, both her "Knot in the Grain" and "Door in the Hedge" are fantastic. If you want a seriously dark and disturbing and high fantasy fairy tale retelling, you want her "Deerskin". And you have read "Sunshine", right?

[alexmegami]

*laughs* No, I haven't. But I guess I'll have to hit up the library soonish, huh? ;)

[firstfaerie.livejournal.com]

Aha! Well, "Sunshine" is also a B&B retelling... but with vampires. And is the only vampire book I've ever really thought was fantastic. You should jump ahead to that, 'tis the season and all ;)

[alexmegami]

*g* After "Something Wicked" and the fourth Dresden Files book ;) Maybe I'll even finish all three before Hallowe'en...!