Books, glorious books

[icepixie]

I have disparaged the Nashville McKay's in the past for not being as large as the Knoxville one and for not having as extensive a sci-fi section. After today, I don't think I can do that any more.

I recently read S.L. Viehl's Stardoc, not realizing it was the beginning of a series. Of course, I was totally hooked, and needed to find the rest of the books, now numbering ten, with three more set in the same universe featuring different characters. I found all but the latest two of the main series, and the first of the other series. I was shocked. I also bought them all, along with five other books. The Stars Down Under looks particularly good (although I just realized it's a sequel to another book, Outback Stars...which my branch of the library has! Woot!), as does Waterland. In addition, yesterday I ran across mention of Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody series, and...this looks like something I need to read, so I requested the first one from the library. I'm hoping for a mixture of The Mummy and Possession or The Historian. (Which I coincidentally bought today. Pristine hardcover edition. FOR A DOLLAR. Oh, McKay bargain shelves, I love you so.)

Plus I am rereading If on a winter's night a traveler, for no particular reason beyond the fact that it's been four years and a graduate degree since the last time I read it. Calvino, I adore you too.

Uhhhh, yeah, so one day I'm going to get back to my B5 rewatch, but it may be a little while.

Comments

[foursweatervests]

Oh, the Amelia Peabody series is adorable. It gets very convoluted, very quickly, but has incredible characters. I am a fan.

[icepixie]

I am excited.

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

In addition, yesterday I ran across mention of Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody series, and...this looks like something I need to read

The Amelia Peabody books are fantastic. Great characters, fun dialogue, and historical accuracy absolutely to the nines. The author really knows her stuff (she has a few academic books out on Egyptology under her other name, and I keep meaning to hunt them down), and she's very good at using that information without overusing it and making it inaccessible to audiences who don't know anything about (or have much interest in) Egyptian archaeology. I hope you like them!!!

[icepixie]

Great characters, fun dialogue, and historical accuracy absolutely to the nines.

!!! \o/!

I think my problem will be less the Egyptology--I enjoy getting my geek on--but the mystery part. I don't care for mysteries as a rule, although if they're dressed up enough with other things (sci-fi, history, snark) I can enjoy them. Hopefully these have enough window dressing...

[rivendellrose.livejournal.com]

Truth? I don't like mysteries either. A few of my friends keep trying to get me into various series or books of mysteries, and I just don't care. This is the only mystery series I like, and it's all about the characters, the setting, and the relationships between the characters.

From what I know of you, you're going to really like the characters and their relationships in this series, so I think you'll get on with it just fine. ;)

[icepixie]

Yay palatable mysteries for non-mystery fans! (I was actually way into Nancy Drew and the Boxcar Children when I was a kid, and then Agatha Christie when I was a few years older, but after about age thirteen or so I just went off them entirely. I wanted to like Dorothy Sayers, for example, but could never get into them.)

From what I know of you, you're going to really like the characters and their relationships in this series, so I think you'll get on with it just fine. ;)

Hurrah!

[rensong.livejournal.com]

Hmm... I thought I had already commented, but I must've forgotten to actually click the button or some such.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure you'll love the Amelia Peabody books! I read the first one a few years back and loved it - and what actually inspired me to read them in the first place was a Mummy fan fiction that used lines from the first book as the chapter titles. ;)

[icepixie]

I am totally looking forward to this series now.

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

I tried reading Waterland several years ago (perhaps around the time I took McMullen's class? Maybe even on her recommendation?) and was severely underwhelmed. The setting is interesting, but the plot devolves pretty quickly into Pre-Teen SexyTiems, and... blergh. Also, I vaguely remember some Freud in there. I'm not sure I ever bothered to finish the book. The language was fairly pretty here and there, but... meh. Maybe you'll be better than me at finding a redeeming quality to it.

[icepixie]

NOOOOO NOT PRE-TEEN SEXYTIEMS!!! WITH BONUS FREUD!!!!

Boo. Well, at least it was only seventy-five cents. I shall give it a go at some point and see how I fare.

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the first thing about the book that comes to mind is, "The Fens are sooooo flaaaaaat! That means no phallic objects in the landscape, therefore everyone is emaaaaaaaaasculated!!!1!"

(The second thing that comes to mind is, "WTF, McMullen, this was supposed to be good!")

Uh, I may be misremembering it as sillier than it was, but still.

[icepixie]

Nooooooo not the sexualized geography!!11!!!

(The second thing that comes to mind is, "WTF, McMullen, this was supposed to be good!")

I tend to take book recommendations from professors with a large grain of salt for precisely this reason. Poetry is generally good, but novels, not so much usually.

Uh, I may be misremembering it as sillier than it was, but still.

Oh, dear. Well, I sent it to the back of the line of all the books I just got, so I might get to it by Christmas...

[rowdycamels.livejournal.com]

Nooooooo not the sexualized geography!!11!!!

Noooooooooo!

I tend to take book recommendations from professors with a large grain of salt for precisely this reason.

Alas!

Well, I sent it to the back of the line of all the books I just got, so I might get to it by Christmas...

Hehehe awwwww. Yeah, I wouldn't rush into that....

[magsyb.livejournal.com]

Books the ultimate distraction.. ;)