Books, Books, Books

I've gone through a myriad of books at a surprisingly fast pace, even for myself, I think. As a teen, I read because it took me elsewhere, and now I've returned to that habit, pushed there from boredom, or sadness, or anxiety. I could list the many books that I've read in the past two weeks, but I'll only mention two: the first I finished last night before drifting off to sleep at one in the morning. I've noticed Lillith Saintcrow's books on the sci-fi/fantasy shelves for quite awhile, and I finally bought one. I enjoyed the book, but as of yet have not been able to get a hold of the following two in the series, which are apparently available, but always sold out. So, I moved to her more well known series, the Dante Valentine books. Or the first one, at least. Working for the Devil was so good, despite it's sadness. It mixes a futuristic view of the world with a unique twist on how close Hell is to the world at large. I can't say that I appreciated her view of Hell as less evil and more a parralell universe with different ideas of how things are, or even the idea that we, as humans, were created -not by God, but by demons. Yet somehow it all combined into a fascinating, fast-paced, magick-filled story that makes me really look forward to the next in the series.

The book I moved on to today is Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister, by Gregory Maguire. I've read a few of his books, beginning with Wicked, and I keep coming back to them. There's something about the way he takes a well-known fairy tale and flips it around, letting you see the other side of what it could be; somehow fitting his ideas into the fairy tale and yet making an entirely new one at the same time. When you read a fairy tale as a child, the story is what it is: oh, yes Hansel and Gretel survive after almost being eaten by a wicked witch. The End. But Gregory Maguire seems to see beyond the story: why was the witch the way she was? What brought her to that point? What must her life have been like? Were Hansel and Gretel really good little children? Or was there something beneath the surface that, in the end, makes you wonder if the witch should have won instead?

I've only just begun Confessions, but already I am enthralled. This story does not use the point of view of Cinderella, or Clara as she is so named in this book, but is told through the eyes and voice of Iris, the younger step-sister. Already the fairy tale is taking shape, and yet forming a new one all its own.

One Novel in One Day

Today was my first true day off in what feels like forever. I had no real obligations that couldn't be put off until tomorrow, so instead I spoiled myself. I took a long morning nap, and spent almost the entire rest of the day playing casual downloaded game demos and reading one of my new novels, which I finished. It has been so long since I have been able to read a book for as long as I want to without having to put it down and go. It was so nice.
The novel was by one of my newer favorite authors who pens fantasy novels: Patricia Briggs. I've gotten into her Mercy Thompson series, but I've read all of those novels that are out and am eagerly awaiting the release of the newest next month. In the meantime, I decided to try one of her other novels, of which she has several. I chose one that was not part of a series, because - let's face it- when you start to get into fantasy novels, you end up reading "endless series'" and adding to it is probably not such a great idea. Besides, I plan on beginning the Twilight series, by Stephanie Meyer, very soon.
Anywho, the novel I chose was The Hob's Bargain. I enjoyed it, and would probably give it a three and a half out of five. Just the kind of novel one wouldn't mind reading to while away a day. It's got your basic supernatural/fantasy features, with a heroine that I find I can identify with, and the ending nearly had me in tears. Just great for a day of lazy reading.

Myst on What?!

Nintendo is coming out with . . . get ready! MYST! I played this game when I was younger, and it really fostered in me a love for adventure games, not to mention appreciation for well rendered graphics and loving details inside a gaming environment. This appreciation is evident when I peruse any game, whether it be adventure or first person shooter. Graphics are a big decider for me. (You can see just how beautiful the graphics are in Myst in the picture to the right. This is not a publicity shot; it is really part of the inside world of Myst.)
At first, however, I was a little wary of how well it would play on a hand held, not to mention how good the graphics would be because, in my opinion, a huge part of the appeal for Myst was its amazing worlds. After speaking to a fellow geek (who happened to have the girliest looking DS I have ever laid eyes on. Baby blue? No thanks), I was informed that the graphics are prerendered, which means that they should do just fine on a hand held. As far as the point-and-click aspect of it, since DS has a nifty stylus for its touch screen, it should work out beautifully. The only problem, I think, is that smaller details will be lost on a smaller screen, since Myst was originally meant to be played on a computer monitor. I suppose only time will tell . . .

New Reading!

I've moved on to a new book, and it happens to be a sci-fi/fantasy novel. The Secret History of Moscow, by Ekaterina Sedia. Not only does she have a uniquely gorgeous name, but an intriguing novel that manages to comment on the state of affairs of Russia in the 90's while maintaining a definite fantasy slant.
A little from the back (since I haven't read far enough to explain much):

"A dark, cavernous world of magic, weeping trees, and albino jackdaws, where exiled
pagan deities and fairytale creatures whisper strange tales to those who listen."

The main character, Galina, sets out to find her sister, who has turned into a jackdaw after giving birth and flown away. Galina joins ranks with a young cop investigating recent disappearances and, together with a drunkard named Fyodor, they head into the dark and mysterious unknown of the underworld beneath Moscow, a sort of "safe place" for all that has been turned out of Moscow's minds and beliefs. This underworld is where the fantasy and "archetypes" of Old Russia abound. Interesting, no?