Fiction

Deeply Disappointing Dexter

2 Comments / 2007, Books in Bed, Fiction, Mystery /

There. I said it. Hard as it was. It’s true. Dexter in the Dark was deeply, deeply disappointing. (spoilers ahead…)

I settled into the book with excitement even though TW expressed some concerns regarding the book. She felt some confusion over the story line and characters because it had been so long since we read the second Dexter and because we have watched the Showtime series (which does not follow storyline or character building the way the books do.) I wasn’t worried, I’m better at holding story lines and character development than she is.

Bah. The problem wasn’t with the passage of time or the differences between book and TV, the problem was with this book itself. Why, why, why did we need “It”? Why couldn’t Dexter and his Dark Passenger simply be what they were? Why did we need some “God” from tens of thousands of years ago to step into the picture and “explain” Dexter’s Dark Passenger?

And, the Cody & Astor storyline? Wrong. It just felt wrong. Cody was written fairly well – even with the whole “Meloch” bit. Astor, not so much. It’s like she’s an afterthought. Either she is like Cody & Dexter or she isn’t – she can’t be “half way”.

Also, Doakes. Maybe I’m getting the characters muddled between the TV show and the book but it felt like Dexter was doing a bit too much mocking of the guy. It felt wrong.

The whole book just felt wrong. The curse of the “third book”, as sassymonkey suggested to me in google talk? Or the author feeling confused by the TV show? Or is this the way the author saw Dexter (and the kids and Doakes) all along and I didn’t see it coming? Could we just have a dream sequence start the next book? Dexter dreamed that entire book and none of it really happened? I’d appreciate that.

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The Year the Gypsies Came

1 Comment / 2007, A to Z Challenge, Books in Bed, Fiction, Young Adult /

I wasn’t really sure that I wanted to read The Year the Gypsies Came. The first few chapters weren’t all that encouraging. Then suddenly, probably with the arrival of Buza and his stories, I was captivated. And then, when I saw the bad stuff coming, it was too late for me to decide not to read it.

Bad stuff in this book, lots of bad stuff.

I really enjoyed the book, I just wish… well, read it for yourself. You’ll see what I mean. But beware, it isn’t really a happy book.

Edited: I just realized this was a book I had on my A to Z list challenge. Yay me! (I’ll never complete the challenge but it’s one step closer.)

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Kissing the Witch

3 Comments / 2007, Books in Bed, Favorites, Feminism, Fiction, Queer, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Women /

Awhile back, Sassymonkey was trying to come up with books for a fairy tales challenge of some sort. I gave her some ideas but generally speaking, she came up with her list on her own. As I was searching, I realized I had never read Kissing the Witch: Old Tales in New Skins. Crazy, we read a lot of fairy tales around here. So, I reserved it.

And it was terrific. I really liked the way one fairy tale moved into the next. All of the connections between the women. Really excellent idea and one that should have been done before – or maybe it has and I’ve been missing it?

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Eclipse

3 Comments / 2007, Books in Bed, Fiction, Sci Fi and Fantasy, Young Adult /

Remember when I won a contest at Bookburger and got a free audio copy of Eclipse? TW and I have been listening to it in the car for ages. Finally, it was over today on the way home from breakfast. Finally. Thank goodness.

I officially hate Bella. Also Alice, though not nearly as much. I hate Edward and Jake, too – but not as much as I hate Bella. And also Alice. I would probably hate Edward, Jake and Alice less if Bella wasn’t such a whining, annoying, twit of a girl. What in the heck happened to the Bella in Twilight that led her to what she is in Eclipse? Whatever Stephanie Meyers was drinking when she wrote Eclipse, she should stay away from it if she writes another book in this series.

Sheesh.

I loved Twilight. I really liked New Moon. I wanted to like Eclipse but I didn’t – not even a little bit.

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Deliver Us from Evie

2007, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Queer, Young Adult /

I saw Lee’s review of Deliver Us from Evie and started to think I had never read it. So I reserved it at the library, a little M.E. Kerr every now and then is good for all of us, right? Turns out I have read it. But it was still fun to read it again. M.E. Kerr always does a good job of giving us characters who could easily be real. They don’t behave oddly, they feel exactly like the people in your family or in your school or your church or your neighborhood. They’re real.

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Kilt Dead

2007, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Fiction, Mystery /

I can’t remember how I stumbled upon Kilt Dead – is it written by the author who did that Garden Spells book? Or maybe that tea shop in Charleston mystery? Whatever. I know I reserved it because I was amused by the title, that’s a great way to choose a book, right?

It’s a great title but not a great book. Not a bad book, either. Just what you’d expect. A little chick lit. A little mystery.

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Garden Spells

2 Comments / 2007, Books in Bed, Chick Lit, Fiction, Women /

And to think I almost didn’t bother reading Garden Spells because I’m so far behind on my TBR list and haven’t even come close to finishing my A to Z challenge. I’d have missed a fun piece of chick lit.

A quirky southern town with all of the appropriate quirky characters, with magic and a bad guy and true love and also the token gay story line tossed in for good measure.

Excellent light reading. Almost made me want an apple.

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An Abundance of Katherines

1 Comment / 2007, Books in Bed, Favorites, Fiction, Young Adult /

Remember when sassymonkey raved about An Abundance of Katherines? I sort of ignored her gushing over the book because she has this Brotherhood/John Green thing. Like she’d marry him. Which is wrong ’cause of the patriarchy but tells you just how strong her John Green thing is. People with that strong of a thing for someone tend to see greatness when the rest of us see uh less than greatness. But in this case, sassymonkey was right.

An Abundance of Katherines is good. It’s great actually. One of the best YA books ever. I hope it becomes a legend, a classic must read for teens in generations to come. It’s just that good.

TW and I listened to it on audio and that was fun. I’m going to pick up a copy of the book so that I can see the appendix and the footnotes – were the footnotes read out loud in the audio version and we didn’t realize they were footnotes? Were they the “asides” Colin shared? I am not sure but I think they were. Regardless, the book deserves a place on our bookshelves. Yours too.

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