What I have Been Reading

New Reads:
Steal Like an Artist
I probably should have included this in an earlier book post but forgot. The book should not be forgotten though. It is really simple and I do not agree with everything, but it is SO fun, interesting, and encouraging for people who like to create and are talented. 

Artemis Fowl
I had heard of this before but had no idea of anything other than the Irish setting (I picked it for "a book set in a foreign country" which since it barely reflected anything other than the stereotyped magic obsession probably is cheating but whatever). The plot starts slow but is mysterious and interesting but then the author sped up the pace and added in waaay too many undeveloped details for so small and simple a book. Artemis, the character, started out intriguing but again, greater promise than deliverance. All the other characters were rather dull with the exception of the dwarf who was unnecessary and unnecessarily disgusting. Overall the book was not well-written. I would like to try others but I do not know if I will finish them, we will see. I need to reevaluate my reading of nonsense.

Percy Jackson
I tried this book at least once before, and I know I skipped through it a little (but did not even find that interesting). I chose this for my "everyone has read but you" entry on one of my book challenges. I found the characters somewhat interesting but stock and rather, um, strikingly familiar. Ya, know, black-haired, green-eyed, über-specially talented preteen with a connection to lightning and a female best friend who is an obnoxious know-it-all. Oh wait, its a 2 males, 1 female bestie triumvirate! That sounds really familiar. Other than nervousness, Grover is not such a blatant copy-cat of Ron as the former two mentioned are of Harry and Hermione. Not well written in regards to character development/originality (obviously said in Snape voice), plot development, and description, yeah, basically everything . . . why am I reading these again? I think I will try more of the series anyway.

Re-reads:
Northanger Abbey
Ah, Henry. He did like Catherine more and sooner than the intensity (i.e. liking+pity) and time-frame (near the end) than I thought I remembered the book implying.

Catherine was not quite as silly as I had thought and the movie implied plus had a greater sense of right. But compared to my teenage sisters she is quite silly.

In the book Isabella was a fortune hunting, jilting, double-sided, manipulative flirt. Obviously not a nice person but the movie added immorality to all these characteristics which majorly changes both the character and the tone of the story. Likewise, Captain Tilney was a young-ish flirt in the book, not the middle-aged rake the movie portrays. Also the novels Catherine reads in the book are not as scandalous as the movie implies nor of the type of scandal the movie implies.

Henry is hilarious and is perfection.

I enjoyed the cozier tone (as opposed to the "formality"/distance of the other novels) of this novel this time.

"Is there a Henry in the world who could be insensible to such a declaration? Henry Tilney at least was not. " p. 70

"Catherine . . . enjoyed her usual happiness with Henry Tilney, listening with sparkling eyes to everything he said; and, in finding him irresistible, becoming so herself." page 103

"The formidable Henry soon followed her into the room, and the only difference in his behaviour to her, was that he paid her rather more attention than usual. Catherine had never wanted comfort more, and he looked as if he was aware of it." page 160






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