The Blue Fairy's Bookshelf

Skin Trade (Anita Blake 17) Laurell K. Hamilton, 2009 Just in time for Halloween, I'm catching up on my Anita Blake. Premise: Anita is called to Las Vegas to help hunt down a vampire serial killer. While there, she has to try not to have sex with were-tigers....This series is so surreal. This one was really not bad. I continue in my opinion (from book 16) that it does feel as if Hamilton is trying to write her way out of the hole she'd dug for the series. After books and books of angst and ridiculous new powers every time you turn around, this one had a sense that things were beginning to stabilize. I had quit after Harlequin (book 15), which I felt sunk to new depths of idiocy, and while I did break down and read Blood Noir (book 16) and felt that it was somewhat better, I didn't return to the series until recently. There is still a great deal of ridiculous repetitive business about beasts and sex and such that mostly gets in the way of the story here. ...

  The Book Blogger Hop is a blog party/link list hosted by Crazy-for-books.com.   Every week there is a question for the bloggers to consider. This week: "What is the one bookish thing you would love to have, no matter the cost?"   Hmmm... this is difficult, because I am fairly happy with my reading life. I have a severe lack of space for new books, but now I have a Kindle.  I was thinking: What would I love to have a really nice edition of?  But I have a good Collected Works of Shakespeare, and a Complete Holmes with original illustrations, all of the Vorkosigan novels in nice editions and a lovely hard cover LOTR...   So I'm going to say, if I won the lottery, I would like to have a bookstore.  (The lottery part means that I don't have to sell popular but boring books to stay in business.)  Where I could read and talk to people about books all the time, and encourage the sales of books that I love. Yeah, I think t...

This was a lame week, overall. Favorite book this week: Action Comics #894 Least favorite : All the other ones All comics new in stores on 10/27/10 Action Comics #894 (1st story) Writer Paul Cornell, Artist Pete Woods (2nd story) Writer Nick Spencer, Pencils by RB Silva I enjoyed this issue. Nothing too amazing, but solid work here. Much fanfare was heard over the fact that Death was going to be in this issue, and so she was, with her usual flair. I really liked the brief touch on what must pass for theology in the DCU. The second story was a really fun romp about Jimmy Olsen entertaining some friendly aliens who just want to party. Who is the blond reporter he's talking to? I love her. Batman The Road Home: Oracle Writer: Marc Andreyko, Artist: Agustin Padilla Ugh, this was lame. This is what I have to say about this issue: it was a tale, told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. Well, that and: why does Oracle have evil-anime-glasses...

Cryoburn (Vorkosigan Saga #14) Lois McMaster Bujold, 2010 This is a shiny new book, and that in itself makes me happy.  PLUS: Yes, it is true.  This hardcover edition comes with a CD that contains ALL Vorkosigan books up to and including this one, except for my favorite: Memory .  On the CD are versions to read in html, epub, mobi, etc... Also speeches, interviews, cover art... this is amazing. Premise: Lord Auditor Miles Vorkosigan and Armsman Roic are on Kibou-daini to investigate a sketchy business venture that one of the cryofreezing corporations based there has planned for Komarr.  Complications ensue, as usual. I liked this book, and was slightly sad that I did not love it.  I do want to emphasize that I did enjoy it very much, and had it not been for sky-high hopes, I would probably have loved it without reservation.  This is the double edge of having authors that you trust to be great: you can be disappointed if they're not amazing. ...

Another big haul this week, although fewer out-and-out winners than last week.  All comics in this post were new in stores Wednesday 10/20/10. Favorite Book this Week: Darkwing Duck Least Favorite: Batman: The Road Home: Commissioner Gordon Batman Beyond #5 Writer: Adam Beechen, Pencils: Ryan Benjamin Inker: John Stanisci Like most of the issues of this mini-series, this issue had ups and downs.  Bruce talking Catwoman Beyond or whoever she is through field medicine was pretty cool, but the reveal on the plot was if anything, stupider than the half-reveal last issue.  On the other hand, it had some good moments, good beats.  Man, that show was awesome. (Hinty-spoiler for my problem with it:)   Dear writer: I wasn't a huge fan of that JLU episode either, but breaking characters' motivations to make your plot work is not a productive way to deal with one's dissatisfaction. Darkwing Duck #5 Writer: Ian Brill, Artist: James Silvani I am so gl...

Andersen's Fairy Tales Hans Christian Andersen, originally written in 1830's-40's translation date unknown One last free Fairy Tale collection and then I'm on to something else. I had more Kindle version formatting issues this week, I'm afraid.  There are a few points at which there should be poetry or quotations (italicized, indented text) but they are missing.  Not a huge problem, but this means a long poem is missing from “The Shoes of Fortune” and the punch line of “The Old House” is lacking. Aside from that, I found this collection uneven, and remembered why as I child I largely preferred Grimm's Tales. There are a few real winners.  I forgot how much I like “The Snow Queen”.  It's a long meandering tale with plenty of intriguing minor characters and the edges of lots of other stories surrounding the core.  The scene in which Gerda hears the story that each flower knows was beautiful and very surreal.  I adore the side plot about the vici...

DC has my number.  I bought a lot of books this week, but I guess I can't resist linked one-shots.  All Comics were new in stores 10/14/10 Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #5 Writer: Grant Morrison, Penciller: Ryan Sook, Inks: Mick Gray, Art (pgs 22-31) Pere Perez We've been collecting this miniseries throughout, and this issue had been delayed and delayed.  It's become a bit silly that #5 (of 6) is dropping the same week that the big Bat-Family reunion is taking place in normal continuity.  (Background: about a year ago, Batman apparently "died".  Of course he's not dead. Actually?  LOST IN TIME.  This mini-series has been the story of Batman adventuring through the ages.  In each issue, Bruce gets dropped off in a new time zone with partial amnesia.) This issue has a bit more forward movement than some of the earlier ones, and maybe (just maybe), it's going to make some sort of sense in the next and last issue.  Bru...