I finished “A Wizard of Earthsea” yesterday, so check one book on the books-of-2007 list. I’m wondering if 52 books is a reasonable goal. “Wizard” was only 182 pages and it took me WEEKS to read it. But then, I only read it on the bus to work because I found it a bit tedious. Two-dimensional. Anyway, made-up Medieval-style lands, not really my thing, although I may put a Tolkien book on my list just for the sake of the classics.
Next book, already half-read but needing to be finished, The Dresden Files “Proved Guilty.” I can whip through those books like butter, because I enjoy them. Now I need to sit down and decide on a few more books for the coming weeks and, if necessary, find them in the library.
Author Nancy E. Shaffer 
Personally I find Tolkien more than a bit tedious to read. I don’t think I ever actually read the Lord of the Rings, just skimmed all of it.
I own The Hobbit, but have never read it. I’m thinking I should.
The Hobbit is the least tedious Tolkien-read. As for Earthsea, I find that particular author extremely tedious to read. I’m sure you’ll manage 52 books if you for the most part avoid writers like her. Pardon my sentence structure, I’m desperately overtired.
That was my problem with LoR. I read the Hobbit first. It really is the same thing as LoR in a more condensed form. Same structure, same progression from Disney-esque silly to dead serious. The Hobbit was okay. But reading LoR after it was, as I said before, impossibly tedious. I suspect the reverse would also be true.
Ha! Everyone else I’ve asked loves Le Guin.
So The Hobbit is less tedious?
It’s shorter! That makes it much less tedious in one important dimension.
It was okay. ;o)
If you don’t like made-up medieval style lands, you’re really going to hate Tolkien. He pretty much re-invented, if not invented, that genre. And the LOTR books are tedious. Hate to say it, but I liked the movies better in a lot of ways.
I wonder how many fanfics I could read in a week?
Book suggestion
Roger Zelazny’s _Nine Princes in Amber_?
I wonder how many fanfics I could read in a week?
Don’t forget those pesky word counts!
I read the first couple pages right after I bought it, and was so confused I put it on the shelf to look impressive instead. But I might give it another go in a few months.
Re: Book suggestion
The Amazon descript sounds interesting. I’ll put it on the list.
Do you like historical novels? I started reading a few when I got bored of the fantasy version and really enjoyed them.
Not really. That’s one thing I’m learning from reading various and sundry. I’m a Thoroughly Modern Masqy.
Contemporary fiction or do you read any other categories?
Such as?
Suck as biographies, travel books (not the ones like lonely planet, the ones like Bill Bryson), essays and observations, anthologies?
Uh….no. I suck at this eclectic thing, don’t I? I prefer fiction. Contemporary fantasy is my thing, these days.
Oh. I just read American gods and have The Anansi boys on order, so I guess that’s the sort of thing is it? I Found AG a bit too masculine for me for the large part, but the end blew me away so I’m going to go with the Anansi boys. But I’ve also got a book which should be next on the pile about a Leper colony on an island just off Greece. Hmmm. Very eclectic. The Time Travellors Wife might be your thing, I only just recced it to
I Found AG a bit too masculine for me for the large part
Exactly why I could never get through that book. But yeah, Gaiman is part of the genre.
I’m glad you know what I meant by that, I couldn’t think of another way to describe what I was thinking.
Ah, the work of a
obsesseddedicated Connor fan is never done.Don’t I know it!
I read Anansi Boys and absolutely loved it. My favourite Gaiman book so far. Also really enjoyed The Time Traveller’s Wife
I’m in the middle of the new Guy Gavriel Kay book Ysabel right now. You might like this one, Masq; it’s set in modern Provence, with a side of ancient Celtic mythology. It’s really good.
Cool.