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lady_schrapnellStill so exhausted I can hardly string the simplest sentence together, but not only have I one end-of-course assessment handed in, but (more reassuringly) my student record now shows that it has officially Been Received. Massive relief all round. (Especially as the printer had decided to stop working twice on the last day. Panic stations at 9 pm!) The journey itself was generally pretty exhausting - even led me to wonder whether heading into Diana Wynne Jones territory had rubbed some of her travel jinx onto me, but I did eventually get everywhere I needed to get, and home again, so not as bad as it might have been.
The good bit was all the enforced sitting on planes, trains and busses, with no course books to read - and I enjoyed all the three books I got through! First started with Valiant (Holly Black), which older daughter thought would be good for my exhausted mental state. I wasn't very taken with the beginning, but it did get better.
Then at the airport (one of the major improvements of life must be airport bookshops having real books you might want to read sometimes - at least in this neck of the woods) I happened to see Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin, which I'd read about on adbooks. I'd thought it probably wouldn't be out over here or only in hardcover, so was pleased to see it (pb and cut price too!) and picked it up. Got close to finishing it on the train to Birmingham from Milton Keynes and had to put it aside as I didn't much want to be crying in such a crowded train, but finished it on the next (much quieter!) train. I really loved it - very funny, moving, and a lot of good dog stuff! Not that I'd take it as a deep philosophical exploration of the afterlife or anything, and I don't know entirely how much was just that it was the perfect book for my mood, so I won't push it, but will gladly lend. Girls are going to read it too, so we'll see what they think. Then went back and finished Valiant, and totally agreed with older daughter - much more enjoyable than Tithe (which I don't think I totally finished even), better prose and some really cool bits. But the resolution of the romance felt pretty damn un- to me as well.
Minor irritation (big Borders only had one Graham Joyce and it wasn't any of the ones I particularly wanted to read - not that I normally have anything against YA, obviously) - turned out well too, as I took the only one there - TWOC - for the long trip to get back home. (Okay, some of the travel jinx might just have been things which seemed sensible at the time when planning turning much less so!). I liked this one a lot as well. TWOC is Taking Without Owner's Consent - aka joyriding, and it was a pretty neat trick to make the characters likable while clearly not behaving very well by most standards. Nicely steered between possibly fantasy/horror and screwed-up problem kid while having a lot of humour and definite lightness of touch as well.
The good bit was all the enforced sitting on planes, trains and busses, with no course books to read - and I enjoyed all the three books I got through! First started with Valiant (Holly Black), which older daughter thought would be good for my exhausted mental state. I wasn't very taken with the beginning, but it did get better.
Then at the airport (one of the major improvements of life must be airport bookshops having real books you might want to read sometimes - at least in this neck of the woods) I happened to see Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin, which I'd read about on adbooks. I'd thought it probably wouldn't be out over here or only in hardcover, so was pleased to see it (pb and cut price too!) and picked it up. Got close to finishing it on the train to Birmingham from Milton Keynes and had to put it aside as I didn't much want to be crying in such a crowded train, but finished it on the next (much quieter!) train. I really loved it - very funny, moving, and a lot of good dog stuff! Not that I'd take it as a deep philosophical exploration of the afterlife or anything, and I don't know entirely how much was just that it was the perfect book for my mood, so I won't push it, but will gladly lend. Girls are going to read it too, so we'll see what they think. Then went back and finished Valiant, and totally agreed with older daughter - much more enjoyable than Tithe (which I don't think I totally finished even), better prose and some really cool bits. But the resolution of the romance felt pretty damn un- to me as well.
Minor irritation (big Borders only had one Graham Joyce and it wasn't any of the ones I particularly wanted to read - not that I normally have anything against YA, obviously) - turned out well too, as I took the only one there - TWOC - for the long trip to get back home. (Okay, some of the travel jinx might just have been things which seemed sensible at the time when planning turning much less so!). I liked this one a lot as well. TWOC is Taking Without Owner's Consent - aka joyriding, and it was a pretty neat trick to make the characters likable while clearly not behaving very well by most standards. Nicely steered between possibly fantasy/horror and screwed-up problem kid while having a lot of humour and definite lightness of touch as well.
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Date: 2005-10-02 09:42 am (UTC)BTW that carroll book is now on its way to you. I really did not like it, unfortunately more later.
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Date: 2005-10-03 06:27 am (UTC):) At least if they lose it now I don't fail! I'd just get another chance to struggle to get it printed out again.
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Date: 2008-06-01 04:55 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-01 05:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-15 05:55 pm (UTC)The good dog stuff is totally brilliant, and included a lady golden retriever which IMO makes it hit me with extra strength. Nicest bit when Liz is given a gold watch instead of the silver one she had on life, the nice golden retriever explaining she thought gold was the best color and Liz getting an insight. And how Liz finds out she speaks canine, explaining to Sadie that toilets really are not extra fancy dog water bowls :) Lovely lovely. Thanks so much H!
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Date: 2008-06-17 08:43 pm (UTC)