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dancing_moonFirst of all, I have a new icon! Whee. Cobbled together in a GIMP, but at least it contains books.
The quote on it is also the flipside of this quote:
Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house.
True, true - but there is still never enough shelf/floor/bedside table space. Alas
Second, I finished Side Jobs! It helps that I've read several of the stories already (or, helps and helps, but it did go faster) but I admit - I raced through it. Will re-read more slowly soon
I like the Dresden novellas, especially the ones focused on other characters. Since the books are all written from Harry's first-person POV, it's really interesting to see how other people think about things.
The best story was "Aftermath" which takes place just hours after the latest novel, Changes. Partly because the POV character is officer Murphy and she's WAY COOL. Partly because it's got an interesting little mystery, good action and really takes place 'in' the world.
I mean, the mead story or some of the other little tidbits are just like free-floating fanfics, nothing to change the status quo. This one deals with major events in the overarching plot and, especially together with another short story, could potentially be the first hint of some very interesting developments in the Dresden-verse.
Also contains one my fav characters (yep, additionally to the Murphy-love!) Good stuff.
I was however a bit disappointed in the Thomas novella, "Backup". I've been wanting to read it for ages, but it's been out of print, so that didn't work. Partly it is because I found the voices too similar - Thomas in the books is very fake-laidback, sarcastic and has some greatly self-ironic moments (I swear to you, by my own stunning good looks and towering ego, that I'm not lying to you) - but reading Backup was not very different from reading a story told by Harry, actually.
Also read the novel Torchwood: Almost Perfect, which takes place sometime between the end of season two and Children of Earth. Written by James Goss, plays around with chapters and formatting in a bit of a weird way (tries to be Facebook-quoting hip) and a so-so read. Ianto is turned into a woman; yes, this is published crackfic.
Of course he uses woman's clothes (heels, skirt etc) but at least they bother to explain where he found the stuff. Although, partly because the book is written so weird, I can't quite figure out if it's just Ianto refusing to wear jeans and t-shirts (being a woman doesn't mean you have to wear frilly blouses and heels, honestly, but he's also a bit of a clothes snob...), he got hit with some mind whammy or it's just bad writing. Er, and Gwen comes off as quite shallowly petty in several scenes. Although considering her "god, lose the jeans-in-boots look already!" thought to Tosh in the episode "Greeks bearing gifts" I suppose it's plausible characterization.
The first Torchwood books were much better *nodnods*
The quote on it is also the flipside of this quote:
Books are not made for furniture, but there is nothing else that so beautifully furnishes a house.
True, true - but there is still never enough shelf/floor/bedside table space. Alas
Second, I finished Side Jobs! It helps that I've read several of the stories already (or, helps and helps, but it did go faster) but I admit - I raced through it. Will re-read more slowly soon
I like the Dresden novellas, especially the ones focused on other characters. Since the books are all written from Harry's first-person POV, it's really interesting to see how other people think about things.
The best story was "Aftermath" which takes place just hours after the latest novel, Changes. Partly because the POV character is officer Murphy and she's WAY COOL. Partly because it's got an interesting little mystery, good action and really takes place 'in' the world.
I mean, the mead story or some of the other little tidbits are just like free-floating fanfics, nothing to change the status quo. This one deals with major events in the overarching plot and, especially together with another short story, could potentially be the first hint of some very interesting developments in the Dresden-verse.
Also contains one my fav characters (yep, additionally to the Murphy-love!) Good stuff.
I was however a bit disappointed in the Thomas novella, "Backup". I've been wanting to read it for ages, but it's been out of print, so that didn't work. Partly it is because I found the voices too similar - Thomas in the books is very fake-laidback, sarcastic and has some greatly self-ironic moments (I swear to you, by my own stunning good looks and towering ego, that I'm not lying to you) - but reading Backup was not very different from reading a story told by Harry, actually.
Also read the novel Torchwood: Almost Perfect, which takes place sometime between the end of season two and Children of Earth. Written by James Goss, plays around with chapters and formatting in a bit of a weird way (tries to be Facebook-quoting hip) and a so-so read. Ianto is turned into a woman; yes, this is published crackfic.
Of course he uses woman's clothes (heels, skirt etc) but at least they bother to explain where he found the stuff. Although, partly because the book is written so weird, I can't quite figure out if it's just Ianto refusing to wear jeans and t-shirts (being a woman doesn't mean you have to wear frilly blouses and heels, honestly, but he's also a bit of a clothes snob...), he got hit with some mind whammy or it's just bad writing. Er, and Gwen comes off as quite shallowly petty in several scenes. Although considering her "god, lose the jeans-in-boots look already!" thought to Tosh in the episode "Greeks bearing gifts" I suppose it's plausible characterization.
The first Torchwood books were much better *nodnods*
