Tag Archives: Jacqueline Carey

Serialize Me

Guess who’s fuzzy presence was assisting me?

Why do I have trouble sticking with some series and not others?

I think it might have to do with availability. If I come into a series late, where several books are already published, I can gobble those up and then wait patiently for the next to come out (such as with The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher). If I read Book 1 and Book 2 does not yet exist, I tend to shelve the series until the series has several more books in it or is complete.

Does anyone else have this stilted approach to series?

Look, I don’t want to rush an artist, like say, Patrick Rothfuss. The Name of the Wind was incredible. Yet I haven’t read the sequel, The Wise Man’s Fear, yet because, in part, it didn’t exist when I finished Book 1. In my heart I am waiting for Book 3 to come out and then I will barricade myself in my room with all three books and chew threw them all at once.

I will confess I have done the same thing with other favorite authors, like Jacqueline Carey and N. K. Jemisin. Does such behavior make me less of a fan?

All the authors mentioned so far have treasured places on my book shelves. I even have a few signed copies. For these authors, I savor every word. I slow my reading down for their works. For some of them, I even have the audio versions of their books to go along with the paper/ebook versions.

I think this ‘dedication’ issue might have something to do with the fact that I can easily be distracted by a shiny new book. SQUIRREL!

Marital Reading Bliss

Waffles Reading on My Belly

Couples Reading

Do you remember that first serious ‘romantic other’ in your life? You knew it was serious because you both wanted to read and hang out together at the same time. That was the true test, wasn’t it? Could you enjoy a bit of snookums and then both roll over and pull out a book and settle into a good hour of reading? That was the first time I knew My Main Man and I were most likely going to end up in a lasting relationship. Of course, there was the blushing and the odd giggle as we each admitted it was a bit odd to be reading in bed instead of doing other, often more engaging, activities. The years have flown by, and we still read in bed together, often with my head on his belly. I have been told kindly, but firmly, not to use his ribs as a pillow. Those have been reserved for the five-pound kitty. And apparently, my head weighs more than 5 pounds.

Stuff We've Read

In general, we have usually read the same kinds of things. We both enjoyed Steven Brust, Patrick Rothfuss, Jim Butcher, Jacqueline Carey, Neil Gaiman, and many more. All that before we discovered audiobooks. That accessed a greater number of books per year, since we both commute. Now we find ourselves reading more nonfictions, histories, and action adventures because that is a good chunk of what is available at the library. I have pleas and polite requests in to expand their scifi/fantasy selection of audiobooks.

The Way of Kings, nestled in chilis.

M3 listened to the whoppingly huge audio The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson, before insisting that I needed to use my Winter Solstice Break to enjoy this awesome epic fantasy. Like right now. Get started. And so M3 ended up relistening to much of the book as I puttered around the house in the deep winter 2010 of Northern NM. He didn’t seem to mind.

Mutual Reading Enjoyment

But all is not rosy. Oh, no. There are thunderclouds and the occasional lightning strike. This usually happens when one of us overtakes the other in a series, usually midbook, and makes off with the pertinent paperback or CDs for a long drive. Tssk!Erg! Such was the tale with His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman – M3 completely outdistanced me in the race to finish the second book, and I had to (graciously) admit defeat and allow him the book for a few days before I continued the tale. (But don’t tear up for me, I had a backup book ready for just such an occasion).

In sharing books this way, we have more to talk about. Of course, much of what we end up talking about is fictional characters and places. But there is the deeper side to sharing a good book with anyone – the aspects of the world-building, the multifacets of favorite characters, and the shared anticipation of the next book-to-be by a treasured author.

Bed Warmers

Let Us Dance

Some scenes just deserve a sound track. I don’t care where you find them; whether it’s on the big screen or in a many-thumbed favorite novel, or an emotion-invoking short tale. Some scenes are easy to match to music, no matter what ilk they take, like ball room dances (think string quartets) and sunsets (sweeping voiceless G-rated tunes). Yet  some of my favorite
reads, and indeed some specific characters, have their own sound tracts.

They clash swords, sit in contemplation, drink with friends, do needlework, ride off into the hills to save friends from foes; and they all have music in my head complimenting their deeds and thoughts. Tell me you don’t do the same with your favorite characters?

Sigrun Gard, the Valkyrie of Monoc Securities in The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher – Leaves’ Eyes

Lady Graine from The Kushiel Series by Jacqueline Carey – Dropkick Murphys

Jos Musey from Warchild by Karin Lowachee – Assemblage 23

The Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks – a mix of Enya, KMFDM, Linkin Park, and Evanescence

Cowboy from Hardwired by Walter Jon Williams – Beau Soliel and Chris Ledoux