Reading Round-up
I thought it might be worthwhile to cast a reflective eye over some of the things I read during the first half of the year. A number of things really don’t require much discussion; I was just catching up with what many people already know. I finally caught up with the first two Discworld novels for instance, although I’m loathe to admit I actually expected a bit more from them – possibly the vice of too much success. I also read Game of Thrones, in some ways bowing to peer pressure but seriously, it’s right up my alley anyway. It truly is epic in scope, while remaining character-orientated and is just generally beautiful fantasy. I was less impressed with the TV series I hate to say, I enjoy it but it just skips too quickly over things and doesn’t give the depth that makes the book so good.
Very recently I read Marianne de Pierre’s YA novel Burn Bright, and I didn’t waste much time finding, buying and starting its sequel Angel Arias. This is undeniably YA but that really doesn’t matter when it’s written so well. It’s dark and strangely seductive, with an ominous atmosphere that lures you in. The only problem is the third book isn’t out yet.
In terms of the 50 Plays in 2012 plan, I’ve only managed two full length ones and two short ones; so not going quite to plan. I’m downgrading the target to 15-20 and will publish my responses to them on my website when I’m done. Don’t hold your breath but it will happen.
I have read a lot of short stories lately, both on my e-reader and in anthologies. I think they’re really good ways to discover writers and series. You get a taste without having to set aside huge amounts of time – there are authors who probably just need to cut it down a bit, sure epic is good but a lot of epics suffer from mid-book drag I find – and of course they have their own traits which make for intriguing reading.
Two of the anthologies I read bring me to a decision/realisation I made about what I read and how to think of it. They were The Best of the Realms Vol 1 and Heroes of the Space Marines. Already there will be some who read that who scoff, frown, smirk or in some way look down upon these books and their like. They’re not “serious” literature or even “serious SF”; they’re mass-market, escapist guff; at worst they’re just commercialised tie-ins with no “creative merit”. Firstly, I didn’t think all those things, but I was aware of the disdain they’re held in. Check Goodreads reviews of titles from this ilk and you’ll find people admitting to their ‘guilty’ pleasure in reading them, or generally panning them – but hey, you read them people.
Now, it’s difficult to actually define this ‘type’ of book; it’s not a specific sub-genre, but you can hopefully see what I mean. These are book written to entertain yes, they are filled with adventure and action and don’t weigh themselves down with introspection or literary cleverness. I guess what I’m talking about are in many ways the ancestors of pulp SF, sword and sorcery etc. I have read a lot of them in the past and have more of them to read, part of me felt the scorn and thought to myself, if I want to be a writer I’m meant to read the ‘high-end’ stuff. Reading The Best of the Realms, I thought, wait a minute, who defines high-end? Why should I be bothered by people’s prejudices? And, if I’m honest, isn’t this the sort of book The Scarlet Ring is?
Which is all a way of me saying I’ve decided to read what I want and to ignore all the ridiculous notions out there about ‘serious’ anything. I won’t feel bad for reading something or think of how I need to get back to ‘worthier’ books – a phrase I recently saw go to print by someone currently reading Game of Thrones (I dread to think what she’d make Heroes of the Space Marines). Judge not by prejudice, judge by content and what you enjoy.
Read on and keep dreaming!
Very recently I read Marianne de Pierre’s YA novel Burn Bright, and I didn’t waste much time finding, buying and starting its sequel Angel Arias. This is undeniably YA but that really doesn’t matter when it’s written so well. It’s dark and strangely seductive, with an ominous atmosphere that lures you in. The only problem is the third book isn’t out yet.
In terms of the 50 Plays in 2012 plan, I’ve only managed two full length ones and two short ones; so not going quite to plan. I’m downgrading the target to 15-20 and will publish my responses to them on my website when I’m done. Don’t hold your breath but it will happen.
I have read a lot of short stories lately, both on my e-reader and in anthologies. I think they’re really good ways to discover writers and series. You get a taste without having to set aside huge amounts of time – there are authors who probably just need to cut it down a bit, sure epic is good but a lot of epics suffer from mid-book drag I find – and of course they have their own traits which make for intriguing reading.
Two of the anthologies I read bring me to a decision/realisation I made about what I read and how to think of it. They were The Best of the Realms Vol 1 and Heroes of the Space Marines. Already there will be some who read that who scoff, frown, smirk or in some way look down upon these books and their like. They’re not “serious” literature or even “serious SF”; they’re mass-market, escapist guff; at worst they’re just commercialised tie-ins with no “creative merit”. Firstly, I didn’t think all those things, but I was aware of the disdain they’re held in. Check Goodreads reviews of titles from this ilk and you’ll find people admitting to their ‘guilty’ pleasure in reading them, or generally panning them – but hey, you read them people.
Now, it’s difficult to actually define this ‘type’ of book; it’s not a specific sub-genre, but you can hopefully see what I mean. These are book written to entertain yes, they are filled with adventure and action and don’t weigh themselves down with introspection or literary cleverness. I guess what I’m talking about are in many ways the ancestors of pulp SF, sword and sorcery etc. I have read a lot of them in the past and have more of them to read, part of me felt the scorn and thought to myself, if I want to be a writer I’m meant to read the ‘high-end’ stuff. Reading The Best of the Realms, I thought, wait a minute, who defines high-end? Why should I be bothered by people’s prejudices? And, if I’m honest, isn’t this the sort of book The Scarlet Ring is?
Which is all a way of me saying I’ve decided to read what I want and to ignore all the ridiculous notions out there about ‘serious’ anything. I won’t feel bad for reading something or think of how I need to get back to ‘worthier’ books – a phrase I recently saw go to print by someone currently reading Game of Thrones (I dread to think what she’d make Heroes of the Space Marines). Judge not by prejudice, judge by content and what you enjoy.
Read on and keep dreaming!
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