(no subject)

[nigeltde]

oh man, the movie version of Hotel New Hampshire, with Jodie Foster and Rob Lowe and a teeny tiny Seth Green, is such an awful, awful mess. It has like no redeeming features, and you're looking at someone who laughed -- several times -- at Meet the Spartans. So. I was really disappointed cause the book is rad.

Bumface was at a job interview the other day so I wandered down the road to a book exchange. Turns out it mostly sold porn in the back section and I was too embarrassed to go in there, but I managed to rustle up a copy of The Midwich Cuckoos for thirty (30) cents! John Wyndham is the shit; although it is at times horrifically sexist, it also has lesbians. Lesbians! In middle-class English old-school sci-fi! I love it!

There's just no satisfaction like finding a really great book bargain. The other week I found a copy of Rupert Holmes's Where the Truth Lies, which was made into a middling Kevin Bacon/Colin Firth movie a couple of years back. I searched everywhere in Adelaide for that book after seeing the movie (it had some gay). And then a couple of weeks ago, there it was, right in front of my face on the sale table at Dymocks! And I had a voucher, so I didn't even have to pay for it! Lesson being: NEVER PASS A BOOK SALE BY. I have found so many great books this way. And so many books that I just know will be great if I ever get around to reading them.

I mean, for the last few weeks I have been agonising over the three-for-two tables at Borders, because they happened to have an unusually large number of books I really, really wanted in a deep and soul-rending way. Today I succumbed, the reason being that I had a voucher that covered the cost of one book, so really, I would be getting three for one! It would be sheer insanity -- nay, irresponsibility -- to pass over such an opportunity. Plus, these would be books I've never even read before! So now to unload onto my "to read" shelf I've got copies of Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policeman's Union, Cormac McCarthy's No Country For Old Men, and Tolkien's the Children of Hurin, a lovely paperpack with illustrations by the incomparable Alan Lee.

After that, to prolong the bookgasm, I couldn't resist checking out my favourite second-hand bookstore and there I grabbed a nice portable paperback LotR for nineteen bucks (the copy I used to read is my mum's, so I left it behind when I moved out. And no place is home without a well-thumbed copy of LotR around) that should serve until I find my dream edition. And also the first volume of The Mallorean (for $1.90!) because I figured it's probably time to start reading David Eddings. Then I realised that The Belgariad is the first trilogy.

So my question to you is, should I read the Mallorean without reading the Belgariad?

Comments

[thegeekgene.livejournal.com]

The Yiddish Policeman's Union is really awesome. I haven't finished it, yet, but it's amazing.

[nigeltde]

awesome! I'm really looking forward to reading it. Chabon just can't put a foot wrong.

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[(Anonymous)]

Hi Robert, thanks for the coemmnt. I don't recall that being much of an issue in Warbreaker. My issues with that book were mostly in the realm of character with some of the reveals lacking punch.Spoilers? I try to avoid them in the review itself, but I think in the coemmnts it is fair game.*** SPOILERS SPOILIERS SPOILERS ****** SPOILERS SPOILIERS SPOILERS ***The big reveal scene that came off as incredibly flat for me was where Jasnah makes the connection between the ash and fire references of the Voidbringers to the red and black marbling of the Parshendi's skin... That's just a ridiculous cognitive leap to me. It could have been set up much better, but just came off as a head-scratcher. Jasnah is a renouned scholar and should know much better than that.I also wanted to grind my teeth and grab a copy of The Song of Ice and Fire instead when I was reading some of the scenes with Dalinar and Sadeas. Sanderson managed to pull off that plotline eventually with the betrayal (which I will admit fooled me... *finger on forehead in shape of an "L"*), but up until then the back and forth between animosity and civility lacked a logical consistency and seemed like Sanderson just couldn't decide either.Despite its failings I'll side with you, it had me hooked enough to want to read a second book. I think if Sanderson doesn't up the ante though in quality, and keep his book better trimmed, he may risk losing readers' attention for something better.