Things to say: Book Meme Day 1 and Day 2
I've seen several anime and music Memes going around, so I thought I'd track down a book meme and give it a shot. This version has been cleaned up and tweeked slightly. I do promise to try and get to all the prompts, but I don't promise to be every day about it. As always, feel free to comment or steal as you like.
Day 01 - A book or series you wish had ended sooner
I'm afraid we're going to start Day 1 off with a book in a foreign language. "Dias de llamas" (or "Days of Flames") by Juan Iturralde is a novel set during the Spanish Civil war. The main character Tomás Labayen is a young lawyer in Madrid caught somewhere in between the two increasingly radicalized sides of the conflict. The story is told as stream-of-consciousness, swinging from his "present" in a Republican jail cell to the events leading up to his imprisonment. The shifts in perspective happen unannounced, and create a fragmented and frankly confusing view of the world. Maybe this is supposed to be a literary device to re-create the mood of a country falling apart at the seams, but even experts agree the effect is too disorienting to actually be useful. While the last fifty pages or so are stronger, the actual ending is unsatisfying.
The book covers in roughly 500 pages a story that could, and should, have been told in about 250. Tomás is a weak and ambivalent character, and his waffling through the book makes for a tedious read.
Day 02 - A book or series you wish more people were reading and talking about
"The Adventures of Lucky Starr" by Isaac Asimov (writing as Paul French). These stories are space-western style adventures written in the 1950s. Despite including tons of now humorously outdated details of space travel (including Venus as one large ocean), the stories are wonderful adventures where logic and intelligence triumph over evil and violence with regularity. The world building is exact, as you'd expect from Asimov, and the main characters are wonderful foils for each other. The books are a quick read, and especially recommended if you need a bedtime story to share with your own little Space Ranger.
Meme Prompts
Day 01 - A series you wish had ended sooner.
Day 02 - A book or series you wish more people were reading and talking about.
Day 03 - The best book you've read in the last 12 months:
Day 04 - Your favorite book or series ever.
Day 05 - A book or series you hate.
Day 06 - Your favorite book of all time.
Day 07 - Least favorite plot device.
Day 08 - A book everyone should read at least once.
Day 09 - Best scene ever.
Day 10 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving.
Day 11 - A book that disappointed you.
Day 12 - A book or series of books you’ve read more than five times.
Day 13 - Favorite childhood book OR current favorite YA book (or both!)
Day 14 - Favorite character in a book.
Day 15 - Your "comfort" book.
Day 16 - Favorite poem or collection of poetry.
Day 17 - Favorite story or collection of stories (short stories, novellas, novelettes, etc.).
Day 18 - Favorite beginning scene in a book.
Day 19 - Favorite book cover (bonus points for posting an image!).
Day 20 - Favorite kiss.
Day 21 - Favorite romantic/sexual relationship.
Day 22 - Favorite non-sexual relationship.
Day 23 - Most annoying character ever.
Day 24 - Best quote from a novel.
Day 25 - Any five books from your "to be read" stack.
Day 26 - OMG WTF? OR most irritating/awful/annoying book ending.
Day 27 - If a book contains ______, you will always read it.
Day 28 - First favorite book or series obsession.
Day 29 - Favorite character death.
Day 30 - What book are you reading right now?
Day 01 - A book or series you wish had ended sooner
I'm afraid we're going to start Day 1 off with a book in a foreign language. "Dias de llamas" (or "Days of Flames") by Juan Iturralde is a novel set during the Spanish Civil war. The main character Tomás Labayen is a young lawyer in Madrid caught somewhere in between the two increasingly radicalized sides of the conflict. The story is told as stream-of-consciousness, swinging from his "present" in a Republican jail cell to the events leading up to his imprisonment. The shifts in perspective happen unannounced, and create a fragmented and frankly confusing view of the world. Maybe this is supposed to be a literary device to re-create the mood of a country falling apart at the seams, but even experts agree the effect is too disorienting to actually be useful. While the last fifty pages or so are stronger, the actual ending is unsatisfying.
The book covers in roughly 500 pages a story that could, and should, have been told in about 250. Tomás is a weak and ambivalent character, and his waffling through the book makes for a tedious read.
Day 02 - A book or series you wish more people were reading and talking about
"The Adventures of Lucky Starr" by Isaac Asimov (writing as Paul French). These stories are space-western style adventures written in the 1950s. Despite including tons of now humorously outdated details of space travel (including Venus as one large ocean), the stories are wonderful adventures where logic and intelligence triumph over evil and violence with regularity. The world building is exact, as you'd expect from Asimov, and the main characters are wonderful foils for each other. The books are a quick read, and especially recommended if you need a bedtime story to share with your own little Space Ranger.
Meme Prompts
Day 01 - A series you wish had ended sooner.
Day 02 - A book or series you wish more people were reading and talking about.
Day 03 - The best book you've read in the last 12 months:
Day 04 - Your favorite book or series ever.
Day 05 - A book or series you hate.
Day 06 - Your favorite book of all time.
Day 07 - Least favorite plot device.
Day 08 - A book everyone should read at least once.
Day 09 - Best scene ever.
Day 10 - A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving.
Day 11 - A book that disappointed you.
Day 12 - A book or series of books you’ve read more than five times.
Day 13 - Favorite childhood book OR current favorite YA book (or both!)
Day 14 - Favorite character in a book.
Day 15 - Your "comfort" book.
Day 16 - Favorite poem or collection of poetry.
Day 17 - Favorite story or collection of stories (short stories, novellas, novelettes, etc.).
Day 18 - Favorite beginning scene in a book.
Day 19 - Favorite book cover (bonus points for posting an image!).
Day 20 - Favorite kiss.
Day 21 - Favorite romantic/sexual relationship.
Day 22 - Favorite non-sexual relationship.
Day 23 - Most annoying character ever.
Day 24 - Best quote from a novel.
Day 25 - Any five books from your "to be read" stack.
Day 26 - OMG WTF? OR most irritating/awful/annoying book ending.
Day 27 - If a book contains ______, you will always read it.
Day 28 - First favorite book or series obsession.
Day 29 - Favorite character death.
Day 30 - What book are you reading right now?