Book Binge 2009-2010

[adelynne]

My brain wanted to go on vacation for most of December. It is unfortunate that it only really got its wish on the 24th, but even before that I wasn't accomplishing much because I was binging on books. Series, really, because I don't think there's one that I've read that's entirely stand-alone. This post is going to be Part I of an ongoing series

Comments

[lareinenoire]

Actually, you are not the last person in the world to run across Garth Nix. That would be me. I've been planning to pick up the series for ages now, but kept forgetting which book was first. ::adds to library list::

Also, whenever my Amazon giftcard turns up, I will be ordering Soulless. Very much looking forward to it.

[lareinenoire]

Oh, also, I don't know if you've read them yet, but Jonathan Stroud's Bartimaeus trilogy is marvellous. The first book is The Amulet of Samarkand.

[adelynne]

No! Don't recommend more series! With 2 Lymond books still to go my wallet can't take it! ;P

I have, in theory, used a library before. Unfortunately, that never works out well and I wind up paying ridiculous fees when I inevitably fail to return the book at the appropriate time.

[lareinenoire]

Heee. I couldn't live without the library -- it's the reason that marginally less of my funds go toward purchasing books. ;) But the two library systems that I use are both very good about e-mailing notices when you've got something due. I've still managed to end up getting fined once, but so far, so good.

[lodessa]

Sabriel is so much of a stronger book, that really I suspect that I only enjoyed the second two because it was more of the world; if I'd picked either of them up on their own I would likely have been not a fan. But Sabriel is so beautifully grim in tone. I love how just because it's a kid/YA book Nix doesn't feel the need to make things brighter or shinier and the whole thing feels very sparse and mature.

[adelynne]

I also like the way he treats death as something that is good, and proper, and should happen.

I feel like it's kind of the anti-Twilight, in some ways, saying, "No. You should grow up and grow old and die. That's a good thing."

[lodessa]

Yes, I think that is part of what makes the books so mature feeling in a good way. Most books written for young people use death as the ultimate evil that might befall you, whereas in this series Nix definitely presents it as a necessary good.

I do feel it is very anti-Twilight. Because Twilight glories the unnatural and the exception, whereas the Abhorsen series is all about being folded in to the larger natural whole.

[adelynne]

I was, actually, a bit weirded out on the focus on death for a YA novel, at first. I think that's why it took me so long to really pick them up (I bought the trilogy 3 years ago, but only read it now). But I was so happy with how he dealt with it.

It'll be interesting to see the forthcoming books.