The Most Horrible and Perfect Sentence of A Dance with Dragons

First, a note: No spoilers, I swear. You can read on safely, fellow fans.

Ten days ago was the release date of GRR Martin's A Dance with Dragons, a book for which I, along with many fans, have been waiting a long time. Not that I mind - there's plenty of other books to read in the meantime - but once it was there, I wasn't going to wait another day.

I bought on Tuesday and spent my week doing little else with my free time than read through the thousand-page epic.* I was done Saturday afternoon, and "forced" the book in a friend's hand so I'd have someone to discuss spoilery goodness with.

Not that I'll expand much on the book. By now there's plenty of reviews out there if you're curious. 

See, Martin does grim and brutal super well. He's known for the frequent character deaths and general grittiness of his setting. And among a bloody description of a city's ruins after the war came by (bodies in the water, entire streets burnt down, etc.) was a sentence fragment so perfect  I just had to stop.

Maybe it's just me, but that sentence caught my attention, and that rarely ever happens when I read. And with all the set-up I just did, maybe you'll be disappointed. :P It's still one of the most horrible and perfect sentence I've read in a looong time (hence the title!)

So, here goes. Remember: part of a list of war-related horrors. It wasn't standing alone. And if you're eating anything, put it down.

Children fighting over half-cooked puppies.

And that's it! Tell me, do you remember powerful descriptions that made you stop and pause?


*It's 959 pages of actual text, but with the appendix it goes over 1000. So, I decide that it qualifies!

The Weeks of Big Fat Flying Ships

My last two reads have one thing in common: they feature large flying ships.

By now the regular know I love hot air balloons. It is a love that extends to all things flying ships. Anything that flies and isn't an airplane or spaceship is bound to catch my attention.

No surprise, then, if I say that promises of these things was enough to make me read Leviathan, by Scott Westerfield and Winds of Khalakovo.

Leviathan

I'm not sure why I took so long to read this. Leviathan is, by large, the most recommended steampunk book around the internet. Whenever the "steampunk recommendations" topic comes up, it's at the top of the list. 

Flash news: It's there because it deserves to be.

I love this book. It picks up very fast, the two main characters are awesome, and the universe -- the universe! Of course the idea of Darwinists is going to appeal to the biochemist in me. I craved for descriptions of their work, and of the Leviathan's workings.

Official Leviathan art by Keith Thompson

A book that has a freaking huge whale flying through the sky because it is supported by a complex ecosystem of genetically-modified lifeforms is.. is... There is no word for how much this idea makes me happy. It just does. There's no resisting the Huxleys, either.

Besides the genius premise, Leviathan also has a tight plot, hilarious dialogues, characters to root for and it makes for an all-around awesome read.

The Winds of Khalakovo

Click the cover! Go visit Beaulieu's site.

I found Winds from what I believe is Margo's very first Cover Lust feature and immediately became jealous. I still am. With her recommendation about this writer and my immediate love for the four-masted airship, I could not resist buying this the moment I had my Kindle.

After reading Leviathan my craving for airborne adventure was great. I opened this book, ready to jump into an epic tale. I wasn't disappointed.

If you ever wondered where completely original fantasy epics had gone*, well, here's your answer. Winds is a refreshing story of great scale with an unique setting. It plays with a few familiar concepts (elementals, for example) but brings them about in a fresh and unexpected way, mixing russian influences in.

The plot is thick, fast-moving and full of unexpected turns. This book has high magic, political intrigues, racial tensions, arranged marriages, a love triangle (the best I've read about, ever) and much more. Including flying ships. I mentionned that was important, right?

So, please. Let yourselves be transported by the Winds of Khalakovo. You're in for a great ride (aand an expectant wait for the next tome!)

You Should Go Into the Woods

My internship has one precious advantage over my previous (well, current but "on pause") job: there is a lot of downtime, and I can do what I want with it. I try to do some housekeeping at the lab, of course, but there's only so much tip-racking I can put up with in a day.

The result is that I read a lot more. I bring my kindle along and can alternate between science papers and novels as I wish.

Last week I started (and promptly finished) David Gaughran's short story collections, If You Go Into the Woods.

So pretty and creepy and awesome!

So, how do I put this...

Creepy.

Chirp.

Mysterious.

Chirp.

Masterful.

Chirp.

 More seriously, though, both of the short stories within are great to read. This is well worth the 0.99$ you have to pay through Amazon. It's short and sweet, perfect for a coffee break. I'm not a big short story reader, but these left me with no regrets at all.

For the record, David keeps a wonderful blog chronicling his progress through self-publishing, along with what he did to get there and what you need to know. It's an incredible wealth of information on the subject, so if you find yourself contemplating self-publishing, you should definitely keep an eye on it.

Water For Elephants

I promised myself I would read Water for Elephants more than a year ago. It's outside of my genre, and outside of my usual tastes, but for this book I'd make an exception.

First, because this NYT bestseller was written during November 2006. NaNoWriMo 2006. This isn't the first published novel from Sara Gruen that was written during the November frenzy, but it is the best known one - the go-to example when you're asked if anything is ever published from what 200,000 participants create every year. It is proof that, with hard work and a lot of editing, a NaNovel isn't always meant for the trash bin.

Second because they made a movie out of it. Now, that wouldn't mean much to me, but when I looked up the distribution and read 'Cristoph Waltz', it was a whole different beast. Ever since I saw Inglorious Basterds, I have an undying admiration for Hans Landa (as a character!) and Cristoph Waltz acting work.

So that's why I picked it up.

I wasn't disappointed.

Water for Elephants is a great book from beginning to end. You fall in love with grouchy Jankowski right away and follow him gleefully as he embark on the wild and dangerous life of American circus in the 30s. The circus is absolutely fascinating. I can't speak for accuracy, because I had little prior knowledge of the subject, but damn, it feels real. I rushed through the story, hardly capable of pausing.

My only tiny gripe is the prologue, and it should be noted that I don't usually have problem with prologues. It wasn't a backstory prologue. It was a prologue that's actually an important scene later on, and which reveals very important element.

I understand how this raises tension and questions. I see the point. As I reader, though, I prefer not to have a solid idea of where the main storyline is heading before it has even started.

Let's be honest, though. This is far from enough to ruin the experience. I'd readily recommend the novel to anyone, and would even shove a copy in their hands if they seem too reluctant.

Next stop? The movie!

Kindle Kindle Little Star

It has arrived! I did not expect the new baby for another week, yet there was the package, waiting for my return home tonight.

I am pleased. As in, super pleased.

Also, I haven't announced it anywhere, but I am participating in the A to Z Blogging Challenge. This means I will be posting every day of the week safe for Sunday, and each day will belong to a letter of the alphabet.

Fun will be had. If I'm not too distracted by shiny new Kindle.

Over and out! You'll all get a proper post tomorrow.

The Pleasure of a Good Surprise

Last Friday I went to my University's cooperative to get some class notes, and I happened upon a rather beautiful edition of Pride and Prejudice. The book has been on my TBR list for ages, and I couldn't resist picking it up, despite knowing two or three friends that could've lent it to me. Some books deserve to be bought.

It should be said I'd never read anything from Jane Austen before, and though I'd seen movies based on her novels, I hadn't seen the one from Pride and Prejudice. Yes, it's a classic, but it's an English litterature one, and though we hear much about it, I haven't had to read it at school.

Anyway. I bought it this Friday. I had an incredibly busy weekend, and little time to read. I made time.

I was never a romance girl, but I was addicted to Mr. Darcy faster than I thought possible. It has been a long time since a book put a spell on me the way this one did. I finished it today, and I can't remember when was the last time I read something in four days.

There's a reason this is a classic. It's a delightful read, which you can get enough of even when you know the ending long before it happens.

As to what I learned and what made me squee, I'm afraid I read through far too fast to let my writerly mind seek a lesson. This unfortunately means I will have to pick it up again later on. I bet you can all hear me crying from over the internet!

Dying For an E-Reader

I'm not sure I can wait for another month before I get my e-reader. As much as I love the feel of paper in my hand, and the shiny cover of awesome writers, I have two very practical reasons to get one of these baby (I mean, besides the whole "I'm dying for the shiny gadget").

1. I travel a lot by night. I'm not the one driving. Often it's late, and rather than write, I'd love to be reading. I can't do that with paper books, though, not unless I buy a light.

2. My access to english books is limited. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of great libraries around Quebec, and there's even one which sells solely english books. Often, I still have trouble finding what I'm looking for.

An exemple? I checked three different places so far for Leviathan. No luck. I've had to order every book on writing I have, too.

I know some of you have tried e-readers or own one. It's a big chunk of my tiny student budget, so any tips you have would be welcomed!

Stephen King and First Lines

I'm not quite done with The Gunslinger, but I've read enough to know that this first contact with King will keep me coming for more. I know the title has been on the blog as 'currently reading' for a month, but I only started last Friday. I may or may not have felt guilty about not reading after the guest post on TBR pile.

There's a lot still to be explained about what goes on in this novel (it doesn't hinder the story any, though), and I wouldn't be surprised if, after a few more novels from the pile and indulging in another of Kay's, I came back for the second in the Dark Tower series. I like having my questions answered!

And now...

The Quirky Thing that Makes Me Squee
The crow that says "Screw you and the horse you rode on." For some reason I thought this was hilarious. I still do. Plus I'm usually irritated by talking animals, but this crow? I love this crow.

What I Learned From King
We've all heard of the importance of first lines. This novel is filled with brilliant first-lines hook. Twice, I've glanced at the line before closing the novel, only to bite my lips at what I'd read, check the time, and decide I should go on a little more. Here, I'll throw in two examples.

Novel's first line:

The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.

 Chapter start:

The boy found the oracle, and it almost destroyed him.

These are just two, and I found them flipping around randomly. The novel is ripe with them, and though I have not read anything else by Stephen King, I'd be surprised if this wasn't true for his other novels.

First lines hook your readers and draw them in. Make them count, and you'll have someone up at 4 am because he can't put your book down.

Fish, fish, fish!

So many fishes. AH!

*breathes*

I finished 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea on Tuesday evening and let me tell you, there is lot of fish names in there. Think Tolkien's description, but fish-wise! Fishes all over the place!

Whew. I still enjoyed the book a lot. It's slow-moving, true, but intriguing and marvelous at the same time. As soon as you learn to speed-read when he lists species and genus, you have a nice ride ahead of you.

The Quirky Thing that Made Me Squee
Ned Land, one of the three main characters (excluding Captain Nemo here) is a whaler from Quebec. Not just any part of Quebec, either: Quebec City. It's stated twice through the novel and call me silly, but I love the idea one character from a famous novel is from my hometown.

What I Learned From Jules Vernes
Know your shit. Do your research. There is not one part of this novel that seems fake or impossible. Jules Verne was up to date about the technologies of his time and used them to justify the new technologies he presented in his novel. The Nautilus might not seem like much today. It's just a submarine. This novel, however, comes from 1870, and Jules Verne takes the time to explain how such a thing could exist.

His research and attention to details bring the tale to life. Don't mess yours. Get familiar with every aspect of your story.

Reading VS Writing

One of the most difficult challenge I've had since starting University (nearly three years ago) was to find time for both reading and writing. Two incredibly enjoyable activities, which both contribute to my writing skills in their own way, and which I refuse to sacrifice.

The problem is, I can barely fit them in my schedule. Most of the time, reading was put aside.

 So this is one of my 2011 goals. Read more.

I started on Jan. 1st with my first Terry Pratchett (one must question why I took so long) and the goal is to pick up a book as soon as I finish another. It has risks - when I get into a novel, I drop everything else - but I'd love to see my TBR pile in a stable state for once.

What about you guys? I bet I'm not the only one with TBR-pile problems!