Reading Wednesday

[brigdh]

What are you reading now?
Nothing, actually, as I've just finished one book at breakfast and haven't started a new one yet.

What did you just finish?
The one I finished this morning was Mulk Raj Anand's Untouchable, which was a bit disappointing, more of a political tract than a novel. Alas.

Before that, I read Point of Knives, which was by the far the best of the three 'Point of...' books. I had much, much higher hopes for "gay fantasy policeman", but at least this third one actually developed some characterization. I also read "Point of Dreams" this week (the second of the three), which in turn was slightly better than "Point of Hopes", the first. In the first book every single character had absolutely no personality or individuality. And yet I read all three books. I suppose that says something about the level of my hopes for 'gay fantasy policeman'. Anyway, this third one was good enough I suppose I'll read a fourth, if such ever is written.

I also read The Artist of Disappearance, a collection of short stories by Anita Desai. Very good, sad and sort of... delicate. None particularly grabbed me emotionally, but all very beautiful.

What books have you aquired this week?
None. I know! How is this possible?! Mainly because I was in a town too small to have bookstores. But now I am in Delhi, and will presumably promptly buy more books than I can reasonably fit in my luggage.

Comments

[just-ann-now.livejournal.com]

Oooh, the Points books! My first experience in reading them (the first two) was similar to yours - definitely "meh". I don't really know what caused me to give them a second look, but I'm so glad I did. Point of Dreams still isn't the first-time story I'd been waiting for (but there's lovely, lovely fanfic that is) but it helped to flesh out the characters wonderfully and now this series is among my favorites. And there's another book on the way, this fall, I think.

What I particularly like is the worldbuilding, which is always a big big factor in my enjoyment of any secondary-world fantasy. Every detail just leaps off the page.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the world-building is really interesting. I'd love to read more about that! The way the government works seems particularly interesting. And ooo, I didn't know there would be another so soon! Thanks for the heads'-up.