Reading Wedn- Thursday

[brigdh]

What did you just finish?
India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of a Nation’s Remaking by Anand Giridharadas. This is definitely one of the best 'portrait of India today' books I've read. It's a hard genre, because for almost any generalization that could be made, the opposite is also true. But Giridharadas managed it; so many of the people and problems he described I felt like I recognized. Really highly recommended, if you have any interest in the topic at all.

Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch. OMG AMAZING. This is my favorite in the series since the first one. I loved the further hints of the magical world outside of England- Russia and Germany, in this case- and am so anxious to find out the details of what happened at Ettersberg. I loved the Spring Court, I loved all the architecture stuff (though I know nothing about the topic) and I loved all the details- gardens on the balconies! Chocolate oranges! The whole building exploding! God, what an ending. And of course, everything with Lesley, AHHHHHHHH. At first I was convinced the Faceless Man had somehow hypnotized/mind-controlled Lesley and really did not want to believe she was doing it of her own free will. And now I'm just hoping she's pulling some kind of double-cross. But looking back at things that happened earlier in the book (the scene where Lesley and Peter got taken hostage by Varvara and Lesley kept saying "Call your boss"; the scene at the Goblin Market, where she went outside without her mask and people were pointing and taking cell-phone photos) it all makes such terrible sense.

Other things I enjoyed: Lesley/Zach as a pairing. I would totally read that fic.
The hint that 'Nightingale' might be a title/nickname rather than his real name.
The Nightingale/Varvara showdown.

What are you currently reading?
The Eighth Guest & Other Muzaffar Jang Mysteries by Madhulika Liddle. Mysteries in 1600s Delhi, whooo!

Untamed by Anna Cowan. This is simultaneously terrible and amazing. It's the most id-ficcy thing I've ever read, outside of fanfic.

There's no Benjamin January in this post! ;_;

Comments

[egelantier.livejournal.com]

"oops, sorry, was it YOUR tiger tank?" :D peter's consistent fanboying of nightingale is pretty much the best thing ever.

LESLEE THOUGH. WHY WHY WHY WHY.

[kessie.livejournal.com]

I loved BROKEN HOMES and promptly freaked out all over Twitter when I reached The Twist this evening (Ben Aaronovitch tweeted back at me!). Looking back, I agree with all the hints you said, and I think there was a moment when you could see how hopeful she was at the thought of the face-chimeara-reconstruction. I also loved seeing how absolutely badass Nightingale is during the battle and underneath the gentleman-y veneer, I could totally see how he could take out tanks.

Up until the fight and the bomb, I was reading along going, "Hmmm, this is okay, funnier than the last, but nothing special." From the fight and the bomb, I was on full-on tension, and then got blown away (no pun, intended) by the twist. In general terms, I like how Peter was previously revealed as an architect geek, as I was wondering how the hell he knew so much about it all. I can't wait for the next one and am gutted we have to wait so long!

I also really want a chocolate orange now. Mmmm.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Haha, yes, that is great.

I KNOW I KNOW. I WANT TO TRUST HER BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE'S DOING AHHHHH.

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Ben Aaronovitch tweeted back at me!

That's awesome!

I kind of really want to reread the book now, knowing the twist, and see if there's other things I didn't pick up on the first time. But I agree that the beginning did seem slow and not particularly engaging, at first. And yes, I want the next one so badly!

[somebraveapollo.livejournal.com]

... whoah, okay, Untamed sounds like maybe the best thing ever, based on Goodreads. SO need to look into that!

[somebraveapollo.livejournal.com]

ALSO crossdressing??!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

YES YOU SHOULD READ IT. It is not entirely good (a lot of the writing, on a basic prose level, is quite cliched and just basically not all that engaging; every single character has a Traumatic Abused Child backstory; the idea that this is in any way happening in realistic Regency England is ridiculous) and yet it is also amazing. The hero spends at least half the book disguised as a woman, and the heroine shows up at a High Society Ball in men's clothing to challenge another woman to a duel.

Here is the review of it (http://coffeeandink.livejournal.com/1119071.html) which made me want to read it, which is much more articulate and informed about the Romance genre than I am. Also, I can hook you up with an ebook of it, if you're interested.

[somebraveapollo.livejournal.com]

He remembered her fingers holding his tightly in the night, and imagined the force she would bring, if he once let her near – the strength of her fingers deep in his hair, and her muscled legs around him, and her coarse hair let loose over him.


I NEED THIS BOOK IN MY LIFE. My Gwendoline Christie crush had recently rekindled and, ahhh. Please do send, if it's no trouble.

(Historical inaccuracy sometimes delights me, and clunky prose is rarely a problem - like, I had, to some extent, even enjoyed Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander. I mean, I don't recommend it - there's some really really ridiculous consent things in it, and honestly everyone a douchebag - but my point is I am not a person of high literary standards most of the time.)

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

(Book has been sent!)

Gwendoline Christie would be A++++ for picturing as the heroine of this novel!

Oh man, I keep meaning to read 'Phyllida and the Brotherhood of Philander', but I hear such terrible things about it. But a lot of the people who I've heard discuss it are much more invested in the Regency period than I am, and so I think I will probably eventually succumb to my need for threesomes in cravats.

[somebraveapollo.livejournal.com]

(received and working, thank you so much <3)

I SERIOUSLY have a Gwendoline problem. Wiki says she played Lucifer in Dr Faustus and I just want to travel back in time to 2010 to see it. I've also been inappropriately crushing on Sailor Urenus - alina has been inducting me into Sailor Moon - and just recently realised this is partially a Gwendoline transference issue.

Hah, the things we'll do for cravat threesomes. I think you miiiiight like Phyllida - I sort of did, and the clitoris sequence really is hilarious - as long as you go in with low expectations? Not just about historical veracity, but also things like kink-ethics and character maturity. But the supporting cast is fun, some of the dynamics are hot and there are certainly cravats. So, go for it!

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

WAT. Gwendoline as Lucifer is the most amazing thing I've ever heard.

I'll have to check it out, then! It sounds like I am more than willing to put up with the bad parts for the good.