Reading

[slemslempike]

I am so irritated by the change of cover on the latest Princess Diaries book that I shan't be buying it. That will undoubtedly teach them. I wasn't attached to the particular design of the Princess Diaries, but the new one looks rubbish. The figures aren't too bad, but the backdrop is very cluttered and blah. I am getting a little tired of Meg Cabot anyway. It's all rather samey after a while, and there's always something just niggling under the surface that annoys me. Also her blog tends to grate on me. Probably this means I should stop reading it, but then where would I find hand-drawn pictures of girls masturbating?

I have been reading Sweet Valley University books, specifically 48, 49, 50, where they go on a road trip competition thing to try and win a scholarship, and then 53. Fortunately the narrative style is such that it doesn't matter how many you miss out in between books, you'll catch up within a paragraph or too. The first books introduce a new character, Neil, who by 53 has transferred from Stanford to SVU, and is running for student president, despite having been there for about half a semester AT MOST. Neil, by the way, is gay. We don't know this until he turns down Jessica, but after that it's made disgustingly blatant by his sudden propensity for shopping and his exquisite good taste. But it's okay, because he is the right kind of gay, who has sworn off relationships, doesn't want to push any sexuality-related issues for his platform, and gives the nice straight characters lots of opportunities to prove themselves un-homophobic. Then the campus LGBT group shows up, and seems to start a smear campaign against Neil for not being out, and provide lots of opportunities for the nice straight characters to disapprove of being blatant about one's sexual preferences.

I got Andy Serkis's book about being Gollum out of the library, and it's mostly really interesting about how the way of representing Gollum changed, and little bits of behind the scenes bits that are lovely. However, he also includes a poem he wrote for his daughter, and I really think that the LotR people should stop trying to embarrass me to death. It's not quite as bad as Sean Astin's literary murder attempt, but still. There is a picture in the book of them all at a press conference, and mostly they're dressed quite casually (and Dom looks atrocious), but Sean Astin is wearing a blazer and tie. This is the kind of thing he does to me.)

Comments

[callmemadam.livejournal.com]

That will undoubtedly teach them.

Quite right!

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

It's so unbearably thoughtless of them. I am generally reconciled to not being able to have all my books matching, but when I've got them all matching to date, then I am well and truly in a huff. Luckily it wasn't a series I was particularly attached to.

[bouncymonkey.livejournal.com]

I really think that the LotR people should stop trying to embarrass me to death

Hahaha WORD.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

It's so difficult to read when I'm cringing in horror. No consideration.

[girlofprey.livejournal.com]

The last Sweet Valley High book I read involved Elizabeth (?) being hypnotised by a she-ghost. These sound much more terrible boring.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I like the ones where there are mysterious killers. Road trips could be good, but this was almost overpoweringly dull.

[tornyourdress.livejournal.com]

Because of course the only reason anyone would turn down Jessica (and not have it be because they preferred Liz) would be their level of gay.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that's another thing: Jessica gets annoyed when Neil tells her he's gay, but that's because she thinks that everyone else knew and they were laughing at her, AND he was rude to her on national TV. Then later he says "are you annoyed because I'm the first guy to turn you down" and she agrees, and IT'S NOT TRUE! Urgh.

[nerdcakes.livejournal.com]

Sean Astin really does just hate his fans and wants them to PUNISH them for liking him. I imagine it is linked to his slight crazy, but I judge him for it nontheless. He is, like, the MASTER of testing love.

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

He tests love DELIBERATELY because he doesn't BELIEVE in the love, and thinks that it can't possibly be true, and needs to constantly push to make sure it's not going to go away. And if it hasn't gone away, then why? And what would make it go away, because if you don't know you can't avoid it and oh it's so difficult

...I think the problem is not Sean Astin.