July Books

[slemslempike]

July
Dodo the Second - EF Benson
Shug - Jenny Han
Greater Gains - KM Peyton
Just In Case - Meg Rosoff
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - JK Rowling
Blind Beauty - KM Peyton
Venetia - Georgette Heyer
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - JK Rowling
Charmed Thirds - Megan McCafferty
Death in the Stocks - Georgette Heyer
Devil's Cub - Georgette Heyer

I really liked Shug, it was kind of sad throughout, but a really strong sense of being in middle school (I assume, never having been to one). I read Small Gains last year, and wasn't terribly impressed. It seemed very laboured, and I didn't gel with any of the characters at all. Just In Case was very good - there were a few Americanisms that jarred ("Coach", specifically), but I really enjoyed it. I did feel that the characters except Justin weren't very real, but that fitted in with the whole fate thing. Blind Beauty was a much better Peyton - it was very odd when people were jovial about Tessa STABBING A MAN, but still quite satisfying. I'd been kind of saving Charmed Thirds, and wish I hadn't bothered. My god Jessica Darling is an unlikeable, selfish, hypocritical little shit.

HBP was better than I remembered it being - it's the only one I chose to reread, after having seen the first five as films, I figured that they would remind me of all the important plot points in time for DH. Rereading HBP I was struck by what they'd taken out of the film, which was interesting. Once I got past the awful few opening chapters I quite enjoyed reading it, though not the bit where Hermioine CHEATS to get Ron on the Quidditch team. Boo. And Deathly Hallows was better than I thought it would be, though let's ignore the epilogue and pretend that didn't happen. I was impressed when she killed Harry, and not a little teary, but thought it probably wouldn't last.

Venetia was precisely the heroine I like from Heyer. I don't mind that she's written the same heroine quite a lot, it's a good character. Damarel didn't take my fancy too much, but I liked him with Aubrey (good name), and I liked the sudden twist about her mother. Devil's Cub was pretty good too, Vidal was a bit tiresome. Did like his father though. Death in the Stocks I wasn't sure about starting, as I've heard from some people that her detective novels aren't up to much and from one person that they're great, but I rather enjoyed it. I have to say that there was very little detecting going on at all, and the characters seemed much less well drawn than in her historical novels, but even so. I worked out the culprit as well, which I pretty much never do, which probably indicates that it was not a sucessful whodunnit.

Comments

Georgette Heyer

[jinty]

Have you read 'These Old Shades'? Features Vidal's mum and dad as protagonists. Mighty fine!

Re: Georgette Heyer

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

Oh, no I hadn't! That story sounds great, and also it is happily in my pile of unread Heyers at the foot of my bed. Goes right to the top, I think.

[sabethea.livejournal.com]

Agree about Damerel, though I tend to be quite fond of some of the younger heroines - Kitten in Friday's Child, for example. If you want a rather different heroine, Jenny in A Civil Contract makes for a VERY different sort of book.

I like her whodunnits, as they're what my friend Jess calls "a nice murder" - and would recommend "No Wind of Blame" - but mainly because I adore the girl in it!

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I didn't like Kitten very much. Reminded me a bit too much of all the wunderkind toddlers in fiction that I dislike.

I shall look out for A Civil Contract - it's not one I have, but I'd like to try some of her different things.

[the_antichris.livejournal.com]

I have Death in the Stocks in the pile on the other side of my bed, so I'm glad it's good! Have you read Meg Rosoff's other book, Horribly Depressing But Still Good War Story (not its real title, which I can't remember)?

[slemslempike.livejournal.com]

I have - your title is much more apt! I was oversold on it a bit beforehand, so I was expecting something a bit different. Still good though.