Reading

One of the things I’ve been doing while I’ve been AWOL from this blog is reading. I used to read on the bus to and from work, but since I drive now, that’s not really possible (OK, it’s possible, just not a good ides). And I used to read over my lunch hour, but now I tend to lunch with my coworkers, so that time’s gone, too.

I’ve been having trouble finding time to read, so I just decided I had to make time. So that’s one of the things I’ve been doing lately. Some books have been good and some books haven’t, but I’ve enjoyed reading again anyway.

Three books I read this past weekend:

Soon I Will Be Invincible: About an evil genius and a cyborg. No, seriously. It’s really good. Probably the best book I’ve read in a while, which may not be saying much, I realize. It’s about people and how they become who they are, and in this case, what’s the difference between being a hero and a villain (hint: not much).

Crooked Little Vein: I love Warren Ellis’ comics and blog, but I found his new book to be mostly unpleasant. I appreciated the book, but didn’t actually enjoy reading it, if that makes any sense. If you read his blog, you'll be ready for the book. If you have never read his blog, I suggest you read it for a couple weeks to give you an idea of what you're in for. In fact, I rather had the impression he wrote the book because he just had a pile of stuff from his blog that he needed to get into a story someplace.

On the Prowl: A fluffy book of four short stories about shapeshifters. I only read the first three, because I cannot stand the last author’s writing. The first one, by Patricia Briggs, was by far the best, and really the only one worth reading. I read the other two because it was a cool, rainy Sunday evening and it was the perfect time for fluff.

Jeff's comfort reads

So, after Lindsey posted hers, and DKM chimed in, I posted my comfort books. Then I asked Jeff what his were. Jeff's quite the reader, so here's what we narrowed it down to:

• The City Watch Discworld books* by Terry Pratchett
• Dark Knight Returns written & drawn by Frank Miller
• Transmetropolitan** written by Warren Ellis & drawn by Darick Robertson

Except for Dark Knight Returns, they're all my favorites, too.

*These include, in order, Guards! Guards!, Men at Arms, Feet of Clay, Hogfather, The Fifth Elephant, The Truth, Night Watch, and Thud! and, you know, some others.
**The link is just to the first one. There are ten or so trade paperbacks total.

Comfort books

Lindsey was talking about comfort books, and DKM mentioned hers. These are mine:

• To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
• At the Sign of the Naked Waiter by Amy Herrick
• Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett

All three count as some manner of science fiction or fantasy, but the first two only technically. If you aren't into that sort of thing, you might like them anyway. I mean, I'm guessing Lindsey won't, since we have diametrically opposed opinions on most entertainment media, but your mileage will likely be better. :)