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bedlamsbardSo I just finished reading Leviathan Wakes, which I have really mixed feelings about. It's space opera, it's basically the closest you get to a summer blockbuster in book form (as I believe the Book Smugglers said), and it got pretty good reviews. It's a nice, solid book with a pretty decent (if fairly predictable) plot. And sadly I hated every single character in it. Every. Single. One. SO MUCH. I think I might have been more invested in it if the characters were any different, but...I hated everyone. Which is impressive. For a book that tries pretty hard to have a really diverse cast, it's funny how the two narrators are both white dudes, you know? (Well, I guess they might not have been white, but they both read that way.) And how there might be female tertiary characters, but there's only one female secondary character -- or two, if you count Julie Mao, Detective Miller's hallucination, a.k.a. the freaky alien lifeform.
Although it is impressive that I managed to read a 580 page book where I hated everyone on the page. On the other hand, once I get going, it's hard for me to stop, so maybe it's not that impressive. (It took me about six hours. I read fast when I'm irritated and yet strangely compelled.) Anyway. I can't figure out if I actually want to read the sequel or not, especially since it stars the narrator who I hated so much oh my god I wanted to punch him in the face so badly. About 450 words in I figured out he was a Mal Reynolds type -- there is a weirdly Firefly-esque feel to this book, so maybe if you liked that you'd like this (although there's very little humor), but I'm not a huge Firefly fan -- which explains a lot. There's also the noir stuff, which -- look, I'm just going off other reviewers when they say it's noir, because I've never actually read or seen any noir -- and that also irritated me. So basically I spent most of today really irritated, which is usually how I spend my time when I'm reading something I have strongly negative feelings towards and yet cannot stop reading. (Like The Magicians.)
*
So there's that. I need to call postgrad admissions at the University of Leicester, because they're not responding to my e-mails and I'm starting to freak out and try to make alternate plans for if I can't go this fall. (Which basically comes down to live at home, get a job at Fred Meyer because I can't even get a receptionist job because I have no qualifications or experience. Win. I hate my life.) Unfortunately I'm pretty sure business hours in the UK are the exact hours when I'm usually sleeping, so I either have to stay up really late or get up really early. So basically, I hate everything.
*
On the other hand I have read some books recently which I really enjoyed. So there's that. (N.K. Jemisin's Inheritance Trilogy, although I haven't read the third book yet. GODS and POLITICS, guys! Two of my favorite things! And kickass heroines, a THIRD favorite thing!)
Although it is impressive that I managed to read a 580 page book where I hated everyone on the page. On the other hand, once I get going, it's hard for me to stop, so maybe it's not that impressive. (It took me about six hours. I read fast when I'm irritated and yet strangely compelled.) Anyway. I can't figure out if I actually want to read the sequel or not, especially since it stars the narrator who I hated so much oh my god I wanted to punch him in the face so badly. About 450 words in I figured out he was a Mal Reynolds type -- there is a weirdly Firefly-esque feel to this book, so maybe if you liked that you'd like this (although there's very little humor), but I'm not a huge Firefly fan -- which explains a lot. There's also the noir stuff, which -- look, I'm just going off other reviewers when they say it's noir, because I've never actually read or seen any noir -- and that also irritated me. So basically I spent most of today really irritated, which is usually how I spend my time when I'm reading something I have strongly negative feelings towards and yet cannot stop reading. (Like The Magicians.)
*
So there's that. I need to call postgrad admissions at the University of Leicester, because they're not responding to my e-mails and I'm starting to freak out and try to make alternate plans for if I can't go this fall. (Which basically comes down to live at home, get a job at Fred Meyer because I can't even get a receptionist job because I have no qualifications or experience. Win. I hate my life.) Unfortunately I'm pretty sure business hours in the UK are the exact hours when I'm usually sleeping, so I either have to stay up really late or get up really early. So basically, I hate everything.
*
On the other hand I have read some books recently which I really enjoyed. So there's that. (N.K. Jemisin's Inheritance Trilogy, although I haven't read the third book yet. GODS and POLITICS, guys! Two of my favorite things! And kickass heroines, a THIRD favorite thing!)