Inane Chatter

What were you expecting?

  • What I’ve Been Reading
  • Favorite Books
  • Movies I Love
What were you expecting?

Jo Walton Reads

Old Lovegood Girls by Gail Godwin

August 6, 2020 by Zannah Leave a Comment

Started: 8/2/20
Finished: 8/6/20

I thought about putting this down shortly after starting it.  Not because it was bad, it’s very much not bad, but because it wasn’t grabbing me.  I wasn’t positive I was in the right mood for it.  But I kept reading, and I kept reading, and I kept reading, and I couldn’t stop reading, and I stayed up late two nights running because I couldn’t stop reading, and then it ended, and I’m a little sad.  It’s about two women who meet in college and then separate and how their lives went on.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Posted in: What I've Been Reading Tagged: ebook, fiction, Jo Walton Reads, library

Would Like To Meet by Rachel Winters

May 19, 2020 by Zannah Leave a Comment

Started: 5/16/20
Finished: 5/19/20

It’s a book, not a movie, so while I would call it a rom-com, I suppose it’s more correctly chick lit.  It’s totally a rom-com, and it name-checks every rom-com out there because part of the plot is that it steals the meet-cutes from them.  And just like a rom-com, it was SO OBVIOUS who the love interest was that it was infuriating that no one else seemed to think so.

It was light, it was mostly cute, but it seemed to go a little longer than it had to.  I’d watch the movie, but I wouldn’t re-read the book.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Posted in: What I've Been Reading Tagged: ebook, fiction, Jo Walton Reads, library

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

May 6, 2020 by Zannah 1 Comment

Started: 5/2/20
Finished: 5/6/20

This book started out really cute, turned absurd, got serious, took a dark turn, and ended on the cute side again without taking into account the darkness.  The second half, especially the last little bit, felt like an exercise rather than a novel, so I can’t say I fully recommend it, at least not as an immersive novel.  On the other hand, it was a really interesting exercise in use of language, and the made up months and days made me laugh, especially toward the end.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Posted in: What I've Been Reading Tagged: ebook, fiction, Jo Walton Reads, library

A Kiss Before Dying by Ira Levin

May 2, 2020 by Zannah 2 Comments

Started: 4/27/20
Finished: 5/2/20

Having just finished a couple of very pleasant adventure stories with likeable protagonists, I almost physically recoiled at the main character’s attitude in the first few pages.  It’s an adjustment.  It’s also about a murder, so maybe I shouldn’t have been surprised.  Pretty much all of the male characters came across as arrogant chauvinists, including (especially) the good guys, so the book was a bit much to take.  I enjoyed it, but I can’t say I liked it.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Posted in: What I've Been Reading Tagged: ebook, fiction, Jo Walton Reads, library, mystery

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

April 19, 2020 by Zannah Leave a Comment

Started: 4/12/20
Finished: 4/19/20

I’ve read a couple of this author’s YA books and liked them a lot -they were a pair of heist stories, and I always like a good heist.  This one…I’m not quite halfway and seriously considering quitting.  Premise: the secret societies at Yale are all real and do real magic, and a young woman who can see ghosts is recruited to the watchdog society.  It was a little slow to start, but it was going fine once I got into it, and then there was a really horrifying scene made so much worse for the fantasy elements, and shortly after that there was a really gross scene, and I’m just not sure.  It’s on the horror side of fantasy – not creepy-scary, but maybe a bit body-horror scary.  Maybe I’ll see how I feel about it in the morning.

Update: I kept reading and found I couldn’t put it down.  Nothing else as horrifying or gross happened and the action picked up.  It ended with a setup for the next book, but it’s not a cliffhanger and could work as a standalone.

Update 6 months later: I was reminded of the horrifying scene, and I am horrified all over again and NOT in a good way.  I wish I hadn’t remembered it.  I don’t feel good about this book.  Definitely not for me.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Posted in: What I've Been Reading Tagged: Alex Stern series, ebook, fantasy, horror, Jo Walton Reads, library, magic, urban fantasy

Dressed for Death by Donna Leon

June 1, 2019 by Zannah Leave a Comment

Started: 5/25/19
Finished: 6/1/19

Commissario Brunetti series book 3.  I think I see what Jo Walton meant when she said this series was about integrity.  Brunetti solves the mystery, but the ultimate bad guy doesn’t get punished (or not for the right thing).  If there’s a larger character arc, I wonder if Brunetti will go through a depression.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Posted in: What I've Been Reading Tagged: Commissario Brunetti, ebook, Jo Walton Reads, library, mystery

Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon

May 24, 2019 by Zannah Leave a Comment

Started: 5/19/19
Finished: 5/24/19

Book 2 of the Brunetti mysteries.  Like the first one, the mystery gets solved, but the resolution isn’t entirely satisfying, for me or for our detective.  I think I like that.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Posted in: What I've Been Reading Tagged: Commissario Brunetti, ebook, Jo Walton Reads, library, mystery

Tragedy at Law by Cyril Hare

May 4, 2019 by Zannah Leave a Comment

Started: 4/30/19
Finished: 5/4/19

I went back and read the first of the Francis Pettigrew mysteries.  If I had read this one first, I wouldn’t be interested in reading any more.  First of all, Pettigrew is barely in it.  Certainly not a main character.  Second, the murder happens in the last 10% of the book.  No exaggeration.  And one of the suspects only got introduced a chapter ahead of it.  I MIGHT try the third one before I decide about the series, but I’m not in a hurry.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Posted in: What I've Been Reading Tagged: ebook, Francis Pettigrew, Jo Walton Reads, mystery

With a Bare Bodkin by Cyril Hare

April 29, 2019 by Zannah Leave a Comment

Started: 4/26/19
Finished: 4/29/19

Because Jo Walton liked it, I gave it a try.  This is the second of the Francis Pettigrew mysteries, set in England in early WWII.  Pettigrew is a lawyer, everyone is pretty isolated, and the murder doesn’t actually occur until the second half of the book.  Entertaining, but odd.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Posted in: What I've Been Reading Tagged: ebook, Francis Pettigrew, Jo Walton Reads, mystery

Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon

April 17, 2019 by Zannah Leave a Comment

Started: 4/14/19
Finished: 4/17/19

The first in a series of mysteries set in Venice that I picked up because Jo Walton says they’re wonderful and I trust her.  For some reason she recommends starting with book 2 (she’s on book 22 (!) and the author is still alive), but I started with book 1 because what kind of monster do you take me for?

I enjoyed it, even though this was one of the more disturbing motives – definitely not a cozy mystery.  Maybe Jo Walton’s recommendation about starting with book 2 was a typo.

Share this:

  • Share
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Posted in: What I've Been Reading Tagged: Commissario Brunetti, ebook, Jo Walton Reads, library, mystery

About My Blog

Oh, the inanity!

Email me

What I’m Reading

Ash and Quill
by Rachel Caine

Procrastination Heaven

  • Analog Monday
  • Ann Leckie's Blog
  • Catalog Living
  • Dooce
  • Girl in Revision
  • John's Blog
  • Nancy Nall
  • Robin McKinley's Blog
  • Tenor Dad
  • Tom and Lorenzo
  • Whatever
  • Where in the World are B & B?
  • Woot
  • XKCD

When Twitter Isn't Enough

  • All Things Jennifer
  • Aussa Lorens
  • Blah Blog Blerg
  • Crayon Girl Linz
  • How Bad Can It Go?
  • I am found in words
  • Ideas I'm Kickin' Around
  • Live Into Beauty
  • OkayZoeyK
  • Postcards From Oblivion
  • Read Think Ponder
  • Rubber Shoes In Hell
  • Sensei of Truth
  • Squirrels in the Doohickey
  • Ten Thousand Places
  • The Bloggess
  • The OMG Spot
  • Wanton Word Flirt

Admin

  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.org
January 2021
S M T W T F S
« Dec    
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31  

Categories

  • a little bit random (140)
  • activism (6)
  • adventure (14)
  • all the tired in the world (73)
  • animals other than dogs (46)
  • anti-social (45)
  • apartment (35)
  • baby stuff (46)
  • beach (2)
  • birthday (2)
  • book club (10)
  • books (199)
  • bookstore (8)
  • boxing (8)
  • broken record (35)
  • bugs (12)
  • but I don't sting people. Usually. (5)
  • but not in a good way (39)
  • cars (21)
  • cat (2)
  • clothes (28)
  • complaining (127)
  • computer (15)
  • concerts (26)
  • contest (4)
  • cookies (3)
  • coronavirus (7)
  • culture (9)
  • dance (7)
  • decisions (15)
  • desperately seeking sleep (26)
  • dogs (188)
  • dreams (14)
  • duh (7)
  • Earthquake! (2)
  • easily amused (99)
  • Eugene (62)
  • ew (7)
  • exercise (95)
  • family (101)
  • flying (9)
  • food (235)
  • friends (99)
  • fun (12)
  • future (55)
  • general (358)
  • general geekishness (80)
  • grammar (10)
  • hair (12)
  • hints and allegations (18)
  • history (4)
  • holidays (115)
  • hope (4)
  • horses (20)
  • house (135)
  • Hugo Awards (14)
  • I am like the busy bee (25)
  • I am like the busy bee without the stinging (3)
  • I don't have it in me (48)
  • I feel appreciated (2)
  • I just don't wanna (34)
  • I like it (4)
  • I mean (9)
  • I'm not going to talk about work (113)
  • I'm the chief executive of fantasy land (34)
  • incidents and accidents (59)
  • Jack (70)
  • John (233)
  • lists (29)
  • looking for help (6)
  • losing my mind (23)
  • more inane than usual (61)
  • movies (79)
  • moving (69)
  • music (92)
  • my age is showing (18)
  • naps (15)
  • nature (17)
  • Navy (7)
  • neighbors (19)
  • no kidding (1)
  • other blogs (207)
  • outdoors (12)
  • paranoia (1)
  • people (44)
  • pessimism (18)
  • pictures (202)
  • plans (40)
  • podcasts (4)
  • politics (9)
  • pondering the big questions (65)
  • pregnant (25)
  • pretty (24)
  • product placement except not really (45)
  • reading (111)
  • really (4)
  • riding (19)
  • running (119)
    • 5 miles (1)
    • 5K (7)
  • school (48)
  • SCIENCE! (4)
  • shopping (38)
  • should I be worried? (10)
  • sick (34)
  • silliness (25)
  • so sad (11)
  • stress (27)
  • technology (21)
  • THIS (13)
  • this is huge (21)
  • this shouldn't even count as a post (73)
  • time to relax (51)
  • too bad (19)
  • travel (120)
  • trying new things (60)
  • TV (107)
  • uncategorized (281)
  • vacation (42)
  • video (125)
  • want (9)
  • weather (140)
  • website (46)
  • weird (4)
  • What I've Been Reading (306)
  • wine (22)
  • work (124)
  • WorldCon 2020 (3)
  • worst thing ever (1)
  • writing (22)
  • yard (15)
  • yoga (4)
  • you can't make me (17)

Archives

  • December 2020 (8)
  • November 2020 (4)
  • October 2020 (11)
  • September 2020 (8)
  • August 2020 (10)
  • July 2020 (41)
  • June 2020 (29)
  • May 2020 (34)
  • April 2020 (34)
  • March 2020 (11)
  • February 2020 (7)
  • January 2020 (8)
  • December 2019 (5)
  • November 2019 (7)
  • October 2019 (6)
  • September 2019 (7)
  • August 2019 (10)
  • July 2019 (17)
  • June 2019 (12)
  • May 2019 (10)
  • April 2019 (14)
  • March 2019 (14)
  • February 2019 (8)
  • January 2019 (27)
  • December 2018 (19)
  • November 2018 (12)
  • October 2018 (10)
  • September 2018 (27)
  • August 2018 (15)
  • July 2018 (16)
  • June 2018 (20)
  • May 2018 (11)
  • April 2018 (21)
  • March 2018 (19)
  • February 2018 (9)
  • January 2018 (34)
  • December 2017 (23)
  • November 2017 (24)
  • October 2017 (22)
  • September 2017 (25)
  • August 2017 (23)
  • July 2017 (21)
  • June 2017 (23)
  • May 2017 (19)
  • April 2017 (22)
  • March 2017 (30)
  • February 2017 (25)
  • January 2017 (28)
  • December 2016 (20)
  • November 2016 (15)
  • October 2016 (24)
  • September 2016 (28)
  • August 2016 (30)
  • July 2016 (28)
  • June 2016 (30)
  • May 2016 (32)
  • April 2016 (31)
  • March 2016 (32)
  • February 2016 (29)
  • January 2016 (31)
  • December 2015 (33)
  • November 2015 (28)
  • October 2015 (28)
  • September 2015 (27)
  • August 2015 (12)
  • July 2015 (10)
  • June 2015 (18)
  • May 2015 (17)
  • April 2015 (26)
  • March 2015 (21)
  • February 2015 (13)
  • January 2015 (28)
  • December 2014 (27)
  • November 2014 (24)
  • October 2014 (4)
  • August 2014 (4)
  • July 2014 (6)
  • June 2014 (5)
  • May 2014 (2)
  • April 2014 (5)
  • March 2014 (28)
  • February 2014 (26)
  • January 2014 (29)
  • December 2013 (16)
  • November 2013 (14)
  • October 2013 (18)
  • September 2013 (5)
  • August 2013 (8)
  • July 2013 (2)
  • June 2013 (9)
  • May 2013 (5)
  • April 2013 (11)
  • March 2013 (13)
  • February 2013 (8)
  • January 2013 (16)
  • December 2012 (15)
  • November 2012 (17)
  • October 2012 (17)
  • September 2012 (18)
  • August 2012 (22)
  • July 2012 (20)
  • June 2012 (18)
  • May 2012 (18)
  • April 2012 (17)
  • March 2012 (21)
  • February 2012 (21)
  • January 2012 (21)
  • December 2011 (21)
  • November 2011 (16)
  • October 2011 (27)
  • September 2011 (22)
  • August 2011 (19)
  • July 2011 (15)
  • June 2011 (24)
  • May 2011 (16)
  • April 2011 (26)
  • March 2011 (28)
  • February 2011 (29)
  • January 2011 (25)
  • December 2010 (24)
  • November 2010 (23)
  • October 2010 (28)
  • September 2010 (27)
  • August 2010 (32)
  • July 2010 (28)
  • June 2010 (33)
  • May 2010 (36)
  • April 2010 (33)
  • March 2010 (36)
  • February 2010 (35)
  • January 2010 (34)
  • December 2009 (25)
  • November 2009 (21)
  • October 2009 (20)
  • September 2009 (16)
  • August 2009 (19)
  • July 2009 (21)
  • June 2009 (21)
  • May 2009 (27)
  • April 2009 (23)
  • March 2009 (27)
  • February 2009 (30)
  • January 2009 (32)
  • December 2008 (33)
  • November 2008 (27)

Tags

African aliens alternate history clones dragons Dreamhealers ebook fairy fairy tale family fantasy fiction Frontlines gave up ghost gods horror Hugo nominee Hugo packet Hugo winner Jo Walton Reads library magic military mystery novelette novella period physical post-apocalyptic Regency romance running seizure SF short story space speculative supernatural tech thriller time travel urban fantasy vampires YA

Copyright © 2021 Inane Chatter.

Lifestyle WordPress Theme by themehit.com

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.