The Weekly Read: 12

Not much reading done this week, either, but I at least got my book finished for book club, so yay! I need to pick up the pace, though, before I fall too far behind.

READ: Stardust | Neil Gaiman

This was my pick for our local book club, and I put off reading it for six months so I could have it fresh in my mind when we discussed it. I was very much looking forward to this book because the basic premise was interesting, and then I could watch the movie afterwards. I was therefore slightly disappointed when I started reading and realized I HAD seen the movie, and just hadn't know what it was. I don't know why this bugged me so much, but it did.  Luckily the book is quite different from the movie, and it becomes more and more different as it progresses.  This book was easy to read - it flowed well, and sort-of skimmed along the surface.  The characters were interesting and likable, and I enjoyed the slow, natural way that Tristran and Yvaine's relationship developed. I just wanted to know more about them. You could feel all these details simmering below the surface, but Gaiman just wouldn't tell us. He could fill up several more books with their adventures, as well as the history and workings of the whole Castle group, and I would happily read them (so get to it, Neil Gaiman!). In the end, I liked the story and the writing, and would gladly recommend this book. Just for me personally, it was tough to shake the disappointment.

STARTED: The Betrayal of the Blood Lily | Lauren Willig

This is the 6th book in the Pink Carnation series, which I've been reading for about 4 years. This is my favorite kind of fluffy fiction because it involves happily-ever-after romances and history. This particular series is sort of a story embedded into a story: About 15% of each book is about Eloise and her quest to research and write her dissertation on English spies from the nobility during the Napoleon War. The bulk of each book, though, is a story involving one of the spies she is researching. The characters are all interconnected, so you see them popping up in each other's stories, which I love, because it feels like you are checking in on old friends. This story has been as entertaining as the previous ones so far, with the added benefit of being set in India.

This coming week I will hopefully finish both Betrayal of the Blood Lily and Island, which I started last week. After that, who knows? I have a busy weekend coming up yet again, so it all depends on how much free time I end up with.