Thursday, April 5, 2012

Reading, lately

One of the odd parts of reading from a Kindle is the surprise aspect. When I go to the library, I choose my books based on a number of factors - cover aesthetics, font choices, book thickness, blurbs from authors I like on the jacket. I have a decent idea of what I'm getting into.

Now that I do most of my browsing online, I'll randomly search and add books that look interesting. I can see a cover image and read a quick summary, but that's it. I toss them on my waiting list and when my turn comes, sometimes months later, I check out the book and sit down to read it.

And I have no idea what to expect. At that point I don't remember anything about the book unless it's by an author with whom I'm already familiar. I can't see the cover. I don't know how long it is. I just have to dive in. I read pretty much every genre indiscriminately, so it isn't really a big issue.

{The Passage - image from publisher}
Which is all a very long way of saying that Justin Cronin's The Passage blindsided me a bit. I had absolutely no memory of putting it on my waiting list and I had no idea what it was about (apparently it was pretty well hyped in 2010 so maybe it sounded familiar?). Edit - I heard about it from Lauren, who I really should have guessed was the most likely person to be reviewing this book.

One chapter in and I thought it was going to be a literary novel about a small town single mother. I'm totally game. Love those. One more chapter in and there's mention of a virus discovered on a South American expedition. Okay, shifting gears, but it's a generally promising premise. And then everything pretty much implodes into a government funded vampire-zombie-virus that takes out America. Holy cow.

I loved it. Of course, I love post-apocalyptic worlds, crazy road trips (bonus points for it taking place in a deserted, futuristic California - those were my favorite parts), viruses and zombies, so I'm probably the prime audience. Your mileage may vary.

It's very long (I just checked and it's nearly 800 pages!) and it's only the first in a trilogy. Be forewarned.


Previous reading update: I am still reading the Game of Thrones series but I decided to take a quick breather after the second book. Man, that was a lot of war to digest. I'm hoping the third book focuses a bit more on the various intrigues and a bit less on the actual battlegrounds. I always tend to start skimming during prolonged fight scenes. Unless there are zombies involved. And I was really happy with the season premiere this Sunday - I think book two might actually be more fun to watch than to read.


- The post where I finally give in to the Kindle is here, and yes, I'm still a little embarrassed to have gone over, but I'm even more happy with it after a few months, so I'm getting over it. 

30 comments:

  1. The Passage is one of my favorite books! It's a great story, written on a literary fiction level, with compelling characters and vampires/creatures that aren't overstyled or made glamorous. I just finished book 5 of the Game of Thrones series and need another book to read now... And the GOT books get intense. Supposedly there are over a thousand named characters by the end of book 5. So much for my poor brain! The Stark kids are my favorite to read about, and I'm afraid book 4 mentions them very little (if at all). Keep that in mind :) Happy reading!

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    1. Bummer about the Starks! I actually like Tyrion best, and he seems to get a decent amount of play in both 1 & 2. Hopefully that keeps up!

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  2. Thanks for this! I've been looking for something that isn't school assigned reading to get into. kindles unite!

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  3. Long time reader, first time commenter! I ploughed through the Game of Thrones series - it's bloody, complex, has more characters than I will ever remember... and I loved it! Who knows how long George RR Martin will take this time though. Apparently, Book 5 took 5 years. In the meanwhile, I've discovered (wait for it) teen fiction!*blushes* Yes, I'm a 35 year old woman but these books rock. If you like Hunger Games, try Divergent (book 2 comes out this May) and for vampires, werewolves and Shadowhunters (you'll see) try the Mortal Instrument series beginning with City of Bones. I stayed up all night reading those. LOVE your blog.

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    1. I did hear that the books take a long time to write. Fair enough, I think - they are complicated! And I'm guessing at least some of the author's time goes to helping with the HBO show? Maybe not.

      I do love YA, although I tend to be really out of date because I stick with my classics (L'Engle gets regular re-reading around here!). Thanks for the recommendations!

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    2. Another author that takes a while to write (her 800+ page books) is Diana Gabaldon. She takes about three years. I don't know if you've read her Outlander series, but it's literary fiction meets historical romance via time travel. It sounds goofy, but I have never read more about the Jacobite Rising or American Revolution outside history books.

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    3. I haven't heard of her and that sounds interesting! I do love a long book (a habit from being a fast reader as a kid and always trying to pick the longest books so they would last).

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  4. does that mean i can trick you into coming back to thundertome to yap about the book? it keeps on giving, the 'tome! (agreed on the bits about post-apocalyptic california. clearly i need to go to the salton sea sometime.)

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    1. You are the person who I heard about it from! After I read it I thought you were the most likely suspect but couldn't track down the post and gave up.

      Thank you for thundertome, as usual!

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  5. Thanks for the recommendation, I just requested The Passage from my library :)

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  6. Ooooh, thanks for the suggestion, it sounds right up my ally - I love me some dystopian futures! :D

    Game of Thrones is one of the few fantasy series I've ever gotten into, and if you liked the second book, you will LOVE the third; it's my favorite of the series (not having read the most recent one). I love the show, too, and I love noticing what they change from book to screen.

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    1. Oh, good to hear you love the third book! I did like the second book, just not as much as the first. I always tune out a bit when series get into the battleground scenes (sorry, Tolkien).

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  7. I'll have to check out The Passage. I also stalled out after Book 2 of The Game of Thrones- I was just worn out! Have you read "A Discovery of Witches?" That was one I also added on my library wait list and was really in to it once I finally started reading it.

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    1. Thanks for the recommendation! I'll add it to my library list!

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    2. Oh Rachel, The Passage took up most of my weekend. Luckily I finished at about 10 PM on Sunday night....otherwise I would have been one tired gal this morning. Babcock gave me the creeps.

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  8. I really feel like I need to start Game of Thrones now. I keep hearing the TV show is fantastic, and you know how particular I am about TV. I tend to like the cable shows. True Blood and Mad Men are two that I watch.

    The Passage sounds really good, and I like what Sarah and you both say about it being quasi literary fiction. I'm intrigued, definitely. Which do you recommend I read first? GOT or Passage?

    p.s. Don't know if you read Abbey from Abbey Goes Design Scouting, but she just found an interesting fantasy series. (http://www.designscouting.com/2012/04/04/read-this-kindle-edition/) It's new to her more than new to publishing, I believe. Funny how all we all seem to be reading more fantasy lately. That's another one I have on the list.

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    1. The TV show is great. I've had several friends who you wouldn't expect to be into it that ended up loving it, so I feel fairly confident recommending it at this point!

      Hmmmm ... do you feel like being scared/entertained or just entertained? They are both highly readable, but The Passage has a leg up with the scariness. Also, fewer characters to keep track of!

      Ohhh - thanks for the link! I'm off to check and see if my library has them.

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    2. I have heard so much about the number of characters in GoT that I have to hope that knowing it going in, I'll be better about keeping track. I guess I'll find out soon enough! I might start with GoT first, since I already have it and heaven knows my library is the pits with new(ish) releases that aren't garden related.

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    3. Honestly, I don't find them very hard to keep track of, but I'm not sure if that's just because I watched the TV series first and passively absorbed a lot of the details.

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  9. Sorry - technical difficulties! Trying again:

    I second the recommendation for A Discovery of Witches. I accidentally stayed up all night reading it (so engrossed I was shocked when my alarm went off and I looked up to realize the sun was rising; oops).

    I'm working my way now through Game of Thrones #1. The writing is terrific, and I love some of the characters - Tyrion is my favorite, too - but I'm struggling with there being so many characters, all of whom seem they could meet a dire end at any moment. It's not that I can't read books in which major characters have sad fates (or even perish!), but I'm feeling like this book lacks a center. I don't know if I'll keep going beyond #1. I haven't watched the show yet but am curious.

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    1. I can see your dilemma! It's hard to get attached when people are dying off!

      I would recommend the show - I think they do a great job translating it to the screen and it's fun to watch it all play out.

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  10. The Passage is AMAZING. The first third is some of the best writing I've read in a long time. The characters, including the ostensible villains, are treated with such tenderness. It's a great novel that doesn't force the reader to choose sides. For all it's dystopian sci fi trappings it really had something enjoyable for all readers. I'm so happy it exists!

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  11. This is the second recommendation I've seen to read The Passage. I've got it on my wish list now too. I also JUST finished Book 1 of GOT and I'm antsy for the second one. I've requested the kindle edition from my library, but it could be three weeks!!! Deep breaths... :)

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    1. I do hate the wait lists! I was lucky that a friend let me borrow the GoT books for my Kindle, so I have all them with no waiting. Hang in there!

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  12. Here's another one for you:

    HIGH-BROW LITERARY FICTION + ZOMBIES = Colson Whitehead's "Zone One." P. read it (again, like 800 pages- what's up with these long-ass zombie novels?) on his Kindle in a weekend. Couldn't put it down.

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    1. Marking it! I really never expected to be such a zombie fan, but apparently I am!

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  13. Rachel, I am starting The Passage today, so thank you for the suggestion. I just finished Pure by Julianna Baggott, and it was a really creepy, interesting read.Check it out.

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  14. I read The Passage on a trip to Italy with my husband and kids. I picked it up in an English Bookstore in Rome, with no Idea what I was getting into. I just knew it was good and long (I read fast, so that is key.) and it had gotten a lot of press. It was the perfect book to read with your family all around me in a hotel room or hostel, making me feel secure. As soon as we got home, I realized that it was going to be a problem to keep all the windows tightly closed and the lights on all night for the rest of the summer, but how else was I going to keep the vampires away? I'm not really a horror novel person, but I have to say, it was excellent.

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  15. Hi! I'm a longtime reader but this is my first time commenting. My sister badgered me about The Passage until I finally gave in and I couldn't put it down to the point where I was reading it under my desk at work...like a little kid. The second book is coming out in the fall I think? Not soon enough.

    The TV version of GOT has done a great job (I think) so far of tossing all the major plot points in during season 2 - I've been really enjoying watching it because there are things that I totally forgot happened...and I read the book less than six months ago. Book 3 is definitely my favorite of the 5 books so far, but you may want to invest in a crash helmet and defibrillator before starting it... :)

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  16. I loved The Passage too! I can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy.

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