Just a few random items...
Nov. 22nd, 2004 01:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sarea
Nordstrom's is the devil. I am now the v. excited owner of a Juicy tote. It's so cute! The one I got isn't a dark forest green like the one pictured; mine is more of a dark lime (the official color is called 'stem').
I was also forced to buy two pairs of shoes. One of which is pointy toed!! It actually looked good on me, so how could I resist? (There were also these totally cute and comfy Dezarios that I tried on, but after the Juicy I couldn't do it.)
At last, the Harry Potter merchandise for DG Feast has arrived! Yay! Draco's wand is now in my possession. HeeheeHEE.
Okay, so I obtained a copy of You Slay Me, by Katie MacAlister. And I'm about three quarters of the way through. And it seemed like a book that I would just love up, down, and sideways. But appearances can be deceiving. A few of my issues:
1) I'm not really digging Aisling. I liked her at first -- in fact, she made a better impression on me than Anita Blake did initially. However, I grew to like Anita more, and I'm liking Aisling less. She's just so stupid. Maybe I'll be proven wrong once I've finished it, but I'm not thinking that's going to be the case. Every decision she's made up to this point has been, after a certain point, really lameass. I'm not the best under-fire thinker there is, but even I wouldn't be as dumb as she's been.
2) Drake was hot, initially. Now I'm not sure why I should like him. What's he done, exactly, to deserve my high opinion? I only have Aisling telling me over and over that he's hot. One of the things every writer knows is "show, don't tell" -- and in Drake's case, there has been very little show.
3) The idea of Aisling being born a Guardian, but not knowing what the hell that is -- fine at first, but as the book goes on and annoys me more, I'm starting to not be fine with it. How the heck would that happen? Why is she so special, to be born a Guardian and a wyvern's mate? And while we're on that, why would a human be born as a dragon's mate, anyway? And why would a dragon even want a mate, since apparently a mate does nothing but endanger him -- her life being linked to his? And if there's a being out there with that kind of power, wouldn't every wyvern always be on the lookout for his mate, to protect her? And how long does a wyvern have to wait before a mate is even born to him? The whole thing is just a lot to swallow, which wouldn't be so bad if KM made any attempt to answer at least some of these questions. So far, there has been none of that; we're just supposed to accept it at face value. Well, sorry, I can't do that, and the more these subjects are avoided, the more impatient I get with the whole thing. Because lack of explanation seems to equal lazy storytelling (which permeates the book) and Mary Sue-ism. Oh yes, published writers can be guilty of that also. (Look at Julia Quinn's first novel. *shudder*) The only bit of hope I have wrt the Aisling Grey novels is that there are more coming, so maybe some of my answers are on their way. Still, I don't think I was quite this annoyed with the first Anita Blake book (though admittedly there are still contrivances in that universe that has made me not want to read on).
4) Jim is entertaining, but is ultimately another plot/character contrivance that I want explained more in depth. I also like the pop culture references, but Meg Cabot uses them with infinitely more success.
I was also forced to buy two pairs of shoes. One of which is pointy toed!! It actually looked good on me, so how could I resist? (There were also these totally cute and comfy Dezarios that I tried on, but after the Juicy I couldn't do it.)
At last, the Harry Potter merchandise for DG Feast has arrived! Yay! Draco's wand is now in my possession. HeeheeHEE.
Okay, so I obtained a copy of You Slay Me, by Katie MacAlister. And I'm about three quarters of the way through. And it seemed like a book that I would just love up, down, and sideways. But appearances can be deceiving. A few of my issues:
1) I'm not really digging Aisling. I liked her at first -- in fact, she made a better impression on me than Anita Blake did initially. However, I grew to like Anita more, and I'm liking Aisling less. She's just so stupid. Maybe I'll be proven wrong once I've finished it, but I'm not thinking that's going to be the case. Every decision she's made up to this point has been, after a certain point, really lameass. I'm not the best under-fire thinker there is, but even I wouldn't be as dumb as she's been.
2) Drake was hot, initially. Now I'm not sure why I should like him. What's he done, exactly, to deserve my high opinion? I only have Aisling telling me over and over that he's hot. One of the things every writer knows is "show, don't tell" -- and in Drake's case, there has been very little show.
3) The idea of Aisling being born a Guardian, but not knowing what the hell that is -- fine at first, but as the book goes on and annoys me more, I'm starting to not be fine with it. How the heck would that happen? Why is she so special, to be born a Guardian and a wyvern's mate? And while we're on that, why would a human be born as a dragon's mate, anyway? And why would a dragon even want a mate, since apparently a mate does nothing but endanger him -- her life being linked to his? And if there's a being out there with that kind of power, wouldn't every wyvern always be on the lookout for his mate, to protect her? And how long does a wyvern have to wait before a mate is even born to him? The whole thing is just a lot to swallow, which wouldn't be so bad if KM made any attempt to answer at least some of these questions. So far, there has been none of that; we're just supposed to accept it at face value. Well, sorry, I can't do that, and the more these subjects are avoided, the more impatient I get with the whole thing. Because lack of explanation seems to equal lazy storytelling (which permeates the book) and Mary Sue-ism. Oh yes, published writers can be guilty of that also. (Look at Julia Quinn's first novel. *shudder*) The only bit of hope I have wrt the Aisling Grey novels is that there are more coming, so maybe some of my answers are on their way. Still, I don't think I was quite this annoyed with the first Anita Blake book (though admittedly there are still contrivances in that universe that has made me not want to read on).
4) Jim is entertaining, but is ultimately another plot/character contrivance that I want explained more in depth. I also like the pop culture references, but Meg Cabot uses them with infinitely more success.
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no subject
Date: 2004-11-22 11:36 am (UTC)Cute bag!!!! *is jealous*
no subject
Date: 2004-11-22 08:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-22 08:21 pm (UTC)thought you'd find this interesting
Date: 2004-11-22 07:54 pm (UTC)Re: thought you'd find this interesting
Date: 2004-11-22 08:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-22 07:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-22 08:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-22 08:39 pm (UTC)Also sent this question to the gmail account, so feel free to ignore that one. :)
no subject
Date: 2004-11-22 09:59 pm (UTC)Nope! No such restriction, as long as D/G features strongly in the story. A character piece about Draco should be fine. So thrilled to hear you're writing something for the Feast! :D
no subject
Date: 2004-11-23 06:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-11-23 07:59 am (UTC)