Advice

[rkold]

I'd like some advice on two fronts, and neither requires and interest in dolls or anime. *shock*

Lately, I've been reading at the gym, and I just finished the two books given to me by muscatlove and yanchamonkey The Nanny Diaries and Good Omens. So, I'm looking for some book recommendations. I don't want anything dry or depressing, so nothing involving peak oil or politics. The main characters should be engaging, because I find if I dislike or hate the main characters I can't easily get through something. (i.e. Catcher in the Rye where I kept wanting Holden Caulfield to get hit by a bus.)

My other request is somewhat gym related as well. In 2005, I bought a unique H.Eaven purse in Harajuku. It's lovely in that it holds more than it should, always gets comments, is non-leather, and has a perfect strap. However, it is also big and bulky and I can't stand just carrying it to the gym. So I'm looking for a new small purse. It just needs to hold an ipod, and a few other things. I prefer cloth, I like straps that go around your torso, cause I find that is the easiest way to keep purses on. I know a lot of people love etsy, but I really don't know who is good and when I tried to find "purses" I got a lot of hits and some were for laptop bags ~.~ I'd like something cute and different with not too much white. (which is why I am not using my berry purse)

Any help or suggestions with either query would be most appreciated.

EDIT

LIKED:
Nickel and Dimed
Traitor's Moon
Bed Knobs and Broomsticks
Office Ladies and Salaried Men


Neutral:
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
Geisha of Gion


DISLIKED:
Harry Potter: Order of the Phoenix

Comments

[reynardine.livejournal.com]

As for purses, usually I carry vintage Dooney & Bourke (the old all-weather line) or Coach, but those are kinda plain. Alas, the most "unique" purses I have are ones my mother picked up for me on her many travels.

Right now, besides manga, I'm reading Memories of Silk and Straw (http://www.amazon.com/Memories-Silk-Straw-Self-Portrait-Small-Town/dp/0870119885/sr=8-2/qid=1170952874/ref=sr_1_2/002-6611800-4776851?ie=UTF8&s=books) by Junichi Saga. It's not fiction, but a series of memoirs based on interviews taped by a country doctor. It's fascinating. People talk about how life was in rural Japan in the 1920's. But I was a history major, so of course I find all that interesting.

Another Japanese-based book that was pretty good (and this one IS fiction!) is The Fox Woman (http://www.amazon.com/Fox-Woman-Kij-Johnson/dp/0312875592/sr=1-1/qid=1170953502/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6611800-4776851?ie=UTF8&s=books) by Kij Johnson. The story follows a family of humans and a family of foxes who share the same house during Heian era Japan. The human husband becomes bewitched by the fox's daughter and chaos ensues.

I'll also fall back on my standard recommendation: Read George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series! The first book is A Game of Thrones (http://www.amazon.com/Game-Thrones-Song-Fire-Book/dp/0553573403/sr=1-1/qid=1170953144/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-6611800-4776851?ie=UTF8&s=books). There are four books in the series right now, with a fifth expected within the next year or so. It's absolutely brilliant.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Actually, I was a History major too XD; It's why most of my jobs were as an administrative assistant. I love interviews and the sociological implications. I'm a huge fan of pop sociology books, as long as they keep the vocabulary and theories in colloquial language.

At one point I was reading some on line letters written by children in the British countryside circa the start of the 20th Century.

The Fox Woman also sounds appealing.

I refuse to read unfinished series other than Harry Potter which I really just read so I can follow the fan-fic XD;;; I use to read David Eddings and I spent a year and a half desperately wanting the last book.

Thank you for the recc's!

I think Dooney & Bourke and Coach are more than I want to pay. Though maybe I will check eBay XD;

[ladybrick.livejournal.com]

Books books books. If you liked Good Omens, I'd recommend Neverwhere and Stardust by Neil Gaiman, as well as his short story collection Smoke & Mirrors (I like all three of those much more than Good Omens, actually)

I read a lot of young adult fantasy because I find it both more upbeat and more imaginative than most adult fantasy... some of my personal favorites are the Abhorsen trilogy by Garth Nix (Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen), the first three books in the Young Wizards series by Diane Duane (So You Want To Be A Wizard, Deep Wizardry, and High Wizardry), and anything and everything by Tamora Pierce.

(I'm too lazy to include italics tags for that many titles)

[rkold.livejournal.com]

I don't know if I am strictly just looking for fantasy, but yeah for more book recommendations!

Perhaps I should have made a list of books I recently read and liked and books I hate. lol

I once many years ago started Sandman and I really didn't enjoy it at all. I confess I was a bit surprised I enjoyed Good Omens, it reminded me of Roger Zelazny when he was on target.

[ladybrick.livejournal.com]

Neverwhere I would describe as 1 part Alice in Wonderland, 1 part Hitchhiker's Guide, and 1 part something by Steven King. It's fanciful and funny and a bit creepy. Stardust is more a moder fairy tale.

I'd recommend non-fantasy/sci-fi/horror, but it's been a while since I READ any, lol. I read some good stuff back in college and grad school. I'd have to take a look at my bookshelf though.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

I find King sometimes has really good stories and other times they seem repetitive and fall flat. I'd definitely have to put Black House out there as one of the worst books I ever tried to read. ~.~ I'm not sure I want all the blood and gore though.

Ohhhh I still read other books sometimes. lol

[ladybrick.livejournal.com]

I think all of King's best stuff takes place in prison (Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile) Though I'm also quite fond of The Stand, as long and as creepy as it is.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

I think It is my favorite King story hands down. Yes, it is scary as all hell, violent, and at times disturbing, but wow, I couldn't put it down.

I thought Rita Hayworth was OK, I actually preferred Apt Pupil for showing more than banality of evil, in a way King often doesn't.

I also loved the Talisman which is why I was so annoyed at how bad Black House was.

The Stand has a few prison sequences :P

[ladybrick.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Apt Pupil was great too... I think that's really one of the scariest things King ever wrote.

I've read The Stand 4 or 5 times now. I seem to get sick most every time I do read it, though.

Oh, sci-fi... Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash is good. I should read his other stuff.

[twotone]

Keep in mind that Good Omens was co-written with Terry Pratchett, so it's not quite representative of Neil Gaiman's style. :)

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I sort of wonder if it's not the Pratchett aspect which I like...

That and the demon/angel slash >>;

[twotone]

Daniel and I first bonded over our love of Pratchett novels, but I'll freely admit that Pratchett is not to everyone's taste. A friend of an LJ friend vehemently hates Pratchett and seemed to think he wrote all the "bad" parts of Good Omens. :p Pratchett is not normally a very slash author, although one book in his Discworld Series, "Monstrous Regiment", has some yuri aspects that the fandom has glommed onto. ;)

I enjoy both Gaiman and Pratchett's writing for different reasons. I'm currently trying to get Daniel to read "Anansi Boys" by Neil Gaiman; I think he'll like it, as it has some of the lighthearted aspects of "Good Omens". Unfortunately, Daniel is balking because it's technically a quasi-sequel to "American Gods", which I am *pretty* sure he will not like. "American Gods" is pure dark angsty Gaiman.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Neil Gaiman said in his blog that he can't believe people slash Good Omens which I find somewhat off putting as he and Pratchett are the ones who keep referring to Aziraphale as seeming gay and Crowly just comes off as completely metrosexual.

muscatlove is a huge Pratchett fan. I don't mind things without any sort of slash, as I wasn't really slashing in the Nanny Diaries, but it does make certain books and genres more fun. (like 24 Jack/Assad! though Bauercest has its pluses despite Graem being all bald and overweight, maybe he was hot when he was young.. I can pretend)

I don't mind dark and angsty so long as it/the fandom makes me laugh a la X.

[thundermew.livejournal.com]

(i.e. Catcher in the Rye where I kept wanting Holden Caulfield to get hit by a bus.)

I.. I think I love you.
I thought I was the only one who hated him.

Lessee.. something I have that could be interesting to you... The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio and The Best of Everything, those are both good books. If you want recommendations on old true-crime stories, I've got a lot of those.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

Oh, I have weird tastes too. I mean I love pop sociology. lol

And no, you are not the only one who hated Holden. It use to irk me to no end when people talked about how he represents teens because he most certainly didn't represent me in any way *I* wanted to be represented. He was an obnoxious, self-centered, spoiled, ass. I seriously think that might be my least favorite book I was ever forced to read in school with second place going to Ethan Frome. The only redeeming part of that book was it had the most inane method to attempt suicide I've ever read.

Maybe I should have wished for Holden to take a ride with Ethan. ~.~

Are we talking true-crime like History Channel/Discovery Channel style? XD;

[thundermew.livejournal.com]

It's stuff pre-dating 1965, usually. It ties into my whole early-mid twentieth century history obsession. ^^; Not, like, blood and gore and Hannibal Lecter stuff.

Oh, and for small purses that are indestructible... how much are you looking to spend? I like my LV pochette. ^^; I couldn't destroy it if I wanted.

[rkold.livejournal.com]

It's not so much destroy as I want small, cute and comfy. I just hate using my old digital camera bag which is what I am currently doing. ~.~

Hmmmm I don't think I've ever read much in that genre.

[sumeragiskank.livejournal.com]

I have a really amusing bag you can have if you would like it.... it has Da Vinci's Last Supper on it and says "The Original Boy Band"

As for books, I think you might like Carol Berg's Transformation series...it's very slashy and the main character is a bit of a snarky uke. It's a fantasy series, a little more serious than Nightrunner but I really enjoyed it. And Stephanie Meyer's Twilight is good for young adult vampire angst.

[sailorstarsun.livejournal.com]

Well, I can't say anything about purses... because I don't know anything about them... But I do know a few good books! =D

I've enjoyed pretty much everything I've ever read by Mercedes Lackey, especially anything from her Heralds of Valdemar series, and especially especially the 'Last Herald-Mage' trilogy. ::dies:: Soooo good! .;o;
They're kinda fantasy, I guess you'd say. .^,^ So if you like that kind of stuff, that's what I recommend. =3

[ad-exia.livejournal.com]

OMG, I second this! The Last Herald-Mage Trilogy are pretty much my three favorite books *ever* at this point. I think I've read them all three times. ^^;

[ad-exia.livejournal.com]

I have some book recs if you like fantasy, but that's mostly what I read so I don't have much in the way of other genres. ^^;

[bramblyhedge.livejournal.com]

Bah humbug to purses! I'm a cute-&-functional backpack gal, or in the event of no backpack stuff-everything-into-your-jeans-pockets-until-you-look-like-you-have-deformed-hips.
:P

I see a Neil Gaiman recc and raise it Robin McKinley.
(More specifically, 'Neverwhere' and 'Sunshine', respectively).

Have you read Diana Wynne Jones's 'Deep Secret'?
And now for something completely different: 'Maurice' by E.M. Forster, 'Boy Meets Boy' by David Levithan, and 'The Blue Lawn' by William Taylor. Respectively: angsty, fluffy, and down-to-earth - all gay male adolescent stories, all short, all non-preachy, all very enjoyable when in the right mood for that topic. :)

I gotta get around to reading 'Good Omens'. It's been sitting on my bookshelf for months.^^

[bramblyhedge.livejournal.com]

EDIT: that should say gay male adolescent coming-of-age stories, hence it's better to be in the right mood.

Since I'm posting again, here's one more recc - anything by Margaret Mahy. Over and out! *salutes* ^__^

[blacktempest.livejournal.com]

I really disliked OotP too >___< I'm actually rereading HBP right now because I only read it once and I don't remember anything that happened except who died, who the Half Blood Prince was, and being totally WTH at the Remus/Tonks pairing at the end XD

The one good book rec off the top of my head is Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress. I reread it recently; you should definitely check it out if you haven't yet :)

[isachi.livejournal.com]

The girls who wrote Nanny Diaries also co-wrote a novel called Citizen Girl that was pretty amusing :3 All about post-college/working-world transition hijinx.

But I'm mostly a non-fiction person. I finished reading Balkan Ghosts two months ago which was unbelievably good, especially his essays in the beginning. Mostly a travel-log, which some first hand accounts (both gruesome and playful) mixed in.