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

[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.