Words

[dar_jeeling]

Rec me some books, people! I'm currently browsing through Amazon and if you feel that there's something I should absolutely read, let me know, please. *makes the puppy dog eyes*

Also, if you know about French fanfiction, give me links right now because my skills in that language are rapidly deteriorating. It took me five minutes to remember the word for yesterday. Yesterday. Oh, the utter shame.

And finally, a question for the writers. Do you write a fic and send that first draft off to beta or do you type it out, let it sit on the hard drive for a while, second-guess yourself, change stuff and then send it off to beta?

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

You're welcome. If my wardrobe hadn't just toppled over and I wasn't too lazy to clean it all up, I'd be able to go into the other room to check for more, though I find reading tastes can't be compared easily. I have a stack here that I already drafted a post on, which is too blah/bad to actually unlock though.


I tend not to send anything I just wrote down away, and I think it also depends on the relationship you have with your beta, and how far she is involved in the authoring process (or in my case, getting a hold of her). AIS, the fast one-go writers tend to dislike any editing, and "beta" there might mean something completely different.

[dar-jeeling.livejournal.com]

I wasn't too lazy to clean it all up The way of doing things around here: first, talk about it in your lj, then think about cleaning up/extinguishing the fire/rescuing the puppy. ;)

reading tastes can't be compared easily. Too true.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Of course - is there another way? Says she who wants to smite that old friend of hers who'd rather spam -i-'s journal than frikkin google.

And in the interest of good-will and procrastination (and since I didn't think I needed to mention Pratchett, Atwood or Highsmith, do I?), which bad/blah books have you read recently? Are those you like generally older than five years? What have you found in Amazon so far?

[dar-jeeling.livejournal.com]

Oh, but there's a difference between "Omg, my house is burning down while I'm typing this!" spam and "Provide this information because I have never heard of this obscure google thing you speak of, plzkthx" spam.

In the interest of procrastination? This means I absolutely have to answer. I've wanted to read more Pratchett for ages, but quite honestly--I don't know where to start. There are a bazillion books in the Discworld series.

Generally? Hm, if I like a book or not doesn't depend on its age. *thinks back* Nope, no rhyme nor reason.

Two books that really disappointed me: 1. Nick Hornby's "About A Boy" (Raving reviews everywhere I looked. Insightful! Funny! It's not.) 2. Hermann Hesse's "Narziss und Goldmund" (I liked "Der Steppenwolf", but this one was...as subtle as a club to the head.)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Ah yes, I actually had SWAT teams in my street, and a fire two days ago.

You never read any of his? Hm, I do recommend starting in the beginning, sorta, because he builds on his schtick - it spoils something if you read about the change in a person before having known said person (or species) before. If you really never read any (?) start with Equal Rites and Mort, not the actual two first novels, then perhaps Moving Pictures (if you like the cinema) and Reaper Man (if you fell in love with Death). Esp. men tend to rec Guards!Guards! and it's sequels, but I find it pays off to get to know the town and country gradually.

I don't like what I read of Hesse, and I only love Hornby's "High Fidelity" (so I didn't much enjoy the film, because to me that novel is indeed insightful (into men - oh, and music lovers, or you won't get it *g*) and funny, a hilarious+humane text).

[dar-jeeling.livejournal.com]

SWAT? Fire? Do I want to know?

Well, I've read "Good Omens", but everyone has read that. Thank you so much for giving me a starting point. :)

I have thought about reading more of Hornby's work because hey, I can't make a decision about an author based on only one book.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

Heck, I'd like to know myself! I ignore the nightly violent shouting and the odd gun shot (ok, I try to ignore it) but I think the street full of police, firemen and SWAT teams was only a suicide? I never found out.

Yeah, I still don't get why everyone read GO. I loved it when it came out but never reread it, am a bit wary of it now that it's so spread, don't want to taint my glowy memory.

Hornby's very British, I read him in a row with Ben Elton and Sue Townsend, and with the exception of High Fidelity I find his books to be sad, on purpose. I bought HiFi because on the cover he says that once women read this they'd stop hating men - and pity them instead, only funnier, but I haven't got the book here ... I identified with the guy in it, and with Firth in the film version of Fever Pitch (don't read the book, it's really a collection of football stories, not like the film which had a narrative added). He's best when he writes about people being dorkily passionate about things, hence HiFi (+ FP), but since he's a realist, esp. How To Be Good ends with a suckerpunch.

[dar-jeeling.livejournal.com]

The title How To Be Good has always intrigued me. Plus, suckerpunch! They hurt, but they can be very effective.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_inbetween_/]

If you already thought AAB wasn't insightful, I doubt you'd even read till the ending of HTBG - plus, I should mention that an old colleague of mine managed to read the one sentence that I was talking about in a completely different light, I don't know how he did that. I'll stop because even though it doesn't change the other 400 pages, it might spoiler you if I was less obtuse.

[dar-jeeling.livejournal.com]

*hums* Well, if I borrow it, nothing's lost. But thanks for the warning. ;)