skepticlysm

Tag: book-reviews

  • A Fourth of Pulp

    A Fourth of Pulp

    • Should’ve known better.
    • That’s what I’m saying.
    • Should’ve known better.
    • (There I go, repeating myself like bad movie dialogue.)
    • … than to have brought up Fourth Wing.
    • Yes, I called it a “fantasy beach read.”
    • That was not a knock.
    • I’m not a literature reader.
    • I pretty much only tread in genre territory.
    • I don’t want to read modern real-life drama.
    • I don’t want to be bombarded by non-stop five-syllable words, or pages of purple prose.
    • I want to escape.
    • I want to experience things I can’t here.
    • I want to go to the stars and explore big ideas.
    • Or see someone blow shit up with fireballs (of the D&D variety).
    • FFS, my book, the one I’m writing, is a “portal fantasy,” which means they’d classify it in there with Chronicles of Narnia.
    • So.
    • Fourth Wing.
    • Dragons. Blades. Fighting. Steamy sex scenes.
    • What’s not to like, right?
    • In the first book, the characterizations came off to me as a bunch of 16-year-olds who’re all supposed to be 21.
    • I still read it.
    • The story moves well.
    • You get drawn in.
    • And the two books after are better.
    • See?
    • Not knocking it.
    • Why do you read?
    • To get pulled into a good story.
    • Sure, you can separate books in terms of “quality,” I suppose, but at the end of the day, what’s the point?
    • Whether you like a book or not is personal.
    • Subjective.
    • Hell, take The Martian.
    • Helluva story.
    • Simple prose.
    • Loved it either way.
    • Even the metrics are subjective, right?
    • My favorite book series is urban fantasy pulp, for Pete’s sake.
    • (The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher for those playing the home game.)
    • Steph and I went to Hot Springs many years ago on vacation.
    • She bought a couple of books for the trip.
    • One of them was Dead Beat, which is the sixth or seventh book in the Dresden Files.
    • She chose that for herself, btw.
    • I picked it up when she laid it down at some point.
    • Hooked.
    • Two immediate reactions:
    • 1) This is awesome;
    • 2) Why the fuck didn’t I write this? Damn you, Jim Butcher!
    • I’ve since had the guy autograph a copy of that book in person.
    • What I’m saying here is …
    • Who gives a shit if someone does not like something you do?
    • Does someone else’s opinion of a thing take away from your own?
    • Love what you love.
    • That you do is none of their business anyway.
    • The Fourth Wing series is a fun read.
    • Was for me, anyway.
    • Sheesh.
    • And, again, she’s a multi-millionaire best-selling author.
    • I don’t know shit.
    • Where the hell was I?
    • Today is the kid’s last day of her Junior year.
    • Oof.
    • No.
    • I am not prepared.
    • Time is unfair.
    • Love her so much.
    • Being a parent is equal parts boundless joy and boundless terror.
    • I would not have missed it for anything.
    • Speaking of time …
    • Steph mentioned this, but tomorrow is the one-month mark from surgery day.
    • I do not understand how that is possible.
    • I have lost time.
    • Like seriously.
    • Black holes.
    • And I’m still passing out in the afternoons, like someone’s in the braincave flipping the switch to standby.
    • Yeah, I’m getting better, but the fatigue has been the thing.
    • Was not expecting that.
    • Sure, there’s some clicking in the head.
    • I think it’s the jaw.
    • That or there’s something sliding around in there.
    • Tectonic.
    • Heh.
    • Have you guys seen those remixes of the Golden Book covers of our youth?
    • Worth a find on social.
    • Irreverent in the best way.
    • You know, if you have my kind of sense of humor.
    • Last night, I walked into the dining room to do … something.
    • Was nearing bedtime.
    • Lights were out.
    • I looked up because there was a strange light in the corner.
    • I stopped.
    • Looked closer as my eyes adjusted.
    • Steph stood in the corner, back to the room, illuminated by the soft glow of her iPhone.
    • I started.
    • “What the hell. What’re you doing?”
    • She said something about an air freshener.
    • We have one of those Pura things. You can adjust it with your phone.
    • I dunno. I just work here.
    • I said, “Looked all Blair Witch over there. Freaked me out for a minute.”
    • Scary, but smells nice.
    • Four of five stars.
    • High five.
    • Read (and like) whatever the hell you want today.