Still reading... blogging, not so much.

I was (and am) determined not to let this blog fall by the wayside when I started it. However, the actual reading of books is much more interesting than writing about reading them, which sort of takes the joy out of it. Also, I've been helping my aunt polish her first novel up and start on her second, which is actually taking up more of my creative juices than what I thought it would. It's a fun process, but extremely time consuming, even if it's not actually your book that you're writing.

Anywho... all excuses aside, let's get this show started.

So what have I been reading lately? Well, in the comics, manga, and graphic novel category: a little of this, a little of that. Mostly my newest passions, which are Preacher, Lucifer, and Locke & Key. If you've never picked up any of them, I highly recommend giving them a go.

Lucifer picks up almost where Sandman left off, only following the story of the baddest of bad boys, Lucifer, the fallen angel. Lucifer has an agenda of his own (imagine that) throughout the entire series that he employs any amount of plots, counter-plots, agents of destruction, trickery, and deception to accomplish. The story is well drawn, cleverly told, and keeps the reader wanting to know what happens next.

In the realm of non-fiction, mostly my usual fare of history and the occult. I've also been heavily reading Jung and Simone de Beauvoir, who are both still very relevant today. Simone de Beauvoir is (or should be) required reading for anyone who considers themselves a feminist. Jung has made the best connection between psychology and symbolism to date, inspiring people like Joseph Campbell and George Lucas with his work.

Fiction series that I've gotten into lately are the Jill Kismet series by Lilith Saintcrow and The Hollows series, by Kim Harrison. I enjoyed the first of Saintcrow's Dante Valentine series, but thought the rest of the series devolved into a horrid muck of selfish, infantile behavior on the part of her heroine. Which was a pity, since I enjoyed her male demon character so much. The Kismet series doesn't suffer from the same failings- Jill is a likable character with a lot of spunk and bite.

As for Kim Harrison, she's rapidly becoming one of my favorite new authors. I think she's sadly under-appreciated for her work, which has any number of supernatural baddies to choose from.

Notable mentions of one-offs that I've read lately: Fear of Flying, by Erica Jong; Good Omens, or The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett; Darkmans, by Nicola Barker; and The Mount, by Carol Emshwiller.

Heavy Weather, by Bruce Sterling

Could not get into this book at all. I had no empathy for the characters, the pacing was just terrible, and what could have been an awesome concept was glossed over in roughly a chapter.

The premise of the book is that in the not-so-distant future, the ecological and meteorological system of the world is completely out of whack as a result of industry and consumerism stripping away the world's resources. Heavy weather is the end result, with huge parts of the United States subjected to weather systems that make present day bad weather seem tame in comparison.

This book could have been really good. Instead, it was a drag from page one. Not even sure why I finished it.

The Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age, by Frances Yates

Dame Yates is an excellent historian, though her books presume the reader knows as much about her subject as she does. She drew an interesting picture of the effects of the occult philosophy in the Elizabethan age, introducing key players in the movement, and connecting them to movements, ideas, and works of literature or art that were inspired by or inspired further the philosophy.

Yates has the unfortunately classically dry academician's tone in her writing, which could deter more casual readers from finishing her work. However, for the student of occult history or of the Elizabethan age, the information she conveys is worth slogging through occasionally dry passages to get at the meat of what she is teaching.

The Black Arts, by Richard Cavendish

This book is more of a starting point than an actual primer of the magical arts. That said, I found it to be very helpful in laying out the basics of different magical practices in an accessible, interesting way. I had previously been completely uninterested in Cabala or numerology, but the author managed to make it compelling by showing how it tied in to alchemy, demonology, and astrology, which helped to form a more cohesive picture overall of the occult throughout the history of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa in my mind.

Overall, an excellent starting point for any person who studies the history of the occult or is a serious student of the occult itself, just beginning to study their art.

Acheron, by Sherrilyn Kenyon

I'll start off right away by saying that I'm not a huge fan of Kenyon's writing style. She obviously has an amazing imagination and clearly knows her mythology and history, yet she persists in creating cookie cutter characters and situations designed only to bring two characters together.

This is me maybe expecting a little too much out of a paranormal romance (heavy emphasis on the romance) series, but I'm disappointed all the same. Kenyon taps into this rich vein of mythological knowledge and still creates lackluster characters that are hard to differentiate between, with a few notable exceptions. This is not the only book of hers that I've read either, so I'm not just commenting on Acheron alone.

That being said, it took me about two weeks to slog through Acheron. The first part of the book, Acheron's past, was downright depressing. I enjoy depressing books, but this was just heaping painful experience on top of painful experience. I wanted to shout at Kenyon, "Alright! We get it! He's been abused! He's had a terrible past! We get it! Move on, please." And finally, after about four hundred pages of agony (for the reader as much as the main character) she does.

The second part was a little more compelling, bringing in Tory, who was semi-interesting. The most memorable character out of the whole book, however- I kid you not- was Simi. Her take on everything was just immensely amusing. Artemis was a boring bitch, Acheron's friends were one buff, dangerous-but-in-touch-with-his-feminine-side dude after another. The daimons felt recycled off of the CW network.

Even with all this negative stuff though, I will say that Kenyon writes a decent manga and has a few characters worth remembering (ie: Jaden, Asmodeus, Simi). It will be interesting to see how Acheron turns out in manga form.

He's a Stud, She's a Slut, and 49 Other Double Standards Every Woman Should Know, by Jessica Valenti

This would be a good book to give to a fledgling feminist- someone just beginning to stretch their wings and explore the- for lack of a better word- movement. The book does not go in-depth into any of the fifty issues it raises, which left a sort of meh taste in my mouth. However, Valenti does reference several sources during the book that left opportunities for readers to do a little exploring on their own.

Barring the somewhat explicit language, this book would be a good primer for young women (and men!) who are in high school or college and just beginning to get into gender studies. It was funny and compelling at the same time. Another point in its favor is that it can be read in one sitting.

To Reign in Hell, by Steven Brust

I find myself approaching and appreciating this book from a perspective that seems to jar with that of the other reviewers. Myself, I've never been able to finish any other Brust book, which is less a testimony to his ability to write than my ability to enjoy his style. (An author can be an excellent writer and still lose readers because they don't like his or her style. Dickens is a good example of this, or Dumas pere.)

Having said that, Hell has shot to the top of my favorite books list. I'm not sure that I can accurately convey what exactly it was about this book that interested me so much. I'll do my best, though.

I major part of it is Brust's humor, which shines through at the most unexpected times. Beelzebub's warning to his companion, "Get thee behind me, Satan!" for example. Or Brust's opening sentence itself. Or Ariel's rhymes that irritate and amuse everyone around him.

Another part of its appeal is the sources it so obviously draws from. Milton's Paradise Lost, Goethe's (and probably Marlowe's) Faust, and, quite obviously, the Bible, to name a few. For a student who has studied the classics, or enjoys mythology as I do, this book would be right up your alley. An example would be how sympathetic the author is to the character of Satan, a 'flaw' Milton was guilty of as well.

That irony was another reason to enjoy the book. Another instance of irony, that of Satan's fall taking place because of God's pride, also tickled my fancy.

To name a few flaws:
The pacing seems off a little. It was struggle to make it through the first part of the book, even with the unusual premise of the story itself. It seemed to pick up after that, however. Also, a lot of the time spent with the characters was spent with them traveling. That can get irritating.

Another reviewer mentioned the childishness of the characters. This was done intentionally, I think, to prove how very silly the whole argument was and how it could have been prevented with a little more circumspection and talk. It's interesting to note that the characters who showed the most self reflection were also the ones the most deeply troubled by the goings-on in the story. Satan, for example, was deeply bothered by Yahweh's suggestion and constantly questioned himself as to why. Lucifer, who had more of a scientific knowledge of the world around him, but less self knowledge, was more easily able to make up his mind about things.

There were sections I could have done without. The exchanges between Sith and Kyriel, for example. I understand that they were necessary to show the general state of feeling amongst the inhabitants of heaven, but I still could see the author making a better go of it in a different fashion. To each their own, however.

So to recap, good premise, good inclusion of 'historical' figures from other sources, maybe a lacking sense of pacing, some confusing dialogue, but overall an excellent read. Five stars and recommended to any student of mythology or the classics.