M. K. Theodoratus, Fantasy Writer, blogs about the books she reads--mostly fantasy and mystery authors whose books catch her eye and keep her interest. Nothing so formal as a book review, just chats about what she liked. Theodoratus also mutters about her own writing progress or ... lack of it.

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Sunday, February 21, 2010

Dallying with Delay

The Read:  Am deep into Living Witness ... enjoying having my prejudices tickled.  It's always reaffirming to have writers agree with you on topics -- in this case about evolution and people's attitudes towards religion.  Only wish Jane Haddam had trimmed the prose by, maybe, a third?  The padding reminded my of Stephanie Laurens paeans to passion and Laurell K. Hamilton's latter-day descriptions of Anita Blake's sex life. -- Like enough already.

Don't get me wrong.  As an Anita Blake fan, I'm waiting for Skin Trade, the Las Vegas tiger book #17, to come out in mass paperback.  Today, a new hardback-- Flirt #18 -- appeared on the New York Times best sellers list plus there's a pre-pub of another hardback at Barnes & Noble (Bullet #19).  So, I should be getting #17 in paperback soon.  Maybe by summer.

The Guardian Weekly had a little note about Catherine Cookson, a British writer who specialized in poor spunky women from northern England succeeding in life (all to often with an advantageous marriage), being dropped from the Top Ten most popular library authors in Britain.  Who replaced her?  American thrillers filled with sex and gore. [Maybe not at the same time.]

I noted it because Catherine Cookson was once one of my favorite writers along with Nora Lofts and Georgette Heyer.  Cookson's been haunting me.  Her minor works are part of the inches I want to prune from my bookshelves.

Progress:  In case you didn't notice, I'm working on a new query for Emma.

Trivia:  It's still snowing, and I'm hankering for home-made chocolate chip cookies. 

3 comments:

Sarah Ahiers said...

i have to say, Skin Trade was the first one i'd read in years that i felt went back to some of the better Anita Blake days. I still had huge issues with it, but Edward was in it so i couldn't complain too much

Unknown said...

Edward? Now I'm looking forward to reading Skin Trade more -- but not enough to pay for a hardback.

Tyhitia Green said...

Interesting post. :-D I have gotten that far in the Anita Blake series.