Reading Wednesday

[dhampyresa]

What did you finish reading

Dead Water, by Barbara Hambly: This book was awesome! I loved it. Hannibal gets roped into a duel (and poisoned. Again). Underground Railway! Queen Régine! Ben being a hero! Plenty of OT3 moments like this one:

Rose shook her head, "I'm no good with nursing, but I've had plenty of practice at yanking off Hannibal's boots."
January grimaced agreement and ran an affectionate hand along his unconscious friend's arm.

Or this Rose/Hannibal moment (in Ben's presence):

Rose stepped through the stateroom door and shut it behind her, and, putting her arms around Hannibal's neck from behind, kissed the bare scalp in one of the long fjords of his hairline.

I called the twist with Mr Bredon (well, the first one anyway). BOBBY MADE IT! I was so incredibly relieved to learn that he did and the boy's had, what, twenty pages of screentime? Rose protecting the girl at the beginning! Ben and Hannibal shaing a bath! Hannibal getting dragged around by the front of his shirt (that seems to happen a lot).


Dead and Buried, by Barbara Hambly: OMG THIS BOOK THIS BOOK. Rose's school has pupils! That Hannibal will teach Greek and history to! Ben and Rose have offered to put a roof over Hannibal's head more than once! THE MAYERLINGS! I love the Mayerlings so much, omg. We learn how Ben and Hannibal met and it does not disappoint: HANNIBAL SAVES BEN'S LIFE <strike>with the power of song!</strike> (I wish I could quote from this passage, because it's great, but I can't seem to find it, sadly. Have Ben talking about Hannibal, instead: "a man who'd saved his life, a man he loved"). Also, Hannibal apparently has a habit of exit rooms through windows. Hannibal almost gets poisoned (yes, again). Chloë still calls Dominique 'Darling'! There's lots of touching and Ben taking notice of Hannibal's hands, too. Also, I really want the fic where Ben and Hannibal meet while in Paris. Ben brings up himself that it's surprising they've never met.


What are you reading now

The Shirt on His Back, by Barbara Hambly: Rose! Rose , Rose! She's pregnant! But the school's in bad shape and omg why is she not in this book, I miss her already. On the plus side, annibal seems to ahve kicked off the alcohol AND the laudanum habit, so that's good. Abishag Shaw: still fucking terrifyingly single-minded in his pursuit of justice.

Hannibal's Odyssey, by William Mahaney: I'm about halfway through, so there's progress, at least, but the format is really not practical.


What are you reading next

Ran Away, by Barbara Hambly. HOW DO I ONLY HAVE TWO BOOKS LEFT IN THIS SERIES?

Comments

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

OMG I LOVE 'DEAD WATER' SO MUCH. It's the other candidate for my favorite book in the series. Like you say, it's so OT3-y: Rose and Hannibal's devious plan to break the boat to rescue Ben! Rose cross-dressing in Hannibal's clothes at the end! Hannibal actually saying he loves them! ("Poverty can break a marriage, and I love you and Rose too much to want to see you turn on each other, as the poor so often do, and your happiness vanish for want of hope." and "I beg you, if you love me, get me a cup of coffee" and then "I think everyone who cares anything about me is here." AHHH.) Ben comparing himself to Hannibal's lover! ("I'm not going to be like the lady in the ballad," said January, who throws her glove into the lion's den simply to see if her suitor loves her enough to fetch it out. No love, quoth he, but vanity / Sets love a task like that.")

I totally did not guess the twist about Brendon the first time I read it, so I'm impressed you did. And the Underground Railroad! I love that being included.

Everything about Hannibal's duel absolutely breaks my heart, from him being so determined to die to protect Ben and Rose, and so sure of his own worthlessness, and them being so scared for him, and Ben being so proud of Hannibal's bravery and loyalty, and then Hannibal's absolute grief at having killed someone, and then Rose watching over him- just aahhhhh, it's amazing. I really want the fic where they get to tell him he's not actually responsible for Molloy's death.

Dead and Buried! You finally get Hannibal's backstory. I love the Januarys repeatedly trying to get Hannibal to move in with them, and him refusing out of concern for them. I love Rose's school and all three of them as teachers! Ah, the scene where Hannibal refuses to leave town with Ben and he's so scared and Ben is so gentle with him! Hannibal's son! Hannibal's wife! Giving up his addictions! I also really would love Ben-and-Hannibal-in-Paris fic. And I want Rose fic during this book, since she barely interacts with Hannibal at all, and I want to know what she thinks of all the new information.

(The flashback to Ben and Hannibal's first meeting is at the beginning of Days of the Dead, actually.)

[silverflight8.livejournal.com]

You are on a Barbara Hambly marathon! *gazes in awe*