Reading Wednesday

[dhampyresa]

What did you finish reading

Ran Away, by Barabara Hambly: I felt quite of really stupid (also like crying) at the scene in the church, when Ben lays out the subtext of Go Down Moses and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. (Underground Railway!) These books, I swear, they do such a number on my heart. I found Daniel ben-Gideon hilarious, ngl, and I kind of want him to show up in New Orleans at some point. I did like the way Ben paralleled Jewish bonds of family with the way slaves conceive of family. (Ngl, I laughed when it turned out the meeting place was called "La Chatte Blanche" /secretly twelve.) There's a lot of really good description of Paris in this one, which is really strange. It's like looking in a fun house mirror: I'm reading a book in English set in Paris, what is this devilry? Finally seeing Ayasha really brought home how much Ben love her and how much he misses her.


What are you reading now

Good Man Friday, by Barbara Hambly: This week was very busy, so I'm not very far into it, but I am enjoying so far (and nobody was surprised!). I love that Chloe and Minou still call each other darling and sweetheart. One thing I don't like though, is the way Minou calls some women 'salopes' (it's shown up in at least one earlier book). It's one of those words that I hate and I really hate it. It means something like 'bitch whore' and, idk, maybe it's because I'm French and it's a word I've actually heard used in a derogatory way all my life (unlike, 'bitch' or 'whore') and so it hits closer to home, but I really hate the use of that word in these books and it throws me out of the story every time. That said, I think Chloe and Rose would get along marvellously. So sad there won't be any Rose or Hannibal in this book :(
Edit to add: Holy shit, it's Edgar Allan Poe!

Hannibal's Odyssey, by William Mahaney: There is progress! This is a very interesting book, but damn is it dense as hell.


What are you reading next

I've no idea.

Comments

[wordsofastory.livejournal.com]

Ah, Ran Away! I love this book so much. It's great to finally see Ayasha fro herself, and not just in a dream (though I do also really love the dreams in this book). The conversation between Rose and Ben at the very end is one of my absolute favorite things in the whole series; it just breaks my heart.

But there's a lot of funny bits in this book, too– I particularly love the rivalry between the two preachers, and the musicians' bet on whether their arguing counts as a duel. What is the joke with "La Chatte Blanche"? There's a lot of little worldbuilding details I like too: that Hannibal seems to be friends with Marie Laveau, that he knows about Ben and Rose's participation in the Underground Railroad (does he help them out sometimes, maybe by forging papers? Did they hesitate before telling him?).

Good Man Friday is also great! I do suspect that a lot of cursing is in French (or sometimes Arabic!) to make it sound less strong to an English-speaking ear, but of course that doesn't work for you.