sumi,

at your recommendation, I am reading Midnight Riot and this is such an entertaining book. I feel like I am constantly surprised at how much I am enjoying it. It is (to me) unexpectedly funny and (I'm halfway through) the "mystical" world the author created is absolutely believable.

I am really digging it. Thanks.

Toby Daye fans! I must share the gorgeous new cover of One Salt Sea. Not only beautiful, but also rather intriguing.

le nubian - I'm glad you like it.

Julie & Julia is reminding me a lot of Marley & Me. I like the writing stlye. I'm entertained, but it's frustrating reading about people making things harder for themselves. I got so worked up I went down to the library to look at a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Lo and behold it's right there in the introduction. Julia says if you take shortcuts you're missing the point and she stresses that before you even go shopping you need to read the recipe. I wish Julie had taken the time to read the introduction. My notes include, "the butcher will split a marrow bone for you" "dude, cooking thermometer" and "if this were fiction I would think Julie is heading toward a terrible comeuppance."

George R. R. Martin, you suck. . . . Pull your fucking typewriter out of your ass and start fucking typing.

[link]

Counterpoint: [link]

Loving Jessica's and Tom's links.

Slate's take on the HBO version (still reading, not sure how I feel): [link]

Is Slate trying to piss people off? Oh, wait, yes, it is. Because then people will post links and they'll get more traffic.

A reasonably-written review that made an attempt at discussing the value of the show wouldn't get nearly as much traction as that will.

Vomit.

Unlike some of the commenters, I don't insist someone must be a fan of the genre to review a tv show. And there may be some value in that review, but it's buried in the impenetrable prose.