(A-) 81% | Very Good Notes: Grief galore and evermore, violently dreary, blending lore (books heretofore), and quotes The Raven 'til you're weary.
*Chec(A-) 81% | Very Good Notes: Grief galore and evermore, violently dreary, blending lore (books heretofore), and quotes The Raven 'til you're weary.
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03/18/2025 - Preamble (1) I have this pre-ordered, but with regular shipping, so I likely won't get it day-one. - I would have got the Kindle, but all my other Hunger Games books are hardcovers and I'm OCD. (2) I'll admit, I'm not exactly at fever pitch, Songbirds and Snakes really dampened my interest for new books in this series. (3) Buddy read with Jenny.
04/01/2025 - Chapters 1� (1) First of all, it took me forever to get the ball rolling on this! - Nothing to do with low enthusiasm or any sort of hesitancy. Let's just say, it doesn't help that the times when I'm free to read are also when I'm the most tired and liable to doze off. - Not that I always fall asleep, sometimes you just can't see straight or process information. - Total buddy-read fail on my part! (2) Huh, "Lenore" is quite the bygone-sounding name. I see "Lenore" and I automatically think of The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe. - "Nameless here forevermore..." - Though, not nearly as bygone as all these Capitol people with their Latin names. But then, those are more obsolete than anything. Latin being dead and all. (3) Haymitch's little brother is named "Sid." - I wonder what weird variation of a common name it's short for. (4) Ah, so I guess Lenore was indeed named after The Raven! Or at least that must be the old poem they're referring to. - I never knew Lenore is also a color, if you can call a shade of gray a color. Possibly it hints to ties with Lucy Gray Baird, if only subliminally. (5) Apparently, Haymitch knew the Everdeens growing up. You know, I never got that sense from the original books. - It's always a thrill to see familiar names pop up. You feel like you know them! (6) Turns out, Lenore is a descendant of Bairds, which makes her kin to Lucy Gray. Presumably, they share some family traits. - I guess that means her name isn't "Lenore," it's "Lenore Dove." One fact that was slow to dawn on me when I read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was that the Covey all have double-barreled given names, and that the second part is always a color. We see that here too with Clerk Carmine and Tam Amber. - You know, I really need to take it easy with the notetaking. Sometimes you pose questions and the answers come up right away. (7) In my head, Lenore Dove's singing her song to the tune of Greensleeves. - Works well enough. (8) The snake and bird flint strike Lenore Dove gives Haymitch will definitely be used during the Hunger Games. - It's Chekhov's flint strike. - It reminds me of Katniss' mockingjay pin. In fact, that's probably the intended allusion. (9) Reaping Day is the 4th of July. Ironically, it commemorates a defeated rebellion. - Certainly goes with the whole Roman Empire analogue, where the Romans were quite fond of co-opting existing holidays, especially during their Christian phase. - I mean, you may as well since people get mad if you take away a holiday. "Bread and circuses" is a central theme of the series. (10) Speaking of themes, nearly escaping misfortune is a definite theme of the first chapter. - Wyatt Callow is very nearly aged-out of the reaping but, unfortunately for him, he was born a bit too early. - Haymitch thinks he's free and clear until the actual pick tries to escape and gets his head blown off. There's no escaping for either of them. (11) Already, this is a truer prequel to the original series because of the inclusion of familiar characters. It gives you a much more tangible sense of the books inhabiting the same world. - In The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes we only really got Snow and Tigris. - We actually get District 12 people here: Katniss' mom and dad, Madge's mom, and probably others I don't automatically recognize. - The most notable return is Plutarch, who's been surprisingly prominent. (12) It's always high drama with these reaping scenes! One of these days we should get a book where it just goes off normally. - In a scene reminiscent of Katniss saving her sister, Haymitch gets picked because he saves Lenore Dove. That's something they have in common, neither of their names were actually drawn. (13) Following the disaster, everything has to be re-done for the cameras. - It underscores the fakeness of reality programing and how it's all just a propoganda exercise. - Having to redo reaction shots is an extra level of cruelty. Not only do you have to relive your fresh trauma, you act it out for an audience, and multiple times to boot. (14) Haymitch is offered champagne by a production assistant, but it's quickly withdrawn: "Whoops! None for the children!" - Indeed, no champagne but they do get almost-certain death. - This calls back to an earlier scene where Hattie gifts Haymitch a bottle of white liquor, explaining, "If you're old enough to make it, you're old enough to drink it." (15) We get a reference to the forgotten District 12 winner of a long-ago Hunger Games. - For some reason, Lenore Dove never wants to discuss her. - Of course, we know the winner is Lucy Gray, and Lenore Dove doesn't want to discuss her because she's a relative. (16) Drusilla's a fun character! On the train, she's the sort of drunk mess that Haymitch would later become. - He's looking into his future!
04/06/2025 - Chapters 4� (1) Peacekeepers singing Haymitch "Happy Birthday" is dark irony. - They're celebrating his life while sending him off to death. - It comes off like a parody. - Especially ironic since a Peacekeeper just killed a kid earlier that day. (2) Maysilee: "I'd rather be despised than ignored." - Pretty much her in a nutshell. - She's the epitome of a mean girl and unrelenting in her bullying. - Likely, the promise of almost-certain death has emboldened her natural proclivities and stripped her of all inhibitions. I mean, she's got nothing to lose and may as well act as bratty as possible. - So far she's slapped Drusilla and publicly humiliated Silka. I'd almost think she's trying to build a "bad girl" reputation to get sponsors, but these are people it wouldn't be smart to piss off. (3) We learn the origin of Katniss' mockingjay pin. Apparently, it belonged to Maysilee, who left it forgotten in a drawer. - Her twin, Merrilee, had a matching hummingbird pin, which was lost down a well. - Pure gold, crafted by Tam Amber. Meaning the pin was created in the Covey, made it to the Town and ended up with a girl from the Seam. It's touched all corners of District 12. - So, unless he forgot, Haymitch definitely knew what it was, where Katniss got it from, and the story behind it. (4) Unlike most ridiculous Capitol outfits, Drusilla's is at the very least functional. The riding crop isn't just for show, she uses it to whip Maysilee. - Can't say she doesn't know how to accessorize. - She came to District 12 prepared... methinks it's not the first time she's been slapped by a Tribute. (5) "The Raven," in addition to being a poem, is sung here. - I've yet to find a workable tune. My go-to "Greensleeves" doesn't fit. (6) "Panache" is such a District 1 name. - They all sound like superheroes... Marvel most explicitly. (7) I guess the bit about tributes of past games being brought to the Capitol in cattle cars was no throwaway jibe. - In addition to literally being led to slaughter, the chaining together and later forced strip and group insecticide spray-and-wash is very cattle-like. - I guess the whole passenger train setup is just for appearances, and mostly for the cameras. All the better to propagandize. (8) In addition to the botched reaping, we have a botched opening ceremony. - Neither made it into the highlight reel Katniss and Peeta watched in Catching Fire. Oh, the magic of editing! - That's two District 12 Tributes dead before the games even begin, and no chance for a hot-swap this time around. (9) "They will not use my tears for their entertainment" seems to be Haymitch's mantra of sorts. - Not even 100-pages in, and this is the second time it's been said. (10) There seems to be a lot of lady Peacekeepers in this story. - Might just be me, but I don't remember that being the case previously, movies nor books. (11) Wiress and Mags are back, this time as mentors. - I vaguely recall Haymitch commenting positively about his relationship with Mags. Maybe in the books, but definitely in the second film. (12) "And while Lenore Dove will forever be my true love, Louella is my one and only sweetheart." - If I ever re-read the original trilogy, I've got to keep an eye out to see if he calls anyone else sweetheart. If so, there's definitely added meaning. (13) The apartment "has been decorated by someone whose tastes run to fluffy things and burnt orange." - How positively 1970s! I can just picture the shag carpeting. - Funny enough, the timeline does fit. Given when the original trilogy was published, 25 years previous would line up with the 1970s. (14) Haymitch: "I'm not as smart as Wiress, I can't outsmart the arena." - If you remember Catching Fire, you'll know that's exactly what he does. (15) Apparently, District 12 isn't the only place that weirds-up common names. "Ringina"? Really? - Is that pronounced Rin-gina or Ring-ina or Rin-gin-a? - I suppose Regina was too normal-sounding for this dystopia. (16) As it happens, I have a cousin named Louella. - It's been mixing me up, so I'm sort of glad she's out of this book now.
04/10/2025 - Chapters 8�10 (1) Plutarch picks Haymitch's brain about the nature of authority and why districts willingly accept subjugation. - That's some real Political Science 101. Someone's been reading Max Weber. - Possibly, these are seeds of the Mockingjay Revolution germinating. (2) The non-Career alliance is named The Newcomers. - Though, isn't every tribute a newcomer? I mean, there aren't second tries. - Ironic how it's Haymitch who suggests the name since, as District 12's only living Victor, he's back at the Games every single year and ends up the very opposite of a newcomer. (3) I feel like Beetee being here is getting to be one reunion too many. - Too common an occurrence and it's no longer special. - I mean, is everyone here from Catching Fire who was alive back then? - Prediction: Young Effie shows up, thus proving my suspicion. - Though, to play devil's advocate, how many prequels are we going to get for people to show up in? It may be now or never. - I guess the whole mentor and training introduction is the portion of the book that leaves no doubt in your mind that the original trilogy is in continuity with this world. (4) Ostensibly, Beetee's back as a mentor, but Wiress could have handled that—she's the most recent Victor, and thus probably more of a draw. - More so, his son's been reaped and he's been brought to the Games to watch him die. It's punishment for being a saboteur. - It's not like they can just kill him—in addition to being a rare genius, he's a Victor and local hero. Much easier to humble him and break his spirit. (5) I have a suspicion that packet of coins and nails Beetee palms off to Haymitch isn't going to be used for potato-powered light bulbs. - Obviously, it's going to be used for something. I'm looking forward to seeing how Haymitch manages to MacGyver them. (6) Ampert's just so pure and innocent. It'll be a shame when he dies. - I mean, in a total lack of social self-awareness, he tells Maysilee he wishes she were his sister and gives her a hug. - Definitely gives off homeschooled vibes... which is more than likely the case, given he's Beetee's kid. - Narratively speaking, he's the Rue of this book: the obligatory lamb led to slaughter. Not that it's necessarily someone really young. In Catching Fire it was Mags. (7) Haymitch impresses Plutarch with his knowledge of alcohol and Poe's The Raven. - Only natural since white spirit production and Lenore Dove are pretty much his life. - How fortunate that Plutarch just happened to have on display the exact alcohol mentioned in the poem. It's almost like Haymitch is fated to win this thing. - I'll admit, I never knew nepenthe's a drink. I always just thought it was a narcotic. (8) Haymitch meets with President Snow in Plutarch's conservatory before his Quarter Quell, like Katniss met with him before her Quarter Quell. - There are definite similarities, such as meeting in someone's home and a flower theme. - Haymitch is confused by the very concept of a conservatory. Plants being brought indoors is a thing he can't wrap his head around. I suppose house plants in District 12 would just be seen as a waste of water. (9) President Snow mentions that he went to school with Hilarius Heavensbee. - I vaguely remember him from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I guess we're at the portion of the book that states explicitly and conclusively that Songbirds and Snakes is in continuity with this world. Haters of the book be damned! - Haymitch is stunned at President Snow's District 12 knowledge. It never occurs to him that Snow might actually have visited. More than just visited, it's pretty much the final third of Songbirds and Snakes. (10) Haymitch on Covey naming: "First name from a ballad, second a color." - Well, that really spells it out. I had no idea about the ballad part. Makes me wonder what poems Clerk and Tam came from. (11) President Snow spends the whole first part of his meeting with Haymitch puking his guts out. - Possibly he doesn't need to, it may just be a ploy to get rid of Plutarch. - I seem to remember, though I'd have to reread The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes to make certain, that Snow purposely poisons himself along with people he's trying to kill in order to lure them into ingesting the poison and to take suspicion off himself. I forget how exactly he keeps himself alive. - In this case, it's the parade master who didn't quite survive to the puking stage. - I'm not all that rushed to read Songbirds and Snakes again. I eventually will once I see the film. Though, I'm not all that rushed to watch it either. (12) Fake Louella is a game changer! Literally! - I didn't see that one coming, though it makes perfect sense that Snow would want to make the opening ceremonies seem like they didn't happen. Like how they redid the District 12 reaping. - Funny enough, Haymitch was the unexpected replacement during the do-over reaping. So, he and Fake Louella at least have that in common. - I wonder whether being a brainwashed body double is preferable to life as an Avox? because that's what this girl would have been if not for Louella's untimely death. It's certain death, but the food's better.
(C-) 59% | Very Unsatisfactory Notes: Smug and sterile, it refuses to get to the point: all idle-talk and touristy tidbits, it's a dumb book that think(C-) 59% | Very Unsatisfactory Notes: Smug and sterile, it refuses to get to the point: all idle-talk and touristy tidbits, it's a dumb book that thinks it's smart.
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12/17/2019 - Preamble: [image] In August I set up a poll asking, of books I own, what people would like me to read. I write quite detailed status updates, and would rather they be books others are interested in hearing about. I'm not queuing them in order, though. I retain the prerogative to read what I feel like, and of these top vote-getters I'm in the mood to read "Origin."
12/19/2019 - Prologue–Chapter 1: (1) A rabbi, a bishop, and an Islamic scholar walk into a library... (2) I've given the previous four books each a different star rating, all except 5. Meaning, by all sense and logic, this should be a 5-star book! (3) In Dan Brown books, people are introduced by fanboys/girls. First astonishment: "I can't believe it's you, world famous [blank]!" Then accolades: "I've read your groundbreaking work on [blank]."
12/21/2019 - Chapters 2�8: It's often said that the most difficult Batman villain to write is the Riddler. This is because his whole gimmick is that he devises puzzles that Batman must solve to save the day. This necessarily puts the writer in the role of puzzle-maker, which very few are adept at. In Dan Brown's world, everyone's a genius: the best in the world at what they do. In short, everyone's the Riddler, and his riddles are pretty lame.
12/27/2019 - Chapters 27�36: (1) Robert Langdon has an A.I. assistant, his very own deus ex machina. Yay! :( (2) Prediction not spoiler: The PR girl's the mastermind. Looks millennial, but I bet she's a secret zealot. (3) I mentioned previously that Batman writers dislike having to write the Riddler because it forces them to become puzzle-makers. But do you know who's great at making puzzles? Dan Brown! He should write the Riddler!
12/29/2019 - Chapters 37�52: (1) Without the usual historical conspiracy, this book loses considerable intrigue, and sort of reads like a Rick Steves European travel guide. (2) To complete my reading challenge I must read two books in three days. I have a short one marked for Sunday, leaving one. If I push hard, this could be the final piece of the puzzle. I'm not a fast reader, so 100 pages each day will be an effort, but it's doable.
12/31/2019 - Chapters 53�80: (1) I find my updates for this book haven't been very interesting. Possibly because the story hasn't been very interesting, and so there aren't many interesting things to say about it. It's not even so bad that I can make interesting complaints. (2) I've almost exactly 100 pages left to go and should easily finish this tomorrow, thus completing my unnecessarily stressful and down-to-the-wire reading challenge. (hide spoiler)]...more
(B-) 69% | Satisfactory Notes: Mainly filler (interest-killer), he says so precious little, scandal shame but shifts the blame: just wimpy, whiny, brit(B-) 69% | Satisfactory Notes: Mainly filler (interest-killer), he says so precious little, scandal shame but shifts the blame: just wimpy, whiny, brittle.
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12/18/2023 - Preamble [image] (1) I know I'm awful late to the party, but I always said that I was waiting for the book to go on clearance, and it finally did. (2) I don't read all that many non-fiction books, but I do try to read at least one a year. So, this lets me tick that box for 2023. (3) I'm something of a Royal Family aficionado. - I'm also Canadian, so technically Harry's my Prince too.
12/19/2023 - Prologue–Part 1.20 [image] (1) Only 50 pages in and I have lots to say. (2) Interestingly, the book begins in the days leading up to Diana's death. We're not told of Harry's life before this and, this being chronological, I doubt we're going back to revisit his childhood. - Literally and figuratively, this is how his story begins. (3) For nonfiction books, my expectation is to be told something I don't already know, and to do so stylistically in a way that justifies my expenditure of precious leisure time. - Having said that, this book begins not saying much at all and doing all it can to avoid getting to the point. (4) The prologue is all about Harry's meeting with Charles and William at Prince Philip's funeral. It's a lot of dithering and meandering: flowery language to mask the fact that we're not really told much at all. - Harry describes waiting for this family meeting as being like "embarking on a quest." His brother and father, he says, appeared to be "in league" against him. - We do get the now iconic line from Charles: "Please, boys—don’t make my final years a misery." (5) Frequently peppered into this verbal miasma is some amateur philosophy, of the type you'd more expect from an angsty adolescent than a middle-aged military vet with a wife and kids. - For example, if not for his parent's marriage he wouldn't be alive. On the other hand, if not for his parent's marriage, maybe his mother would still be alive. - Indeed, profound stuff. Excuse me as I recover from having my mind blown! (6) Harry calls Charles and William "Pa" and "Willy." Respectively, they call him "darling boy" and "Harold." - It all makes sense except for "Harold." Harry himself states that his name is actually Henry. So, what's the deal with "Harold"? Is it a joke because his common name is already a diminutive nickname? - "Pa" and "Willy" make it seem like you'd more likely find them in a log cabin in Appalachia than a European palace. (7) I'm having a hard time settling into the writing style. It seems all over the place. - Mostly, it's a lot of wistfulness and waxing lyrical. Though, occasionally you'll get the odd crass comment injected, as if to remind people he's a regular human being who curses and lusts and acts objectionably like everyone else. It just feels incongruous and try-hard. (8) Like everyone else, I have my personal opinions about Harry and Meghan. Though, I'm trying to read this with as open a mind and being as objective as possible. That said, at least this far in, Harry doesn't seem particularly likeable. - He writes as if he has no agency in his own life. Everybody's doing stuff to him, and all he can do is stand there and take the bullets. It's an entirely passive posture and, frankly, comes off as whiny. - I'd never have thought this book would be encumbered with such fluffy, wimpy prose. I mean, there's a passage where he says he prefers Steinbeck to Shakespeare because the writing's more straightforward. Ironic, considering the way he chose to write this. (9) The best part of this so far is Harry's description of how Diana's death affected him. - It feels honest and raw, and very unlike the rest of the book—which expresses the same tone of vulnerability throughout, but for things that don't necessarily warrant it.
12/20/2023 - Parts 1.21�1.48 [image] (1) On losing virginity: "She liked horses, quite a lot, and treated me not unlike a young stallion. Quick ride, after which she'd smacked my rump and sent me off to graze. Among the many things about it that were wrong: It happened in a grassy field behind a busy pub." - Please never write romance novels! - Merely one of many such metaphors. (2) This book is best when it eschews all its opinions and flowery language and just tells stories. - I'm honestly quite enthralled reading about shooting stags in Scotland, trying to make the Queen Mother laugh at a picnic, and learning how his best friend died in a car crash. - In general, I'm fine with authors opining about events so far as it's interesting. Harry's opinions, however, are terribly lightweight. (3) Harry repeatedly mentions seeing "red mist" when enraged. - The way he describes it, you'd think he's Dexter or something. (4) There's a lot of metaphors used in this book. The one stated at the top is possibly the most infamous. I don't think any of them actually work. - It's just more flowery language. - They're meant to sound deep and/or clever, but at best they just fall flat, at worst they're fairly cringe and classless. (5) Harry describes his father as seemingly the most loving dad in the world, while at the same time ascribes him appalling motives and without real evidence more than hearsay and speculation. - I can't get a beat on their relationship. There's no real middle ground, it's all extremes. - The idea that his father conspires with the evil press to throw Harry under the bus, in order to look good in comparison, is quite the statement. - Frankly, he's much more complimentary of Camilla, though I expect that to change as we go on. (6) "Mummy’s former butler had penned a tell-all, which actually told nothing. It was merely one man's self-justifying, self-centering version of events." - He writes without the smallest sense of irony.
12/21/2023 - Parts 1.22�2.19 [image] (1) Kate Middleton appears only once so far, during Harry's Nazi costume scandal. - He sort of throws her and William under the bus for not telling him it was a bad idea, and even jokingly encouraging it. - He does write about how much shame he felt following the incident, though you never do get the sense he believes it's entirely his fault. (2) Nearly all of Part 2 seemingly covers Harry's military career. I don't think it's a stretch to say no one bought this to read about that. - Ironic since his time in the military and the few years following were the point where he was most loved by the public. - It's interesting enough, but only because it's about Harry and the ghostwriter does a good job of not making it sound dull as dirt. - Really, it's information that isn't unique to him, and not terribly exciting due to the fact that he was more or less kept from danger. - You do notice the absence of the book's heretofore dominant flowery prose and colorful metaphors. I get the sense that it's not just the reader that wants to get this over with and move onto juicier subject matter. (3) Interesting how no one except military figures are given surnames here. More than that, Harry uses diminutives and nicknames if at all applicable. - Possibly not to identify anyone, though it's easy enough to guess, for example, that "Chels" is Chelsey Davy. - Even photographers and newspapers he calls "Paps" as if they're a singular person, his arch nemesis.
12/23/2023 - Parts 2.20�2.47 [image] (1) "My penis was oscillating between extremely sensitive and borderline traumatized ... I’d been trying some home remedies, including one recommended by a friend. She'd urged me to apply Elizabeth Arden cream. My mum used that on her lips. You want me to put that on my todger?" - Seriously? Does every story have to reference your mom? - Apparently yes, because every story has. (2) It becomes increasingly clear that the most interesting thing about Harry is his family. When he's not talking about his family, this book becomes an absolute chore. - He recounts his time in Afghanistan like reading a car owner's manual. Just colorless tedium. (3) Harry spends an inordinate amount of time talking about his many flying lessons. Which is about as exciting and illuminating as reading about someone's piano lessons. - Yes, things are very difficult if you've never done them before, then they get easier. That's how things normally go! (4) Harry spends an inordinate amount of time talking about his frostbitten penis. - The entirety of his brother's wedding is bookended by penis talk, with bits sprinkled in as well. - The moral of all this is that time heals all wounds, including his frostbitten penis. Excuse me as I recover from having my mind blown! (5) There's a whole lot of humble-bragging going on here. Harry takes every opportunity to pat himself on the back and big himself up in comparison to other people's failures and shortcomings. - He passes his helicopter test while a guy after him fails so bad the fire trucks are called in. - While other royals only symbolically plant trees on foreign visits, Harry insists on actually planting trees. - He passes his military psychological stress test while the two other guys literally go insane. (6) For all the time he talks about his lady loves, Chels and Flack and Flea, we never do get a sense of their personalities, just that they can't handle the media swarm that Harry's so sadly used to. - The closest we get is that Chels "wanted to travel, have fun, be young," which is essentially saying nothing of value. (7) Harry spends an inordinate amount of time lambasting journalists and specifically two photographers he dubs Tweedle Dumb and Tweedle Dumber. - As much as he insists this isn't punching down, it really is and only adds to the overall feeling of condescension and smugness in the writing.
12/24/2023 - Parts 2.48�2.79 [image] Wishing you a very Harry Christmas and a Harry New Year!
(1) "If you like reading pure bollocks then royal biographies are just your thing." - Gee, thanks! You couldn't have warned me at the start of the book? - I wonder whether or not he's self-aware? (2) Another 50 pages, another embarrassing, self-inflicted scandal blamed on others. - Despite being the one suggesting a game of strip-pool in a hotel suite full of wasted partygoers, it's apparently the fault of the drunk girl who took the pictures and the evil papers that bought them. (3) Harry's military adventures are sort of exciting, but only in a video game sort of way. - They're purely time-killers/page-fillers. By the end of this, I will have remembered none of them. (4) Harry publicly states his kill-count: twenty-five. I remember him being criticized for this on the news, it being highly taboo among the military. - Never being in the military, it doesn't bother me. What does bother me is that he seemingly brings it up merely to morally justify it. - I mean, it's a given that soldiers kill, and that if you join the army you're going to be at the very least complicit in killing. Why even bring it up? (5) Ironic, how Harry names his pet project the Invictus Games. - "Invictus" being Latin for "not a victim," whereas this book is entirely about Harry being a victim. (6) Another 50 pages, another breakup with a girlfriend who can't handle the spotlight. - In this case, Cress. We know even less about her than the other girlfriends we know nothing about, just that she's friends with Harry's cousin Euge.
12/26/2023 - Parts 2.80�3.19 [image] (1) "She wore a flannel shirt, a bulky overcoat and a beanie, but I was still surprised that no one was recognizing her. Plenty of Brits watched Suits, surely, yet no one was staring." - Sorry, but did I just wake up in some bizarro reality where Suits is an international phenomenon and Meghan Markle's a Madonna-level celebrity? - To hear Harry tell it, Meghan's a substantially bigger star than he is. - Frankly, I've never seen Suits mentioned in print more than I have in these initial Meghan chapters. (2) We get a lot more tone-deaf humble-bragging by Harry. - Wow! He does his own laundry and goes to brick-and-mortar stores to buy his own clothes and groceries. Impressive! - He scolds an older couple for badgering a cashier. So heroic! (3) Reading about Harry's dates with Meghan is like sitting through a relative's interminable vacation slideshow. It's never really about them, but the colorful things happening around them. - Unfortunately, like Harry's other girlfriends, I don't get any sense of Meghan as a person. Harry goes on and on about how perfect and beautiful she is, and how everyone but the evil press immediately and entirely loves her. Which tells me absolutely nothing. (4) I'm not going to begrudge anyone for being in love and wanting to let the world know about it but, frankly, the uxoriousness here makes me want to vomit. - The whole relationship feels entirely fake and factory-processed. I'm not saying it didn't unfold the way he tells it, but it's a level of saccharine meet cute that puts Hallmark movies to shame. (5) The Harry/Meghan relationship is portrayed as your typical opposites-attract romantic comedy. He's an introverted stoner slob while she's a fashionable celebrity and accomplished businesswoman. - A big deal's made about how Meghan has no idea who Harry is and how he's deathly afraid she might google him and learn of his many scandals. I mean, are we going to pretend that a woman living a good part of the year in London doesn't know who Prince Harry is? - "At bedtime I guided Meg through the darkness to the tent. Where’s the flashlight? Meg asked. You mean the torch? We both laughed." (6) The only characters in the book that get any sort of discernable personality are Charles and William, arguably the two you'd least need to flesh out. William here is portrayed as a bully who's inexplicably competitive with Harry, of whom he's simultaneously jealous of and embarrassed to be seen with. - As usual, Harry is the quintessential victim. Passive to his own detriment, never fighting back. - According to Harry, he wants to help Africa because he genuinely cares, whereas William wants to help Africa for PR and clout.
(B+) 76% | Good Notes: Sampler plate, from bad to great, a tone and style medley, as genre goes, all horror shows: a mix of gross and deadly.
*Progress (B+) 76% | Good Notes: Sampler plate, from bad to great, a tone and style medley, as genre goes, all horror shows: a mix of gross and deadly.
(B) 75% | More than Satisfactory Notes: Out-and-out vigor drought, albeit bouts, all setting up and sorting out, and touting clout of heroes I don't ca(B) 75% | More than Satisfactory Notes: Out-and-out vigor drought, albeit bouts, all setting up and sorting out, and touting clout of heroes I don't care about.
(A) 85% | Extraordinary Notes: It's a logical, captivating mystery where everything clicks into place. It gives backwoods Sweden a Transylvania feel.(A) 85% | Extraordinary Notes: It's a logical, captivating mystery where everything clicks into place. It gives backwoods Sweden a Transylvania feel....more
(A-) 81% | Very Good Notes: Quite animal-focused, unwavering locus (not travel-inclined), much sadness and madness from curse-addled minds.
*Check out p(A-) 81% | Very Good Notes: Quite animal-focused, unwavering locus (not travel-inclined), much sadness and madness from curse-addled minds.
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary: (view spoiler)[
Progress updates:
08/15/2023 - Preamble (1) I wouldn't say "The Hidden Oracle" was a disappointment, but it's the least of the Riordan Greek/Roman books I've read. - It's just so different than the others, not conforming to the usual Riordan formula of 3+ heroes on a cross-country road trip. From this book's description, it seems to be getting back on brand. (2) I'm curious which version of Calypso we get here. - I'd guess a mix of the previous two.
08/16/2023 - Chapters 1-5 (1) Leo calls Calypso "Cal" while she calls him "Leonidas." - I can understand "Cal," but I'm almost certain "Leonidas" isn't what Leo's short for, if it's short for anything. - I mean, if it were like Percy and Perseus I'd think we'd know by now. (2) If Leo and Calypso weren't an item, I'd swear this was an opposites-attract rom-com between Calypso and Apollo. - She just seems like she's pulling his pigtails.
08/17/2023 - Chapters 6-11 (1) Boy, they're really treating limericks as the red-headed stepchild of prophecies. - I foresee this being a running joke. (2) We seem to have the makings of a love-triangle. - With Leo and Calypso's relationship on the rocks, the two former-immortals go questing alone. (3) So far we haven't left Indianapolis. - Same thing last book, we never left Camp Half-Blood. - Possibly this series is one city per book?
08/18/2023 - Chapters 12-15 (1) Apollo lists celebrities who couldn't handle fame at a young age: "Justin, Britney, Lindsay, Amanda, Amadeus". I must presume he means Bieber, Spears, Lohan, Bynes and Mozart. - Can't be Timberlake, he seems normal. - Arguably, "Wolfgang" might be too broad. Though, I don't know that anyone called Mozart by his middle name. (2) Apollo and Calypso sing a duet. - They literally make beautiful music together.
08/23/2023 - Chapters 16-21 (1) It's interesting that Commodus of all people is given the Voldemort treatment where speaking his name is taboo. - Though, in this case, saying his name sort of does put you on his radar. - When Meg repeatedly shouts his name, I half-expected him to pop up like Beetlejuice. (2) "[Lityerses] hissed in annoyance. I understood this effect Meg had on people." - Indeed, I do too. Speaking as one of the affected.
08/24/2023 - Chapters 22-26 (1) I've come to expect a certain about of ridiculousness from these books, but that stadium scene was perhaps a bit too over-the-top. - It's like something out of a Hieronymus Bosch painting. - At least to me, it jumped the shark. (2) I've noticed that this book involves a lot of heroes riding animals. So far, they've ridden griffins, ostriches and elephants. - Not the usual (horse-based) pegasi and centaurs.
08/26/2023 - Chapters 27-31 (1) While sleeping in the vicinity of Apollo, the Hunters of Artemis always set up traps and barriers to protect against nocturnal molestation. - A strangely adult detail for a YA/MG book. Though, to be fair, the whole Riordanverse is based on the concept of gods impetuously coupling with humans. (2) Leo procures a Mercedes for Apollo to drive. It's hinted this is an Easter egg, but I can't spot the reference.
08/27/2023 (1) - Chapters 32-36 (1) Meg's behavior and emotional intelligence for the series, until this cave scene, has been as if she's 6 years old, not 12. - Suddenly, she decides to finally act her age. (2) I don't know whether Riordan actually understands what "step-father" means. What he calls a step-father is actually a foster-father. - Though, perhaps he's just using it because it's a better-known term for the middle-grade audience.
08/27/2023 (2) - Chapters 37-42 (1) I read all the back matter first, so despite the page number I'm actually finished. - Took me a lot longer than I'd envisioned or planned. On top of being unexpectedly busy, I've had to deal with this new strain of COVID, which has been a burden and a half. (2) We finally get the titular line near the very end of the book. Apparently, "The Dark Prophecy" is a sonnet. - It's even capitalized when mentioned. (hide spoiler)]...more
(A-) 83% | Very Good Notes: Great battle writing (heated fighting), Apollo racked with shame (humiliation, condemnation, self-appointed blame).
*Check o(A-) 83% | Very Good Notes: Great battle writing (heated fighting), Apollo racked with shame (humiliation, condemnation, self-appointed blame).
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary: (view spoiler)[
Progress updates:
09/06/2023 - Preamble (1) The series so far has been trending upward, each book's been better than the last one. So, I'm excited to see what this one has in store. - Right now, we're down to secondary guest stars. Granted, Frank and Hazel were main characters in "The Son of Neptune," but everyone knows that Percy carried that book. I mean, he's the titular character. - Of the three stated returns, I'm most looking forward to Reyna.
09/09/2023 (1) - Chapters 1-5 (1) This book picks up exactly where the last book ended. I can't remember this ever happening before. - Percy Jackson and the Olympians, if I'm not mistaken, always had a school year go by in between. - The latter Heroes of Olympus books may have continued directly, but I don't think two books shared a common scene. (2) The amount of times Apollo's had to recount his journey, no wonder he decided to sing it. - Probably easier to remember with a tune.
09/09/2023 (2) - Chapters 6-10 (1) "Oh, the dreams. Dear reader, if you are tired of hearing about my awful prophetic nightmares, I don’t blame you." - Hopefully this is Riordan being self-aware, because I roll my eyes, sigh and shake my head whenever there's a dream sequence. - Riordan writes way too many dreams! It's lazy storytelling! Rather than find a creative way to have characters learn information, they literally see them in dreams!
09/10/2023 - Chapters 11-15 (1) Cumaean Sibyl: "Nothing good ever happens to your lovers! I just wanted to be your Sibyl, and now you’ve made things weird!" - Apollo totally got friendzoned. (2) Of all the possible romantic pairings for Reyna, the one teased here is something I never expected. - Though, I did fully expect Reyna to have a romance subplot since being love-cursed is a thread from "The Heroes of Olympus" hitherto unresolved.
09/13/2023 - Chapters 16-20 (1) Apollo mentions (or jokes) that Romans play Fortiusnitius, which I assume is Fortnite latinized. - I thought demigods and electronics don't mix? or is that just phones? - Is Fortnite still popular? Could be another quickly-dated Riordan pop-culture reference. (2) Romance here seems a bit iffy. - Frank's Hazel's boss. - Lavinia has a crush on a dryad. - Apollo is millennia older than his teen love interest.
09/14/2023 - Chapters 21-25 (1) "[Reyna] wore blue running shoes and skinny jeans, a long-sleeved copper tee, and a maroon sweater wrap." - First of all, I have no clue what a sweater wrap is. - Secondly, isn't long-sleeved tee an oxymoron? aren't t-shirts defined by having short-sleeves? (2) Apollo asks Reyna if she's romantically involved with Thalia. - Possibly he's hopeful, since if she's only into girls he'd be rid of a big problem.
09/15/2023 - Chapters 26-30 (1) "[Reyna's] long-sleeve tee was quickly turning into a short-sleeve tee." - That's redundant. "Short-sleeve tee"? in other words, a tee. (2) I understand a big part of the series is the ritual humiliation of Apollo, but it's getting ridiculous and repetitive. - The Harpocrates chapters were all about running him down as an awful person. - And right on the heels of his utterly humiliating romantic rejection.
09/16/2023 - Chapters 31-35 (1) Apollo crash lands in the parking lot of a Target. - A joke, I assume. He's the god of archery. (2) "A whole g of weight seemed to lift from his shoulders." - I assume "g" is g-force, but gram wouldn't surprise me. Riordan loves using metric with non-Americans. (3) We get a challenge of 2-on-1 then 2-on-2 single combat. - Which like "long-sleeve tee" is another Riordan oxymoron. Single combat means 1-on-1!
09/17/2023 (1) - Chapters 36-40 (1) So, that was hands-down the best battle scene Riordan's ever written, but I'll reserve final judgement until the next book. - It's a lot less messy and chaotic than usual. It's a series of smaller, more personal fights, not the usual running around button-mashing. (2) As good as the battle was, the miracle at the end really diminished it. - Not the miracle itself, but that no one could properly explain it.
09/17/2023 (2) - Chapters 41-43 (1) I understand elections are literally popularity contests, but this is ridiculous! (2) Reyna says she was a servant on Calypso's island. This is a typo, she was a servant on Circe's island. - I kind of want to see a roommate sitcom with those two now. (3) The only major character we haven't seen yet is Annabeth. Given the next book is takes place in New York, there's a decent chance she makes an appearance. (hide spoiler)]...more
(A-) 82% | Very Good Notes: Soldiers sprout, old flames die out, hot game show situations, death done well, it's sad as hell: emotion conflagration.
*Ch(A-) 82% | Very Good Notes: Soldiers sprout, old flames die out, hot game show situations, death done well, it's sad as hell: emotion conflagration.
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary: (view spoiler)[
Progress updates:
08/28/2023 - Preamble (1) It seems like this series is cycling through all the previous Greek/Roman principal characters, each book starting off with a new trio. - The first book started with Percy, Apollo and Meg, with Nico later replacing Percy. - The second book started with Apollo, Leo and Calypso, with Meg and Thalia appearing halfway. - Here you get Apollo, Meg and Grover to start, with the promise of Jason and Piper joining.
08/29/2023 - Chapters 1-6 (1) Apollo: "Meg! I told you not to kill [the strix]! You’ll get cursed!" Meg: "I didn’t kill it. It committed suicide against that wall." Apollo: "I don’t think the Fates will see it that way." - That'd be an interesting episode of "People's Court." - I wonder whether the racquetball defense ever works? Arguably, the wall is the killing blow, not the strike. Perhaps choosing death to the pain of a second hit?
08/30/2023 (1) - Chapters 7-11 (1) "Another discount sticker grazed my arm with the force of an angry Titaness's slap." - Is he referring to Calypso? I don't recall her slapping Apollo, but it sounds about right. And it's not like there's an excess of Titanesses running around. (2) I don't mind that Meg can psychically share her memories with Apollo. What bugs me is she somehow knows she can do it, but doesn't why she knows or how it works.
08/30/2023 (2) - Chapters 12-15 (1) We finally get the answer to how Leo acquired the Mercedes in "The Hidden Oracle": he stole it. - Piper's old habits must have rubbed off on him. (2) Herophile speaks in crosswords (puzzles). She tells Michelangelo his painting of her is too "Eight letters, starts with M." "Muscular" is the answer. - Problem is that's English. In Italian it would be "musculosa" or "musculare," which each have nine letters!
08/31/2023 - Chapters 16-21 (1) Jason goes to an all-boys boarding school in Pasadena. - Probably to directly contrast Piper, who's broke and forced to move to Oklahoma. - Being an orphan, I wonder how he pays the tuition? Possibly his movie star mother left him some inheritance. (2) One of the noticeable differences about this series is the sheer frequency of crying. - I don't recall characters "blinking back tears" so often previously.
09/02/2023 - Chapters 22-26 (1) "I had flirted with Thalia, which…Eww. Curse you, Father, for having so many children! It made dating a true minefield over the millennia." - I'd think that'd be more an outlier, ever since the Big Three child moratorium. (2) "I wondered again what was behind their breakup ... Full points for vagueness, girl, but I wanted the dirt." - Yup, classic Riordan: answers are teased but continually put off.
09/04/2023 (1) - Chapters 27-32 (1) The pop culture references here feel really old. "The Kane Chronicles" companion I recently read, also a 2018 book, was the same. - He references the 1980s almost exclusively, one exception is a Captain & Tennille song from the 1970s! - Previously, Riordan would name-drop pop hits du jour, songs and artists so current I hardly knew any. - I mean, better for me, but kids these days won't have a clue!
09/04/2023 (2) - Chapters 33-38 (1) The big death here really elevates the book from a somewhat forgettable story to something pretty special. - It was my least favorite character in these Greek/Roman books, so I wasn't gutted or anything, but everything about it, the aftermath especially, was done so well that even I felt the loss... scratch that, Meg's my least favorite character. - That beach scene is up there as an all-time Riordan best.
09/04/2023 (3) - Chapters 39-44 (1) The Meliai call Meg "The Meg." - At first, I thought this was alluding to the film "The Meg," comparing Meg to a giant shark. - However, even though they both came out in 2018, this book must have been written a year before the film came out. (2) Being dyslexic, whenever I see "Herophile, my mind always reads it as "hermaphrodite." Can't be helped. - It's the "her" + "ph" + "ile" that causes the confusion.
09/05/2023 - Chapters 45-47 (1) For a series where people weep often and for very little reason, it finally provided something worth weeping over. (2) The big death was the best part, which is mixed bag. - On one hand, it really elevated the book out of simply going through the motions. - On the other hand, killing important characters to generate emotion is easy. Here it really contrasted how run-of-the-mill-Riordan everything else was. (hide spoiler)]...more
(A-) 82% | Very Good Notes: Much fellowship, a tower trip (a Die Hard kind of mission), big melee fights and solo plights, all victories by attrition.
*(A-) 82% | Very Good Notes: Much fellowship, a tower trip (a Die Hard kind of mission), big melee fights and solo plights, all victories by attrition.
*Check out progress updates for detailed commentary: (view spoiler)[
Progress updates:
09/17/2023 - Preamble (1) I went ahead and read the glossary first. It's something I like to do to get familiar with terms so I'm not flipping back and forth to define words while reading. - I'm not inclined to flip to the back when I'm reading because it's not guaranteed a word's even in the glossary, and I don't want to risk wasting my time. (2) I predict Annabeth will show up. She's the only significant character who hasn't yet.
09/18/2023 - Chapters 1-5 (1) Apollo refers to Nero as Meg's foster father. - Finally! It only took Riordan five books to figure out foster parents and step-parents aren't the same thing! It was driving me nuts! (2) Meg is given a smock dress to wear. - I didn't have a clue what that was, I had to google it. - Riordan must really be up on his ladies' fashion. Last book it was sweater wraps and long-sleeve tees, here it's smock dresses.
09/19/2023 - Chapters 6-10 (1) Apollo refers to Meg as Nero's stepdaughter. Hmph! - Well, Riordan using correct terminology didn't last long, only 40 pages. (2) Chiron isn't at Camp Half-Blood, he's at a "joint task force" meeting with a cat and a severed head. - This is clearly Bast from "The Kane Chronicles" and Mimir from "Magnus Chase." I know because I'm currently re-reading the former and just finished the latter's companion book.
09/20/2023 - Chapters 11-15 (1) These kids must have photographic memories or something. They hear four or five lines of poetry during a crisis and can recite it later on verbatim. - I'd have a notepad and pen ready at all times. - Since demigods are dyslexic and ADHD, you'd think memorization would be among their learning disabilities. (2) I totally ship Apollo and Rachel, they're perfect for each other. - Though he is kind of her boss.
09/21/2023 - Chapters 16-19 (1) Rachel has issues with Python invading her mind. - Sounds like she could use occlumency lessons. (2) Apollo describes Rachel's affection to him as "sisterly," which is the same thing he said about Meg. - Interesting, as Rachel and Meg treat Apollo quite differently. (3) The troglodytes make skink soup, which I can only presume is called Cullen Skink. - That's a Scottish soup joke, in case you're wondering.
09/22/2023 - Chapters 20-24 (1) Nero is referred to as Meg's stepfather... then 6 pages later Meg's called Nero's foster daughter. - Which is it? Because this has got to be some sort of joke at this point! (2) Riordan channels his inner George R.R. Martin with a shock amputation. - Hopefully interminable food lists won't be next. (3) I doubt Riordan even knows what dreams are. - His version of dreams are all more like astral projections.
09/23/2023 - Chapters 25-29 (1) Apollo smells Nico's hair and kisses him on the head. - If we're headed for a father-son love triangle, I'm out of here! (2) I finally figured it out! For whatever reason, Riordan only uses the "step" prefix to refer to Nero. For all the kids, he uses "foster." - Unfortunately, consistent as it is, that makes no sense. (3) Seemingly, fasces act like horcruxes. - So long as they're in tact, Nero cannot die.
09/24/2023 - Chapters 30-34 (1) I'm somewhat underwhelmed by how the whole Nero plot concluded. - Essentially, Apollo doesn't defeat Nero by smarts or strength or doggedness, but by luck. - It's literally a deus ex machina. (2) By contrast, the fight against Python (the less focused-on final boss) was quite well done. - Riordan's battles are always much better when it's as close to 1-on-1 as possible, and not a cacophony of chaos.
09/25/2023 - Chapters 35-39 (1) This ends with about 50 pages of tidying up and visits. - Not that I'm complaining, it raised my opinion of the book. (2) In the same way that the end of "The Blood of Olympus" hinted at this series, this hints at three books. - A Greco-Roman/Egyptian/Norse crossover team-up. - A Will and Nico book ("The Sun and the Star"). - A Percy/Annabeth/Grover road-trip book, quite possibly "The Chalice of the Gods." (hide spoiler)]...more
(B) 73% | More than Satisfactory Notes: Instilling ill-will, it deceitfully dawdles: dancing a miserable macarena of pointless plot-twists and fruitles(B) 73% | More than Satisfactory Notes: Instilling ill-will, it deceitfully dawdles: dancing a miserable macarena of pointless plot-twists and fruitless fake-outs....more
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