I <3 Thieves

So yeah....I'm apparently not so dedicated to this idea. However, I do feel motivated to share my love of 'The Lies of Locke Lamora' by Scott Lynch. This is Lynch's debut novel, but you would never know it. I may be slightly biased however because I have a soft spot for thieves - hilarious ones in particular. The book is decently paced and detailed. The chapters alternate between present day and "interludes" back to the gang's upbringing. This was occasionally confusing, but I thoroughly enjoyed the interludes and Father Chains. I found the world utterly fascinating - the different nations, the history, the religions (particularly the Crooked Warden).

I was mildly annoyed with the ending. It seemed like everything just got wrapped up with a neat little bow. Overall though, the book had a nice balance between overly realistic and thoroughly depressing (i.e. Martin) and happily ever after all the time (i.e. every other fantasy author).

I'm currently reading his second book, 'Red Seas Under Red Skies'. It's definitely good, but strangely, it reads a little more like a debut than his actual debut. Nevertheless, I'm eagerly awaiting the third book and highly, highly, highly recommend either of his current books.

Here goes

Recently, I've been heaping this internal pressure on myself to branch out and start investigating genres other than fantasy. With a few exceptions, I've been reading fantasy exclusively since about freshmen year of high school. I went to Borders tonight with the intent of broadening my literary tastes by checking out the mystery section. I was feeling reasonably confident I'd find something that would help me become a more legitimate reader and less of a one-hit-wonder.

And, of course, I did. Feeling pretty pleased with myself, I was getting ready to head to the checkout when I realized that all of my selections involved elements of the supernatural. Instead of branching out, I had just stumbled across a sub-genre of science fiction/fantasy.

A little frustrated, I gave in and wandered over to the fantasy section. A few minutes later, I was discussing favorite authors and recently read books with a guy who'd just finished Goodkind's series. This brief conversation with a total stranger convinced me of two things: 1) I should stop neglecting the classics and finally read 'A Wizard's First Rule' and 2) I seriously love discussing my opinions on the fantasy genre.

Thus, the end result of my two hour trip to Borders is this blog. Rick, Mary, and Jana successfully rid me of any ability to write anything but user manuals, so I apologize in advance for the organization of the content. Also, fair warning, I take my fantasy seriously. I fully intend to discuss my thoughts as pretentiously as if I were an English lit major. Bear with me.