weekend update (book #34)

[derien]

Eor fixed the starter on the van, I polished all of one door and the running board on the left side of the car... with his help. Um. We cleaned. And got a new bookshelf, which makes that corner of the bedroom look much nicer, and the whole bedroom feels a little better without the imposing towers of books. My bedside table cubby is still full, but I'm not in danger of an avalanch which will kill me in my sleep.

I finished book #34) "Monster's Legacy" by Andre Norton. This was rather disappointing, as Norton was one of my favorite authors when I was a kid; in fact the only author I recall asking for at a library by name. ("He's good, isn't he?" the librarian asked, and you have to picture 10-year-old Derien giving a frosty glare. "SHE!" The librarian, I'm pleased to report, was duly chastized and mumbled something about it being hard to tell with that name.) My impression of this story - Norton had no idea where she was going with it when she started, wrote it as she went along, and could have used a good beta reader to go back and point out the places that needed a little tweaking for the whole thing to make sense by the end.

I've started on what will be book #35 when I finish - "The Man With The Golden Gun," Ian Flemming, which I chose partly because Eor suggested it would be a quick read and get me caught up to my goal - this is week 35 - but also because he said a couple of times that he thought I would like it with a particular gleam in his eye that said to me there must be slash potential, here. I didn't remember this from the movie, but apparently Scaramanga can't whistle, and that's supposed to be a sign of latent homosexuality, according to the Secret Service profiler in the book. Anyone ever heard of this whistling thing? I never have. I know whistling is supposed to bring wind (and if I hadn't I'd have learned it from the Swallows and Amazons books) and that women aren't supposed to whistle because it can be too powerful and bring up a storm, but I never heard this other tale. I suppose it's like the schoolkids going "you're gay if you wear green pants" - or whatever color the victim is wearing - but is it also possible that it's one of those 'code' deals that one might find worked into older books, like the Victorian thingy-dos of gay characters keeping the curtains drawn, drug use and languor, etc?


And I wrote over 3,000 words for Chapter Seven of "Swept Away!" So how do you like that - I actually made my goal for the month, and made it up, mostly, over the three-day weekend. ;) Obviously all I have to do is take a three-day weekend just for writing, every month. Hm. You know, that really appeals to me. Now, of course, it's in Eor's hands for a few days and then I'll have re-writes to do, undoubtably, but I feel pretty good at the moment.

Comments

[tronella.livejournal.com]

("He's good, isn't he?" the librarian asked, and you have to picture 10-year-old Derien giving a frosty glare. "SHE!" The librarian, I'm pleased to report, was duly chastized and mumbled something about it being hard to tell with that name.)

Hee hee :D I am enjoying picturing this.

And I'm looking forward to more of Swept Away!