Thursday, July 30, 2009

Catching Up on My Reading


Before I conclude the Marlboro Black Series, let me first take a quick detour.

Lately, since there is literally nothing for me to do, aside from taking endless mugs of coffee and nocturnally hanging out with 'unsuitables' and falling in love with them, I have the wonderful chance to, as the song goes, catch up on my readings.



The three new Stephen King Novels I bought the last time I was in Manila still wait patiently on my bookshelf for my eager attention. I'm still making my way slowly through Lisey's Story. I have read an assortment of my book sale acquisitions and the number of unread titles are dwindling.


See I have a penchant for buying these titles under 50 pesos from the book sale. surprisingly, there were entertaining novels which I bought at 20 to 5 pesos each, hardbound at that. I was thinking that, if at all they are not to my liking, they'd male good kindling, bookends, or last minute 'gifts' for some forgotten spur of the moment birthday or something to that effect. Hehehe. Or I could just simply throw them away or donate to some 'literacy' book drive. Surprisingly, only one or two titles have disappointed me.







I recently read the second Clan Novel from the 13 novel series of Vampire the Masquerade Clan Novel Series. The first Clan Novel was Toreador. though I did not thoroughly enjoy that one, it had its good points. The Second Clan Novel in the series is Tzimisce. I honestly labored in finishing the novel because I had to return it immediately to my friend Mykus. With two novels in the series read, and two other titles sampled, I regret that it has not enthralled and captivated me the way Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles has.




Maybe its too rough and too violent for me, or the characters too numerous and easily dispatched and thrown away without much character development or significance. Maybe the intriguing world and rift between the Clans belonging to the Masquerade of the Camarilla or Anti Deluvians like the Toreadors, Gangrels, Ventrue and Brujah versus the darkly diabolical and twisted Sabbat clans of the Lasombra, Tzimisce and their lot is just not that interesting for me. My copy also features a sampling of the next Clan Novels Gangrel and Setite,which were lackluster, too. It does not help too, that each clan novel is written by a different author. It lacks the plot, focus and expert weaving of a story that Anne Rice weaves. It would be a mortal sin, if at all, for it to be even compared with Bram's Classic Dracula, even.


Speaking of Anne Rice, two more titles remain unread in my shelf. They are the final books in the Vampire Chronicles. Blackwood Farm, and Blood Canticle; which features a 'cross-over' between the Vampires and the Mayfair Witches. Honestly, although I am a big Chronicles fan, I am not that thrilled with the Mayfair Witches Saga. I have only read Lasher and Taltos in the series.

And even while were at it with the vampire books, puhleeeeeezzz.... Don't start with the Twilight Series.

My niece is a huge fan, and she brought with her from the states a collection of these books. I tried reading, for the sake of reading, and I threw my copy not even a quarter through the first book.

Need I say SWEET VALLEY HIGH Vampire Edition, or would that be too much of an insult to Francine Pascal?


Sadly, isa yan sa mga bagay na wala kay Marlboro Black. Hindi sya nagbabasa. Matapos namin panooring ang HP6 andami dami nyang tanong kasi admittedly, hindi nya binasa ang mga libro at hindi talga sya nagbabasa, kaya kandahirap naman ako kakaexplain sa kanya. Well... Baka lang distracted sya masyado sa pinagagawa nya sa loveseat kaya di nya masyado na gets ang storya or talaga lang he denies himself the pleasures of reading... Oh well, sabi ko detour eh... ba't kaya bumabalik ang usapan sa kanya... Ahmmm..

Photo Credits:

http://endlessbookshelf.net/shelves.html
http://www.lexink.com/Reviews/page3.html
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/series/world-of-darkness/toreador.htm
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/series/world-of-darkness/tzimisce.htm
http://koba0127.cocolog-nifty.com/cube/2008/01/593_the_clothes_4708.html
http://www.thehiddenbookcase.com/sweet_valley_high_covers.html

5 comments:

Aris said...

ouch! sa twilight series. i just bought the boxed set. hehehe! :)

Lyka Bergen said...

I Love Lasher! Parang ikaw sya, that's why I love you. Chos!

I love Anne's Eunuchs, Adore her witches, Fascinated by her Vampires but hated her Christ the Lord.

Amen!

the boomerang kid said...

maganda ang lisey's story: it made me cry...

love ko rin ang mga anak ni anne rice, kahit ang lesser known (less bumenta, in short) creatures like her mummy and genie...

i didn't attempt to read christ da lord at all. ewan ko ba...

Luis Batchoy said...

Aris: bakit? Sayang ang pera moh!

Lyka: I think Taltos ako. Bonsai Taltos... hehehe... Haven't got any Christ the Lord Titles yet... baka naman pwedeng ya know... from the isteyts with the love of? Hehehehe

Zen: I adore the eunuchs... I feel for Guido and Antonio Treschi! It's a cry to heaven indeed. In fact Antonio Treschi is my friendster name! Wheee

Luis Batchoy said...

Aris: bakit? Sayang ang pera moh!

Lyka: I think Taltos ako. Bonsai Taltos... hehehe... Haven't got any Christ the Lord Titles yet... baka naman pwedeng ya know... from the isteyts with the love of? Hehehehe

Zen: I adore the eunuchs... I feel for Guido and Antonio Treschi! It's a cry to heaven indeed. In fact Antonio Treschi is my friendster name! Wheee