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redheadedfemmeYes, kids, I changed stylesheets again. At least this one has a serif font (although put five more years on me and I won't be able to read it). I don't think I'm going to announce it anymore--you'll just click on my journal and voila! it'll look entirely different.
This Bamboo Dream has more of a grown-up feel to it, I think. Too many of the styles (especially in Expressive) look like they're made for teenagers. (Which is only logical, seeing as they're LJ's dominant audience. However, it does behoove them to remember occasionally that not all of us still get carded.)
I do need to say something besides "LOOKIT ME! I CHANGED MY STYLESHEET AGAIN!! OH NOES!! (followed by a bunch of numbers, whatever that's supposed to mean)!!"
The other book I checked out at the library last week was (sadly) Laurell K. Hamilton's Danse Macabre. I'm not going to put an Amazon link on it, because I do not want to encourage my readers to buy this book. No way, no how. I'm here to say that the Anita Blake series has officially jumped the shark; in fact, the shark has rounded on it and is tearing it to bits. The last good book in the series is Obsidian Butterfly. Don't waste your money on any of the books written afterwards (namely, Narcissus in Chains, Cerulean Sins, Incubus Dreams and now Danse Macabre).
I finally realized the common thread that makes the last four books so putrid: it's the stupid arduer. I don't know where Laurell came up with this series- and character-destroying idea, but I wish her editor had pounded it out of her head. The arduer has a lot of backstory that could take up half a page, but let's just say that it single-handedly turned the storyline from an urban fantasy to a porn fantasy. I don't mind Anita's having sex at all; her first encounter with Jean-Claude, in The Killing Dance, was hands down the best sex scene Laurell has written. (It was also THE ONLY SEX SCENE IN THE FRAKKING BOOK!!) I far prefer vampire politics to shapeshifter touchy-feeliness; because of that, Burnt Offerings is my favorite of the series. Frankly, I could do without Micah, Nathaniel and all their ilk. One triumverate, especially one with the contrast of cool, collected, ruthless Jean-Claude and angsty, whiny, guilt-ridden Richard (and Asher on the side) would be quite enough to explore, thank you.
But the arduer, with its ever-expanding lists of lovers and supernatural powers, just ruins everything. I wish someone could get that through Laurell's head, but if over 500 overwhelmingly negative reviews for her latest novel haven't convinced her, I don't know what will.
Sometimes your readers do know what's best, thank you.
This Bamboo Dream has more of a grown-up feel to it, I think. Too many of the styles (especially in Expressive) look like they're made for teenagers. (Which is only logical, seeing as they're LJ's dominant audience. However, it does behoove them to remember occasionally that not all of us still get carded.)
I do need to say something besides "LOOKIT ME! I CHANGED MY STYLESHEET AGAIN!! OH NOES!! (followed by a bunch of numbers, whatever that's supposed to mean)!!"
The other book I checked out at the library last week was (sadly) Laurell K. Hamilton's Danse Macabre. I'm not going to put an Amazon link on it, because I do not want to encourage my readers to buy this book. No way, no how. I'm here to say that the Anita Blake series has officially jumped the shark; in fact, the shark has rounded on it and is tearing it to bits. The last good book in the series is Obsidian Butterfly. Don't waste your money on any of the books written afterwards (namely, Narcissus in Chains, Cerulean Sins, Incubus Dreams and now Danse Macabre).
I finally realized the common thread that makes the last four books so putrid: it's the stupid arduer. I don't know where Laurell came up with this series- and character-destroying idea, but I wish her editor had pounded it out of her head. The arduer has a lot of backstory that could take up half a page, but let's just say that it single-handedly turned the storyline from an urban fantasy to a porn fantasy. I don't mind Anita's having sex at all; her first encounter with Jean-Claude, in The Killing Dance, was hands down the best sex scene Laurell has written. (It was also THE ONLY SEX SCENE IN THE FRAKKING BOOK!!) I far prefer vampire politics to shapeshifter touchy-feeliness; because of that, Burnt Offerings is my favorite of the series. Frankly, I could do without Micah, Nathaniel and all their ilk. One triumverate, especially one with the contrast of cool, collected, ruthless Jean-Claude and angsty, whiny, guilt-ridden Richard (and Asher on the side) would be quite enough to explore, thank you.
But the arduer, with its ever-expanding lists of lovers and supernatural powers, just ruins everything. I wish someone could get that through Laurell's head, but if over 500 overwhelmingly negative reviews for her latest novel haven't convinced her, I don't know what will.
Sometimes your readers do know what's best, thank you.
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