If you will practice being fictional for a while, you will understand that fictional characters are sometimes more real than people with bodies and heartbeats.
– Richard Bach, Illusions of a Reluctant Messiah
Kristi’s knitting a tessellating fish afghan for her twins’ November birthday. In order to complete the afghan in time, she’s looking for some tessellating fish donations. For each tessellating fish received by November 3, the knitter will be entered in a prize drawing. (How many non-knitters are wondering “WTF?” right now?)
Scout’s giving away some KnitPicks Harmony needles if you leave a link to some great “swag” for her by the evening of September 25.
Did you see this wonderful cat modeling knitwear photoshoot over at Domesticrafts last week?
Imbrium has a very thoughtful post about knitblogging and Ravelry.
Oy, I am soooooo behind in Google Reader. The returning to work? Dang. Not an easy transition, especially since it appears I now am simply seven work days behind instead of relaxed from vacation!
Reading Update
Night Play, Seize the Night, Sins of the Night, Unleash the Night, Dark Side of the Moon, Devil May Cry (Dark-Hunter, Books 6-11); The Dream-Hunter, Upon the Midnight Clear, Dream Chaser (Dream-Hunter, Books 1-3) by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Ok, I finished rereading the Dark-Hunter and Dream-Hunter books, then reread the last bit of Part 1 and all of Part 2 of Acheron as I tried to figure out why the heck Acheron bothered me so much. I think I understand that now.
All of the previous Dark-Hunter and Dream-Hunter novels integrate the flashbacks into the story. In Acheron, Part 1 is the flashback to Ash’s human life 11,000 years ago, while Part 2 is the modern story. At the beginning of the book, Kenyon explains why she did this – she felt that Ash’s backstory was simply too extensive to do as flashbacks. As written, I have to agree. However, I think that writing the backstory was cathartic for Kenyon and it got self-indulgently out of hand and overwhelming for the reader. I think this would have been a much stronger and more satisfying book if she’d integrated then and now as she usually does.
When I reread Acheron, I skipped most of the backstory and just read the last bit of Part 1 (from Ash’s mortal death) and all of Part 2. While I still think that Part 2 would’ve been stronger with more flashbacks, I did enjoy the story much more this time. I was less dubious about Tory and Ash. I still had all the details from the previous 14 books (counting the Dream-Hunter novels) in my head, so things felt less “gappy.”
And really, I had huge expectations for this book, which I doubt it could ever have met… Because, hello, Acheron?! Yum. Speaking of which, we haven’t talked about this for a while – what fictional characters have you had crushes on lately?
I’m still rather fond of Roarke and Ranger (mentioned in that previous post). I’m a bit less fond of Jean-Claude and Doyle (mentioned in the comments to that previous post), since I’m getting a bit bored by the Laurell K. Hamilton books that take 400 pages to cover three hours…
Of course, when I wrote that post, I hadn’t read the Dark-Hunter novels (suggested by several people in the comments then)… so I now have to add Acheron (obviously), Ravyn, and pretty much all of the non-blond Dark-/Dream-/Were-Hunters. Then there’s the delectable Japhrimel from the Dante Valentine novels. Harry Dresden. David from the Weather Warden novels. Clayton Danvers from the Otherworld series. I’m sure you’ll suggest some others that I’ve forgotten or have yet to discover!
“Even though I’m not fictional, maybe I’ll make some of those crush lists, since I’m so dark and handsome and suave and all.” -Chaos
Since I don’t read fiction, you’re #3 on my list, Chaos. Just behind Michael Westen and Angus MacGyver.
Chaos is on my crush list but I can only admire him from far far away… oh, hang on a second, you said fictional….
Chaos that might be the most handsome picture of you ever!
Yes Chaos, if it weren’t for another black kitty I know, you would be #1 on my crush list. But, he’s pretty suave himself…
Hows about a little Magozzi from the Monkeewrench series….yummy stuff….
I get crushes on fictional characters all the time! I think of it as a supplement to real love, which is flawed and not usually so open. Lol.
Hmmm…can’t remember if I’ve had a crush on a fictional character from a *book* before – probably I did. Sometimes one can’t help falling in love with characters.
Chaos is definitely a dreamboat among cats. 😉
I have to admit, I have a huge crush on Spenser from Robert B. Parker, and Hawk too.
Oh, so many. At the moment, I’m completely obsessed with Josh Lyman from West Wing.
Chris- Kitties are all too real, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Chaos, you are a man among men. A real he-cat.
I always have that extra work feeling after a vacaction too! I think it contributes to me never taking them, sadly enough.
You won’t know him but someone will – Mitch Rapp!! He’s my fictional crush. Big time…..
Like Stephanie, I can’t decide between Morelli and Ranger! And I’m amazed to see someone else mention Spenser…
Well Chaos, your cheekbones rank right up there with Harry Dresden if you ask me.
i have crushes on the easter bunny and santa, but don’t tell the tooth fairy, k?
You and me both: behind!
Fictional crushes? Oh dear. Well, I suppose it can’t hurt any…
I personally prefer Lucas from the Otherworld series, but I think that’s because I met him before Clay. Also, I often like the quiet type better.
Japhrimel is indeed delectable. I will be reading the rest of that series largely for him. 😉 Also Duncan Reever from Stardoc, and Robin from the Darkyn, and Darkwind from Valdemar. Oh, and Thomas (or James, actually) from ‘Sorcery and Cecilia: or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot.’ Or…
*ahem* I think I’ll stop now.
Oh! Or Sebell from the Harper Hall series in Pern. Mmm.
(Oh. Right. Stopping now.)
Yeah, Dresden’s a cool protagonist. But only in the novels, not the TV series. Blech.
Chaos certainly is a handsome hunk of cat, and very suave to boot. However, I hear he is rather standoffish and grouchy especially when in society. This suggests to me that he is channeling Mr. Darcy. He even has an adorable little sister (although Georgiana Darcy never does anything to get into trouble). However, that does make Chris, Mrs. Reynolds the housekeeper, who just can’t imagine a better master. Perhaps the metaphor falls a part a bit there… 😉
I get crushes on fictional characters all of the time, but since it’s an always-changing thing (no monogamy there!), there isn’t a one-and-only.
Personally, I’m glad that Chaos is not fictional. Someone that handsome should only be real!
Chaos, you’re on my crush list! Actually I don’t read enough fiction to have a crush list. Nonfiction just doesn’t generate enough crush-worthy targets. 🙂
Thanks for the links, I really like Domesticraft’s photo shoot.
I have had a crush on Lucas Davenport from John Sandford’s Prey series for a long time. And I find the character Tyrian Lannister in the Song of Ice & Fire series to be intriguing, but not crush-worthy; he’s a dwarf who had his nose sliced off in a battle. But maybe that is just me being superficial…
Oh,la,la, what a handsome boy he is! That must be his E-harmony pic. Mr. Chaos, let me introduce you to Miss Piggy-Sue who was sitting here dreaming about you. She is a lovely solid black lady who seems to like her gentlemen tall dark and gruesome. She’s pretty gruesome herself. Mr. Bunster, my baby boy is definately jealous. As for fictional characters, I like Horatio from CSI and William from The Cleaner. From books, not so many right now. Maybe Vic from the Crimes of Fashion books.
Ann
I think you have covered just about all my crushes 🙂
Though Wren Tigerian is pretty cute for a blondie (shame they are all about half my age, but then I can dream) 😉
Daughter has a crush on an anime character in Naruto ( forget his name) – I laughed (until I saw pictures of him) – man that cartoon is ripped 😉
I think that our crushes are pretty much the same for the fictional characters…………. wait a minute.. perhaps that could be because I get my reading list from you??!! (duh… hahahah)
Thanks for the Imbrium link. I’ve put her in my feeds. In other news, I’m getting seriouser and seriouser about a blog. Starting one, I mean.