Booooks...

[cloud_wolf]

Okay, so you will not have heard of this news tidbit, what with them only being important in the Benelux, but I have to talk about it.
There's a lot of talk about a batshit crazy neurologist here (okay, that's in Dutch, but so you know I'm not making this up). I know that not every med student becomes a great or even normal doctor, but this is just plain creepy. Basically, this man was a medicin addict and he told hundreds of his patients that they were incurably ill. He told people they had things like Alzheimer, and he proscribed them the wrong medicins on purpose. He's being accused of causing the deaths of two patients. One of the victims described how the neurologist treated him, it was awful. He basically gave him a lumbar puncture but he kept missing on purpose and he continued to puncture him, fifteen times in total (Also, this guy wasn't even qualified to do lumbar punctures. WTF). Stories about him keep popping up and Christ, O_o. Is he a sadist or something? I just cannot understand this man and it makes me uncomfortable to know that people like him get close to patients. Eurgh.


It was great! I bought 14 books for 32 euros, oh snap. These include:

Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon and Baroque cycle.

Garth Nix's Abhorsen trilogy

Some books by Diana Wynne Jones. Her latest Chrestomanci book, the Pinhoe Egg and one of her Dalemark books, Drowned Ammet. I love her YA, she writes lovely steampunk and fantasy. I've read Drowned Ammet before but I couldn't help but buy it, I have fond memories of reading it.

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. I've read it before, but dude, 90 cent? Awesome

The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Count of Monte Christo

CLAMP Manga! Eeeh, the manga is so cheap there, only 1,95 a piece, they're 10 euros in the bookshop. So I bought Tokyo Babylon.

On the other hand, I had to wade through crowds even though it was Thursday morning. Had to wait almost a hour before it was my turn to buy all my stuff.
On the other other hand, I had fun sniggering at books with titles like How to marry a Millionaire Vampire and all those other romance novels. I also saw a John Ringo book and I couldn't help myself: "OH JOHN RINGO NO!". Weirdest was walking past some Laurell K. Hamilton fans squeeing about her books. Okay.


And I have a new lj layout, inspired by Romeo and Juliet :D The artist who did the art I used in the header is Valentin Melik His art is brilliant, especially the murals. The total Romeo and Juliet mural is so long and the colours are so well chosen. I love how he based it on the 1968 movie :D. And his other artworks, like portraits, are pretty amazing too.

Also, 8 icons...

Art by zweihand Don't hotlink, credit etc.

1	2	3	4
5	6	7	8

Comments

[hamsterwoman]

O.o at the neurologist... How do people like that get past, er, whatever medical school personnel or government body is responsible for making sure the new doctors are not, you know, VICIOUSLY CRAZY?

I recently read The Pinhoe Egg and I really enjoyed it, even though I tend to prefer Christopher Chant to Cat, and it was a Cat-centric book.

You'd think I had enough Loras/Tyrell icons... but I can't resist the cuteness of these, so I'm snagging one, although haven't quite decided which of the three.

ETA: I'm not sure what icon shows up with this... but it's supposed to be the Qyburn M.D. one... Damn LJ and its icon crosstalk...

yep, I see the Qyburn M.D. one

[cloud-wolf.livejournal.com]

Apparently he had a car accident in the nineties and that's what caused him to be a morphine addict (and thus also what drived him insane? I dunno). I think the worst thing is how the hospital where he worked hushed up all his craziness for years. I suppose that's a result of the near-deification of doctors. I'm glad the distance between doctors and patients is becoming smaller, to stop things like this happening. Doctors are mortals too.

Hee, Cat really doesn't have Christopher's swagger, no? I still really like Cat, I loved Charmed Life. I'm curious what Cat will be like, I did wonder, especially after that cute short story with Tonino in Mixed Magics.

Thanks! There is never enough Loras/Tyrell :D

[etrangere.livejournal.com]

books, yay! Icons, cute! Took 6 & 3

[cloud-wolf.livejournal.com]

Hee, thanks! :D

[haremstress.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I'm interested in steampunk and I'm interested in Diana Wynne Jones; this could be good. :D What are some of her steampunk titles specifically?

Adorable icons!!! Oh, and I love your new LJ layout. Basically this is Sahar admiration time. ;)

[cloud-wolf.livejournal.com]

Lets see. I'm c/p some from the Wiki page so you can also see all the awards she won ;)
Her Chrestomanci series is all steampunk. Basically you have nine different worlds, and ours is one without magic and with lots of technology, but the Chrestomanci is a sorcerer with nine lives who lives in a different world (in the steam era with magic) and has to make sure that magic isn't abused in any of the nine worlds. It's better than this description.
The Lives of Christopher Chant (1988) Carnegie Medal, Commended
Conrad's Fate (2005)
Charmed Life (1977) Carnegie Medal, Commended; Guardian Award; Preis der Leseratten (ZDF Schülerexpress, Germany)
The Magicians of Caprona (1980)
The Pinhoe Egg (2006)
Witch Week (1982) (separate from other books in series, but set in same era as The Magicians of Caprona - The Pinhoe Egg - Charmed Life)

Of these books it's best to start with either Charmed Life, The Lives of Christopher Chant or Witch Week (these were also the first to be written).

The Dalemark Quartet is more fantasy but the last one has some steampunk elements. I have to say that the fantasy is still very special and original. It's hard to describe. For instance the third book (to be published) The Spellcoats is from the PoV of the people who become legends in the other books. It's not really sword and sandal but more about the unique world Jones constructed.

You've already read the Castle books, and the Magids series is more fantasy/SF in our own world (but still with steampunk elements because I think Jones loves that genre best)

Hee, thank you Lina :)

[haremstress.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all the information! I recognize some of these titles so I know you've recommended them before; this time I promise to write them down. ;) All sounds very cool. Does Chrestomanci also have something to do with kitties? Or am I confusing it with something else?

[cloud-wolf.livejournal.com]

Well, sorcerers in this series (that would be two or three people) have nine lives. This is the reason Eric is always called Cat. I can't remember anything else with cats, it's been a while since I read them. Although I do remember one pretty awesome scene where a sorcerer kicks ass as a cat.

[honest-illusion.livejournal.com]

Pretty, pretty layout! :D At first, I was expecting to see Leonardo and Claire there but was pleasantly surprised to see an actual artwork. No offense to the Leo fangirls. ;)

[cloud-wolf.livejournal.com]

Haha! I like Leonardo (well, only after the hype died down) and Claire but I like this version even better. :D

[misstopia.livejournal.com]

Grabbing #4 and will credit!

[cloud-wolf.livejournal.com]

Well, that was rather surprising, but go ahead. I see you got yourself some iconspace. XD