Monday, January 24, 2005

Another Weekend On the Books

The Inlaws came over Saturday afternoon and stayed overnight. I get along mostly OK with Kim's parents as long as they don't try to witness about Jesus to me. They like to play games like Mexican Train (a domino-based game, surprisingly fun) and Phase 10. Simple games that rely as much on luck of the draw as they do on strategy.


Sunday we went to a new Church in Kanata. Kim wants to find a regular church to go to but is usually afraid to go to a new one without her parent's prompting. I'm very nonchalant about the whole affair and figure its a small price to pay for my wife's emotional well-being if she feels the need to go to church weekly. Religion on a small scale can be okay, its when they get bigger and more organized that the fundie wackiness starts to appear. Anyways this church and the pastor were relatively tolerable for an old atheist like me (except for the part where the pastor said that a story from the old testament was true because Jesus said it was true and there is proof Jesus lived... okaaaay), and its down the road from a game store I like to drop in on and see what's new. That's me, find the bright side in everything.


Afterward we went to lunch at Moxie's in the Bayshore mall. My father-in-law really likes it there and I won't complain because one of my favourite meals can be found there as well. The Ranch-house Chicken Burger. Absolute heaven on a bun. Of course, it practically counts as lunch AND dinner but its so worth it. Once we were done lunch the four of us split up and scoured the mall.


I ended up at the book store looking for a new series to read while I wait for the next Robert Jordan or Harry Potter book. I was surprised by the number of female fantasy writers these days. Back when I first started reading fantasy (aka Swords and Sorcery) books in high school almost all of it was written by male authors, but nowadays I'd say the split is about 50-50. I'm not opposed to that balancing of the gender of authors, but I will say that when I've read fantasy or science fiction books authored by women in the past I've often enjoyed them less than similar novels by men. I find that women will write more about the protagonists and their relationships with other characters and their emotions, and not write in as much detail or with as much colour about the events the characters are involved in. I'm not saying that they are bad writers or even bad books, just not what I'm looking for in my books.


There have been exceptions of course, like the aforementioned Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Amazing stuff, can't wait for the next book in the series.


 

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