More books I've been reading...
Mar. 4th, 2012 09:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nentariDoctor Who: Arc of Infinity - Terrance Dicks
It's good to read a novelization by dear Uncle Terry again. You can always count on him when you want to see a story Doctor Who competently adapted to the written form, even when he's merely going through the notions, as he was during this era of the Target books. In his case, "going through the motions" is not a synonym of "badly written", merely that he sticks to what happened in the televised version and doesn't venture to correct continuity errors or add a little extra note, as he did in the past. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a bad novelization by Terrance, even when the stories he had to adapt were subpar - as Arc of Infinity is considered to be by many fans. Of course, I'm an exception, as this was the very first Doctor Who story I watched from start to finish and I therefore have a soft spot for it and am therefore more able to forgive its flaws than I would have under different circumstances - in spite of this, I think I would still regard Terrance's work in the novelization under a positive light as (once again) he never disappoints.
Doctor Who: The Sands of Time - Justin Richards
I had read this one in the past, and I remember appreciating it. It's an original Fifth Doctor novel, set between Arc of Infinity and Snakedance (hence why I've reread it at this point between the novelizations of those two stories), while at the same time being a sequel to Pyramids of Mars and having a small continuity link to Black Orchid and a small nod to Scaroth in City of Death that made me smile. I know it sounds confusing, but it makes a lot of sense once you actually read it - heck, the first time I read it was before I watched Pyramids of Mars for the first time and it still made sense. Anyway, it's an interesting read, featuring a Tegan that's very likeable but still remains very much in character, and a competent depiction of the Fifth Doctor. The two of them embark in a mission to save Nyssa that involves some timeywimeyness, acoompanied by an unexpected one-off companion that I always imagine looking and speaking like Stephen Fry as Jeeves. With a complex (but thankfully not convoluted) plot and an engaging horror movie setting, The Sands of Time is an engaging adventure.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
My favourite book of the series, due to the brilliant way the pieces of the puzzles are displayed. It's a book that gets better with each reread, as you'll find yourself finding more pieces each time.
It's good to read a novelization by dear Uncle Terry again. You can always count on him when you want to see a story Doctor Who competently adapted to the written form, even when he's merely going through the notions, as he was during this era of the Target books. In his case, "going through the motions" is not a synonym of "badly written", merely that he sticks to what happened in the televised version and doesn't venture to correct continuity errors or add a little extra note, as he did in the past. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen a bad novelization by Terrance, even when the stories he had to adapt were subpar - as Arc of Infinity is considered to be by many fans. Of course, I'm an exception, as this was the very first Doctor Who story I watched from start to finish and I therefore have a soft spot for it and am therefore more able to forgive its flaws than I would have under different circumstances - in spite of this, I think I would still regard Terrance's work in the novelization under a positive light as (once again) he never disappoints.
Doctor Who: The Sands of Time - Justin Richards
I had read this one in the past, and I remember appreciating it. It's an original Fifth Doctor novel, set between Arc of Infinity and Snakedance (hence why I've reread it at this point between the novelizations of those two stories), while at the same time being a sequel to Pyramids of Mars and having a small continuity link to Black Orchid and a small nod to Scaroth in City of Death that made me smile. I know it sounds confusing, but it makes a lot of sense once you actually read it - heck, the first time I read it was before I watched Pyramids of Mars for the first time and it still made sense. Anyway, it's an interesting read, featuring a Tegan that's very likeable but still remains very much in character, and a competent depiction of the Fifth Doctor. The two of them embark in a mission to save Nyssa that involves some timeywimeyness, acoompanied by an unexpected one-off companion that I always imagine looking and speaking like Stephen Fry as Jeeves. With a complex (but thankfully not convoluted) plot and an engaging horror movie setting, The Sands of Time is an engaging adventure.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
My favourite book of the series, due to the brilliant way the pieces of the puzzles are displayed. It's a book that gets better with each reread, as you'll find yourself finding more pieces each time.
