(no subject)

[chelseagirl]

Spent yesterday at Columbia Presbyterian, first waiting to meet with an endodontist and then having my tooth extracted. Yup, turns out my dentist not only did an incompetent job with the root canal, but he also overcharged me. However, I'll be able to get the implant done quite affordably through Columbia Dental School. ($1200-1400 is what I was quoted, but since that's in several stages over 3 to 6 months, we can swing it for certain.) M. wants to write the dentist a very stiff letter, with threats of lawsuits; I doubt it'll do any good, but maybe at least he'll take us off his Christmas card list. (I was NOT letting this man near my mouth again to do any kind of corrective work.)

And hey, after several days of antibiotics, my sinuses are almost clear. (Can you tell I never get sick, ever, and don't deal well?)

Books read so far in '05:

The Etched City by K. J. Bishop. Appropriate to read a book with fever-dream aspects when I was kinda, well, feverish. I first heard about this book on the China Mieville mailing list, because the author had been credited with doing some pretty good world-building, akin to China's. It's not quite there (the listmembers had reached this conclusion) and the characters are not that easy to connect to, but at the same time there is something appealing about a fantasy book that is well-written and heavily influenced by Decadent/Fin-de-Siecle imagery. A qualified yes recommendation.

The Known World by Edward P. Jones. I started reading this on the train down to see silme in Philly, before the holidays, but this book is too good to read without total concentration, so I set it aside when I got sick, and finished it in the waiting room yesterday. I've read a few (contemporary urban) short stories by Jones, but his take on black slaveowners (and on the slaves and whites who surround them) in pre-Civil War Virginia is truly extraordinary. His characterizations, prose, storytelling -- only the highest praise. (And I know I should be writing a thoughtful critical examination, but I'm still pretty wiped out.)

Comments

[batdina.livejournal.com]

You know, I picked up (or ordered, more likely) Etched City last year on the recommendation of that same mailing list, and then never read it. I wonder where I stashed it?

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

Have you got the small press edition with the very "Yellow Book" looking cover? Alas, I waited too long to order and ended up with the Bantam/Spectra edition that just came out.

[batdina.livejournal.com]

I have the bright yellow book, yes. Does this mean something I'm missing? (besides the small press thing, which I get.)

IOW: if it's a meaningful difference to you, I'll trade you mine for yours.

[holzman.livejournal.com]

Don't send the letter to the dentist. Send one copy to the state licensing board and the other to the better business bureau. They'll let the dentist know.

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

Good point. I'm pretty much writing the money off as a loss, but I don't think he should go unscathed by this.

[seanmoon.livejournal.com]

So sorry to hear about your tooth. That's my big nightmare about K's teeth, that after all this it's going to go wrong. I swear, I feel like I'm turning into her Dad sometimes, I keep reminding her to brush and floss. She may hit me soon, because it's not like she ever ever ever forgets. I'm just nervous about this whole thing. I have nightmares where my own teeth fall out, though. I have a tooth thing.

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

You know, I wouldn't worry too much. I kind of figured out Dr. Yohanon was not that competent partway through the process -- I just wasn't sure I could switch dentists partway through so I decided I would stick it out with him and then go to someone else in the future.

If K. or you have any suspicions about her dentist, take them seriously. But really, if not, it's probably fine. I should have gone with my instincts instead of not rocking the boat.

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

Ooh, De Profundis. I need a good Wilde wallow.

I've read Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy which I liked very much; I talked a friend from South India into reading it and she found it really dead on. I would like to read something else of his.

The Bishop is pretty good, but definitely not amazing. Glad you're enjoying The Scar-- I love his Perdido Street Station as well.

[psycholibrarian.livejournal.com]

So many people I know seem tobe having teeth issues. I think it's an epidemic.

As for books, I just last night began reading Mieville's "The Scar", which linaerys gave me for my birthday. So far so good. I'll have to remember this K.J. Bishop for the future.

So far in '05 I've finished two books began at the end of '04 (the first I'd left home when I was away, and the second I purchased during the trip):
Wilde's "De Profundis" (that was a reread, though...)
and "An Equal Music" by Vikram Seth. If you've never read any of his stuff, do. This book was so great! Found it at random in Rye in a tiny bookshop, too, so now it has wonderful associations for me :)

[chelseagirl.livejournal.com]

Replied to the first version, which I see on my site was deleted. So if this is repetition, forgive me . . .

Ooh, De Profundis! I need a good Wilde wallow.

I really enjoyed Vikram Seth's A Suitable Boy, and a friend from South India who I persuaded to read it thought it was dead on. I would like to read something else of his.

The Bishop is good, not amazing. Glad you're enjoying The Scar-- I'm also very fond of his Perdido Street Station

[psycholibrarian.livejournal.com]

Supposedly Vikram Seth is famous for no two of his works beinf alike in the slightest, apart from their being well-written.
I flipped though "The Golden Gate" in a bookstore on Sunday, and definitely found this to be the case!

I plan to tackle "A Suitable Boy" soon. It's no secret that I've been pretty heavily into all things Indian for a while now, so I can't thikn of a better way to expand that interest.

I'm holding out for the British first edition hardcover, though, since - and this is slightly embarassing - that's what I got of "An Equal Music" and I want my shelves to match!