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Probably the only person who has any interest in reading this is cupenny, who has been demanding that I read my way through the Fullmental Alchemist manga on onemanga.com. Sorry, Star, even with the internet at my fingertips I am only through Volume 6!

( HOWEVER, since I am now reading online and with a keyboard right there: liveblogging FMA volumes 4-6 )

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As genarti pointed out to me the other day, it is difficult for me to go more than a few months without rereading a Diana Wynne Jones book. *sheepish* Next up in the reread pile: Conrad's Fate! I devoured it in the bookstore when it came out a few years ago, so I thought it was time for a nice, slow, proper appreciative read . . .

. . . ha. Yeah. "I'll just keep reading until Millie shows up!" I thought, and then I looked up two hours later and it was over. :(

ANYWAY. Basically Conrad's Fate is like "the whole upstairs/downstairs British class setup is kind of ridiculous! Let's hang out with Conrad and Christopher as they pretend to be servants and see JUST HOW ridiculous it is!" I mean, there is a lot of hilariously complicated DWJ-ish plot going on in the background with five zillion secret identities and alternate universes and forbidden love and bad karma and wicked witches and even wickeder uncles, but it is so background for most of the book that you don't even have time to be confused about it all; the real joy is in watching Conrad and Christopher bitch about their stupid uniforms and how pointless it is that there are three hundred people to keep a house up for two ladies! And Christopher's subtle realizations about his own privilege are also awesome. I love teenaged Christopher - how he thinks he is so fabulous and suave and amazing and witty, and then half the cast like ". . . honey, nice try, but you have to EARN that fabulousness, and you have not earned it yet."

(I also love how Christopher is TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH MILLIE already ("LET'S GO LIVE ON A PRIVATE ISLAND TOGETHER"), and Millie is just like "Christopher, you are annoying me, will you please shut up about private islands already." It is hilarious and makes me ship them even more than I already did! Also the way he panics and goes into freakout when he can't find her. <3333333 I do wish Millie got more to actually do in this book, but you can't have everything.)

( Clearly a Chrestomanci reread on a slow day at work also calls for a poll! Because I value your opinions very much and not because I enjoy making you all dance for my amusement, obviously. )