Location Taken: Columbia River Gorge, Oregon
Time Taken: June 2008
I got directed to a rather enjoyable site by a friend today. Well, series of sites, really.
As a group, it’s called “Mark Does Stuff”, with sites for “Mark Reads“, “Mark Watches“, and “Mark Plays“. It’s a delightful set of, hmm, how to put it… Basically, the fine gentleman who makes these, Mark Oshiro, reads/watches/plays through books/shows/games he has little-to-no foreknowledge of, often on video, and shares his reactions to these new experiences with his audience.
Really, it’s a marvelous way to see the joy that is discovering new things. Admittedly, I’ve only checked out the “Mark Reads” site, and only (so far) the first eight books in Tamora Pierce’s Tortall series. Which, mind you, is a series I have read through many a time, by one of my favorite authors. And Mark absolutely loves them, which makes seeing his reaction to something I already enjoy all that more special. I have no idea how he is with series he’s less fond of, but hey, he’s very good at showing you exactly what his initial responses are, and the marvelous emotional roller coaster rides books can take you on.
There’s just something really special about that first read-through, or first watch/play, I suppose. That uncertainty, that constant guessing where the story will go. And once you finish the story, find out the answers, it’s so difficult to regain that feeling. And yet, this site? These reviews? They do just that.
Give it a look. Perhaps you’ll find a series you love in there, and rediscover the precious joy of that first experience.
In the meantime, I’ve got a lot more of the Tortall reviews to finish reading through.
