This Is the Story of -Eva-'s 13-in-13 - Part 2

This year, the plan is to get some of my chunksters read, so I'm aiming for a total of 70 rather than my "usual" 100 - I've noticed that I shy away from them just to make 100 and that's just silly. :) The goal is a minimum of 5 books in each category, but no maximum for any of them.

1. "Three More Days (and I'm Home)" - Books by Nordic authors
2. "Whatever You've Got" - Books for this year's CATs
3. "Blood on Your Hands" - Mysteries & Thrillers COMPLETED
4. "Hit the Highway" - Books to read and then give away COMPLETED
5. "Everybody's a Victim" - Bookbullets from other challengers
6. "Your Childhood" - Children's and YA novels
7. "A Long Long Long Time Ago" - Green Dragon's Fantasy TBR List
8. "Sing All Our Cares Away" - Audiobooks COMPLETED
9. "Restless Soul" - Sandman Graphic Novels COMPLETED
10. "Slowburner" - Chunksters (500+ pages)
11. "Scotland's Story" - Books by Scottish authors
12. "There's a Touch" - Ebooks on my NOOK Simple Touch COMPLETED
13. "Spinning Around in the Air" - Random books I pick up from wherever

Total CATs: 16

"Three More Days (and I'm Home)"
Books by Nordic authors

1. Huset på Arlozorovgatan by Simon Kudrischoff Finished February 24th
2. Kvinnan i rummet by Jussi Adler-Olsen Finished April 12th AwardCAT
3. Älskade Poona by Karin Fossum Finished April 12th AwardCAT
4. (Geim) by Anders de la Motte Finished April 18th
5.

"Whatever You've Got"
Books for this year's CATs

1. The Road Home by Rose Tremain Finished January 27th AwardCAT & RandomCAT
2. White Sky, Black Ice by Stan Jones Finished February 21st RandomCAT
3. The Road by Cormac McCarthy Finished March 17th AwardCAT
4.
5.

"Blood on Your Hands"
Mystery & Thrillers

1. Broken Harbor by Tana French Finished January 5th
2. The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville Finished April 2nd AwardCAT
3. A Dedicated Man by Peter Robinson ♫ Finished June 8th
4. Fasanjägarna by Jussi Adler-Olsen Finished July 7th
5. Flaskpost från P by Jussi Adler-Olsen Finished July 12th

"Hit the Highway"
Books to read and then give away

1. Black Irish by Stephan Talty Finished January 23rd
2. The Guards by Ken Bruen Finished February 25th
3. Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear Finished March 27th AwardCAT
4. Den långa färden (Lonesome Dove) by Larry McMurtry Finished May 26th AwardCAT
5. Stoker's Manuscript by Royce Prouty Finished June 2nd

"Everybody's a Victim"
Bookbullets from other challengers

1. Stories for the Nighttime and Some for the Day by Ben Loory Finished March 24th (bookbullet courtesy of @andreablythe) RandomCAT
2. The Unwritten Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity by Mike Carey Finished May 11th (bookbullet courtesy of @clfisha)
3. Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard Finished June 24th ♫ (bookbullet courtesy of @AHS-Wolfy)
4. The Locked Ward: Memoirs of a Psychiatric Orderly by Dennis O'Donnell ♫ (bookbullet courtesy of @elliepotten)
5.

"Your Childhood"
Children's and YA novels

1. The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud ♫ Finished February 5th
2. How to be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell ♫ Finished April 29th
3. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness Finished May 8th AwardCAT
4. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster Finished July 19th
5.

"A Long Long Long Time Ago"
Books from The Green Dragon's "1001 Fantasy Books You Must Read Before You Are Turned Into a Newt"-list

1. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman ♫ Finished January 26th
2. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett Finished April 23rd
3. The Earthsea Cycle Omnibus: A Wizard of Earthsea/The Tombs of Atuan/The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin Finished June 10th
4. American Gods by Neil Gaiman AwardCAT
5. A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

"Sing All Our Cares Away"
Audiobooks

1. Is It Just Me? by Miranda Hart ♫ Finished January 5th
2. Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh ♫ Finished March 18th
3. Gallows View by Peter Robinson ♫ Finished April 19th
4. Doctor Who: The Resurrection Casket by Justin Richards ♫ Finished April 23rd
5. The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce ♫ Finished July 17th

"Restless Soul"
Neil Gaiman's Sandman Graphic Novels for the Sandman Group Read

1. Preludes and Nocturnes Finished January 6th
2. The Doll's House Finished January 19th
3. Dream Country Finished February 10th
4. Season of Mists Finished March 4th
5. A Game of You Finished June 29th
6. Fables & Reflections Finished June 29th
7. Brief Lives Finished June 29th
8. Worlds' End Finished July 4th
9. The Kindly Ones Finished July 4th
10. The Wake Finished July 5th
11.

"Slowburner"
Chunksters (500+ pages)

1. Ride the Wind by Lucia St Clair Robson Finished January 18th (595 pages) AwardCAT & RandomCAT
2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon Finished February 3rd (851 pages) AwardCAT
3. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas pere Finished March 17th (1,276 pages) (Group Read March-May)
4. The Gormenghast Novels by Mervyn Peake (Group Read July-September)
5.

"Scotland's Story"
Books by Scottish authors

1. Standing in Another Man's Grave by Ian Rankin Finished February 16th
2. The Crow Road by Iain Banks Finished April 7th
3. Swing Hammer Swing! by Jeff Torrington Finished June 20th AwardCAT
4. Milk, Sulphate, and Alby Starvation by Martin Millar
5.

"There's a Touch"
Ebooks on my NOOK Simple Touch - have to read them too, not just accumulate!

1. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn Finished March 24th
2. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline Finished April 10th
3. The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan Finished June 14th RandomCAT
4. Changeless by Gail Carriger Finished June 26th
5. The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman Finished July 1st

"Spinning Around in the Air"
Random books I pick up from wherever (I can't do without an overflow category!)

1. Fables Vol. 18: Cubs in Toyland by Bill Willingham Finished January 24th
2. Dial H Vol. 1: Into You by China Miéville Finished April 24th
3. The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett Finished April 29th
4. The Sandman Companion by Hy Bender Finished July 6th
5.

Stopping by to visit your new thread, Eva and find a comfy corner to settle into!

I always like stopping by a new thread and taking my time reviewing categories,pictures, and what books have been read so far. I like your idea of noting CAT book too and may go back and do that with mine. Happy New Thread!

Tell me again how good The Amulet of Samarkand was. I'm stuck on CD 8 or 9. So close to finished and I've lost interest.

***mini-spoiler alert***
I was enjoying it up until the fire.
***

->17 BookLizard:
There's an action-sequence coming up - does that help? LOL! Or just concentrate on Bartimaeus' voice - he's my favorite part.

I had quite a lot of time set aside this weekend for reading, but apparently starting to watch Bones was more important. I've read a few of the Reichs-books that the series is based on, but I'll have to agree with those of you who've said TV-Brennan is better than book-Brennan. She's a heck of a lot funnier at least.

Hi-dy ho. :)

Hi Eva, you seem to be getting on very well with your categories! And referring to your first thread - I'm glad that you enjoyed the Jack-Taylor-book. I like them quite much as well!

18> His voice is great - so matter-of-fact about things. I burst out laughing at one point and had to rewind to make sure I heard it correctly. It was in the description of the hall - "high vaulted ceilings (heavily groined), sundry gargoyles (likewise)." LOL.

->21 BookLizard:
I just downloaded the next installment - pretty much only to get a few more Bartimaeus-quips!



#17

Category: "Restless Soul" 4/11

Seasons of Mists by Neil Gaiman

In which Morpheus, the Dream King, the Sandman is scolded by his family and goes to right a wrong, Lucifer Morningstar does something completely unexpected, and the deities of the world gather to vie for something that shouldn't belong to any one of them. This feels a little bit like a restart of the series in that we are formally introduced to the Endless family and because it has one single story arc that doesn't owe its key moments to other DC characters or storylines.

Although Gaiman isn't really afraid of making his "hero" into quite an unlikeable character, it is nice to see that the seeds that were sown at his imprisonment are starting to sprout and that Dream is beginning to become more aware of his surroundings - we can only assume that "old" Dream would not have been affected by his siblings' words (or they would have already said something in the 10,000 that preceded this moment). And so, his farewells to his realms, his preparations for battle, and his subsequent bafflement at Lucifer's action so much more heartfelt; his old assumptions (and his inherent acceptance of obligation and responsibility) of the order of the world are nicely juxtapositioned with his new awareness of other beings working in a manner different from his own. Although it's the dutiful part of Dream that accepts Lucifer's "gift" so it's clearly a state of being not easily changed.

As much as this is Dream's story, the star is (at least partially) Lucifer. His cat-canary smirk when he is planning how to greet Dream is just too funny - his opinion of his own ingenuity knows no bounds. However, Dream is his impetus in more ways than he realizes - it's Lucifer's revenge at having been beaten by Dream, indisputably, but it would never have come about had Lucifer not been able to dream of it. So, there's that circularity again.

As far as concerns the various pantheons that show up to stake their claims, I must admit my bias here; being Swedish, my favorite characters must be the representatives from the Nordic pantheon: Odin, Thor, and Loki. It's not just the inherent familiarity, but some of my affection comes from their unintentional hilarity - a storm cloud following Thor around when he's hung over is just such a great idea. Not sure why they made Mjölner a tiny little hammer, though - it's the handle that's short, not the whole thing. It does give Thor the reason for a few crude quips, though, so that is partially worth the error.

I do have one problem with this installment and it's the art. Fair enough, the art in the previous installment hasn't been perfect, but I simply can't stand Kelley Jones' close-ups on the characters; he seems unable to draw expressive faces without using a photograph to copy, which would be fine, except he has used pictures of famous people and in some instances I even know which specific photograph he has used. It's beyond distracting to see a bunch of celebrities in Dream's face. Fortunately, this is the only installment in the series that Jones has penciled.

Great Season of Mists review. seeing all these Sandman thoughts and recaps is just so delightfully nostalgic. :)

Great Season of Mists review. seeing all these Sandman thoughts and recaps is just so delightfully nostalgic. :)

>great review - I'm pretty sure that Gaiman says that his version of Thor's (tiny) hammer comes from somewhere but its been a few weeks since I read that in the Companion and may be remembering wrong?

I vaguely remember mentions of it being small enough to conceal, but I can't remember where, so they're probably not completely off - it just looks stupid. The story I remember is Loki tricking the maker of Mjölner to make the handle so short you couldn't use both hands, but Thor turns out to be strong enough to use it one-handed anyway. I really need to read up on my own mythology! :)

26. I studied Norse mythology in school and have forgotten most of it so I need a refresher, too. I do remember the same thing you do about the handle being short, and I know Thor (feels weird to spell it that way) had an iron glove to be able to hold Mjölner.

Hi Eva! I need to read the Stan Jones series on your previous thread, as my Uncle lives in Alaska and has spent a lot of time in the area that the book takes place! (He's writing a book about his work with wolves and buffalo/bison that started in the 60's, and is planning on heading back to the area to check on vocab/translation with some of his old friends.) Happy Wednesday to you!

Looks like you are making progress on your reads this year! One category is nearly complete.

->27 PawsforThought:
I have a friend here whose Chihuahua is named "Thor," so I always think of that when I see the spelling - it's not a bad thing! :)

->28 LauraBrook:
That sounds brilliant - I'm hoping it's nature preservation we're talking about and that he's not a hunter... :) From what I understand, the descriptions and mood of the Jones-books are spot on, so that's worth a read if nothing else.

->29 thornton37814:
I probably should be paying attention to the "neglected" categories too - I realized I have a few I've not even started.

30: Absolutely, it's for preservation and a return to how things were naturally, a balancing of the ecological system. And, it's a gov't job too! Will pass the rec along to him too, since he has just retired and is boggled with all of the free time he now has. :)

#18

Category: "Slowburner" 3/5

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas pere

Edmond Dantès is sent to prison for being a traitor, escapes, wins a fortune, and takes his revenge on the three men responsible of falsely accusing him and thus robbing him of his life. It's not surprising this has become a classic that has stood the test of time - it's an engaging tale of love, friendship, drugs, pirates, treasure, intrigue, history, crime, passion, art, politics, and, most of all, revenge (albeit indirect) - all with a perfect Romantic hero at its forefront, complete with flashing eyes and a mysterious past. There is already a huge number of great reviews for this one, so all I'll do is highly recommend this unputdownable page-turner - as Victor Hugo said of its author, "He created a thirst for reading." The original is long, but do not read an abridged version - if you're reading in English, Robert Buss' translation and accompanying notes are highly recommended.

Looks like I've had to change another category around to make sure I get to read all the CATs that get scheduled.



#19

Category: "Whatever You've Got" 3/5

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

A father and son wanders in a post-apocalyptic landscape, trying to reach warmer climates without falling prey to scavengers. This is extremely harsh and bleak, but strangely loving at the same time. The language is very evocative, almost hypnotic at times, and the dread the pair feels is almost tangible. Haunting might be the right word to decribe it, since the images of the boy and the man will stay on in the readers mind long after the book is finished.

#20

Category: "Sing All Our Cares Away" 2/5

Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh

Short story collection about the escapades of Leith/Edinburgh junkies/jakies Mark "Rent Boy" Renton, Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson, Daniel "Spud" Murphy, Francis "Franco" Begbie, Davie Mitchell, and Tommy Laurence. Although the majority of the stories are told from Rents' point of view, all characters have at least one story of their own and Welsh's unerring ability to give them distinctive voices is nothing short of brilliant - after only a few lines, it's obvious who is the "hero" of which story, no matter that they are not explicitly identified in the text.

Be prepared for a rather unlikeable group of people, with not only questionable but downright absent morals. The stories don't follow a linear pattern, but they do contribute to the breakdown in friendships, which will lead to the final story's betrayal (although that one does contain a nugget of moral redemption). There is quite a lot of crude language (what else would you expect from this crowd?!), but it's still highly recommended to absolutely everyone - the voices are spot on for these characters and their stories are ones that might not be pleasant to read, but they are so firmly placed in reality that any student of the human experience should be aware of them. The unabridged audio-version is excellently read by Tam Dean Burn, who (after Ewen Bremner) played Renton in the stage adaptation.

Your review is encouraging me with The Count of Monte Cristo; it's been going very slow for me, but I think the format (on my iPhone) has a bit to do with that. I'm hoping the pace will pick up for me when I get a hold of a paperback copy.

Also a nice, if short, review of The Road. I really loved that book and how it was, as you said, bleak and loving at the same time. The sparse language really added to the effect as well.

One of these days I'll get around to The Count of Monte Cristo. Probably not this year, though. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Glad to see that you enjoyed The Count of Monte Cristo so much. I thought it was a tremendous read and can't believe that it is already 2 years ago since I read it.

I should also get around to reading The Road as it has been languishing on the tbr shelves for quite a while now. Nor have I tried anything by Irvine Welsh as yet and looks like I need to remedy that as well.

Ooh, I bought The Road for the BF for his birthday (which isn't until the end of the month... shhhhh). Will have to read it when he's done. Have you seen the movie?

I like The Road, i read it a couple of years ago, it was depressing. Same for the movie. I wouldn't want to be alive in that world, I think I would have just given up.

The movie is almost more bleak than the book, though both are very dark. I guess the book allowed a little more space for hope than the movie did (at least for me).

I thought that the relationship redeemed the book and gave it hope.

Some great reading going on here! Congrats on completing The Count of Monte Cristo, I am enjoying it but have only got to chapter 40 so far. I will probably not finish it until next month. The Road was a 5 star read for me, I just loved it. I find it interesting that people see The Road so differently, many considered it bleak and depressing, and others (like me) found a real message of hope in it. I have the audible of Trainspotting on my Kindle and I am looking forward to it as I loved the movie.

I've not seen the movie for The Road and, to be perfectly honest, I don't think I will. The love between the characters is what carries the story and it does it well, but, in the end, I could have used an ounce or two more of hope.

The Count of Monte Cristo was one of my childhood favorites, but that love came from an abridged version adapted for children and the movie-version with Richard Chamberlain, so I was very happy to see that the whole thing was so very engaging.

Judy - looking forward to hearing what you think of Trainspotting - I thought the reader did a great job! The movie is great and the casting close to perfect - although Ewan McGregor's Renton is a lot more likeable than the book's Renton. :)

Nice reviews.. Count of Monte Cristo is going on the wishlist after all these great recommendations .

I loved The Road, I loved the ambivalence of the ending, I really didn't like the movie.

Hmm still don't fancy reading Trainspotting though.

I gave up half way through count of monte cristo many years ago, got bored in the prison bit, always meant to go back and finish it...

Loved the road (the film is rubbish) and think I'll stick with the film for trainspotting :-o

->44 clfisha:&45
For Trainspotting, you'll miss a few storylines that aren't in the film, but I have to say that Danny Boyle & company made an absolutely fantastic version of the book (and made the characters a lot more likeable), so it might not be a bad choice to stick with the movie. :)

I don't know, the book has a great rant about Scotland's subjugation by the English that is utterly funny and brilliant.

That part is indeed excellent, but that's (at least partially) in the movie as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29-LRuuqFT0

ETA: And it helps the film version to know that Ewan McGregor is quite proud to be Scottish. :)

Been forever since I've seen Trainspotting. So long I didn't even remember that scene. Great movie, though.

I once wrote about Trainspotting as a possible future classic for an exam in Literature at Uni. Still seems to me it captures something rather vital about junky-dom and it's time. I've not read anything else by Welsh though; anyone else?

>41 RidgewayGirl: I totally agree. In the end, The road lingers with me as both a principally moral apocalypse - what's been lost is mainly humanity itself, it seems - and a warm picture of parenthood.

->50 andreablythe:
It one of my watch-and-rewatch films, so I have an easy time finding scenes. There's actually one scene in the film that I think is even better than in the book and that, as you know, doesn't happen very often!

->51 GingerbreadMan:
I think your Literasture exam argument was very valid - I do believe Trainspotting is one that will stand the test of time, possibly with some thanks to the film... There are plenty of Welshs in the bookcase, but none of them are read yet - it will be remedied soon!

And look what flew past my window at work just now - a minion blimp!

That is so cool! Was it to promote the sequel coming this summer?

Hi Eva - having also listened to Trainspotting earlier this year I greatly enjoyed rewatching the film. I followed this by watching another Danny Boyle film, his debut 'Shallow Grave' which also stars Ewan McGregor.

Love the minion blimp!

->53 BookLizard:
Yes, it was for the new movie. Looking forward to it - I love those little guys!

->54 avatiakh:
Hey, Kerry's back! Hope you had a great trip! Yes, I hurried over to Audible as soon as I saw that you had found an unabridged version and downloaded it - thanks for that heads-up!!!! "Shallow Grave" is one of my all-time favorites - the scene where Christopher Eccleston's character drills holes in the ceiling to spy on them is priceless - he's good at playing not-completely-sane! :) It was actually the first film I saw in the theater when I moved to the US - we didn't have a car at the time, so my roommates and I used to ride our bikes over to the $1-theater for entertainment (we were poor students...). :) I made a note of Mr. Boyle's name immediately and have missed few of his films over the years.

The minion blimp was very cute!

*looks confused* minion blimp? Little guys?

post 52, majkia.

LOL! If you can't see the picture I posted, that conversation must look very odd indeed!! :) It was a blimp in the shape of a minion - one of the helpers to the bad guy in the movie "Despicable Me."

I can't at work, but will be checking it out later tonight at home.

If you like the minions, it was quite a treat. And, extra funny when people who are normally quite professional in their attire and actions suddenly come jogging through the office hollering "A minion's flying by!!" :)

Great reviews Eva! Dodging the Sandman review, although I do admit to reading every fifth word of it - I just could not divert my eyes! - so I think I am prepped for when I get around to it. Talk about plowing through The Count! Love The Count but I think I am reading it too soon after my last read and other books are such shiny eye candy right now. I am looking forward to finding time to read The Road - harsh, bleak and haunting work very well for me, which is a bit of surprise.

Eva, have you by any chance seen the Hot Review of Trainspotting by EnriqueFreeque? It's actually quite funny, but I am a little worried as to how well I will understand the audio of this book. I love the movie version of Trainspotting and Shallow Graves is also one of my favorites. I think I need to see both of those movies again soon.

->61 lkernagh:
Thanks! As much as I love Monte Cristo, I don't think it's one to reread often - part of the fun is following along and trying to figure out what the next twist will be and if you still remember the details from your last read, it may not be as entertaining. If you like harsh, bleak and haunting, I'd say The Road is right up your alley - it is an intriguing read and I still catch myself thinking about it.

->62 DeltaQueen50:
I did see that and, yes, funny, but I wouldn't worry - if you can watch Trainspotting or even Rebus without subtitles, you'll do just fine. It might take a little while to tune your ears to the dialect and to some of the slang, but I would just go with the flow. I'm at an advantage since I've lived in Edinburgh, but I know people who've never been anywhere near Scotland who've caught on just fine. Maybe listen to the film just before starting the audio. :)

Uh-oh. I haven't seen Trainspotting, but I had to watch Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels with subtitles on. Thanks for the advice for when I tackle reading Trainspotting!

I tried listening to The Road a while back, but found the tension too much for me. It was that constant threat of violence just around the corner, and unrelenting worry that something awful was going to happen to the father or his son. But I plan to retry it using a print version. Sometimes I find I have an easier time with tension if I can just peek a page or two ahead to catch a glimpse of what's going to happen, even if what happens is not good. It's the constant not knowing in this sort of book that I can't handle.

Love the minions blimp!

"He created a thirst for reading." I'll bet!!! Think of those poor people waiting for the next installment.

I saw Trainspotting on the 1001 list. Haven't read it, but your review helps me see why it might be on the list.

I loved both, The Count of Monte-Christo and The Road. Trainspotting is still on my list. But I'm afraid that I won't have the time to read it this year. The minion blimp is fabulous! :)

I think we all needed subtitles for at least the traveler parts of Snatch! :) Print version The Road is a great idea - it's much too tense to sit around and wait for a narrator to finish sentences!



#21

Category: "There's a Touch" 1/5

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Husband and wife tell their own versions, in alternating chapters, of the wife's disappearance. It's very difficult to say anything more about this without spoiling the many twists and turns of the story. Suffice it to say that the readers will change their minds several times about who tells the truth and who does not, if either. It starts off a real page-turner, but after a few hundred pages, it does get wearisome to constantly be cast back and forth between different versions of the events and, I must admit, at some point during the third part, I stopped caring about which story was real and just wanted to get to the end. As I had been warned by other, the last twist is one that should have been left out of the book - it just puts the proverbial nail in the coffin for what little sympathy I had left for the pair of them. I don't regret the read in any way - the story was engaging and the premise quite intriguing, but I do wish that I had gotten to care about the characters to the very end.

#22

Category: "Everybody's a Victim" 1/5

Stories for the Nighttime and Some for the Day by Ben Loory

A collection of surreal tales resulting from the author's taking a horror-writing class. These stories aren't horror, though, but produce more of an eerie mood, since there seems to be no limit to what odd things can happen, but their oddity isn't scary per se. The nighttime title is apt since about half of the stories take place in dreams, but the waking time in those stories are just as surreal as the dreams, so there isn't a huge rift between the two. This is entertainment rather than anything more profound, but it is a fun collection of flash fiction stories where the only guarantee is that you will not be able to figure out any of the endings in advance.

I really enjoyed Stories for the Nighttime. It was certainly a fun read. They read more like fables or fairy tales, especially since there are no names used.

That is one cool cover!

->70 andreablythe:
Yes, it's quite a lot of fun! The stories do have a certain whimsy that's very appealing, especially because there's just no way to tell where each story will end up. And you get the blame credit for the bookbullet on this one...

->71 rabbitprincess:
The cover is very cool - you can't go wrong with an octopus arm! :)

You can get them for your computer!

The Loory book does sound like fun. I'm trying to read more short story collections this year, so I'll keep this one in mind.

Wah!!! Tentacle!!!

Agree with your comments on Gone Girl. I was okay with the very end, but some of it? Geez! & like either one of them? No way.

Stories for the Nighttime and some for the day sounds like an amusing emergency book to have around - for those times when you have just a few minutes where you'd be bored to death without a book.

>73 RidgewayGirl: that's so cool!

->73 RidgewayGirl:
I want!! :)

#73: Does it move?

I come on this thread and take a book bullet for Stories for the nighttime and a desire for tentacles too!

Fat chance I'll ever have a USB port to spare for a wobbling tentacle. I can't even make room for my printer...

I'm tempted to buy a few USB hubs solely so I can attach 8 of those arms to my computer!! :)

A USB hub like this perhaps? :) http://www.thinkgeek.com/product/9223/

Jinx!! That's the page I was on to see how many ports was provided! Haha!

Wibbly wobbly timey wimey! ;)

That is cool. Too bad they won't let us use USB devices at work.

Just tell them it's your pet octopus. I'm pretty sure the employee handbook doesn't say anything about bringing your pet octopus to work... :)



#23

Category: "Hit the Highway" 3/5

Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Maisie Dobbs is a former housemaid and war nurse who uses her training and insight into psychology in her work as a private investigator and she'll need all her abilities when a suspected infidelity case turns out to be a case of murder. This isn't a regular mystery, but rather an introduction to life before, during, and after the Great War, following a main character who happens to be a private investigator. The first part is somewhat meandering, but once we get to see the events against their true background - The Great War - the stakes go up and the tale becomes quite riveting (even if the climax turns out to be much too melodramatic). Although probably not for readers looking for a proper whodunit, with a group of engaging characters and a time and place very well described, it's still quite a lovely story.

I've not read anything else by Welsh though; anyone else?


Don't miss Marabou Stork Nightmares by Welsh. It's amazing.

Oh Eva - that's funny. I've got Maisie Dobbs somewhere in my TBR pile, but I'm thinking I was waiting to get the second one before I start reading them. They've been getting some good reviews here. Think I'll pay special attention at the library sales this year for more of these.

I have the first two books in the Maisie Dobbs series. I do eventually get to them and I'll keep in mind to just read the first as a novel and not a mystery.

Maisie Dobbs is more like an introduction to the series than an actual mystery. Book 2, Birds of a Feather, starts the real crime solving, and is much better plotted. If you thought the first book was good, you should really enjoy the sequel.

That is very good to know about Maisie - I did like the characters a lot, but I don't think I would continue unless some proper detection would come into play.

March Summary:

Number of books: 7
Pages: 3,081
CATs: 3

Category Progress:
1. "Three More Days (and I'm Home)" - total so far: 1
2. "Whatever You've Got" - total so far: 3
3. "Blood on Your Hands" - total so far: 2
4. "Hit the Highway" - total so far: 3
5. "Everybody's a Victim" - total so far: 1
6. "Your Childhood" - total so far: 1
7. "A Long Long Long Time Ago" - total so far: 1
8. "Sing All Our Cares Away" - total so far: 2
9. "Restless Soul" - total so far: 4
10. "Slowburner" - total so far: 3
11. "Here It Comes Again" - total so far: 0
12. "There's a Touch" - total so far: 1
13. "Spinning Around in the Air" - total so far: 1

Best read of the month: Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh because of its pitch-perfect description of this wonderfully despicable group.
Least good read of the month: There really wasn't one, but, if pressed, it'll have to be Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn because I stopped caring about the main characters.

I'm currently reading The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared and am listening to The Golem's Eye.

Very nice reading statistics. I was always a bit shy concerning Trainspotting. But I only hear and read positive reactions to it, so I'll give it a try sooner or later. The Hundrerd-Year-Old Man has been on my reading list for a very long time, but it was never intriguing enough to let me start it... How is Golem's Eye?

->92 PersephonesLibrary:
It may take a little to get into the language of Trainspotting, but it's definitely worth the trouble! The Golem's Eye is not really catching me, so I may postpone it for another time - my favorite character from the first book was Bartimaeus, but so far he's hardly been in this installment, so I'm getting antsy. I don't want to force it either, or I'll not like it just because I made myself finish. I've (probably) postponed The Hundred-Year-Old as well and am picking something shinier. :)

#24

Category: "Blood on Your Hands" 3/5

The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville

In order to be left alone by his victims' ghosts, former IRA hit man Gerry Fegan must find and kill those who ordered him to commit the murders in the first place. This is one of the better Noir stories I've read in a while, although it's not of the detective kind - these characters are not on that side of the law - and has a few seemingly supernatural facets. Fegan is in no way a sympathetic character and be prepared for grim and cruel actions on his part, but it is still impossible not to be on his side in the struggle to stay sane enough to carry out his bloody quest - a quest that may or may not lead to redemption (of some kind).

In addition, this debut novel is quite exceptional in that the author has an pitch-perfect style and everything - from the depiction of the tensions bubbling behind the facade at a controversial funeral to a stunningly accurate description of the inside workings of a riot - feels perfectly authentic. It's a time and a place in flux and an ironically insular and highly paranoid community that Neville has managed to catch on these pages; it's not only Fegan's own ghosts, but the ghosts of the infamous armed struggle and its politics that are still haunting these people.

The one tiny weakness in the book is that Fegan's intended victims tend to be one-dimensional (which, let's be honest, isn't rare in the genre), but because this is so well-written, I find that it doesn't bother me at all. I'd highly recommended this to those who enjoy the bloodier side of Noir and especially for anyone interested in "post-conflict" Northern Ireland.

I have The Ghosts of Belfast on my shelf. You've moved it up the stack--I like the bloodier side of Noir.

Thanks Eva, good to be warned about the language in Trainspotting!
I own a German copy of The Ghosts of Belfast and always waited for having some time to read it... The "post-conflict" Northern Ireland part makes it very intruiging to me!

Sorry to hear about The Golem's Eye. I don't think I'm going to try it.

Sounds like The Ghosts of Belfast is one for my wishlist.

The Ghosts of Belfast definitely sounds interesting. Noir normally isn't my thing, but there are always exceptions.

After reading your review of Gone Girl and having read Koch's The Dinner, I have decided that these 'types' of stories just do not do it for me, so I am very happy to pass on Gone Girl and not feel as though I am missing out on anything!

One of these days I will get around to the Maisie Dobbs series..... really, I will!

It's a resounding YES on Ghosts of Belfast for you "noirers," but heads-up, it could get a little too cold and cynical for those who aren't.

I'm "on hold" for Golem's Eye - it might get picked up later, but it didn't grab me like the first one did.

I picked up Gone Girl purely because of all the reviews that said they couldn't say anything about it - very intriguing indeed. And, they were right, but unfortunately it didn't sit right. Perhaps I should have gone with The Dinner instead. :)

#25

Category: "Scotland's Story" 1/5

The Crow Road by Iain Banks

Prentice McHoan returns home to his exploding grandmother's funeral and trudges through his family history to figure out what happened to his disappeared Uncle Rory, which woman he should love, and whether God exists - all the ponderings helpfully aided by healthy doses of malt whisky and weed. It's a sprawling saga this, with a multitude of threads being presented seemingly haphazardly until they slowly get tied together and the whole pattern eventually reveals itself. Told from multiple characters' point of view and jumping back and forth in time, the voice of this family saga/love story/mystery doesn't waver and, although it gives it a coherent story arc, it makes for an occasionally monotonous read, but not one that's tempting to abandon - Prentice and his family are human enough with all their flaws and foibles to keep the reader interested. It has some passages that are absolutely riveting and beautifully written with quite a few poignant and heartfelt discussions, as well as some passages that display a seriously dark sense of humor. Although this will not become one of my favorite reads (besides a few genius passages), I became enamored enough with Banks' style and morbid sense of humor that I will have to seek out more of his non-Sci-Fi writing.

Been a long time since I read that one, remember enjoying it though and not hating the TV adaption either - am contemplating what Banks to read this year...

>102 -Eva-: I like Banks a lot - even if he's uneven - but still have tons to discover. This is one of his non-sci-fi books that keeps popping up, which I feel I need to read. Thanks for a good review!

Gosh it's been so long since I read The Crow Road, I remember enjoying it though. Good review!

Great to know that the TV-version is good - a friend is moving and dumped a bunch of DVDs on me and it was among them, which is why I picked the book up now. It has been languishing on my shelf long enough, to be fair. I have Stonemouth and The Wasp Factory waiting too and am looking forward to more semi-disturbing laughs! :)

#26

Category: "There's a Touch" 2/5

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

In the year 2044 when most people spend their free time in the virtual world, OASIS, its creator dies and leaves his empire to whoever finds his 1980s pop culture Easter Egg, spawning an hunt to the death, seemingly virtual and possibly real. Regardless if you were ever a gamer or played D&D, if you have even the slightest knowledge of 1980s music and movies, this is a fun page-turner that'll spawn quite a bit of nostalgia - and a reason (if you need another one) to spend an inordinate amount of time watching 80s-channels on YouTube. It's not a great piece of literature in any way (it's in fact quite a standard quest-novel) and the author's references are too US-centric for me to connect with all of them, but I had a great deal of fun following Parzival, Aech, and Art3mis and to root for them in their fight against the goons of the Completely Evil and Capitalist IOI-corporation. If they ever make this story into a movie or, even better, a video-game, I'll definitely give it a shot.

Even though this isn't a genre I usually read, 1980s pop culture sounds fun. I might give Ready Player One a try some time. I wonder if I might have a problem with the US-centric references since I lived in England in the last few years of the 1980s.

Your star rating seems less enthused than your review. ;)

It does look interesting through, and I've had a few friends who enjoyed it. Plus, I tend to love pop culture laced books, even if it will date them in the future.

RPO is a good piece of escapism, and you are correct in that it is very much US-centric with its 1980's references. Very happy to see it wasn't a dud for you!

The US stuff isn't too bad, it'll just keep you from getting pulled in completely since you have to stop reading a few times to Google (or at least I had to). :) For you actual Americans - was this Family Ties show as great as it is described in the book? I've YouTubed it - and can't believe that Michael J. Fox has apparently looked exactly the same his entire life!

@andreablythe: LOL! 4 stars is pretty much the top rating for anything that won't become a long-time favorite for me.

#27

Category: "Three More Days (and I'm Home)" 2/5

Kvinnan i rummet (eng. The Keeper of Lost Causes) by Jussi Adler-Olsen

After a shoot-out which left his team decimated, Detective Carl Mørck is “promoted” to the basement to run Department Q, but with Mørck’s stubbornness and office assistant Assad’s shady skills, the two of them may just surprise all the naysayers. This one takes a little while to get going since Mørck starts off quite an off-putting character, but once we're up to speed with all the different voices, it becomes extremely engaging. Even after the beginning, Mørck can get a little too negative at times, but Assad's semi-(or is it pseudo-?)innocent charm and murky MO easily balances it out and the combination of the two together is why the story works so well - the sum is much greater than the total of the parts. And, although what actually happens to Merete Lynggaard beggars belief on a major scale and the ending veers toward convenient, I'm enamored enough with all the characters to suspend my belief and be horrified on her behalf. Beware that there are some cruel torture scenes in this one that might not be for the faint of heart - there's especially one scene involving a tooth that had even me gagging a bit. Highly recommended for my fellow grim-and-gruesome mystery fans. Note that I read this in Swedish and can't vouch for the English translation.

I was a Family Ties fan at the time. I don't know how well it's aged. It didn't take too long for it to become Michael J. Fox's show. The series is available for streaming from Netflix if you have it.

A coworker just told me it was her favorite show when she was a kid! I will certainly give it a try on Netflix this weekend!

If Family Ties figures in Ready Player One then I certainly need to read it.

111> I'm American, grew up in the 80s, and still needed to Google a few things. I think Family Ties would still be funny today. Michael J. Fox's character is this conservative, business-minded teen while his parents are laidback former hippies. Just the reversal of the dichotomy between the serious-minded teen and the rebellious parents would still be funny.

The method of placing one totally different character in a bunch is presently being used (rather effectively) in The Big Bang Theory. Penny couldn't be more different from the guys but somehow fits in so well.

I've got a lot of things I should be doing this afternoon, but what am I doing instead? I've just watched the first couple of episodes of Family Ties. I'm holding you responsible ;)

I didn't know that Banks wrote anything that wasn't science fiction. For a second, I was thinking the exploding grandmother was a woman who exploded and survived over and over again. ?? I'll have to read Banks sometime - what I've seen makes your assessment sound about right - at times brilliant but sometimes long winded.

Jussi Adler-Olsen is one author I've heard much about that I plan to read one day. I enjoyed your review.

#28

Category: "Three More Days (and I'm Home)" 3/5

Älskade Poona (Eng. The Indian Bride) by Karin Fossum

When Gunder Jomann's bride, Poona, arrives to Norway from India and an accident keeps Gunder from picking her up at the airport, unfortunate circumstances lead Poona into the hands of a brutal murderer and the tiny town of Elvestad becomes a beehive of suspicion and gossip. This mystery starts off more like an emotional tale of loneliness and love before turning into a story about pain and loss with a hint of redemption and possibly some happiness, or at least peace, at the end. This is my first Fossum, but her perceptive characterizations made me immediately fond of Gunder and Poona, Inspector Sejer, and, of course, Sejer's wonderful canine friend, Kollberg. I will absolutely be reading more of this series. Beware that there is no neat wrap-up at the end of this and it is rather frustrating, although, as sometimes happens in good stories, the ending instead veers toward real life rather than fictional convention. To make up for it on some level, the overall story gets to have an oddly happy ending - whether it's enough has to be left up to the individual reader.

I did manage to see a few episodes of Family Ties and have to admit it's quite funny and hasn't aged too poorly, other than the fashions of course!! :)

->116 BookLizard:
It reminds me of the dynamics of Absolutely Fabulous which has the same unexpected difference between parent and child. That one's really hilarious if you haven't seen it!

->117 mamzel:
And you have to figure out which character is the oddball compared to you - it isn't always the one you would like it to be... :)

->118 cbl_tn:
Ditto. You're welcome! :)

->119 cammykitty:
Yes, he writes general fiction under the name Iain Banks and the SciFi under Iain M. Banks so that you can tell them apart - very clever idea! The exploding grandmother is not fantasy in this case - the first sentence of the novel is indeed, "It was the day my grandmother exploded."

->120 mathgirl40:
Highly recommended!! Also, I've heard that this one, the first in the series, is merely "OK" compared to the rest of the series - if that's true, we're in for quite a treat!

The Indian Bride was my first Fossum, too. I was surprised by the ending, but also intrigued by it. I've read another Fossum since then and liked it just as well. It's a series I'll keep returning to.

->123 cbl_tn:
I liked that it wasn't cut and dry - at times I could do with a mystery that surprises and annoys a bit. :)

Hi Eva, nice review of the Fossum! I have two of hers on the TBR waiting for me to get to them. The series sounds great.

I also watched Despicable Me a few days ago and thought of you. It was hilarious! Will definitely be seeing the sequel :)

I will have to give Crow Road a try, I read Wasp Factory a few years ago and was totally absorbed in it while reading. I am looking forward to your comments when you get to it.

I've got what was the first of the inspector Sejer books on the tbr shelves already but looks like I'll have to add the Jussi Adler-Olsen book too.

->125 rabbitprincess:
Isn't it fun! I saw the preview for the next one and it seems they've understood how much people like the Minions - they seem to have a much bigger part in the new one.

->126 DeltaQueen50:
Will do - I've heard it's quite different, so I'm already intrigued.

->127 AHS-Wolfy:
I've added the whole series Sejer to my wishlist already! I think you'll like the Jussi Adler-Olsen - it has the right combo of darkness and humor.

Eva - just heard that Rankin has written another Rebus - Saints of the Shadow Bible comes out in November.

I second the recommendation on The Wasp Factory. Nothing I've read by Banks has quite compared. The crow road is likely to be my next "mainstream" (well, -ish) novel of his.

-Eva-

->129 avatiakh:
Thanks Kerry - that's excellent news! I am ridiculously fond of that grouchy, stubborn, and absolutely hilarious man. That's me on the left:


->130 GingerbreadMan:
I'm about to watch the TV-miniseries - let's see how "mainstream-ish" they've made it. :)

Ok, that also looks a little like a young Ellen DeGeneres (I saw her on tv at the gym this morning).
I think I watched a couple of Rebus episodes before I read the books and quite liked them.

->132 avatiakh:
The Rebus with Ken Stott is brilliant - I'm not so fond of John Hannah's version. I read somewhere that Ian Rankin had asked friends which actor they preferred (he doesn't watch the show himself so that he won't be influenced) and they said Ken Stott because he looks like he can punch someone while John Hannah looks like he can take a punch. :)

LOL! Lisa Loring does dance a bit like Ellen! :)

I always loved that series!

I've only seen the John Hannah episodes. I do plan to watch the Ken Stott episodes at some point. I agree that John Hannah didn't seem right as Rebus, which is too bad as I've liked him in every other role I've seen him do.

#29

Category: "Three More Days (and I'm Home)" 4/5

(geim) by Anders de la Motte

Henrik "HP" Pettersson finds a mobile phone on the train and when he accepts the high-stakes game that it offers him, everything changes and HP, along with his friends and family, find out just how true conspiracy theories can be. It's not surprising that the author has worked as a police officer and is currently head of security for an IT company, since this is an action movienovel which involves the clash between classic police procedure and modern internet crime. Quite an exciting story with some crazy twists, vaguely reminiscent of the 1997 movie, The Game, but with a different spin. It's not deep and has nothing profound to say about the human condition, but if you want to be entertained a few hours by some interesting characters that get themselves into a whole heap of trouble, I'd recommend this thriller. HP starts off talking mostly in slang, which isn't completely believable, but it's used less and less, so it's not too intrusive and all the characters and their backgrounds are believable enough to make up for it as well. I'm planning on continuing on with the other books in the trilogy. Currently, this is only available in Swedish, but an English translation is scheduled for late 2013.

->134 mamzel:
It was my favorite as a kid - I wanted to to be Morticia when I grew up! :)

->135 mathgirl40:
I like John Hannah as well, but he was miscast as Rebus - having a Scottish accent cannot be the only criteria... :) Hope you get to watch Ken Stott - he's a favorite of mine and he did really well as Rebus!

#30

Category: "Sing All Our Cares Away" 3/5

Gallows View by Peter Robinson

Chief Inspector Alan Banks has left London for the calm and quiet of a small town in Yorkshire, but he still has to deal with crimes like an elusive Peeping Tom, a series of burglaries, and a murder, as well as his attraction to the psychologist who is assisting with profiling. This is a fledgling start to a series that has gotten lots of accolades - the dialogue is slightly clunky and there are extremely long passages of psychological explanation, most of which will have very little to do with the solution to the mystery. I do like the characters - Banks' strong moral convictions get questioned quite thoroughly, and, although I can't explain why his wife is so lackadaisical about his potential infidelity (unless relationship issues are part of future installments), it does make him a nicely rounded character in that he doesn't automatically pick one side or the other. I can't recommend the audio version, unfortunately, since the reader manages to make some of the characters sound like caricatures rather than real people - Banks himself has received such a lowbrow voice that he sounds downright dense. The next installments have a different reader, and I'm looking forward to getting to hear my hero talk like the sharp guy he really is.

Gallows View sounds like it might be fun, but note to self - not on audio!!! I wonder if the dialog would be clunky with a better reader?

A lot of the exposition is crammed into dialogue and the characters get to educate rather than chat, so I think it'll be clunky regardless. The series contains 20 or so books, though, and I've heard loads of good words about it, so I'm sure Robinson reeled in his writing style!

I remember not being so enthralled with the first three or four of the Inspector Banks books, but luckily they got better as the series moved along.

I began that series with In a Dry Season. If I'd started earlier in, I think I'd have dismissed the series after the first. He really does improve over time and the personal life stuff is so tangential that they really don't need to be read in any sort of order.

->141 DeltaQueen50:&142
That is very good to know - I did like the characters and set-up a lot, so I do want to continue the series. I've previewed the reader for the rest of the series and I think he'll do just fine! :)

#31

Category: "Sing All Our Cares Away" 4/5

Doctor Who: The Resurrection Casket by Justin Richards

The TARDIS becomes stranded in Starfall, where modern technology doesn't work, and while they figure an escape route, the Doctor and Rose get involved in a plot to find the key to eternal life, the Resurrection Casket. If you're already a Whovian, this is a fun Treasure Island-inspired adventure with touches of pirate and steampunk. There's a great spin when the hunt for Hamlek Glint's treasure turns into something more ominous and those that seemed to be friends turn into villains. The voice of the tenth doctor is captured very well and the other characterizations work too, although Rose has to be a bit stupid in order to explain some twists at the end. My favorite character is the overly polite and apologetic deadly monster, wonderfully named Kevin.

#32

Category: "A Long Long Long Time Ago" 2/5

The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett

Inept, cowardly, and unintentionally hilarious wizard Rincewind becomes the guide for Discworld's first (and possibly last) tourist, Twoflower, and his extremely aggressive multi-legged trunk/bodyguard, Luggage. This is my first visit to Discworld and, while this introductory voyage can be a little overwhelming with all its details, it works on one level, since the many descriptions of the world's physical wonders and the various odd societal rules make the reader completely empathize with Twoflower's astonishment at all that surrounds him. It's not a flawless read by any means as it is very much an introduction to the world itself and the pace gets borderline frantic when it comes to rushing the characters around to various places on the disc, just to make sure they're on the map, so to speak, and the actual Rincewind/Twoflower story becomes secondary at time, which is a shame. I've been assured that future installments are better paced, have smoother writing, and make more room for Pratchett's completely bonkers characters.

I had pre-ordered this so it appeared on my Kindle Fire yesterday morning and I have to say, as much as I love paper, the art and colors of comic books on the Kindle are absolutely gorgeous.



#33

Category: "Spinning Around in the Air" 2/5

Dial H Vol. 1: Into You by China Miéville

When his only friend is attacked, slacker Nelson Jent tries to call for help, but rather than getting the police, the phone box he stumbles into contains the mysterious H-Dial which temporarily turns the user into a Superhero. What makes this really intriguing is that the H-Dial will turn you into a powerful superhero, but it'll be a different one each time you use it and you have no way of knowing beforehand who you will be - some of them are quite a bit more bizarre than the others. I'm hardly surprised this is the DC comic Miéville wanted to revamp and, being who he is, he unsurprisingly took an originally odd story and made it even odder. The story in itself gets a little convoluted at times and, in places where a novel would have filled in details, it can get quite confusing. The various heroes and the villains are the real appeal, though, so it doesn't matter too much and, although I don't want to spoil, there are a few genius heroes that nobody but Miéville could have come up with (Captain Lachrymose, anyone?!). I do want to mention Mateus Santolouco's art, which is absolutely stunning - just take a look at the Abyss and you'll know what I mean.

I love Miéville's novels but haven't tried these comics yet. Sounds intriguing!

okay, note to self: don't start reading discworld with The Colour of Magic. I haven't read solo Pratchett yet but keep meaning too. I'm thinking Lords and Ladies might be the one.

I must have a copy of dial h volume 1!!

ditto!

I've mentioned elsewhere that I'm in the minority when it comes to Pratchett and liking the first couple more than the rest of the Discworld series (though I haven't read any in a long time) so there is still hope that you will be more suited towards the later books.

Hadn't even heard of the Miéville comic's so thanks for bringing them to my attention.

The only Discworld I've read is The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, which I loved. Maybe I'll continue with the YA novels before deciding if I want to jump over to the regular novels.

Joining the rest in making positive noises about dial h volume 1 .... any comic/ GN with stunning artwork (with story by Mieville!) is a perfect sell!

I was wondering how close or far from a normal superhero story Miéville would make it, but it is a very proper DC series, but with a few Miévillian twists. Hope you all enjoy!!

I'm on The Light Fantastic and am still very fond of Rincewind - I am liking that I'm getting Discworld from scratch, but then I am a bit obsessive about reading series in order and I'm not going to ask anyone else to partake in my madness. :)

Ignoring the Dial H: Vol 1 review until I can get my grubby mitts on a copy. I spy the enthusiasm for the artwork though :)

Nice review of Color of Magic, I think its the most moth eaten book of my entire collection.. I have such a soft spot for it and the story.

Dial H in my grubby hands - will be reading that tonight probably :-D

The artwork was exactly my style! I have American Vampire Vol. 2 on Mt. TBR and Santolouco is listed as a contributor, but I'm not sure just how much of his work is in it.

Looking forward to hearing what you both think of Dial H!!

#34

Category: "Spinning Around in the Air" 3/5

The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett

Rincewind and Twoflower are surprisingly rescued after falling off the disc, only to be charged by the Octavo with stopping Trymon from getting complete power and saving Discworld from the foreboding red star. The storyline follows directly on The Colour of Magic, but where that one spent a lot of time setting the stage and building the Discworld, this one gets right into the action so that the story flows much better. Rincewind and Twoflower and their various adventures are at the forefront at all times, and hilarious characters such as Cohen the Barbarian and DEATH get full rein. The loony humor even comes across better when the characters get to indulge completely in their own madness. Although I've heard that later installments are much better, I am still glad that I started reading the series here so that I have the lay of the land down - I'm looking forward to continuing on in the lunacy that is Discworld.

#35

Category: "Your Childhood" 2/5

How to be a Pirate by Cressida Cowell

The continuing adventures of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III whose Viking training brings him in contact with a pirate's treasure and the unsavory characters who want to find it. Very cute children's book about pirates, Vikings, and dragons (albeit not the kind you can ride around on) with high stakes and some nice morals. It's clearly a series for the younger reader, but it's entertaining enough for adults so that you're not completely bored when you're asked to read it for the eleventh time. Vikings are always good in my book and so, of course, are pirates.

April Summary:

Number of books: 12
Pages: 3,638
CATs: 3

Category Progress:
1. "Three More Days (and I'm Home)" - total so far: 4
2. "Whatever You've Got" - total so far: 3
3. "Blood on Your Hands" - total so far: 2
4. "Hit the Highway" - total so far: 3
5. "Everybody's a Victim" - total so far: 1
6. "Your Childhood" - total so far: 2
7. "A Long Long Long Time Ago" - total so far: 2
8. "Sing All Our Cares Away" - total so far: 4
9. "Restless Soul" - total so far: 4
10. "Slowburner" - total so far: 3
11. "Scotland's Story" - total so far: 2
12. "There's a Touch" - total so far: 2
13. "Spinning Around in the Air" - total so far: 3

Best read of the month: Dial H Vol. 1: Into You by China Miéville - beautiful and confusing and funny and just what the doctor ordered.
Least good read of the month: Gallows View by Peter Robinson had an OK story with characters that have enough potential for me to continue the series, but the reader of this installment made it a little annoying.

I didn't know Mieville had done any comics either. He's one of my favourite writers at the moment so I might give it a try.

I'm looking forward to continuing on in the lunacy that is Discworld.

You do realize that it is the term 'lunacy' in the above phrase of yours that makes me think I just might give the Discworld series a go. ;-)

The plan was to come around and comment on everyone's threads, but, not shockingly, I've run out of time and will have to let you all know here that I'm outta here, going on my holidays (waiting for my ride to the airport right now!). I'll be spending a few weeks with la famiglia in Sweden, and I'll not be around on LT until the end of May. Hopefully I can bombard you all with bookbullets upon my return, although some of my planned reads are bullets you've hit me with already... :)

See you all later!

Have a great vacation!! :D

Enjoy Eva! We will keep your thread warm while you are gone.

Have a great trip Eva!

Yay! Have a great time! :D

Have a safe and happy trip!

Safe travels, Eva!

Enjoy your holiday.

Have a good one!

Have a wonderful vacation, Eva!

Have a fantastic trip, Eva!

Looking forward to your return...and the BBs!

Welcome home, Eva! The birches are just getting tender, light green leaves on our latitude, and the tussilago is blooming like mad! Hope you have a great stay!

I read about a fourth of the Discworld series (completely out of order too!) m any years ago. You make me want to have a go at it again (I even have Feet of clay unread on my shelf!). The City watch books are my clear favorites.

I had no idea Miéville wrote comics either. Sounds waaaay too good to pass up!

have a great trip, and if your reading this on your return, welcome back ;-)

Happy Trails!

Eva I hope you are enjoying your Swedish spring!

Thank you all for the greetings! I have returned from a lovely Sweden in full bloom and have had a great time! You guys have been very busy, I see, and I'll be around soon to check out what you've been reading. I did read quite a few books, but only three that'll work for the challenge. Typical. :) And, most unexpectely, I managed to acquire only 7 new books!!

Yay! Glad you had fun!
And 7 new books! Huzzah!

Welcome back! Very happy to see you had a great time! Hey, 7 books acquired - based on page count - can be quite substantial, but I am impressed with the restraint you showed with only 7 new book acquisitions! ;-)

Welcome back Eva, new books and a great holiday - good deal! :-)

Great to have you back - glad you had a good time.Look forward to seeing what you've been reading.

Welcome back! I'm glad to hear you had a good trip.

Welcome back!

Welcome back! Looking forward to hearing about your book haul! ;)

Only seven books acquired indicates that you have an iron will. Good for you! And enjoy those seven. I like to pick up postcards of where I am and stick them inside of the books I buy, so that when I get to one I'm instantly reminded of the vacation.

Thank you all! Yes, I am quite proud of my restraint when it came to the bookstore (and one of the acquisitions was a birthday present to boot).

The loot was as follows:
→ Parts 2-5 of Jussi Adler-Olsen's Department Q series: Fasanjägarna, Flaskpost från P, Journal 64, and Marcoeffekten
→ Parts 1 and 2 of Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö's Martin Beck-series: Roseanna ; Mannen som gick upp i rök. I mainly bought this because I wanted to try the new tiny Excess book-format (this page is in Swedish but has a video) - both books fit into one of these little books
→ Svart himmel by Arnaldur Indriðason
→ In anticipation of the last part in their trilogy, Mats Strandberg and Sara Bergmark Elfgren have released Berättelser från Engelsfors, which is a graphic novel spinoff.

Not starting any of them, thought, since I had an early reviewer book waiting for me when I got back: Stoker's Manuscript.

#36

Category: "Your Childhood" 3/5

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Thirteen-year-old Conor is trying to deal with his mother's illness, but he gets another thing to think about when a monster shows up at his window. Although a huge part of this seemingly falls into the fantasy/fairy tale category, the story is thoroughly realistic in its handling of the complex issues that arise when a loved one is possibly dying, especially for a child whose emotional range and resilience are limited. The story is frightfully sad and distressing and probably not fitting for just any young adult, but I did appreciate that there was no easy or banal resolution to the issues - no forced happy ending - since that would have negated the seriousness of the topic; there's no way to minimize the agony felt by people who experience this, so why do it in a story. Although technically a young adult novel, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone except the very youngest. Make sure you get the illustrated edition, since the moody drawings add multitudes to the overall feeling.

#37

Category: "Everybody's a Victim" 2/5

The Unwritten Vol. 1: Tommy Taylor and the Bogus Identity by Mike Carey

After his father creates a fictional character seemingly based on him, Tom Taylor makes his living appearing at comicons, but when another fictional character made flesh confronts Tom, he realized that some of the fiction in his father's works might not be fiction at all. This is a very innovative and exhilarating story about the connection between fiction and reality and the role that fiction plays in our lives. The meta aspects of this story should appeal to any lover of fiction and although it helps to have some knowledge of the stories that are referenced, I don't think a lack of such would detract from the enjoyment. My only problem is that I don't really care about Tom as a character since he has spurts of acting like a whiny child, but I'm hoping that as the story goes on and he gets a firmer grip on what is actually happening to him, he'll improve - there are some signs of this as the story goes on. Looking forward to following this mystery, through whatever peculiar paths it'll take, to its ultimate resolution.

#38

Category: "Hit the Highway" 4/5

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

When former Texas Ranger Captain W. F. Call decides to move the business from Texas to Montana, his partner Augustus McCrae is reluctant about the plan, but goes along on the cross-country trek, along with a few cowboys, the proverbial whore with a heart of gold, and a couple of adorably creepy blue pigs. I enjoyed the overall story a lot, since it described the cowboy life as mainly dreary rather than heroic which is the norm, emphasized by the slow pace of the narrative. I also liked that there was no forced happy ending, but that, like in life, some things were left unresolved. However, for me, this was one of those odd books that I enjoyed while I was reading it, but once I had put a bookmark in, I wasn't eager to pick it back up to continue reading. The story was just too meandering and haphazard and it read a little bit too much like a movie for my liking - a lot of things happen and I was told how people reacted and how they felt, but I didn't really get to feel it for myself. It also seemed like the plains were inhabited by a fairly small number of people who managed to run into each other all the time and the coincidences got to me after a while. From the cover of my edition, I can tell that it has been filmed and I have a feeling it might be great in that medium. It wasn't a bad read by any means, but I would have wished for something that would make me feel deeply for the characters. I did love the blue pigs, though - those were my favorite characters.

I did a lot of reading this month, but not much that'll fit into my categories, so this summary looks a little measly.

May Summary:

Number of books: 3
Pages: 1,025
CATs: 2

Category Progress:
1. "Three More Days (and I'm Home)" - total so far: 4
2. "Whatever You've Got" - total so far: 3
3. "Blood on Your Hands" - total so far: 2
4. "Hit the Highway" - total so far: 4
5. "Everybody's a Victim" - total so far: 2
6. "Your Childhood" - total so far: 3
7. "A Long Long Long Time Ago" - total so far: 2
8. "Sing All Our Cares Away" - total so far: 4
9. "Restless Soul" - total so far: 4
10. "Slowburner" - total so far: 3
11. "Scotland's Story" - total so far: 2
12. "There's a Touch" - total so far: 2
13. "Spinning Around in the Air" - total so far: 3

Best read of the month: A Monster Calls over Unwritten by a small margin.
Least good read of the month: Lonesome Dove but mainly because I was expecting something different, which I know is not the book's fault.

Yay for book haul! I recently purchased book 1 in Adler-Olsen's Department Q series, it has a great premise! I have been trying to dodge the A Monster Calls book bullet. I am putting off reading that one until I am in the right frame of mind for it. I am trying to reign in my GN reading - since that is the category that is exploding for me - so I think I will leave The Unwritten series for another year.

It also seemed like the plains were inhabited by a fairly small number of people who managed to run into each other all the time and the coincidences got to me after a while.

LOL.... it was rather amazing how they kept on running into each other, especially considering the huge swath of territory we are talking about here! ;-) Everyone over on the 75 Group has been recommending the movie, because I haven't seen it, even though it had one of those high profile mini-series launches, like The Thornbirds, The Winds of War and North and South had.

Nice book haul! Hope you like the Indridason. I haven't read it yet but hope to soon. And your list reminds me I should get back to the Martin Beck series!

Eva welcome back!

I'm very excited you got to pick up the Dept Q books. I met Jussi Adler-Olsen at a books signing this past Thursday. I was already a fan but he is very, very funny and now I have a little crush. LOL! I put a pic in my gallery. He said he is currently working on book 6 and has outlines through book 10.

I lined up all the Martin Beck books on a wish list at the library. Let me know when you get started and I'll join you.

Welcome back! I'm glad you enjoyed your time with your family.

Hi Eva, i read A Monster Calls in May as well and then I spent the next couple of weeks raving about it to anyone who would listen!

Sorry Lonesome Dove didn't grab you more as it is one of my all time favorites. The TV mini-series is well worth a watch as it was very well cast.

Judy - at least my brother was happy that I didn't adore it, because I ended up giving my copy to him and I actually think it'll be perfect for him. I will look into getting hold of the TV-series - the cast looks fantastic!

Welcome back and a glut of good reviews, luckily I had read them all! I guess you won't be picking up more in the Lonesome Dove series :) it's interesting what hooks people & what doesn't.. why I love LT in part.

And yes blue pigs were the highlight.. If only I hd a larger garden..

->199 clfisha:
One of them was a direct bullet from you, so it'd be difficult to hand it back! :)

I thought the reading list looked familiar ;-)

I'd agree that the monster calls with pics is the only one that people should read!

Cue evil laugh..

#39

Category: "Hit the Highway" 5/5

Stoker's Manuscript by Royce Prouty

Rare-manuscript expert Joseph Barkeley is hired to authenticate an original draft of Bram Stoker's Dracula, but his mysterious client, a native Transylvanian, turns out to be closer related to Stoker's materials than is healthy for Barkeley. This is a very entertaining and easily read story that doesn't make a huge impression, but is captivating enough to spend a few hours on. I was very much helped by the fact that I only recently read Stoker's Dracula and I thought Prouty did fairly well in evoking a similar mood, although Stoker's writing skills are far superior. The world building is a little shaky at times and the characters, albeit interesting, lack a bit of depth, but for a debut novel it's not a bad little story - with another 100 pages of character development, this could have been a proper quality read. For everyone's information, there is an increasing level of Christianity commentary as the story goes on, but only occasionally did I feel it imposed on the story (and I'm usually sensitive to religious content).

Nice book haul! I've taken a short break from Nordic mysteries to get through a mounting TBR pile of sci-fi and fantasy, but I'm itching to get back to them, especially after seeing your list.

Oooohhh... Stoker's Manuscript sounds like the perfect "raining I so might as well curl up with a book" weekend read for me! On the list it goes.

A belated welcome back! Too bad the Stoker book didn't quite deliver...sounds like an interesting premise.

Stoker's Manuscript sounds like it might be interesting.

#40

Category: "Blood on Your Hands" 3/5

A Dedicated Man by Peter Robinson

When a well-liked local historian is found murdered, Inspector Banks has to really put his detective skills to work in order to figure out which of the many unlikely suspects is actually guilty. This is a solid whodunit with a very puzzling path to the resolution. The previous installment had a little more depth to the characters, but this was still enjoyable as a mystery, especially since Banks is allowed to be misled and confused, which adds to the realism. There are also some lovely descriptions of the Yorkshire Dales and its people. Because of the change in audiobook reader, I actually like this better than the first one, but that isn't really a reflection on the story as such. Recommended to anyone who enjoys a semi-cozy British mystery.

#41

Category: "A Long Long Long Time Ago" 3/5

The Earthsea Trilogy: A Wizard of Earthsea / The Tombs of Atuan / The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin

In A Wizard of Earthsea, we get to know Ged/Sparrowhawk on his journey to becoming a magician, through battles with dragons and with the conjured darkness that threatens to destroy him. In The Tombs of Atuan, we follow the Priestess through her training as a guardian of the tombs through to her eventual meeting with Ged and her subsequent flight. In The Farthest Shore, it is again time for Ged, now Archmage, to hunt the darkness, but now in the company of the boy-prince, Arren. For some unknown reason, I never read this while I was a child, and I sorely wish I had even if it's quite appropriate for adults as well. It's a proper adventure tale, where the baddies are extremely powerful and the only reason the hero falters is because his powers are not adequate - no characters getting in trouble because they do something stupid here (my biggest pet peeve). The first installment does a fantastic job at setting up the world of Earthsea (although my edition came with a very handy map) and you get the feel that this is a real universe. The second installment deals with the world from a completely different angle, which obviously adds even more depth to the world building. The third installment (for many years the last one in the series) wraps up Ged's fate nicely and shows a hint of optimism for the future. I particularly like that this is a world where you have to work for your magic - Ged is talented, but he still needs to study and work at getting his magic to work and when things go awry, there are real consequences.

Nice review Eva, and for me, very timely. I finished Moxyland on the plance today and was wondering if Earthsea should be next up - it will be now :-)

I hope you enjoy it - the second installment was actually my favorite, but they're all good!

The Earthsea Trilogy was a real favourite of mine when I was a teenager. I've been thinking of giving it a retread for a while. Are you going on to read the next instalments? I've heard they're quite different in tone.

I've read the wizard of earthsea more than once and I have a great fondness for it. I haven't read the fourth book though and don't think I ever will based on what people have told me about it...

It's been a long time since I read the Earthsea Quartet but definitely remember The Tombs of Atuan being my favourite of the four. Can't really recommend the Studio Ghibli movie based on Earthsea either as I think it's certainly not one of their best efforts (actually won a raspberry award).

Great review of the Earthsea Trilogy, Eva! I may make time for book one A Wizard of Earthsea for later this month. It is also the shortest book on my reading pile..... another enticement to read it. ;-)

->212 SandDune:
I might, but I'll hold off for now - if they're very different, I probably should wait until I've forgotten details of these ones. :)

->214 AHS-Wolfy:
I watched the preview of the Ghibli and it doesn't seem to have anything to do with Le Guin's story. :( I did watch about 1/2-hour of the live-action version and it was teetering along the border between horrific and embarrassing.

I read A Wizard of Earthsea when I was 12. I remember loving it. Might have to reread it now.

Great review of Earthsea! I'm ashamed to say I've never read any Leguin. I need to remedy that soon.

Yes, great review of Earthsea. I hit them when I was in my 20s, which is just about perfect.

I loved the first three, but the fourth book, Tehanu is quite different and not nearly as good.

Great Earthsea review! I love that series. (There are actually six books with last two being Tales of Earthsea and The Other Wind, which I haven't read.)

The Studio Ghibli movie is okay, very slow paced, but the live action version is awful, as you noticed.

I only read the first Earthsea book as a kid for some reason. And to add tonthr embarresment, it's the only book I've read by LeGuin. I know I will have to remedy that.

Too bad about Lonesome Dove! I loved it, and actually thought the constant chance meetings were quite plausible. After all, with only the fewest of trails and settlements it seems kind of logic that's where folks end up. I had a much harder time with, say, the Y series, where the sam things happened in present America.

->222 GingerbreadMan:
Perhaps if they had all been going to the same place, I'd been fine with it. :)



#42

Category: "There's a Touch" 3/5

The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan

When Misskaella realizes that she has a rare power over seals, she can take vengeance upon her tormentors by calling up selkie wives, but it is a decision that'll have repercussions for generations to come. Although clearly in the fantasy realm, the story still manages to ring true since the conflict deals with how people manage to hurt each other (whether inadvertently or no) and what consequences follow selfish acts. One huge benefit from the multi-perspective narration is that the issues are presented from such different angles that anyone can seem a culprit in one part of the story and be almost redeemed in another. The language is also very beautiful and evokes island living perfectly with all its insulation and its smells and sounds - if you've lived or spent time by an ocean, the descriptions will bring back memories. The one thing that bothered me about the story is that most of the female characters (and the children) tend to end up on the side of victims, but the adult men are all perpetrators - not sure if this is some sort of feminist point being made, but it was a little too heavy-handed for my taste. Overall it's an engaging spin on a mythical story that manages to add something new without compromising tradition.

Reminds me that I must get round to reviewing Rollrock...

#43

Category: "Scotland's Story" 3/5

Swing Hammer Swing! by Jeff Torrington

"Today I scratched my bum - yesterday, I didnae bother." Spend a week in the falling-apart Gorbals with Tam Clay, true wit, failed wordsmith, unprepared father-to-be, and canny critic of the demolition and redevelopment of 1960s Glasgow. Although the surroundings are desperately bleak, this is a sometimes hilarious piquaresque, with characters bizarre enough to sound like they were straight from real life. Our story begins with "Two guys standing in the snow outside a doomed cinema discussing the most efficacious method of preventing a deepsea diver from trying to deliver handouts to lamp-posts" and continues in the same semi-absurd but peculiarly realistic vein until the inevitable decline of this working-class area and its inhabitants is evident to all.

On his rambling mini-odyssey, Tam introduces us to the inhabitants of the Gorbals such as a drunk "doing the Boozer's Bolero - three steps forward on tippytoes, two back heavily on heels" and punter Talky who is the only one who can communicate with blind and deaf Salty: "Even the deef urnae oot-o-range of that bletherin wee bastard." But, along with the humor and the irreverence is also a huge dose of reality when it comes to these poor sods' actual circumstances - where will they all go when the Gorbals disappear? To the anonymity of the high-rise council flats - "vertical Barlinnies" - or, as some do, straight into a cold grave? Attempting to grasp that the world they know is crumbling beneath them is not only frightening, but near impossible to accept since they have no power to change anything: "the world's a bag of bees God pokes at with a stick and growls - 'Make honey, damn you'!"

One of Torrington's great strengths is his placing scenes of powerful symbolism juxtaposed with pseudo-flippant comments about very same scenes, such as putting old Salty at a lone table, palms upturned awaiting a friendly touch, without anyone able to explain that his only interpreter Talky has died, and only a few pages earlier, scorning the very same literary trope: "It was too bad that the blind in literature were doubly disadvantaged; readers tend to assume they're symbolic: 'I presume your blind chappy represents the spiritual myopia of contemporary society?' 'Well, naw, as a matter of fact he jist couldnae see!'"

Even with the abundant humor, be prepared for a sometimes challenging read, with Tam's various philosophical contemplations on the topics of life and death, but it's one that is highly rewarding in the end for these characters are well worth knowing with their enormous ability for warmth and caring, and well worth mourning for their powerlessness when it comes to their eventual futures. Tam comes up with his own solution in the end, but we don't get to forget that not all are as fortunate.

Great review of Swing Hammer Swing, Eva!

I have the feeling that I might have read Swing, Hammer, Swing, although I'd forgotten all about it. The image of 'preventing a deepsea diver from trying to deliver handouts to lamp-posts' sounds vaguely familiar and it's not exactly a common image is it?

Adding my kudos for a great review. I've been trying to read Skagboys but the dialect keeps getting in the way, looks like this one is jammed full of it as well.

Great review.. Not my usual fair, but on the wishlist it goes!

I think I could manage the dialect so onto the wishlist it goes and adding a thumb for the review.

Thank you all!! It's been called the Glaswegian equivalent to Ulysses and, although not quite as complicated, it's in a similar vein (but funnier!). Some of the dialogue is in Scottish, but the narrative and internal dialogue is all in "regular" English, so it's not as difficult as Irvine Welsh tends to be.

Some of the dialogue is in Scottish... good to know. I will just have my other half explain what I don't understand. ;-)

I haven't liked much Margo Lanagan but The Brides of Rollrock Island sounds good. I'm not surprised your seeing all the men as bad guys. That seems to be a part of her writing, but I have only read some of her short stories.

Eva, you're scaring me! I'm going to tackle Irvine Welsh next month with Trainspotting and I hope I can comprehend the language!! I'm going with an audio and so expect to be hitting the rewind button often.

->232 lkernagh:
If you're familiar with the dialect, all you have to do is read it out loud and you'll be fine!

->233 cammykitty:
Good to know!!

->234 DeltaQueen50:
I think you'll be fine - if you've seen Trainspotting and/or any Rebus-films and can understand the actors, it isn't a huge leap. Tam Dean Burn is an excellent reader.

For Trainspotting, an online glossary is a great help!

When we visited the People's Palace in Glasgow, there was a section about the redevelopment of poorer areas of the city (probably including the Gorbals), so a book like this would be an excellent companion piece. I'll keep an eye out for it. :)

Adding praise and thumb to the brilliant review of Swing hammer swing, scribbling it down on the list!

-> 227
Oops @SandDune, I missed that comment - no, probably the only book ever to feature that scene! :)

->237 rabbitprincess:
The Gorbals was most assuredly covered in that exhibit - putting a visit to the People's Palace on the bucketlist! Wikipedia has a pretty decent article on the area.

->234 DeltaQueen50: & 236
Firstfoot has a great online dictionary which you can find here.

->238 GingerbreadMan:
Thanks!

#44

Category: "Everybody's a Victim" 3/5

Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan L. Howard

Necromancer Johannes Cabal enters into a bargain with Satan in order to get his soul back, but even with the help of The Carnival of Discord and his charismatic vampire brother, Horst, it'll be a tricky bet to win. I know he's not meant to be likeable (he's soulless after all), not even a little, but I do like Johannes so very much - he's just too sarcastic and acerbic for me not to get attached to. If you have a problem with characters that are pompous and immoral and rude and not endearing at all, you probably won't share my affection for Mr. Cabal, but the humor, both his and that of his irreverent fellow cast-members, redeems the story for me completely. The storyline unfortunately takes quite a few meanders and the worldbuilding is shaky to say the least, but for a debut novel, even those problems aren't unforgivable for me. It's not a serious story - more of a Faustian romp than anything else - but it does have quite a few poignant scenes to offer, including one at the end with Horst (a scene which actually made me shed a few tears), which adds a dimension to Johannes that is only hinted at earlier in the novel. I will be looking forward to following Johannes on his next outing and am hoping that the worldbuilding catches up to the humor.

Having read Dave's review and now yours Eva, I really need to move this book up my reading list!

he's just too sarcastic and acerbic for me not to get attached to.

He sounds like a delightful person, and my kind of fictional character! ;-)

Love sarcastic characters! And necromancers and carnivals. So Johannes Cabal the Necromancer sounds perfect for me.

241> I'll want to hear how you like it. It's caught my interest but I have so many books and ereaders on my plate right now. (I have 5 ereaders around the house - my 2 and 3 borrowed ones!)

Must try Jonathan L. Howard..

have been meaning to try these for a while, bumping up the list. He'll be at the Bristol Festival of Literature too...

Glad you enjoyed it Eva. I think the humour flows more naturally in the second and as the plot is significantly different it's certainly worth picking that one up also.

Hope you all enjoy Johannes as much as I did - humor will always win me over (in real life as in fiction), so I may be a little biased! :)

->246 AHS-Wolfy:
Looking forward to seeing what he gets up to as a detective(!). :)

Since it's a "lovely" 31°C/88°F in Southern California today and last night was spent at the diviest of dive-bars for a friend's birthday celebration, the only thing to do today is to stay indoors, drink lots of ice tea, watch an 11th Doctor Doctor Who marathon, and write reviews!



#45

Category: "There's a Touch" 4/5

Changeless by Gail Carriger

A "humanity plague" is robbing the supernaturals of their powers, and Alexia, now the Lady Woolsey, has to work hard at staying alive long enough to solve the mystery and neutralize the threat. Looking for a fluffy romp with lots of action and groping, and a few vampires and werewolves? It's not great literature in any way, but it is quite fun in all its silliness. However, this installment isn't as good as the start of the series as some of the characters are allowed to act stupider than they really are - I understand Ivy's supposed to be a ditz, but even someone incredibly unintelligent would understand when someone is in mortal danger. Also, I know it takes place in an alternative Victorian time, but where are we meant to be when the characters are shocked that Scotsmen wear kilts? It's minor quibbles, though, since the plot is entertaining and the characters are charming and it's not meant to be taken seriously anyways. Heads-up that there's a large cliffhanger at the end, so if you're not fond of those, make sure you have book three lined up before starting this one.

#46

Category: "Restless Soul" 5/11

A Game of You by Neil Gaiman

In which Morpheus, the Dream King, the Sandman, won't even appear until the very end - another installment in the series that makes the very brave move of hardly including its main character. Not only that, the majority of the story doesn't even take place in the real world - most of the action takes place in a dreamer's mind. Barbie's childhood fantasy of being a princess in a faraway land turns out to be not a fantasy at all and when the Cuckoo threatens to take over, the princess' loyal friends call her back into their world to deal with the threat.

Although about many different things - friendship, loyalty, and what it entails to be female - the main theme in this installment is the question of identity and most, if not all, of the characters are different than they appear to be, whether by choice or by nature. Its main character is after all Barbie, whose ex, Ken, has left her for a woman called Sindy (the name of the British version of the Barbie-doll), so it should be assumed that the character would have no depth to her at all, when in fact, she has created a dreamworld so vivid it affects the real world more than any dream should.

Since they all are, I needn't point out that this is one of my favorite installments. Fairy tales will easily win me over and this one has the princess, the quest, the betrayal, and some sort of happy ending, although not perfect - it wouldn't fit the story if it was. It also has one of the saddest moments ("My princess? I came for you..."), one of the loveliest ("Do you know how much a baby is going to cost us?"), and one of the funnier ("New age? No. Quite the opposite, really."). I do appreciate that the magic in this one isn't nice or clean, but rather nasty and bloody, and that it does have real repercussions for all involved, which does raise the stakes quite a bit. Overall an extremely enjoyable story for its introduction of a group of characters that I feel the richer for having been introduced to.

#47

Category: "Restless Soul" 6/11

Fables and Reflections by Neil Gaiman

In which Morpheus, the Dream King, the Sandman, gives hope to the hopeless, ask for a favor, comforts the inconsolable, shows how he has changed, and saves a Heavenly City. Although this installment in the series doesn't really advance the overall story arc, it does provide the back-stories and the possibilities for many characters in the Sandman universe and what a great collection of stories it is.

"Fear of Falling" - A story merged from a nightmare Gaiman had as a child and his adulthood realization that success is equally as scary as failure. Not great art, but a beautiful concept.
"Three Septembers and a January" - Great retelling of the story of Joshua Norton, the first and only Emperor of the United States of America. I love this story - Emperor Norton is an historical character that has intrigued me since I read about him as a child in an old Lucky Luke comic.
"Thermidor" - Regardless of your personal feelings about Robespierre, Lady Constantine is fantastic and her wonderful plot to save Orpheus is a great homage to the Scarlet Pimpernel. I adore the art of this story as well - Orpheus singing with his "comrades" is amazingly moving, considering what they all are.
"The Hunt" - An "Old Country" proper folktale about the reality of dreams - and as a proper folktale, it has a direct correlation in real life, exceedingly real in this case. The format is great in this - old-fashioned grandfather versus modern grand-daughter ("It all sounds suspiciously post-modern to me, grandpa. Are you sure this is really a story from the old country?").
"August" - Emperor Augustus hides from the gods in order to plan the future of Rome. Lovely and simultaneously uber-creepy story, making a few historical heroes more human than anyone would be comfortable with.
"Soft Places" - Lovely, lovely Fiddler's Green ("I remember, when I was just a young vicinity") gets to harbor Marco Polo in need and introduce us to the places in dream that are deteriorating or still forming. Not my favorite, art-wise, but I always enjoy meeting the jovial Fiddler's Green.
"Orpheus" - A fairly straightforward telling of the Orpheus myth, albeit with a Sandmanian twist. Apparently, Gaiman had meant to tell a more "jazz" version, but realized, during a signing tour, how few Americans knew the original myth, so he stuck close to the original instead. Mainly interesting because we get to see Dream as he was before his imprisonment - not such a nice character, is he?
"The Parliament of Rooks" - Cain and Abel and Eve telling young Daniel stories of creation. Abel's "'Lil Endless" characters are adorable, but it's Cain's story that packs the real punch - especially when Abel can't help but tell the secret, which of course will land him in a heap of trouble.
"Ramadan" - One of the, deservedly, most well known stories of the series, explaining how Arabian Nights Baghdad, war-torn and terrible as it is now, can still evoke magic in our minds and dreams.

#48

Category: "Restless Soul" 7/11

Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman

In which Morpheus, the Dream King, the Sandman, is suffering from heartache and gives in to Delirium's request that he joins her in the search for their missing brother, Destruction. This is truly one of my favorite installments in the series (and I know I say this of all of them), not just because it's a fairly straight-forward quest-story and because we get to see so much of the Endless' separate domains, but because it is one of the funniest of them and has my favorite characters in it, foremost of whom is Barnabas, Destruction's sarcastic and funny and utterly wonderful canine companion ("Hey Schmuck, Devotion you've got. Perjury isn't in the job description."). Although sad, it's also quite lovely to see the change in Dream when it comes to his relationship with his son, especially considering what happened after Orpheus' wedding (before Dream's incarceration), described in the series installment directly preceding this one. This installment does read a little bit like the beginning of the end, with Destruction's departure and Dream's being almost willing to contemplate an alternative to himself, although I can't say if I thought so when I first read it, or if it's because I already know what is to come. Fantastic installment, though, with many mythological strands and loads of great jokes.

June Summary:

Number of books: 10
Pages: 3,367
CATs: 2

Category Progress:
1. "Three More Days (and I'm Home)" - total so far: 4
2. "Whatever You've Got" - total so far: 3
3. "Blood on Your Hands" - total so far: 3
4. "Hit the Highway" - total so far: 5 COMPLETED
5. "Everybody's a Victim" - total so far: 3
6. "Your Childhood" - total so far: 3
7. "A Long Long Long Time Ago" - total so far: 3
8. "Sing All Our Cares Away" - total so far: 4
9. "Restless Soul" - total so far: 7
10. "Slowburner" - total so far: 3
11. "Scotland's Story" - total so far: 3
12. "There's a Touch" - total so far: 4
13. "Spinning Around in the Air" - total so far: 3

Best read of the month: Swing Hammer Swing! by Jeff Torrington because it's genuine and heartfelt and hilarious all at the same time (it wouldn't be fair to count the Sandman books - they would always win).
Least good read of the month: The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan, mainly because I have a slight quibble with the whole all-men-are-bad idea.

I was going to continue on with my Sandman read, but I came across a discounted The Ocean at the End of the Lane at B&N and just have to squeeze that one in first!

Great work! Can't believe it's already halfway through the year. Enjoy your DW marathon (and iced tea)!

Thanks! Unbelievable isn't it - it's July tomorrow!!!!

Love the Sandman marathon review.... even though I still need to catch up with the group read! Fables and Reflections is next on my reading list, but only because it is due back that the library on July 2nd, or I start incurring some late fines.

I am looking forward to reading Changeless. Silliness is pretty much what I expect from Carriger's series but your comment about Ivy is duly noted.... I have a difficult time with female characters that just 'don't get' when they are in danger. *Sheesh*

great reviews of the Sandman, looking forward to seeing what you think of the ocean at the end of the lane

Great sandman reviews, I really must catch up.

#49

Category: "There's a Touch" 5/5



The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Our narrator, now middle-aged, returns to his childhood home for a funeral, and goes on a long and wild trip down memory lane for a visit to his 7-year-old self and to the Hempstock farm, where things are much different (and quite a bit more serious) than they appear. It has a couple of scenes that probably doesn't fit in a book for younger readers, but why this has been touted as Gaiman's first adult novel in a long time is unclear to me; I think the marketers have overstretched quite a bit (in order to justify the high price?), and I'd suggest putting your expectations closer to Coraline and Graveyard Book than anywhere near American Gods.

That said, it is an intriguing story with a lot of warmth and humor nicely mixed in with a large dose of horror and gore. The creepy bits were truly creepy and the powerlessness of a child pitted against an adult is agonizingly well written. I particularly liked the Hempstock women, but then I normally do whenever they show up in Gaiman's universe since they are clever and wise and unpredictable and something interesting will always happen when they show up. Our narrator's annoying little sister is another favorite - she's just so wonderfully and innocently evil as only a little sister can be. Unfortunately, I can't dislike Ursula Monkton thoroughly, even though she does horrible things, because it only in her nature and the fact that she was brought to a place she didn't belong is hard for me to blame on her. I also wouldn't have minded a little more of the Sussex countryside (since the author makes a point of placing the story there) and a more in-depth introduction to the narrator's family, but I understand this was developed from a short story, so it still bears signs of that sparse language. In the end, it is a magic story with some exquisite moments and that has as its biggest failing that it isn't much, much longer than it actually is.

ETA: This one reminded me a lot of The Earth Hums in B Flat, so if you liked that one, you'll probably like this, and vice versa.

Nice review. It did really bug me that his mother just seem to disappear from the story but hey ho.

I don't think you are meant to hate Ursula but I am not sure if the story is nuanced enough to work with a flawed person as a baddie. err if that makes sense

good review. I think it's less that this was developed from a short story and more that he set out to write a short story and then found himself writing 40,00 odd words - still it is very Neil Gaiman, adult themes but not a totally adult book yep I agree

Eva we are at the same spot in the Sandman series! I am really excited about what is coming ahead. Looks like a lot is on the way. I can see why folks reread this series many times. There is so many layers!

->259 clfisha: & 260
That's a good point, it might not be nuanced enough for Ursula. The thing is, any issues I had with it (and they were small issues - I did like the story very much) could be solved by making it what I was wishing for it to be - a proper length adult novel. However, it is hard to criticize something for something it isn't. :)

Btw, aren't you guys in the Bristol-area? I just saw these delightful installations.

->261 luvamystery65:
There is a lot on the way, I can tell you right now! :) And, yes, it's high on my reread list - you always find something new.

Great review of The Ocean at the End of the Lane (what a great title). It's been a while since I've read any Gaiman and this reminds me that I need to.

>262 -Eva-: - yep the city has been over-run by Gromits :-) I'm off to a book launch tomorrow night for the 10th anniversary of a dictionary of bristle and plan to see how many I can spot on the way there. There are no reviews of that book?! I'll have to buy a copy and review it... (there are many words and sayings that are unique to Bristol and the Bristol accent warps some other words - I'll post some choice ones when I have the book in my hands) apparently Bristol's own Colin Pillinger (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Pillinger) will be at the launch which is quite cool :-)

Lalala not looking at the Neil Gaiman review until I read the book myself! Saw the star rating though so am looking forward to it. And the cover is lovely :)

Have read your review of Fables and Reflections now that I have finished it. I think I should go remove my post and just say "Go read Eva's review". You hit on all that I liked, and didn't like, about that one. ;-)

Thanks for the review of Johannes Cabal The Necromancer. I have that one set aside to read in August.
So, there's a lot of gore in the new Gaiman book? I haven't seen that mentioned in other reviews. I may put off reading it until I'm able to deal with gore.

After being off-line for a while, I'm finally catching up with your excellent reviews of the Gaiman books (though I skipped your Sandman Vol. 7 review for now, as I've not read it yet). I agree with your assessments of Volumes 5 and 6, and I'm looking forward to reading his new novel later this year.

#50

Category: "Restless Soul" 8/11



Worlds' End by Neil Gaiman

In which Morpheus, the Dream King, the Sandman, or rather something that's about to happen to him, causes a reality storm and gathers together creatures of all nations to share themselves with each other. Another collection of stories where the Endless only appear peripherally, and only at highly critical moments. This is a little bit like the first installment in the series, Preludes and Nocturnes in that it deals mainly with stories (and the stories within them) and how they affect those to whom they are told. In the frame story, a storm causes the inn Worlds' End to open up its doors to travelers escaping from a horrendous storm, the reason for which is only revealed at the end, and it turns out to be a great and immensely sad precursor to what's to come.

"A Tale of Two Cities" - A Lovecraft/Twilight Zone type story where the main character finds out that even cities dream and, when, after being stuck in that dream from a long time, he finds his way out, he is forever haunted by the possibility of all cities waking up and attacking reality.
"Cluracan's Tale" - A fairy/political tale about how a government or ruler can be brought down by words - a very nice illustration of the adage "the pen is mightier than the sword." It's also a pleasant reminder of how Dream has changed along the course of the series when he shows willingness to break a rule to do a favor for someone he likes.
"Hob's Leviathan" - A sea story, featuring Hob Gadling in which we also meet the other character who Death doesn't take, an Indian king who has eaten fruit from the Tree of Life, the very same tree which is the cause of Adam and Eve's expulsion from Eden - God sends them away so that they won't eat of it and become immortal.
"The Golden Boy" - A Messianic story about the American dream with quite a few nods to Alan Moore's Watchmen. This is my least favorite story in the collection, mainly because it's such a directly religious story - the parallels between Prez and Jesus are not exactly subtle.
"Cerements" - A story about various burial-rites (all of which are, or have been, used somewhere in the world) and the people who has as their calling to perform them. Since this whole installment is very much story-within-a-story territory, it is notable that this story contains a point where not two stories are inside each other, but as many as five stories exist within one another at the same time: Mistress Veltis tells her story to Hermas who tells the story to Petrefax who tells the story at the inn and, at the end, the whole story of the stories is told by Brant to a barmaid (who looks very much like Thessaly, right?). Talk about pushing story-telling to its limits.

As usual, various little jokes are scattered throughout the narrative, like having a Buddy Holly song playing on the radio when the characters are almost killed in a snowstorm in Iowa, or Scutt's family hanging him about the chest to save him from being hung from the neck, or when an unseen creature (who sounds like Master Redlaw from Books of Magic) tells Brant that "That red stuff, that's BLOOD that is. BAD sign if it's not on the inside, that's what I says." There is also some fantastic art in this installment and especially the funeral procession at the end stands out as particularly magnificent.

#51

Category: "Restless Soul" 9/11



The Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman

In which Morpheus, the Dream King, the Sandman, is made (or causes himself) to face all the bad decisions he's ever made and receives a final visit from his big sister. This is the Greek drama of the series, with the Fates spinning the yarns of life and the furies as a chorus leading all the characters to an unavoidable end. Although not specifically said, it is evident that Dream sees where the story will end, since there are many ways in which he could avoid it, but he does not - he could have not heeded Nuala's call or he could have listened to Destruction.

Much of the story is Daniel and Lyta's of course, but most of the characters that have appeared along the course of the overall story get to play a part in the drama. It has a complex structure, but Gaiman pulls it off in masterly way when he reintroduces those characters that have only appeared briefly in the past in a way that makes us remember them vividly.

If you want a condensed version of the story, turn to Magda's story to Rose, a story of reaping what one sows and suffering the consequences of one's actions. At the end, it's Dream's epiphany that's the most poignant - he knows that had he acted in another way and had changed, things had been very different, but that was not in his nature and he needs to leave to give room to a Dream of the Endless that can, and will, be flexible and kind.

Although a very sad installment (mainly because the story is getting so very close to its end), there is still a huge amount of room for the standard Sandman humor, like Barnabas telling Delirium, "I would feel infinitely more comfortable in your presence if you would agree to treat gravity as a law, rather than one of a number of suggested options," or Lyta Hall asking, after Medusa's sisters try to make her one of them, "Can I have some more water please? My hair drank most of it."

Although, along with the others, the installment is a favorite of mine, the art of it is not, since it sometimes comes over as much too "cartoony" for its rather serious subject matter. In those instances that it matches up with the occasional levity of the story it is quite charming, though. This is actually one of the cases when I would have wished that more than one artist had been picked to provide the art. It's not by any means the worst in the series (hello, "Calliope"), so my complaint about it is mainly to provide a very tiny criticism.

#52

Category: "Restless Soul" 10/11



The Wake by Neil Gaiman

In which Morpheus, the Dream King, the Sandman, is no more, the Endless and all of humanity attends a wake, and Daniel has transfigured into Dream of the Endless. There are a lot of impressive imagery, lovely speeches, and cameos by the most powerful of this and other worlds, but the heart of this story is Matthew and (formerly) Daniel and their respective struggles to deal with and acclimatize themselves to a completely new situation.

Although very much the end of a story, the emphasis in this installment is of a beginning. We have a new Dreamlord and he is very much different from the last. Currently confused by his surroundings and how to adjust to those who work in his palace, he has a sensitivity about him that will serve him, as well as the dreamer, well in the future. The only thing that's left to ponder is that perhaps he is too much different from the old one - if once, however many years in the future, this Dream decides he's done, it will most likely be because of feeling too much than too little for his loved ones (and I am very sure he will have many).

There is a lovely play on words in this installment, since the first part deals with what happens in the wake of recent events, the second is an actual wake, and in the last, we, the dreamer, wake from the dream and the whole series. As usual, along with the more serious issues, there are some wonderful levity to be had, such as Matthew meeting a few of the Endless (and Barnabas) for the first time and, since all their names start with the letter "D," says, “Hello. Let’s see: you two I know. Delirium…Death. I thought you only wore black. You must be… Let’s see: Desire. Despair. Destiny. And, uhm… Dog?”

After the end of the overall story, there are three more stories told, one of Hob Gadling at a Renaissance Fair where he finds out that his dream of the wake was true, but that he gets to keep the bargain Dream and he made; one of a Chinese man, exiled by the Emperor, who finds his way into a soft place, where he meets both past and current Dream - and the new one shows his colors by releasing the army from the story "Soft Places;" and the last about Shakespeare finishing the second play Dream had commissioned and where it seems evident that it was Dream's plan all along to "break {his magician's} staff...and drown {his} book."

#53

Category: "Spinning Around in the Air" 4/5



The Sandman Companion by Hy Bender

A great companion read to the Sandman series which covers many of the themes and images in the series as well as its characters. Gaiman himself is given a huge amount of space (via interviews) to explain his backgrounds and thought processes when he was creating this universe and all of them are enlightening. There is also room made for many of the artists involved to at least comment briefly on their respective parts. If you want to delve deeper into the creation of the saga, Bender's companion is a highly recommended place to start. The only complaint I have is that Bender sometimes tries a little too hard to find themes between the stories of one collected volume - they were, at least in the beginning, created as separate comic magazines and, although Gaiman had an overall plan, even he didn't know the series would run as long as he did. It is a small complaint, though, since the benefits of the book are great.

->263 andreablythe:
Thanks! Gaiman is always worth a read or a reread!
->264 psutto:
They look great - hope you spotted quite a few!
->265 rabbitprincess:
It is beautiful, isn't it. And, it does actually have something to do with the story, which isn't always true of pretty covers, unfortunately.
->266 lkernagh:
Aw, thanks! I love your reviews, though, so don't do that!!!
->267 VioletBramble:
Only a little bit gory and only if you (like me) consider it a young adult novel. I think you'd be quite OK with it - or skim a few lines when it comes up. :)
->268 mathgirl40:
Thank you kindly. I've just finished the last three as well, so I'm afraid you'll have to skip a few of the above posts too. :)

Wow, I'm impressed by your Gaiman marathon this month! I'll definitely come back to these reviews later. I did read your comments on Bender's book too and agree with what you say. I'm reading the essays and interviews along with the volumes and find them extremely helpful and enlightening, but I too noticed that some Bender's connections were a stretch, particularly the ones for Fables and Reflections.

I have to skip your Sandman reviews Eva. I am up to volume 7 and will take a little break from the Sandman series until maybe late August. Then I'll have my own little marathon to finish up. I've marked as favorites so I can come back to your thoughts.

Feel free to skip! :) I was planning on pacing myself throughout the year, but I got behind and when I tried to catch up, I apparently just barged ahead. I tend to do that with series... Looking forward to seeing what you think when you get there!

Great Gaiman marathon read, Eva! I will try to remember to pop back as I slowly make my way through the Sandman volumes. Knowing my current reading plans, I will probably engage in a major Sandman catch up reading later this fall, when I realize how far behind I have fallen with the group read. ;-)

->277 lkernagh:
Thanks!! Careful, that's what happened to me - I fell behind and my attempt to catch up became an unstoppable train! :)

Thanks to Roberta (@luvamystery65) for reminding me I had acquired the rest of this series when I was on holiday! Since I want to know how the Hardy-thing works out, I'll be reading Redemption / A Conspiracy of Faith next.



#54

Category: "Blood on Your Hands" 4/5



Disgrace / The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen

A cold case file mysteriously appears on Carl Mørck's desk and when nobody wants to admit to leaving it there, Carl and shifty Assad gets to go hunting for the perpetrators of a series of assaults and murders. After a somewhat unlikely plotline in the first book in this series, I shouldn't have been surprised that the plotline of this one too beggars belief a little. Adler-Olsen seems to pick only psychologically unstable characters for his bad guys, and, although many writers who use this device use it as a reason for the denouement to be a surprise, Adler-Olsen escapes the same trap because the resolution to the mystery isn't that the perps are disturbed - that's made clear from page one - so the actual storyline is how Department Q can catch the baddies.

As in the previous installment, it is our main characters Mørck and Assad that are the stars - their completely different personalities and temperaments give rise to quite a few hilarious moments and there's just no way not to be charmed by them. My only caveat is the new assistant, Rose, but mainly because I can't really get a feel for her role in the group yet, which will hopefully be made clear in future installments. Beware for a substantial amount of torture in this one, and if you prefer to avoid gruesome mysteries, I'd suggest staying away from this one.

I'll also have to skip some of your Sandman reviews, I've read 4 or 5 of them but only 1 so far for this year's GR. I need to kick myself in the behind and get going on them.
I've got a couple of Jussi Adler-Olsen's books in my tbr pile, can handle a bit of torture in my reading from time to time.

Great sandman reviews, I am wondering if I ever got round to reviewing the companion now? must check my thread... are you going to read any of the spin offs? I may read some of them to keep the series fresh in my mind ready for the new book...

Great Sandman reviews, I cant wait to restart my reading of them next month. So after all that do you have 1 that stands out as a favourite?

->280 avatiakh:
I think you'll like Adler-Olsen's characters - they have great chemistry and are very funny.

->281 psutto:
Thanks! I looked at the series page and it's listing The Dream Hunters and Endless Nights as parts 11 and 12, so I'll probably read those too. I also have Death: The Deluxe Edition on Mt. TBR and that one contains Death: The High Cost of Living, Death: The Time of Your Life, and Death talks about life. As far as I can remember, I've not read any of those, so I'll try to fit those in as well before the new book comes out (whenever that is...).

->282 clfisha:
Thanks! That's a very difficult question to answer, but I think I'll go with Brief Lives because it stars my favorite Endless characters and, of course, Barnabas. Also, I do like that you get a hint of Dream's being almost willing to contemplate an alternative to himself - his scene with Orpheus is heartbreaking and the difference between how he acted at Orpehus' wedding and how he acts now is just great to see.

Hi Eva, I had to dodge a few bulltets, phew it's a good thing (I think ?) that I don't read the sandman series this year otherwise I don't think that I would have survived ;)

>279 -Eva-: The Carl/Assad tandem seems like an interesting one, extra bonus: the action took place in Denmark, a country that I don't know at all ...

>240 -Eva-: Johannes looks like my kind of character, I've seen the book tagged as steampunk too, is that right ?

>203 -Eva-: Stoker's Manuscript seems like the kind of uncomplicated book to read one cosy afternoon ?

>189 -Eva-: A Monster Calls, I think that I had already this one from another thread but all the same, thanks for the good review

Wow, you sprinted past most of us Sandman readers there :) I skip the last two reviews as I have those left and it's been a long time since I read them. I love your enthusiasm for this series, Eva. Lovely reviews!

->284 electrice:
I wouldn't tag Johannes Cabal steampunk. It does have a steam train in it, but that's not the only criteria, surely. :)

->285 GingerbreadMan:
Yeah, I did go a bit haywire, didn't I. :) Thanks - it is a series that I have problems finding faults with because I love it too much.

#55

Category: "Blood on Your Hands" 5/5



Redemption / A Conspiracy of Faith by Jussi Adler-Olsen

When a bottle, found in the ocean outside Scotland, is revealed to contain a message pleading for help written in Danish, Department Q are tasked with finding what turns out to be a serial kidnapper and murderer. Another great installment in the series about Carl Mørck, Assad, and the assistant(s) Rose and Yrsa. As is normal in this series, the perpetrator and the plotline beggars belief somewhat although this one is slightly more believable than the previous books and the story is told with a level of veracity that makes up for any issue of that kind. Since we're dealing with children in danger, the stakes are inherently as high as can be, and the sense of urgency makes for a proper page-turner.

There is some of the humor that is so much part of these characters, but there's also a lot of scolding being done by Mørck, so this installment isn't quite as funny as the previous ones. The arson plotline seems a little tagged on, but it doesn't take up all that much room so it's not too much of an issue, and it does explain more about Assad's abilities, which is always interesting. I am getting increasingly intrigued by Assad, since he has a huge amount of mysterious business going on that has nothing to do with his work at the department and hopefully future installments will enlighten us. Also, Hardy could prove to become quite a player in the future and I'm looking forward to seeing more of him as well. According to my edition, a total of eight books are planned for this series (five are currently published) and I'm hoping they'll all be as entertaining as the first few have been.

#56

Category: "Sing All Our Cares Away" 5/5



The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce

When an old friend is dying, Harold Fry tries to make amends by making a pilgrimage to her side, and his long way there is paved with memories, regrets, and perhaps some kind of redemption. The premise of this story was quite interesting - the slow reveal of Harold's life while on his self-imposed Grail-quest makes this almost a mystery, where you only find out Harold's secrets after he himself has been forced to face the things in life that he's been trying to forget. The problem with this slow reveal is that it gets quite tedious after a while, sometimes borderline dull, and some things that are disclosed seem like they have been kept secret from the reader solely in order to make a point at the end. I think in order to really enjoy this, you'd have to like Harold or be able to identify with his ponderings, but, unfortunately, he never really gelled with me - he seemed to only have one courageous moment in his life and it didn't seem realistic that someone would go through over 70 years of life in complete denial of everything that was uncomfortable. It's quite beautifully written, though, so I don't regret the read, even if the story as such didn't speak as loudly to me as it has done to other readers. If you're planning to read this, I do have to recommend the audio-version, which is brilliantly read by Jim Broadbent.

Not a book for me but I can imagine Jim Broadbent reading it perfectly!

Good to know I don't have to race out and read Harold Fry, but making note of the audio-version and the narrator, just in case my local library has that one..... and they do, but in CD format, not downloadable audio so I am safe from adding more reading/listening to my already towering reading pile, for now!

I got it last year as an ER book and I thought the writing was wonderful, although the story did move very slowly as you say.

I haven't started the Jussi Adler-Olsen series yet, but I hope to next month. It seems most everyone loves this series!

The writing in Harold Fry is lovely, no complaints about that, but the characters didn't work for me and that's key in my book.

->292 DeltaQueen50:
And talk about great characters - I'm sure you'll like Carl and Assad!!

>287 -Eva-: I think I will have a 'series' category in my challenge next year so I can delve into all the various series that this group is so good at tempting me with : )

->294 aliciamay:
Oh, LT is a very dangerous place for temptation. I'm thinking of having a "Series" category too next year.

I know not loving this might make me guilty of blasphemy, but what to do... :)



#57

Category: "Your Childhood" 4/5



The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

When he comes home from school one day, Milo finds a toy tollbooth in his room, which, when he passes through it, takes him to a different world where words are bought and sold at the market and where he, Humbug, and watchdog Tock are tasked with rescuing the princesses, Rhyme and Reason, from captivity. This is a very funny and highly didactic story that makes witty puns and idioms into reality - pretty much every type of word play is made concrete. It's definitely a story I wish I had read as a child, since, although I still enjoy such verbal somersaults as this book is full of, I now crave something more subtle than this, or at least something more dangerous - Milo is like Wonderland's Alice, but without the darkness or proper madness. It gets a slightly higher rating than I actually think it deserves, but only because I don't think I should penalize it too much for me having read it at the wrong age.

This thread is getting a bit long and messy to scroll on a tablet, so there's a new thread here - come on over. :)