Read: July 2008
Anansi Boys, Neil Gaiman - finished Tuesday 1st. Own copy.
I’d seen it mentioned else-blog, and decided to read it again. It’s a great book (and my copy’s signed).
Myth-ing Persons, Robert Asprin - finished Wednesday 2nd. BookMooched copy, first read (maybe).
Little Myth Marker, Robert Asprin - finished Wednesday 2nd. BookMooched copy (definitely read this one before).
Humorous fantasy, great mindless enjoyment.
The Warrior’s Apprentice, Lois McMaster Bujold - finished Thursday 3rd. Own copy, first read.
Why, when I have a lot of friends who love this author, have I left it so late to start reading this series? (And why didn’t I buy more than just the first one in the second-hand bookshop last week?) Excellent sci-fi, great characters, interesting plot.
Worldwired, Elizabeth Bear - finished Friday 4th. BookMooched copy, first read.
More brilliant sci-fi: world conflict and disasters, aliens and artificial intelligence. It wasn’t till I’d finished that I realised it was the third in a series, but it worked well as a stand-alone too.
Living with the Truth, Jim Murdoch - finished Saturday 5th. Own copy, first read.
I’ll be reviewing this once I finish re-reading it, most probably at the very beginning of August.
Jaran, Kate Elliott - finished Sunday 6th. Own copy.
I’ve ordered the next part in the series on BookMooch; hoping I’ll get it soon!
The Drowning Tree, Carol Goodman - finished Tuesday 8th. BookMooched copy, first read.
This carries on many of Goodman’s usual themes: classical Graeco-Roman myths, art, water, events from school or college days having an effect on the present. I really like her writing.
The Innocent Mage, Karen Miller - finished Thursday 10th. Library book, first read.
The Awakened Mage, Karen Miller - finished Friday 11th. Library book, first read.
A really good fantasy duology(?) with interestingly flawed characters. Highly recommended for all fantasy fans.
The Peshawar Lancers, S M Stirling - finished Monday 14th. Borrowed from Colin, first read.
More alt-history from Stirling, this one set in a world where a cataclysm during Victorian times has nearly frozen society, and all of the British Empire is now located in India.
The Life of the World to Come, Kage Baker - finished Wednesday 16th. Library book, first read.
More SF by a female writer; obviously my month for it! A great romp.
The Kingdom Beyond the Waves, Stephen Hunt - finished Thursday 24th. Library book, first read.
Not as good as The Court of the Air, but still an interesting visit back to the same lands and one of its minor characters.
The Big Over Easy, Jasper Fforde - finished Saturday 26th. Own copy.
Easy-reading for the bath.
Snow Falling on Cedars, David Guterson - finished Monday 28th. BookMooched copy, first read.
Really good novel, and I’d now be interested to see the film, to see what it made of the twists and turns of time in the story.
** This counts as my plant book for my reading challenge. **
Soulstring, Midori Snyder - finished Tuesday 29th. Borrowed from Marion, first read.
A quick fantasy romance read: girl is oppressed by father, girl meets boy, girl escapes father, drama ensues. Not bad though.
Stamping Butterflies, Jon Courtenay Grimwood - finished Thursday 31st. BookMooched copy.
I love JonCG’s stuff, it just feels so complex and so beautifully evokes parts of the world I’ll never visit (such as North Africa in this book and in Arabesk, Japan in End of the World Blues) as well as future/alternative worlds. Quite a convoluted plot, with three stories at once and only two of them obviously linked, but it all pulls together at the end.
Total for July 2008: 17 + 0 re-reads (7 in the first 6 days of the month!)
Ongoing total for 2008: 94 + 8 re-reads
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on August 4th, 2008 at 10:05 am
You know, every time I see that book cover of mine it makes me smile. And as for reading lists … I’d be affronted to post mine I’m reading so little at the moment. I’m jealous.
Jim Murdoch’s last post: Poetry and art (part one)
on August 4th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
I’ve read two by Neil Gaiman and only liked Neverwhere.
Laura’s last post: Green Thumb Sunday
on August 4th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
I wish I had the time to read more–I imagine my room at the nursing home will look like a library while I catch up LOL.
But… SIGNED by Neil Gaiman (that god of my idolatry)??? Why you lucky, lucky….
‘Scuse me, I gotta go kick some furniture in a jealous rage.
Susan’s last post: The Final *DING* and Mummy’s Typewriter Memories
on August 5th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
I don’t always read so much. Honest. I have weeks where I read five books and others where I read just one. But I do have to read, it’s a compulsion. I certainly can’t take a bath without a book.
I really like your Rorschach covers, Jim. (Spelt wrong?). It looks good in the pic but even better on the actual book. Really eye-catching.
Laura, which Neil Gaiman didn’t you like? I’ve got quite a lot of stuff by him (I got my old copy of Neverwhere signed when I met him, he said he hadn’t seen one for a while, because it was the original BBC book from when the series was on TV) and although I don’t like some of his short stories so much, on the whole, I’m a very big fan. And I love his blog.
Susan: yep, signed (and Neverwhere too) and actually signed to me - in other words, not just pre-signed stuff I bought. Signed, all mine… he came and read in Belfast during NaNoWriMo 2005 and there were an awful lot of WriMos there! He’s due in Dublin soon, as I’m sure you know…