Sharp Words

I got a bit busy in second-hand book shops this month, as well as at the library…

The Cipher, Diana Pharaoh Francis. Borrowed from Marion, first read.
Intriguing fantasy although some of the characterisation didn’t seem quite right, with characters doing things suddenly or against what we’d seen of their natures.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J K Rowling. Own copy, re-read for 2009.
After re-reading HP6, I kept going and read HP7 as well, just to try and guess which bits are going to put into the 2 films they’re making of it.

capacity and divergence, Tony Ballantyne. Library books, first reads.
Imaginative scifi although I thought the characterisation was a bit thin in places.

Dissolution, C J Sansom. Own copy, first read.
I’ve been wanting to read this for a while, and although it wasn’t exactly what I expected, I really enjoyed it. And passed it on to Dad.

Quicksilver, Neal Stephenson. Own copy, first read.
Something else I’ve wanted to read for a while, and I was completely blown away by its scope – by the historical (and invented) details, by the characters, and by the humour.

Every Which Way But Dead, Kim Harrison. Own copy, first read.
Still reading this urban fantasy novel series out of order (this is #3 and I haven’t read #2 yet) but enjoying it anyway.

Let The Right One In, John Ajvide Lindqvist. Library book, first read.
This is the first time I’ve ever watched the film of the book while in the middle of reading the book. Both are bloody brilliant though (literally too). And because I’d misbehaved and sneak-peeked at the end of the book, the film didn’t cause too many spoilers for me.

Resistance, Owen Sheers. Own copy, first read.
I bought this 2nd-hand ages ago, and left it sitting on the shelf for my mini-holiday in August… and then ended up buying Quicksilver and taking that instead. I’m glad I finally got round to reading this though. It’s a thoughtful little novel, and creates a good sense of time and place.

Bone Crossed, Patricia Briggs. Borrowed from Marion, first read.
Not a bad addition to her Mercy Thomson fantasy series, though not my favourite.

The Snake Stone, Jason Goodwin. Library book, first read.
Again, a great evocation of time and place (1840s Istanbul) in this engaging mystery. Shame I’ve read everything in this series now – I’ll just have to wait for the next.

Look to Windward and Use of Weapons, Iain M Banks. Borrowed from Dad, first reads.
Been wanting to read Banks’s scifi novels for a while, and I finally swiped some of Dad’s almost-complete collection when I was visiting home. Really really good stuff. I’ll have to get him to bring me some more!

Something Borrowed, Paul Magrs. Library book, first read.
Not as good as Never the Bride, but still an entertaining, whimsical comedy that’s fun to read.

Blood is the New Black, Valerie Stivers. Library book, first read.
The Devil Wears Prada with blood and stakes. Amusing fluff, with people in the fashion industry literally being vampires.

The Twelve, Stuart Neville. Own copy, re-read for this year.
My review

Total for August 2009: 14 + 2 re-reads

Ongoing total for 2009: 130 + 4 re-reads