Reading not writing 2007 #8
I've suddenly started reading a bit more. Perhaps it's because the library have had an influx of new books just for me to read, although I have even read one or two items from Mt TBR whose size was beginning to depress me. Anyway, here's the next lot.
41. The door through space by Marion Zimmer Bradley. At one time, I was a huge Darkover fan, I've still got all the books but haven't read them in ages. This was MZB's first published novel and has been out of print for many years (in the UK at least). There are hints of much of what came after, although it is not set on Darkover, there was much that I recognised and Darkover was mentioned, so it's in the same universe. The plot was OK, the characters all right; it wasn't a wow of a novel but interesting nevertheless and worth a look.
42. The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry. I seem to have been reading a whole library full of Dan Brown bandwagon novels lately. This is yet another. This one involved the lost library of Alexandria, which wasn't lost, only hidden, containing as it does knowledge that could Bring Down Civilisation As We Know It. I doubt it somehow. There's the usual chase with the hero struggling to discover where the library is, with both the CIA and Mossad on his tail, as well as yet another secret cabal of business persons out for World Domination (TM). It was rather tedious in the end, although much better written than the DVC.
43. Me and Mr Darcy by Alexandra Potter. I've never read any chicklit before. I think it'll be a while before I return to the genre. This described itself as a modern fairy story,and featured a tiresome heroine on a Jane Austen tour who keeps bumping into Mr Darcy (the man of her dreams). The plot does bear a certain entirely non-co-incidental resemblance to that of Pride and Prejudice, and it was quite funny in places, but I had no sympathy for the heroine whom I wanted to slap.
44. The Thirteenth Apostle by Michel Benoit. I would have said that this was another Dan Brown bandwagon book, except that it was originally published in French and is actually far too research heavy for that, but there are similarities. The protagonist is a Benedictine monk who is engaged on research into the gospel of St John. What with conspiracies in the upper echelons of the Vatican, the Dead Sea scrolls and of course, Mossad, it's all great fun. I would dismiss it as brain candy, but there is some interesting stuff about the way the New Testament was constructed in the early centuries AD. I did a quick check and much of that material does seem to hold up, so it might be worth a look.
45. Oscar Slater by Thomas Toughill. I have the Fabulous One to thank for the loan of this book. Oscar Slater was a German Jew who had the misfortune to be chosen as the scapegoat for a cover up in a celebrated Scottish murder case back in 1908. On pitiful evidence he was convicted of the murder of an elderly lady and sentenced to death, subsequently reprieved, and only released fifteen years later. This fascinating book details the case and provides convincing evidence as to the identity of the real killers. Well worth a read.
41. The door through space by Marion Zimmer Bradley. At one time, I was a huge Darkover fan, I've still got all the books but haven't read them in ages. This was MZB's first published novel and has been out of print for many years (in the UK at least). There are hints of much of what came after, although it is not set on Darkover, there was much that I recognised and Darkover was mentioned, so it's in the same universe. The plot was OK, the characters all right; it wasn't a wow of a novel but interesting nevertheless and worth a look.
42. The Alexandria Link by Steve Berry. I seem to have been reading a whole library full of Dan Brown bandwagon novels lately. This is yet another. This one involved the lost library of Alexandria, which wasn't lost, only hidden, containing as it does knowledge that could Bring Down Civilisation As We Know It. I doubt it somehow. There's the usual chase with the hero struggling to discover where the library is, with both the CIA and Mossad on his tail, as well as yet another secret cabal of business persons out for World Domination (TM). It was rather tedious in the end, although much better written than the DVC.
43. Me and Mr Darcy by Alexandra Potter. I've never read any chicklit before. I think it'll be a while before I return to the genre. This described itself as a modern fairy story,and featured a tiresome heroine on a Jane Austen tour who keeps bumping into Mr Darcy (the man of her dreams). The plot does bear a certain entirely non-co-incidental resemblance to that of Pride and Prejudice, and it was quite funny in places, but I had no sympathy for the heroine whom I wanted to slap.
44. The Thirteenth Apostle by Michel Benoit. I would have said that this was another Dan Brown bandwagon book, except that it was originally published in French and is actually far too research heavy for that, but there are similarities. The protagonist is a Benedictine monk who is engaged on research into the gospel of St John. What with conspiracies in the upper echelons of the Vatican, the Dead Sea scrolls and of course, Mossad, it's all great fun. I would dismiss it as brain candy, but there is some interesting stuff about the way the New Testament was constructed in the early centuries AD. I did a quick check and much of that material does seem to hold up, so it might be worth a look.
45. Oscar Slater by Thomas Toughill. I have the Fabulous One to thank for the loan of this book. Oscar Slater was a German Jew who had the misfortune to be chosen as the scapegoat for a cover up in a celebrated Scottish murder case back in 1908. On pitiful evidence he was convicted of the murder of an elderly lady and sentenced to death, subsequently reprieved, and only released fifteen years later. This fascinating book details the case and provides convincing evidence as to the identity of the real killers. Well worth a read.