Reading not writing #8
36 Star Born - Andre Norton
Well, she certainly churned them out.
37 Bring Larks and Heroes - Thomas Kinneally
I didn’t like this one much. Apparently with this novel, Kinneally set out to write The Great Australian Novel ™. I don’t know if he is considered to have succeeded, but if so, I obviously lack taste. It was pretty tedious stuff for a novel about Botany Bay. I didn’t find any of the characters particularly sympathetic and found it hard to care much as they met their fates.
38 Sargasso of Space - Andre Norton
I think this was the first Norton I ever read, which is just as well, as it’s the first of a trilogy involving the same set of characters. My library only had this one and the third one, and it wasn’t until years later that I managed to get hold of the middle one. All the standard Norton elements are there - eerie alien ruins, a plot by rogue elements, gawky kid finding his way.
39 A Conspiracy of Paper - David Liss
A well-written historical thriller that I enjoyed immensely. I was as surprised as the protagonist to discover who the mysterious villain was. I usually read the obligatory historical note first, and this one informed us the author is an American who had taken some pains to reproduce early 18th century speech. This of course immediately roused my inner Britpicker and I had to laugh when I noticed two characters ‘exiting’ a building, but apart from minor slips like that, it was very well done (except for it being 1st person POV with a silly, ‘what they did for the rest of their lives’ bit at the end).
40. A Moorland Hanging - Michael Jecks.
An undemanding medieval whodunnit. Jecks appears to be one of those writers who heavily re-cycles plots, as I recognised a number of elements from the other one of Jecks’ books I read earlier this year. As a result I was able to guess who did do it, and saw several of the plot twists coming from miles away. I hate it when that happens. I like to be kept guessing up to the last page.
Well, she certainly churned them out.
37 Bring Larks and Heroes - Thomas Kinneally
I didn’t like this one much. Apparently with this novel, Kinneally set out to write The Great Australian Novel ™. I don’t know if he is considered to have succeeded, but if so, I obviously lack taste. It was pretty tedious stuff for a novel about Botany Bay. I didn’t find any of the characters particularly sympathetic and found it hard to care much as they met their fates.
38 Sargasso of Space - Andre Norton
I think this was the first Norton I ever read, which is just as well, as it’s the first of a trilogy involving the same set of characters. My library only had this one and the third one, and it wasn’t until years later that I managed to get hold of the middle one. All the standard Norton elements are there - eerie alien ruins, a plot by rogue elements, gawky kid finding his way.
39 A Conspiracy of Paper - David Liss
A well-written historical thriller that I enjoyed immensely. I was as surprised as the protagonist to discover who the mysterious villain was. I usually read the obligatory historical note first, and this one informed us the author is an American who had taken some pains to reproduce early 18th century speech. This of course immediately roused my inner Britpicker and I had to laugh when I noticed two characters ‘exiting’ a building, but apart from minor slips like that, it was very well done (except for it being 1st person POV with a silly, ‘what they did for the rest of their lives’ bit at the end).
40. A Moorland Hanging - Michael Jecks.
An undemanding medieval whodunnit. Jecks appears to be one of those writers who heavily re-cycles plots, as I recognised a number of elements from the other one of Jecks’ books I read earlier this year. As a result I was able to guess who did do it, and saw several of the plot twists coming from miles away. I hate it when that happens. I like to be kept guessing up to the last page.