The month in books
The Disappointing
True North by Kimberly Kafka - I liked this one a lot until the end. Alaska! Bush pilots! Interesting political relations between whites and the native community! Unfortunately, it appears to have been published without the final three chapters. I'm all for not wrapping things up in a pretty bow, but this was like the author laid the package on top of the ribbon and then just left it there without even attempting to pull the ribbon up over the top. [Spoilers]What's Alpha going to do without Zach, without savings, and possibly facing charges for illegal mining? Did Bailey and Kash get together after that exchange of nods in the airplane cockpit? Most importantly, did the powderkeg about to blow up in re: native relations with the government and with whites go off? These needed answers, but none were to be found.
The Disturbing
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - My book club at work is reading this for January. It's not something I would've picked up on my own, but I can't say it was bad. It was actually very well done. I was not expecting the reveal at the beginning of the second part, I must say. But by the end, I unconditionally hated the two main characters, which I suppose was the point. [Spoilers]It's my personal headcanon that as immediately as possible after that baby was born, Go volunteered to babysit for a night and then burned down the house with extreme prejudice. No survivors. And she somehow planned it so that it looked like faulty wiring.
The Fun!
Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch - I devoured the first three of these in short order. The fourth one doesn't come out here until next month (but I'm first on the list at the library!). They're a little popcorny, but very fun, and I really like the way Aaronovitch has Peter treat magic as something to be studied and experimented with a la chemistry. I get a little tired of magic as some arcane, sacred art that just works without explanation. This treatment of it appeals to my practical side.
This entry was originally posted at http://icepixie.dreamwidth.org/929673.html. It has
comments over there.
True North by Kimberly Kafka - I liked this one a lot until the end. Alaska! Bush pilots! Interesting political relations between whites and the native community! Unfortunately, it appears to have been published without the final three chapters. I'm all for not wrapping things up in a pretty bow, but this was like the author laid the package on top of the ribbon and then just left it there without even attempting to pull the ribbon up over the top. [Spoilers]What's Alpha going to do without Zach, without savings, and possibly facing charges for illegal mining? Did Bailey and Kash get together after that exchange of nods in the airplane cockpit? Most importantly, did the powderkeg about to blow up in re: native relations with the government and with whites go off? These needed answers, but none were to be found.
The Disturbing
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn - My book club at work is reading this for January. It's not something I would've picked up on my own, but I can't say it was bad. It was actually very well done. I was not expecting the reveal at the beginning of the second part, I must say. But by the end, I unconditionally hated the two main characters, which I suppose was the point. [Spoilers]It's my personal headcanon that as immediately as possible after that baby was born, Go volunteered to babysit for a night and then burned down the house with extreme prejudice. No survivors. And she somehow planned it so that it looked like faulty wiring.
The Fun!
Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch - I devoured the first three of these in short order. The fourth one doesn't come out here until next month (but I'm first on the list at the library!). They're a little popcorny, but very fun, and I really like the way Aaronovitch has Peter treat magic as something to be studied and experimented with a la chemistry. I get a little tired of magic as some arcane, sacred art that just works without explanation. This treatment of it appeals to my practical side.
This entry was originally posted at http://icepixie.dreamwidth.org/929673.html. It has
comments over there.