Books read in December
Since I'm running late with this, I won't say much about each book.
Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Dragonfly Falling by Adrian Tchaikovsky (not finished)
First two books in the long Shadows of the Apt series - fantasy about various types of human who each have an attachment to - and some characteristics of - a different insect. The series concerns the advances of the militaristic Wasp Empire, and the attempts by a variety of characters to resist it. While I didn't dislike the series, my reading slowed down dramatically while I was busy with it, and I finally came to the conclusion that I really couldn't face nearly 9 more lengthy books of it.
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome
Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K Jerome
Late 19th century comic meandering, and a breath of fresh air after my several weeks spent struggling with insects.
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
Light-hearted adventure about travelling historians in and around Oxford in the late 19th century (and, briefly, in the 1940s, in the Coventry Blitz.) The Three Men in a Boat make a brief guest appearance, and the chapter headings are a nod to Jerome's book, but most of the book concerns attempts to ensure that history isn't derailed after a historian impulsively rescues a cat from drowning. You have to accept a few instances of late 19th century British characters using American expressions, but once I decided not to worry about such things - and, really, there are only a few - I enjoyed it very much.
Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows by James Lovegrove
Conan Doyle pastiche / HP Lovecraft crossover. Dr Watson recounts the true story of his meeting with Sherlock Holmes, and the true, unexpurgated reality that he has omitted from his published, fictionalised accounts. The pastiche isn't bad, but doesn't always ring true, and the plot is pretty much what you would expect from a Holmes meets Cthulhu fanfic novel. I found it more dull than I'd hoped - more interesting before the eldritch horrors appeared than after. There's a sequel, and will eventually be a third. I probably won't bother.
Have Spacesuit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein
I think Connie Willis referred to this in her intro to To Say Nothing Of The Dog, but I can't remember why. But it was on Pellinor's shelves, so I grabbed it, anyway. This tells the story of a Moon-obsessed teenager who wins a spacesuit in a competition, and ends up kidnapped by aliens - although this is only the start of his adventures. The setting amused me - 1950s America in every way, expect for the existence of commerical flights to the Moon. I liked the start, but got rather bored once the adventuring started.
Clockwork Boys by T Kingfisher
Fantasy. Book 1 of a as yet unfinished series. A forger, an assassin, a guilt-ridden disgraced paladin (a demon possessed his body and sent it on a rampage) and a priggish scholar are sent on a suicidal espionage mission to discover the secret of the "clockwork boys" - unbeatable automata possessed by the other side in an ongoing war. Lots of characterisation and character interaction, and a fair bit of humour. I rather enjoyed it. Oh, and apparently it's a duology, and the second book is out next month, so that's even better.
The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope (reread)
I love this book! There's a framing narrative - brief, but satisfying - about a modern day (1950s) young woman who goes to stay with her uncle in his historic ancestral pile in rural New York state. There she meets a succession of ancestral ghosts who recount different parts of a Revolutionary War drama, concerning the hunt for a fiendishly clever, charismatic British agent called Peacable Drummond Sherwood. He is a character who is EXACTLY my type, but I like all the other characters, too, and I enjoy seeing the story unfold through all the various viewpoints. I've read this books loads of times, and enjoy it just as much each time.
The Boy with One Name by JR Wallis (Actually, I didn't start this until New Year's Day, so I'll try to remember to move this into January's post in a few weeks.)
Children's book. Jones is an apprentice Badlander, fighting the monsters who live in our modern world - monsters that most people are unaware of. However, he only wants to be a normal boy. Ruby is a normal girl, fleeing foster parents, who stumbles on the world of the Badlanders, and longs to possess Badlander magic, fight monsters and live the sort of life that Jones hates. Adventure ensues, but I got a bit bored with it and skimmed most of it. I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with it; it's just that I wasn't in the mood to persist with a book that didn't instantly grab me. Good reviews online, though, from both adults and children.
Empire in Black and Gold by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Dragonfly Falling by Adrian Tchaikovsky (not finished)
First two books in the long Shadows of the Apt series - fantasy about various types of human who each have an attachment to - and some characteristics of - a different insect. The series concerns the advances of the militaristic Wasp Empire, and the attempts by a variety of characters to resist it. While I didn't dislike the series, my reading slowed down dramatically while I was busy with it, and I finally came to the conclusion that I really couldn't face nearly 9 more lengthy books of it.
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome
Three Men on the Bummel by Jerome K Jerome
Late 19th century comic meandering, and a breath of fresh air after my several weeks spent struggling with insects.
To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
Light-hearted adventure about travelling historians in and around Oxford in the late 19th century (and, briefly, in the 1940s, in the Coventry Blitz.) The Three Men in a Boat make a brief guest appearance, and the chapter headings are a nod to Jerome's book, but most of the book concerns attempts to ensure that history isn't derailed after a historian impulsively rescues a cat from drowning. You have to accept a few instances of late 19th century British characters using American expressions, but once I decided not to worry about such things - and, really, there are only a few - I enjoyed it very much.
Sherlock Holmes and the Shadwell Shadows by James Lovegrove
Conan Doyle pastiche / HP Lovecraft crossover. Dr Watson recounts the true story of his meeting with Sherlock Holmes, and the true, unexpurgated reality that he has omitted from his published, fictionalised accounts. The pastiche isn't bad, but doesn't always ring true, and the plot is pretty much what you would expect from a Holmes meets Cthulhu fanfic novel. I found it more dull than I'd hoped - more interesting before the eldritch horrors appeared than after. There's a sequel, and will eventually be a third. I probably won't bother.
Have Spacesuit - Will Travel by Robert Heinlein
I think Connie Willis referred to this in her intro to To Say Nothing Of The Dog, but I can't remember why. But it was on Pellinor's shelves, so I grabbed it, anyway. This tells the story of a Moon-obsessed teenager who wins a spacesuit in a competition, and ends up kidnapped by aliens - although this is only the start of his adventures. The setting amused me - 1950s America in every way, expect for the existence of commerical flights to the Moon. I liked the start, but got rather bored once the adventuring started.
Clockwork Boys by T Kingfisher
Fantasy. Book 1 of a as yet unfinished series. A forger, an assassin, a guilt-ridden disgraced paladin (a demon possessed his body and sent it on a rampage) and a priggish scholar are sent on a suicidal espionage mission to discover the secret of the "clockwork boys" - unbeatable automata possessed by the other side in an ongoing war. Lots of characterisation and character interaction, and a fair bit of humour. I rather enjoyed it. Oh, and apparently it's a duology, and the second book is out next month, so that's even better.
The Sherwood Ring by Elizabeth Marie Pope (reread)
I love this book! There's a framing narrative - brief, but satisfying - about a modern day (1950s) young woman who goes to stay with her uncle in his historic ancestral pile in rural New York state. There she meets a succession of ancestral ghosts who recount different parts of a Revolutionary War drama, concerning the hunt for a fiendishly clever, charismatic British agent called Peacable Drummond Sherwood. He is a character who is EXACTLY my type, but I like all the other characters, too, and I enjoy seeing the story unfold through all the various viewpoints. I've read this books loads of times, and enjoy it just as much each time.
The Boy with One Name by JR Wallis (Actually, I didn't start this until New Year's Day, so I'll try to remember to move this into January's post in a few weeks.)
Children's book. Jones is an apprentice Badlander, fighting the monsters who live in our modern world - monsters that most people are unaware of. However, he only wants to be a normal boy. Ruby is a normal girl, fleeing foster parents, who stumbles on the world of the Badlanders, and longs to possess Badlander magic, fight monsters and live the sort of life that Jones hates. Adventure ensues, but I got a bit bored with it and skimmed most of it. I honestly don't think there's anything wrong with it; it's just that I wasn't in the mood to persist with a book that didn't instantly grab me. Good reviews online, though, from both adults and children.