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March books
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Memory and Dream- Charles de Lint donna_k sent me this book along with Yarrow a while ago and I'd read that and enjoyed it but this was a bigger paperback so it went on a different pile and actually reading it in Iceland was sort of perfect because I was surrounded by the Sagas and stories of trolls and elves and so reading Charles de Lint's fantasy was wonderful. And I loved this book, just loved it. I liked the characters and wanted to know what was coming next and I wanted SO MUCH to be able to read Kathy's stories and see Izzy's paintings so much. Definite recommendation and I need to find some more of his novels I think.
Flappers and Philosophers and Tales of the Jazz Age- F. Scott Fitzgerald I had an edition with both these collections of short stories together. I'd only ever read The great Gatsby before but I like his style a lot and it's fascinating seeing the constant tension between the fascination of the bright young things and the feeling that, although they're slightly hollow, everyone else is slightly pointless.
Looking for Jake (and Other Stories)- China Mieville I really enjoyed these short stories. I wasn't quite so keen on the novella at the end, nice concept but something about the structure seemed off. 'Reports of Certain Events in London' was possibly my favourite, and the one about the Ball Room (in a shop that absolutely wasn't Ikea *coughs*)
Leviathan- Scott Westerfield Steampunk + alternate history and written by an author I already like? I was always going to like this book unless something was very wrong but I really did enjoy it. The two teenage protagonists are both interesting and the world they're in is intriguing and maybe I guessed a few of the twists and turns before they happened but I REALLY want to know what happens next now.
Adrienne and the Chalet School- Elinor Brent Dyer A quick reread on a very abd day which is what the Chalet School books are best for <3 This one does have some of the most ridiculous coincidences but it also has the very strange episode at the start where you can't help feeling the danger Adrienne is in is rather darker and more adult than most Chalet plots.
Rebel- R.J. Anderson This is the sequel to Knife, which I read last year, and although it's very different in some ways I still loved it. I really like this take on Faeries, especially now we've moved away from the Oak and discovered several different groups of faeries (and, shock horror, even males!) Very much enjoying the series but I NEED to read Arrow now because (as all good 2nd books do) it ended on a slightly unnerving note.
The Legend of Sigurd & Gudrun- JRR Tolkien I read the Lay of the Volsungs half of this a couple of months back, pre-Iceland, and put the book down so I could read the second half while there in the land of the Edda only of course I forgot *g* They're Tolkein's versions of stories that have been told thousands of times and I rather like them. I suspect if I knew about the scholarly debates surrounding some of these tales and the sagas they came from (and the actual history) I'd have appreciated some of the notes more but the Lays themselves I definitely liked.
Looking Glass Wars: Arch Enemy- Frank Beddor Third part of the trilogy and I sort of wish there was more 9well there is because there are the graphic novels about Hatter but more of the main story I mean). I loved the way it ended, by halfway through I was wondering how on earth it would finish all the plotlines but all were tied up neatly. I'd maybe have liked the romance in the coda a little earlier but that's a minor quibble. WELL worth a read for all fantasy fans.
Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters- Charlotte Mosely (editor) I've been reading this for a couple of months on and off because it's heavy book but it's also completely fascinating. In the later letters Deborah and Diana wonder why people are so fascinated by the family but between them they were right at the centre of political, literary and aristocratic life for most of the twentieth century so this book is really interesting as a history of the century. But more than that it's a really interesting look at family relationships and how it's possible to love someone whilst not really liking them and I could quote PAGES of bits of the letters. HIGHLY recommended.
Scorpia Rising- Anthony Horowitz Okay so technically I finished this in April but only because I just kept reading all night :P Review here.
In other news our exhibition is all complete and tidy and all that needs doing is the dressing up clothes putting in their baskets and it's ready for opening tomorrow :D
- Memory and Dream- Charles de Lint
- Flappers and Philosophers & Tales of the Jazz Age- F. Scott Fitzgerald
- Looking for Jake (and Other Stories)- China Mieville
- Leviathan- Scott Westerfield
- Adrienne and the Chalet School- Elinor Brent Dyer
- Rebel- R.J. Anderson
- The Legend of Sigurd & Gudrun- JRR Tolkien
- Looking Glass Wars: Arch Enemy- Frank Beddor
- Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters- Charlotte Mosely (editor)
- Scorpia Rising- Anthony Horowitz
More details...
Memory and Dream- Charles de Lint donna_k sent me this book along with Yarrow a while ago and I'd read that and enjoyed it but this was a bigger paperback so it went on a different pile and actually reading it in Iceland was sort of perfect because I was surrounded by the Sagas and stories of trolls and elves and so reading Charles de Lint's fantasy was wonderful. And I loved this book, just loved it. I liked the characters and wanted to know what was coming next and I wanted SO MUCH to be able to read Kathy's stories and see Izzy's paintings so much. Definite recommendation and I need to find some more of his novels I think.
Flappers and Philosophers and Tales of the Jazz Age- F. Scott Fitzgerald I had an edition with both these collections of short stories together. I'd only ever read The great Gatsby before but I like his style a lot and it's fascinating seeing the constant tension between the fascination of the bright young things and the feeling that, although they're slightly hollow, everyone else is slightly pointless.
Looking for Jake (and Other Stories)- China Mieville I really enjoyed these short stories. I wasn't quite so keen on the novella at the end, nice concept but something about the structure seemed off. 'Reports of Certain Events in London' was possibly my favourite, and the one about the Ball Room (in a shop that absolutely wasn't Ikea *coughs*)
Leviathan- Scott Westerfield Steampunk + alternate history and written by an author I already like? I was always going to like this book unless something was very wrong but I really did enjoy it. The two teenage protagonists are both interesting and the world they're in is intriguing and maybe I guessed a few of the twists and turns before they happened but I REALLY want to know what happens next now.
Adrienne and the Chalet School- Elinor Brent Dyer A quick reread on a very abd day which is what the Chalet School books are best for <3 This one does have some of the most ridiculous coincidences but it also has the very strange episode at the start where you can't help feeling the danger Adrienne is in is rather darker and more adult than most Chalet plots.
Rebel- R.J. Anderson This is the sequel to Knife, which I read last year, and although it's very different in some ways I still loved it. I really like this take on Faeries, especially now we've moved away from the Oak and discovered several different groups of faeries (and, shock horror, even males!) Very much enjoying the series but I NEED to read Arrow now because (as all good 2nd books do) it ended on a slightly unnerving note.
The Legend of Sigurd & Gudrun- JRR Tolkien I read the Lay of the Volsungs half of this a couple of months back, pre-Iceland, and put the book down so I could read the second half while there in the land of the Edda only of course I forgot *g* They're Tolkein's versions of stories that have been told thousands of times and I rather like them. I suspect if I knew about the scholarly debates surrounding some of these tales and the sagas they came from (and the actual history) I'd have appreciated some of the notes more but the Lays themselves I definitely liked.
Looking Glass Wars: Arch Enemy- Frank Beddor Third part of the trilogy and I sort of wish there was more 9well there is because there are the graphic novels about Hatter but more of the main story I mean). I loved the way it ended, by halfway through I was wondering how on earth it would finish all the plotlines but all were tied up neatly. I'd maybe have liked the romance in the coda a little earlier but that's a minor quibble. WELL worth a read for all fantasy fans.
Mitfords: Letters Between Six Sisters- Charlotte Mosely (editor) I've been reading this for a couple of months on and off because it's heavy book but it's also completely fascinating. In the later letters Deborah and Diana wonder why people are so fascinated by the family but between them they were right at the centre of political, literary and aristocratic life for most of the twentieth century so this book is really interesting as a history of the century. But more than that it's a really interesting look at family relationships and how it's possible to love someone whilst not really liking them and I could quote PAGES of bits of the letters. HIGHLY recommended.
Scorpia Rising- Anthony Horowitz Okay so technically I finished this in April but only because I just kept reading all night :P Review here.
In other news our exhibition is all complete and tidy and all that needs doing is the dressing up clothes putting in their baskets and it's ready for opening tomorrow :D