#40 Here Lies Arthur by Philip Reeve ( Read more... )

#38 Theft by Peter Carey

Absolutely superb. If you look at the recent work of Ian McEwan you see a highly skilled writer who is retreating into his long developed style. Theft is like nothing Carey has done before - none of his books are - and yet the style seems so effortless he could have been writing it forever. And in fact it is writen in two ( Read more... )

Diary by Chuck Palahniuk: enjoyable enough but ironically scuppered by it's viewpoint character. This is ironic because it is integral to the plot that the book is told as a diary but the presentation of the story in diary form is exactly what causes it to fail. It makes the story seem comic rather than horrific. As I was reading it I was struck by ( Read more... )

Things that make you go fucksocks.

I know you all read Matt Cheney's indispensable blog but here's a pair of reminders. First, Cheney tackles the stupidest piece of SF criticism since the David Truesdale debacle. Second, be sure to check out the growing comments thread in this entry on China Meiville.

I just finished Peter Carey's My Life As A ( Read more... )