Books
I just read a 2003 book I'd never heard of -- The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. It was a rotation collection book (from the tri-county central library) so I thought I'd better grab it in case I never saw it again (but now a paperback has been donated to my regular library). One of my faster reads of a 500+ page book. I've picked a few holes in the complicated plot. I tried to think of more to write about it and now it's overdue.
Another 500+ pager:
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
I found the book rather dreary, but interesting enough to read the whole thing (slowly enough to need to renew the library copy twice). I thought it was interesting none of the other novels I've read about that time & general place have mentioned what was called The Year Without a Summer in New England, attributed to the eruption of Tambora, but this one did:
"It was a queer summer that year [1816]. Or rather it was no summer
at all. Winter had extended its lease into August, The sun was
scarcely seen. Thick grey clouds covered the sky; bitter winds blew
through towns and withered crops; storms of rain and hail, enlivened
by occasional displays of thunder and lightning, fell upon every part
of Europe. In many ways it was worse than winter: the long hours of
daylight denied people the consolation of darkness which would have
hidden all these miseries for a while."
http://www.centuryinter.net/tjs11/jean/tambora.htm
On the ILL scene:
I was very taken with Court Duel by Sherwood Smith, after following a recommendation by athenais of Crown Duel. I like them A LOT. The 2 Patricia McKillip titles she mentioned at the same time were good too but a little more work; Winter Rose on a very small canvas and Alphabet of Thorn on a large one. And I just reread A knight of ghosts and shadows by Poul Anderson after makinglight mentioned it.
Not to mention zipping through the latest Nevada Barr... wish I'd tried to engage her in conversation about living in the Adirondack park when I met her at a signing in Yosemite....
Another 500+ pager:
Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
I found the book rather dreary, but interesting enough to read the whole thing (slowly enough to need to renew the library copy twice). I thought it was interesting none of the other novels I've read about that time & general place have mentioned what was called The Year Without a Summer in New England, attributed to the eruption of Tambora, but this one did:
"It was a queer summer that year [1816]. Or rather it was no summer
at all. Winter had extended its lease into August, The sun was
scarcely seen. Thick grey clouds covered the sky; bitter winds blew
through towns and withered crops; storms of rain and hail, enlivened
by occasional displays of thunder and lightning, fell upon every part
of Europe. In many ways it was worse than winter: the long hours of
daylight denied people the consolation of darkness which would have
hidden all these miseries for a while."
http://www.centuryinter.net/tjs11/jean/tambora.htm
On the ILL scene:
I was very taken with Court Duel by Sherwood Smith, after following a recommendation by athenais of Crown Duel. I like them A LOT. The 2 Patricia McKillip titles she mentioned at the same time were good too but a little more work; Winter Rose on a very small canvas and Alphabet of Thorn on a large one. And I just reread A knight of ghosts and shadows by Poul Anderson after makinglight mentioned it.
Not to mention zipping through the latest Nevada Barr... wish I'd tried to engage her in conversation about living in the Adirondack park when I met her at a signing in Yosemite....