Alex Norton
Third of the trilogy. All of which I loved. The main plot driver is not who did it, until not until the latter part of the book but it is very character driven, with fascinating interludes (in this book the tragic story of the Iolaire. I agree however with some criticism that, if May intended to keep this to a trilogy the lack of a resolution of his relationship with Marsaili, the circumstances of his son's death seemed simply a mopping up operation. However these are technical criticisms. I really enjoyed the set.
Sometimes I just wish the BBC would ask him to reprise Alistair Cooke's “Letter from America”. Maybe a bit too Ssnarky but he does have the ability to make the driest topic entertaining.
Cruising through the series. This one is an anomaly so be aware: It is more of a series of short stories rather than a cohesive novel. That said i really enjoyed all of Scalzi's talents in dialog and I can see where the seeds of one of my top5 fictional characters, Kiva, of the Interdependency Series, comes from.
A perfect book for a long drive. amusing characters, but did sort of miss a greater Agatha role :-). it is not a superior crime or mystery book but competently researched, we'll plotted, excellent pace and we'll read in the case of are listening to it on audible.
History written by my crotchety old Uncle (David Mithcell is younger than I am) and he reads like Bill Bryson, funny, opinionated, and never boring. I think I will be reading this one a second time, or dipping in to it again quite soon.
The second book of the series takes just one character and changes from being quite wide scoped to more narrowly focused in time and place but is equally as satisfying. It is a bit weird, sometimes takes flights off topic but Tchaikovsky is a wonderfully talented writer. Looking forward to the third one.
Pretty much has everything I love - a great writer (Among the Thugs is must reading) and I loved Granta, Italian food, Dante. I read this on the heals of Kitchen confidential and both are eye openers on life in a commercial kitchen.
Actually just read this out of order but as they are stand alone that did not really matter. Sansom is, so far, the best of the historical whodunnit crowd. The others that i love (Eco, Iain Pears) are all one off. He is not afraid (and I really do not mind) the extra hundred odd pages of character development and historical context. Plus, having spent a wonderful Xmas in York i loved the setting.
This was a re-read for me for a series I think I want to start up, especially after having enjoyed Wolf Hall so much.
There is nothing here that elevates a good premise and starting plot line into a great book. On the other hand nothing seriously disqualifies either. I just found it a bit wooden but never felt it dragged so was a pleasant read.
This book came through on my Library hold at the same time i was reading Terraformers. So i parallel read them, and even though i might have thought that a historical love story be less gripping than SciFI, i found myself coming back to this more often. My recollection of the Illiad is very poor so I cannot judge if the characters are similar but i found them well developed and interesting.
It is a very difficult book to classify and assign a genre, and that by itself gains kudos in my book. It will appeal to those that like historical fiction, a flourish of fantasy and possibly horror. On this one I urge you to read far better reviews to see if this is your cup of tea, but the writer is certainly a capable one.
Wolf Hall was on the verge of 5 stars. In the sequel Mantel keeps it far more focused, dives in deeper, goes more into the machinations behind the conversations, the pace is balanced (I mean, I think we know how it ends up) so although it moves along nicely we are not hostage to a “thriller pace” I would not be surprised to see the two books being seen in “I, Claudius” category
Back and fourth between 5 and 4 stars. I am pretty sure that book two follows a different path but i did love the characters enough to want to know how the story continues. If you like rich historical novels this is deeply satisfactory
After Hidden River . I had the distinct impression MCKinty could write but that Hidden River, somehow, although enjoyable and readable, not not quite tick all the boxes. Cold Cold Ground, instead was much more satisfying. I lived the Troubles through the news growing up, and this is the first book i read that took me into that historical period and I found it fascinating. Good writer, well plotted and a good historical background made for a very ejoyable novel
A book of 2 halves both equally good. A more concrete first half of life growing up, and most of all of time on the sea, followed by a more “absurdist” second half where everybody accepts the change in characted uf Jun Do, and where the writing blends Party propaganda with narrative. Both halves add up to a powerful book. I do have to remind myself that this is a work of fiction, but one thinks with a grain of truth
I would be crushed if this is the last one. I want Sean Duffy to be checking under his electric BMW i5 for bombs well into the 2020s (ok, ok he will be long retired by then but you know what i mean)
I hate to say it but i kept on thinking that it was a sub-par “Douglas Adams” effort. Maybe it was the effect of collaboration. I enjoyed it (hence the 3 stars) but perhaps Neil Gaiman was still finding his voice and rhythm as I really enjoy his later work.
I adore Banks, but this one felt a bit over produced, and I can't even put my finger on it. Maybe too many ships and characters with different allegiances and the ship equivalent of “He said” “she said” at every sentence just wore me down. On to the next one
It was very good but , personally not to the level of others. It was very descriptive and so much time was spent in creating the world I can see why others thought it should have been the start of a longer series and not a standalone.
This was one of those books I am not really sure I enjoyed but I do know I am very glad I read. It is a challenge, not so much for the language (which you come to grips with especially if you read it “aloud” in your mind) nor for the vocabulary (just read the glossary BEFORE you start the book. The challenge was to remain sympathetic with Dave until the end, to follow him to the end of his journey. Self's language is so rich and sordid that he paints his scenes with ease that make them always slightly repelling. There are some story lines that were never explained adequately (e.g. What was Michelle's justification for marrying Dave) and I sometimes wonder how someone that does not know London can relate to the book. This one of the best books about London and I kept of thinking that it was time to re-read Martin Amis's [b:London Fields 18830 London Fields Martin Amis http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1334149127s/18830.jpg 83385] again.Is it an easy read? No. Is it a worthy read? absolutely - it is not a book I will forget soon, and it certainly will make me look for additional work by Will Self
I feel this one is a four star now, but when I reread in a few years time it will grow to five. It is not an easy read compared to the previous two. The structure is more complex and I feel I missed a lot of nuances. And Banks is really good at nuances. Another piece of the Culture puzzle, and a good twist at the end.
This is a third re-read after thirty years, and it was illuminating. I can look back and see where my occasional love of rather convoluted, somewhat posturing erudite fiction comes from. I need a narrative thread (whodunnit in this case, but historical or scifi works great otherwise) but then i don't really care how fast or slow the plot meanders as long as I enjoy the ride. Hence i love Stephenson or Mantel. Eco was a very good writer who delighted in knowledge and symbols but you don't have to care about any of the untranslated latin passages to enjoy the book. Cross the 100 page mark and you are in classic Murder Mystery territory but will learn about an important period of the pre-reformation church tensions Franciscans and Benedictines, between the Papacy in Rome vs Avignon, or Avignon vs the Holy Roman Empire.
