Bit of a slow week for most of us, but we’re still chugging.
Kat: I read only two books this past week. Stamping Butterflies by Jon Courtenay Grimwood had an interesting premise but didn’t fulfill all my expectations due to its unlikable characters and obtuse structure. It reminded me of a couple of William Gibson’s novels. Shadrach in the Furnace by Robert Silverberg was more satisfying. Shadrach, the doctor of a dictator, finds out that the dictator plans to transfer his consciousness into Shadrach’s body. Should he stay or should he go? (If he goes there will be trouble. If he stays it will be double…)
Marion: I haven’t had much time for reading. I am reading Three AM, by John Steven, a shivery futuristic thriller set in a city drenched in perpetual fog; and making my way gingerly through Caitlin Kiernan’s story collection Confessions of a Five-Chambered Heart.
Terry: Mira Grant made me sob again, for the second time in a single trilogy, as I finished up Blackout. In fact, I sobbed so loudly that my husband came rushing into the room to find out what was wrong. This is not my normal response to a novel, and should be taken as the highest level of praise. I hope to have my review up soon.
Tim: I spent the last week on an a rather absurdly devoted ELRIC OF MELNIBONE kick, finishing with Michael Moorcock‘s The Revenge of the Rose and starting on Stormbringer. I also read a bit of Neil Gaiman‘s Neverwhere (Gaiman‘s works are for me like to a fine chardonnay for a wine connoisseur–I can survive without them, certainly, but I get awfully grumpy), and lowered my lance to charge and begin yet another (semi)heroic assault on A Prince Among Men by Robert N. Charrette.
I haven’t read Stamping Butterflies so I’m going to look forward to your review, Kat. And Terry, I am going to have to read this zombie trilogy!
I finished Heir of Night by Helen Lowe last night. This was a fantastic book. I have gushed incoherently to my family about it. Most of the best stuff I’ve read in the last year have come from down under. Makes me want to take a trip to Australia/New Zealand just to raid some bookstores.
Was out of town for the update . . .
This past week (possibly the last two) I read Lost Everything by Brian Slattery–an interestingly quiet post-apocalyptic novel; Railsea, an energetic romp of a novel (don’t let the YA tag scare you off; two YA books by Paul Melko–the Wells of the Universe and The Broken Universe which were a bit flat to me; a history of Superman by Larry Tye that was both informative and entertaining; and finally, I just last night finished the Mongoliad (by too many authors to name), which I have to admit surprised me with how much I enjoyed it
Bill
Tim, I love Elric!
@ Kat: So do I. He’s one of those fantasy myths for me, everything from his character to the plots the prose itself is larger than life. While a lot of fantasy is trying to tone down those elements, I feel, reading Elric tends to remind me that there’s nothing really wrong with a little glorious excess.
I think I’ll be checking out some Mira Grant. Thanks Marion.
Neverwhere is a good book, right on par with the typical Gaiman effort. Worth the read and it might be one of those books laying around that I have to re-read.
Tim, I’m not crazy about the “brooding” type and I don’t usually go for blondes, either, but there’s something about Elric… I think it’s that he’s a deep thinker surrounded by decadence that he considers silly and worthless.