Category: General

ShelfLove April Update

Posted April 1, 2016 by Nicky in General / 6 Comments

ShelfLove Challenge 2016

ShelfLove Update!

Welcome to April! This month I’m going to consolidate my April TBR list with my ShelfLove update, since they go together well

  • Books bought this year so far: 59 (out of 250 max).
  • March budget: £53/£60.
  • Owned books read: 37/200 (13 books behind).
  • Books read overall: 73/366 (18 books behind).

Uhoh. Clearly I need to get reading. That might be a little difficult this month, since I’m meant to be moving and running a bunch of experiments for my course. But you never know when I’m going to suddenly read everything in sight, so all’s not lost. Here’s the books I definitely must read this month, including the one from last month’s list I didn’t get round to.

  • Bitterblue, Kristin Cashore. Owned for far too long, and in fact I was halfway through it at one point. Oops?
  • Century Rain, Alastair Reynolds. I need to catch up to my sister in our Reynolds Reread.
  • A Civil Contract, Georgette Heyer. A book I’ve had for quite a while, and apparently one of Heyer’s less conventional romances. Sounds good!
  • Demon Road, Derek Landy. Received to review, along with the second book, so it’s high time I got to this one.
  • Knight’s Shadow, Sebastien de Castell. I need to get to this finally, because I have the third book ready to read too.
  • Passenger, Alexandra Bracken. Another I received to review, and about which I have seen intriguingly mixed reviews.
  • Red Moon, Benjamin Percy. Random selection from the library pile which looks quite interesting.
  • Tam Lin, Pamela Dean. Was on last month’s must read pile.
  • Too Like The Lightning, Ada Palmer. Love her work as a singer, and this is due out in May, so it seems an ideal choice for the month’s must reads.
  • Wolfsbane Winter, Jane Fletcher. Due back at the library, so it’s time I tackled this one.
  • Wolves, Simon Ings. I’ve had this library book for, uh, months. Definitely oops.

Obviously, I hope to read more than these ten (plus the one from last month) books this month, but these are the ones I’m committing to. Wish me luck?

And now for the discussion theme for April via the ShelfLove challenge. Apparently, the second week of April is library week, which I think means I timed both my post deploring library closures and my library ban badly, but ah well. Right now I actually have three “local” library systems, and I’m a member of all three, of course. Between the three of them, that means a great selection, and a lot of books I can borrow at once. Up until I started trying to reduce the number of books I had out, I constantly had all three cards “maxed out”! The library staff have always been helpful and friendly, especially when it comes to renewing my books when circumstances mean I can’t make it to the actual library.

But the local library I really miss, which I only just left behind, is Caerphilly Library. They have a great selection, both upstairs in the main area and downstairs in the quick picks area, which includes all sorts of genres and suits all sorts of tastes. And bless every single librarian who let me take out more than the maximum allowance of books (12) pretty much every time, with nary a blink. I miss you guys!

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Library closures

Posted March 30, 2016 by Nicky in General / 6 Comments

The topic keeps going round on Twitter in these days of cuts and cuts and more cuts to public funded institutions, including libraries. It’s a pretty emotive subject, for those who care — and those who don’t often don’t know that libraries can be a social link, a place to get internet connectivity, a place to do work quietly, to get information about all kinds of topics… as well as the traditional books and resources. I can’t currently think of a library that doesn’t serve at least more than one purpose, whether it be children’s activities or community information. When I lived in Cardiff, they’d just gutted the brand new building and replaced a whole floor with other services to do with benefits and taxes.

Of course, these are all valuable services to the community, and of course libraries have to evolve to stay useful, so I can’t really argue against the Advice Hub in Cardiff Library or Caerphilly Library’s Customer Service Centre. And e-services like borrowing ebooks and audiobooks are also awesome. But libraries are valuable as a place to browse and discover new things, too — as a repository of books you might never think to pick up for yourself. I know I’m not the only one who has started reading some awesome authors and series via library books: Georgette Heyer, Laini Taylor, Sarah J. Maas, John Scalzi… And now I buy the books new, but I would probably never have picked them up if I didn’t get a chance to try them first.

I did also see a poisonous thing going round recently where authors (mostly self-published, I noticed) were complaining that libraries stole their revenue. Well, no, they don’t: they pay for the copy of the book they have, and it’s a finite resource which actually opens up opportunities for authors to reach new readers. In the UK at least, authors receive revenue from library loans via the Public Lending Right.

That’s a tangent, though: the thing is, libraries are important, and trained librarians are important. I was a volunteer for and later on the committee of a community library which had been running for about fifteen years. That’s actually pretty long-lived for such a library, as they often fail due to lack of interest. It’s the Tory Big Society dream: the community comes together to protect and maintain a resource.

Except… we didn’t have much by way of funds. We didn’t have much by way of expertise. Our books were mostly donated by regulars who had already read the books they donated. We had to deal with the upkeep of the building, with space issues, and of course we’d have to get rid of books in bad condition. Until I was on the committee, there was no readily searchable database, and books are still checked in and out by hand (meaning it’s difficult to track them down, and easy for them to go missing). It’s amazing that the library lasted so long on its own, and it’s a testament to the local community’s passion and pride in it that it was a social hub, with classes and events and participation in local life.

But. There may have been one or two volunteers with proper library training, but we were all volunteers. So if someone came in looking for help, the quality of the help they received would strongly depend on whether the volunteer that day knew the proper processes or how to find the information or whatever else. Everyone did the best they could, but without training and resources, our little library was no substitute for a properly funded and equipped library.

So yeah, maybe making libraries into local hubs offering more than just books is a great idea. But I can assure you both that the demand is there for the books, and that the proposed volunteer-run libraries are no real replacement.

If you have a local library, protect it. It’s worth it.

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Top Ten Tuesday

Posted March 29, 2016 by Nicky in General / 4 Comments

This week’s Top Ten via The Broke and the Bookish is “recent five star books”. Annoyingly, I don’t enter my ratings on Goodreads immediately, so this was more fiddly than I expected!

Cover of A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan Cover of Carry On by Rainbow Rowell Cover of Vicious by V.E. Schwab Cover of The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope Cover of City of Blades by Robert Jackson Bennett

  1. A Natural History of Dragons, Marie Brennan. No surprise here, really; the first time I read it, admittedly I gave it three stars, but I appreciated it far, far more this time.
  2. Carry On, Rainbow Rowell. Simon and Baz and Penelope, ’nuff said.
  3. Vicious, V.E. Schwab. Possibly my favourite of Schwab’s books so far (I found ADSOM enjoyable, but not perfect). Must make my partner read this one…
  4. The Perilous Gard, Elizabeth Marie Pope. Another reread; I liked this even more than I did originally. It tweaks the ballad of ‘Tam Lin’ and makes a new story — one I really enjoyed.
  5. City of Blades, Robert Jackson Bennett. Pretty much perfect, and possibly even stronger than the first book… Apparently I didn’t read anything worth five stars between City of Stairs and this sequel, because that’s actually the next one as I go back! Though I’m seeing a lot of fours.
  6. The Grey King, Susan Cooper. No surprises there: I normally do a reread around Christmas every year or two, and this was an on-year. Let’s just take it as read that The Dark is Rising and Greenwitch would make the list too…
  7. The Color Purple, Alice Walker. From vague reviews and such, I figured this would be really depressing and not my thing. I was wrong.
  8. A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula Le Guin. Another reread — and you wouldn’t be surprised to note that The Tombs of Atuan would make the list too.
  9. The Mirror World of Melody Black, Gavin Extence. Gets some stuff very right about mental illness.
  10. The Wicked + The Divine: Fandemonium, Kieron Gillen & Jamie McKelvie. The final couple of pages were just evilly good, and the art was beautiful throughout.

1416949674.01._SX450_SY635_SCLZZZZZZZ_ Cover of The Color Purple by Alice Walker Cover of A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin Cover of The Mirror World of Melody Black by Gavin Extence Cover of The Wicked + The Divine vol 2

Should be interesting to see what other people have! I had to go back to September 2015 to get ten. What about you? Do you give out five stars often?

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Stacking the Shelves

Posted March 26, 2016 by Nicky in General / 10 Comments

Hello everyone! It’s been a busy week, particularly as I’m now trying to tackle my library books and get them down to zero, in preparation for a long trip to stay with my partner. I have a month, and 36 books to go… and some of them are the second book in a series where I own the first book but haven’t read it yet. Uh, wish me luck?!

Received to review:

Cover of Saint's Blood by Sebastien de Castell Cover of Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay Cover of Sharp Ends by Joe Abercrombie

So excited about all three of these!

Books finished this week: 

Cover of The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer Cover of Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs Cover of The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski Cover of Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson Cover of Fathom by Cherie Priest

Cover of The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black Cover of The Selection by Kiera Cass Cover of Liars and Thieves by Karen Maitland Cover of Blood and Feathers by Lou Morgan

Reviews this week:
–Clean Sweep, by Ilona Andrews. Lots of fun, and funny too. Ilona Andrews’ books are always fun, I think. 4/5 stars
–Junk DNA, by Nessa Carey. Spoiler: there’s probably no such thing as junk DNA. At least not in the amounts previously thought. Nessa Carey writes clearly and concisely, and I think the book should work for laypeople. 4/5 stars
–The Winner’s Crime, by Marie Rutkoski. I’m not sure if my writing might be too generous — the plot relied heavily on miscommunication/lack of communication, which always drives me bananas. 4/5 stars
–Solstice Wood, by Patricia A. McKillip. More accessible than the other book, Winter Rose, but less enchanting. 3/5 stars
–Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell. Love, love, love. Might read it again before long. 5/5 stars
–The Winner’s Kiss, by Marie Rutkoski. Got over most of my quibbles from the second book, and ended things well. 4/5 stars
–Flashback Friday: Helen of Troy, by Bettany Hughes. Enjoyable take on the myth of Helen and the way it has developed, though probably dry if this isn’t an area of interest for you. 4/5 stars

Other posts:
–Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Books I Really Love But Feel Like I Haven’t Talked About Enough/In A While. What it says on the tin!

How’s everyone? Anything exciting going on?

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Top Ten Tuesday

Posted March 22, 2016 by Nicky in General / 18 Comments

This week’s theme is “Ten Books I Really Love But Feel Like I Haven’t Talked About Enough/In A While”. I can do that, right? Right!

Cover of The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison Cover of Carry On by Rainbow Rowell Cover of Seaward by Susan Cooper Cover of Century Rain by Alastair Reynolds Cover of Sunshine by Robin McKinley

  1. The Goblin Emperor, Katherine Addison. I’m never going to be over this book, or feel like I’ve said enough about it. It probably dethroned my previous fairly longterm favourite. I would rather reread it right now than reread The Lord of the Rings, and believe me, nobody expects me to say that.
  2. Carry On, Rainbow Rowell. Okay, I haven’t talked about it enough because my review hasn’t gone up yet. But STILL. I loved it and I loved what Rowell did with the starting material and I can’t get over Simon and Baz.
  3. Seaward, Susan Cooper. It’s like The Dark is Rising grew up and discovered sex. Except not in any crude way, it’s just that attraction is a thing for the main characters and it shapes what they grow through. A magical journey for a different stage of adolescence.
  4. Century Rain, Alastair Reynolds. I haven’t talked about this much because it’s been so long since I read it, but I’m rereading it right now, so there’s that. It’s actually the book that made my sister into a reader after she totally lost interest.
  5. Sunshine, Robin McKinley. I have to confess, I’m actually a little scared to reread it in case it isn’t as awesome as I remember.
  6. My Real Children, Jo Walton. I feel like I didn’t talk about this enough when it came out, though I loved it. I might even love it more than Among Others, in that it might have more to say to an adult version of me, whereas Among Others talks to the teen I was.
  7. Vicious, V.E. Schwab. I don’t anyone in my day to day life who has read it, and my partner hasn’t read it (yet). CAPSLOCK WITH ME.
  8. The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern. I love this book and I want to read it again. It’s just so magical. And people often say “but I don’t like circuses”, and guys, it doesn’t matter.
  9. Kushiel’s Dart, Jacqueline Carey. I always tack disclaimers on this one because of the sex and BDSM, which often makes people look at me like “what weird things are you into?” But I love these books for the politics and the world and Joscelin, who is not at all kinky unless paladins who are meant to be celibate but fall in love are your fetish. (More power to you, if so.)
  10. Bloodshot, Cherie Priest. I haven’t fallen for any of Priest’s other books as much as the duology this kicks off. And there’s no series I can think of that I want more of so powerfully. Must reread soon. (My partner tried and was bored. Aaah.)

Cover of My Real Children by Jo Walton Cover of Vicious by V.E. Schwab Cover of The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern Cover of Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey Cover of Bloodshot by Cherie Priest

I could probably think of a ton more books to flail about. This is a good topic!

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Stacking the Shelves

Posted March 19, 2016 by Nicky in General / 19 Comments

Well, for the first time in a while I haven’t got any new books this week! I did pick up some print copies of books I already owned for my collection, but I don’t really count those as acquisitions unless I’m going to reread. And there was a library trip, but only a small one!

Cover of A Civil Contract by Georgette Heyer Cover of The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer Cover of Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson Cover of Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear

Yes, honestly, that is a small one. I technically own the Heyer books… somewhere.

Books read: 

Cover of Solstice Wood by Patricia McKillip Cover of A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan Cover of Stormy Petrel by Mary Stewart

Cover of Carry On by Rainbow Rowell Cover of A Stranger in Olondria by Sofia Samatar Cover of The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski

Reviews this week:

–The Girl Who Raced Fairyland All The Way Home, by Catherynne M. Valente. A worthy final book, though I was disappointed not to see more of a couple of characters. It ends very neatly. 4/5 stars
–Ex Machina: The First Hundred Days, by Brian K. Vaughn. I wanted to like it more, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the art. Made a decent introduction, though. 3/5 stars
–Winter Rose, by Patricia A. McKillip. I normally love McKillip’s work, but this was my third read and I consistently don’t seem to “get” this one. 3/5 stars
–Sorcerer of the Wildeeps, by Kai Ashante Wilson. I wanted to like it, but the pacing was off and there were so many things skimmed over that I really wanted to know. 2/5 stars
–Alex + Ada: Volume One, by Jonathan Luna and Sarah Vaughn. Very very introductory, so it’s hard to say if I’ll like the rest of the series. 3/5 stars
–Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay: The Dodgy Business of Popular Music, by Simon Napier-Bell. Gossipy and light, but uses terms like “Red Indians”. Whaaa? 2/5 stars
–Flashback Friday: The Postman, by David Brin. An interesting concept for a post-apocalyptic story. I wanted more female characters, though. 3/5 stars

Other posts:

–Why reread? Examines why I like to reread — and asks whether you do, too.
–Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR. What it says on the tin: some books I hope to read soon.

So how’s your week been? I wish I’d read more, but it hasn’t been a bad week. My only worry is getting together the money for my domain name renewal and such.

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Top Ten Tuesday

Posted March 15, 2016 by Nicky in General / 14 Comments

This week’s prompt from The Broke & The Bookish is about your TBR for spring! I do have a March TBR up already, so this isn’t a binding promise to read these particular things… just a hope.

Cover of The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers Cover of Different Classes by Joanne Harris Cover of False Hearts by Laura Lam Cover of Suldrun's Garden by Jack Vance Cover of The King's Peace by Jo Walton

  1. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, by Becky Chambers. I hear so many good things, I really should check this out. And I’ve had it ages now.
  2. Different Class, by Joanne Harris. I always enjoy Harris’ work, and I got this as an ARC, so I really should get around to it.
  3. False Hearts, by Laura Lam. Again, got it as an ARC. I should also read Pantomime and Shadowplay, but since False Hearts is out soonish, I should read that first.
  4. Lyonesse: Suldrun’s Garden, by Jack Vance. I have had this hanging around on my list for aaaaaaaaaaages.
  5. The King’s Peace, by Jo Walton. I really want to reread this, and soon.
  6. Radiance, by Catherynne M. Valente. I wanted to read this anyway, ’cause Valente, and then I read a bit of the prologue and ohhh, must fit it in soon.
  7. The Copper Promise, by Jen Williams. And the second book, since the third is coming out soon.
  8. Every Heart A Doorway, by Seanan McGuire. I want this so badly, I can’t wait for it to be out.
  9. Revelation Space, by Alastair Reynolds. Doing an epic Reynolds Reread with my sister, and this one is first up.
  10. A Gathering of Shadows, by V.E. Schwab. I am very much converted to the Schwab Supporter Camp or whatever we’re gonna call ourselves. I must get round to reading this noooow.

Cover of Radiance by Catherynne M. Valente Cover of The Copper Promise by Jen Williams Cover of Every Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire Cover of Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds Cover of A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab

What’s everyone else itching to get their hands on, or excavating from their TBR Mountain?

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Why reread?

Posted March 14, 2016 by Nicky in General / 20 Comments

It probably surprises no one to know, if you’ve read my post on spoilers, that one of the reasons I like to reread books is because of that comforting sense you know what’s coming. I just got finished rereading A Natural History of Dragons, and of course I knew what happened — which took the edge off any impatience or tension, and actually means I’m going to be rating the book at least one star higher. It’s just the way I’m wired, I guess; I like to know, and then watch things unfold with that knowledge and put together, instead of the what, the how and sometimes the why.

(On the other hand, I just reread Winter Rose, and knowing how that ends didn’t help a bit with connecting the dots because there’s something about that book I just don’t get.)

As I said in the post on spoilers, it’s also a way of appreciating the skill of the author: even if you know what’s coming, can they keep you absorbed? Can they keep you following the thread of story round each step of the labyrinth, instead of taking a shortcut? Can they lay a trail of clues for the reader?

Of course, if you have a really great memory, then only the very best of books will stand up to that, or it has to be something else that draws you — the characters? the writing? the nostalgia?

There’s a whole lot of reasons why I reread, but nostalgia and comfort are a big part. I can get the same thing with books that follow a formula — like Georgette Heyer’s Regency novels or Mary Stewart’s suspenseful romances — because I sort of know what’s coming, and I can just settle into it, watching where it takes me.

What about you? Do you reread? Why/why not?

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Stacking the Shelves

Posted March 12, 2016 by Nicky in General / 22 Comments

You know how I said last week there was a bookalanche? Well, it seems to have… set off another? Plus I got some review copies. And I joined a new library. At least I read quite a lot too?!

Books to review: 

Cover of Passenger by Alexandra Bracken Cover of Too Like The Lightning Cover of Demon Road by Derek Landy

Between being a fan of Ada Palmer’s work with Sassafrass and Jo’s praise, I couldn’t resist picking up the latter, and I’ve seen so much enthusiasm about Passenger, so I thought I’d give it a try. And Demon Road, well, the hardback from the library is a beast so glad to have the ebook. Thanks Tor, Hachette and HarperCollins!

Library books:

Cover of House of Suns Cover of Century Rain by Alastair Reynolds Cover of Red Moon by Benjamin Percy Cover of A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

Cover of Saturn's Children by Charles Stross Cover of The Dark Heroine by Abigail Gibbs Cover of The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater Cover of Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

Grabbed the Stiefvater books since it’s the first time I’ve seen them both on the shelves, and I don’t know when I’ll next swing by that library. The Alastair Reynolds books are for my epic reread with my sister; we’re starting with Century Rain, which is the book we both started with way back when (and the book which got my sister to read again after years of refusing). A Natural History of Dragons is for a reread and Saturn’s Children because I don’t feel like reading in ebook lately. The other two I was just randomly curious about.

Books bought: 

Cover of Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer Cover of Faro's Daughter by Georgette Heyer Cover of Frederica by Georgette Heyer Cover of Watch the Wall, My Darling, by Jane Aiken Hodge

Cover of Forest of Memory by Mary Robinette Kowal Cover of The Devil You Know by K.J. Parker Cover of The Drowning Eyes by Emily Foster Cover of Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher

Cover of Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds Cover of Redemption Ark by Alastair Reynolds Cover of Absolution Gap by Alastair Reynolds Cover of Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds

Cover of The Prefect by Alastair Reynolds Cover of Diamond Dogs, Turquoise Days by Alastair Reynolds Cover of Zima Blue by Alastair Reynolds Cover of Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews

A-Force: Warzones Unbeatable Squirrel Girl Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps

Um. My only excuse is that some of these were secondhand and thus very cheap or free, and then the novellas were from my partner via our Valentine’s Day agreement (for me: £10 ish for books, no questions asked, each month; for her: at least one nap, no pouting allowed, each month). You can see four distinctive sections — romance novels, fantasy novellas, Alastair Reynolds, and kickass ladies in comics. And then an Ilona Andrews one tacked on that I almost forgot to list.

Books read: 

Cover of Winter Rose by Patricia McKillip Cover of Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson Cover of Ex-Machina: The First Hundred Days Cover of The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu

Cover of Alex + Ada Vol 1 by Sarah Vaughn and Jonathan Luna Cover of Clean Sweep, by Ilona Andrews Cover of Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay by Simon Napier-Bell Cover of Junk DNA by Nessa Carey

Reviews this week: 

–Tolkien: An Illustrated Atlas, by David Day. Mostly worth it for the art included. 3/5 stars
–An Earthly Knight, by Janet McNoughton. A reread I appreciated more than I did the first time, based on the ballad of Tam Lin. Lots of historical detail. 4/5 stars
–The Last Enchantment, by Mary Stewart. It felt like Stewart tried to see the best in all the traditional characters, which didn’t always work. 3/5 stars
–The Paper Menagerie, by Ken Liu. Interesting collection of stories, and my only real problem was something about the tone. Probably very idiosyncratic! 3/5 stars
–Murder in the Dark, by Kerry Greenwood. One of the weaker entries in the series, I think, with a weird cult thing going on. 3/5 stars
–Vicious, by V.E. Schwab. Loved it, loved it, loved it. Morally dubious superpeople and a fun story structure. 5/5 stars
–Flashback Friday: Before I Go To Sleep, by S.J. Watson. Fairly typical amnesiac thriller, and rather predictable too. 2/5 stars

Other posts:
–Spoilers! A post on why I like spoilers and why I might not be alone in that.
–Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Characters Everyone Likes But I Just Don’t Get. Apparently it’s unpopular opinions time again?

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Top Ten Tuesday

Posted March 8, 2016 by Nicky in General / 2 Comments

This week’s theme from The Broke and the Bookish is  “Ten Characters Everyone Loves But I Just Don’t Get”. Hold on to your hats, let’s see if I can even make ten…

Cover of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo Cover of Throne of Glass, by Sarah J. Maas Cover of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins Cover of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

  1. The Darkling, from Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. All I hear is ‘wah, wah, wah, waaaaah’, sorry.
  2. Mal, from Shadow and Bone. Wait, you only like Alina when she’s helpless and dependent on you? Really? Why am I the only one seeing this?
  3. Dorian, from Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. I didn’t get the appeal of him in the first book, and I still don’t see him as a potential romantic match. Sorry not sorry!
  4. Gale Hawthorne, from The Hunter Games by Suzanne Collins. At least not after the second book or so, when he started getting all militant. He was a fine character but Peeta won hands down, for me. (Though if I’m on a team, it’s just plain ol’ Team Katniss Can Kiss Who She Likes).
  5. Draco Malfoy, from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling. I never understand people shipping him with Harry or Hermione. Even if he’s not the worst, he’s a coward and a bully.
  6. Severus Snape, from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Okay, I never got to his redemption stuff, but really? Snape?
  7. Simon, from The Darkest Powers by Kelley Armstrong. Okay, he wasn’t a bad character, but I hated the misdirected romance with him. Derek, darn it!
  8. Lancelot, from Arthurian Legends. This one is cheating because there are so many versions, and the one that inevitably jumps to mind is one that nobody is meant to like — Bernard Cornwell’s version. I don’t care! Lancelot’s whole character just doesn’t appeal, though one or two authors — Steinbeck, Guy Gavriel Kay — have had a light enough touch to make me sympathise.
  9. Lin Chung, from the Miss Fisher Mysteries by Kerry Greenwood. No, not really, I still love him. I just wish Phryne would sleep with someone else for once, it’s getting really out of character. As I type this I’m reading Death By Water, and she’s had at least three opportunities to flirt and hasn’t really taken them. Whyyyy!?
  10. Katsa, from Graceling by Kristin Cashore. I got it a bit more the second time I read it, but I still don’t adore the character.

Cover of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling Cover of The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong Cover of The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell Cover of Death by Water by Kerry Greenwood Cover of Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Okay, so I did hit ten. But mostly I seem to follow the crowd…

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