This Is My Genre, Show Me Yours

Posted November 17, 2016 by Nicky in General / 2 Comments

Saw this tag out in the wilds of Lucille @ A Dragon in Space‘s blog, and thought, yep! This sounds interesting.

This is my genre, show me yours!

The Rules:

Credit Drew @ TheTattooedBookGeek as the creator of the tag, either use the created tag name graphic or create your own and link back to my blog.
Answer the questions.
Tag as many people as you want.

Because I’m contrary and have no art skills, I am not creating a graphic.

1. What’s your favourite genre?

Probably fantasy. I mean, I’m really eclectic and wander into science fiction, crime/mystery, non-fiction and even romance. But unless I can sneak in sci-fi too by calling it speculative fiction… actually, yes, let’s do that. My favourite genre is speculative fiction.

2. Who’s your favourite author from the genre?

This is a really big ask. I mean, there’s Tolkien, because his work is an enduring love of mine. Well, I faltered a bit as a teen, but then read Ursula Le Guin’s essays and came to appreciate all over again the good parts of The Lord of the Rings, like the wry notes of humour. And then my degree taught me to appreciate the deep background, linguistic brilliance, etc.

And come to that, there’s Ursula Le Guin, whose works were also formative for me.

But if we’re talking whose work I pounce on immediately, I guess we’re at Jo Walton. She is not only an awesome writer who wrote Among Others, a book which reflects my own heart, but she is also a friend and giver of great advice.

3. What is it about the genre that keeps pulling you back?

The sheer variety, I think. One minute I can travel with Bilbo from the Shire, and the next I can travel by sandworm across Arrakis, or struggle to get home from Mars with Mark Watney. There seems to be just about no limit to the different books I could easily lay hand on even in my own collection.

4. What’s the book that started your love for your favourite genre?

That’s an easy one! The Hobbit! I probably wrecked my eyes reading that book — my parents told me I had to sleep and to stop turning my bedside light on. So I read by the light of the streetlamp… two houses away.

5. If you had to recommend at least one book from your favourite genre to a non-reader/someone looking to start reading that genre, what book would you choose and why?

No, no, this is silly, I’d need to know the person and their preferences. You have to tailor your recs, or it makes no sense. But for a lot of people, I might go with Harry Potter. It seems to have been a gateway drug for many, and it’s a pretty pacy, easy read.

6. Why do you read?

Why can’t I stop? Not that I want to.

Tags: books, reading memes, SF/F

Review – The Wind off the Small Isles

Posted November 17, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

The Wind off the Small Isles, Mary Stewart

A new-to-me Mary Stewart! Alas that it’s only a novella. Still, it’s characteristic of her work in the fine and detailed sense of place, in the sudden sweet relationship between the male and female characters, and in the atmospheric setting. Most of it would really have benefitted from a longer book: I really wanted to see more of this post-cataclysmic scene in Lanzarote, the lava beds and lack of trees… it’s not how I imagine the place, and it’s a fascinating glimpse of a whole different time — a time when tourism on Lanzarote was barely beginning, because volcanic activity had scoured the island.

The relationship, too… I can suspend my disbelief somewhat, but it would’ve been so much better to have a full novel of this, a full novel to explore the story and the development of the relationship. Just two brief encounters seemed very little.

I’d have also liked to see more of Perdita’s relationship with her employer; a female writer who may in some ways have echoed Mary Stewart herself, a strong relationship between two women… alas that the intended third story about Perdita, a full-length book, was never written.

Still, for a bit of atmosphere and setting — wow.

Rating: 3/5

Tags: book reviews, books, Mary Stewart, romance

What are you reading Wednesday

Posted November 16, 2016 by Nicky in General / 4 Comments

What have you recently finished reading?
Mara Wilson’s biography, Where Am I Now? Obviously, I wanted to be Matilda as a kid, so it was interesting to catch up with the life of someone who lived the dream… sort of. It’s quite touching in places, and she writes frankly about her anxiety disorder. I found it entertaining and worth the read.

What are you currently reading?
On the go right now… The Return of the King, as I finally finish off my reread, and Dark Sky, by Mike Brooks — the sequel to Dark Run. Tolkien’s work is fascinating, of course, although for once I think maybe I’m not quite in the right mood. Dark Sky is entertaining, though I’ve got a bit bogged down in the current section with the riot. I’m not entirely sure why. Perhaps I’m just being picky in general about my books. It wouldn’t be the first time…

What are you planning to read next?
I’ve got a tonne of non-fiction reviews all lined up to post at around the same time, so I think I’m going to try and make sure it’s fiction, at least. I have to look at my reading challenge prompts that are left; stuff like ‘a book I haven’t read since high school’ and ‘a book and its prequel’. Hmm…

Tags: books, reading memes

Review – Ultimate X-Men: The Tomorrow People

Posted November 16, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Ultimate X-Men: The Tomorrow People, Mark Millar, Adam Kubert

After enjoying the Ultimate Spider-man books, I was pretty hopeful about Ultimate X-Men — especially since I remember enjoying the appearances of the various X-Men in the Spider-man comics. I enjoyed X-Men cartoons a lot as a kid, and it seems to me a shame that — as with Batman and Superman, actually — I haven’t particularly enjoyed the comics. Unfortunately, The Tomorrow People didn’t change that much.

It might not help that it’s a team book, so we don’t see one individual character for long, and it definitely doesn’t help that they’re teenagers and that Scott Summers accordingly has a tantrum. A tantrum that has entirely predictable results, of course. Meanwhile, Wolverine switches sides, more or less for no apparent reason. Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch do so as well, with comparatively little background. And Magneto is entirely too easy to take down — obviously this isn’t going to be the last the X-Men see of him in this series, because it’s Magneto, but.

It felt like a lot of flash and not much bang, really. I own three more volumes, so I will read them. After that… I don’t know. Not on the strength of this volume.

Rating: 2/5

Tags: book reviews, books, comics

Review – The Celts

Posted November 15, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

The Celts, Nora Chadwick

Although this book is undoubtedly out of date, published in 1971, it’s a fascinating survey of what was known and believed about the Celts at the time. Some of the theories are less in vogue now (with more credit given to the spread of ideas than the spread of people for the changes in agriculture, art, etc), but descriptions of the archaeology, art and literature are solid and worth reading. I found Chadwick’s style very pleasant and easy to read: this is serious and somewhat academic in depth, but not boring.

Pretty much my only quibbles, when you lay aside the outdated theories, were the way the literature was described at length. I don’t need a description of Táin Bó Cúailnge — I’ve read it! And my other quibble would be the intense focus on Ireland. It does make sense within the frame Chadwick gives us, where Ireland was more conservative in culture and thus retained purer Celtic culture for longer, but I would still love to have read as detailed a discussion of the Welsh texts surviving, particularly stuff like the Triads.

If you read it knowing that, of course, other theories are in vogue now and some of it has been disproved, it’s a pretty sober and admiring look at Celtic culture. Maybe a touch too much judgement re: civilisation vs barbarism, with the Celts decidedly on the latter end, but there’s still admiration, and no prurient focus on the idea of ritual human sacrifice (which, judging from this, was not considered common then either).

Rating: 4/5

Tags: book reviews, books, history, non-fiction

Top Ten Tuesday

Posted November 15, 2016 by Nicky in General / 9 Comments

This week’s theme is not about books, but movies. I actually have to confess that I am not actually much of a consumer of films or TV… but I do have some favourites.

Anastasia. That bickering relationship between Anya and Dmitri? Yeaaaah. Also the ending song: “We were strangers, starting out on a journey…” Always sticks in my head.
Stardust. It’s different to the book, but charming in its own way.
Captain America: The First Avenger. Please let me hug Steve Rogers.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Please let me hug Steve Rogers.
Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr). I watched it half a dozen times in the cinema. In the cinema. The sequel was less fun, though it had its moments.
Spirited Away. The soot creatures! Haku!
Howl’s Moving Castle. Vastly simplified from the book, and yet I still enjoyed it as an adaptation. Even if it cut out the Welsh bits. Calcifer!
Pacific Rim. Non-toxic masculinity with a lot of heart.
Apollo 13. That movie never gets old. Everyone was brilliant, and every time I tear up at some point. This is rare for me, so, yeah.
Guardians of the Galaxy. So. Much. Fun.

And now anyone who knows me is wondering why I made a post so obvious it’s approximately like pointing out that Earth has a moon.

Tags: Top Ten Tuesday

Review – Busman’s Honeymoon

Posted November 14, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 0 Comments

Busman’s Honeymoon, Dorothy L. Sayers

Featuring Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter Wimsey, Sarah Badel as Harriet Vane and Peter Jones as Bunter

Busman’s Honeymoon, or: the Wimseys will never, ever catch a break.

Honestly, despite the fact that it is a murder investigation, this one is fun. It has plenty of Peter-Harriet banter, plenty of Bunter being the ridiculously amazing manservant that he is, and plenty of heart as well. Peter and Harriet have finally got married, and they’re letting each other in, and Busman’s Honeymoon sees their first hiccups of married life — where Peter’s work as a detective makes Harriet feel like a traitor to friends who are under suspicion, and they have to decide who compromises… I like Sarah Badel’s version of Harriet, laughing and teasing, but warm too.

It’s not just about the relationship, though: there’s a solid mystery at the back of it, which is fun in its own right. And at least with this one, you really feel no pity for the criminal…

Rating: 4/5

Tags: audiobooks, book reviews, books, crime, Dorothy L. Sayers, mystery, romance

Review – Poems: Three Series

Posted November 13, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 4 Comments

Poems: Three Series, Emily Dickinson

I read these poems via Serial Reader, which actually turned out to be a good way to make sure I really paid attention. Sometimes, if I try to read a book of poetry at a single sitting, I find that they start to just blur past me. This way, I had more concentration for each individual poem, which helped me appreciate them more. Emily Dickinson isn’t my favourite poet, and I really wanted to give her work a chance.

I did enjoy some of these poems, but for me the regularity of the poems is a downside. I do enjoy highly structured poetry at times — I love villanelles, for example! — but with a simple form and those constant rhyming couplets, it felt almost trite to me. Possibly because Dickinson’s poetry is quoted a lot, but even the ones I didn’t know at all… I don’t know, simple a/b/a/b rhyme schemes really bore me. Alas.

Rating: 2/5

Tags: book reviews, books, poetry

Review – In the Forests of Serre

Posted November 12, 2016 by Nicky in Reviews / 2 Comments

In the Forests of Serre, Patricia A. McKillip

This isn’t quite a retelling, but there are elements which look very like Baba Yaga, Ivan and the Firebird, and other such folk and fairytales. That said, it’s very much a book of its own which uses the magic of those fairytale elements to reflect on love and grief, and on struggles with oneself. The prose is lyrically beautifully as always, but less opaque than in some of McKillip’s other books — it seemed perfectly clear what everything meant, except perhaps on the point of Unciel and Gyre’s struggles.

It’s also very full of people, real people whose troubles you can feel: a princess who doesn’t want to marry someone she doesn’t know, but goes in the end because otherwise it would spell disaster for her family — but she’s still scared; a prince who doesn’t want to get over the death of his wife and unborn child; a queen trapped in a loveless marriage with a man who might as well be an ogre, but nonetheless loves her son and serves the kingdom… a scribe who wishes briefly to ride off to save a princess, but in the end stays and does his job, and nurses an old wizard. They all have conflicts and fears you can relate to, and their desires are understandable despite the magic around them. Even Gyre’s desire for power makes sense.

There’s some lovely lines, especially regarding the firebird, though the bit I liked best was when Ronan and Sidonie are together near the end of the book, and she’s drawn to him for protection. It just… rang true. And the parts with Unciel and Euan have a lovely quietness at times — it reminds me of some of the moments in Earthsea of just appreciating the world as it is.

I enjoyed this one a lot, and read it very fast; I think it might be one of my favourites so far.

Rating: 5/5

Tags: book reviews, books, Patricia A. McKillip, SF/F

Stacking the Shelves

Posted November 12, 2016 by Nicky in General / 6 Comments

Well, it’s been a heck of a week. Hope everyone’s doing okay!

Received to review:

I’m kind of a sucker for things about rediscovering archaeological marvels, so… yeah, couldn’t resist.

Library:

I was a Lib Dem voter, and I was sort of interested to see what Clegg had to say for himself… but I wasn’t going to buy it!

Books bought:

Another book on invented languages? This one is a bit more like a primer for inventing your own; it’s not something I’m actually interested in doing, but reading about the process and considerations is pretty fascinating. As for The Book, I’m not wedded to the book as a physical object — I love ebooks too — but I am looking forward to this celebration of the book and history. And Becky Chambers’ new book, well, you all tell me I’m going to love it!

Books finished this week:

Reviews posted this week:

–Gaudy Night, by Dorothy L. Sayers. BBC radioplay. A good adaptation, though it’s a bit different in style to the rest of the series. 4/5 stars
–Strong Poison, by Dorothy L. Sayers. A reliable comfort read for me, though this time I did notice something rather self-pitying about Lord Peter… 5/5 stars
–The Girls at the Kingfisher Club, by Genevieve Valentine. A really interesting take on the dancing princesses fairytale, set in Manhattan during prohibition. I was more riveted than I expected, actually; it hooked me in pretty neatly. 4/5 stars
–From Elvish to Klingon, ed. Michael Adams. Interesting collection of essays on conlangs, although some of them are rather more interesting than others. 3/5 stars
–Faro’s Daughter, by Georgette Heyer. Fun, but Ravenscar is not the best of Heyer heroes. Mind you, Deb kinda makes up for that. 3/5 stars
–Flashback Friday: A Coalition of Lions, by Elizabeth E. Wein. Delightfully develops one of the female characters from the first book. 4/5 stars

Other posts:
–Top Ten Tuesday: Recent Additions to the TBR. What it says on the tin. Not just book I’ve just bought, though; it includes wishlisted books.
–What are you reading Wednesday. My weekly update, with a bit of a ramble about British politics courtesy of reading Nick Clegg’s book.
–A-Z Book Blogger Tag. A somewhat random collection of bookish questions!

Tags: books, Stacking the Shelves, weekly roundup