Book Reviews

As a writer I have a love/hate relationship with book reviews. If they love it, I love the review; if they don't... Of course, I'm not only a writer, I'm also a reader. As a reader, reviews can open my eyes to new books & new authors. This review opened my eyes in a most unexpected way...


Unsettling Echoes Of Josef K., March 2, 2010

By 

Hamilton Richardson (London, UK) - 

This review is from: Mr. Messy (Mr. Men and Little Miss) (Paperback)

If '1984' or 'The Trial' had been a children's book, Mr Messy would be it. No literary character has ever been so fully and categorically obliterated by the forces of social control. Hargreaves may well pay homage to Kafka and Orwell in this work, but he also goes beyond them.

We meet Mr Messy - a man whose entire day-to-day existence is the undiluted expression of his individuality. His very untidiness is a metaphor for his blissful and unselfconscious disregard for the Social Order. Yes, there are times when he himself is a victim of this individuality - as when he trips over a brush he has left on his garden path - but he goes through life with a smile on his face.

That is, until a chance meeting with Mr Neat and Mr Tidy - the archetypal men in suits. They set about a merciless programme of social engineering and indoctrination that we are left in no doubt is in flagrant violation of his free will. 'But I like being messy' he protests as they anonymize both his home and his person with their relentless cleaning activity, a symbolism thinly veiled.

This process is so thorough that by the end of it he is unrecognizable - a homogenized pink blob, no longer truly himself (that vibrant Pollock-like scribble of before). He smiles the smile of a brainwashed automaton, blandly accepting what he has been given no agency to question or refuse. It is in this very smile that the sheer horror of what we have seen to occur is at its most acute.

Somewhere behind this blank expression though is a latent anger - a trace of self-knowledge as to what he once was - in the barbed observation he makes to Neat and Tidy that they have even deprived him of his name.

The book ends with a dry reminder from Hargreaves that just as with the secret police in some totalitarian regime, our own small expressions of uniqueness and volition may also result in a visit from these sinister suited agents.

Things you can't do while reading....

There are some things that just can't be done while reading: driving, showering, & eating ribs.
mmm ribs :)

My apologies from not doing a post last week but I was taking a little holiday. Some wine was drunk and some ribs were eaten. Now, I confess I'm not a huge pork fan, but the sauce on those ribs was sooo good.

What did I read while I was away (obviously not while I was driving, showering or eating ribs)?

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde
I'm a fan of Mr Fforde's books. I love the Thursday series, funny, fresh etc... This book is equally good, but not as lighthearted in tone. It's also hard to categorize, you might find it in fantasy, or in general fiction, or in comedy (although if there its placement will most likely be driven by Fforde's previous books). Don't let me mislead you, this book is funny, but there is more beneath the surface.

Blurb: Part social satire, part romance, part revolutionary thriller, Shades of Grey tells of a battle against overwhelming odds. In a society where the ability to see the higher end of the color spectrum denotes a better social standing, Eddie Russet belongs to the House of Red and can see his own color - but no other. The sky, the grass, and everything in between are all just shades of grey, and must be colorized by artificial means.

Eddie's world wasn't always like this. There's evidence of a never-discussed disaster and now, many years later, technology is poor, news sporadic, the notion of change abhorrent, and nighttime is terrifying: no one can see in the dark. Everyone abides by a bizarre regime of rules and regulations, a system of merits and demerits, where punishment can result in permanent expulsion.

Eddie might well have lived out his rose-tinted life without a hitch. But that changes when he becomes smitten with Jane, a Grey. She shows Eddie that all is not well with the world he thinks is just and good.

Stunningly imaginative, very funny, tightly plotted, and with sly satirical digs at our own society, this novel is for those who loved Thursday Next but want to be transported somewhere equally wild, only darker; a world where the black and white of moral standpoints have been reduced to shades of grey.

Play of Passion by Nalini Singh
Those who follow this blog will have heard me mention Ms Singh's books before. She's a fantastic author. Her characters are vivid and her world building strong (something I don't always find with romance). If you enjoy romances, especailly paranormal, I can't recommend the Psy/Changeling series enough. While each book is stand alone, there is an ongoing story arc and if you can I'd recommend starting at the beginning with Slave to Sensation (Psy-Changelings, Book 1).

I've added the blurb, but honestly, it doesn't do the book justice.

Blurb: In his position as tracker for the SnowDancer pack, it’s up to Drew Kincaid to rein in rogue changelings who have lost control of their animal halves—even if it means killing those who have gone too far. But nothing in his life has prepared him for the battle he must now wage to win the heart of a woman who makes his body ignite…and who threatens to enslave his wolf.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
Misborn is the first in the trilogy and I've got the next to books on my Christmas list already. This book has been sitting on my TBR pile for about 6 months. Now I've finally got round to it I can't believe I took so long. I really enjoyed this book. A lot of your standard fantasy tropes, but Sanderson doesn't always do what you expect with them. Well worth picking up for fantasy fans.

Blurb: Once, a hero arose to save the world. He failed.
For a thousand years since, the world has been a wasteland of ash and mist ruled by an immortal emporor. Every revolt has failed miserably.

Yet, somehow, hope survives. A new kind of uprising is being planned, one built around the ultimate caper, one that depends on the cunning of a brilliant criminal mastermind, and the determination of an unlikely heroine, a street urchin who must learn to master the powers of the Mistborn.

As you can see from my quick reviews, all in all, good reading was had during my break :)

imagination

A cartoon thisweek which tickled my fancy, as a writer I know all about the divergence between reality and fiction.


Also blogging at Black Roses of the Wild Rose Press.

Music: Gnarles Barkley
Reading: 'Heart's Blood' by Juliet Marillier
I really enjoy all of Ms. Marillier's books to date (the Sevenwaters series has already rated a re-read). Her latest book 'Heart's Blood' has a slightly different feel to some of her other novels. There is less (to none) focus on the pagan/Christian side of things. Although there are Normans moving into Ireland, and there are the political conflicts this generates, this book is much more focused on the internal conflicts. With a first person POV (heroine) this is a journey story at heart as well as a romance (although I believe it's listed as Fantasy). It has been described as inspired by the Beauty & the Beast story - and I can see the parallels, but I would have to say the emphasis is on inspired, unlike 'Daughter of the Forest' which had clear roots in the 'Six Swans' Grimm Brothers story.

Happy New Year

First post of the New Year.

I hope you all had a wonderful & relaxing Christmas and New year.

I've got a release date for "Human with a Twist". It's coming out in August. Yay!!!!

And since Rumors of Written-Word Death Greatly Exaggerated , it looks like my potential career isn't over before it starts. Although print is on the decrease, reading on the computer is up (so, go eBooks).

Movie: Went and saw Avatar in 3D. I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. There was a strong romance story line - so girls, if the boys are trying to drag you to a movie this one it might not be a bad choice. The 3D was great fun, and despite the full movie being 3D my eyes didn't get tired (which I remember from the older technologies). There was also plenty of military hardwear (very reminicent of Halo) - so boys, if the girls are trying to drag you to a movie this one it might not be a bad choice. Also, no gore or bad language,so if you've got kids - why not take them too :)

Music: Nightmares on Wax

Currently reading: 'The Painted Man' by Peter V Brett (warning: titled 'The Warded Man' in the US)

First in the Demon trilogy and so far it looks like I'll be finding the rest.

Thought I would add the cover on the end because the UK & US versions are so different. (UK=left, US=right)

Yoga positions for the intoxicated

One of my friends, who knows I enjoy yoga (not that I get round to it as often as I would like), sent me some pictures I decided to share. Yoga positions for the intoxicated - clearly not the advised technique.




Music: LCD Sound System
Currently reading: 'A Madness of Angels: Or The Resurrection of Matthew Swift' by Kate Griffin.
Blurb: Two years after his untimely death, Matthew Swift finds himself breathing once again, lying in bed in his London home. Except that it's no longer his bed, or his home. And the last time this sorcerer was seen alive, an unknown assailant had gouged a hole so deep in his chest that his death was irrefutable...despite his body never being found. He doesn't have long to mull over his resurrection though, or the changes that have been wrought upon him. His only concern now is vengeance. Vengeance upon his monstrous killer, and vengeance upon the one who brought him back.

I'm not sure what I expected when I started this book but it wasn't what I got. This is an good story, with interesting magic, and well a thought out protagonist. The writing however, is part of the fascination, it took me a few pages to get into the style then I couldn't put it down. This book's uniqueness lies not so much with the story, but the way it is told.

Mapping sin

In my wanderings around the web I came across this: American Vice: Mapping the seven deadly sins. It so intrigued me, I had to share it with you.

They say - "We're gluttons for infographics, and a team at Kansas State just served up a feast: maps of sin created by plotting per-capita stats on things like theft (envy) and STDs (lust). Christian clergy, likely noting the Bible Belt's status as Wrath Central, question the "science." Valid point—or maybe it's just the pride talking."

As a romance writer I thought I would post the 'lust' map. Number of STD cases reported per capita.
On a side note: Writing my last post reminded me about Hopscotch by Rebbecca York, a book I'd forgotten I had till thinking about spies. I couldn't remember reading anything else of hers so I popped out to the library and grabbed a few others. Very pleasant, light Intrigue reads.

music: Chris Isaak
Currently reading: 'The Final Sacrifice' by Patricia Bray
Last book in the trilogy, and it's a re-read so the series gets a thumbs up from me.

Spies

Spies make great novel fodder, mysterious men and women who take us on exciting journeys.

Growing up I loved reading about 'The Saint'. Leslie Charteris may have written his stories in the 1920s & '30s but they're timeless (the movies didn't do the books justice IMO). So when I came across this I couldn't resist: SIS operational officer test for MI6. I got 8/8 and an apply now link - all my reading must have paid off, and of course as a writer I have to know how to keep a story straight in my head. Just a fun little test, not to be taken too seriously :)

Two most Spy-type novel in my collection:
Luck in the Shadows - Lynn Flewelling
When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things–none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them.
I read and re-read this one and its sequels :)


And Paranoia by Joseph Finder
Corporate espionage a go-go. Corporate Security give Adam Cassidy a choice: prison, or become a spy in the headquarters of their chief competitor.



Plus a few romantic suspense authors that have that same element of danger:
Iris Johnsen, Linda Howard, Julie Garwood, & this one that I read years ago and have never been able to throw out: Hopscotch by Rebecca York

Feel free to share your favourite spy stories (books or movies)?

Music: The Pet Shop Boys
Currently reading: 'Nylon Angel' by Marianne de Pierres
This is only my second foray into cyberpunk and so far it's great fun. I'm not sure I'm 100% convinced on the sub-genre, but I do have the second book in this series lined up :)

Life vs. Art

Those of you who follow my reading list (at the end of each of post) will have noticed a little while ago I read and enjoyed 'The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie' by Jennifer Ashley. A Victorian romance about a hero who suffers from Asperger’s or high functioning autism. The story touches on the sometimes narrow gap between obsession and madness.

Lord Ian Mackenzie has been out of the asylum for a few years. His father had him committed at the age of nine, ostensibly for his uncontrollable rages, inability to meet another's gaze, and obsessive tendencies. His brother released him after their father's death, and now Ian uses his uncanny knack for finance to keep the family in wads of cash. Not only in finance does Ian have savant like capabilities, he is incredibly gifted in languages, mathematics, and music. He is also capable of memorizing documents, maps, and conversations word for word, despite not necessarily understanding them.

Despite his problems he is surprisingly well suited to the role of hero. His mental issues highlight a common romance trope : a hero who is physically strong yet emotionally vulnerable, passionately devoted to the heroine yet tortured inside, determined to protect those he loves yet firmly in need of rescue himself.

Something that struck me while reading this story came home again after reading a BBC magazine article on the portrayal of autism in fiction. Does art really imitate life? Do people with autism always have an amazing intellectual skill?

The article discusses how autistic characters are always shown to be specially gifted in some way. Rainman is perhaps the most well known example I can think of, and Lord Ian the most recent. The answer of course is no. "By far, the majority of people with autism do not have any kind of savant ability." The article continues, "the current estimate is that one or two in 200 people with an autism spectrum disorder have a savant talent, according to the National Autistic Society, although the exact numbers are still unknown."

So why are they portrayed that way?

Jonathan Kaufman, president of Disability Works in the US sums it up: "It doesn't seem to be as bad to be severely autistic if you're also skilled at maths or music. If it seems to be that with your disability comes an extraordinary ability, it takes away the worst aspects of being disabled."

Which then raises another question: how does the depiction in art (movies & books etc...) effect the public, and closer to home, the parents of children with some level of autistic spectrum? Particularly parents whose children have no savant expertise?

The end of the article, in particular the comments section of the article, address more on this last question and is an interesting read.

Music: Jarvis Cocker

Currently reading: 'Atlantis Unleashed' by Alyssa Day

Jury service & a pleasant surprise

I was called up for jury service this week and was due to be part of a trial starting on Wednesday. Could be interesting I thought, never know where you might find material for a book. Material was in limited supply however, as the trial twas not to be. Got there, sat around for a while, then they told us the trial would be next week instead and they would draw a new jury from next week's pool of jurors.
On the upside, while doing all that waiting around at court I started a book that turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I freely admit I didn't have high expectations as I read very little chick lit; plus I'd picked it up based (and this is going to sound terrible) solely on the basis of the log line on the cover "What if you woke up and your life was perfect?". I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be looking out for more books by this author.

'Remember Me?' by Sophie Kinsella... Lexi wakes up in a hospital bed after a car accident, thinking it’s 2004 and she’s a twenty-five-year old with crooked teeth and a disastrous love life. But, to her disbelief, she learns it’s actually 2007 – she’s twenty-eight, her teeth are straight, she’s the boss of her department – and she’s married! To a good-looking millionaire! How on earth did she land the dream life??!
She can’t believe her luck – especially when she sees her stunning new home. She’s sure she’ll have a fantastic marriage once she gets to know her husband again. He’s drawn up a ‘manual of our marriage’, which should help.
But as she learns more about her new self, chinks start to appear in the perfect life. All her old friends hate her. A rival is after her job. Then a dishevelled, sexy guy turns up… and lands a new bombshell.
What the **** happened to her? Will she ever remember? And what will happen if she does?

Music: LCD Sound System
Just read: 'Remember Me?' by Sophie Kinsella

Countdown to Branded By Fire by Nalini Singh

The lovely Nalini has saved me having to think up a blog post this week. Instead I'm passing on an invitation...

There's only 8 days to go until Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh is released so she's throwing a cyber party - and why wouldn't you?
Head on over to her blog and check out the giveaways and other assorted fun.

Branded by Fire is number 6 in the Psi/Changling series, but don't let that scare you, all the books can easily be read as stand-alones. If you're thinking you've heard me mention these books on my blog before then you'd be right. This is one of my all time favourite paranormal romance series and I totally recommend giving it a go. Want to know more about her books, visit her website. If Psi powers and shape-shifters aren't your thing but you'd love to give angels a go, try her new series which is shaping up to be every bit as good.

Music: Gossip
Currently reading: 'Magic Burns' by Ilona Andrews

Mary Poppins versus Cthulhu

I thought I would share a fun little game with you all, it's called Mary Poppins vs. Cthulhu. It's a hero vs. villain / good vs. evil type game.

The basic premise: you need two players (along with any number of judges and hecklers to decide the fate of the battle for those cases where the contestants can’t agree). Each player thinks up a hero or villain from the pages of history or literature, then on the count of three, says the name. It is then decided which of them would win in a battle to the death, with all their powers and resources brought to bear on the problem.

A couple of examples, all of which could be argued differently depending on the players...

Example 1: Mary Poppins vs. Cthulhu,while on the face of it, Cthulhu is an ancient evil elder god who will rise from the waves when the stars are right, if you go with the book version, there’s no contest–Mary Poppins rearranges the stars in the course of babysitting and can also summon Greco-Roman gods as a way to amuse kids on a shopping trip. She’d banish Cthulhu without even breaking a sweat and do it in time for tea. And even if she were limited to the powers of the Disney musical version, Cthulhu would find himself in a magical chalk painting with nothing to eat but pearly kings and penguins, and by the time he’d finished that, Mary Poppins, having the power of Julie Andrew’s perfect diction, would be able to banish him by speaking the appropriate eldritch words from the Necronomicon. For example, “Supercalifragelisticexpialidocious,” which is of course “something quite atrocious” which fits Cthulhu to a T.

Example 2: Willy Wonka vs. Alien (from the movie of the same name), since Willy has previously faced snozwangers, hornswogglers, and those horrible wicked wangdoodles, not to mention vermicious knids, he stands a good chance against Alien.

Enjoy... and feel free to post suggestions & your arguments :)

Music: Primal Scream
Currently reading: 'Even Demons get the Blues' by Maree Anderson
I thoroughly enjoyed this novella from Red Sage Publishing by a debut New Zealand writer.
The demon Rezon is obsessed with Leisa, a tormented human woman. When Leisa picks up one loser too many, Rezon’s provoked into whisking her off to his lair to show her what a real man—uh, make that Demon!—can do for her. Then the trouble really starts... Lesia's soul's in jeopardy.
Maree's writing is smooth and her dialogue believable, I often found myself with a smile on my face. The characters are convincing and sympathetic. You can understand what drives Leisa to behave the way she does; and Rezon is clearly an evil demon Lord while at the same time having a chink in his armour that lets in love.
NB: genre - erotic romance. To be honest erotic romances are not my usual fare but Maree never loses sight of the story - I really wanted to know how it ended and how the characters resolved their problems.

Good read

I'm going through a bit of a Suzanne Brockmann faze at the moment. Just finished reading 'Embraced by Love' and thought I would share it with you. It was originally published in 1995 but they have recently reissued it and I think it was worth printing again.

One of the things that made this book standout for me was that unlike most romances which are about the hero & heroine meeting and falling in love, this book starts with the characters already married and already in love. It fills in a bit of back story so you get to share the buzz of first love but you also see the life they are living now and the problems they are facing - the biggest of which is that the heroine is a workaholic.
The pivot point of the book comes when the couple finds themselves responsible for two young children. In their already busy lives they struggle to find time for each other, how are they going to fit in two kids.
The story shows a glowing relationship (albeit with problems) take a complete nose dive. You watch and feel deeply for the couple as things start to fall apart for them. In particular my heart really went out to the hero who always felt a secondary priority in the heroine's life and now with the kids....
Anyway I recommend this if you're looking for a romance that is a little different from the norm that has well shaped and sympathetic characters.

Music: Still on Primal Scream
Currently reading: 'Blood Rites' by Jim Butcher
Just started this one - hope it's as good as his others :)
Mood: Looking forward to another short week