Reading Challenge 2022
- Thread starter RobMCFC
- Start date
RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
1. The Spirit Engineer - A.J.West - 7/10
2. The Lost Man - Jane Harper - 8/10
This is the third year in a row that I’ve read a Jane Harper book early on. Her third book, The Lost Man, is another whodunnit set in Australia. In this case, the story takes place in a remote farming community in Queensland, where the body of one of three brothers has been found out on his land. We see events through the eyes of oldest brother, Nathan, who along with youngest sibling, Bub, finds the body of middle brother, Cameron. It’s suggested early on that Nathan has a troubled past and there are plenty of other suspects including a couple of backpackers who work on the farm, reliable old Harry who has worked on the farm for years, Cameron’s wife, Ilse, who also has a shared past with Nathan, and Nathan’s son who’s visiting his dad.
I really enjoyed this one – you get a real sense of the desolation of life in the outback and the danger that living in such an environment can bring to everyday life. It’s also a little different in that there are no detectives trying to work out what happened, the story being teased out by conversations between family members and a few other people who happen to be around. Whilst the cast is limited, I still didn’t guess what had happened until the reveal but it made perfect sense in the end. There’s also a nice link to The Dry because if you pay close attention, you’ll spot that Nathan’s mother is Mal Deacon’s brother – Ellie’s dad from the first book.
2. The Lost Man - Jane Harper - 8/10
This is the third year in a row that I’ve read a Jane Harper book early on. Her third book, The Lost Man, is another whodunnit set in Australia. In this case, the story takes place in a remote farming community in Queensland, where the body of one of three brothers has been found out on his land. We see events through the eyes of oldest brother, Nathan, who along with youngest sibling, Bub, finds the body of middle brother, Cameron. It’s suggested early on that Nathan has a troubled past and there are plenty of other suspects including a couple of backpackers who work on the farm, reliable old Harry who has worked on the farm for years, Cameron’s wife, Ilse, who also has a shared past with Nathan, and Nathan’s son who’s visiting his dad.
I really enjoyed this one – you get a real sense of the desolation of life in the outback and the danger that living in such an environment can bring to everyday life. It’s also a little different in that there are no detectives trying to work out what happened, the story being teased out by conversations between family members and a few other people who happen to be around. Whilst the cast is limited, I still didn’t guess what had happened until the reveal but it made perfect sense in the end. There’s also a nice link to The Dry because if you pay close attention, you’ll spot that Nathan’s mother is Mal Deacon’s brother – Ellie’s dad from the first book.
JRockBlues
Well-Known Member
Time to catch up on what I've been actually reading I guess. Started the year with M. R. Carey's Rampart trilogy which comprises...
The Book of Koli
A post-apocalytic novel set in the village of Mythen Rood surrounded by walls and run by those who can "wake" the old technology, especially the weapons. These weapns are needed to defend the community as pretty much everything outside the walls are trying to kill them and that includes the trees. Koli and his two closest friends are coming up on their testing soon to see if they can wake the tech but before that date comes he learns a secret from Ursala (a wandering traveller/doctor) that will shock him to his core and change his destiny forever.
The next two sections will contain spoilers for the first book so I' just going to put it all under spoiler tags. Read at your own peril.
Overall thoughts on the trilogy
Although I enjoyed the trilogy overall I found that it didn't quite live up to expectations after having read The Girl With All the Gifts. Though with the latter being an exceptional book that's not too surprising really. It’s Carey so still a good and interesting read though aimed more at the YA market. It's written mostly in a devolved language where Koli is the narrator starting from when he was a 14-year-old boy. His friend Spinner and others are added to narration duties from the second book onwards. It's a little jarring when segments of the story are written in a more recognisable tone, though this juxtaposition is kind of explained after concluding the whole trilogy. A few too many other plot holes remain after it’s all over though to be entirely satisfying. 3½★'s for each book I think.
I stayed on a YA kick for my next read too.
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
With the approach of the Uglies Netflix movie getting closer I thought it was time to return to that particular universe with this add-on book to the original trilogy. We start in a new city and with a new set of characters, although some familiar faces make their appearance later in the book. Aya Fuse lives in a city where reputation is everything and video-blogging is a way to get massive recognition and credits. Aya has filmed what she thinks are some good stories but so far nothing has gone viral and hit the big time. Her face rank is a lowly 451,369 and to compete with her successful older brother, Hiro, Aya will need to break the top 1,000 like he’s just done. Luckily for her she has uncovered what could be the scoop of the century by stumbling on a clique who pull dangerous stunts in total anonymity. Can she infiltrate the Sly Girls, get footage and break the story? And if she does will Aya be ready for what follows if she becomes famous and leaves the Extras life behind?
It’s interesting to take a look at a different part of the Uglies universe and the after-effects of what happened in the previous book in the series. Introducing it through a new character’s eyes was also the right way for the author to go. Unfortunately it seems to have left a lot of the excitement of previous books behind even though Aya’s adventures take her on some very unexpected pathways. It just feels like a step towards a younger audience than even the original trilogy had. Half-formed basic characters bounce from one encounter to the next and even when those we’ve met previously do show up they are almost unrecognisable from their previous incarnations. I now have serious doubts of continuing to the new trilogy.2½★
What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch
A story set in the [[[Rivers of London]]] series with Peter Grant’s young cousin, Abigail Kamara, as protagonist and narrator as she investigates the disappearances of other teenagers from Hampstead Heath. Her ability to converse with foxes is put to full use when she discovers one who’s been set to watch over her has greater resources that Abigail can utilise.
This is a fun tale that could have implications for later in the main series or even set in motion a full spin-off series for Abigail herself but that would be too spoilery to go into in this review. There’s footnotes provided from the Folly’s librarian to help decipher some of Abigail’s colloquial expressions and pop-culture references. This is definitely Abigail’s story as the only time that Peter is mentioned is to explain his absence (this story takes place at the same time as [Foxglove Summer]) or compare methodologies. Nightingale does pop up occasionally though. I don’t usually shell out for novella’s (or short novels as this one is classed as) but I had space left on a gift card and I’ve ended up being glad I did. 3½★
NB. ★ ratings are given out of 5 (a crossover from Librarything)
Guide to my ratings
★ - Didn't like the story or the style of writing
★★ - Didn't really like it but has some redeeming qualities
★★★ - A decent to ok read
★★★★- Very good
★★★★★ - Excellent
The Book of Koli
A post-apocalytic novel set in the village of Mythen Rood surrounded by walls and run by those who can "wake" the old technology, especially the weapons. These weapns are needed to defend the community as pretty much everything outside the walls are trying to kill them and that includes the trees. Koli and his two closest friends are coming up on their testing soon to see if they can wake the tech but before that date comes he learns a secret from Ursala (a wandering traveller/doctor) that will shock him to his core and change his destiny forever.
The next two sections will contain spoilers for the first book so I' just going to put it all under spoiler tags. Read at your own peril.
With the decision to head to London in hopes of tracking the signal the group set out on a long journey. None of them really happy about their current circumstances. Unfortunately, they don't get too far before they are waylaid by a cult made from the Faceless and Koli gets selected for a prime assignment. We also get to follow what's happening in the village of Mythen Rood as Spinner is added to narration duties.
The Sword of Albion turns out to be something completely different than whatever anyone of the group expected. Instead of London (which now lies completely submerged) they find themselves at the mercy of a trio that seems to be all that remains on a massive ship. At least Ursala may have found what she wants though even if the three residents of the ship seem more than a little odd. Can Koli and his friends get what they want before more trouble finds them?
Overall thoughts on the trilogy
Although I enjoyed the trilogy overall I found that it didn't quite live up to expectations after having read The Girl With All the Gifts. Though with the latter being an exceptional book that's not too surprising really. It’s Carey so still a good and interesting read though aimed more at the YA market. It's written mostly in a devolved language where Koli is the narrator starting from when he was a 14-year-old boy. His friend Spinner and others are added to narration duties from the second book onwards. It's a little jarring when segments of the story are written in a more recognisable tone, though this juxtaposition is kind of explained after concluding the whole trilogy. A few too many other plot holes remain after it’s all over though to be entirely satisfying. 3½★'s for each book I think.
I stayed on a YA kick for my next read too.
Extras by Scott Westerfeld
With the approach of the Uglies Netflix movie getting closer I thought it was time to return to that particular universe with this add-on book to the original trilogy. We start in a new city and with a new set of characters, although some familiar faces make their appearance later in the book. Aya Fuse lives in a city where reputation is everything and video-blogging is a way to get massive recognition and credits. Aya has filmed what she thinks are some good stories but so far nothing has gone viral and hit the big time. Her face rank is a lowly 451,369 and to compete with her successful older brother, Hiro, Aya will need to break the top 1,000 like he’s just done. Luckily for her she has uncovered what could be the scoop of the century by stumbling on a clique who pull dangerous stunts in total anonymity. Can she infiltrate the Sly Girls, get footage and break the story? And if she does will Aya be ready for what follows if she becomes famous and leaves the Extras life behind?
It’s interesting to take a look at a different part of the Uglies universe and the after-effects of what happened in the previous book in the series. Introducing it through a new character’s eyes was also the right way for the author to go. Unfortunately it seems to have left a lot of the excitement of previous books behind even though Aya’s adventures take her on some very unexpected pathways. It just feels like a step towards a younger audience than even the original trilogy had. Half-formed basic characters bounce from one encounter to the next and even when those we’ve met previously do show up they are almost unrecognisable from their previous incarnations. I now have serious doubts of continuing to the new trilogy.2½★
What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch
A story set in the [[[Rivers of London]]] series with Peter Grant’s young cousin, Abigail Kamara, as protagonist and narrator as she investigates the disappearances of other teenagers from Hampstead Heath. Her ability to converse with foxes is put to full use when she discovers one who’s been set to watch over her has greater resources that Abigail can utilise.
This is a fun tale that could have implications for later in the main series or even set in motion a full spin-off series for Abigail herself but that would be too spoilery to go into in this review. There’s footnotes provided from the Folly’s librarian to help decipher some of Abigail’s colloquial expressions and pop-culture references. This is definitely Abigail’s story as the only time that Peter is mentioned is to explain his absence (this story takes place at the same time as [Foxglove Summer]) or compare methodologies. Nightingale does pop up occasionally though. I don’t usually shell out for novella’s (or short novels as this one is classed as) but I had space left on a gift card and I’ve ended up being glad I did. 3½★
NB. ★ ratings are given out of 5 (a crossover from Librarything)
Guide to my ratings
★ - Didn't like the story or the style of writing
★★ - Didn't really like it but has some redeeming qualities
★★★ - A decent to ok read
★★★★- Very good
★★★★★ - Excellent
RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
Nice graphical rating system there.
I must admit, whilst it probably takes a lot of talent to pull off, I don't like reading books that are written in a weird hydrid/made-up/colloquial language. As you say, it can be jarring and most of the time, I don't think it adds too much to the experience (other than a headache!) I don't mind when the author drops a couple of examples in to show how it sounds or give a flavour of how it's spoken, but after that, I'd rather they just stick to English.
stoneblue
Well-Known Member
This is where I'm at for 2022
For my next read, a complete change, a rare (for me) foray into non-fiction
- Serpentine - Jonathan Kellerman. Decent read 6/10
- A Touch of Daniel - Peter Tinniswood 9.5/10
- I didn’t know you cared - Peter Tinniswood 9/10
For my next read, a complete change, a rare (for me) foray into non-fiction
ColinBellsjockstrap
Well-Known Member
Currently reading fellwalker Alfred Wainwright's biography by Hunter Davies.
The Huddersfield narrow canal.
Edward Lutyens country houses. (Two of which been owned by Jimmy Page)
The Huddersfield narrow canal.
Edward Lutyens country houses. (Two of which been owned by Jimmy Page)
discopop
Well-Known Member
1. March Violets by Philip Kerr
I had tried to get into the Bernie Gunther series in the past but I jumped in mid series which was probably a mistake so for the new year thought I would start off at the beginning and the first of the author’s Berlin noir three books in the Gunther series.
Set in the backdrop of the Berlin games it sets a tone of the city and country under the Nazis and our hero or maybe anti-hero is a private detective having left police investigation due to purges in staff.
What starts off as a double murder of an industrialists daughter and husband and the hunt to retrieve stolen gems slowly turns into something quite different.
Plenty of walk on parts for some of the nazi hierarchy with some very snappy Chandleresque dialogue and some not so snappy and great descriptions of pre war Berlin. Some of the sex scenes are laughable mind but don’t detract too much from a ver enjoyable book
I will be back for the next one later in the year.
A very solid 7/10
Next up the Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield (fiction)
I had tried to get into the Bernie Gunther series in the past but I jumped in mid series which was probably a mistake so for the new year thought I would start off at the beginning and the first of the author’s Berlin noir three books in the Gunther series.
Set in the backdrop of the Berlin games it sets a tone of the city and country under the Nazis and our hero or maybe anti-hero is a private detective having left police investigation due to purges in staff.
What starts off as a double murder of an industrialists daughter and husband and the hunt to retrieve stolen gems slowly turns into something quite different.
Plenty of walk on parts for some of the nazi hierarchy with some very snappy Chandleresque dialogue and some not so snappy and great descriptions of pre war Berlin. Some of the sex scenes are laughable mind but don’t detract too much from a ver enjoyable book
I will be back for the next one later in the year.
A very solid 7/10
Next up the Apollo Murders by Chris Hadfield (fiction)
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RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
Cheers. I’ve seen that pop up a few times on Amazon and it does sound interesting. I’ll add it to my TBR pile.
I read one of the Gunther books many years ago. I think it involved someone having his thumb amputated as part of a ritual for joining a club. It was such an obvious ruse that I had worked out how the book would pan out immediately, and it did. The book was a very long take on a Sherlock Holmes short story. I didn't bother any more with Bernie Gunther after this experience.
I'm currently 60% through a fairly long Len Deighton book. I'll report back in due course.
discopop
Well-Known Member
I presume the long Deighton book is Winter?
The Finished The Lost Man by Jane Harper. Really enjoyed this book and a solid 8 out of 20. Bought John Grisham A Time For Mercy and David Baldacci One Good Dead yesterday so will be one of them next as my actual paperback book.
RobMCFC
Well-Known Member
1. The Spirit Engineer - A.J.West - 7/10
2. The Lost Man - Jane Harper - 8/10
3. The Fall of Babel – Josiah Bancroft - 5/10
This was a real struggle to finish. In fact, if this was a new book, I’d probably have given up after a hundred pages, but as it’s the final part of the “Books of Babel” series, I felt like I had to finish it.
It’s such a shame because the opening novel, Senlin Ascends, was magnificent. Set in a fantasy word that’s not a standard medieval setting, mild-mannered headmaster Tom Senlin and his wife go to visit the Tower of Babel for their honeymoon. This is a venue on a grand scale that comprises 64 zones, known as ringdoms, and of course reports from everybody who has visited spin legendary tales of how amazing it is. Think of a cross between Disney World and Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory yet on a scale that would take years to explore. However, soon after arriving, Tom is separated from his wife and spends the rest of the book trying to find her. What follows is a brilliantly woven tale full of strange discoveries, steampunk technology and deadly secrets.
The next two books continued the story, but it was clear that things were being spun out for the sake of it. I could have done without the whimsical descriptions that went on for pages and dialogue that didn’t do much to engage me. But this final book took the biscuit: opening with 200 pages on a character that we haven’t seen since book #2 and taking a very long time to reach a conclusion – over 600 gruelling pages in total.
If the first section was 20 pages (it would have been enough) and the remainder condensed to 350 pages, you’d have had a sub-400-page book that I could have lived with. However, the worst crime is that the main character is reduced to a sideshow in what should be the grand finale! I can’t believe the editorial team didn’t suggest a few changes before this was released.
2. The Lost Man - Jane Harper - 8/10
3. The Fall of Babel – Josiah Bancroft - 5/10
This was a real struggle to finish. In fact, if this was a new book, I’d probably have given up after a hundred pages, but as it’s the final part of the “Books of Babel” series, I felt like I had to finish it.
It’s such a shame because the opening novel, Senlin Ascends, was magnificent. Set in a fantasy word that’s not a standard medieval setting, mild-mannered headmaster Tom Senlin and his wife go to visit the Tower of Babel for their honeymoon. This is a venue on a grand scale that comprises 64 zones, known as ringdoms, and of course reports from everybody who has visited spin legendary tales of how amazing it is. Think of a cross between Disney World and Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory yet on a scale that would take years to explore. However, soon after arriving, Tom is separated from his wife and spends the rest of the book trying to find her. What follows is a brilliantly woven tale full of strange discoveries, steampunk technology and deadly secrets.
The next two books continued the story, but it was clear that things were being spun out for the sake of it. I could have done without the whimsical descriptions that went on for pages and dialogue that didn’t do much to engage me. But this final book took the biscuit: opening with 200 pages on a character that we haven’t seen since book #2 and taking a very long time to reach a conclusion – over 600 gruelling pages in total.
If the first section was 20 pages (it would have been enough) and the remainder condensed to 350 pages, you’d have had a sub-400-page book that I could have lived with. However, the worst crime is that the main character is reduced to a sideshow in what should be the grand finale! I can’t believe the editorial team didn’t suggest a few changes before this was released.
kevin horlocks wand
Well-Known Member
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Sorry posted on 2021 thread…
read Bob Mortimers autobiography and wasn’t keen . Not as good as Bob and Paul go fishing.
I read steve cavanaghs new Eddie flynn novel , the devils advocate , which usually are good however it was predictable boring been done a hundred times. Set in Alabama , small town racist corrupt police force you can do the rest. Poor .
Just started reading the bees by laline Paul which the nice lady in Waterstones recommended
read Bob Mortimers autobiography and wasn’t keen . Not as good as Bob and Paul go fishing.
I read steve cavanaghs new Eddie flynn novel , the devils advocate , which usually are good however it was predictable boring been done a hundred times. Set in Alabama , small town racist corrupt police force you can do the rest. Poor .
Just started reading the bees by laline Paul which the nice lady in Waterstones recommended
1. Winter - Len Deighton - 7/10
I was born in 1961, and the 1980s coincided largely with my 20s. I was living at home in Manchester, with an hour or longer commute five days a week on public transport, so loads of time to read. I was intrigued to get hold of Peter Wright's Spycatcher, which was banned because of its sensitive content and details of covert MI5 operations and spycraft. I eventually got a copy, and was soon hooked on espionage, the Cold War, and spy fiction.
Len Deighton was one of my favourite spy fiction writers back in the eighties, and I devoured his Berlin Game, Set and Match trilogy, followed by his Hook, Line and Sinker trilogy, and then his Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy. All excellent books.
Winter was first published in 1987, and it claimed to be a family history of the Winter family of Berlin, whose later generations were prominent in the nine book series.
And it is just what it claimed to be. Many of the family names from the nine books are featured here. We watch their families and characters develop between 1900 and 1945, in the build up to two world wars. We see the young boys as combatants in WW1, and we see them during WW2, and after WW2, as lawyers representing opposite sides in the Nuremberg trials.
It's a really good book, as it brings a different perspective to WW2 especially. The characters are well described. The plots are realistic. The main family goes through some very complex relationships that brings in Americans and Jews, and plenty of tensions that you would expect as the story reaches its conclusion in the 1940s.
Although it is a prequel to the nine spy books, it makes a lot of sense to me to read this as a history of the families I had already read about. So for that reason, I score this a 7. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that has read some of the earlier trilogies, but not to someone unfamiliar with the Samsons and Rensselaers of the earlier books.
Does reading this make me want to revisit the other books? I don't think so. They were good at the time, but probably a bit dated now.
I was born in 1961, and the 1980s coincided largely with my 20s. I was living at home in Manchester, with an hour or longer commute five days a week on public transport, so loads of time to read. I was intrigued to get hold of Peter Wright's Spycatcher, which was banned because of its sensitive content and details of covert MI5 operations and spycraft. I eventually got a copy, and was soon hooked on espionage, the Cold War, and spy fiction.
Len Deighton was one of my favourite spy fiction writers back in the eighties, and I devoured his Berlin Game, Set and Match trilogy, followed by his Hook, Line and Sinker trilogy, and then his Faith, Hope and Charity trilogy. All excellent books.
Winter was first published in 1987, and it claimed to be a family history of the Winter family of Berlin, whose later generations were prominent in the nine book series.
And it is just what it claimed to be. Many of the family names from the nine books are featured here. We watch their families and characters develop between 1900 and 1945, in the build up to two world wars. We see the young boys as combatants in WW1, and we see them during WW2, and after WW2, as lawyers representing opposite sides in the Nuremberg trials.
It's a really good book, as it brings a different perspective to WW2 especially. The characters are well described. The plots are realistic. The main family goes through some very complex relationships that brings in Americans and Jews, and plenty of tensions that you would expect as the story reaches its conclusion in the 1940s.
Although it is a prequel to the nine spy books, it makes a lot of sense to me to read this as a history of the families I had already read about. So for that reason, I score this a 7. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that has read some of the earlier trilogies, but not to someone unfamiliar with the Samsons and Rensselaers of the earlier books.
Does reading this make me want to revisit the other books? I don't think so. They were good at the time, but probably a bit dated now.