NextRead

Well I’m 2/3s through Vellum by Hal Duncan and I’ve come to a couple of conclusions. It’s not a book I can read solidly. You’d have thought that I’d have come to this decision earlier  but the last two days of trying to finish it have proved it. The other is that I’m going to go straight on to reading Ink when I’ve finished but I’m going to read other stuff at the same time and it might take much longer that I had planned.

The hard part of reading Vellum is that as the narrative isn’t linear and it doesn’t have a groove to settle into and enjoy. You have to work from section to section. It’s not unenjoyable but it is a little grating when you have to switch thinking every few pages.

I am, however, convinced that there is going to be a real sense of satisfaction when I’ve got to the end of both books.

Is it just me that’s struggling with this book?

I am enjoying Jeremy Clarkson’s unique take on the world in The World According to Clakson Volume 2. I’m also reading that in small but satisfying chunks.

I’m moving on to The Hounds of Avalon as from prior experience I know Mark Chadbourn is both a linear and imaginative story teller. I’m just hoping all this myth retelling isn’t going to get me too muddled. It doesn’t help that I’m also playing God of War II on PS.

Tags: Hal Duncan

Well I’m 2/5s of the way through Vellum by Hal Duncan and almost 1/2 way through Debatable Space by Philip Palmer. And taking a leaf out of Tia’s book I thought while you wait for a review I’ll give a progress report.

Both are very different books but I’m enjoying both so far. Out of the two Vellum is a more challenging read as it builds up through a retelling, recounting and reinterpreting of myth and fable mixed with reality. Though it’s not as confusing as you think when you first start reading it. I think I’ve just hit the bit where the story really takes off now that all the pieces are in place, though I do expect a few surprises yet.

Debatable Space is turning into a quite a deep and delightful space opera. A motly crew of space pirates have kidnapped Lena in the hope of ransoming her to the Cheo, the leader of the known universe. But Lena isn’t all she seems. Palmer is doing a great job of using back story and changing views to make all the characters rounded.

Of the two Debatable Space is a faster read as there is slightly less thinking involved but it’s unfair to compare them too much as they are completely different in both style and substance.

New books have arrived by various means this week, namely from the shelves of my local supermarket and from the amazingly wonderful ReadItSwapIt. So at some point in the future I hope to be reading:

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. I love Gaiman’s imagination and enjoyed American Gods when I read that. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does on home turf.

Speaking of great imaginations I picked up Garth Nix’s Across the Wall which collections together a novella set in the Old Kingdom along with other short stories. It’ll have to do as I hope for a full novel.

Iain M. Banks is back next month with a new novel called Matter set in Culture. But I’m a little wary of trying get into Banks through a late series novel. I didn’t really get into the first Culture novel. But I’m sure he’s improved since then. So I’m going to try the highly praised The Algebraist.

Speaking of authors I read ages ago I’ve been wanting to read another by Peter James and seeing as I’m also craving a little crime Dead Simple seems like a good place.

Finally, and along the lines of craving. I’m missing Top Gear (a show about cars) though it might be more I’m missing the political incorrectness that is Jeremy Clarkson. So I grabbed a copy of The World According to Clarkson, his second collection of columns from The Times.

That’s more than enough to be getting on with I think.

Tags: Garth Nix, Hal Duncan, Iain M. Banks, Jeremy Clarkson, Neil Gaiman, Orbit, Pan Books, Peter James, Philip Palmer

Seeing as it is the New Year I’ve been thinking about resolutions. I have one: READ MORE! But as I’ve said several times before, there is always more to read. Being more sensible I’m going to try and get at least one review up a week and hopefully if I have some thinner books I’ll get a couple posted. The real question is what types of books? Last year it was debuts and this year? I might have to think about that more. I am going to introduce more crime novels into the mix. I also have some catching up to do. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Anyway, here are the books that I’ve selected for reading this month:

Starting with Vellum by Hal Duncan. This is one of my catch-up books. I’m 20% in terms of pages read but in terms of story I have no idea. The story leaps through different places, times, versions but the more I’m reading the more it’s making sense. Hal Duncan has a wonderfully poetic writing style that resonates as themes and ideas are explored and the main players in the story emerge and their motivations are revealed. I’ll let you know how it all comes together.

I did promise Dave that In The Woods by Tana French would be next but it’s almost next. I’ll probably read it in parallel. I have mentioned it a couple of times before so I won’t say much more. Though I’ve just found her website here and details of her next book The Likeness. It looks like a sequel which doesn’t sound like a bad thing.

Back to catching up we have The Hounds of Avalon by Mark Chadbourn. The third book in The Dark Age trilogy. This time Chadbourn presents two friends, as different as night and day, who are charged with task to find the dreaming hero, King Arthur, before time runs out. I’ve really kept this one back far too long. I’m looking forward to seeing what surprises he’s held back to the climax of this part of the story. Look for a further Chadbourn post next week.

This turning into a debut month as the final two books are again new voices.  Debatable Space by Philip Palmer and The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes have both been mentioned a couple of posts back so I won’t repeat myself though I will say that Fantasy Book Critic got to Palmer first!

Well this is plan and if I read faster or get caught up in something this might change but that is the top of the pile as it stands.

Tags: Hal Duncan, Jonathon Barnes, Mark Chadbourn, Philip Palmer, reading lists, Tana French, This Month's Reading List