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Fans of the TV series Bones may be surprised to know that Dr Temperence Brennan was originally conceived in book form. Or maybe you won’t be surprised. Maybe the interview on the DVD was a tip-off. Or the fact that Dr “Bones” Brennan writes novels on the side about heroine Dr Kathy Reichs. Anyway …
Break No Bones isn’t the first Tempe Brennan book, but it happens to be the first I’ve gotten my hands on. Read the rest…
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Yes, I’m on a bit of a Discworld tear at the moment. And there’s more to come, as I’m halfway through Soul Music as I write this. But my most recent completion was The Last Continent, referring to a location on the Disc - which, purely on the surface, is not the least little bit unlike Australia - which was the last to be created. And is still in process, as it were, when invaded by an unlikely and unprepared school of wizards. In “modern” times, it falls to the resistant Rincewind to repair the ripples Read the rest…
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Lords and Ladies is the second Discworld novel I’ve reviewed (unless you count saying that Reaper Man is my favorite so far as a review). Much more of a page-turner than Men at Arms, I finished this book, no lightweight at 382 pages, in about 3 days. And apparently chapters are things that happen in other books.
As I explained previously, Discworld novels feature recurring characters, and the series can be viewed as a very thick continuum, or several strands grouped by characters. Read the rest…
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Deviations: Covenant is the first of six in a series being published by Aisling Press. Rich character development and fascinating central conflict quickly addict the reader to this story. The author’s tone subtly coaxed me to judge the ethics of the situation comprehensively by virtue of the characters’ widely varied viewpoints. The moral dilemma of the story would easily lend itself to pontification from a less skilled writer.
Read the rest…
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The Shrieking Stones is the first book in a new series of children’s horror books (a la Goosebumps) and is suitable for children 8 and up. Not only suitable, enjoyable, pacey, and just scary enough. In fact, even adults can read it.
The Fright Night series follows the adventures of twins Adam and Lana as they accompany their Uncle Larry during filming of an unsuccessful ghost-chasing TV show. Read the rest…
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I’ve recently reviewed a vacation read, a sick-day read, and now, a deserted island book. You know, for when someone asks you what 20 things would you take with you if you were stuck on a deserted island. As if you could plan for that.
The Lies of Locke Lamora is ideal because, although it is worth the effort, it will take you a very long time to read. I started it on vacation last September. It’s now nearly the end of July. I am the first to admit, I’m not a fast reader, Read the rest…
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Yesterday I reviewed an excellent book to take on vacation. Today, I’m at home with a cold, and what does a gal want when she’s home ill, neither sick enough nor well enough to sleep, with nothing on the television? A cup of tea, a good book and … why is there never any chocolate when you need it??? Well, at least I’ve got the tea and the book. And this book, Don’t You Want Me - light, cheery, gleefully raunchy, not-your-mamma’s-romance-novel that it is - is a perfect choice. Not usually a speedy reader, I got through this Read the rest…
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Come Away With Me by Cornish author Sara MacDonald is a holiday in paperback. Set primarily in London, St Ives, and at the Saltings, this epic tale of two childhood friends brings the women back together by chance and knits them inextricably by the wildest of coincidences and boldest of choices. Seamlessly leaping from present day to flashbacks, the book presents all the information the reader requires exactly when needed. Read the rest…
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Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips is in many ways a refreshing indicator of the extent to which fantasy has been embraced by the mainstream. Far more so than science fiction, of course, because if you set out to depict spaceships in space, aliens in an alien landscape/society, or attempt include any kind of science or substantive, complex plot, you are moving towards ‘cult’, ‘niche’ and other more marginal frontiers where fewer members of the general public are inclined to boldly go. Read the rest…
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It’s hard to write a biography of someone who left as scant a record of his life as William Shakespeare did. So a good portion of this book debunks theories that posit that Shakespeare didn’t write his plays and why the people who have been suggested as authors probably weren’t. Bryson sticks to his subject and while writing with verve and the humor for which he is justly famous, he meticulously sets out the few undisputed facts about Shakespeare — mostly gleaned from legal documents. While not Read the rest…
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