Bride - Ali Hazelwood

 66%

18.10.24

Ali Hazelwood is The Current Thing so I thought I'd give this a go. Romantasy isn't her usual genre and in many ways this read like a very good satire of the slightly problematic 'fated mate' trope, improved by the heroine being a feisty vampire instead of the usual passive girl-next-door. The sex was overdone and the twists (such as they were) telescoped but it was hugely entertaining, with an engaging tone of voice and non-stop action - other writers should take note.

Carrie Soto is Back - Taylor Jenkins Reid

 

66%

11.03.23

This suffered from the usual TJR problem of under-editing (endless exposition; a predictable romance; another page, another eye roll, another unnecessarily detailed description of what someone is wearing). As usual, it didn't have anything particularly profound to say... but yet, it was a hugely engaging read, despite the tedious tennis. I like the way names pop in and out of the ever-increasing TJR alternate celebrity universe. And the truculent and tenacious Carrie proves you don't need to identify with a character to root for them. Game, set and match!

Early Morning Riser - Katherine Heiny

 

66%

28.11.22

I really enjoyed Heiny's earlier Standard Deviation, although remember nothing about it now. This is that most unusual of books - literally laugh-out-loud funny in places, as well as whimsical and evocative. It did go on a little too long, so that I started to lose patience with the rather annoying characters, but it was still overall a Good Read.

Spencer's List - Lissa Evans

 66%

02.01.21

She's now known for her wartime epics (see here and here) but Evans' first novel is really just a collection of set pieces about likeable, linked characters. But it is brimming with her characteristic panache, painful pinpoint humour and the sudden powerful pathos that comes out of nowhere. 

The Binding - Bridget Collins

66%
03.01.20

Although this book is flawed in many ways - overwritten on a sentence level and underwritten on a plot level, with leads that are hard to root for - it nevertheless magically sweeps you into its quasi-historical world and scientifically reveals the many implications of its central conceit. I don't normally get on with magic realism but this is a fine holiday read.

(Unfortunately, I read it on my Kindle so missed out on the beautiful hard copies - but it's good to see that high production values are (sometimes) still maintained.)

Fly By Night - Frances Hardinge

67%
30.11.19

Fabulous in all senses, this early Frances Hardinge is almost as good as her later work, if you indulgently assume that the confusing, chaotic context intentionally depicts the experience of ordinary people caught up in circumstances they can't understand. It's a clever political fable, applicable to many times and cultures.

Circe - Madeline Miller

66%
23.04.19

An introverted goddess with self-esteem issues reclaims her story from the patriarchy. It's an unusual and absorbing reworking of the Greek myth but its main strength is that its lyricism makes the rather disjointed story and vague characterisations matter less.

The City & the City - China Miéville

66%
05.10.18

This came highly recommended from another editor, and the concept and standard of writing were indeed pretty fantastic, cleverly layered and thought provoking. It was a pity the characterisation was non-existent and the murder-mystery plot really just a means of conveying the complex world of the cities. (Apparently, it's been recently televised and I would be interested to see exactly how they handled it.)

When the Floods Came - Clare Morrall

66%
08.04.18

As post-apocalyptic, dystopian novels go, this was a lot of fun. A well-imagined situation, with interesting characters. Best not to think about the coincidences and plot holes too much.

The Word is Murder - Anthony Horowitz

66%
17.03.18

In a slightly postmodern twist on the standard murder mystery, the author casts himself in the bumbling Watson or Hastings role to the inscrutable detective. It works well as a mix of autobiography and fiction, and is cleverly plotted enough to provide enough false leads for a satisfying denouement.

The Magicians - Lev Grossman

66%
10.04.17

Poorly structured and full of plot holes it might be, but entertaining it definitely is.

Merivel: A man of his time - Rose Tremain

66%
07.09.16

Tremain's books are always varied - if you don't like one, there's always another completely different story to try. But here, unusually, is a sequel. I read Restoration years ago - before I started my reviews, it seems - and remember little but it didn't matter much. Merivel is such a vivid character, strangely sympathetic despite - or because of - his many flaws, and doing the best he can with the times and means given to him. It's both a tragic and hopeful book - much like Restoration, actually.

One Corpse Too Many - Ellis Peters

66%
06.11.15

Brother Cadfael is the sort of friend and ally everyone wants. It's his engaging character that carries these books which, though wearing their research lightly, are at heart straightforward, undemanding and enjoyable yarns.

Black Powder War - Naomi Novik

66%
19.04.13

"So, there are these books. They're about the Napoleonic wars. With dragons. Talking dragons with vivid personalities. They're really good. Yes, really." It does sound a bit improbable that this series will be anything other than standard historical fantasy - and it's true that the plots are a little slow - but they're so well written and researched that you do get swept up in this appealing alternate reality.

Before I go to Sleep - SJ Watson

66%
25.11.11

A woman suffers from a type of amnesia so rare that it exists only in novelists' heads. It's known as "Handyfortheplot". Each day she wakes up unable to remember anything about her life, and has to locate and secretly read her lengthy journal before having an adventure and adding another weighty entry before her husband notices. Clearly, Handyfortheplot amnesia doesn't affect one's ability to read, write and process information at lightning speed, although it does remove the victim's powers of prediction, unlike those of the reader. But the real miracle is that it's actually a thought-provoking thriller, breathlessly exciting and carefully constructed, examining the implications of memory on self and life.

The Believers - Zoe Heller

66%
28.11.10

Another, very different, take on the immigrant experience. Why did I enjoy this more than "Hearts & Minds"? There was humour, for one, and a more concentrated scope, which kept the drift towards "issues" mostly in check. I liked the characters more, too, because they were less likable, grittier, more frustrating. Despite its title, it wasn't particularly believable, but that wasn't really its intention, I suspect.

The Night Watch - Sarah Waters

66%
16.03.07




Accomplished is the word - impeccably structured, written and researched, to the extent of it all being rather distracting. It's such a msterclass in the art of the novel that it doesn't really come alive. But it's still compelling and enjoyable - if only it could relax a little.

Startled by His Furry Shorts! - Louise Rennison

11.08.06
66%




What a relief to take a break from glum Joyce Carol Oates and rejoin the surreal sub-80s world of Georgia and her gang. The same old thing, but it works.

Motherless Brooklyn - Jonathan Lethem

 05.05.06
66%




Flashes of brilliance and consistent linguistic ingenuity, though its oddness and rather unsatisfactory ending let it down. Lethem is certainly an interesting and imaginative writer, so I'm happy to indulge him.

Fear and Trembling - Amelie Nothomb

66%
14.12.04




I read this in two hours as an antidote to Dan Rhodes' pessimism. This, too, is a slightly surreal tale of betrayal and revenge, but told with a lighter touch and a sense of hope. It's also a story of racism and ignorance - from all sides - a fable of cultural misunderstanding. So not entirely a good choice to dilute the cynicism.