Books
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Book Haul
I’ve not been reading that much of late. The pandemic which I was sure I’d breeze through as an introvert has resulted in me hitting the worst reading slump since my mid-twenties. Not that that has stopped me from buying books. My to-be-read pile has continued to increase despite not having enough focus and I’ve felt guilty because I’ve really wanted to be blogging and podcasting and the energy to do any of it has been lacking. I have been on a small break visiting friends and got to meet up with @runalongwomble of RunalongtheShelves the book tempter in chief for a chat and an explore of Liverpool and a…
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Subjective Chaos 2020: the Results
As we all know this has been a funny old year but even with all of that noise we (the agents of Subjective Chaos) have been battling our own demons to get the books read and to argue about our favourites. Congratulations to all of our winners: Fantasy: Realm of Ash by Tasha Suri Science Fiction: A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine Blurred Boundaries: Godhunter by David Mogo Novella: The Deep by Rivers Solomon Short Story: The Migration Suite: A study in C Sharp Minor by Maurice Broaddus Series: Rosewater Trilogy by Tade Thompson
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Doing stuff
We are living in some interesting times. I’m not sure how to feel at the moment, I’m not sure that anyone is. All I know for sure is that friends of mine are sick and there’s not a lot practically I can do to help them. Its putting me and us all into this ridiculous limbo. I’m working from home but I feel untethered and uneasy. I’ve been trying to work out what I can do to be of use. With Eastercon cancelling and having a podcast one thing I did think about was if you are an author who has had a launch scuppered by the pandemic please contact…
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Review: This is How to Lose the Time War by Amal Al-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
I feel like everyone else that I know has already read this and loved it but I have just absorbed it and I have feelings that I simply must share. Gosh I loved this novella. Its poetic and epic and visceral and it really got to me in a way that I didn’t expect. Red is an operative of the agency she is aware that there is an enemy operative who is trailing her and she feels that she has finally met her match. One encounter Red finds a letter from her opponent, reads it and then decides to continue the correspondance at great risk to both of them.…
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Review: To be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers
This novella is a long slow punch to the gut. I adore Becky Chambers writing I have loved her Wayfarers sequence and whilst this is not part of that universe it shares enough DNA that it feels similar. Ariadne, Chikondi, Elena and Jack are crew members on a mission from Earth to travel to four different envrionments on moons and planets for science! As ever with Chambers work there is a quiet humanity to her work where hope and doing things for the joy of them are celebrated and the work that four people undertake as well as how they interact and manage to get on. The emotional is…
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Review: Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold
Damned this is a good book. Luke Arnold has a gift for storytelling. Last Smile is the first in the new Fetch Philips series and it this opening story is anything to go by readers will be in for a treat. Fetch is a man for hire in a world where the magic has broken and the once mighty magical races now dwell in reduced circumstances because something the humans did and there is a lot of friction between humans and magicals because of this. Fetch has been involved in both sides and we see his back story shown through flashbacks which genuinely add depth to his…
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Review: The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H. G. Parry
Charley and Rob are brothers with an awkward past. Charley a former child prodigy with the very unique ability that he can read characters out of books and have them appear in ort world. This concept I found utterly delightful, not least the opportunity to meet some of your favourite characters in the flesh. However, for Rob its something of an embarrassment, his brother is deliberately ruining his life and always has done. Especially as Rob is a Solicitor and has a serious life that he has built with his partner Lydia. The brothers are not close and Charley feels like the kind of vague professor who is so much…
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Subjective Chaos 2020
I am very behind on my blogging this year, I blame starting a new job but here’s the news. I have been asked to be part of the Subjective Chaos Awards this year and if you want to know more about us and what we are up to please read on. The rules/aims/guidelines/best intentions – We will embrace chaos – We will have fun – All discussion will be good-humoured – We do not shout and disturb the other readers The Categories – Best Fantasy Novel – Best SF Novel – Best Blurred Boundaries – Best Novella – Best Complete Series (final instalment published in 2019) – And now a…
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Welcome to 2020
Ugh I know I’ve been missing in action. I kind of ran out of steam at the end of last year the day job really took over and there were some pesky life moments getting in the way of editing podcasts and making this blog as interesting as it could be. So a quick round up. For the first time in forever I did not complete my Good Reads Challenge and, you know what I’m not going to beat myself up over it. It was a large number, I read very few comics and my personal life had a lot going on. This year I’m making some exciting reads…
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Playing in the Dark
Neil Gaiman at the Barbican was quite magical. The concert opened with the BBC Symphony Orchestra playing The Sourcerer’s Apprentice and I can think of no better way to set the tone for an evening. Neil then appeared and read short stories and poems and sections from his novels. Amanda Palmer read a poem of his called the Mushroom hunters which was one of the highlights of the evening as far as I am concerned we were also treated to the Lord Chancellor’s Nightmare Song from Iolanthe which is a real treat if you have never heard it before. The second half opened with one of my favourite pieces of…
