Another month gone by means another list of books read.
The Thief of Time — Terry Pratchett
The first time I reread this. A typical late Discworld novel.
Flat Earth News — Nick Davies
Nick Davies is an acclaimed journalist who here exposes the news media for the shallow spreaders of lies they are. Something of a Manufacturing Consent for the 21st century, though with less analysis and more anecdotes.
Vellum — Hal Duncan
A brilliant fantasy novel that will annoy the fuck out of a lot of people for being so deliberately vague and confusing.
Matter — Iain M. Banks
Banks’ latest Culture novel, which doesn’t disappoint.
Last Days of the Reich — James Lucas
This details the last phase of the struggle in Europe during World War 2, from the battle for Berlin until the final surrender of German forces on May 9, 1945. It’s somewhat marred by the author being slightly too keen to document the outrages undergone by Germany at the hands of the Russians while largely omitting the context in which these outrages happened.
Farthing — Jo Walton
A cozy murder mystery set in 1949, in a world in which Britain and nazi Germany made peace in 1941. The horror of the situation creeps up on you.
Petty Pewter Gods — Glen Cook
An entertaining hardboiled detective story set in a fantasy worlds where the Gods come quite literally knocking on our hero’s door…
Imperial Earth — Arthur C. Clarke
Dated but still interesting late science fiction novel by the last of the Big Three.
The Compleat Enchanter — L. Sprague de Camp and Fletcher Pratt
Yngi is a louse! Classic fantasy stories from a time before Tolkien.
The Testament of Andros — James Blish
Classic science fiction stories, some of which now hopelessly dated, some of which deserving of being called classics.
Frederick the Great — Nancy Mitford
Mitford’s classic biography of the great Prussian leader.
The Secret of Sinharat — Leigh Brackett
Eric John Stark, fugitive from the law for supplying the Mercurian tribes with guns, has to stop the Martian lowlanders from rising in revolt in return for his freedom.