posts interesting only to me

Somewhat of a fiction heavy month this was, largely because I hadn’t gotten any books from the library recently, my main source of non-fiction. But I was also in a mood where I justed wanted to read a good story. The gender balance is a bit out of whack this month: seven books by male writers, four by female writers. Must do better.

The Gabble and Other Stories — Neal Asher
A collection of short stories set in his Polity universe. Not the worst way to get introduced to the full Asher experience.

Rule 34 — Charlie Stross
You already know that this is the sequel to Halting State. You also know that this, like the original is written in the second person, which costs you little trouble to adapt to, but others might struggle with it. You also think that reading a review this way would get old fast.

The Ghost Brigades — John Scalzi
Sequel to Old Man’s War, starring Jane Sagan who we first met in the last third of the previous book. Fun adventure sf, with a bit more of a look behind the curtains of the OMW universe showing that things aren’t quite as black and white as the first book showed.

The Last Colony — John Scalzi
The final book in the trilogy, teaming up John Perry and Jane Sagan in defence of the new colony they lead.

Cryoburn — Lois McMaster Bujold
The latest Miles Vorkosigan novel is a fun adventure, but almost a throwback to the earliest books in the series and missing Ekaterin in this is criminal.

Needle in a Timestack — Robert Silverberg
Fun collection of short stories. Nothing spectacular.

Invader — C. J. Cherryh
Sequel to Foreigner, sharing many of its flaws, mainly that the protagonist is fairly passive and in the dark about what’s going on.

Be My Enemy — Christopher Brookmyre
Another one of Jack Parlabane novels. Jack is invited on a survival/team building exercise weekend up at an isolated Scottish castle turned hotel, to which Jack looks forward if only to pour scorn on it in his newspaper column later. Then the survival aspects turns out to be more pertinent than expected…

10,000 Light-Years from Home — James Tiptree Jr
This month’s entry in my Year of reading Women project. A very good collection, made better by the realisation that these are not even Tiptree’s best stories.

All Fun and Games until Somebody Loses an Eye — Christopher Brookmyre
When somebody tries to kidnap Jane Fleming’s granddaughter, it turns out her fitness lessons are not a complete waste and she’s good for more than babysitting…

Temeraire — Naomi Novik
All you need to know about this: Horatio Hornblower, with dragons. I was going to finish that Richard Miles history of Carthage, but this took only two pages to suck me in.

Bit late again this month with the list. Nine books read, six of which were science fiction.

The Last Valley — Martin Windrow
A very thorough history of the battle of Dien Bien Phu, which meant the end of any serious French attempts to defeat the Vietmin and keep control of Vietnam.

Golden Witchbreed — Mary Gentle
Another book read in my Year of Reading Women project, this was as good as I remembered it as.

A Sporting Chance — Elizabeth Moon
Another lightweight Elizabeth Moon space adventure, entertaining as everything else I read of her recently.

At All Costs — David Weber
More Honor Harrington read as ebook on my Android phone.

An Investigation of Murder — Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo
A BBC4 documentary on Nordic Noir mentioned the Sjowall and Wahloo novels which made me want to read them. This was the only one we had on our shelves. A terrible, terrible translation, done by somebody who has only a limited grasp on either English or Swedish, or perhaps both. The written equivalent of one of those text to speech translators.

Mission of Honor — David Weber
And even more Honor Harrington. Weber is by all objective measures not a very good writer, but these books are like chewing gum, more enjoyable than not reading them in those circumstances where any other book would be difficult.

The Wars of the Roses — Christine Carpenter
Full subtitle: Politics and the Constitution in England, c. 1437-1509, which gives you a flavour of the focus of this book. I don’t know that much about the War of the Roses and this isn’t really a proper introduction to the period, but it worked for me.

The Deep State — Walter John Williams
Sequel to This Is Not a Game, about bringing down the military junta in Turkey through the power of the internet and alternate reality games.

Old Man’s War — John Scalzi
Scalzi’s breakthrough novel, very Heinleinian in its structure, plot and concerns but without Heinlein’s more annoying habits.