Author: Greig

Professional Librarian from Fife who likes books and music.

baz?

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Fangirl

Rainbow Rowell

fangirlCath hates new places, new people and new things. Which is a bit of a problem when she’s just moved away from home to study at college. Doubly so when she’s forced to share a room with someone other than her identical twin sister for the first time in her life.
Escaping into writing her popular serial fanfic she struggles to adjust to her new life and to deal with the problems that life throws at her.
This is easily the best YA book I’ve read since The Fault In Our Stars. I really enjoyed spending time in Cath’s head. I’ve read a ton of fanfic in the past year after going crazy for The Lizzie Bennet Diaries and I really empathized with her, while recognizing that she’s young and frequently mistaken about how other people thnk and how the world works.
In fact I devoured the book in less than a day.
I recommend this to anyone but especially to those with an interest in YA books or the world of fanfic.

Rating: A

veronica?

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Faking It

Jennifer Crusie

faking itA charming romance novel about con men and art forgers.
I got a very Gilmore Girls vibe from this book with all the pop culture references and the family of wonderful and off kilter women. This isn’t surprising when you remember that the author once edited a collection of essays about that beloved TV show.
I liked the slightly neurotic lead character Tilda a lot and I think I would like to read more about her.
I’d recommend this if you’re in the mood for an entertaining slice of romantic hokum.

Rating: B

fabber?

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Rule 34

Charles Stross

Rule 34The follow up to Halting State is another Edinburgh set near future crime thriller written in the second person.
Told from the perspective of several characters including a police detective, an organized crime ‘executive’ and a local hacker the story gradually uncovers an intricate plot involving puppet states, international financial manipulation, murder investigations, and artificial intelligence researchers.
It takes a while to get into as the second person thing is so jarring but once you’re into the story it’s a great read with interesting characters who aren’t just your regular square-jawed straight white folks.
Definitely recommended, particularly if you liked Halting State.

Rating: A-

2013?

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Books I read in 2013

  1. Microserfs by Douglas Coupland, rated A-
  2. The Rook by Daniel O’Malley, rated A-
  3. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, rated A-
  4. All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye by Christopher Brookmyre, rated A-
  5. Redshirts by John Scalzi, rated B+
  6. Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire, rated B+
  7. City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare, rated B-
  8. Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey, rated B+
  9. Mr Darcy’s Diary by Amanda Grange, rated B
  10. Fletch by Gregory Mcdonald, rated B+
  11. The Knife Of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, rated A-
  12. This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen, rated B+
  13. Rosemary & Rue by Seanan McGuire, rated B+
  14. The Song Of The Quarkbeast by Jasper Fforde, rated B+
  15. Kill The Dead by Richard Kadrey, rated B+
  16. Flat Out Love by Jessica Park, rated C+
  17. Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig, rated B+
  18. Feed by Mira Grant, rated A-
  19. Deadline by Mira Grant, rated B+
  20. Blackout by Mira Grant, rated A
  21. I Love You, You Idiot by Cathy East Dubowski, rated B-
  22. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline, rated B+
  23. Mockingbird by Chuck Wendig, rated B+
  24. The Language of Spells by Sarah Painter, rated B
  25. Divergent by Veronica Roth, rated B+
  26. Struck by Lightning by Chris Colfer, rated B
  27. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card, rated A
  28. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, rated A
  29. Something About You by Julie James, rated C
  30. Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson, rated A
  31. Chimes at Midnight by Seanan McGuire, rated B+
  32. Insurgent by Veronica Roth, rated B+
  33. I Am The Secret Footballer by The Secret Footballer, rated B
  34. The Wedding Date by Liz Young, rated B
  35. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins, rated A-
  36. The Apocalypse Codex by Charles Stross, rated A-
  37. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling, rated B+
  38. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling, rated A-
  39. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling, rated A-
  40. Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn, rated C
  41. Thief of Time by Terry Pratchett, rated B
  42. Hyperbole and a Half by Allie Brosh, rated A
  43. The Sacred Art of Stealing by Christopher Brookmyre, rated B+
  44. The Shambling Guide to New York by Mur Lafferty, rated B

2013alternates

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This is an addendum to the books read in 2013 list as I don’t feel that books in these formats strictly belong on that list.

Graphic Novels
Planet Hulk Omnibus by Greg Pak, Carlo Pagulayan, Aaron Lopresti and Michael Avon Oeming
Phonogram Vol 2. by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie (the floppies with extra material via Comixology)
Freak angels volume by 1 Warren Ellis & Paul Duffield
Freak angels volume by 2 Warren Ellis & Paul Duffield
Freak angels volume by 3 Warren Ellis & Paul Duffield
Freak angels volume by Warren Ellis & Paul Duffield
Freak angels volume by 5 Warren Ellis & Paul Duffield
(also vol 6, but online) www.freakangels.com

Audiobooks
Bellwether by Connie Willis, read by Kate Reading
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, read by Stephen Fry

2013 Albums of the year

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1.Queens of the Stone Age
…like clockwork

qotsa

2.Agnes Obel
Aventine

Aventine-cover

3.Retribution Gospel Choir
3

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4.Trentemøller
Lost

trentemoller-lost-655x655

5.The Soft Hills
Chromatisms

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6.Lloyd Cole
Standards

cole.lloyd-standards

7.Alela Diane
About Farewell

CS497695-01A-BIG

8.John Grant
Pale Green Ghosts

Pale Green Ghosts

9.Chvrches
The Bones of What You Believe

Chvrches-The-Bones-Of-What-You-Believe1

10.The Joy Formidable
Wolf’s Law

the-joy-formidable-wolfs-law-album-cover-art

11.Woodkid
The Golden Age

12.Laura Stevenson
Wheel

13.Low
The Invisible Way

14.Villagers
{Awayland}

15.Wax Idols
Discipline & Desire

16.Laura Veirs
Warp & Weft

17.David Bowie
The Next Day

18.Mark Mulcahy
Dear Mark J. Mulcahy, I Love You

19.Marnie
Crystal World

20.Volcano Choir
Repave

21.Jim James
Regions of Light and Sound of God

22.James Blake
Overgrown

23.Neko Case
The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, The Harder I Fight, The More I Love You

24.Goldfrapp
Tales of Us

25.Lorde
Pure Heroine

There was no competition for best album of the year. Nine of the ten tracks on “…like clockwork” are in my top ten most listened to tracks for 2013 (the other one is all the way down at 13th most listened to).

Gig of the year goes to John Grant at the Queen’s Hall – which is just one of the most extraordinary gigs I’ve ever been to.

Track of the year goes to Seven by Retribution Gospel Choir. Over twenty minutes of transcendent beauty to get yourself lost in.

A playlist of all these albums on Spotify

starlight?

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The Shambling Guide To New York

Mur Lafferty

shambling guide to new yorkThis enjoyable slice of urban fantasy was a Christmas gift from my parents this year. I’m not usually so good at reading gifts promptly but this seemed like a quick, fun read and I was not wrong.
An ordinary human finds herself working for a supernatural publishing company editing a travel guide and subsequently smack in the middle of events as chaos hits New York.
As I said it’s a fun a read and an intriguing start to a series. Recommended if you like a bit of urban fantasy.

Rating: B

clockwork?

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The Sacred Art of Stealing

Christopher Brookmyre

sacred art of stealingThe second book featuring Officer de Xavia and the first with her as the lead character.
In bad political odour after saving the day at Dubh Ardrain in A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away and hitting her thirtieth birthday she finds herself involved with an unusual bank robbery and with an even more unusual bank robber.
I reviewed this book on the blog before in 2003 and in 2005 but to be honest I think I enjoyed it more this time round.
I recommend Brookmyre’s work without reservation.

Rating: B+