Author: Greig

The Homeward Bounders

A classic “Young Adult” novel by one of my favourite writers.
Jamie stumbles across “Them” by accident one day. “They” make him a discard and he becomes a Homeward Bounder. He has to travel from world to world looking for the way home. Along the way he makes friends with Helen and Joris, travelling across worlds before the story comes to a very satisfactory ending.
I found this a bit more slight than usual for a Diana Wynne Jones book, but it’s still well written and has an involving plot.
If you’re brave enough to admit that you enjoy reading the occasional YA book, then you need to read Diana Wynne Jones. This particular book is definitely worth a read.
Rating: B

Freshers

I’m surprised I finished this book to be honest. It’s not really the kind of thing I would normally read.
This is the story of Kit Hannah and his first year at Sheffield University (First Year = Freshman = Fresher if you didn’t know).
The book follows him as he makes friends with Jinty, Adrian, Ben, Simon, Petra and Alex. They do the usual things that young students do, listen to alienated music, go out, get drunk, dance like a fool, take drugs, change haircuts, get pierced and fall in lust with strangers.
The main twist in the plotline is kinda bizarre and (I think) pointless – it’s there just to make you think ‘oh, that’s why’ when you don’t need a why. Of course that might be because of my Psychology background.
I’m deliberately trying to be vague here, so as to not spoil the book.
Anyway, a easy book to read, if deeply flawed in some ways. At the very least the lead character is likeable.
Rating: C

Good Omens

This was a comfort read – I’ve been fighting my way through a nasty little chest infection and I’ve been off work.
This is a superb comic novel based around the conceit of the coming of the Antichrist. I’m not going to spoil the plot for anyone, I’m just going to say that everyone should read this book.
Rating: A

The Drawing of the Three

This is the second of King’s Dark Tower Fantasy sequence. After the very odd first book this was actually a lot of fun to read.

Roland of Gilead is a Gunslinger – a knight equivalent in a post technological world. In this story he has recently caught up with The Man In Black on the western shoreline of his world, a man he has been chasing for around twenty years. Exhausted from the confrontation with his foe he is caught unawares by hideous giant lobster-like creatures who rob him of the first two fingers on his right hand and inflict many other injuries. His wounds become infected as he heads along the never-ending beach, and his ammunition is limited after becoming wet. Barely able to continue he comes upon a door. The door is the first of three prophesized by The Man In Black. The door is into the mind (and world) of a man in 1986. To go much further into the plot would thoroughly spoil things.
I enjoyed Roland’s interaction with 20th Century New York and the people he interacts with beyond the doors.
It is a book that I wanted to keep reading and that easily kept my attention (which has been wandering terribly of late). It promises that the rest of the series will be very interesting indeed and I’ll read the rest of the books.
At least I know they’re all written… (Not looking at Robert Jordan at all, not at all)
If you like fantasy you’ll probably like this a lot. Especially if you like fantasy worlds interacting with the real world.
Rating: B

Gun, with occasional music

This is Lethem’s first novel, which has lain in my ‘to read’ pile ever since I bought it just after the paperback release.
The recent excellent reviews for his latest novel ‘The Fortress of Solitude’ lead to me finally picking it up reading it.
The novel takes the form of a hard boiled ‘noir’ detective story, but it’s set in a future dystopian America. This is an America where government provided drugs are taken by the population to meet their own needs – to accept, to forget, etc. It’s also a world with ‘evolution therapy’ which allows animals (prominently in this story a kangaroo) to have human level intelligence, and for adults to become ‘babyheads’ essentially an adult in a child’s body.
It’s got a pretty standard detective plot for all the sfnal contrivances around it, though.
It’s obvious that he’s got a fluent writing style and enormous talent.
However this book is no classic. The plot is superficial and the twist is obvious really early on in the story.
I can’t say that I really enjoyed reading it that much, but it’s by no means a bad book.
Rating: C-

Sandman Presents: The Furies

This is a spin-off from the classic Sandman series written by Neil Gaiman.
An ancient figure from greek mythology is back and is aiming for the destruction of the Furies.
The plan involves Lyta Hall who is tightly bound with the Furies after events in Sandman.
An interesting aside and worth it’s short reading time – it is not in the same class as the original Sandman stories.
I really liked the art, with it’s blending of the photoreal and utterly fantastical.

Random Nuggets

or, books I’ve read most of but can’t be bothered finishing for one reason or another

Adventures In the Screen Trade
by William Goldman

This is a highly entertaining look at the business of making films from the perspective of the screen writer. Thoroughly enjoyable.
Why didn’t I finish it? Well there’s this section at the back about adapting a short story that I can’t be bothered reading right now.

A Confederacy Of Dunces
by John Kennedy Toole

This is by all accounts a magnificent book. Well I’ve persevered to about the halfway point and I’ve lost all interest. I assume something cool happens in the next couple of chapters that makes people rave about it. I’ll get round to it someday.

From Joy Division To New Order: The True Story of Anthony H Wilson and Factory Records
by Mick Middles

Does what it says on the tin, this one. I borrowed it from the library but I lost interest so I took it back when the loan ended. I might have finished it if I had it lying around, as it was good for dipping into. I’m a bit burnt out on this story after 24 Hour Party People (book and film) and Touching From A Distance.
If you’re interested in the Factory story, worth reading. If you’re not interested in Factory don’t bother. Instead get a Joy Division best of and listen to Transmission, She’s Lost Control, Atmosphere, Love Will Tear Us Apart, etc.

R.E.M. | Fiction: An Alternative Biography

David Buckley

This is a well-written and entertaining look at the career of the best band in the world (In my opinion, of course).
Sometimes Buckley glosses over interesting periods in the band’s history and you never really learn how the band dynamic works.
His biggest fault is trying too hard to find some dirt on the band. The departure of Jefferson Holt is covered well, which is the single most controversial bit of the band’s history. It seems weird when he talks about Bill Berry leaving the band that he would even consider that this was down to politicking behind the scenes. Especially how well covered the story was when it happened.
If you’re sort of into R.E.M. and would like to learn more about them, this is a pretty good starting place. If you’re an R.E.M. nut, then you’re going to find very little here that you didn’t already know, go read ‘It Crawled From The South’ by Marcus Grey for a mountain of detail on the band – the second edition is just amazing.
If you couldn’t give a shit about R.E.M. (why?) then avoid like the plague. Go and listen to their music instead.

Join Me

Danny Wallace

Danny Wallace co-wrote the very funny book Are You Dave Gorman?.
This particular book tells the story of how he ends up starting a cult.
This is a seriously funny book, and I couldn’t stop reading it (literally, I was up till 3.30am finishing it).
I advise you to read it.
Also you can visit the Join Me website here. It’s worth it.
I’m not joining. I’m not one for joining things.