Category: B+

tonypandy?

Posted on by Greig

The Daughter of Time

Josephine Tey

I’ll be perfectly honest – this is not the kind of book I’d read normally. A Fifties police procedural about an upright police detective who investigates a historical mystery? Not my cup of tea!
However I was reading a thread about a book I love – The Dragon Waiting by John M. Ford and lots of people said that if you want some historical context then The Daughter of Time was the most palatable way to get it.
So I picked it up via the wonder that is inter-library loan. Libraries rock.
This brief book was written in 1951 and, given that some of it’s attitudes towards women and anyone who isn’t English are quite appalling, I found it quite entertaining.
The major thrust of the book is that common knowledge or the historical record is frequently a lot of rubbish and doesn’t exactly match what really happened, which he then applies to the story of Richard III. As a result it’s ironic that he accepts establishment interpretations of controversial events as examples of how historical events and the facts don’t always marry up.
If you like a detective story, or historical sleuthing then you might love this book. Personally, as primer to the fall of the Plantagenet dynasty, I found it enlightening.

Rating: B+

SOS?

Posted on by Greig

Passage

Connie Willis

If this book had just been shorter, or quicker paced it would have received a much higher mark from me.
The book follows Doctors researching into Near Death Experiences based in a General Hospital somewhere in the USA. One of them develops a way to safely replicate NDEs under lab conditions in volunteers and the other has been recording the testimony of real life NDE patients.
Essentially what should be a snappy medical mystery/science fiction novel gets bogged down in the detail of Near Death Experiences and generally makes you think “this is going nowhere, do something to advance the story”
It’s extremely well written and some of the characters are great (especially the ultra pragmatic, disaster obsessed, pre-teen heart patient Maisie), and generally what happens is quite satisfying – I just felt it took too long to get there.
I think I’m going to take a break from Willis’ books – I’ve been struggling with the audiobook of Blackout for months now and lost the will to listen to it anymore!

Rating: B+

brighton?

Posted on by Greig

My Shit Life So Far

Frankie Boyle

My Shit Life So FarOf the comedian’s biographies I’ve read this year, this is closest to an actual biography. True it contains substantial chunks of his stand up routine, but it also feels like you’re getting some insight into what makes Boyle the man he is.
It is of course very funny in places.
I’d say it’s worth picking it up dirt cheap someplace – no need to encourage him too much.

Rating: B+

coven?

Posted on by Greig

Wyrd Sisters

Terry Pratchett

This, the 5th Discworld book, is the first where Pratchett really finds the style and tone that he would use for the majority of the rest of the series.
A brilliant parody of Shakespeare, Witch stories and fantasy in general it also happens to be the first book in the Witches sub-series (Granny Weatherwax appears earlier in Equal Rites but that’s more of a standalone DW book).
If you’ve never read it before I very highly recommend it.
It’s a great wee book that I’ve knocked down the score of because there are better Pratchett books out there now and I’m way too familiar with the book now and have rung much of the humour out it – even though I’ve not read it in at least 7 years.

Rating: B+

bluebonnet?

Posted on by Greig

Whip It

Shauna Cross

Originally known as Roller Girl, this is the book that the recent Drew Barrymore directed, Ellen Page starring, film is based on.
The book is a lot of fun, but really quite slight.
The film manages to improve on quite a lot of the book, especially the ending, which is rather trite in the book

Rating: B+