David Petersen's Mouse Guard.

The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes.

Not too long ago I read King Rat by China Mieville and found it disappointing: for all its bright points (and there are a few), its prose was clunky, and it seemed in plot a contrived, derivative work. As far as first novels go, it was passable but very clearly an early work.

The Somnambulist is also a first novel -- but you wouldn't know it. It's rare that a work of fiction by an untested author grabs my attention and interest as much as this book has so far. I'm about 145 pages in (it's roughly 360 pages long) and it has yet to disappoint. The characters are colorful yet flawed and believable, the plot is just barely translucent (just as it should be -- not dismally transparent and not hopelessly opaque), and aside from a few odd quirks in his representation of Victorian London the setting is at once mysteriously alluring and believably grimy.

I don't want to recommend it wholeheartedly until I've finished reading it, but so far it's as close to a perfect first novel as I've ever read.

On The Road To Kandahar - travels through conflict in the Islamic world by Jason Burke. This started off as a "duty read", just for the information, but has rapidly become a pleasure (if pleasure is the right word for a book on this subject, which, I think not). But it's gripping and so well-written, and it's one of those books which you are so pleased to have picked up.

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow.

Therefore Repent by Jim Munroe and Salgood Sam (signed copy). I might however put that on hold and read the next Jack of Fables.

i just read The Time Traveller's Wife in one day.

wow.

The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Micheal Chabon.

So far, it's good, but depressing. And the depressing is overwhelming the good. It's even money that I'll finish the thing.

quote:

Originally posted by Limertilly:
i just read The Time Traveller's Wife in one day.

wow.

It's one of those books that ye have to stay up all night to finish, no?

I'm reading Lanark by Alasdair Gray - I think it's one of the first books I've read that is set in Glasgow, and it keeps swerving between eerie familiarity (knowing most of the exact streets that the characters are walking) and terrifying surrealness. S'good! Gritty, industrial, in parts hellish and in others strangely peaceful. Like all cities, I guess.

I love Alasdair Gray! I've read Poor Things, Lanark, The History Maker, and some of his short story collections.

lanark is so damn bleak!
banks has a couple books set glasgow/paisley and its quite novel to read through streets that are so familiar.

trying to remember, i'm sure there was something else i read not so long set in glasgow. nope. can't recall.

Almost finished with The Painted Veil

Every so often I like to pick up a classic.

Makes me feel more culturally literate.

I read The Alchemist, which was relatively pointless, and The Shunned House by Lovecraft.

I've come to realize, and I'm sure everyone else has already realized this, but most of his stories are the same, just in a few various flavors.

And now I've started Absolute Sandman Volume 3. =D

quote:

Originally posted by Mythos:
David Petersen's Mouse Guard.

*bounces like pixie sticked bunny*
whatdidyouthinkwhatdidyouthink??

okay. I'm prepared to be shunned for this, but...I read Twilight. in less than 24 hours. and have enthusiastically requested the sequel from the girl who wanted me to read it and loaned it to me in the first place.

*hides face in shame*

I just finished it too. I have to review it for my library's romance blog. Blergh. Didn't the repetition drive you insane? If I read one more time about Edward's smoldering eyes, angel face or godlike marble physique I am going to vomit. Stephenie Meyer really needed a good editor.

In other news, I will soon be reading David Almond's new children's book The Savage. I won an early reviewer's copy from LibraryThing and I just now saw that Dave McKean illustrated it! I'm going to cross my fingers and hope for the best - the other early reviewer books I've gotten have been awful. But but but David Almond and Dave McKean! What could go wrong? (*has jinxed the book*)

yes, actually, that bothered me a lot. the words "marble" and "angel" in particular got really old. it is not well written. the characters and their actions are also rather predictable (within and without the context of the story). these things did indeed make me a little crazy. also the suddenness of this allegedly deep and abiding love. I have always found that ridiculous. (and have yet to read Romeo and Juliet for just that reason; surely Shakespeare at least should've known better!) plus it's painfully obvious that Ms. Meyer = Bella. I hate that.

and yet I cannot help myself, and I am thereby shamed.

quote:

Originally posted by MeanBatwoman:

quote:

Originally posted by Mythos:
David Petersen's Mouse Guard.

*bounces like pixie sticked bunny*
whatdidyouthinkwhatdidyouthink??

EVERY time I go to the bookstore I pick that up and want to buy it.

I am reading : The Book of Customs: a complete handbook for the Jewish year by Scott-Martin Kosofsky and The Book of Fred by Abbi Bardi.

I just finished Maus I & II and The Rabbi's Cat.

quote:

Originally posted by MeanBatwoman:

quote:

Originally posted by Mythos:
David Petersen's Mouse Guard.

*bounces like pixie sticked bunny*
whatdidyouthinkwhatdidyouthink??

Well, it was interesting. I really loved the rugged-edged illustrations. It was a very naturalistic style. You can definitely see that there is a lot of world there, and I think it is the kind of world that needs to have more than one book. I also appreciate some of the issues in there -- survival verses freedom. It is definitely something that can be applied to us as humans and well, hell, this book reminded me of the fact that we evolved from creatures not unlike mice once upon a time.

Coincidentally, I met Petersen and his wife at a comics convention not too long ago and I had him sign it. He even drew a little picture for me in the book itself.

Lieam is my favorite of the three mice. The green-cloaked one.

finished the 4th in the current editions of love & rockets, gilbert's second palmoar book. its a strange read, the way he leaps about with his generations, so that one minute someone is born, next married, next a child again. the man story is bleak, a serial killer stalking a small town in the middle of nowhere.

bought the 3rd hellboy collection, read all the stuff as individual issues way back, but never owned. friend said that this book contained the best hellboy story, so i figured i'd give it a re-read to reset my sense of the character before the second film opens here. though also just picked up the first film for £4 on dvd.

read burn out, the latest in the minx series of graphic novels by DC. they are aimed at teen girls in theory, though most of them are perfectly readable and quite enjoyable. this oen feels a little too much like its been written for a target audience than for being worth reading.

and I read New Moon. better written than Twilight, but still is obviously not a serious endeavor. apparently, I needed a break from the heavier subject matter I've been working on lately. I will go back to real books soon, refreshed and rejuvinated by the nice wish-fulfillment fiction.