Recently read books

So much reading nowadays! I blame unemployment.

Harens år, by Arto Paasilinna (read in Swedish; originally in Finnish; The Year of the Hare in English)

I enjoyed aspects of this, but won't search out more by the author. It's sort of a burlesque absurdist folksy tall tale? I can't imagine how it would read in English--it seems so rooted in Scandinavia.

The City & The City, by China Miéville

I picked this up at a book-swap, and to my surprise, I loved it. I've tried Miéville before and bounced off his style--I found it rather dense and also everything seemed so dirty and sordid in a way I didn't enjoy. Another reason I thought I wouldn't enjoy this is that it's a detective story, which is not my usual genre. But the writing in this one really works for me, and wow, the worldbuilding, that's what caught and kept my attention. Really interesting and well done. (Apparently Miéville's next book is a Moby Dick AU in which the whale is replaced by a giant albino mole? *boggles*)

Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold (audiobook)

I know, I know, people have been telling me for years I should read Bujold. And of course, they were right! I loved this. I already want more about Cordelia and Aral (especially Cordelia), and from what I've read, the majority of the series is not so much about them? I really enjoyed the Cordelia POV narrator of the audiobook, too.

The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, by Alan Garner (audiobook)

I stumbled across this audiobook, and since I have fond childhood memories of the book, I gave it a listen. Sadly, it did not evoke the same sense of wonder it did when I was a child. It's hard to predict what children's/YA books will hold up to you later, because as a child you enjoy different aspects of books.

Recently read books

So much reading nowadays! I blame unemployment.

Harens år, by Arto Paasilinna (read in Swedish; originally in Finnish; The Year of the Hare in English)

I enjoyed aspects of this, but won't search out more by the author. It's sort of a burlesque absurdist folksy tall tale? I can't imagine how it would read in English--it seems so rooted in Scandinavia.

The City & The City, by China Miéville

I picked this up at a book-swap, and to my surprise, I loved it. I've tried Miéville before and bounced off his style--I found it rather dense and also everything seemed so dirty and sordid in a way I didn't enjoy. Another reason I thought I wouldn't enjoy this is that it's a detective story, which is not my usual genre. But the writing in this one really works for me, and wow, the worldbuilding, that's what caught and kept my attention. Really interesting and well done. (Apparently Miéville's next book is a Moby Dick AU in which the whale is replaced by a giant albino mole? *boggles*)

Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold (audiobook)

I know, I know, people have been telling me for years I should read Bujold. And of course, they were right! I loved this. I already want more about Cordelia and Aral (especially Cordelia), and from what I've read, the majority of the series is not so much about them? I really enjoyed the Cordelia POV narrator of the audiobook, too.

The Weirdstone of Brisingamen, by Alan Garner (audiobook)

I stumbled across this audiobook, and since I have fond childhood memories of the book, I gave it a listen. Sadly, it did not evoke the same sense of wonder it did when I was a child. It's hard to predict what children's/YA books will hold up to you later, because as a child you enjoy different aspects of books.

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