Deeden

Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris (Buy this)

One of my guilty pleasures is the Hannibal series by Thomas Harris. They’re strange and disturbing but I enjoy reading them. Thanks to Grandma for buying me this one for Christmas :)

The Game of Go by Arthur Smith (Buy this)

I’ve found Go interesting but completely baffling for a number of years, I first tried it in 1993, so I put this on my Amazon wishlist a while ago. This Christmas my prayers were answers when my in-laws kindly bought it for me. Now I just have to try and remember about eyes and the like.

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick (Buy this)

Another alternate history, I do find them intriguing. This one is one of the more famous ones set in the US with Japan and Germany occupying parts of the country following their successful World War II campaigns. Interesting so far, I’ll see if it maintains it.

Peacemakers by Margaret MacMillan (Buy this)

Fascinating so far with a great ability to convey both the belief that decisions could be made to better the world and the cynicism that informed those decisions.

Shopgirl by Steve Martin (Buy this)

I’m reading Steve Martin and once again the man is a genius of a writer. It’s so simply written and he just makes the characters so alive.

Prozac Nation: Young and Depressed in America - A Memoir by Elizabeth Wurtzel (Buy this)

One of my favourite books of all time. If I’d been making my lists of best reading back in 1996 then this would have been on top of the list.

Pure Drivel by Steve Martin (Buy this)

Another book from the great man, this time a collection of short pieces written for The New Yorker amongst others.

Rising ‘44: The Battle for Warsaw by Norman Davies (Buy this)

More history. I blame “Peacemakers”.

Red Son by Mark Millar, Dave Johnson and Kilian Plunkett (Buy this)

Superman lands in the Soviet Union and is brought up on a collective farm in the Ukraine. An interesting, but ultimately flawed, take on the usual Superman story.

Microserfs by Douglas Coupland (Buy this)

Another classic, one of my favourites from the 90s, and the first Coupland book I read. I’ve got to catch up on his recent books, I’ve missed those.

Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘72 by Hunter S. Thompson (Buy this)

Another Hunter S. Thompson book. I’m veering into a “New Journalism” phase methinks following on from “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, and with various others sitting on my shelf.

The only problem I have with this right now is working out who’s who, as many of the names and events which would have been familiar at the time are lost on me now.

The Collapse of the Third Republic by William L. Shirer (Buy this)

I was looking for this book for years and then one day I saw it sitting on a shelf in a second-hand bookshop in North Street in Belfast. Joy was unconfined.

I like Shirer’s style of writing, although not always his views, and I’m enjoying this book immensely.

Primary Colors by Anonymous (Buy this)

I’d seen the film, heard about the book and recently read “Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail”, then I came across the book in a second-hand bookshop which was closing down so I thought I’ll give it a go. So far I’m enjoying it much more than the film.

Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (Buy this)

I’d heard about Watchmen obviously and I’ve been meaning to give it a go. Well thanks to Mum and Dad I’ve got the chance. Book vouchers are a fantastic idea :) So far it’s living up to the reputation.

Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson (Buy this)

The first part of a trilogy on the human settling of Mars is a decent book which started very well with a slow moving story detailing the initial efforts at settling on the planet. The disagreements over the methods of progressing with the settlement were fascinating but I felt that the book lost it’s way somewhat when the story went for a more sensationalist line.

I’ll read the rest as it was still a decent book, I just thought it would be so much better when I was half-way through.

Groucho, Harpo, Chico and sometimes Zeppo by Joe Adamson (Buy this)

A wonderful book about the Marx Brothers with enough detail and background to keep me happy but not too much so that the comedy gets lost in the mix. My liking for Zeppo is slowly rising as I read, he really did do solid work in a thankless task. My love for Groucho maintains the usual level in the stratosphere.

The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman (Buy this)

Simply put, the best thing I have read this year. For those who don’t know it’s a graphic novel (and this is the first time I’ve felt something justified the term) about the struggle of the authors father to survive the Holocaust and also the relationship between the two men. Don’t be put off by the “mice as Jews, pigs as Poles, cats as Germans” style, it makes the story work so well. An absolute work of genius.

Beginning Operations by James White (Buy this)

After the experience of reading Maus I decided to fall back on some reliable, comfortable reading. Beginning Operations is a collection of the first three books from the Sector General series by the sadly-missed James White.

Dave Langford is right, Sector General is one of the few places in SF I really wish existed.

From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell (Buy this)

After reading Watchmen I decided to give another Alan Moore work a go. Initially I found the artwork off-putting however I now love it. Once I got past the problem of remembering who is who I’ve been flying through it.

Imperium by Robert Harris (Buy this)

Finally I get around to reading the latest Robert Harris, only 10 months after it came out! Interesting so far, although I think Pompeii was better. Imperium is let down by lazy writing with so many modern-sounding phrases cropping up in a book supposedly narrated by someone in the 1st-Century BC. I still enjoyed it, but a bit of judicious editing would have done no harm.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill (Buy this)

After enjoying From Hell and Watchmen so much I decided to take a chance on The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, despite having seen the awful film which I know has been disavowed by anyone with a love of the original. Frankly, I was disappointed. I got the impression that there was a better story trying to get out however it was never given the chance. I probably won’t bother with the second one.

Homicide: a Year on the Killing Streets by David Simon (Buy this)

Yes, again. It’s a great book and I’ve been watching the Wire recently so I was in the mood. If only I could find my copy of The Corner.

Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay (Buy this)

After starting to watch the Dexter TV series I went ahead and bought the two books which had been published so far. I made sure to watch the entire first series before starting on this as I’d heard the series was loosely based on it.

Initially I was a bit disappointed but as I read more I got used to the style of the book, and the fact that the story is not that of the series. In the end I enjoyed the book and moved straight on to the second one of the series.

Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay (Buy this)

After reading the first of the series I moved straight on to the second book Dearly Devoted Dexter. I’m really enjoying this. I’ve got used to the Dexter who is in the books and the story is suitably disturbing while being humorously written. It’s always nice to have a book you’re looking forward to reading and which you’re disappointed to see coming to an end.

The Algebraist by Iain M. Banks (Buy this)

I started this before but wasn’t really in the mood but I’m giving it another go now. Usually I love Iain M. Banks books, and this one has started well :)

The New Journalism by Tom Wolfe and Edward Warren Johnson (Buy this)

A classic anthology of “New Journalism” from the 60s and 70s. Reading Hunter S. Thompson in the last year brought this on interest on and the book was kindly purchased for me for Christmas. Only when I read the list of authors inside did I realise quite how well my Dad had put me on to various authors without my even noticing!

V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd (Buy this)

After Watchmen, From Hell and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen it was time to give V for Vendetta a go. What can I say, I really enjoyed. The writing and artwork are excellent and, although I don’t necessarily with the politics, I appreciate a well worked piece of fiction.

A Writer at War: Vasily Grossman with the Red Army 1941-1945 by Vasily Grossmann, Antony Beevor and Luba Vinogradova (Buy this)

Vasily Grossman worked as a journalist on the Eastern Front during the Second World War and witnessed most of the major events from just after the beginning of Barbarossa up to the taking of Berlin. The book is a strange combination of the writings of Grossman and editorial linkage by Beevor. The structure probably detracts from the writing of both, but it’s interesting nonetheless.

Life and Fate by Vasily Grossman (Buy this)

I first gave Life and Fate a go last year, when I wasn’t really in the mood for it. This time I’m ready for it, having just finished A Writer at War.

More Tales of the Black Widowers by Isaac Asimov (Buy this)

Some light reading with some mysteries with the Black Widowers. Henry, as usual, is a master at solving them.

A Cold Case by Philip Gourevitch (Buy this)

An account of the re-opening of a 27 year old double murder. The murderer was known but had never been caught. Gourevitch provides an interesting account of the persistence which brought the killer to justice. The only flaw with this book is that it’s so short. It could have been 3 times as long and would have been even better. Despite that criticism I would recommend it to others.

Thanks Chris for sending it, much appreciated and a fine find.

Turkish Gambit by Boris Akunin (Buy this)

The second Erast Fandorin novel, although published 3rd in the UK for some reason. Like the first novel this is a thoroughly enjoyable read. I must buy “Murder on the Leviathan”.