Audio
The Complete P Division by BBC Audio. Adaptions of Peter Turnball’s series as well
as for radio episodes. Set in Glasgow it
is interesting but filled with causal sexism.
A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four by Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle. Read by Stephen Fry. Excellent reading of the first two Sherlock
Holmes novels.
Harrow County Vol 2 by Cullen Bunn. Good if a little predictable story arch.
Stumptown Vol 2 by Greg Rucka.
Not quite as good as the first story arc, but still enjoyable.
Folklords #1 by Matt Kindt.
Interesting use of folktales. Very
male centric in terms of characters, however.
Something is Killing the Children #1 by James Tynion IV. It seems to be setting up an interesting
story.
Eve #1 by Victor LaValle. First in a sci-fi take on Johnny Appleseed,
with the Appleseed figure being a black girl with a robot that looks like a
teddy bear but does not act like one.
Fantasy
A Taste of Blood Wine by Freda Warrington. Interesting take on the vampire novel.
Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story by Carolyn Turgeon. I have mixed feelings. The execution could have been better.
The Brief History of the Dead by Kevin Brockmeier. Thought provoking take on the afterlife,
mixed with a struggle to survive.
Folklore etc.
Saratoga County Ghosts by David J. Pitkin. It is
rather dull, to be honest.
The Shadows that Rush Past by Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley. This collection of dark Inuit folktales is
wonderfully illustrated.
Qitsualik-Tinsley’s story telling is excellent.
The Library: A Fragile History by Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen –
good general overview of the history of libraries.
The Wuhan Lockdown by Guobin Yang. A good history of the Wuhan lockdown in the
early months of the Covid 19 pandemic.
Historical Fiction
Horodno Burning by Michael Freed-Thall. A fictionized family history. Characters are not fully developed but the
historical setting is well done.
Wolf Winter by
Cecilia Ekbäck. Part murder mystery
mixed with horror, part historical fiction, part survival story, this
engrossing novel is about a mother and a daughter who struggle with a murder
and a harsh winter.
Horror
B&B by Amy Cross and Bride of Ashbyrn House by Amy Cross.
These two short horror novels showcase what is best and worst about Amy Cross. Her ideas in terms of plot are great. The writing itself - in terms of sentences and characters could
be a bit better. Of the two, B&B is the better.
Mystery/Thriller
Nineteen Seventy-Seven by David Peace (Red Riding #2). Interesting installment, makes use of the
Yorkshire Ripper to illustrate toxic male behavior.
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. Yes, I finally read it.
In Bloom by C J Skuse. (Sweetpea #2) – If you haven’t been reading
the Sweetpea series, you should be.
4:50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie. It is fun to see how Christie’s Marple upsets
and clashes with the view of women the men have.
Those Who Wish Me Dead by Michael Koryta. I read this after seeing the movie. Both are good thrillers. It was a fun read. Good female characters.
Remembrance of the Daleks & Prisoners of the Daleks
– this two story Dr Who collection has a good novelization of episode by Ben
Aaronvitch. The second one is a original
story featuring the tenth doctor and falls a bit flat.
The Disappeared by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. I love the Retrieval Artist series. This first one looks at what happens when
Aliens have totally different laws and how it effect people who are not high
powered or company owners.
All Hail Our Robot Overlords by Patricia Bray et
al. Hit and miss collection of stories,
some good stand outs however.
High-Rise by J. G. Ballard. Perhaps a bit dated in terms of gender roles
and the height of the building, but still an engrossing read about classism and
tribalism.
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