Books

As I was walking into work this morning, looking at all the daffodils that have sprung up in the park and gardens, I started thinking about how quickly this year has been passing. I then had a conversation with a friend about books, so I thought I'd give you a brief review of the books I've been reading since New Year.

(These are in order of reading rather than preference).

1. "American Gods" - Neil Gaiman

It sounded like a great idea - a story that would be right up my street... as people emigrated to the New World, they took their beliefs and their gods with them. As time passed, they adopted new gods - television and shopping - and forgot their old beliefs. So what happens to the Eastern European, African, Scandinavian, Far Eastern and Celtic gods when they're forgotten about?

Unfortunately, I didn't like the style of writing which I was very disappointed by because I loved "Good Omens" (Agnes Nutter's prophecies about the world ending one Saturday teatime) which he wrote with Terry Pratchett.

2. "A Feast For Crows" - George RR Martin

I love George RR Martin's books - especially the "Wild Cards" series - and this is the fifth in an 'epic saga' of dragons and battles for kingdoms. The story has sprawled so much that this novel is actually volume one of a two parter - so many characters that he divided the story. It works and this one ends with several harsh cliffhangers - I'm actually concerned about the characters I don't like.

However, I'm a bit miffed that volume two still isn't in the shops yet.

3. "The Kraken Wakes" - John Wyndham

What can I say? I adore John Wyndham's books. I'm a bit of a sci-fi buff. This is one of his best - intriguing story, vividly portrayed. (See also: "The Chrysalids" and "The Midwich Cuckoos" and "Trouble with Lichen", in fact, just read them all... though "Lichen's" ending is a bit irritating). One of the most amusing incidents in the book is where government scientists are considering the possibility that aliens from Jupiter may be visiting the Earth: "Well, we can assume that they have technology similar to ours."

Similar? Visitors from Jupiter - yes, that's people from planet Jupiter, not Jupiter, Tyne and Wear... and our technology is similar?

4. "Consider Her Ways" - John Wyndham

This is a collection of short stories - all of them brilliant. In many ways, I think Wyndham was ahead of his time, with his opinions on society, politics, media and feminism. "Oh where now is Peggy McRafferty?" explores an Irish girl's attempts to become a film star... with some twisted results.

5. "The Children of Men" - PD James

I read this some years ago and I still haven't seen the film with Clive Owen. There's a bleak future ahead according to PD James but while her description of a possible British society sends shivers up and down your spine, some of her placings don't feel right. The childhood of the main character who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s feels more akin to my Mam's childhood than mine.

6. "Cell" - Stephen King

What a fun novel - there's a virus spreading through mobile phones turning everyone into zombies. I always knew the damn things should be avoided! It's not as detailed as "The Stand" but it's a brilliant 'end of the world' type novel. One sentence I had a problem with is where he described a man kitting out with guns as being excited as a young Muslim suicide bomber. Is there any need for such reactionary statements?

(And no, I haven't been feeling particularly down whilst reading these 'end of the world' prophecies).

7. "A Modern Utopia" - HG Wells

This is more of a philosophical discussion about how a world Utopia would work than a novel. It was certainly interesting though HG Wells had some scary ideas about eugenics and 'undesirables'. The most interesting sections are where he focuses on society and people, but these are also the shortest sections.

8. "All Fun and Games Until Someone Loses An Eye" - Christopher Brookmyre

I love Christopher Brookmyre. His books are brilliant - usually a mixture of politics, satire, interesting violence (e.g. "it was raining liquidised mercenary") and rantings about people who play their music too loudly and park their SUVs on double yellow lines, leaving their engines running.

This one is one of his best. His main character has never so much has had a parking ticket in her life, until the situation changes... Other fantastic titles are: "A Big Boy Did It and Ran Away", "One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night", "Quite Ugly One Morning", "Country of the Blind" and "Be My Enemy"... which he wanted to call "Fuck this for a Game of Soldiers".

9. "Havoc, in it's Third Year" - Ronan Bennett

Set in the 17th Century, just before the English Civil War, this is about a secretly Catholic coroner investigating the murder of a baby, by its Irish mother. Ronan Bennett doesn't seem to go in too much for a lot of detail, but the paranoia and hysteria he describes makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

10. "Until I Find You" - John Irving

This is the first John Irving book I've read for a while, having gone through a phase of reading every one I could get my grubby little mitts on and then being disappointed by "The Water Method Man" (vile main character) and "Son of the Circus" (disjointed).

His books are always a little weird ("The World According to Garp" and "The Fourth Hand") with characters with mother fixations ("A Widow for One Year" and "A Prayer for Owen Meany") and very small characters ("Hotel New Hampshire") but I love all of these and "The Cider House Rules".

"A Prayer for Owen Meany" broke my heart. I was reading the ending on a flight from Amsterdam and because I was surrounded by people, I couldn't cry...but it's all so dramatic I had to finish it. That evening I read it again, so I could have a damn good blub.

So, those are the stories so far... plus a few others for good measure.