I just finished Nick Cutter's The Deep (Goodreads page), which is not a biography of everyone's favourite waterlogged supe, but rather a horror novel set at the very bottom of the ocean. It wasn't bad, but I really couldn't connect with it and, as a result, couldn't really muster any enthusiasm reading it. Your mileage may vary, but for me it only merited two stars in my Goodreads review.
It didn't sour me on the author or anything, but with all the books out there desperately needing to be read, I probably won't prioritize his other novels, unless one of them should come highly recommended from any of my trusted sources
Having recently finished Peter May's "China Thrillers", it's time to start in on a new series and I've chosen Dan Wells' "John Cleaver" series, starting with I Am Not a Serial Killer (Goodreads page), which looks interesting
Wow! Just a little over a day later and I've already finished I Am Not a Serial Killer (Goodreads page). This is definitely a record for me for a novel close to 300 pages long, and I obviously loved it! The protagonist, John Wayne Cleaver, is a teenager living with his mother, a mortician, in an apartment above the mortuary in the small town of Clayton, also referred to as "Nowhere, USA". He is obsessed with serial killers and in addition to all the things a normal teenager struggles with, he is also a sociopath who has erected a mental wall, behind which he works hard to contain his very own serial killer. So when a real serial killer comes to town, things get... interesting...
I typically don't bother writing up synopses for these posts, figuring that interested parties will click through the links and find out for themselves, but this one was just too good to pass up
The novel is incredibly compelling and you keep wondering where it will go with its troubled protagonist, who is both likeable and frightening, with a lovely dark sense of humour. Easy five stars, this.
Next up is Neil Gaiman's Coraline (Goodreads page).
I was originally going to go with my next non-fiction read, but my recent conversation with @MightyDemon82 about Gaiman and Coraline made me intent on watching the movie. Then, seeing as the novel was a somewhat short one at a mere 200 pages, I decided to slip it in here and finish that before moving on to the movie
Just started The Plague by Albert Camus, very famous novel in literary circles, I believe. It's promising so far. Apparently an allegory for the Nazi occupation of France during the Second World War.
Finished Coraline (Goodreads page), a very charming little children's book from the excellent mind of Neil Gaiman, which I slipped in on the top of my TBR pile. I had neither read the book, nor seen the movie,, but now that I've finished the fairly short novel, it's on to the movie. Hopefully I'll enjoy that just as much as I did this, which I gave five stars in my Goodreads review.
Next up it's back to my regularly scheduled programming (I have a convoluted system for my TBR list ) and it's time for some non-fiction again. This time, Rutger Bregman will attempt the Herculean task of convincing me that humans are basically kind, with Humankind: A Hopeful History (Goodreads page). I was recommended this by a fellow misanthrope, who claimed it might restore a tiny bit of faith in humanity. We'll see
@FuriousMachine I finally got around to finishing The Once and Future King. It was a bit of a disappointment, if I'm honest. The focus on the characters and their relationships was great, but The fantastical side of things was lacking. (Excalibur was only mentioned once throughout the story).
I will keep looking for other works that maybe lean more into the fantasy side of things within Aurthurian legend!
Not sure what to read next, maybe some Comics or manga for a change of pace!.
@Jimmer-jammer Jeff is one of my favourites, I collect all his works in hardcover collections. Met him at a con once where he signed and sketched in my copy of Sweet Tooth volume 1. A lovely chap to to talk to. I still have to read the second library edition of Black Hammer, so that's a good shout!
@MightyDemon82 Right, seems like those were not the droids I'm looking for, then.
Might still give it a look down the line, but won't prioritise it.
Picked up a physical paperback of Scottish Folk Tales on the ferry from Tarbert to Uig today, so I jumped the gun a little bit Doesn't preclude a stop at Waterstones on Princes Street next week, though
@MightyDemon82 Thanks mate, seems like the rain has been following us around the first week, but that's not anything we're not used to from home and some cranky weather can't take away from the joy of being back here
Birthday party on Skye today, recuperation tomorrow and then we head for the NC500 on Monday.
Don't know if you're a fan of The Expanse? I've just started the brand new book by the authors and it is very promising so far. Will post my thoughts on it when I get home
@MightyDemon82 Thanks, the celebration was magical Whenever someone decides it"s worth it to spend their summer holiday to travel to a different country to celebrate your birthday, it is wonderful. When eight people do it, it is downright humbling. I am a lucky man
Back on topic, did you see the Prime show or are you completely "blank" on the Expanse?
About halfway through The Plague by Camus now, it's proving quite claustrophobic but still an edifying read, anyway, that said about it being claustrophobic, I have just entered into the third section of the book now and things are opening up a bit. Still say I would highly recommend it. Thus far there have been references to philosophical concepts and football sprinkled in with all the nihlistic plot developments!
"Even in the face of death, the samurai stands unwavering, for honour is a blade sharper than steel".
@MightyDemon82 Hope you'll enjoy them when you get to them
Just came out of Waterstones and picked up the hardback of Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning, based solely on the title and the cover (yup, I apparently do judge books by their cover )
It's an homage to 80's slashers and the cover screamed 80's VHS cover, so I had to get it. Hope it's readable
Just got home from traipsing all over Scotland, and while there, I managed to finish up two books.
Humankind: A Hopeful History (Goodreads page) by Rutger Bregman was the first. It's a non-fiction that posits the theory that humans are inherently kind and that we are hardwired to help one another and work together for the betterment of all. Absurd, right?
Looking at the world today, I was reticent to read this, fearing it would be a naive, lovey-dovey, kumbayah distorted view of reality, but this was anything but, and it actually made me rethink my view of humanity. The twist here is that there is plenty of evidence that humans are primarily selfless, but that the society we've built skews toward selfishness (that is probably one of the most simplified and reductive descriptions of a book ever, but it should give you a rough idea of what to expect). Very, very interesting and I gave it five stars in my Goodreads review.
Another five star novel was The Mercy of Gods (Goodreads page), the first novel in the brand new series from James S.A. Corey, who wrote The Expanse series. Initially I was hampered a bit by my preconceptions of what this was going to be, but it didn't take long before it had drawn me in and thoroughly hooked me. A fantastic start of the new series.
Moving on from the mercy of gods to The Gods of Guilt (Goodreads page). I'm a few chapters in to this Mickey Haller (The Lincoln Lawyer) novel from Michael Connelly and it's quite strong so far. I may have mentioned this a few times, but Connelly's "Harry Bosch universe" has become comfort food for me at this point
Moved on to The Castle of Crossed Destinies by Italo Calvino. It's a fascinating pretext for an unusual novel. The travellers which comprise the story's narrators tell their tales through the use of tarot cards, as speech has been rendered null and ineffective within the Castle where the action takes place. I really liked the first story in the book, just started the second now.
Edit: I also think comparisons may be drawn with Chaucer. The Miller's Tale, The Knight's Tale, etc.
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