20-21

[fiveforsilver]

20. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (518)

Still my favorite of the HDM trilogy, several discussions about the books recently inspired me to reread it.

21. *The Black Sheep by Yvonne Collins and Sandy Rideout (352)

Hey, a non-f/sf book! The Black Sheep is about a teenage girl who, in a moment of despair, writes a letter to a reality tv show (called "The Black Sheep"). The moment passes and she forgets about the letter, but she is picked to be on the show, which involves switching places with another teenage girl (in, of course, a radically different situation) for a month. Embarrassment, hilarity, frustration, romance, and more, follow.

I picked this book up because of the cover - no, really! It's all black with a white embossed outline of a sheep in the middle and it really caught my eye. The last time I read a book because of the cover, I was disappointed, but this was an entertaining if occasionally frustrating book.

22. The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint (368)

I bought this the last time I was at the bookstore. I've been wanting to reread it almost since I put it down the first time I read it, and there we go. It was pretty much as good the second time around as the first. It's an urban fantasy about a new girl (Imogene) coming to school and strange things start happening to and around her. But she's the type to go and figure out what the heck is going on, so she does, bringing her new friend Maxine with her.

22 / 110 books. 20% done!

8 / 75 *new books. 11% done!

6916 / 33000 pages. 21% done!

21-24

[blue_ant]

21. The Blade Itself by Marcus Sakey
I picked up this book based on a recommendation I read over on John Scalzi's blog. It's regular fiction, sort of, but it's pretty good. Actually, it's better than pretty good. I found it to be fascinating and really engaging. It's described as being gritty and it is, not in the evil-turned-good sense of the word, but in the way that the main character has to battle demons (his own and those of the people he used to love). I think one of the best things about this novel is how Sakey isn't afraid to let people get hurt (physically and mentally). I also love the way he wrapped up events in the book at the end. A lot of writers try do to what Sakey do and fail.

22. Brasyl by Ian McDonald
I'll be honest, there was a time when I didn't think I would finish this book. It's not poorly written or even all that confusing, but it is dense. Not thick, but instead, McDonald packs a lot of information in each chapter. The book is basically history + soccer/football + science fiction. And, really, it's brilliant. A lot of people will find it confusing, because it's told over three different time periods (they are all connected, though you don't find out how until the end). They'll also find it confusing because the plots are at once confusing and rather involved. But McDonald does a fantastic job of weaving the stories together. I'm glad I finished and not just because I had it for four months. I loved the ending, though it was sort of a surprise. But, really, the best part of the book is the middle section leading up to the end. McDonald's characters are fantastic and I was sad when I finished the book.

23. War by Candlelight by Daniel Alarcón
I'd been putting off reading this because Alarcón is a powerful writer and I knew these short stories would make me cry, and they did. I won't review them all, but I will say that I highly recommend this book. The title basically explains what the book is about -- short stories about war of all kinds. They are fantastic and, to me, it's just more proof that I whatever Alarcón writes.

24. Blackwater by Kerstin Ekman
A Scandinavian fiction/mystery that I'm not sure I liked. Oddly enough, I remember the events of the story quite vividly, but I'm not sure I like Ekman's writing. Like most Scandinavian mysteries, Blackwater is dark and dirty with violence that sneaks up on you. It's not horror movie violence or street violence, but it's chaotic. Ekman creates fantastic characters, I'll give her that. And her writing is quite good and vivid, but I don't know if I like it. And I doubt I'll read anything else she's written. Of course, it could be the translator, but I think it's just not a style I like.

24 / 80 new reads. 30% read!