Haven’t gotten around to reading that much, been busy unfortunately.
I have been working through the short stories in the 1st Thieves’ World Anthology. It’s easily been on my TBR list since the 90’s from when I read one of the follow up books about one of the characters, Shadowspawn. If I manage to get through that before the next post, I’m either going to go on to Gulliver’s Travels or start the Zelda Twilight, Princess Manga.
I walked into a random bookstore and got advised to read “Rossignol” by Audrey Pleynet. As far as I know it has only been published in French, but I hope this is going to change.
It’s a short read, but absolutely amazing. A woman is on the run, and mixes memories of her past in a futuristic space station to flashes of her escape. Only slowly do all the pieces fall together, creating a tale with many emotions, strange characters and glimpses of a lively mixed station where all are welcome, but where tensions between groups are rising.
I loved it for the deep characterization of the main character, while all others are just fast drafts. I loved it for the sci-fi and the politics and the action.
I started it yesterday and already finished it.
I’m most of the way through Murtagh by Christopher Paolini. And then I think I’ll be starting The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
It starts with the nameless narrator experiencing a near-fatal car crash due to his drug and alcohol induced hallucinations. During his lengthy recovery in the burn ward, he meets a psych patient who alleges their story begins 700 years ago in a German monastery. She tells him stories about their past in Germany, including how she obtained and translated a copy of Dante’s Inferno predating all known German translations. She tells other stories too, about a Japanese glass craftswoman, an Icelandic Viking, an Italian blacksmith, maybe some others, most of whom die young and tragically. She’s also a talented sculptor of stone gargoyles, a skill she allegedly learned from the narrator. The narrator suspects her stories are just the delusions of a schizophrenic, but can’t go back to his pre-accident life, so he agrees to go home with her to continue his recovery, and maybe learn a little more about her and why she’s taken an interest in him.
I’m about 3/4 through it and impressed with how it’s written. Unfortunately, I never read the Divine Comedy, so I’m pretty sure I missed some things that a better educated reader would have recognized.
As an Italian, I’m most definitely biased, but the Divine Comedy, and mostly the Inferno, are worth a read if you are willing to read the notes (all the historical references are near-impossible to understand otherwise). Some sections are romantic, some politic/religious/esoteric, some epic, a couple really fun. There is a bit for everyone. The Paradise becomes more serious, concentrating most on religion and politics, and I found it less exciting.
Way to much work literature to my taste.
Working my way through book 12 of the Serge Storm mysteries by Tim Dorsey, Gator a-go-go. Who doesn’t like a comedic series about serial killer.
