So it's been a few months since I posted on here. I had found some time to read, but not for much sharing. So, to make up for lost ground, here's a list of the highlights since my last post on this thread...
The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King. Not bad but I was expecting (or at least hoping for) better. Too predictable, and two Holmeses doesn't work anywhere near as well as a Holmes and a Watson ... but it was well enough executed to want to finish it: 3/5.
The Riddle of the Labyrinth: The Quest to Crack an Ancient Code by Margalit Fox. We read this in the book club, best to read the comments
there.
The Binding by Bridget Collins. Loved this. A story that grew on me slowly, seeming almost ordinary at the start but getting less so with each turn. 4.5/5 (it might get favourite status on next read ... perhaps).
The Sock Wars by Maia Sepp. I liked this a lot. A fairly simple coming of age story, but the age in question is 30. Felt very real, with some subtle humour, and it all came together for an excellent conclusion. A firm 4/5.
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Very good science fiction. The ending was a bit corny (which is common in classic Sci-Fi), but both the human and non-human halves of this were very well done all the way through. 4/5.
The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal. Disappointingly one-dimensional, I was expecting more. The world may be ending, but who cares? Not the author apparently. I stretch to 3/5 only because the one dimension was well told.
A Year of Ravens: A Novel of Boudica's Rebellion by Stephanie Dray, Ruth Downie, Russel Whitfield, Vicky Alvear Shecter, S.J.A. Turney, Kate Quinn, Eliza Knight. An interesting reading experience, but really could have done with some tighter editing it seemed to me. Parts 6 and 5 were the stand-outs for me. 3/5.
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn. Wonderfully done. The deft touch with all the characters. Moving, sometimes funny and sometimes tragic. 4/5.
All Systems Red by Martha Wells. A entertaining little sci-fi novella. It leaves a lot for later books, and I enjoyed this enough that I probably will read on, but not so much that I'm in a hurry to do so. A tentative 4/5.
Gentlemen & Players by Joanne Harris. I stopped after four chapters, and then jumped to the end to confirm I was right (I wasn't enjoying myself enough to tag along for the ride). YMMV. 2/5.
Eclipse Three edited by Jonathan Strahan. A good collection of sci-fi and fantasy. A comfortable 3/5.
The Suspect by Michael Robotham. A very good yarn with slowly building suspense. 4/5. I've already bought more.
Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro. A good collection of stories, but nothing here as memorable as his full novels. 3/5. I did like the story "Come Rain or Come Shine" in particular.
Frogkisser! by Garth Nix. The story is, for the most part, a fairly predictable children's fairytale with some fun little twists. Intended for younger readers, it is amusing but not that satisfying for an adult reader. 3/5.
The Shepherd's Life: A Tale of the Lake District by James Rebanks. Another book club selection, see comments
there.
Murder at the Fitzwilliam by Jim Eldridge. It was okay, if a bit stilted at the beginning. The romance was a bit cheesy but the historical mystery was satisfying enough. 3/5.
On Red Station, Drifting by Aliette de Bodard. I really liked the very human interactions in this novella, and the Asian cultural aspects where interesting, but I found the sci-fi setting less than convincing. 3/5.
Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K J Parker. I found the narrator annoying, and the ending unsatisfying, but there are some clever elements along the way. 3/5.
Paper Towns by John Green. I enjoyed this very much. It has similar style and themes to his other books. Lots of humour, and some well presented insights. Not exactly subtle, but I quite like that, and this is intended for YA. 4/5.