What I’m currently reading…
Judge Dredd Year One
I know these 2000AD novels aren’t what you would call mainstream reads for book lovers, since their origins were established in comics, but I love this world. So I’m indulging myself.
Changeless by Gail Carriger (2010)
Book two with Alexia Tarabotti, gets off to a great start in chapter one. Continuing series editions can be tricky, too much recap and reintroduction and you’ll alienate diehard readers, but not enough and the casual reader could end up lost and confused. Carriger handles this exceptionally well…
Neuromancer by William Gibson (1984)
Throughout this entire read, or at least from very early on, I had one recurring thought punch me right in the grey matter, ‘this book is forty years old!?’ I can’t quite imagine just what those first readers in 1984 must have thought when they delved into this insanity back then.
System Collapse by Martha Wells (2023)
Great to be back in the mind of Murderbot again and fantastic to see him/her back to its old self, grumpy and wanting as little as possible to do with humans. System Collapse feels a lot more like the original Murderbot I love.
The Haunting of Tram Car 015 P. Djèlí Clark (2019)
This book is the second published offering in the alternate Cairo of 1912 series. This time out we join a new cast of characters from the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities, and although I was hoping to revisit with Agent Fatma, from the first book, I quickly came to enjoy this new duo.
Solis by A.A. Attanasio (1994)
This book was a big surprise for me. I wasn’t expecting it to be so gripping and fast-paced. Yes, it’s very much hard sci-fi, but it also manages to be an enjoyable adventure.
Fool Moon by Jim Butcher (2001)
I have to admit this story seems to observe a lot of the same traits book one did. Harry stretched for money, Murphy's career in jeopardy, and grisly murders to turn Harry's stomach.
Broken Souls by Stephen Blackmoore (2014)
I tend to steer clear of large series, preferring to read single novels and the ability to move on to something completely new once I'm finished. Until now.
Soulless by Gail Carriger (2009)
After reading a sample of this book, just the first chapter, it looked like it would just be a lot of frumpy fun. And I was up for that because sometimes that's just what you need.
Storm Front by Jim Butcher (2000)
I don't think I remember ever reading a 'fuller' book. How Butcher manages to introduce so much of his world and so many of the characters populating it in such a relatively short novel is quite mind-blowing.
Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore (2013)
Wow! Well, that was one hell of a ride!
If you can stomach all the gore and profanity, dive in, this thing is a riot.
A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark (2021)
I'm a fan!
Clark has imagined an amazing and beautiful world here, full of colour, vibrance and vision.
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells (2021)
Well, it's Murderbot, so you know it's going to be good, even before starting reading.
And we're back to the tried and trusted format of a novella again, thankfully.