Author: Stevie Smith

Details: (c) James MacGibbon 1936; Pub 1993 Virago; ISBN 0-86068-146-7

Verdict: Novel on yellow paper is an intriguing glimpse of a character and milieu.

Reasons for reading it: My brother the Thuggish Poet is into early feminist novels at the moment, and has been passing on some gems to me.

How it came into my hands: Pesach present from the aforementioned brother.

( detailed review )

Author: Steven Brust

Details: (c) 1988 Steven KZ Brust; Pub 2002 Ace; ISBN 0-441-00894-1

Verdict: Taltos is a fun read.

Reasons for reading it: I enjoyed the first three in this setting and was very willing to pick up some more. Then I lent the first set to cartesiandaemon, who got on well with them, so I promised him I'd read the next pair before I next see him, so that I can then lend him the volume.

How it came into my hands: I like the series enough that I was willing to splash out for the next couple when I was buying books from Amazon.

( detailed review )

Author: Dan Simmons

Details: (c) 1989 Dan Simmons; Pub Bantam Spectra 1995; ISBN 0-553-28368-5

Verdict: Hyperion is clever but emotionally distancing.

Reasons for reading it: Lots of people have been raving about Simmons at me. I think it was probably rysmiel who told me to start with Hyperion, but I'm not sure.

How it came into my hands: Amazon.

( detailed review )

Author: Jo Walton

Details: (c) 2006 Jo Walton; Pub 2007 Tor; ISBN 0-7653-5280-X

Verdict: Farthing is incredibly poignant.

Reasons for reading it: I was reading papersky's journal when she was discussing writing it, and it sounded like the kind of novel that would interest me, but also likely to be very disturbing. Then it was published and all sorts of people raved about it, so I decided to get over the disturbingness and read it anyway.

How it came into my hands: I got a free ebook version of it from Tor's website promotion. I realized that a lot of time was passing and I just wasn't getting round to sitting at the computer concentrating on reading a whole novel, without the opportunity for reading during the boring bits of commuting. So I decided that I needed to get hold of a physical copy. Happily, bugshaw lent it to cartesiandaemon and gave him permission to sub-lend it to me, so thank you both.

( detailed review )

This is one book that really lives up to its hype. I've been enthusiastically recommending it to everyone I've spoken to since reading it, and I'm going to try and see if I can get hold of a copy for my parents because I think they'd appreciate it.

Author: Dave Duncan

Details: (c) Dave Duncan 1996; Pub Corgi 1997; ISBN 0-552-14509-2

Verdict: Past imperative is a slightly cliched but enjoyable fantasy.

Reasons for reading it: cartesiandaemon read it recently and thought it might interest me.

How it came into my hands: More specifically, my beau was reading it on the flight here, and decided he might as well leave it with me for me to bring back next time I see him.

( detailed review )

Author: Melanie Rawn

Details: (c) 2006 Melanie Rawn; Pub 2007 Tor; ISBN 0-7653-5436-5

Verdict: Spellbinder is a bizarre mixture of eye-bleedingly bad with quite decent.

Reasons for reading it: I love Melanie Rawn, and she's keeping everyone on tenterhooks waiting for the third of her really amazing Exiles trilogy, so I was happy to read a new standalone by her while I'm waiting for that.

How it came into my hands: Bought new on Amazon, based purely on my enthusiasm for Rawn.

( detailed review )

Author: Lois McMaster Bujold

Details: (c) Lois McMaster Bujold 2003; Pub Voyager 2004; ISBN 0-00-713849-0

Verdict: Paladin of souls is enjoyable and romantic, though a little flat.

Reasons for reading it: It's the sequel to The curse of Chalion, which I very much enjoyed. I wouldn't normally read the sequel so soon after the original, but I was excited to play more in this world.

How it came into my hands: Reading both volumes in succession was also helped by the fact that cartesiandaemon kindly lent me both of them!

( detailed review )

Oh, and a couple of other book reviews from the past couple of weeks, though I'm still rather behind:
- Diane Duane: So you want to be a wizard
- Matt Ruff: Set this house in order

Author: Diane Duane

Details: (c) 1983 Diane Duane (dduane); Pub Corgi 1991; ISBN 0-552-52645-2

Verdict: So you want to be a wizard is a polished and enjoyable children's fantasy.

Reasons for reading it: I'd heard good things about Diane Duane, so meant to pick up some of her stuff at some point.

How it came into my hands: cartesiandaemon lent it to me.

( detailed review )

Author: Matt Ruff

Details: (c) 2003 Matt Ruff (matt_ruff); Pub Harper Perennial 2004; ISBN 0-06-095485-X

Verdict: Set this house in order is well-written and emotionally complex.

Reasons for reading it: There was a lot of buzz about it when it came out, particularly in connection with winning the Tiptree award (was that your Tiptree year, redbird?) It sounded like my kind of thing, and I enjoyed the sample chapters posted on the web; this is one case where pixel-stained techopeasantry led to me buying a new book I might not otherwise have picked up, or waited until it turned up second-hand.

How it came into my hands: Amazon, with the help of lovely hatam_soferet

( detailed review )

Author: Lois McMaster Bujold

Details: (c) Lois McMaster Bujold 2001; Pub Voyager 2003; ISBN 0-00-713361-8

Verdict: The Curse of Chalion is a magnificent high fantasy tale.

Reasons for reading it: I'd been meaning to get into Bujold for ages, since everything I'd heard about her made her sound cool. And then I was swapping book recommendations with cartesiandaemon (which is a highly satisfying way to start a relationship!) and it turns out that he's a big fan, so that bumped my vague intention up a few notches of priority.

How it came into my hands: cartesiandaemon lent it to me *bounce*

( detailed review )

Author: Susan Palwick

Details: (c) 2005 Susan Palwick; Pub Tor 2007; ISBN 0-765-34951-5

Verdict: The necessary beggar is absolutely endearing.

Reasons for reading it: papersky praised it, and I've generally found that papersky has exceptionally good taste.

How it came into my hands: Amazon book buying spree.

( detailed review )

Author: AS Byatt

Details: (c) 2002 AS Byatt; Pub Vintage International 2004; ISBN 0-679-77690-7

Verdict: A whistling woman is terrifying and compelling.

Reasons for reading it: Babel Tower is one of my favourite books ever. For ages, I'd been somewhere in between mad keen to read this to find out what happens to Frederica, and apprehensive because I don't like the first two books in the trilogy and it could so easily be a heartbreaking disappointment.

How it came into my hands: Amazon book spree.

( detailed review )

Author: Anthony Price

Details: (c) 1971 Anthony Price; Pub Futura 1981; ISBN 0-7088-1497-2

Verdict: The Alamut ambush is exciting and intricate.

Reasons for reading it: I really enjoyed The labyrinth makers by the same author. Plus, it's always a bonus to find an old-fashioned paperback that is small enough to fit in a handbag and is comfortable to read.

How it came into my hands: Birthday present from rysmiel

( detailed review )

I had Jo Walton's Tooth and Claw on my to-read list, but it wasn't available when I was shopping on Amazon. I happened to mention this on LJ, and rysmiel saw and decided to get me a copy for my birthday, and got papersky to sign it. So now I am really embarrassed, because the whole thing with wanting to read a book by someone you're sort of slightly connected to is that you have an extra incentive to support them.

I'm also embarrassed about reviewing the book. If I actually knew papersky rather than just reading her journal and occasionally making comments (which usually seem to annoy her) it would be much easier, because I could just ask if she wanted me to review it or not. But talking about someone that I sort of know only not actually feels really odd. And it's worse when the book was a present. I think my problem is that I haven't really got over the idea that being dead is a necessary qualification for being an author.

Anyway, because I am a completist, I decided to publish my review in spite of being all awkward and not knowing what the polite answer is. At least I have mainly good things to say, because otherwise I'd feel really embarrassed.

Author: Jo Walton

Details: (c) 2003 Jo Walton; Pub Tor 2003; ISBN 0-765-30264-0

Verdict: Tooth and Claw is a slight story in a really impressive setting.

Reasons for reading it: I was reading papersky's journal when she was talking about it, and I was intrigued.

How it came into my hands: Birthday present from rysmiel, after I failed to find a copy on Amazon.

( detailed review )

Author: Ted Chiang

Details: (c) 2002 Ted Chiang; Pub Orb 2002; ISBN 0-765-30419-8

Verdict: Stories of your life ranges from good to wonderful.

Reasons for reading it: coalescent recommended it to me forever ago. And then rysmiel recommended it to me in the strongest terms. And then lethargic_man told me I had to read it so he and I could discuss it and because it is REPLETE WITH MIDRASH (sic).

How it came into my hands: I bought it from Amazon and lovely hatam_soferet carried it across the Atlantic for me.

( detailed review )

Author: Jonathan Safran Foer

Details: (c) Jonathan Safran Foer 2002; Pub Penguin Books 2003; ISBN 0-141-00825-3

Verdict: Everything is illuminated is clever and occasionally moving.

Reasons for reading it: I am not big into Holocaust novels, and I really wasn't all that keen to read a surreally humourous Holocaust novel. However, my family said good things about this one, Screwy especially, so I thought it worth a try.

How it came into my hands: Borrowed from my parents when I was last at home.

( detailed review )

Author: CJ Cherryh

Details: (c) 1988 CJ CJ Cherryh; Pub 1995 Warner Books; ISBN 0-446-67127-4

Verdict: Cyteen does a marvellous job of worldbuilding and is very exciting.

Reasons for reading it / How it came into my hands: Birthday present from lethargic_man

( detailed review )

I'm still way behind, but I'm trying to catch up on reviewing the books I read while travelling. So if you are interested, here are my reviews of: Monica Ali: Brick Lane (didactic); and William Horwood: The Stonor Eagles (beloved but flawed).

Author: Linley Erin Hall

Details: (c) 2007 Linley Erin Hall; Pub Seal Press 2007; ISBN 1-58005-211-8

Verdict: Who's afraid of Marie Curie? is informative and sensible.

Reasons for reading it: I know the author, linley. This is slightly weird, actually; I've read books by people I'm connected with via LJ before, but none by people I actually know personally. I'm going to try to write a review that isn't influenced by this, but obviously, Linley will need to decide whether to read my comments or not. I'm rather relieved that I have nothing strongly critical to say.

I probably wouldn't have bothered with the book if it weren't for this personal connection, but that's mainly because I read very little non-fiction (outside work, at least) and certainly don't buy new pop science books the day they come out. I am interested in the topic of women working in science though, for fairly obvious reasons!

How it came into my hands: I bought it from Amazon, because when I was doing my big book buying spree darcydodo reminded me that the book had been released that very day.

( detailed review )

Just as I was reading the book, there was one of those silly privilege lists doing the rounds on LJ (I might talk about that more in another post). The combination of the two reminded me that I did indeed have a very helpful upbringing, both in terms of giving me the best chance in general and in terms of helping me to become a scientist specifically. WAMoC suggests that fathers should encourage their daughters in scientific and technical play, noting regretfully that althought it would be great if mothers did so to, in practice there are few mothers who themselves have the confidence. Well, my mother was in fact trained as a scientist, and did very much get involved in scientific play with me throughout my childhood. Not to mention that my grandmother was a doctor and in general I had at least as many female role models in technical fields as male. And on top of the kind of cultural advantages of a family that believe in education and are decently well-off, I also had the emotional advantages of sane and reasonable and loving parents, something the list doesn't cover at all.

So in fact, most of the challenges mentioned in the book don't really apply to me. Not only did I have extremely supportive and non-sexist parents, but I went to a strongly academic girls' school which gave me a good scientific background. I have never had a problem with academic confidence, or underestimating my abilities or being too much of a perfectionist to actually produce stuff. I have always had very good and not at all sexist teachers and supervisors, including if it matters a high proportion of women. I am not intending to have children or put my career second to a (thoroughly hypothetical) husband's. I'm also not American and generally live in a much less sexist milieu than that described in the book. So I would say that I have equal advantages to any male colleague, and I'm still not completely convinced I can hack it as a career scientist.

Author: William Horwood

Details: (c) 1982 Steppenmole Enterprises Ltd; Pub Hamlyn Paperbacks 1983; ISBN 0-600-20604-1

Verdict: The Stonor Eagles is effective despite being on the melodramatic side.

Reasons for reading it: I had more or less run out of new books by the end of the year, so I was rereading some old favourites while travelling and not awake enough to handle anything amazingly complicated. Also, reading My name is Asher Lev made me think of books about art.

How it came into my hands: A charity shop somewhere on the south coast, I think probably Portsmouth rather than Southampton, some time in the early 90s. I bought it because blue_mai had enthused about it, even though I was not terribly impressed with the badger books by the same author.

( detailed review )

Author: Chaim Potok

Details: (c) 1972 Chaim Potok; Pub 1973 Fawcett Crest Books

Verdict: My name is Asher Lev is well observed and emotionally powerful.

Reasons for reading it: I have run out of new books to read (boo!) and this is one that bears rereading.

How it came into my hands: I picked it up in a charity shop somewhere because it seemed worth having my own copy.

( detailed review )

Author: Rumer Godden

Details: (c) 1987 Rumer Godden; Pub Beech Tree Books William Morrow; ISBN 0-688-07421-9

Verdict: A time to dance, no time to weep is an interesting and readable autobiography

Reasons for reading it: I like Godden's writing and it's generally interesting to read the autobiography of someone you can be confident writes well.

How it came into my hands: I bought it in Montreal back in 2005, and never got round to reading it because I always end up prioritizing fiction over non-fiction.

( detailed review )

lisekit, you should really read this, cos a big chunk of it is about teaching dance, as well as the author's lifelong fascination with India.

Author: JRR Tolkien

Details: (c) 1937; Pub George Allen & Unwin 1975; ISBN 0-04-823126-6

Verdict: The hobbit is a delightful children's fantasy which stands up well to rereading.

Reasons for reading it: I haven't made a habit of rereading The hobbit since I was a kid, but since it is such a big thematic element in Babel Tower I was motivated to have another look at it.

How it came into my hands: I picked up a nice edition in one of the Dundee second hand bookshops, one with plates of some of Tolkien's original drawings.

( detailed review )

Author: AS Byatt

Details: (c) 1996 AS Byatt; Pub Chatto & Windus 1996; ISBN 0701137185

Verdict: Babel Tower is utterly wonderful!

Reasons for reading it: Babel Tower is one of my favourite books in the world. I don't reread it as often as I would like to, because I own a very heavy and inconvenient hardback copy. In fact, I got told off (in a friendly way) by a random woman for bringing such a heavy book on the bus!

How it came into my hands: I bought it in a remainder shop not long after it first came out, I think probably because I was confusing AS Byatt with some other similarly named author I either liked or expected to like.

( detailed review )

Conclusion: Babel Tower is definitely better than Possession, even though it's not nearly so well known.

When I was travelling, I had lots of time for reading and little time for updating LJ. Hence I have a huge backlog of books I need to post reviews of. I haven't been doing so well since I got back to Stockholm and got sucked into the festival season, either. So here are the first batch of books that I have read recently and not got round to posting about until now:

Michael Marshall Smith: One of us

Colum McCann: Dancer

Rose Tremain: The colour

Madeleine L'Engle: A wind in the door

Still to come from the summer:

Jack Womack: Elvissey

Tim Powers: The Anubis gates (reread)

John Steinbeck: The grapes of wrath (reread)

John Fowles: The ebony tower (short story collection)

Kate Chopin: The awakening

Desmond Bagley: The enemy

Jasper Fforde: The Eyre Affair

Monica Ali: Brick Lane