“Fiddle-de-dee’s not English.”

Queens’ Play by Dorothy Dunnett
Vintage (1997) (First published 1964)
432 pages

This is the second book in Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond Chronicles. To put things simply (and to avoid any spoilers whatsoever for this or the first book), let’s just say that in this instalment, Francis Crawford of Lymond goes to France.

Uh.

Now I’m stuck. I want to keep these things spoiler-free, but at the same time I just want to flail about. Let’s mention the first line then, since everyone does. It goes: “She wanted Crawford of Lymond.” (And I thought, with an exasperated huff, startling the person standing beside me in the bookstore, who doesn’t?, and I just know that anyone who had enjoyed the first book was thinking the same thing.) But then you notice who it is who wants Lymond and for what, and you can’t help but feel sorry for poor old Tom Erskine, who just happens to be there at the moment. I like Tom Erskine. And his wife Margaret. Come to think of it, what this particular book lacks is strong primary female characters. Thankfully this is remedied most wonderfully in the following books.

Whatever I said about this first book still applies here: there are still shenanigans (though I can’t quite remember if the Spanish make any appearances here — perhaps not — but we definitely have the Irish) and impersonations and court intrigue and people quoting stuff, but for some reason this was easier to read than The Game of Kings. Perhaps it’s because I know what to expect, and was able to simply ignore the quotes and the French phrases and the many people named Janet and Margaret and Mary and all the lords and ladies with titles that were pretty much indistinguishable to me and Lymond’s theatrics. Not that his theatrics are necessarily a bad thing — it was just that his behaviour left me confounded for most of the time in the first book. And his self-destructive tendencies. And this strange, strange behaviour of expecting no one would ever understand him and this habit of never asking for help.

The ending of this book didn’t quite pack a punch as The Game of Kings did, and I think this is the last book you’d be able to finish without desperately wanting the next book in the series. Finishing the next book, The Disorderly Knights, without Pawn in Frankincense in hand would just be pure torture.

Also! There are elephants in this book!

Ah, I give up with the no-spoilers policy. Continue with caution!

Continue reading Queens’ Play by Dorothy Dunnett »

Another visit to the library (and this time I was actually stuck in the traffic jam and the rain, so I got there disgruntled and late), and I picked up their book suggestion form. I had wanted to fill it in then and there and return it to the counter, but after glancing at some of the fields, I gave up and took it home. Right now I am giving it The Eye.

Among other things, it asks for my phone number. Does it want to ask me out for a date, I wonder. I’m pretty sure the information is available in the library’s user database — it does ask for my library ID number; that should be enough. All the fields are in Malay, but suddenly the last line, under the section equivalent to “for office use”, is in English. This offends my sensibilities! Stick to one language, and use it properly! You are the library, for goodness’ sake! (Some of the notices posted in the library itself make my eyebrows climb up into my hairline and off my head. There was one new one about vandalism that totally violated like five precepts of the Malay language. And I still give the “SILENT PLEASE!” sign in the reading area an evil eye each time.)

It also asks for the book’s ISBN. I, uh. I suppose this makes things easier for them? I don’t know. It does make my life a tad harder, since I have to go about looking for some of the information (edition? what does it mean when it asks for the “edition”? first second third? hardback paperback audiobook? what are these fields?) and I wonder about things like whether they would they prefer the American edition? Or the British one? Or whatever’s easier to obtain from the local bookstore? I’m tempted to just fill the form in with the first hit I find on Amazon that’s still in print.

I wish they’d go paperless. And have a better website, when it comes to that. Put the suggestion form online and place those help buttons by the fields. Put up a section titled something like “information we need to help serve you better, re: book suggestions!” Tie the book suggestions to the patron’s ID in the system, make notifications easier.

I wonder if they have a general “Suggestions” form. Alas, the vicious cycle of paperwork.

The Sandman Volume 7: Brief Lives by Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Jill Thompson and Vince Locke
Vertigo (1995)
110 pages

I read this after skipping Volume 6: Fables and Reflections, at the time the only volume my sister didn’t own. I don’t know if that detracted from the experience of reading this volume — we already have Fables and Reflections now and I still haven’t read it.

I think it’s the best story arc of the Sandman collections I’ve read (I only have Fables and Reflections and Endless Nights left). It deals mainly with the Endless, Dream’s family, as he and his sister Delirium search for their brother Destruction.

What I liked: the stories, of course. I think Gaiman is sometimes better with short, poignant stories than longer novels. I also liked the art from this volume more than some of the others. I loved Delirium. Now I understand why the LJ population of Gaiman’s fans adore Delirium. (Death remains my favourite Endless, if only because she chucked that piece of bread at Dream’s head in the first volume.) And of course there’s the king of dreams himself — I still like Dream, despite all his emo-ness (and the context escaped me, sadly, since I skipped the previous volume, but then again, he’s always been a rather melancholy character), and he’s surprisingly predictable in how he gets frustrated with his little sister.

I’m not sure what I don’t like — I did wish that everyone didn’t have to feel the need to point out that Dream has changed — the story carries that through well enough without this being pointed out. Otherwise this volume pretty much was perfect to me.

.

The Sandman Volume 8: Worlds’ End by Neil Gaiman
Illustrated by Michael Allred, Gary Amaro, Mark Buckingham, Dick Giordano, Tony Harris, Steve Leialoha, Vince Locke, Shea Anton Pensa, Alec Stevens, Bryan Talbot, John Watkiss and Michael Zulli
Vertigo (1995)
168 pages

This volume had stories within stories within stories. A “reality storm” blows in, leaving a bunch of travellers from different times and places stranded at an inn called Worlds’ End. To pass the time, they tell stories. The stories are mostly stand-alone, with characters who had appeared before in the series making an appearance, and the Endless appearing from time to time in them, but not being central to the story. I sort of missed having Morpheus around.

I liked some stories better than the others — Jim’s story, Hob’s Leviathan, was the one I liked best, about a boy going to sea and seeing a sea-monster, and I also liked the style the artist used. I also liked The Golden Boy, the story about the boy president. I liked the art in the first story, Tale of Two Cities. It makes the story even more creepy.

The readers are made aware that something momentous is going on as the focus shifts between the stories and the inn. The ending made me go asdk;kl (again — I’m doing that too often lately), wondering what had happened outside the inn.

Not one of my favourite volumes, but it certainly has some very interesting stories.

Oh. I forgot to post this here. I don’t think it matters much though, since I’m pretty sure that anyone who reads the posts here also read the stuff I post at my LJ? It doesn’t matter, really, since any commentary I might post will be posted at both places anyway!

Renay is hosting a reading challenge! It’s easy! Just list ten books you love and read three books out of all the books recommended by others. Simple, isn’t it? I give this challenge an A++!

Here’s my list. It’s sorted by author’s last name, and, where possible, I’ve linked it to my own recap of the book.

1. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
   This one’s a classic. It was my favourite book as a child, and I’m still terribly fond of it. Oddly enough I don’t seem to have a copy with me. Hmm. A young girl named Alice follows a white rabbit into a nonsensical Wonderland and finds herself surrounded by eccentric characters.
2. Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
   I struggled with this book at the start, and I ended up loving it. Alternate history set in the 1800s London, written to imitate the style of the period. The book’s premise is magic returns to England after not being practised for hundreds of years and it focusses on the relationship and rivalries of two magicians.
3. Matilda by Roald Dahl
   Juvenile fiction. A precocious little girl who loves reading tries to get even with her dull parents and terrifying headmistress. With illustrations by Quentin Blake! My favourite Roald Dahl book.
4. The Game of Kings by Dorothy Dunnett
   Historical fiction, set in 1547 Scotland. Francis Crawford of Lymond, an outlaw, returns to Scotland, and his future depends on him finding three men. First book in a series of six known as The Lymond Chronicles, though this can stand on its own. One of my favourites from the novels I’ve read this year; the whole series made me go asdfhkll;lk a lot.
   (My rather incoherent recap is here.)
5. Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
   YA fantasy. Sophie Hatter, the eldest of three sisters, finds herself cursed by the Witch of the Waste, and the wizard Howl is the only person who can help her. A lot of hijinks! Humour! Well-handled romance! My favourite DWJ book so far (and perhaps my favourite book in this list)!
   (Slightly spoilery recap here.)
6. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
   Young Scout Finch has to deal with racism as her father, a lawyer, defends a black man unjustly accused of a terrible crime in 1930s Alabama. This was required reading in school (despite the fact that half of the class never even started it), and I loved the book so much that I asked to keep my copy.
7. Goodnight Mister Tom by Michelle Magorian
   YA. Willie Beech, a timid, abused boy, is evacuated to an English countryside at the brink of World War II and his gruff and solitary guardian, Tom Oakley, helps him realise that family is more than just the one you’re born to.
   (Recap here.)
8. Tom’s Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce
   YA fantasy. Tom is sent to live with his aunt and uncle when his brother is ill with the measles, and discovers a garden outside the back door when the clock strikes thirteen. A great story about friendship and how things change over time.
   (Recap here.)
9. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
   If there ever was a book that made me look like an idiot for laughing like a loon in a train, this would be it. The end of days is coming, and apocalypse is near, and the demon Crowley and the angel Aziraphale are determined to stop it.
10. Northern Lights (or The Golden Compass) by Philip Pullman
    YA fantasy, alternate history. Lyra is one of my favourite characters in YA fantasy. ♥ Great world building and wonderful storytelling. First book of the His Dark Materials trilogy.

(This list is mirrored at my LiveJournal here.)

Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
Del Rey (2006)
400 pages (?)

I have a text document always open on my computer. I jot things down in that file, and this includes quick impressions of some of the books I read. For Black Powder War, there’s this line: Granby! Hearts for Granby!

Um.

As you may have guessed, I really like John Granby — putting aside Will Laurence and Temeraire, I think Granby certainly got the best deal when it comes to Novik and characterisation — she has done a splendid job with his character development. And I loved this book — I think the series gets better and better with each instalment, and this one takes us to so many different places and I enjoyed reading about the differences between each culture. (Is it wrong that when I think of this book, certain images from it gets mixed with Dorothy Dunnett’s Pawn in Frankincense, thanks to the latter’s glittering Istanbul and the introduction to a myriad of cultures? The books are not really comparable, and aside from the fact that some scenes take place at similar locations there’s no real similarity. I suppose this just means I should write these things sooner instead of stalling and mixing things up.)

Well. In short: Laurence and Temeraire journey overland from China to the Ottoman Empire!

This instalment has more action than the previous two. I find this exciting! And politics, of course, and people dying, which sort of makes me curdle inside, but that’s what happens when you read a book set in a middle of a war, I suppose. Temeraire’s grown into himself, and his care for Laurence would warm anyone’s heart, yet he still has that naivety that just makes you laugh. And he really cares for his crew. Good old Temeraire.

Novik does have this love affair going on with colons and semicolons, though. Some of the sentences got rather long and unwieldy and made me a bit cross-eyed trying to locate the start of the sentence and connecting it with the end. It doesn’t detract much, though it would have made easier reading if the sentences were shortened.

And because I want to talk about details, the rest of this entry contains spoilers!

Continue reading Black Powder War by Naomi Novik »