19th August, 2010
Discuss
This month’s io9 Book Club features N.K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. So what the hell is the io9 Book Club, you say? Why, that’s exactly what I asked, too, when I first read about it. Looks like there will be a few days of discussion in the comments at the end of the month, followed by a chance to ask the author herself a question or two. Might be worth checking out.
Posted at 4:48 am | Comment (0)
4th August, 2010
We shall call it Untitled.
The Dervish House by Ian McDonald
A couple of McDonald’s previous works, River of Gods and Brasyl, had originally put his name on my radar, but I never got around to reading them. With the release of his latest book, The Dervish House, and the buzz surrounding it, I decided to finally give this author a chance and I’m happy I did. McDonald’s style is slightly evocative of William Gibson to me, with his lush descriptions and interwoven storylines of seemingly unrelated characters set in a not-so-distant future Earth, yet without the overall darkness that is so prevalent in Gibson’s works. Essentially, this book boils down to an entertaining adventure novel with a little believable sci-fi mixed in. And as an added bonus, it has a happy ending. A nice change from all the gritty and, ahem, edgy epic fantasy I’ve been reading lately. Worth checking out.
4/5 gogs.
Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain
Another collection of essays along the lines of his previous work Kitchen Confidential. There is still some trash talking to be found within, but it is tempered by the observations of a wiser, more tolerant man. In other words, as everyone – hopefully – does at some point, Bourdain has mentally matured and it really shows in this book. From his thoughtful contemplations of Eastern cultures, to his love of family and loyalty to friends, Bourdain really starts to open up a bit within and is refreshing in his honesty.
If you like intelligent, slightly snarky commentary, this is an enjoyable read. 3.8/5 gogs.
Posted at 4:51 am | Comment (1)
