That's right! I'm back for another summer of reading commentary. Why, you ask? Because it's all so fascinating and thousands (or one or two) are awaiting it eagerly.
It will appear that today was an incredibly productive reading day as I have three books to mention, but really I just had a few on the go and it so happens that I was nearing the end of three when I awoke this fine morning.
First up, I finished Nemesis by Jo Nesbø. This is the fourth in the Norwegian series about alcoholic police detective Harry Hole but, curiously, the second translated into English. (Characters often make references to events in the first two volumes which have yet to be available in English, but it doesn't get in the way of the stories, so I suppose it'll have to be alright.) It's quite an intricately assembled cop thriller, with quite a lot of interlacing story lines -- a series of bank robberies, a suspicious suicide, a cop being set-up while another his predatory nature -- but it is a lot more readable than it may sound. Both Harry Hole books I've read so far are pretty brisk, motivated reads that I've quite enjoyed. Bring on The Devil's Star! (It's already ordered.)
Next I wrapped up Mr. Stink the second children's novel from David Walliams, best known as half of the comedy duo (with Matt Lucas) responsible for Little Britain. An unpopular but kindly-hearted girl, Chloe, takes an interest in the local tramp, Mr. Stink, and the two forge a friendly, though smelly, relationship. Toss in an overachieving little sister, a snobbish and politically motivated mother, and a father with failed rock-star dreams and you've got a silly little book that's a decent diversion, if not exactly a literary masterpiece. There are a few toss-away moments that don't really need to be there for the story, and a few distinctly British naughty-isms (but innocent enough, really), but the some of the parts are likely to amuse young readers.
Finally, I read We Have Always Lived in the Castle, the final novel of Shirley Jackson (of The Lottery fame). This book was on a recommended reading list I'd come across a few months back. It's a gothic story about a pair of recluse sisters who live with their uncle, locked away in a once-grand estate, hiding away from the villagers and their sing-song taunts and rumours arsenic incident that resulted in the deaths of the rest of the family. The climactic scene is both surreal and disturbingly familiar; the final impression left, a curious blend of despair and hope. Not everyone's cup of tea, but I quite liked the dark, quirky tone of the book (thanks to the somewhat sociopathic nature of the narrator, younger sister Merricat) and the heightened, but still sympathetic, characters.
All-in-all, it was a good start to the summer's reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment