Got an opportunity to finish a few books during the break. Just before going on vacation, I read the Twilight Watch which I thought was actually the best of the series so far (It follows The Night Watch and The Day Watch ); I was surprised and I don’t know if all will agree, I’ll be interested to see.

After that, I read Neil Gaiman’s Fragile Things, a collection of short stories and poems.
Now, I am a big fan of Neil Gaiman but mostly for his Sandman, an amazing series of graphic novels (must-read). Other than Neverwhere I had never really loved any of his full length novels. I think that Gaiman always comes up with really interesting ideas which I get really excited about but I don’t think he ever takes them all the way to awesome, stopping instead at good enough. Case in point with American Gods. I loved the idea of personified and weak shadows of old world deities from all pantheons walking around in modern America but I think the novel came short of my expectation

Now, “Fragile Things” though, I thought was a great collection of short stories, much darker or at least more perverted and pernicious than his usual fare. I especially liked Monarch of the Glen in it, with an encore from the two very dark characters, Mr Alice and Mr Smith. A great read.

I also finished Diving into Darkness which just came out in the US (it was called Raising the dead in the UK). Now this scuba diving / cave diving novel doesn’t focus too much on the actual sport but pays attention to the people, the relationship and their motives for doing what their done. It reads really quickly and I would recommend it as well.

Neal Stephenson’s novels (of Snow Crash fame, an incredible book) are getting longer and harder to read which each new book. I have tried to start Anathem and will try again. In the mean time, I started reading Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell which I am enjoying immensely thus far.

Hopefully this will give you a few ideas if you’re looking for a good book in 2009. Happy new year to all !

Like

Unlike