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nocto's reviews
1270 reviews
Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson
5.0
Can I start the year off with a five star book? There are a couple of things here that could have knocked points off for me but I think I’d be being a little too perfectionist if I actually docked them. This book was solid enjoyment from cover to cover.
One thing, it’s not as wild and fabulous a ride as something like Life After Life, but if I mark this book down for not being that then I think I’m unfairly comparing Atkinson to her own very best, and pretty much no one else could stand up to that comparison either. Another thing, I thought the ending was a bit hasty but I think that was probably more down to how I would have like the story to go on forever. And I can’t really mark a book down for having an ending, in fact I usually get annoyed at books that drag themselves out and don’t know how to end.
This is a story of the world of London nightclubs in 1926, there are many characters - Nellie Coker is the matriarch of the club world, her two sons feature heavily; Detective Chief Inspector Frobisher is the man trying to clean up the criminal underworld in which the Coker nightclubs are a lynchpin. Then there’s Gwendolen Kelling, a librarian from York who comes to London searching for a pair of runaway teenage girls, and those teenage girls themselves. The narrative switches viewpoints regularly. It’s a great cast on a vivid stage. The story has its roots in a true story but Atkinson’s imagination runs wild with rich details.
Thoroughly recommended. I need to get round to reading the Jackson Brodie books at some point.... OK, in my memory I've only read the first one Case Histories and didn't think it was as good as her other books. But this is why I write things down! I've also read the second and the third and thought they were all great! My memory of what I read fifteen years ago cannot be trusted. So having got to the bottom of that, that's an easy three more good books to read sometime soon I hope!
One thing, it’s not as wild and fabulous a ride as something like Life After Life, but if I mark this book down for not being that then I think I’m unfairly comparing Atkinson to her own very best, and pretty much no one else could stand up to that comparison either. Another thing, I thought the ending was a bit hasty but I think that was probably more down to how I would have like the story to go on forever. And I can’t really mark a book down for having an ending, in fact I usually get annoyed at books that drag themselves out and don’t know how to end.
This is a story of the world of London nightclubs in 1926, there are many characters - Nellie Coker is the matriarch of the club world, her two sons feature heavily; Detective Chief Inspector Frobisher is the man trying to clean up the criminal underworld in which the Coker nightclubs are a lynchpin. Then there’s Gwendolen Kelling, a librarian from York who comes to London searching for a pair of runaway teenage girls, and those teenage girls themselves. The narrative switches viewpoints regularly. It’s a great cast on a vivid stage. The story has its roots in a true story but Atkinson’s imagination runs wild with rich details.
Thoroughly recommended. I need to get round to reading the Jackson Brodie books at some point.... OK, in my memory I've only read the first one Case Histories and didn't think it was as good as her other books. But this is why I write things down! I've also read the second and the third and thought they were all great! My memory of what I read fifteen years ago cannot be trusted. So having got to the bottom of that, that's an easy three more good books to read sometime soon I hope!
Black River by Joss Stirling
4.0
I often download free book offers on Apple Books, and then I end up with a folder full of books that aren't really to my taste. There's the odd gem to be found though, and this is one of them.
Go back to the 90s and I devoured every female private eye novel I could find, they were totally my thing, strong female characters, interesting plots, they were just full of people who seemed much more real than the characters in many other books, with a helping of clever deductions and wild escapes. I don't come across that particular sub-genre very often anymore. In a way the things that attracted me to those books bled out into the wider world of crime and mystery and it wasn't as necessary to have the fix I needed from these books - and besides some of those series are still going and still favourites of mine. But it's still really nice to come across a new modern series in the same vein.
This book introduces Jess Bridges, her case involves a teenage girl who, whilst not actually missing, has a mother who is concerned about her having absconded with her stepfather. However the book begins with Jess stumbling over a dead body whilst skinny dipping, which, I guess, is the kind of weird humour that I enjoy. Though there were bits of the plot that I didn't think really made sense, on the whole it was nicely done and two different threads came together without seeming contrived. I had to check it was the first in the series as numerous mentions were made of a previous case involving a couple of the characters, I wonder if that was always supposed to be back story or if this was the stronger book and got moved into pole position. I'm pleased to see that there are several more volumes in the series and they are on my list to read now.
Go back to the 90s and I devoured every female private eye novel I could find, they were totally my thing, strong female characters, interesting plots, they were just full of people who seemed much more real than the characters in many other books, with a helping of clever deductions and wild escapes. I don't come across that particular sub-genre very often anymore. In a way the things that attracted me to those books bled out into the wider world of crime and mystery and it wasn't as necessary to have the fix I needed from these books - and besides some of those series are still going and still favourites of mine. But it's still really nice to come across a new modern series in the same vein.
This book introduces Jess Bridges, her case involves a teenage girl who, whilst not actually missing, has a mother who is concerned about her having absconded with her stepfather. However the book begins with Jess stumbling over a dead body whilst skinny dipping, which, I guess, is the kind of weird humour that I enjoy. Though there were bits of the plot that I didn't think really made sense, on the whole it was nicely done and two different threads came together without seeming contrived. I had to check it was the first in the series as numerous mentions were made of a previous case involving a couple of the characters, I wonder if that was always supposed to be back story or if this was the stronger book and got moved into pole position. I'm pleased to see that there are several more volumes in the series and they are on my list to read now.
The Venetian Candidate by Philip Gwynne Jones
4.0
It's always good to catch up with Nathan in Venice! Somehow I keep missing when books in this series are released and it's a delight to suddenly find them and be able to dive into them straight away with no anticipation.
This time Nathan, honorary British consul, has an elderly Oxford librarian who seems to have gone missing in Venice. Of course investigating that is more enticing than translating the lawnmower manual for the job that actually pays him. I love the gentle sense of humour in these books, nothing ever goes quite to plan but it's never a farce. The candidate of the title refers to the race to be Venetian mayor, the runners for that post are all tangled up in this story one way or another.
Obviously this is another series where the landscape is a character, this one is set in the cold rainy January of 2020, which isn't the sunny Venice we usually see. And several times the characters mention not being worried about the news of a new virus, which makes me worried for what happens in the next book. I will try and pay attention so that I get to find out what happens next as soon as I can!
This time Nathan, honorary British consul, has an elderly Oxford librarian who seems to have gone missing in Venice. Of course investigating that is more enticing than translating the lawnmower manual for the job that actually pays him. I love the gentle sense of humour in these books, nothing ever goes quite to plan but it's never a farce. The candidate of the title refers to the race to be Venetian mayor, the runners for that post are all tangled up in this story one way or another.
Obviously this is another series where the landscape is a character, this one is set in the cold rainy January of 2020, which isn't the sunny Venice we usually see. And several times the characters mention not being worried about the news of a new virus, which makes me worried for what happens in the next book. I will try and pay attention so that I get to find out what happens next as soon as I can!
Devil's Table by Kate Rhodes
4.5
This one sees one half of a pair of twins going missing from a flower farm on one of the Scilly Isles, Jade's brother Ethan was there when she was taken but he's not able to speak about what happened. It's a well plotted story that keeps you engaged - in fact I had this as an ebook from the library, which vanished when I returned it so I ended up buying myself an ebook copy to finish it rather than wait to get a copy by other means.
Like many other mystery series you do start to wonder how many murderers a small community can possibly house - each of the islands featured in this series only seems to have a very small population - but that's the kind of thing you have to overlook if you like your mysteries set in idyllic rural locations! And I do. The landscape's a character here but I also like the way the recurring characters are setup and how Ben's not really your usual gruff detective.
I'm pleased to see there's still another couple of episodes of this series at least for me to read.
Like many other mystery series you do start to wonder how many murderers a small community can possibly house - each of the islands featured in this series only seems to have a very small population - but that's the kind of thing you have to overlook if you like your mysteries set in idyllic rural locations! And I do. The landscape's a character here but I also like the way the recurring characters are setup and how Ben's not really your usual gruff detective.
I'm pleased to see there's still another couple of episodes of this series at least for me to read.
The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
5.0
This has definitely been my series of the year. I'm not sure if I've given all four books five stars each, but I've braced myself for disappointment with each book and happily felt that each book was just as good, if not better, than the one that came before.
I like how the pieces of the series have only been loosely joined together, each one explores a different facet of the universe Chambers has created. It's such a great universe! This one is a kind of locked room story. A group of travellers get stuck at a stopover and the various problems bring them together. One thing I liked about this is that there's no human in the plot, except peripherally. After three previous books dealing with various other species alongside humans it's nice to feel at home with all these other species. There's no great overarching plot here, the problem that's got them all stuck isn't something they can deal with. It's a book about the small details of lives and how we can help each other.
I'm going to miss having a new volume of this to look forward to, but also there's a whole world of science fiction out there that I feel better equipped to explore.
I like how the pieces of the series have only been loosely joined together, each one explores a different facet of the universe Chambers has created. It's such a great universe! This one is a kind of locked room story. A group of travellers get stuck at a stopover and the various problems bring them together. One thing I liked about this is that there's no human in the plot, except peripherally. After three previous books dealing with various other species alongside humans it's nice to feel at home with all these other species. There's no great overarching plot here, the problem that's got them all stuck isn't something they can deal with. It's a book about the small details of lives and how we can help each other.
I'm going to miss having a new volume of this to look forward to, but also there's a whole world of science fiction out there that I feel better equipped to explore.
A Snapshot of Murder by Frances Brody
4.0
One of those books - and there seem to be a lot of them, so I feel like
it's most probably more me than the book - that takes a long time to get going. I
don't honestly know what the problem was, I like the character of Kate Shackleton and
seeing her life in the 1920s, I'm not picking up a book like this looking for a fast
paced thriller ride, I'm definitely happy with a slower pace. Maybe I just want the
puzzle to get started.
Once it gets going it's interesting enough, it's always good to visit Haworth even,
maybe especially, in fiction. I liked the plot once it was flowing and though there
were a couple of threads that seemed to peter out and/or I missed something I enjoyed
it well enough.
I'll probably be back for another installment and I'll probably say much the same things
about it!
it's most probably more me than the book - that takes a long time to get going. I
don't honestly know what the problem was, I like the character of Kate Shackleton and
seeing her life in the 1920s, I'm not picking up a book like this looking for a fast
paced thriller ride, I'm definitely happy with a slower pace. Maybe I just want the
puzzle to get started.
Once it gets going it's interesting enough, it's always good to visit Haworth even,
maybe especially, in fiction. I liked the plot once it was flowing and though there
were a couple of threads that seemed to peter out and/or I missed something I enjoyed
it well enough.
I'll probably be back for another installment and I'll probably say much the same things
about it!
Foe by Iain Reid
4.0
I only picked this up to read because Darren told me to. So, I went into it completely blind.
Not even a read of the blurb. One of the those books
where I have not the vaguest idea what is happening or even what genre the book would be in.
Which means I really don't want to tell you what to expect with it either!
Talking about it afterwards I figured out what was going on before Darren did, he said he felt
like he could read it over again to pick the clues up. I felt I'd picked up enough clues the first
time through. I think it was a good book either way. There were some things I didn't really see the
significance of so maybe a reread would work.
Anyway, reasonably recommended. Plus it was a very quick read, books have really not been
keeping my attention lately so that was a bonus.
Not even a read of the blurb. One of the those books
where I have not the vaguest idea what is happening or even what genre the book would be in.
Which means I really don't want to tell you what to expect with it either!
Talking about it afterwards I figured out what was going on before Darren did, he said he felt
like he could read it over again to pick the clues up. I felt I'd picked up enough clues the first
time through. I think it was a good book either way. There were some things I didn't really see the
significance of so maybe a reread would work.
Anyway, reasonably recommended. Plus it was a very quick read, books have really not been
keeping my attention lately so that was a bonus.
The Night Hawks by Elly Griffiths
3.0
Hmm, I wrote this up once and lost it... I keep going back to this series even though there are things about it that annoy me. This one seemed short on archeology, but that's not really a problem, I liked being back with Ruth in Norfolk all the same, and I'll keep on reading them. I'm not really here for the mystery any more I guess. More like comfort reading. Though the mystery here had a few things that didn't seem to add up but that might have been my reading of it. I've heard good things about the next one in this series which is mostly what motivated me to pick up this one and catch up.
Red Team Blues by Cory Doctorow
4.0
I last read one of Cory Doctorow's books a dozen years ago and commented at the time that I wished I liked science fiction more. I've since found plenty of science fiction I do like, this isn't science fiction anyway, and I still like Doctorow's non-fiction writing on the web. So I figured it was about time I tried again.
This one's a thriller, set in contemporary times, with lots of buzzword laden hacky cryptocurrency hi-jinx. I expect the technical details probably makes it feel much like science fiction to many people, but I - more or less - understand this stuff and the tech here definitely has its roots in the real world. The protagonist is a sixty-something almost-retired forensic accountant, and again I felt you were supposed to be surprised by how interesting that job is, and that sixty year olds aren't actually almost dead. But, a few things feeling a bit overblown to me wasn't really a problem, and the story was an enjoyable romp. I kept thinking of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee - McGee lives on a boat called the "Busted Flush", in this book Martin Hench lives aboard a tour bus named the "Unsalted Hash", I can't remember enough about McGee to know whether the allusion was deliberate but it made me like Hench more anyway.
An enjoyable book, with a mash of interesting ideas, and I believe there's to be a sequel, which I'd definitely put on my reading list.
This one's a thriller, set in contemporary times, with lots of buzzword laden hacky cryptocurrency hi-jinx. I expect the technical details probably makes it feel much like science fiction to many people, but I - more or less - understand this stuff and the tech here definitely has its roots in the real world. The protagonist is a sixty-something almost-retired forensic accountant, and again I felt you were supposed to be surprised by how interesting that job is, and that sixty year olds aren't actually almost dead. But, a few things feeling a bit overblown to me wasn't really a problem, and the story was an enjoyable romp. I kept thinking of John D. MacDonald's Travis McGee - McGee lives on a boat called the "Busted Flush", in this book Martin Hench lives aboard a tour bus named the "Unsalted Hash", I can't remember enough about McGee to know whether the allusion was deliberate but it made me like Hench more anyway.
An enjoyable book, with a mash of interesting ideas, and I believe there's to be a sequel, which I'd definitely put on my reading list.
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
5.0
I've still got the same dilemma I had with book 2 of the series. Got to give it five stars as it's just as good as the others. I think I might prefer book 2, but this is a really nice addition to the series. I like how the books are just loosely connected. You could certainly read this one out of order, I don't think very much of the first two would be spoilt for you if you did.
This one is the story of the Exodan fleet, the original spaceships that left Earth as the planet was failing, and how people continued to live their lives on these ships even after they found other species and other planets. There's a wide cast of characters with interesting roles and lots of intriguing trivia about life on a spaceship. Among many other things I liked the stuff about composting dead bodies and funeral rituals and about how if you grow up with the view of your stars beneath your feet then that's what's normal for you and being on a planet where they are overhead seems weird. I liked the questions about trying to find your niche in a place where food and shelter are provided for everyone, but you've got to do something. A central question is whether the Exodans are a dying society that's no longer useful or if they should welcome newcomers to their way of life. The many voices with different takes on all these things make it an interesting read, and I was surprised when the story found a natural conclusion.
I did think that this was the end of the series but I've since found there's a fourth book, obviously I'm very much looking forward to that. I like the positivity and inclusiveness these stories exude and I'll be sad when they are done.
This one is the story of the Exodan fleet, the original spaceships that left Earth as the planet was failing, and how people continued to live their lives on these ships even after they found other species and other planets. There's a wide cast of characters with interesting roles and lots of intriguing trivia about life on a spaceship. Among many other things I liked the stuff about composting dead bodies and funeral rituals and about how if you grow up with the view of your stars beneath your feet then that's what's normal for you and being on a planet where they are overhead seems weird. I liked the questions about trying to find your niche in a place where food and shelter are provided for everyone, but you've got to do something. A central question is whether the Exodans are a dying society that's no longer useful or if they should welcome newcomers to their way of life. The many voices with different takes on all these things make it an interesting read, and I was surprised when the story found a natural conclusion.
I did think that this was the end of the series but I've since found there's a fourth book, obviously I'm very much looking forward to that. I like the positivity and inclusiveness these stories exude and I'll be sad when they are done.