Wolfy’s 2016 Category Challenge - The Hateful Eight

Sixteen is too many categories for me and would spread myself too thin so I will halve that and set the number of categories at 8. This is coincidentally my 8th successive year of participating in the Category Challenge so that can be used for number of books in each of those categories. Based on my last couple of years it might be a bit of a push for me but let’s give it a go and see how far I get. Categories will have at least a loose connection with the eight actors listed on the above poster for Quentin Tarantino’s latest film, The Hateful Eight. To still get to some of the larger tomes I'm going to say any book over 600 pages will count as 2 entries and I may also count separate books from omnibus editions (though not short stories).

The categories (See individual posts for more info):

1. Samuel L. Jackson (12/8)
2. Kurt Russell (5/8)
3. Bruce Dern (5/8)
4. Walton Goggins (4/8)
5. Demián Bichir (5/8)
6. Tim Roth (4/8)
7. Michael Madsen (5/8)
8. Jennifer Jason Leigh (4/8)

Just in case there's something that doesn't fit in the above:

9. Quentin Tarantino




As always, everything is subject to change. Comments and suggestions also welcomed.

1. Samuel L. Jackson



Reason for Selection: Plays a prominent role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe appearing as Nick Fury in an incredibly successful run of films. He will therefore represent my Comic Book/Graphic Novel escapades. I’m also not going to separate out my digital reading this year, though as I usually go for single issues I won’t count an entry until I’ve read an equivalent to a TPB or One-Shot release.

1. The Walking Dead Vol.13 by Robert Kirkman (Msg33 05/01/16) 3½★'s
2. The Walking Dead Vol.14 by Robert Kirkman (Msg33 06/01/16) 3½★'s
3. The Walking Dead Vol.15 by Robert Kirkman (Msg95 16/04/16) 3★'s
4. Y: The Last Man Vol.1 by Brian K. Vaughan (Msg95 27/04/16) 3½★'s
5. Y: The Last Man Vol.2 by Brian K. Vaughan (Msg100 17/05/16) 3½★'s
6. Y: The Last Man Vol.3 by Brian K. Vaughan(Msg41 28/05/16) 3½★'s
7. Y: The Last Man Vol.4 by Brian K. Vaughan(Msg41 28/05/16) 3½★'s
8. Fables: The Deluxe Edition Book Ten by Bill Willingham (Msg158 06/10/16) 3½★'s
9. Y: The Last Man Vol.5 by Brian K. Vaughan (xx/11/16) 3½★'s
10. Y: The Last Man Vol.6 by Brian K. Vaughan (xx/12/16) 3½★'s
11. Y: The Last Man Vol.7 by Brian K. Vaughan (xx/12/16) 3½★'s
12. Y: The Last Man Vol.8 by Brian K. Vaughan (xx/12/16) 3½★'s

2. Kurt Russell



Reason for Selection: Big Trouble in Little China is probably my favourite of his works. With sorcerer’s performing magic, ancient curses and strange beings this is a perfect fit for an Urban Fantasy category.

1. Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig (Msg66 07/02/16) 4★'s
2. The Naming of the Beasts by Mike Carey (Msg88 25/03/16) 4½★'s
3. The Rook by Daniel O'Malley (Msg110 28/06/16) 4★'s
4. The New Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko (Msg136 08/08/16) 3½★'s
5. London Falling by Paul Cornell (Msg174 18/11/16) 4★'s

3. Bruce Dern



Reason for Selection: Played Freeman Lowell in the cult science fiction classic Silent Running where he was the only human present for much of the film’s screen time. Got to have me a SFF category somewhere.

1. Miles, Mystery & Mayhem by Lois McMaster Bujold (Msg70 15/02/16) 4★'s
2. Wizard and Glass by Stephen King (Msg95 29/04/16) 4★'s
3. Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey (Msg100 21/05/16) 4★'s
4. Finch by Jeff VanderMeer (Msg106 02/06/16) 5★'s
5. Sleepless by Charlie Huston (Msg119 21/07/16) 4★'s

4. Walton Goggins



Reason for Selection: Has appeared as major characters in 2 long running Detective TV shows, The Shield & Justified, so I’m happy to use this for my detective fiction. Crime, Mystery & Thriller titles will go here.

1. The Killing Lessons by Saul Black (Msg58 27/01/16) 4★'s
2. The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley (Msg78 08/03/16) 4★'s
3. The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly (Msg101 28/05/16) 3½★'s
4. Irène by Pierre Lemaitre (Msg155 06/10/16) 4★'s

5. Demián Bichir



Reason for Selection: Born in Mexico so the only natural non-English speaking member of the Eight I will use this for works translated from another language.

1. A Matter of Death and Life by Andrey Kurkov (Msg60 30/01/16) 3½★'s
2. The Laughing Policeman by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö (Msg92 01/04/16) 4★'s
3. Alex by Pierre Lemaitre (Msg110 01/07/16) 4★'s
4. The Fire Engine That Disappeared by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö (Msg128 02/08/16) 4★'s
5. Mardock Scramble by Tow Ubukata (Msg161 21/10/16) 4★'s

6. Tim Roth



Reason for Selection: This film marks his fourth collaboration with the director and so is obviously a favourite actor of his. Why not a favourite authors category?

1. The City & The City by China Miéville (Msg33 06/01/16) 4½★'s
2. The Tooth Fairy by Graham Joyce (Msg83 23/03/16) 4½★'s
3. The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick (Msg108 20/06/16) 3½★'s
4. Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman (Msg169 28/10/16) 3½★'s

7. Michael Madsen



Reason for Selection: Another actor that QT continually returns to for his projects. I will use this for continuations to series that I’ve already started.

1. Johannes Cabal: The Fear Institute by Jonathan L. Howard (Msg73 02/03/16) 3½★'s
2. Wizard and Glass by Stephen King (Msg95 29/04/16) 4★'s
3. The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King (Msg98 12/05/16) 3½★'s
4. From Aberystwyth with Love by Malcolm Pryce (Msg148 21/08/16) 3★'s
5. Mardock Scramble by Tow Ubukata (Msg161 21/10/16) 4★'s

8. Jennifer Jason Leigh



Reason for Selection: As the only woman on the list and with Single White Female still being one of the first films you associate with her career I will use this category for books by women authors.

1. Miles, Mystery & Mayhem by Lois McMaster Bujold (Msg70 15/02/16) 4★'s
2. Black Powder War by Naomi Novik (Msg92 04/04/16) 3½★'s
3. I'm with the Band by Pamela Des Barres (Msg118 09/07/16) 3½★'s
4. Grimspace by Ann Aguirre (Msg124 27/07/16) 3½★'s

9. Quentin Tarantino



Reason for Selection: Has intimated that this is his last directorial job as a film-maker. Will he make anything else?

Great theme and excellent matching of characters/actors to categories! Have a great reading year!

I really like your categories, and now I want to see the movie too.

Great idea for your theme.

Interesting categories and great pictures to go with them!

What a clever theme - love how you matched everyone up. Especially like using Walter Goggins for the detective category. That reminds me, must get back to watching Justified.

Your category challenge is very Kick A this year Dave! Glad to have you back and I count on you to continue giving me reading ideas.

Yeah! Wolfy is back! You had me worried since you didn't show up on New Year's day. I love the way you've set up your challenge. I haven't seen the movie, but looks like I should some time this year.

What an excellent theme and YAY! your back!

Fantastic theme and interesting categories. Have fun!

Good theme!

I love Silent Running!

Just dropped by to drop a star...

Wow, that is an amazing way of matching categories to a theme! Outstanding!

That is a really cool set-up. I'm just so impressed with how imaginative people are in this group!

Happy New Year, Dave. Great theme and set up, and appropriate as well considering all the book bullets that will be flying around here!

Happy New Year, Dave. You've got a terrific theme going!

That's a great set-up. Looking forward to following along (and to the movie, of course).

Great theme! Here's to a year with not TOO many BBs.

Thank you all! Inspiration found me very late for this year's theme. The idea only came to me while trawling the net on New Year's day while I was passing the time in work. Was getting ready to post fairly generic category's but just got a bit lucky by jumping on a topical bandwagon. Maybe when the furore with the release of the film has died down I may be regretting my choice but I do like the way it all fits together so hopefully not.

Year End Meme (titles from 2015 reading):

Describe yourself: Tigerman
Describe how you feel: This Night’s Foul Work
Describe where you currently live: The Wastelands
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Galveston
Your favorite form of transportation: Turning Pages
Your best friend is: Monkey
You and your friends are: Broken Monsters
What’s the weather like: Foxglove Summer
You fear: Dead Girl Walking
What is the best advice you have to give: I'm fresh out
Thought for the day: I Hate it Here *
How I would like to die: The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag
My soul’s present condition: An Uncertain Place

*I did write this while in work

>28 AHS-Wolfy: *I did write this while in work - on your lunch break of course!

>28 AHS-Wolfy: I giggled out loud at your thought for the day and footnote. :)

Found you! Great theme and I can't wait to see what books you read this year :)

LOL, that's it! I'm a broken monster! Thanks for explaining that to me. ;)

Tim Roth - The City & The City by China Miéville

Inspector Tyador Borlú of the Besźel police is handed the case of a murdered young woman whose body has been found dumped on a patch of wasteland. At first glance it looks like a simple case of an independent prostitute who may have taken on the wrong client but unfortunately for Borlú things are never quite so simple in his city. It never can be when the twin cities of Besźel and Ul Qoma occupy the same space topographically speaking.

Not only is this a more than competent murder mystery but there’s a deep urban fantasy feel to it too. The idea of the split cities is marvellous and expertly handled by an accomplished author. The world build is again a fascinating construct and while connected to our own through the mention of other countries it’s the fantastical element that really heightens this story A very imaginative work and I look forward to continuing reading more from him in the future. 4½★'s

Samuel L. Jackson - The Walking Dead Vol.13 & 14 by Robert Kirkman

While the TV show is on break I’ve returned to reading the comics and will continue up to the point that the show has reached. Vol.13 sees Rick and the group settling in to their new lives within Alexandria and taking on roles within the community. Rick takes exception to a spousal abuser whose actions have been previously tolerated as he’s a highly prized asset being a doctor. Will the new sheriff in town be quite so forgiving? Vol.14 sees Alexandria besieged by a herd of zombies after a group of survivors threaten the peace and the resultant gunfire draws the undead towards the community. Who will survive when the walls come down? ? The differences between the book and TV show were quite jarring for a short while but I soon became accustomed to where I’d got to previously in the series. It’s still an enjoyable time seeing how this group of people continue to exist in a world that doesn’t seem to want them to and it’s also fun to see how the show handles certain situations utilising different people to achieve the same ends. 3½★'s each.

>33 AHS-Wolfy:
The Miéville book is just fantastic! I need a clone so that one of me can read new books and another one of me can reread my favorites. :)

That's so cool that they had banners for each one! That came in very handy for you! Have a great year!

Great category theme!

You started the year with a terrific choice. I really do need to reread The City and the City ... as soon as I get through more of Miéville's other books.

I haven't gotten the Mieville bug, but your review of The City & the City makes me curious. I hadn't realized it was a crossover novel, 2 genres.

>33 AHS-Wolfy: I remember quite a few good reviews of The City & The City from last year, so I guess now it's time to finally put that book on my ever growing BB list.

I do believe you loved The City & The City more than I did Dave. The City & The City was a good read for me but my favorite Mieville continues to be my first Mieville read: Perdido Street Station. ;-)

Great set-up. Great theme and categories. I love Tarantino films. I've been meaning to see The Hateful Eight soon. I hadn't heard that this might be Tarantino's last film.
Hope you have a great reading year.

Love how you've set up your category challenge this year and love Tarantino - I also had not heard that this might be his last directorial effort.

It was also nice to be reminded of Big Trouble in Little China - I liked that one as well.

>35 mamzel:, >36 mathgirl40:, >40 VioletBramble: & >41 LisaMorr: Thank you!

>34 -Eva-:, >36 mathgirl40:, >37 cammykitty: & >38 Chrischi_HH: Thanks, hope you all enjoy it if/when you get around to it.

>39 lkernagh: Perdido is still my favourite of his work too and was also the first of his that I'd read. I still have a couple more to get to from my tbr shelves as well as a couple I haven't picked up yet.

Today is my 10th Thingaversary! I have, as is tradition in these parts treated myself to some new books. They are a mix of series continuations and a few others that I've been meaning to get around to at some point.

Fables Deluxe Book Eleven by Bill Willingham
Johannes Cabal: The Fear Institute by Jonathan L. Howard
Miles, Mystery & Mayhem by Lois McMaster Bujold
Black Powder War by Naomi Novik
The Osiris Ritual by George Mann
Seed to Harvest by Octavia Butler
Grimspace by Ann Aguirre
London Falling by Paul Cornell
The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley
The Element of Fire by Martha Wells
Bloody Jack by L. A. Meyer

Have I done well?

Wow! There are a few of us having Thingaversaries this month! Looks like yours was happy!

Happy Thingaversary, Dave! I'd certainly say you've done well with your book purchases with both Fables and the Vorkosigan Saga included. I have been looking at Grimspace as I really enjoyed Ann Aguirre's Razorland trilogy. There are a few others that are on my wishlist, and I suspect you may eventually add a few more to my list!

>42 AHS-Wolfy: Indeed! Will be interested to hear your thoughts on London Falling.

Happy Thingaversary!

Happy thingaversary!

>42 AHS-Wolfy: You have chosen wisely! I enjoyed Grimspace, absolutely love the Temeraire series, and really need to continue with the Vorkosigan books! Also, I remember reading and really liking a book by Martha Wells sometime in the past...maybe it was The Element of Fire, although I'm not sure. Hope you enjoy it!

Thanks everyone! There's a slight alteration to my order now. Bloody Jack is not currently available from where I ordered it so changed it for The Keeper of Lost Causes instead. Another new series I've been meaning to pick up for a while. Just have to wait for them all to arrive now. The postie is gonna love me!

Happy Thingaversary! Excellent loot! Hope you like the Adler-Olsen-book - it's a great series with very entertaining characters.

Super love for you Thingaversary book haul! I see some favorites, like Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer and Johannes Cabal: The Fear Institute as well as favorite authors like Bill Willingham and Naomi Novik - I seriously need to get back reading the Temaraire series.

Darn on Bloody Jack not being available but the substitution - The Keeper of Lost Causes is a goodie. I know that courtesy of Roberta (luvamystery65). ;-)

Good choices and Happy Thingaversary.

Happy Thingaversary! Looks like you celebrated wisely!

Happy Thingaversary! Mine is next month and I'm compiling a list of books to get now.

>33 AHS-Wolfy: The City & the City has been sitting on the shelf for a while. Might have to get it down, after reading your review.

Happy Thingaversary!

Happy Thingaversary! Nice haul of books for your celebration!

Congratulations on your Thingaversary. Nice choice of books for celebrating! I hope you enjoy Miles, Mystery and Mayhem. Cetaganda is a great example of Bujold's superb world-building, and I found Ethan of Athos a particularly thought-provoking novel.

Walton Goggins - The Killing Lessons by Saul Black*

The book opens with the brutal murder of a widowed mother of two and her son so you know you're not in for an easy time over the next few hundred pages. The 10-year-old daughter does manage to escape and become one of the loose threads that the killers leave behind. Will it be enough to help unravel the case for the lead homicide detective, Valerie Hart, that so far has lasted for three years and encompassed eight victims that they know of. Originally the work of just one man but he seems to have gained an accomplice for the last few murders and neither is shy about leaving their DNA at the scene. Unfortunately this doesn't help the police as neither man has been in the system before. The murders themselves are sadistic and cruel with the women raped and tortured before death and the killers always leaves a seemingly random object secreted inside the victim's body. Hour after hour is spent by the police searching through CCTV footage hoping to catch a break but news arrives that another woman has been abducted and evidence points to the two killers as being responsible. Can Valerie and her team catch a break before the body count rises again?

While the nature of a serial-killer thriller is by necessity vicious and violent it seems the author may have toned it down a little from some of his previous work. That's not to say there are no graphic scenes but it, at least to me, didn't seem gratuitous. You do get some of the usual tropes of the genre included especially with the lead detective. While she may have solved her last case, it took its toll on her. She ruined her chance of true love and has now turned to drink to fill the void. Consumed by this new case, it's the last thing she thinks of before sleep and the first when she wakes. She has no life outside of work. Told in short chapters alternating between the different characters which helps keep the pace of the story high and the tension gripping. There is a real feel of not knowing who will survive come the final turning of the page. 4★'s

*A pseudonym of Glen Duncan

>58 AHS-Wolfy: Just ordered this from my favorite bookshop.

>59 luvamystery65: Hope you enjoy it Roberta.

Demián Bichir - A Matter of Death and Life by Andrey Kurkov

Tolya's life, what there is of it, is falling apart. His wife is in the process of leaving him for another man and he can't even muster enough interest to care. Continuing to exist in a meaningless void feels less of an option the more he thinks on it but taking his own life is also out of the question. Nobody would care if he just vanished from the face of the earth. But what if he got someone else to do it for him? Would people remember him then? Would his death be more interesting than his life has been? So he sets the idea in motion by hiring a contract killer to perform such a task. The date, time and place are all set. The only thing he's forgotten is a way to call it off should he change his mind.

Like other books I've read from the author this is a black comedy and very similar in tone to Death and the Penguin. Loosely asking questions on the meaning of life with a plausible situation taken to the extreme. It's a very short novel and simply told with George Bird once again doing a fine job of the translation. A fun, quick read and I'm still on the lookout for more of this author's works. 3½★'s

good to see that you enjoyed the city & the city his new one comes out quite soon - http://www.amazon.co.uk/This-Census-Taker-China-Mi%C3%A9ville/dp/1509812148/ref=...

>61 psutto:
That's bizarre - it's already out in the US - I got my copy last month. Why would the UK be "behind" on a UK author??
It's not the chunkster I was hoping for, but I'll take it! :)

>62 -Eva-: - no idea! That is odd...

I've pre-ordered it so should get it pretty soon

Ah, The Matter of Death and Life sounds like it should be a Coen brother film. On the WL!

I have heard good things about Death and the Penguin, which I have yet to read. Looks like I should start a new book list with the Penguin book and the Kurkov book at the top. Both books sound like my kind of reads.

Kurt Russell - Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig

Miriam Black is used to death. It's what she sees if she comes into skin-on-skin contact with someone. She's seen so much of it that even violent death has lost the ability to shock. So it must be that the man in her latest vision calling her name as he looks over the shoulder of his killer that has affected her so much. Was it actually Miriam herself he was looking at and why would she be present at such a gruesome death if it was? Usually she only turns up for those that die alone so she can take what she needs to continue her nomadic drink and nicotine filled lifestyle. Miriam has tried to thwart her visions before but somehow fate always manages to get what it wants. Wanting to have nothing to do with the death of Louis the kind and caring truck driver she vows to be nowhere near the scene of the crime when it occurs. Can she get away or will Miriam become victim to fate once again?

This is a dark, gory, foul-mouthed urban fantasy ride that veers towards the horror end of the spectrum. There is a small cast of mostly unlikeable characters (including the protagonist) so if you find this off-putting then this book is probably not for you. Neither if you're a bit squeamish or offended by profanity (there's lots of it - although it does get quite creative at times). Personally I don't mind either as long as they are true to the story or characters involved and here it fits perfectly. The majority of the story is told in present tense with flashback segments of an interview with a magazine reporter used to give insight into Miriam's past and character. It works well and drives the story on relentlessly. This was my first encounter with the author's work but it won't be my last. There's already a couple of sequels to this book with another on the way and I'll definitely be on the lookout for those at the very least. 4★'s

>66 AHS-Wolfy: I read a short story of Miriam Black at the first of the year. She is horrid but in the best way. I really liked her. I look forward to starting this series.

I got my copy of The Killing Lessons! Have it queued up for next month when I will gorge on mysteries.

>67 luvamystery65: Her character works well for me too! She's certainly a compelling one and I look forward to spending more time in her company.

Just hope you continue to enjoy Glen Duncan in his new guise.

I really must get round to reading the other Miriam Black books - your review reminded me of how much I enjoyed the first and I actually have the second on the TBR

Bruce Dren & Jennifer Jason Leigh - Miles, Mystery & Mayhem by Lois McMaster Bujold

This is the third of the omnibus editions for the Vorkosigan series and contains 2 novels (Cetaganda and Ethan of Athos) and a novella (Labyrinth). Although written at different times and not being continuous these three stories all share a common theme of genetics but examined from three very different viewpoints.

Cetaganda: Miles and his cousin Ivan are sent as diplomatic envoys to the state funeral of the Dowager Empress of the Cetagandan empire. The last thing Illyan said to him prior to departure was to stay out of trouble but how can he when trouble actively seeks him out. Set upon on arrival at the transfer station by a mysterious individual whom they manage to fight off, Miles is left in possession of a strange device. To avoid a diplomatic incident and also to be allowed to carry out his own investigation Miles decides not to report the attack and sets off to find out what he can. Was it someone just trying to escape local justice is is their a more sinister motive behind it all? Miles decides to follow the trail wherever it leads even if it takes him to the very heart of Barrayar's natural enemy.

Ethan of Altos No Miles for this one, except in dispatches, as Dr. Ethan Urquhart, department head of a reproduction centre on the all-male planet of Athos is sent on a mission to procure a new batch of cultured tissue from which to continue to maintain their population when the shipment that has just arrived looks to have been deliberately sabotaged. It's a bit of a culture shock with his first time off-planet and even more so when he encounters his first woman in the shape of Elli Quinn, now a commander in the Dendarii Free Mercenaries. Wanting nothing to do with an "evil female", Ethan quickly divest himself of her entanglements but proceeds to get himself kidnapped and tortured. Is it a case of mistaken identity? Or perhaps there was more to the damaged shipment than first apparent. Maybe he'll need Commander Quinn's help after all.

Labyrinth This one has Miles back at the helm of the Dendarii mercenary company and tasked with the covert retrieval of a scientist who wants to escape the clutches of his employers on the salacious hot-spot in the galaxy, Jackson Whole. It should be a quick pick-up and run away as fast as you can type of thing but nothing is ever quite so simple when Miles is involved. The scientist won't leave without some specimen's he's developed and placed within an experimental creature he's developed for safe-keeping. Unfortunately, it's just been sold to one of the ruling baron's who won't want to part with it any time soon.

A trio of exciting adventure stories encompassing a murder-mystery, espionage and heist scenarios while also examining the ethics and morals of genetic manipulation. Questions that are becoming more relevant as the science of today begins its early exploration into this field. Although the stories concentrate more on the action side of events there is enough here to contemplate the "what if's" of the varying situations. The world-building is excellent as we learn of the socio and political structure of Barrayar's dearest enemies and drop in on the hum-drum existence of life on a space station and catch a glimpse of another cess-pit of humanity. There's also a great bunch of character's, Miles obviously chiefly among them, which I'm looking forward to spending more time with in the future. If I had the next volume in the series I'd be tempted to just plough straight on but I'm going to pace myself and just pick one up every so often. Even though the series is a long one I don't want to run out of new ones any time soon. 4★'s

I read Blackbirds a year or so ago. Great review. I'd forgotten the profanity though. What does that say about me? The last book I read was A Hell of a Woman and it was obviously coming up against the censors and using phrases like 'crapping negative' for 'shit no.'

>70 AHS-Wolfy: I'm happy to see you enjoyed this volume. Even though it's not a Miles or Cordelia story, I particularly liked Ethan of Athos for its thought-provoking ideas.

Michael Madsen - Johannes Cabal: The Fear Institute by Jonathan L. Howard

Having bested the devil and put his hand to a spot of detective work, what's next for our snarkiest of anti-heroes? For his third outing Jahannes Cabal is approached to guide an adventurous trio into the Lovecraftian Dreamlands as they attempt to rid the world of irrational fear. A funded expedition to a place thought beyond his reach is too good an opportunity for Cabal to miss so he agrees to the proposal. Three victims to feed whatever nasties lie in wait should at least give him some time to further his discoveries at the very least.

Like the two preceding books in the series, this is very much a stand-alone novel though to best appreciate the character/setting/motivation it should probably be read after the others. Unfortunately, at least for me, it doesn't reach the heights of those and while it's not a bad book it just doesn't quite do it for me. I'm wondering here if the fact I've never previously entered a world inspired by Lovecraft has let me down a little. I've never been a big fan of horror and as this book edges towards that end of the fantasy spectrum I'm sure others would appreciate this outing more than I. Still, it's a decent adventure story and spending time with Herr Cabal is never dull and you can always add new put-downs to your vocabulary. 3½★'s

>73 AHS-Wolfy:
I thought I had read that one, but I guess I hadn't. Too bad it didn't quite work, but, like you say, spending time with Herr Cabal is never dull! :)

>73 AHS-Wolfy: "you can always add new put-downs to your vocabulary" That alone should make it worthwhile!

Great comments on The Fear Institute, Dave! Not one of my favorite Cabal reads but still a interesting world build and I am looking forward to reading The Brothers Cabal.

I liked Fear Institute more than Claire - but she has also not read a lot of Lovecraft whereas I read the collected stories when they were coming out in the early 80's...

I note I gave The brothers cabal 5 stars and seem to remember I enjoyed it more than this one

I may be biased - Jonathan is a local author and we've done a few events with him at the BFL

Thanks all. I'll certainly be continuing with the series at some point. The Brothers Cabal remains firmly on my wishlist.

Walton Goggins - The Last Good Kiss by James Crumley

A famous writer has gone on one of his legendary benders and his ex-wife has hired private detective C.W. Sughrue to locate him and see that he makes it home safe before it turns terminal. The chase was a long one but he finally tracks him down in a ramshackle joint in Sonoma with an alcoholic bulldog for a drinking buddy. The meet-up doesn't exactly go smoothly and the writer ends up in hospital after getting shot in a sensitive place. As he's likely to be spending a few days of recovery in hospital, Sughrue agrees to look for the daughter of the owner of the aforementioned ramshackle joint but advises his new client it's unlikely that he'll find anything. Most missing person cases don't get solved if they're not found in the first year and this one's been gone for 10 already so he's not too hopeful of turning anything up. The writer discharges himself from hospital a few days early and tags along in the investigation.

This is hard-boiled detective fiction at its finest. Starting as a drink fuelled road trip it quickly supplies enough twists to make even the soberest reader dizzy. The characters are wonderfully drawn and the dialogue is as snappy as that proverbial crocodile sandwich. The writer's family dynamic is certainly an interesting one. Within the confines of an albeit large ranch he has his ex-wife living with his mother who are both in agreement that they detest his new wife. It provides a wonderful backdrop to what is essentially a dark and violent tale of love, betrayal and the sleazy underbelly of the American Dream. 4★'s

>78 AHS-Wolfy: I've seen The Last Good Kiss on my recommendations both here on LT and also Amazon. Thanks for the review!

>78 AHS-Wolfy: The Last Good Kiss sounds great!

>79 VictoriaPL: & >80 LisaMorr: I first heard about this book via Ken Bruen's Jack Taylor series in which the protagonist is a regular visitor to a bookshop. That along with a few positive mentions in the Crime, Mystery & Thriller group here on LT meant it got added to my wishlist. Having finally picked it up earlier this year I'm certainly glad I did. Hope you both enjoy it if you get to it yourselves.

Yay! The Last Good Kiss is on my tbr!

Tim Roth - The Tooth Fairy by Graham Joyce

While out playing with his two friends Sam inadvertently loses a tooth. Determining to find out if the tooth fairy really does exist he places it under his pillow before falling asleep and has managed to keep the loss from his parents. Unfortunately for Sam (and the fairy) he awakens to find the tooth fairy skulking about his room and after a brief verbal exchange the fairy takes the tooth and leaves a sixpence in return (this is middle England of the 1960's) and admonishes Sam not to tell anyone of his existence or bad things will happen. What follows is a coming-of-age story with the continual appearance of the mercurial tooth fairy especially at momentous times during Sam's maturing from young boy through adolescence and into young adulthood. A lot of these experiences are not pleasant for anyone involved as the author takes us to the darker edge of what it's like growing up.

I really enjoy Joyce's writing and he's not afraid of making his readers uncomfortable with the situations and thought processes of his characters. He sets the tone perfectly with the fairy tale allusions being firmly grounded in reality. The friendship and travails of the three boys is very well handled and evoked some memories of my own childhood. They go through some tough times but always manage to remain together throughout. I enjoyed the book immensely but not everyone will and I will leave this review with a warning that sexual content and profanity feature heavily in this novel so if that's not for you then you should probably avoid. 4½★'s

>78 AHS-Wolfy: & >83 AHS-Wolfy: Both sound really good Dave.

I have a section in my 75 thread for book bullets I've taken this year. (I'll add it to my new Category thread when I'm ready to make a new one.) I took a BB from you on The Killing Lessons by Saul Black aka Glen Duncan. I tore through it and now one of my best friends is doing the same. You earned a well aimed from me.

I'll take a another BB on The Tooth Fairy also!

I'm sure I've read something from Graham Joyce but for the life of me i can't remember what (even after looking at his author page) the tooth fairy sounds like my cup of tea though - definite book bullet on that one

>83 AHS-Wolfy: Your 4 and a half star rating means that this one definitely gets added to the wishlist!

Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did if/when you get to it.

>84 luvamystery65: I'm so glad you and your friend enjoyed (are enjoying) The Killing Lessons Roberta. I'll be watching for your comments when you get around to posting them.

Kurt Russell - The Naming of the Beasts by Mike Carey

This is the 5th (and currently the latest but hopefully not the last) instalment of the Felix Castor books and follows directly on from the previous book of the series. With the demon Asmodeus out in the world thanks to the Anathemata and in full control of Rafi's body, Fix manages to break his downward spiral from his latest bender in order to attend a crime scene consultation at the request of Gary Coldwood (his friend on the force). He quickly comes to the conclusion that the brutally slain woman is the result of Asmodeus' handiwork and will probably be just the first of many, a point that is hammered home on a chance encounter with said demon. As if these events weren't enough to have to deal with it seems that Juliet (the succubus demon) is having some control issues and her wife, Susan the mild-mannered librarian, is in fear for her life. Realising he's out of his depth Fix must do the unthinkable and choose between the Anathemata or Jenna-Jane Mulbridge for help. Both are willing but who's price will be too high to pay?

I know Mike Carey intends to return to this series at some point but in the meantime this is not a bad place to leave it for a while. There is at least a resolution to one of the main overarching plotlines in the story but there is still more to be told. It's an action packed tale weaving several threads around the main plot with Fix being the central character that drives them all. Most of the regular cast make at least a brief appearance and there's room for interesting developments to come on that score too. While this is a self-contained novel I really wouldn't recommend reading it as a stand-alone book. The characters rely on their back-story quite a bit and you would certainly miss out on that if you were to do so but as the preceding four novels are all very good then starting at the beginning wouldn't be a bad thing especially if you like your urban fantasy books to come with more than a hint of noirish overtones. Here's hoping that we don't have to wait too long for the next book to arrive. 4½★'s

>83 AHS-Wolfy:
I've been meaning to try Graham Joyce for a while now - sounds good!

>88 AHS-Wolfy: - I met Mike a couple of times last year - he has the last novel all planned out but has been working on other stuff first (like his award winning the girl with all the gifts ) I did say that I know a bunch of folk waiting for the last one...

Good review of The Tooth Fairy Dave. I've added it to my wishlist but as it's not available at the local llbrary it might be a while before I get to it. The good news is that there are others by Graham Joyce that I plan to check out first.

Demián Bichir - The Laughing Policeman by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö

The fourth entry into the Swedish police procedural series featuring Martin Beck sees nine people gunned down while riding a double-decker bus. Mass murder is not a common occurrence so this is treated as a high profile case but what makes it even more so to the investigative team is that one of the victims was one of their own homicide detectives. As there were no ongoing investigations for him to be working on, the reason he was on the bus in the first place is not readily apparent. Was he having an illicit affair with the nurse he was found next to? Or was there some ulterior motive for his presence? Martin Beck and his team set about trying to discover the killer’s identity and the motive behind such a vicious crime. Tracking their colleague’s last moments might just help them solve the case.

This is the first entry in the series where the socio-political elements that this series is famous for really come to the fore. It starts out with heavy-handed policing of an anti-Vietnam war demonstration where a letter and sodden placards are no match for tear gas bombs, pistols, truncheons and any other element of their arsenal that the police could use for crowd control. The investigation itself meanders to its conclusion through the slow process of eliminating all leads that provide nothing to further their ongoing attempts to solve the case. Jumping on anything that might present a new avenue of approach the team work diligently though not without the odd moment of fun in their interplay. This far in to the series the characters themselves are becoming more rounded and fleshed out and we get to learn more of what drives them and their strengths and weaknesses and I’m looking forward to seeing them develop further in future instalments. 4★'s

Jennifer Jason Leigh - Black Powder War by Naomi Novik

The Napoleonic Wars with dragons series continues with this third entry and sees the dynamic duo of Temeraire and Laurence leaving China with the rest of the crew when they receive orders to collect three dragon eggs from their Turkish allies. Seemingly a strange request as there would surely be others closer and time is a pressing concern in the matter as at least one of the eggs is near hatching. Having to take the overland route a guide is hired to see them through troublesome region though not without misgivings to his trustworthiness. It also seems that Lien, the dragon left bereft of her captain in the previous book, is travelling in the same direction and may plan to make trouble for them along the way. After various travails they end up being slap bang in the middle of the Prussian campaign. Can Temeraire’s influence turn the tide against the French or will Lien’s interference only hasten the ongoing march of Napoleon’s armies?

This is a decent continuation of the series but it’s not a great one. There is a sense of stop-start that pervades this book which seems a consequence of the events in which the characters find themselves embroiled. The world building continues to be good and there are some interesting additions to the cast that will hopefully continue to be utilised in future novels. There’s a lot of loose ends left at the conclusion to this book and I’m pleased that there is still enough interest for me to be continuing with the series at some point. 3½★'s

>92 AHS-Wolfy: This was my least favorite of the series. I'm looking forward to the finale coming out soon, League of Dragons.

>92 AHS-Wolfy: I really like the socio-political commentary of the Martin Beck series and it does seem to get more prominent as the series continues.

I've never read the Temeraire series, but it has been recommended to me by several people, and after finishing the wonderful Uprooted recently, I'm willing to give it a try.

Bruce Dren & Michael Madsen - Wizard and Glass by Stephen King

The fourth book in the Dark Tower series kicks off immediately after the previous with the travelling party being held at the mercy of Blaine the Mono. A deal is struck that if the ka-tet can find a riddle that Blaine can't answer then safe passage must be provided. However, if by journey's end Blaine has answered all then it will literally be the end of the line for all of them. It would be a short story if they couldn't overcome Blaine (and it certainly isn't that) and so they find themselves in a representation of Topeka, Kansas. Most of the rest of the book is a look back into Roland's past as he realises that he must recount an early adventure that has bearing on their travels. It's a tale of first love, high adventure and derring-do. We are introduced to Roland's childhood friends, Cuthbert and Alain, as they are sent east for their own protection and where Roland will meet Susan Delgado as they become embroiled in the very conflict which their fathers sought to protect them from.

This is quite a long book and actually felt longer than its 840 pages. That's not to say it was bad or a hard read, it wasn't. Just took me a long time to get though it. It's an important story though as it shows how Roland got to be the man he is with the driving passion to seek the dark tower. I really liked the new set of characters too. The three boys heading towards young manhood and their development when events take an unexpected turn towards danger. There's also some great villains in this book as well. From the witch, Rhea, to the hired guns know as the Coffin Hunters. Just when you think it's all over there's one more twist that really sticks the knife in. When Roland's tale is finished will the ka-tet hold together? 4★'s

The Walking Dead, Vol.15 by Robert Kirkman

This volume deals with the aftermath of the breakthrough by a horde of zombies of the walls surrounding Alexandria and their eventual destruction. While the town recovers, Rick decides that Alexandria is still the place to call home and sets about re-fortifying their defences while making plans for the way forward. All the while waiting for Carl to awaken from his coma. Not everyone agrees that Rick being in charge is what Alexandria need though so trouble is never far away. 3★'s

Y: The Last Man, Vol.1 by Brian K. Vaughan

I've also made a start on another series and wanted to pick one that had already completed. Having already sampled Saga and enjoyed it I thought I'd pick this one by the same creator. Yorick Brown along with Ampersand (the helper monkey he was training) are the last remaining males left alive on the planet after a mysterious plague/virus wiped out the rest in one fell swoop. He desperately wants to go find his girlfriend who was on a gap year in Australia when the event happened. Before he can go look for her though he's persuaded to undergo some tests to see if they can find out why he survived when no other males did. It's a fun ride with a wise-cracking hero albeit with a strong sense of moral obligation. Some other fun characters to get to know also but this is very much a set-up book for the series and it's one I'm looking forward to continuing. 3½★'s

>95 AHS-Wolfy: Really enjoyed your review of Wizard and Glass. I made it through The Waste Lands way back when and couldn't wait the six years it took him to get the next book out. I'm planning on starting over and completing the whole series (I'm actually planning to do that with a lot of series that have now completed...I think 2017 may be the year of the series...!).

>95 AHS-Wolfy: For me Y: The Last Man stood out as a series more than any individual volume. Not to say that the volumes were not great, but I think the big picture was incredible. Enjoy!

>95 AHS-Wolfy: & >96 LisaMorr: I also want to delve into the Dark Tower series. Perhaps next year.

>96 LisaMorr: & >97 luvamystery65: It's a huge series but I'm enjoying it so far. Hope you do to when you get to it.

Michael Madsen - The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King

Thought I'd carry on and read more from the Dark Tower series. This entry was actually written after the series conclusion but fits between books 4 & 5 so thought I'd read it now. It doesn't advance the journey at all but does add more background to Roland's character. It's another tale from his past told by Roland to his companions as they wait out a particularly nasty storm.

Roland, accompanied by another young gunslinger in the shape of Jamie DeCurry, has been sent to investigate claims of a skin walker terrorising the town of Debaria and its surrounding area. A skin walker has almost become a creature of myth and legend where a man has the ability to assume animal form and it seems this one can choose any creature it wants. With multiple murders already committed then can the two young gunslingers prevent further atrocities? This tale is split in two and each part bookends the retelling of an old story by Roland to a young survivor from the latest attack to give him courage for an upcoming ordeal.

This was a pretty enjoyable diversion from the ongoing saga and while it doesn't progress the main story it's certainly worth the read. Not only do we get to learn more of Roland as a young man but the story within a story was also quite compelling. Quite good for a cash-in novel. 3½★'s

Your reviews for the books in The Dark Tower series are catching my eye. Still not sure I am up for reading these books as the movie adaptations of Carrie gave me nightmares. I did hear a conversation recently in the local used bookstore about The Dark Tower and that King brings a lot of characters from his other books into the story, so I would probably need to be a King reader to properly appreciate this series.

Happy weekend, Dave!

>99 lkernagh: Lori, The Dark Tower books definitely fit more within the fantasy spectrum than horror. While I can't compare with his other works (I haven't read any and I'm still enjoying these) I don't think there's anything here that you wouldn't find in other books of the genre. It's probable that a reader more familiar with his other work would get more out of them by recognising certain characters but it's not essential in my opinion (so far).

Bruce Dern - Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

Humanity has been spreading out within the solar system with both Mars and the Asteroid Belt having been colonised. The Belters are somewhat resentful that they still have to rely on the Inner Planets for some of their basic needs such as water. The Canterbury is a supply ship hauling glaciers to try and meet this requirement and while on one such supply run receives a distress call and being the only ship in the area has no choice but to divert and provide what aid they can. Executive Officer Jim Holden leads the away mission and becomes a central figure in an escalating conflict when he releases on a galaxy-wide broadcast details of what happens next. Meanwhile on Ceres, port city of the Belt, Detective Miller has been assigned to look for a young girl and return her to her rich parents back on Mars whether she wants to go or not. When tensions within the city start to rise due to the potential upcoming conflict means his case gets put on the back-burner why does he still care so much about the missing girl? When the paths of the righteous Holden and the world-weary Miller cross will even the universe survive their collision?

The story is told by alternating chapters of the two protagonists and with it being an action-oriented book it makes for quite a fast-paced read. It brings the elements of space opera and noirish detective story together and allows each to develop before joining them up and this works quite well for the most part. This is not what I'd call a hard-science book with what technology there is being used to further the plot or action sequences and this also helps keep the pace pushing along. The use of two disparate characters to tell the story also works well and helps build the political landscape and the surroundings in which we find them. The characters themselves may be a little flat but there is enough about them for this not to prove a deal-breaker and is not untypical of the space opera genre that I've read/watched. Speaking of which, I'll definitely be checking out the TV show that's been developed from these books and I'm looking forward to continuing the written form of the series as well. 4★'s

Samuel L. Jackson - Y: The Last Man, Vol.2 by Brian K. Vaughan

I've also been continuing with the graphic novel adventures of Yorick, Agent 355 & Dr. Mann as they begin their trek across country towards the doctor's laboratory trying to stay at least one step ahead of the people that are chasing after. Their journey is interrupted and they find themselves in a small town that is being well run and quite self-sufficient. It soon becomes apparent that the residents are hiding something. What's the big secret and how will it affect our intrepid group when it is finally revealed? Can they all come together when the Amazons, which include Yorick's sister Hero, finally catch up with them? This is a fun series with some interesting characters which I'm looking forward to getting to know more. I'm already part-way through the next volume so there's no doubt that I'll be continuing on with it. 3½★'s

Walton Goggins - The Concrete Blonde by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch is on trial. The wife of a man he shot and killed in the line of duty 4 years ago has brought a civil suit against the LAPD. Although the shoot was deemed good (the man, Norman Church, was reaching for something under a pillow after being told to freeze, Harry was still disciplined for not following procedure by going in alone. The evidence found at the scene certainly implicated the man as being the serial killer, nicknamed the dollmaker, that the police had been after. But just as the trial starts a note, written in the same style as those left for the original victims, has been found pointing to where another body can be located. When the body is dug up all evidence points to another dollmaker victim and initial investigations show the murder being committed 2 years after Church was killed. Do they have a copycat killer on the loose or did Harry shoot the wrong man? What implications will this have on Harry's trial?

This is the third book in the series and using the backdrop of the trial while investigating the new murder allowed the padding out of what is a fairly basic story. It also provided the opportunity for some of Harry's back story and insight into his character to come to light. The new case throws in a few suspects along with a couple of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. The pacing of the story is good and doesn't get bogged down in the courtroom scenes as these segments are kept fairly short and it's not long before we're returned to the investigation which seems to proceed quickly. One thing that did bother me a little about the investigation though was why the composite sketch from the survivor of the dollmaker wasn't used to narrow down the suspect list of the follower. Did Mora, Locke and Bremmer all look the same? That didn't really affect my enjoyment of the story though and overall it ended up being a pretty decent thriller. I will at some point continue with the series. 3½★'s

Samuel L. Jackson - Y: The Last Man, Vol.3 by Brian K. Vaughan

Volume 3 of this graphic novel series contains 2 mini-arcs. The first sees Yorrick, 355 & Dr. Mann get involved with a Russian agent who's been sent to America where a Soyuz capsule returns from the ISS which potentially holds another 2 males along with another female astronaut. Maybe Yorrick will lose that "last man" tag after all? The Israeli soldiers that have been chasing after our group finally manage to catch up with them too. Who'll survive when everything comes to a head? The two-part story that closes the volume introduces a troupe of players who decide to put on a play about the last man on Earth when Ampersand (the Capuchin monkey) arrives in their midst. We also get a glimpse of the next antagonist that will presumably provide trouble for the next adventures of Yorrick et al. Still liking the series enough to want to continue on with it. 3½★'s

A number of people whose opinion I trust have now recommended Corey's series. It is definitely on my list, as I'm quite fond of space opera.

>102 mathgirl40: Although it seems like a chunkster it reads very quickly so doesn't feel as big as it looks. The story is focused around the two protagonists so it's always on point. It will be interesting to see where the authors take the future volumes of the series. James S. A. Corey is a combined pseudonym for Daniel Abraham (who I'd heard good things about) and Ty Franck (who I hadn't - although he's supposedly worked closely with George R. R. Martin in the past).

>100 AHS-Wolfy: - Excellent! That means I can add the Dark Tower series to my future reading list!

>101 AHS-Wolfy: I've read quite a few books in this series, and haven't come across a bad one.

Bruce Dern - Finch by Jeff VanderMeer

John Finch is a detective working in the city of Ambergris for the gray cap overlords. He's just been tasked with a case where two bodies have been found dead in a n apartment. Only one of which is human. The other, a gray cap, consists of only the upper half. Where is the other half? What made such a clean cut and why is there so little blood? The bodies look like they fell from a great height so they must have been placed in the apartment after death. With so few clues at the scene, Finch is commanded by Heretic, his gray cap boss, that he'll have to eat the two memory bulbs from the corpses to see what he can find out. This investigation will put Finch right in the confluence of events with so many parties having an interest in what he discovers. As well as pressure from above to solve the case there's the rebels, led by the mysterious Lady in Blue, as well as two other agents, god knows who they're working for, who aren't averse to using strong-arm tactics to get what they want. All of this is set to an impending backdrop of a gray cap project of building two towers that everyone in Ambergris is speculating on. Can Finch survive them all and get to the bottom of what's going on? Or will he end up just another pawn in the ongoing struggles of Ambergris?

This is a classic noir story but with a fantastical setting. Everybody has a secret and nobody is entirely who they seem to be. Plenty of violence to which Finch is neither immune to giving or taking goes along with the clipped dialogue but it's all used to keep the story flying along. The book is split into seven chapters. Each a day of the week that Finch has been given to solve the case. It's an intense and atmospheric read and the world-building is fantastic building on what has come before. While each book of the Ambergris cycle is a stand alone (and this one is no exception) it really builds up the background if you read the others prior to reading this one and you will have a greater understanding of events if you do. This is the last book, so far, of the series but you're left with the feeling that there are more stories to tell in this amazing world if the author cares to tell them. I, for one, would certainly pick them up if he does. 5★'s

Glad you liked Finch his Twitter feed seems to indicate that he has written a new book which is in the process of being edited which is quite exciting :-)

Tim Roth - The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by Philip K. Dick

Barney Mayerson has just received his draft notice to join the Mars colony. He can probably gt out of it if he wants to but he's not entirely sure that he does. Currently employed as one of the top pre-cognitives for P.P. Layouts, makers of Perky Pat and her accessories which, used in conjunction with the drug Can-D, offers a virtual escape from the humdrum colonial existence. The illegal drug is also manufactured and supplied by P.P. Layouts although if rumours are to be believed it may soon have a competitor and Leo Bulero (P.P.'s boss) isn't too happy at the prospect. Palmer Eldritch has returned after a 10 year absence for a trip to the Proxy system and has brought back a competing product that is supposed to be much better than Can-D. Offering a more full immersion and for longer and without the limits imposed by the supplied layouts. Minutes spent under the influence offers up years of experiencing whatever you want. Immortality and total wish fulfilment could put P.P. Layouts out of business unless Leo finds a way to stop Eldritch by fair means or foul.

As with most of the PKD books I've read so far there are an awful lot of ideas and themes within its 200 page length but it's all put together to form a coherent whole (so far as his books go). The nature of reality, religion and religious experience, drugs, pre-cognitive abilities and genetic engineering are all at least touched upon here. Characters are fairly typical of mid-60's science fiction with women in mostly subservient roles. The ending is not entirely conclusive but fits well with the build up to it. Not one I would recommend to first time readers of this author but if you've tried one or two others prior then you should be fine with this one. 3½★'s

>108 AHS-Wolfy: I have not yet read that PKD. Thanks for the review!

Kurt Russell - The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

Myfanwy Thomas is a high-ranking official in a secret government organisation, called the Checquy Group, that deals with supernatural threats to the British realm. However, when she wakes up soaking wet in a rain sodden London park surrounded by dead bodies she doesn't realise this. Her memory is gone. So it seems like a godsend when she finds a letter purportedly written by herself that explains a little of her current circumstances and advice on what to do next. Myfanwy is also offered a choice by her former self: Live a brand new life as a completely different person in a different part of the world or adopt her old life and try and find out who betrayed her and put her in her current predicament and seek revenge for what they did to her. Two lockboxes are being held for her at a bank and all she has to do is choose which way she wants to proceed with the rest of her life. Myfanwy's resolve for a new life is suddenly revoked when she is attacked in a supposedly secure location of the bank vault and after somehow managing to survive she changes her mind and decides to see what she can accomplish and find out why her life is in such peril.

The idea of using letters from the old self to the new offers up an interesting way of providing infodumps not just for the character but the reader as well. It's also how we get to know the old Myfanwy as well. A shy, quiet person who is very reluctant to exercise her full powers and much to her teacher's disappointment never reached her full potential. Myfanwy 2.0 is not quite so reluctant to explore her gifts and can't wait for any opportunity try them out (a discussion group could use this for a nature vs. nurture debate I'm sure). There’s also a fine bunch of characters that surround Myfanwy and each has a variety of different powers to utilise in their positions within the Checquy. There’s plenty of humour along the way with one particular set piece providing much hilarity (except for the duck). It’s a very good effort for a first novel and I look forward to the next instalment. 4★'s

Demián Bichir Alex by Pierre Lemaitre

Commandant Camille Verhoeven doesn’t do kidnappings on account of what happened to his wife a few years earlier but his boss is insistent and there’s nobody else available to take the case. A young woman has been taken off the street, bundled into a white van by a big lunk of a guy. The only lead they have is a shaky eyewitness report that gives them virtually nothing to go on. Even after a few days when still no one has been reported missing they have next to nothing, not even the name of the victim. The diminutive detective and his team will need all their resourcefulness to dig out the information they need and hope that they’ll find her in time. Meanwhile, Alex (the victim) finds herself naked and locked in a crate suspended off the ground. At the total mercy of her kidnapper she asks him what he wants. “To watch you die” comes the terrifying response.

This is a very good suspenseful thriller with plenty of twists along the way. Verhoeven is an interesting lead character with events in his past shaping him into a formidable detective. His colleagues that make up the rest of the investigative team are also well drawn characters in their own right. The story itself is told in short chapters alternating between Verhoeven and Alex with the tension mounting with each step. It dos get quite brutal at times with both psychological and physical torture on display. This was originally a middle book of a trilogy but was the first to be translated into English (translator Frank Wynne did an excellent job here) and although I do have the original book I decided to go with UK publication order. I don’t feel like I missed anything by doing this as the story stands up well on its own. The only potential problem is that it may have spoiled at least some of the plot of the prequel. I’ll let you know when I get around to it. 4★'s

>110 AHS-Wolfy: The Rook is on my to-read list! Glad to hear you liked it.

The Rook looks like a very promising series. I'm going to look for it at my library.

Took a couple of book bullets for The Rook and Finch - they both sound great.

I also read The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch in June - it was part of a collection of four PKD novellas that I read for the cover art SF/SFF Kit - what drew you to reading it?

>111 rabbitprincess: Hope you enjoy it when you get to it.

>112 mamzel: The second book, Stiletto, has only just come out. From what I've heard it seems to focus on two new characters. I'll definitely be picking it up at some point.

>113 LisaMorr: Not sure how Finch would fare in isolation without having read the previous Ambergris books first. Although it's a stand-alone story there is a character that carries over from the second book and the city itself feels like one too.

I'd recently watched The Man in the High Castle series and thought it was time to return to some PKD writing. I have barely scratched the surface of his works but do have a few waiting on the tbr shelves. Stigmata was just the one that appealed most from those.

>114 AHS-Wolfy: Yes, definitely, I would like to explore the Ambergis series from the beginning!

I have been wondering where to start in Pierre Lemaitre's series and will probably start with Irene since it was the first one written.

>110 AHS-Wolfy: - I've read both Irene and Alex and thought they were both fantastic. My dad loaned me Camille so I need to get to it soon. Just hate to have it come to an end.

Jennifer Jason Leigh - I'm with the Band by Pamela Des Barres

A kiss and tell memoir from the foremost groupie ever to grace the music scene. Miss P. gives an account of her life from her teenage years and on through the sixties and seventies and lets you in on her thoughts via journal entries written at the time as she hangs out with some of the biggest names in rock. Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Gram Parsons, Keith Moon, the list is almost endless though she did turn down a date with Elvis. It's not all about the sex and drugs (though there's a lot of that) as we get to follow Pamela as she grows up right there on the page. From fist love and loss, through the hippie years, her dreams of becoming a star in her own right (forming a girl group under the auspices of Frank Zappa and a fledgling acting career) to finally meeting Mr. Right.

This is an enjoyable, uncomplicated look at the life and times of the real-life person that both Kate Hudson and Goldie Hawn used as major inspiration for their roles in Almost Famous and The Banger Sisters (loved the former but not seen the latter). Told with charm and wit it's no surprise to learn that the narrator went on to become a journalist. Despite the salacious nature of the book there is still an innocence of spirit that manages to shine through. It wasn't written to titillate but provide an insight of her life and the momentous times in which she lived. My copy includes an update to her life seventeen years after the book was written and plenty of pictures to accompany her experiences and has a cover that I probably couldn't take out in polite company. 3½★'s

Bruce Dern - Sleepless by Charlie Huston

None of his LAPD colleagues will partner up with Parker Haas and with the city being in the state it currently finds itself then he can't go out alone. His boss offers him a choice of assignments, admin duty or to go undercover looking for any signs of a black market for the only drug that offers any relief to the disease that's decimated the world. SLP, nicknamed sleepless, renders its victims unable to sleep until after months go by in this state kills them in a painful way. It would've been a boring book if he chose the former so we join up with Park's tale having established his cover as a drug dealer and infiltrating the high-end market where he's most likely to encounter Dreamer, the aforementioned drug. It's highly regulated with very limited supply so the value of any illegal trade would be quite significant. When Park recovers a hard drive from a murder scene of some of his new associates it could contain more information than he'd bargained for. He's also not the only one that wants what's on the drive. Jasper is what's known in the trade as a fixer. He's very good at what he does, otherwise he wouldn't have lived so long. He's been hired by a client he doesn't want to disappoint to retrieve the drive regardless of the cost. Can Park survive the inevitable encounter with Jasper while still looking after his infected wife and possibly infected infant daughter and still manage to do the right thing?

Combining elements of noir and police procedural in a post-apocalyptic setting of near modern day Los Angeles where the rich have retreated to their private residences or gated communities and the poor left to fend for themselves. It's a tautly written, often quite violent, thriller with some wonderful characters that are very well brought to life. The book uses the alternating voices of Park and Jasper as their respective stories begin to entwine until they finally come together using the styles of first and third person to readily distinguish between the two. The world-building is excellent and all too plausible. Touches of humour, mostly of the black variety, and moments of real tenderness provide relief from the rest of the bleakness. I've liked everything I've read from this author so far and this one proves no exception. 4★'s

>119 AHS-Wolfy: I read that a while back and really liked it too. I'll have to try some other books by Huston.

>119 AHS-Wolfy: I read a few of Huston's Joe Pitt novels but lost my appetite for them. Have you read those? If so, how would this compare?

>120 sturlington: I've read all the books that make up his two series so far. The Joe Pitt (5 books) one falls under the urban fantasy banner as the lead character is a vampire (definitely not the sparkly kind though) and the Hank Thompson (3 books) are probably more similar in style to this one. All still have a distinctly noir feel to them even more so than Sleepless. All of these books retain a high level of violence.

>121 VictoriaPL: This book is more character driven than the others I've read. The dialogue is less clipped so that in itself moves it away from the noir end of the spectrum (Huston himself says he doesn't write noir and thinks of them as pulp fiction). While the setting fits the end-of-the-world scenario it's still a detective thriller at heart with the reader never sure how it's all going to turn out in the end.

Sleepless sounds really interesting.

Jennifer Jason Leigh - Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

Sirantha Jax is not technically regarded as a prisoner for the Corporation but might as well be. She's a jumper, able to navigate spaceships through Grimspace to reach their destination. Unfortunately her last mission ended disastrously as the ship she was responsible for crash landed on a planet killing over 80 people, many of whom were high level diplomats on their way to an important conference. Her pilot/lover was also amongst the dead as Jax herself was the only survivor but is unable to recall what exactly happened in the final moments before the crash. Ensconced in a psych ward and forced to endure the events she does remember over and over again through dream therapy, Jax is given an opportunity to escape when a mysterious stranger offers her a route out of her current predicament. Obviously he's going to want something in return but will it be more than Jax can pay? March is his name and he and his crew want to break the monopoly that the Corp has on interstellar travel and Jax is instrumental in that plan.

This is an extremely fast paced story, starting at breakneck speed and only increasing from then on with only a slight pause in the middle of the ride for the reader to catch their breath. The fact that there's no real hard science to get to grips with also makes this a very easy book to read. Character's are fine, starting out a little generic but there is some development as the story progresses. I think the romance develops really quickly but when two people are able to get inside each others heads then that can be readily explained. Despite the frenetic pace of the story the world-building is also quite strong. While there is some obvious info-dumping this is also handled quite well with Sirantha Jax being quite a naive person despite her extensive travels as a jumper but adapts to her new situation. While the ending is a little abrupt it's better than stretching out the story too much just for the sake of it. It's the first in a series and one which I'd happily spend more time with the characters that remain. 3½★'s

>124 AHS-Wolfy: I will have to add this to my wish list. I read her Razorland trilogy and really liked it as well.

>124 AHS-Wolfy: Sounds interesting!

>125 DeltaQueen50: & >126 VictoriaPL: Ann Aguirre, iirc, was one of those that raised their voices against sexism within the SFF community that led to the month long read that the Category Challenge group set up. So I'm glad to have eventually picked up one of her books and that it didn't disappoint.

Demián Bichir - The Fire Engine That Disappeared by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö

The fifth in the Martin Beck series sees the Chief Inspector take much more of a back-seat role as the latest investigation unfolds. Gunvald Larsson decides to check on a surveillance mission he's in charge of and offers temporary relief to the young policeman on watch. So not even supposed to be there, it's just his luck that the house converted into apartments suddenly explodes. Larsson manages to save several people from the property that is readily becoming engulfed in flame but there are three that don't manage to escape the inferno. One of which is the petty criminal that was the object of the surveillance in the first place. Initial investigations suggest a suicide by this very man much to Larsson's consternation who, after a short spell in hospital due to concussion, decides to take matters into his own hands and pursue enquiries on his own.

This instalment focuses more on the team around Martin Beck and offers glimpses into their personal lives and motivations as well as the social commentary of Sweden at the time these books are set (late sixties/early seventies) that this series has become known for. Again it is the painstaking work of the detectives involved that help to progress the investigation, following all of the clues even if they're heading nowhere. There is no quick fix or momentary flashes of brilliance that help solve the case. Instead it's the knocking on doors, finding the right people, asking the right question and sifting through the clues that will get them to the right outcome. If you want your crime fix to be thrill a minute then you should look elsewhere but if you like a well plotted police procedural then you could do a lot worse than picking up this series. 4★'s

>128 AHS-Wolfy: OK that review has convinced me to FINALLY put this one on the on-deck pile!

>128 AHS-Wolfy:
I can't believe I've still only read two of those books. It's not like it's a never-ending series - I should be able to complete.

>128 AHS-Wolfy: - Not that I need another series, but.....

>128 AHS-Wolfy: You remind me to get back to this series. Next up for me would be The Abominable Man. I do enjoy the procedural aspect of this series. The devil really is in the detail when it comes to these cases.

Yup, your review for The Fire Engine that Disappeared is convincing. It sounds like the investigation is carefully depicted and with unusual accuracy. American novels will trash accuracy if it gets in the way of plot. WL

>129 rabbitprincess:, >131 dudes22: & >133 cammykitty: It's a series that supposedly draws a lot of inspiriation from McBain's 87th Precinct books and is also said to be a fore-runner of the current crop of Scandi-crime that is quite popular today. I'm now half-way through the series and still looking forward to the next instalment. Hope you all enjoy it if/when you get around to it.

>130 -Eva-: The problem of existing series is that the lure of the new and shiny is often greater as we know that the existing ones will still be there whenever we want something we know what to expect with.

>132 luvamystery65: I've read two of them so far this year and do have the next couple waiting on the tbr shelves so maybe I'll catch up a little more before the end of the year.

>134 AHS-Wolfy:
Too true! If it weren't for all the shiny, I'd have a relatively sane grip of my Mt TBR. :)

Kurt Russell - The New Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko

The night watch series continues with this latest instalment, the fifth, and sees Anton Gorodetsky established in his role as a Higher Magician of the Light. While seeing off a colleague at the airport, Anton encounters a prophet and manages an intervention to circumvent the young boy's departure on a doomed flight. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean the boy prophet is safe. It appears as though something is hunting him like other prophets throughout time. Could it be a creature of the Twilight itself? Out to stop a new prophet from uttering his main prophecy? The combined might of the Higher Magicians of the Light don't seem to be able to stop it and it only disappears when faced by the heads of both the Night and Day Watches along with assorted Higher Others. Part two sees Anton sent to find out what he can from Erasmus Darwin, the only prophet to escape from the hunter. Encountering an old friend from a previous adventure in the process. Is Alina the witch there to help or hinder his progress?

As with all of the entries in this series the book is split into three parts but each of these stories roll on naturally from the previous. Plenty of recurring characters for Anton to interact with as well as a new antagonist for him to deal with also. It's a quick and easy read (huge credit to the regular translator Andrew Bromfield must go here) though the overall story is not as good as those that have come before (still fairly decent though). There's plenty of pop-culture references (including Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings) mixed in with the action, humour and social commentary. It's still fun to spend time with Anton and the rest (especially his daughter Nadya who's coming along nicely as a character) and I'll be picking up the next one when it eventually appears. 3½★'s

>135 -Eva-: Agreed. The Shiny is my pitfall too!

Who wants to grip Mt TBR! Let it rival Everest, I say!

And that coming from someone who was at a bookstore, happily browsing, until she thought of all the books she already owned and how many years it would take her to read them. Kind of spoiled my appetite, so I am vowing not to think like that again... until I get crushed under a book avalanche.

Glad to hear you are continuing to enjoy the Martin Beck series. I'm a little bit sad that I'm at the end of the series. I expect I'll reread it one day.

Not been around too much over the last few weeks, here's why...

I'm usually a fairly laid back kind of guy but if there was ever a time I'm feeling stressed then I guess it would be now. This month sees momentous changes in my life with both a change of job and also moving house. Neither of which is really by choice.

Ended 17 years of employment with my old firm yesterday and went out with more of a whimper than any great fanfare. A thank you handshake and a good luck in your new job as my boss walked out the door and left with no-one to see me out the door when my last shift ended. Start at my new job on Tuesday not really knowing what to expect or even if I, and a few of my colleagues that are in the same boat, are really even wanted. We're going across as part of a TUPE process as the new company has taken over the main outsourcing contract that the old one had and they get us thrown in with it.

As if that in itself wasn't enough my tenancy agreement for the property I currently reside at is up at the end of the month and although I wouldn't have minded extending for a short while, the landlord wanted to raise the rent too much and wanted a longer term contract. With the current state of the property and my job situation I couldn't accept those terms and the landlord rejected my counter offer. I couldn't go for a longer term as the base for my new job will be moving at some point. Whether I go with it or not remains to be seen. So I also spent yesterday going through my new tenancy application.

Fun times!

Not much reading has been done but I do have one review to get to sometime.

>140 AHS-Wolfy: Ah, Wolfy, I'm so sorry to hear this, I know that is very stressful. I am also facing an upheaval at work, so I can relate. I hope things with the job improve and that you find a new place quickly and without much fuss. Just focus on sorting everything out and we will be here when you are able to poke your head back in. And don't forget to carve out a little time for yourself to chill, taking care of yourself in very stressful times is so important.

So sorry to hear about all these changes Dave. I hope in the end they work out to your satisfaction. Crossing my fingers and sending positive thoughts that you settle in nicely at the new job and that you get your living situation squared away to your liking. Take care.

I also hope that everything works out smoothly for you, Dave.

Sorry to hear about the changes in your life causing so much stress. I hope things improve soon. Thankfully I am now retired, but your post reminded me of what it was like to be in the workforce (I went through a similar double-hit). Take care of yourself.

>140 AHS-Wolfy:
Oh, wow. Hard enough to deal with one of those changes, but both at the same time? Yikes. Hope it works out well in the end!

Oh no, how awful to have to deal with both those situations at once. And especially the way your departure from work was treated :( I hope things get better soon and that reading is possible again, both time-wise and mentally. It's so frustrating to be stressed out and not even be able to focus on the page.

>140 AHS-Wolfy: Sorry to hear this. I hope that both the new job and new home are big improvements on what went before, even if it doesn't feel like it now.

Thank you all. Kind words and wishes are a comforting thing. It's not just that these two events are happening simultaneously but then there's the actual packing and moving to take care of and the fact that in a few months time it might happen all over again. Time that I should get that review done.

Michael Madsen - From Aberystwyth with Love by Malcolm Pryce

This 5th instalment of the noir pastiche series has private detective Louie Knight and his partner Calamity employed by Uncle Vanya to find out what happened to a girl that went missing 30 years ago from the neighbouring town of Abercuawg, now submerged by the lake formed after they built a dam. It seems as though the spirit of the missing girl inhabited Uncle Vanya's daughter over in Hughesovska (a replica town of Aberystwyth built in the Ukraine) so he's trying to understand what happened so he can come to terms with the events that followed. It might mean a trip to Hughesovska for Louie and Calamity so they enlist the services of Mooncalf & Sons for their travel arrangements and also to fence the sock they got from Uncle Vanya as payment for taking the case. Mooncalf can do them a good deal on the trip if they agree to make a delivery for him to a friendly count in Transylvania. He can even help with disguises. They'll travel as spinning wheel salesmen via the Orient Express but will have to watch out for honey trappers. As the investigation continues it may or may not involve trolls, bearded ladies, snuff philatelists and fish milt flavoured ice-cream.

This was another quite dark entry into the series but still contains enough humour to raise a smile every now and then. There's also a certain amount of emotional weight within these pages as Louie contemplates his relationship with Calamity and his own father. It's also been my least favourite of the 5 books I've read so far. I hope that the series isn't running out of steam as there is still one that I haven't gotten to as yet. It's not a bad book and is quite readable, it's just not quite on a par with the others as far as I'm concerned. A shame as I enjoyed the last one quite a lot. 3★'s

I took a book bullet about these books years ago from you, and I am embarrassed at how long I have had the first two books of the Aberystwyth series on my shelf! Now that I have completed my 2016 Challenge, I need to make a point of pulling down some long owned books and getting them read!

I took an Aberystwyth-bullet from you ages ago as well, but I just recently got a copy of the first book, so I hope to get started soon!

That really sucks to have so much change all at once - definitely not fair. Good luck with the packing and other transitions.

I'm sorry to hear about all the stresses in your life right now. I hope things get better soon.

>149 DeltaQueen50: &>150 -Eva-: Hope you enjoy it when you get around to it.

>151 LittleTaiko: & >152 mathgirl40: Thank you's

Here's an update on how things have gone since my last one. New job is boring. Not much to do as we're now only looking after only half the workload that we were at the old company and that wasn't exactly strenuous even then. We're training up some new guys that will be taking the positions when it moves into the regular workplace. (couldn't just move us straight there as we had a work within 30 miles of a specified location). I still haven't decided whether I'll go with it when it does move over. Will need to go and take a look at the setup and also have a look at other employment options first just to see if anything appeals.

So far as the change of abode this is pretty much completed. Moved everything into the new place and handed back the keys to the previous one yesterday. Moving was one heck of a pain. So much stuff accumulated over the years and took a long time to get everything across to the new place. Almost made me wish I didn't own so many books. Almost! Just have to get everything set up how I want it now and all is done.

Happy you are resettled. Hope your new job becomes more challenging (but not too) soon!

Walton Goggins - Irène by Pierre Lemaitre

Camille Verhoeven is the small of stature Commandant from the Paris Police Nationale. The latest case that he's been assigned to is a particularly savage and brutal killing of two young women. Despite the proliferation of blood and body parts the only real clue is a fingerprint used by the killer as a signature for his work. It links the deaths to a previous case which also remains unsolved. It also comes to light that both crimes are recreations of scenes from famous detective novels. Are there any more killings that fit this pattern and more importantly can Camille and his team prevent any more?

While this is the second book translated to English from the French series it should really be read prior to the first, Alex. There will be major spoilers for this book if you read them the other way around. This is probably the goriest police procedural that I've read with the results of the killer's handiwork vividly described and it's certainly not for the squeamish. An excellent translation from Frank Wynne makes this a very easy read and the very short chapter breaks only increase the tension as the investigation is seemingly heading nowhere. I'll certainly be continuing with this series. 4★'s

It's getting close to my annual trip to Leeds for the Anime Day part of their film festival. Slight change this year though as they've decided to call it Animation Day so that they can pad out the selection with a couple of entries not strictly counted as anime. Here's this year's line-up:

Sunday 6th November
11:00 Kizumonogatari – Part 1: Tekketsu & Part 2: Nekketsu
13:45 Belladonna of Sadness
15:45 The Red Turtle + Father and Daughter
18:00 Psychonauts
20:00 A Silent Voice

So starting off with a double bill with the first 2 parts of a youth horror trilogy before moving on to the 1973 adaptation of French historian Jules Michelet’s novel La Sorcière. Next up is the first non-Japanese film co-produced by the renowned Studio Ghibli. It's totally dialogue free so could be interesting. Psychonauts is a Basque animation based on the cult graphic novel by Alberto Vazquez. The day ends with a film examining the consequences of school bullying for the victim and the perpetrator. The links embedded in the titles above will provide more information and trailers for anything you might find of interest.

What a great day you have planned in Leeds. The Red Turtle + Father and Daughter and Psychonauts look tempting. Enjoy! I'll look forward to hearing your opinions in November.

Samuel L. Jackson - Fables: The Deluxe Edition Book Ten by Bill Willingham

This volume contains two long story arcs with The Great Fables Crossover and Werewolves of the Heartland being included in their entirety of 9 episodes each. The first of these deals with the continuation of the stories featured in Fables and Jack of Fables as well as adding in The Literals. Snow & Bigby are sent to investigate the veracity of Jack's claim of a threat to all of the Fables everywhere with Kevin Thorn about to write them out of their very existence. Gary and Revise tag along to add their assistance and they all meet up with the Page sisters who are also on Kevin's trail but have become bogged down in a fire-fight with the Genre's. Can they get through and reach Kevin in time before he sets pen to paper? Jack meanwhile has managed to insinuate himself not only into Rose Red's bed but also the position of De-facto leader at the Farm. That's not going to end well is it?

Werewolves is a side-story focusing on, as you might imagine, Bigby Wolf. He has been tasked at scouting new locations to replace the newly destroyed Fabletown and also to investigate a place called Story Town. Bluebeard was funding some kind of operation there and King Cole wants to know what it was. Bigby is surprised to find an old war buddy running the town and even more so when he meets his wife. When last he's seen them they were fighting on opposite sides and Bigby had left them both for dead when a castle had fallen down on them all.

It seems that this series doesn't do endings very well. After all the build up in actually getting to the closure of a major story arc I keep finding myself asking the question "Is that it?". It was still a decent volume in the series and the diversion of the second story was also well delivered but I can't help feeling a little let down when all is said and done. 3½★'s

>155 AHS-Wolfy: - Love this series. Your post reminded me that my dad has loaned me Camille which I need to read to finish off the series.

>159 LittleTaiko: I'll definitely be looking to pick up Camille soon. A 4th book in the series has been released but no English translation as yet.

Demián Bichir & Michael Madsen - Mardock Scramble by Tow Ubukata

This is a collection of one future world story that was originally published in three parts. It tells the tale of Rune-Balot, a fifteen-year-old girl with more than a troubled past. Sexually abused by her father before being taken into care where she is forced into prostitution. Escaping from this she finds herself taken in by a more established brothel where she catches the eye of Shell Septinos who then becomes her patron. Unfortunately for Balot this is not a good thing. Shell collects young girls but only when he kills them and turns them into blue diamonds before wiping his memories and Balot is next in line to add to his collection. If not through the intercession of two PI's, one of whom just happens to be a talking mouse, then she would be well on her way to becoming the newest ring on Shell's finger. As it is, her injuries are so extensive that she will need her body to be remade using the latest technology which gives her some extraordinary powers. Balot could then be used in the case that the PI's are building against not just Shell but also the company that he works for.

When I started this story my intention was to just read book 1 but had to continue because of where the split occurs. It's at the culmination of a large battle with the outcome hanging in the balance so I was glad I didn't have to wait to pick up the next one. Part 1 deals with setting up the characters and situation and builds an interesting world for the setting. There's quite a lot of action here too. Part 2 concludes the battle (if not the war) but then slows down quite a lot when the action moves to a casino. There's a lot of play-by-play description of poker, roulette and blackjack and although this sounds boring it was interjected with Balot's feelings and flexing her extraordinary abilities and so wasn't quite as bad as it sounds. Part 3 is the end-game as Balot and her companions try to get what they need in order to win their case and then deals with the aftermath of a very quick trial. There are a couple of very disturbing topics that form the basis of many of the characters within this book but I never felt that they were gratuitous or glamorized in any way. It gets quite philosophical at times as the motivations of the various characters are dissected. This is definitely not a book for everyone but anyone who's seen the movies but wants more depth will certainly find that here. Overall I quite enjoyed it. 4★'s

Hope the new job/house thing is all good?

Getting settled in the new place, or still can't find where you put everything? :) Fingers Xed the job-part resolves in a satisfactory way!

>162 psutto: & >163 -Eva-: Not too much to update since my last one. So far as the job goes had my 1-2-1 with new manager who laid out the options going forward. These consist of an (unofficial) package as redundancy, move with the client workload to Warwick and get involved with other workloads, join new client take-on team and then move to Warwick or look for alternate role in the company. Of these I think my preferred options would be the middle ones but still haven't arranged a visit to get a feel for how things are there before I commit. If I was to join the new team then that would automatically rule out the first option as the package would be (at least) part-funded by the client but as I'm not really looking to move away from the type of work my job entails then that's not a problem for me. Would be a bit of a wrench to move away from Manchester but not really got too many ties here so I think I'd be okay with it. Even if their reputation has dropped in recent years the new company I'm now working for remains a top name in IT related work and won't do my CV any harm.

So far as new home goes all is well. It's (quite literally) a bit of a come down in the world (dropped 20 floors from 22nd to 2nd) and is a bit smaller than previous flat. I think I've got everything where I want it now though so all is good. May need a bit of a clearout of a few things in the long run (CD's I don't listen to, DVD's I won't watch again and old clothes) but that will aid in my next move if/when that occurs. Just waiting on my new broadband connection (due Friday) and I'm all set.

>160 AHS-Wolfy: - A 4th installment? That's exciting news. Hope they translate it into English soon.

>164 AHS-Wolfy:
Warwick is nice, yeah? Might be interesting to try a whole new place, not just a new flat? Still keeping the fingers Xed it works out well!

>164 AHS-Wolfy: Think twice about getting rid of those CDs. You never know when you might want to listen again. I have recently found myself buying music that I discarded years ago.

Hope the move and all it entails works out well for you.

>165 LittleTaiko: Me too! Though I still have to pick up Camille as yet.

>166 -Eva-: Was voted in top ten places to live in the UK in a Telegraph article last year so sounds promising. It also has a castle!

>167 VivienneR: When I bought my DAP last year, I went through my collection to see what I wanted to put on there and it was an embarrassingly small proportion. I think I'll be quite safe if a few disappear. Thanks for the well wishes.

Tim Roth - Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman

A bunch of short stories and poems which concludes with a novella. I don't tend to read a lot of short fiction but have been picking at this one for quite a while. For me it was quite a mixed bag so far as quality goes but you can't argue with the quantity as there are nearly 30 entries included in this collection.. There are also introductions to each piece located in a separate section at the beginning of the book. My favourites were Monarch of the Glen (the novella which features Shadow from American Gods), Sunbird (a club set on sampling all the world's gastronomic delights), Bitter Grounds (Ghost story with voodoo element), Keepsakes and Treasures (Introduces a couple of villains who also appear in the novella) and The Hidden Chamber (possibly the creepiest poem I've ever read). Most of the rest were at least enjoyable to a certain extent even if some were instantly forgettable. 3½★'s

I'm glad you're getting settled in your new home and that there are some options for work. I hope you soon figure out which way to go. I've never been to Warwick, but imagine it as nice place to live. Ok, Manchester must be a nice place to live as well...

Enjoy your trip to Leeds! :)

>169 AHS-Wolfy: Fragile Things was a mixed bag for me as well. I did love Monarch of the Glen, but American Gods is my favorite Neil Gaiman so no surprise there.

I just saw that Saul Black's (Glen Duncan) new Valerie Hart book, Love Murder is out soon. Well, it's out in the US next July, but Book Depository will have it available next week. Think I'm going to wait? NO!

Good luck in figuring out the next steps for your future.

>168 AHS-Wolfy:
Well, that sounds very promising! Gotta have a castle - everyone has one these days. :)

Catching up with threads...I was glad to see your positive review of Leviathan Wakes. I've been meaning to start the series, as I really enjoyed the first season of the TV show, "The Expanse." You also reminded me that I have The Rook on my TBR list -- good to know you liked it!

Hope everything works out with your new job and new locale!

For anyone waiting on an update from my film festival visit then I'm sorry but you're going to have to wait a while (around a year) as I didn't end up going this time around. I guess I just didn't feel the love for this year's selection.

Kurt Russell - London Falling by Paul Cornell

The police have managed to infiltrate the biggest gang in London but are not getting the results they need to crack the case and time is running out for their operation. Rob Toshack has managed to bring a lot of the other gangs under his control and no-one seems to be aware how he accomplishes this as he seemingly uses outside enforcers and nobody has ever seen them. When the police finally raid Toshack's place and take him into custody all they find are his regular cohorts. Something happens during his interrogation that will change the game for everyone especially four of the investigation team. These four become invested (or should that be infected) with the Sight. This allows them to see things that are generally thought of as going bump in the night. The witch Mora Losley is one such creature and it's our intrepid team's responsibility to bring her down. Can they learn enough about their new abilities in time?

This is a police procedural set very much in an urban fantasy frame although the start of the story is very much all the former before transitioning into the latter. It's a lot darker in tone than Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London books and doesn't shy away from the unpleasantness or gory details. It's very well written and the real elements of the tale feel very authentic. The reader also gets to experience a sense of discovery that's not often included in this type of novel and it will be interesting to see how sequels handle things after this initial element has played out. I'm looking forward to finding out though. 4★'s

>174 AHS-Wolfy: This has been on my to-read list forever! I will request it from the library today. Went to request it now and the catalogue is being squirrelly :-/

Also, I can't wait for the next Rivers of London! Very exciting!

Sorry to hear you didn't get out to the film festival, but if it wasn't a very exciting lineup then it's probably just as well. Hope you found something else fun to do instead!

>174 AHS-Wolfy: A police procedural in an urban fantasy setting is the sort of thing I'd enjoy very much. I'll have to look for this series.

>174 AHS-Wolfy:
That's a shame you didn't get to go this year, or, rather, that the movies on offer weren't enticing enough!

Wanted to hand over a belated THANK YOU for (a long time ago) handing over a bookbullet for Rivers of London; I have finally gotten around to reading it and is fantabulous!

>175 rabbitprincess: & >176 mathgirl40: Hope you both enjoy it when/if you get to it. It's one of the few UF's where the police actually feel like real coppers.

>177 -Eva-: You're welcome. Glad you enjoyed it. The sixth book in this series has just been released (I'm waiting for the paperback release) and there's not been a drop in the quality level so far.

Taking the morning to play catch-up on all the threads in the group. Sorry to learn about the double dose of life changes you went through this fall. Each would be highly stressful on their own. Glad to see the move was more or less uneventful, but sorry to read the new job is boring. That is not good.

Hoping all is well with you.

Happy holidays, Dave!

Well I knew I this would be a struggl for me to complete my challenge this time around but what happened from September onwards made it an impossibility. So I guess it's past time to get this wrapped up.

Year end stats and summary:

Total books read: 41 (three of these counted in double categories as per my original mission statement and that's why my ticker is at 44 (or should be))

Primary Tag:
Urban Fantasy 6
Crime/Mystery/Thriller 8
General/Contemporary Fiction 1
Science Fiction 6
Fantasy 7
Non-Fiction 1
Graphic Novels 12

Original Language:
Emglish 34
French 2
Russian 2
Swedish 2
Japanese 1

Author:
Male 35
Female 4
Both 2

Ratings:
3★'s: 2
3½★'s: 21
4★'s: 14
4½★'s: 3
5★'s: 1

Least favourite books read for the challenge
From Aberystwyth with Love by Malcolm Pryce
The Walking Dead Vol.15 by Robert Kirkman
Fables: The Deluxe Edition Book Ten by Bill Willingham

Overall favourites
Finch by Jeff VanderMeer
The City & The City by China Miéville
The Tooth Fairy by Graham Joyce

Unfortunately my reading time has dropped to almost nil. I used to get the biggest part done while in work nut those circumstances have now changed. Sat monitoring a static workload that didn’t change too much gave me plenty of time but now that I’ve become involved in a new client take-on that’s all gone out the window. This coupled with a change to my shift pattern has thrown me all out of whack. That being said, I’ve decided to forego setting up a challenge for 2017. I will, of course, still try and follow the group to see how you’re all getting along and pop up with sporadic comments every now and then as per usual.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the challenge. You make the group what it is and that’s one of the best places around.

I'm sorry to hear that you don't have as much time for reading these days. I do look forward to having you drop into the 2017 group, as your contributions to discussions are always appreciated!

Yes, please do drop by and let us know how you're doing! I hope your schedule gets itself sorted out so that you have more time for reading.

Good to hear from you Dave. Happy New Year. Sorry to hear that your reading time has dropped to almost nothing.

We'll miss you, Dave, but happy to hear that you will stay in touch.

Hope you'll still drop by on the 2017 group to say hi - having less time to read sucks!

Looking forward to seeing you around from time to time and hoping you get more time to read soon! I've gotten quite a few book bullets from you and look forward to getting more in the future.

We'll miss you but we're happy to know that you'll keep in touch.

Sorry to hear you won't be threading on your own, but great to see you over in the 2017 - thanks for hanging around!