Jules Jones's Blog, page 71
September 4, 2011
Folio 50
For the Folio Society lovers who don't already have a copy of Folio 50, there are currently 3 on eBay UK under twenty quid.
There are other Folio Society books on eBay I am tempted by, but as I am currently entering the latest batch of the TBR mountain and know how many months high that mountain is, I am resisting.
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There are other Folio Society books on eBay I am tempted by, but as I am currently entering the latest batch of the TBR mountain and know how many months high that mountain is, I am resisting.
Mirror of http://julesjones.dreamwidth.org/148477.html, where it has received
comments.
September 3, 2011
book log: 77) Bernard Knight -- the Witch Hunter
77) Bernard Knight -- the Witch Hunter
The eighth in a crime fiction series set in the twelfth century, following the cases of Crowner John, a knight who has been appointed as the first coroner of Devon by Richard the Lionheart. This was the first I'd read, and will be the last even though I have another in the TBR pile, because it was a Did Not Finish for me.
Even though the elements of the story should have been a draw for me, I found it hard to get into, and the lead character hard to like. Things came to a head for me with the scene where it becomes clear that Sir John ignores his wife in favour of not one but multiple mistresses. It may be historically accurate, and the author was at pains to then tell us that John's marriage was a failure but that neither party was at fault, it having been a political marriage that both were forced into by their families -- but that's the problem for me. Having shown us a miserable marriage where John's wife seems to be an unreasonable shrew, Knight then tells us rather than shows us what the problem in the marriage is. I don't find infidelity an appealing characteristic in a lead character unless it's carefully grounded, and while this may have been partly to do with my coming in several books in, it focused my attention on the real problem I had with the book -- too much telling and not enough showing for my tastes, and both in the wrong places. After three chapters, I wanted to know the end of the story, but not enough to read the chapters in between. So not a complete failure, but not a series to add to my reading list.
LibraryThing entry
Mirror of http://julesjones.dreamwidth.org/148042.html, where it has received
comments.
The eighth in a crime fiction series set in the twelfth century, following the cases of Crowner John, a knight who has been appointed as the first coroner of Devon by Richard the Lionheart. This was the first I'd read, and will be the last even though I have another in the TBR pile, because it was a Did Not Finish for me.
Even though the elements of the story should have been a draw for me, I found it hard to get into, and the lead character hard to like. Things came to a head for me with the scene where it becomes clear that Sir John ignores his wife in favour of not one but multiple mistresses. It may be historically accurate, and the author was at pains to then tell us that John's marriage was a failure but that neither party was at fault, it having been a political marriage that both were forced into by their families -- but that's the problem for me. Having shown us a miserable marriage where John's wife seems to be an unreasonable shrew, Knight then tells us rather than shows us what the problem in the marriage is. I don't find infidelity an appealing characteristic in a lead character unless it's carefully grounded, and while this may have been partly to do with my coming in several books in, it focused my attention on the real problem I had with the book -- too much telling and not enough showing for my tastes, and both in the wrong places. After three chapters, I wanted to know the end of the story, but not enough to read the chapters in between. So not a complete failure, but not a series to add to my reading list.
LibraryThing entry
Mirror of http://julesjones.dreamwidth.org/148042.html, where it has received
comments.
book log: 76) Colin Kapp -- Patterns of Chaos
76) Colin Kapp -- Patterns of Chaos
Another of the books that I greatly enjoyed as a teenager but haven't read for some years. Fortunately it turns out that this is one I still enjoy. A man wakes in the middle of a vicious attack upon a city by a starship, dragged from unconsciousness by a voice inside his head. He has no memory of who he is and what he's doing there, but the voice in his head is no hallucination. The first priority is to get him up and moving to where he's supposed to be -- because Bron is a deepcover agent with a telepathic link back to his base, and being amnesiac doesn't excuse him from the job he was sent to do. Within a few hours, the planet he's on will be destroyed by hellburners, deadly missiles that can tear a planet apart. And in those hours, the Destroyer fleet will raid, taking slaves and goods, and most particularly anyone with expertise in chaos theory -- the concept that the patterns of chaos can be read to predict the future. One of the first things Bron learns about himself is that he has a synthetic personality embedded to allow him to pass as one of those experts, making him a target for the raiders - and a Trojan horse.
Which would be an interesting story in its own right, and the initial phase of the book is a very good story of a deepcover agent rediscovering who he is a bit at a time, while in the middle of the most dangerous job he's ever done. But Kapp takes it to a new level, as Bron comes to understand that the hellburner was aimed at him. Specifically him, personally. And that it's been on its way for 700 million years...
This is a solid piece of 1970s space opera, with a plot on the grand scale combined with some fascinating details to flesh out the universe, and some well-realised characters. It's short by modern standards, but that's all to the good, as it's a tightly written story. An entertaining way to pass a few hours.
LibraryThing entry
Mirror of http://julesjones.dreamwidth.org/147873.html, where it has received
comments.
Another of the books that I greatly enjoyed as a teenager but haven't read for some years. Fortunately it turns out that this is one I still enjoy. A man wakes in the middle of a vicious attack upon a city by a starship, dragged from unconsciousness by a voice inside his head. He has no memory of who he is and what he's doing there, but the voice in his head is no hallucination. The first priority is to get him up and moving to where he's supposed to be -- because Bron is a deepcover agent with a telepathic link back to his base, and being amnesiac doesn't excuse him from the job he was sent to do. Within a few hours, the planet he's on will be destroyed by hellburners, deadly missiles that can tear a planet apart. And in those hours, the Destroyer fleet will raid, taking slaves and goods, and most particularly anyone with expertise in chaos theory -- the concept that the patterns of chaos can be read to predict the future. One of the first things Bron learns about himself is that he has a synthetic personality embedded to allow him to pass as one of those experts, making him a target for the raiders - and a Trojan horse.
Which would be an interesting story in its own right, and the initial phase of the book is a very good story of a deepcover agent rediscovering who he is a bit at a time, while in the middle of the most dangerous job he's ever done. But Kapp takes it to a new level, as Bron comes to understand that the hellburner was aimed at him. Specifically him, personally. And that it's been on its way for 700 million years...
This is a solid piece of 1970s space opera, with a plot on the grand scale combined with some fascinating details to flesh out the universe, and some well-realised characters. It's short by modern standards, but that's all to the good, as it's a tightly written story. An entertaining way to pass a few hours.
LibraryThing entry
Mirror of http://julesjones.dreamwidth.org/147873.html, where it has received
comments.
Return of the RSI
I hope it's just RSI, and not vitamin D deficiency or med side-effects again. But I started Thursday with a faint twinge in my bad shoulder, and ended the workday by getting out the hot water bottle I keep in my desk. Friday I woke up still very sore in the shoulder, and mild twinges right through the arm and hand. The 400 mg of ibuprofen in the morning did nothing for it, although the aspirin/codeine I took in the afternoon when the twinges spread to the other hand was a lot more effective. Woke up this morning with a shoulder that was so sore I seriously considered getting out of bed immediately simply because it might hurt less standing up. Which given that it was Saturday and I wanted a lie-in...
It's a lot less painful after a walk to the village this morning to do some shopping and loosen up, but I definitely need to take aspirin/codeine before going to bed this evening, to discourage it seizing up overnight. And ration my time on the computer.
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It's a lot less painful after a walk to the village this morning to do some shopping and loosen up, but I definitely need to take aspirin/codeine before going to bed this evening, to discourage it seizing up overnight. And ration my time on the computer.
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August 31, 2011
The turning of the seasons
It's still officially summer tonight, but the first signs of autumn have come to the village. I noticed last week that one of the trees in the park was starting to show the first signs of gold in the leaves, though I wasn't quite sure. Yesterday there was absolutely no doubt. A cold and wet bank holiday weekend has brought on the colour, and that tree was streaked with red and gold amongst the green. Tonight it was a blaze of autumn colour mixed in with the green, and other trees are starting to turn. It's not that cold, not yet, but I was still glad to find the central heating on when I arrived home.
The forecast for tomorrow is warm again, but the nights are drawing in...
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The forecast for tomorrow is warm again, but the nights are drawing in...
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August 29, 2011
Finally listened to the first two Torchwood: Lost Files
And I have to say that I prefer the Radio 4 version to the Starz version, and not just because it includes Ianto. Of course, it helps that Barrowman has learnt how to act for radio since the previous Radio 4 outing. :^)
Still have the third one to listen to, but that will have to wait for tomorrow.
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Still have the third one to listen to, but that will have to wait for tomorrow.
Mirror of http://julesjones.dreamwidth.org/146957.html, where it has received
comments.
I really need to round up permissions for Tales 1 & 2...
... because the online world should not be deprived of gems like "MSWank" and "Phoning Roosters".
However, I am not sure what the AO3 cabal will make of some of the list wibble that made its way into Tales, such as "Kippurs" and "Eye Colour Genetics". :-)
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However, I am not sure what the AO3 cabal will make of some of the list wibble that made its way into Tales, such as "Kippurs" and "Eye Colour Genetics". :-)
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trawling the archives
Well, that's a top collection for Tales set up at AO3, and sub-collections for "Dead Boyfriend of the Week" and Tales 1. Dead Boyfriend is populated with the cover art by Spacefall, a contents list, and links to all the contents, plus I've added my own story to AO3 and put it into the collection. I'm stopping there for the moment, but will put up sub-collections for the other zines at some point. Next experiment is to upload the entire zine of Dead Boyfriend as a single "story" so that anyone who wants to can dump the entire thing onto an ebook reader. However, that can wait -- I've done enough zine stuff for one weekend, and it's time to work on the writing that I get paid for.
Setting up the collection for Tales 1 necessitated trawling my hard drive looking for the editorial and contents list, which took longer than it might, mostly because that was 13 years ago. Urk. I also found the permissions list for Tales 1, which was a serious blast from the past. I've lost contact with a lot of those folk, and not just because I've gafiated from the fandom -- some of them gafiated before I did, and a lot more thoroughly. At least I still go to Redemption.
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Setting up the collection for Tales 1 necessitated trawling my hard drive looking for the editorial and contents list, which took longer than it might, mostly because that was 13 years ago. Urk. I also found the permissions list for Tales 1, which was a serious blast from the past. I've lost contact with a lot of those folk, and not just because I've gafiated from the fandom -- some of them gafiated before I did, and a lot more thoroughly. At least I still go to Redemption.
Mirror of http://julesjones.dreamwidth.org/146651.html, where it has received
comments.
book log: 75) Reginald Hill -- A Pinch of Snuff
75) Reginald Hill -- A Pinch of Snuff
Previously reviewed when I read it in 2006, at LiveJournal and at LibraryThing
LibraryThing entry
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Previously reviewed when I read it in 2006, at LiveJournal and at LibraryThing
LibraryThing entry
Mirror of http://julesjones.dreamwidth.org/146383.html, where it has received
comments.
August 28, 2011
book log: 74) Alexander McCall Smith -- Corduroy Mansions
Onward to August's books -- though starting with one I began in July.
74) Alexander McCall Smith -- Corduroy Mansions
Gently funny episodic novel about the inhabitants of Cordury Mansions, a Pimlico apartment block built in the early twentieth century and currently providing a comfortable home to a variety of tenants. It's good-natured and enjoyable, but about two-thirds of the way through I found that it simply wasn't holding my interest any longer, in part because it didn't feel as if there would be any resolution to any of the storylines. I put it down for a while, and find myself disinclined to pick it up and finish it. At this point I'm declaring it a DNF. I think I would probably enjoy this as an audiobook better than I would as a print book.
LibraryThing entry
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74) Alexander McCall Smith -- Corduroy Mansions
Gently funny episodic novel about the inhabitants of Cordury Mansions, a Pimlico apartment block built in the early twentieth century and currently providing a comfortable home to a variety of tenants. It's good-natured and enjoyable, but about two-thirds of the way through I found that it simply wasn't holding my interest any longer, in part because it didn't feel as if there would be any resolution to any of the storylines. I put it down for a while, and find myself disinclined to pick it up and finish it. At this point I'm declaring it a DNF. I think I would probably enjoy this as an audiobook better than I would as a print book.
LibraryThing entry
Mirror of http://julesjones.dreamwidth.org/146154.html, where it has received
comments.
