Books Read in April

The Last Deception of Palliser Wentwood -- Imogen de la Bere
Gleaned in a Greenwich remainder shop ages ago: a delightful read that I wish I'd got around to before now.
( Read more... )

The Portrait of Mrs Charbuque -- Jeffery Ford
New York, 1893: the artist Piambo, at the height of his career, takes a commission to paint Mrs Charbuque, the twist being that he is not allowed to see her: he must build up a picture of her from the stories she tells him. ( Read more... )

The Confessions of Max Tivoli -- Andrew Sean Greer
This is a novel dealing with a man displaced in time, learning to cope with the fact that his life doesn't follow the human story of birth-youth-ageing-death. It's about the woman he loves, and how he meets her for the first time again and again. It's available in various 3-for-2 promotions in UK bookstores. And it's not The Time-Traveller's Wife ( Read more... )

Jigs and Reels -- Joanne Harris
This is a collection of Harris' short stories, some published and some not. I have to say that I doubt this anthology would exist were it not for the author's reputation, built on her best-selling novels. ( Read more... )

To The Baltic With Bob -- Griff Rhys Jones
According to the blurb there are 'at least three good jokes on every page".
Oh no there aren't ... ( Read more... )

Metallic Love -- Tanith Lee
The Silver Metal Lover is one of my favourite Lee books -- an SF romance set in a near future where Earth is threatened by a captured asteroid, where a rich teenager falls in love with a robot and ends up concluding that he's ensoulled. This is a sequel, and a successful one.( Read more... )

River of Gods -- Ian McDonald
OK, now I see what all the fuss is about.( Read more... )

On Stranger Tides -– Tim Powers
Nearly impossible to get hold of, yet with strangely familiar plot elements (zombie sailors, the Royal Navy and a mad pirate with the initials JS): this was first published in 1987, and it's been in my book database for quite a while though the original volume seems to have been borrowed and not returned.( Read more... )

Islands -- Dan Sleigh
This is the closest I'm likely to come to sympathising with those who've found Neal Stephenson's recent Baroque Cycle novels long-winded and boring. It's taken me five days to read this 750-page novel (Amazon claims 256pp: it lies) and only grim determination (and the thought that there might be Historical Gems hidden within) kept me going. A weight -- metaphorical as well as literal -- has lifted from me now that I've reached the end.( Read more... )

She's Gone Country -- Kyle Spencer
'Based on a true story', according to the blurb: I am surprised that any of her family are still on speaking terms with her.( Read more... )

1688: A Global History -- John E. Wills
I bought this because it has a chapter on Dampier: have only just got around to reading the rest of the book.( Read more... )

The Powerbook -- Jeannette Winterson
I haven't quite made up my mind about this book yet: not sure whether it's deeply profound or somewhat hollow.( Read more... )