A mixed bag

Some great, many good, two absolute stinkers. Ngaio Marsh, Grave Mistake I have no memory of ever reading this, yet it's got a record in my reading diary from thirteen years ago so I'm obviously getting old and forgetful. It's VERY good: a classic whodunnit set in the 1970s in an English country village and … Continue reading A mixed bag →

Strange Horizons

From time to time I review books in the online science fiction & fantasy magazine Strange Horizons. I was impressed, but not in a good way, about Paul Kincaid's new study of Brian Aldiss. Kincaid: good. Aldiss: awful. I reviewed the new edition of J D Beresford's fascinating Edwardian pandemic novel A World Of Women. … Continue reading Strange Horizons →

The Good Books 2021

Here are the books that I enjoyed most in 2021. You can read about those I liked best in 2020 here. Biography/memoir/autobiography/history The Element of Lavishness, Letters between Sylvia Townsend Warner and William Maxwell was a Christmas present from 2020 that got shunted into the waiting room while I read her letters to and from … Continue reading The Good Books 2021 →

Katherine Addison, The Goblin Emperor

I can't remember how this truly excellent fantasy novel found its way into our house. We know it was at EasterCon this year, but while my husband claims the credit for buying it, I'm not sure. Maybe I looked at it so often in the Books on the Hill bookstall that I merely think that … Continue reading Katherine Addison, The Goblin Emperor →