Books books books

I’ve noticed recently that I haven’t been blogging all the books that I’ve been reading so this is a bit of a catch up. Let’s start the ball rolling with Lois McMaster Bujold’s The Hallowed Hunt which I mostly read on the flight to America. I’m increasingly finding Bujold to be a writer whose work I thoroughly enjoy but never quite love. Which is a pity, because there are some really nice touches in her work.
This is one of her fantasy novels and its set in the same general ‘verse as The Curse of Chalion but not really related from what I could see. It’s sorta a werewolf story, but not really. And I did like the characters, the storyline was interesting, but in the end I had no qualms about leaving it behind to save that tiny bit of space on the flight home.

Course I needed the space as I bought two books for the flight back. The Guns of the South by Harry Turtledove and Old Man’s War by John Scalzi.

I read the majority of the Turtledove one on the plane. It’s an alternate reality/sci-fi novel in which time-travellers bring guns to the confederates during the American Civil War. Which, of course, changes things a little. This is the story of how. And while it was well told I just found it far too easy on the south, and the slavery issue. I mean I know the whole revisionist theory that it wasn’t slavery that led to the Civil War, but really it pretty much was. I mean I know there are multiple causes of war, and no one explanation really works, people aren’t simple like that, but in essence it was about slavery. And I just felt that all the characters Turtledove chooses to write about have quite a modern view of humanity. But it is still well worth a look at.

John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War is one I’ve been meaning to read for a while^[1] And books in the states are cheaper than here, so of course I took it with me :) and I’m glad I did because I really enjoyed it. Now I just have to get the others in the ‘verse. Well, I’ll figure out the order first, then I’ll read them :) The story is about a 75 year old man who joins the army. Not really because he is the macho warrior type but because signing up means a rejuvenated body and the chance to live again. No one on earth knows how this happens, the science involved is way beyond mere earthlings, but the Colonial Defence Forces have access to other sources. I really like the main character, he has a perfect reason for being world weary, he is! but he is never ott with it. It’s one I’d recommend.

Recently I finished off Carmen Dog by Carol Emshiller, its plot revolves around the fact that women are turning into animals and animals are turning into women. Our hero, Pooch, was a golden setter whose mistress is devolving into a snapping turtle. So Pooch takes the family’s baby and goes on the run after the mistress bites the child. It’s a humourous book. Or at least it is vaguely amusing, it isn’t one that’ll make you laugh but you might smile at some of it. I can’t say that it is a book that would inspire me, but it certainly has some interesting notions, and feminist sci-fi is always good. Once it doesn’t take itself too seriously, which this doesn’t. Nymeth has a much more indepth review if you are interested in reading more about this one.

And I think that’s me mostly caught up now…