"Deception Point", Dan Brown
"Men lie."
"Yeah, about sleeping with other women, but never about bioluminescent plankton."
Yes, it's another Dan Brown, this time sans Robert Langdon (although put Michael Tolland in Harris Tweed and Bob's your protagonist).
The main hero here though, is Rachel Sexton and the more of these I read, the more I'm noticing similarity of characters - Sohpie Neveu, Vittoria Vetra, Rachel Sexton - all very different women in the way they are initially described, but all end up acting, speaking, thinking in exactly the same way. Also, is it really necessary for so many characters to have distressing episodes in their past that inform the way they act in the present? Three of them in this one book alone, Dan, mate, people can do stuff without being nearly killed as a kid or having traumatically dead relatives.
Still, it's another rip-roaring adventure, no secret societies this time, instead we get NASA, the US government and mysterious meteorites. Oh and a large dollop of conspiracy and murder for good measure. And sharks. Good stuff.
"Angels And Demons", Dan Brown
"For the first time in his life, Langdon wished he were holding a very big gun"
This is the book which comes before the Da Vinci Code, and in it we have more Robert Langdon, more code breaking, more chasing round exotic locations, more conspiracies, ancient secret fraternities and complicated murders, and more help from a cerebral yet gutsy and oddly attractive female companion. Apparently he's writing a third, I suspect we know the drill by now.
Actually, I think this one builds tension better and to a more exciting climax than the Da Vinci Code, although TDVC feels like a better written book in some ways. And again with the blindingly obvious not being twigged soon enough (or am I just naturally suspicious?). Recommended, though, as another book it was difficult to put down.
"Silverfin", Charlie Higson
This is the first in a new series of 'Young James Bond' books written by Charlie Higson of the Fast Show/Randall and Hopkirk, and the feel is quite similar to the latter series.
Beginning with James' arrival as an orphan at Eton in the 20's, the first half is largely concerned with school matters and his emerging character, both as the boy of the book and the man he will eventually become. Eventually, however, the action moves to the Scottish Highlands, where dastardly deeds and sinister experiments are most definitely afoot.
There's nice references to the life to come - his uncle advising him against becoming a spy because of the horrors it would entail, his introduction to fast cars, a horse called Martini and a blonde by the name of Wilder Lawless...it never feels forced though, and is a very entertaining easy read (I read it all this morning apart from the first 21 pages). The second one is due out in January 2006 and I'll be picking it up as soon as it appears.
"The Da Vinci Code", Dan Brown
When I first heard people banging on about this book, I didn't realise it was actually a novel - what with so many people wibbling on about conspiracy theories and the like, I'd assumed it was some dubious 'historical' book from the likes of Graham Hancock. But no! It's actually a bloody marvellous thriller of the type that you keep picking up to read a bit more of in any spare minutes and fractions of minutes.
It does have its down points, such as vast passages of exposition when the history/myth behind the clues is explained, which tend to lose the feeling of what should actually be conversations between the characters. Also, they take just too damn long to work out some of the clues - you end up bouncing in your seat for pages going 'come, on, come on, it's blindingly obvious' until they twig.
That aside, I definitely recommend it as a yompingly good read. Anyone that's got a passing acquaintence with grail lore and religious/art history perhaps won't find as many revelations as billed, but that just gives you the bonus smug factor.
**Film news**
Oh sweet Jesus, the rumours are true, Tom Hanks is playing Robert Langdon*. Noooooooooooooo! How utterly utterly wrong can you get? The rest of the cast look pretty well matched though [IMDB Listing] Which makes it all the more bizarre.
* Obviously, it should have been Timothy Hutton (above). Why do these people never ask me before making these sorts of decisions?
"Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince", JK Rowling
Been trying to work out how long it actually took me to read this; 22 hours from purchase to finish, probably about 12 after factoring in things like eating and sleeping and encouraging the cat to investigate the possibilities of next door's newly turned flowerbed. Anyway, it's good, I enjoyed it more than the last one, he's stopped with the stroppy and annoying bits. While it doesn't exactly end on a cliffhanger, it's also the book to have the least actually resolved within it - very much a case of 'to be continued'. Marginally shorter than the Order of the Phoenix, but not by much, the usual suspects are present and correct - quidditch matches, Hagrid and his creatures, the Dursleys, the school and its terms - as well as a new teacher, a new minister and new challenges. A worthy addition to the series.
"Eleven On Top", Janet Evanovich
The latest in the Stephanie Plum sequence, in its regular summer appearance, and anyone that's read one before will know exactly what to expect. This is not a bad thing however, as it means exploding cars, glorious sounding food, barmy situations and very very funny writing. This time round Stephanie's resigned from her job at the Bonds office with the hope of having a normal life. I think we know that's not going to happen, don't we...Read it. In fact, read the first ten first. Then go and buy some doughnuts.
"Pompeii", Robert Harris
In an odd sort of meaningless coincidence, whereas the previous book has action set in the ruins of Pompeii, this one is set in the town itself over the four days before the eruption. It got given to me in a kind of 'you've got a background in archaeology, you'll like this, it's set in anceint Rome' way. Eh?
It is, however, very good indeed, and follows Marcus Attilius, the aquaduct engineer, as he tries to find out why his water supply is suddenly failing. Shades of Dante's Peak really, with the various signs in the ground and the wildlife building the tension up to what we know's going to happen and they don't.
Each chapter is preceded with extracts from modern scientific publications on the eruption and I can't decide whether they work or are too incongruous a note, breaking the mood of the period.
Other than the chapter notes, a couple of other things jarred - the slaves are generally painted as more reliable, loyal etc than many of the freemen, and our hero is of course terribly decent in his treatment of them - now I'm not saying they wouldn't have been, it just feels a bit like a modern 'ooh, there have to be slaves but we'll make them lovely and treat them well'. Also, while a lot of the populace are running about in 'we must sacrifice a bull to Vulcan' mode, the main protagonists are made to be pretty un-religious in their outlook, which again feels oddly too modern.
Anyway, corrupt officials, murderous villians, nubile heiresses and Pliny the historian all combine to make for a very entertaining book - and it's not just about the big bang, there's a good deal of plot going on for your money.
"The Vesuvius Club", Mark Gatiss
"A bit of fluff"
The Vesuvius Club, by Mark Gatiss of the League of Gentleman, and Doctor Who scripting fame, is a romp through Edwardian London and Naples featuring the incorrigible Lucifer Box, portraint painter and secret agent. He needs to find a veiled lady, find a new valet, find a brace of disappearing diplomats, find out who's trying to kill hiim, and find out how to charm the lovely Bella Pok out of her petticoats. Not necessarily in that order.
I can highly recommend this book, I read it in a couple of days and it's just fantastic. It looks like it could be the start of a series and I really hope it is.
http://www.vesuviusclub.com
"Elvis, Jesus and Coca-cola", by Kinky Friedman
The cat, of course, said nothing.Kinky Friedman, late of the Texas Jewboys and the man responsible for the country song "Get your biscuits in the oven and your buns in the bed" writes a good line in detective novels. From his New York loft apartment and helped by his cat, a good supply of espresso and cigars, and a bunch of accompanying misfits (most of whom also appear to be real people), he solves a series of lurid crimes.
Once upon a time Kinky was involved with two women at once - Uptown Judy and Downtown Judy. Now Uptown Judy's missing, a film about Elvis Impersonators made by a dead man is missing and it looks like the Mob have had a hand in both. Can Kinky, Downtown Judy and the rest of the Village Irregulars keep ahead of the cops, the Mob and their own ennui and avoid being set in concrete cowboy boots?
Although there can be a rather dark mood to these books at times which means they're not everyone's cup of tea, they're frequently laugh-out-loud funny and eminently readable. Ideal books for coffee drinking cat lovers with a slightly twisted sense of humour...
"Anno Dracula", by Kim Newman
Thanks to James for the first entry, as he thrust Anno Dracula upon me a few weeks back. Took me a while to brave it, being a hefty 461 pages long, but once I did I was hooked from the first.
Set in an alternative London where Dracula has married Queen Victoria, and the streets are populated with such people as Lestrade, Raffles and Dr Jekyll; Jack the Ripper is murdering a series of vampire prostitutes, and it's down to Charles Beauregard, a member of the Diogenes Club, and Geneveive, a vampire older than Dracula himself to untangle the gory mystery.
A book to really get your teeth into...
B(ook)log
In September 1990, mid-GCSE, our English teacher made us start keeping a list of what we were reading in the back of an exercise book: title, author, date finished etc. Three months later she looked through them - I'd filled two and a half pages, earning me an "excellent" and two exclamation marks. I wonder what she'd make of it today - I kept that list going, and since 11th September 1990 have read 1087 books.
I've also nearly run out of room in the original exercise book, which made me think of keeping an online list of things that I've read. A plus point being, if I hit a dry spell, there's a rather long list of back-catalogue to work through....
