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Book 318 – The Atlas Six

Book – The Atlas Six

Author – Olivie Blake

Pages – 509

Year – 2020

Genre – Fantasy

Series – The Atlas Trilogy

Bought for me by Alex

The Library of Alexandria never burned down. It was simply moved to a new location, its secrets guarded by a mysterious society who admit six new initiates every decade to oversee its protection, and be included in the limited access of its treaures. However, whilst six are chosen, only five will actually make it through to become fully fledged members, and it is the duty of these new pledges to decide who will not make the cut.

So who will it be? The duel firebrands of Libby and Nico, who dislike each other so much, yet seem intertwined in terms of their magic? The beautiful seductress Parisa, capapble of understanding what is going on in your mind? Callum – rich and arrogant but also a powerful empath? Reina, whose connection to the natural world is anything but natural? Or Tristan, who can see through any magical charm, and maybe even through magic itself?

As a central premise to a fantasy book, this is a pretty good start, and Blake makes the world feel real and believable from the off. However what makes this a compelling read is that each of these characters feels so wonderfully fleshed out and real. For a fantasy book, not a lot happens. Each chapter is mainly occupied with conversations between two of more of these characters in combination, and told from their point of view. And as a result you feel you truly get to know them. Not all of them are wholly sympathetic characters – in fact I would go so far to say as few of them are – which is usually somewhat of a turn off for me in a book, but here I felt that they were all fully justified in their actions – at least to themselves – which really makes a difference.

I whizzed through this book, and within minutes of finishing it had bought the sequel. Despite the odd element that I don’t think fully worked – and the set up for the second in the series is a little strange – I really enjoyed this, and if the final two books in the trilogy match up to this, then it could be a proper classic in the making.

9/10

Book 317 – Fatherland

Book – Fatherland

Author – Robert Harris

Pages – 386

Year – 1992

Genre – Alternative History, Crime

Another year, another attempt to kickstart reading books again. The Christmas holidays always give me a little more time to settle down with a book, and I have been really enjoying reading again over the past few days. This is my first one of the year, with another nearly completed. I was spurred this time by a tidy up of the bookcases in what we affectionately refer to as “The Library”, and the thought that there are so many excellent looking books that I have just not put the time in to reading. Hence this read, which is of a book I must have owned for at least ten years, and started at least once, and thought should probably be read or donated. I must say, I am glad I chose the former.

Fatherland is set in an alternate history where Germany prevailed in World War II. We follow Xavier March, a police officer in 1960s Berlin over the course of a week in the lead up to Hitler’s 75th birthday. The body of an important figure in the rise of the Nazi party is fished out of a stream, and March, despite protestations from those much higher on the chain than he, is determined to find out what is going on. This unravels a conspiracy that goes considerably higher than expected, and starts to reveal secrets about the war itself.

This is an unusual crime book. Rather than feeling like a detective chasing down a criminal, it feels far more like our protaganist is the one being chased. There is a constant state of danger throughout that keeps you very much on the edge of your seat, and I really enjoyed that. The characters are somewhat archetypal, but this works within this setting, as the book is driven far more by plot than character – furthermore, archetypal does not mean bad, and they are certainly interesting enough characters in themselves.

There is a certain problem to the book, in that some of the mystery that March and his friends are trying to uncover relates to elements of the war that are unknown by them, but common knowledge in the real world. A concerted effort by the victors of the war to cover up less savory elements of the means of their victory makes absolute sense, so the extent of the crimes of the Nazi party are not known by the characters in the book. For much of the novel I was a little peturbed by this, but by the reveals towards the end, it actually comes full circle and there is a poignency that is fully deserved by this read.

I cannot say I have read much in the way of alternate history such as this, but I really did find it quite interesting, and will probably seek out some more in the future. As a little aside, I started this book on New Year’s Eve, and after I had read about a page or two I recieved an alert on my phone that the New Year’s Honours List had been released. I broke from the book long enough to discover that Harris had just received a CBE. It’s strange how these coincidences happen.

8/10

Book 316 – The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency

Book – The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency

Author – Alexander McCall Smith

Pages – 233

Year – 1998

Genre – Crime

Borrowed from Dartford Library

Mma Ramotswe is proud to be the owner of the first all female detective agency in the whole of Botswana. She has had a tricky life up until now, but upon the death of her beloved father, she takes all of the money that she raises from the sale of his cattle and uses it to establish herself in this exciting new field.

This book was absolutely nothing like what I expected. It is a crime book, but only in the loosest of senses. There is one case that runs throughout the whole book, but it is interspaced with several other cases of no relation. Add to this a lengthy section at the beginning of the book told from the point of view of her father, and you have a novel that is considerably more uncollected than most crime books I have read.

None of this is meant in any way as a negative however. Each case is fascinating in itself, and told with a real nod to the idea that these are generally everyday issues, even if Mma Ramotswe does not always approach them in an everyday manner. And Ramotswe herself is the real draw here, an incredibly likable character with a great combination of moral compass and hard nosed determination. Her pride in Botswana shines through and brings you into the setting in much the same way that it introduces new characters. It is incredibly easy to see why this novel spawned an entire series of books charting her life as a detective.

It is not the runaway success in my eyes that it was in the eyes of many upon release, but when you read the first book of a series and immediately think that you would like to peruse the rest of them, it has certainly left an imprint.

7.5/10

Book 315 – Waiting for Doggo

Book – Waiting for Doggo

Author – Mark B Mills

Pages – 213

Year – 2014

Genre – Fiction

Borrowed from Dartford Library

So much for the old “never judge a book by its cover” rule. Not only have I broken this repeatedly this year, but I have now gone a step further and borrowed this book based simply on the fact that it is a pun about one of my favourite plays.

Clara has left Daniel. She didn’t say it to his face as such, but rather left it in a note in their flat along with Doggo, their recently adopted, incredibly ugly pet. Daniel is thrown for a loop, left with this animal that does not like him, and he doesn’t want, in between jobs in advertising, and with the growing realisation that nobody in his life was all that fond of Clara to begin with. He tries to take Doggo back to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, but upon hearing that they would need to remove his manliest parts, decides on a whim to keep him. From here, we see how Doggo can effect Daniel’s life as he starts a new job, meets new friends, and maybe a new love.

In a way there is some real similarity between this book and the last that I read. Both are nice, and quite easy reads with a cast of believable and likable characters that leave you feeling quite satisfied. Is this a new modern classic? Most certainly not, but I can tell you this much – I really enjoyed reading it. Mills writes very well and the story intertwines wonderfully. There are some great character moments, and sub plots that – whilst probably not strictly necessary – make the book feel considerably more lived in. Without heralding this from the rooftops, I think it would be very fair to say that I would go out of my way to read more by the author, and would definitely recommend you take a few hours to absorb this little pleasure.

8/10

Book 314 – The Altogether Unexpected Disappearance of Atticus Craftsman

Book – The Altogether Unexpected Disappearance of Atticus Craftsman

Author – Mamen Sanchez

Pages – 298

Year – 2015

Genre – Fiction

Borrowed from Dartford Library

Atticus Craftsman comes from a long line of wealthy men in the publishing industry, all of whom are named after leading characters in classic novels. When his father sends him to Spain to close down a less than profitable literary magazine that their company operates, he is not prepared for the five women who work there to be ready for him with a scheme to make sure that their precious publication is spared the chop. What follows is a story told from the point of view of several different people, including Atticus’ parents, the women at the magazine, a local policeman, and many more telling the story of how an Englishman with a penchant for Twining’s Earl Grey tea can disappear and yet not be gone.

I absolutely had no idea what to expect when I started reading this, having selected it based on some cute graphics and an enticing blurb. What I received was a charming little book with some incredibly well rounded and believable characters, despite the whole thing having an almost absurdist story to surround it. The pace is kept high, the characters warm, and a sense of Spain that – having not been there – I can only assume does the country justice.

Sanchez is a deputy editor at a Hello style magazine in Spain, and this comes across in the writing, but this is by no means to say that there is anything trashy about the book. Instead it really brought me in for a nice little journey in the way that some books do, whereby I simultaneously do not think that it was life changing at all, but will certainly linger in my mind for a long time to come. A slightly too long ending is probably the only criticism that I have here at all, but a small issue for what is an otherwise very enjoyable read.

8/10

Book 313 – The Problem With Men

Book – The Problem With Men

Author – Richard Herring

Pages – 160

Year – 2020

Genre – Non-Fiction

Borrowed from Dartford Library

I really like Richard Herring. He has a certain chaos about him that is really interesting. You always have the impression that he is saying things slightly faster than he can think things through, and therefore there is a certain worry that he could come out with something he probably shouldn’t at any moment. He did great work with Stuart Lee many years ago, and since then has gone on to make some great things, such as the Richard Herring’s Leicester Square Theatre Podcast (or Rhlstp as the cool kids are calling it) and the podcast where he plays pool against himself to see who is better. But the thing he is probably most recently known for is his annual tradition of calling out men on Twitter who ask “When is International Men’s Day?” on International Women’s Day (November 19th for those genuinely wondering). With the success that this has had, along with the countless amount of money made for women’s charities, has given him the opportunity to put together this book explaining why this is a stupid and fundamentally sexist question to be asking.

It is very funny. Full credit to Herring, whose brand of incredibly intensely needy comedy I have always been a fan of. He really goes for the full throttle on his running gags here – such as answering the International Men’s Day question in the footnotes every time it is raised – and can be relied upon for some smiles throughout.

But in terms of making an astute political point, it is somewhat labored. Maybe this is because I am (hopefully) enough of a feminist that this is not a book aimed at me, but his approach to too many of the questions raised in the book is too lightweight. There are some great moments, carefully researched, but for my tastes a little too few and far between.

Ultimately, maybe just not a book for me, but as this is my blog I get to rate it how I want. Don’t be dissuaded from reading it if you have the opportunity though – it is certainly the right book for someone.

5/10

Book 312 – Murder Before Evensong

Book – Muder Before Evensong

Author – Rev Richard Coles

Pages – 359

Year – 2022

Genre – Crime

Borrowed from Dartford Library

In an exciting move that should have probably been much more obvious to book lovers such as ourselves, we recently decided to join our local library. I was incredibly excited, much as I often was as a kid when my sisters and I would be taken along to select some new books to borrow. We spent a good hour or so perusing titles, and picked a decent number to take home to add to our already overflowing To Read piles. But with a return deadline looming, tucking into this pile seemed an excellent idea.

And I guess on the plus side, it means I didn’t have to pay for this travesty of a book.

I like Richard Coles. I am very much not a religious person, and often fret about the way that some people use religion as a tool in a way I don’t like. But Coles has always seemed to have a more open mind, and I enjoy his tweeting. When he decided to take the Richard Osmond route of releasing a series of novels about a rector sleuth – Canon Daniel Clement – I was immediately intrigued to see if he could replicate the ‘nice little murder’ feel of his celebrity counterpart.

And this book has all the hallmarks of just that. A quaint little village with Clement as it’s spiritual guidance reels from the shocking revelation that he has plans to build a toilet in their little church! Much consternation from the Flower Society who want to use that space to be able to more carefully curate their beautiful blooms. What will they do when one of their number is brutally murdered?

Well this is a great question for the first third of the book when no murder has taken place. Just the ins and outs of the lives of these people, building not a lot of consequence. And when the murder finally does take place, despite the surprise and shock, things almost seem to just go back to normal. The rector continues his job as ever, and it quickly becomes idle gossip amongst the people of the village. This sort of continues throughout, with very little of note happening across its far too many pages. Every time there is a twist, it seems so low stakes simply by the reaction of the characters.

So let’s skip on to the main crux of any murder mystery book like this – the murder mystery. The real joy of these books is working out who has the motive and means to carry out such a thing, hopefully culminating in a twist of a reveal in the end that was cunningly hinted at all along. Unfortunately in this book, you are never really given any reason to wonder who it might have been at any point. A couple of characters are decidedly ‘shady’, but outside of this you don’t have any reason to suspect anyone. Add to this the fact that there are so few characters with any identifying features, and I found myself wondering if there was ever going to be a reveal.

I suppose it deserves credit for the fact that there is. But when it comes, it not a lot more than underwhelming. Full credit to anyone who read it and worked out who the murderer was, because to my mind it simply could have been anyone – including after the reveal. It is just one of the people in the book who did it for a reason. So wholly unsatisfying.

To give Coles some credit, his writing is not bad in terms of the prose. He is evidently a capable writer, but just one with no real idea how to structure a book or get across the characters that he has created to his readers. As a result, this is probably one of the worst books that I have ever read, and leaves you with the distinct impression that were he not a celebrity in his own right, this may have never seen itself sat upon the library shelf.

1.5/10

Book 311 – Babel

Book – Babel

Author – RF Kuang

Pages – 546

Year – 2022

Genre – Fantasy

Bought for me by Alex

Babel is set in an alternate history, one where magic created by pairing together words of different languages is used on bars of silver to power everything. From making trading ships move faster across the water, to improving the smell of the roses in the gardens of rich men, silver has its influence right across the country, and indeed the world. We follow Robin, a young man plucked from destitution in his native Canton, and brought to Oxford by a leading professor in the workings of silver. We follow as he learns his trade in the widely respected Tower of Babel, all the while struggling with his conscience as he realises that this powerful tool is utilised in order to keep the powerful British Empire on top and repress the people of countries such as his own.

RF Kuang is an incredibly intelligent lady with several language degrees to her name. This book makes good use of these skills, but I cannot say that this forms one of the more interesting parts of her writing. There are large passages within this book dedicated to explanations of etymology, giving the whole thing a bit of a feel of a text book. In themselves, a lot of these descriptions are fairly interesting, but unfortunately, their prevalence really slows the novel down. It is a shame, as outside of this, Kuang’s writing style is very good, but having the narrative and character development disrupted by academia makes it difficult to read at points.

This is most certainly a book with a specific viewpoint as well. The themes of anti-capitalism and anti-colonialism are starkly evident throughout. Whilst I personally fully agree with Kuang’s stance on these, there is a certain sense that she really does not want to let you get away with not thinking about them at any point. Even whilst agreeing with these sentiments, it became somewhat galling to be repeatedly bashed over the head with them at each turn. Some more subtlety would probably have served well.

What we are left with is a bit of a contradiction of a book. Well written in parts, but hugely overwritten in others. Interesting characters who are not allowed the space to breathe. And a story that has some real plus points without the flow to allow it to be fully enjoyed. Ultimately, a book that I am glad I read, but will not linger for me. And also at nearly 550 pages, far too long for what it needed to do.

5.5/10

Book 310 – Legends and Lattes

Book – Legends and Lattes

Author – Travis Baldree

Pages – 312

Year – 2022

Genre – Cosy Fantasy

Sometimes, judge a book by its cover. Or at least its title. On a new year jaunt to Waterstones to try and pick up some new reads, I saw this book – about a sword fighting adventurer who decides to pack it all in to open a coffee shop. Sitting alongside its sequel, Bookshops and Bonedust, it felt like something that I should absolutely read.

Viv is an orc, and a large, tough and fearsome one at that. But since she happened upon a gnomish bar selling a new type of drink – ‘coffee’ – she decides she has had enough of this and must settle down by opening her own establishment in one of the larger cities. Not so easy when you tower over everyone else, and have no experience whatsoever. What follows is a story of her meeting her people – the succubus Tandri, grumpy Cal, nervous Thimble and many more – whilst also dealing with the gang of brutes expecting protection money, figures from her past, and the need to make everything just right in her new passion project.

I am reliably informed by the internet (always a bastion of truth), that this is a book within the relatively new subgenre of Cosy Fantasy. Set in a fantasy world of elves and monsters, but with much more focus on the everyday life, this is such a good idea. Setting aside the usual battles and magic from this type of book and instead building a narrative about the idea of the things that happen on the every day gives such a fresh new twist to fantasy. I have read so many incredible books in the genre over the years, but there is no denying that there is a certain familiarity to the plot of each of them. This feels new and different, whilst also still quite lived in, and just became a joy to read as a result.

For anyone looking for a twist on a tried and tested formula, I would heartily recommend brewing a latte and settling down with this book.

8.5/10

Book 309 – Sea of Tranquility

Book – Sea of Tranquility

Author – Emily St John Mandel

Pages – 259

Year – 2022

Genre – Science Fiction

Bought for me by Alex

Spanning several centuries, Mandel’s Sea of Tranquility follows several different people – the exiled Edwin, starting a new life in Canada, the famous writer Olive as she returns from the moon to do an Earth book tour, the intrepid Gaspery who certainly knows more than he is letting on, and several other characters whose lives link together in ways that you would not expect. What you end up with is a tapestry of stories with linked themes, that slowly come together to create a wonderful story about the past, the future and pandemics.

Writing blurbs for my reviews is not my strongest point – these are meant more as a memento to myself than to promote the books – but this is a tricky concept even within that weakness, as I really would not want to tell anyone who was about to read this any more than I just have. I had no idea where I was with Sea of Tranquility for a rather long time, but just was enjoying the ride. And then as it started to come together I really started to love it.

There is nothing particularly out of the ordinary about Mandel’s writing, and yet it is such a joy to be in her books. Having read and loved Station Eleven a little while back I was so keen to get started with this when I received it as a Christmas gift, and I was absolutely not let down. If you enjoy sci-fi that is on the lighter side (no three headed aliens and complex futuristic systems to get to grips with here), then this is well worth a look, and you may even get through it as quickly as I did.

9.5/10

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