On Books

[estepheia]

There was a time when I read about three paperbacks a week. Nowadays I'm lucky if I read one every three months. Okay, so I occasionally reread one of my Dick Francis novels, but I don't read a lot of new stuff. I can't turn off the critical part of my brain, and that spoils the fun. I often give up on books after the first 50 or so pages. But lately I quiete enjoyed several books.

I read two German novels, "Tintenherz" (Inkheart) by Cornelia Funke, a children's book that starts out very strong but gets bogged down in plot towards the end, and Daniel Kehlmann's "Die Vermessung der Welt", a very amusing book about the mathematician Gauss and the explorer von Humbold. Good stuff!

The other book I just finished was Lois McMaster Bujold's "The Sharing Knife, Vol 1: Beguilement". I'm a great fan of hers, I devoured her Barrayar books and I also loved the Chalion novels, especially "The Hallowed Hunt", which literally moved me to tears - no mean feat. This new book had me puzzled because not a lot happens. It's a fantasy romance novel, and strangely self-indulgent, but in the way Barbara Hambley's Antryg-Windrose books were self-indulgent: With a romantic couple with a huge age difference and a working menáge a trois among the minor characters it's a soft-spoken plea for tolerance. I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the sequel when it comes out on paperback (the hardcover will come out next month, I think), but somehow I find the pace too leisurely, the subject matter too uninspired - for Lois McMaster Bujold.

I guess this means that I need to look for another author, someone who writes like vintage McMaster Bujold. Good space operas with strong characterisation. Or fantasy novels with a twist. Any suggestions, anyone? I tried to read Tad Williams and Robert Jordan, but I found their books dull.

Also, has anyone ever read Ansen Dibbel's SciFi novels? They've been oop for ages, but I just reread her book "Plot" (which I never tire of recommending to other writers), and now I'm very keen to read some of her novels. I'm so glad I got to meet her during writercon in Las Vegas. I miss her.