February reading -- Bradley, Gaiman and Stross

I’ve been a tad dilatory lately, as I’d rather read than write. But . . .

Here’s a quick summary on the three books I’ve read recently.

The Golden Tresses of the Dead is the most recent novel by Alan Bradley, featuring 12-year-old sleuth Flavia de Luce.   Flavia has the unique gift of inserting herself into the midst of every murder and mystery that arises in the English village of Bishop’s Lacey — think of a pre-teen Miss Marple with an extraordinary knowledge of poisons.

There’s nothing here to take seriously, but each of Bradley’s books offers a delightful interlude. The Golden Tresses of the Dead is no exception.

The Problem of Susan and Other Stories is the recent offering from Dark Horse Books, featuring Neil Gaiman and P. Craig Russell.  Its main feature is a couple of creepy tales. Gaiman excels at this sort of story, and Russell’s artwork is the perfect complement.

The Rhesus Chart is a Laundry Files novel by Charles Stross.  (Yes, I’ve been reading Charlie a lot lately.) It’s a precursor to The Labyrinth Index and a couple of other Laundry Files novels I have yet to read.

A group of high-flying, hard-charging investment bankers are turned into vampires. When staff at the Laundry — the British agency charged with investigating the occult — refuse to acknowledge that vampires even exist, agent Bob Howard begins to suspect the Laundry has been infiltrated.

Turns out the Laundry is squarely in the middle of a centuries old battle between two ancient vamps.  The Rhesus Chart is a hoot. 

Just remember, vampires really don’t exist. Or do they?  

Book read -- January

1.   Our Mutual Friend, Charles Dickens

2.   Voodoo River, Robert Crais

3.   Yossel, April 19, 1943, Joe Kubert

4.   Lie In The Dark, Dan Fesperman
5.   A Canticle For Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr.
6.   Flash, The Making of Weegee The Famous by Christopher Bonanos

7.   Neptune's Brood, Charles Stross

8.   Perish Twice, Robert B. Parker

9.   The League of Regrettable Sidekicks, Jon Morris

10. Casino Royale, Ian Fleming

11. Mrs. Palfrey At The Claremont, Elizabeth Taylor

Book read -- February

12. The Golden Tresses of the Dead, Alan Bradley

13. The Problem of Susan and Other Stories, Neil Gaiman & P. Craig Russell

14. The Rhesus Chart, Charles Stross
Currently  Reading --
The Big Fella, Babe Ruth and the World He Created, Jane Leavy

Distrust That Particular Flavor, William Gibson

Frankenstein, Mary Shelley