I haven't written a post of links for ages, and have no hope of catching up with myself, so will just highlight a few here. My full magpie collection (items I've read on the Internet that have caught my attention momentarily) is here, at my Google Reader shared page: an rss "shared" page may be the nearest thing yet to a look inside someone's brain, but I am not sure I recommend it in my case. In any event, here are a few highlights:
At Cotton Pickin' Days (note the beautiful author photo that is currently featured), Hsien Hsien has found a site that lets you display your name as chemical elements. Well, if your name is something like Hsien or Oliver Sacks, that is: does not work for Maxine or Petrona. Take a look and see if it works for you, as it is most attractive.
After reading several reviews of Justine Picardie's book about Daphne Du Maurier, it is a relief to me to read a review of a book by this intriguing author: here, Carla Nayland reviews The House on the Strand. Carla asks if anyone has read this book. In my case the answer is yes, but I am afraid I can't remember much about it as it was too long ago.
What's the best crime-fiction book of this or any year? See Detectives Beyond Borders for one answer. Me, I am maxed out for the moment by the Times top 50 list and associated discussion. Various views on that list are at Euro Crime, It's a Crime, Scott Pack, Mysteries in Paradise, Crime Scraps, and I am sure, more. Just remember, for every person who was unfairly omitted, another has to be dropped. What a task, narrowing it down to 50. Not one I would have liked to attempt, but I think the consensus (and my view) is that the Times did not do a bad job.
While on the subject of Crime Scraps, Norm has uncovered a most extraordinary story about a vanishing Jo Nesbo manuscript. I blame those Boys from Brazil, myself.
A few reviews: Material Witness on Hell's Fire by Chris Simms. Another author I haven't read but am clearly going to have to, after reading this review. Ordinary Families by E. Arnot Robinson, sounds wonderful, reviewed here by Harriet Devine. Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise enjoys The Savage Altar by Asa Larsson (also highly recommended by Petrona), and This Night's Foul Work by Fred Vargas. Crime Down Under makes me dead keen to read Shatter, by Michael Robotham, and Random Jottings writes enthusiastically about The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnin.
Just a final link: the excellent publisher Quercus has "pounced on a 19-book, two million-word future history epic. David Wingrove's Chung Kuo rivals Dune and Asimov's Foundation series", according to the Bookseller. "Set 200 years in the future in a world dominated by China, the sequence of books sees history re-written and the West forgotten, with no official record of Shakespeare, Mozart or Einstein. Any reminders of the past are buried beneath mile-high, continent-spanning cities." And on that note, good night.
At Cotton Pickin' Days (note the beautiful author photo that is currently featured), Hsien Hsien has found a site that lets you display your name as chemical elements. Well, if your name is something like Hsien or Oliver Sacks, that is: does not work for Maxine or Petrona. Take a look and see if it works for you, as it is most attractive.
After reading several reviews of Justine Picardie's book about Daphne Du Maurier, it is a relief to me to read a review of a book by this intriguing author: here, Carla Nayland reviews The House on the Strand. Carla asks if anyone has read this book. In my case the answer is yes, but I am afraid I can't remember much about it as it was too long ago.
What's the best crime-fiction book of this or any year? See Detectives Beyond Borders for one answer. Me, I am maxed out for the moment by the Times top 50 list and associated discussion. Various views on that list are at Euro Crime, It's a Crime, Scott Pack, Mysteries in Paradise, Crime Scraps, and I am sure, more. Just remember, for every person who was unfairly omitted, another has to be dropped. What a task, narrowing it down to 50. Not one I would have liked to attempt, but I think the consensus (and my view) is that the Times did not do a bad job.
While on the subject of Crime Scraps, Norm has uncovered a most extraordinary story about a vanishing Jo Nesbo manuscript. I blame those Boys from Brazil, myself.
A few reviews: Material Witness on Hell's Fire by Chris Simms. Another author I haven't read but am clearly going to have to, after reading this review. Ordinary Families by E. Arnot Robinson, sounds wonderful, reviewed here by Harriet Devine. Kerrie at Mysteries in Paradise enjoys The Savage Altar by Asa Larsson (also highly recommended by Petrona), and This Night's Foul Work by Fred Vargas. Crime Down Under makes me dead keen to read Shatter, by Michael Robotham, and Random Jottings writes enthusiastically about The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnin.
Just a final link: the excellent publisher Quercus has "pounced on a 19-book, two million-word future history epic. David Wingrove's Chung Kuo rivals Dune and Asimov's Foundation series", according to the Bookseller. "Set 200 years in the future in a world dominated by China, the sequence of books sees history re-written and the West forgotten, with no official record of Shakespeare, Mozart or Einstein. Any reminders of the past are buried beneath mile-high, continent-spanning cities." And on that note, good night.
I had a look at your shared Google reader pages Maxine - I don't know how you keep up with all of us :-)
Posted by: Kerrie | 22 April 2008 at 22:34
"Set 200 years in the future in a world dominated by China, the sequence of books sees history re-written and the West forgotten, with no official record of Shakespeare, Mozart or Einstein."
Thanks for the boost Maxine, but perhaps it is not the Boys from Brazil we need to worry about but the Boys from Beijing.
Even today we see parts of history being re-written before our eyes, and I worry about our children's future.
Posted by: Norm | 23 April 2008 at 08:34
Hi Maxine, Thanks for the link! I figure my somewhat unusual Chinese name has to be good for something.... ;) And although you were kind to mention my photo in such a flattering way, I'm afraid that I'm on the verge of POPPING! :D
Posted by: Hsien Lei | 23 April 2008 at 18:32