New Arrivals, February 6 – 12, 2012

Mystery! Fantasy! Science Fiction! I’ve gotta read faster!

The Admantine Palace by Stephen Deas [Roc Fantasy, 2011 paperback, new] – fantasy – When I read a really positive review of a book like this, often on The Fantasy Book Critic website, I look for the first book in the series. If I like that one, I’ll buy another, if not, only one book bought. This series has gotten positive reviews, and besides, I like the cover art. I was unable to determine the artist, but inquired of the author who informed me the artist for the US cover of all of the Memory of Flames series is Stephen Youll. This is another book I’m eager to read.

Frost at Christmas by R.D. Wingfield [Bantam 1995 paperback, used] – mystery novel, first in the Frost series – I’ve seen a couple of the Frost episodes that were on Mystery! but not read any.

The Legend of Eli  Monpress by Rachel Aaron [Orbit Fantasy, Feb 2012 trade paperback, new] – fantasy – omnibus – This whopping (1033 pages) omnibus volume contains three novels: The Spirit Thief, The Spirit Rebellion and The Spirit Eater. Those are the first three books in the Monpress saga, with The Spirit War and Spirit’s End either out or on the way. Needless to say, if I like these, I’ll read those. Meanwhile this should keep me busy a goodly part of the winter!

Shooting Hollywood by Melodie Johnson Howe [Crippen & Landru 2012 hardcover, new] – mystery short story collection: the Diana Poole Stories – I get every Crippen & Landru publication, have done so for years, and this is the latest. C&L is a specialty publisher of short story collections, and when I’m in the mood for some mystery stories, it’s often where I turn. This author is new to me, the stories were written between 1991 and 2009.

Stargate original motion picture soundtrack (Deluxe Edition) music by Davis Arnold [Varese Sarabande CD, 37 queues, 1.2 hours, new] – film soundtrack, science fiction film – this was recently voted among the very best SF film soundtrack by readers of the SF Signal blog. I didn’t have it, hadn’t heard it. I soon remedied that, and they are right, it’s a good one.

Under the Moons of Mars, New Adventures on Barsoom edited by John Joseph Adams [Simon and Schuster 2012 hardcover, illustrated, cover art by Mark Zug, new} – SF-F – 13 short stories “inspired by the Mars books of Edgar Rice Burroughs – I couldn’t resist. I’ve already started it, and enjoyed Joe Lansdale’s opening story a lot.

FFB: Death in the Middle Watch

this is the 78th in my series of forgotten books

Death in the Middle Watch by Leo Bruce © 1974, Academy Chicago Arts 2004 hardcover, mystery featuring Carolus Deene

This is the second Carolus Deene mystery I’ve read, the other being Death at Hallows End. In this one, Deene is hired by a cruise company to go on a cruise into the Mediterranean to protect the passengers from a possible murder. It seems the cruise company’s owner has been receiving threatening messages, stating that “death is near”. Deene reluctantly takes the job, providing his housekeeper and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Stick, also go along at no cost. And so they set off.

We get the usual set of passenger descriptions, provided as each ascends the gangplank, with the usual hints about the character or background of each, so the reader can begin making assumptions, correct or not, about each of them. It’s only a night into the cruise when a cry of “Man overboard!” is heard by Deene and some other passengers, and he goes on deck to find a deck hand and the Captain in deep discussion. They deny any such cry, and insist no one has gone overboard and no one is missing. Sure enough, next morning the Purser reports all are present.

Two nights later, one of the passengers is strangled. The next day, at the first port of call, the passenger’s husband, who has been delayed by business and is just then joining the cruise, comes aboard. When he then is given the news of his wife’s death, he insists on diverting the ship to Gibraltar to take the body off the ship and fly it home to England for burial, which is what happens. Then another murder occurs, this one onshore at the next port of call.

Deene suggests to the Captain that he he knows who is behind the deaths, but that he can’t reveal it until they return to England, or another death will occur.

This was a light, fast read, not much of a plot and pretty easy to see through the red herrings. This is not as good as Death at Hallows End, but I’ll keep my eye out for other mysteries in this series by Bruce.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

links to all of this weeks Forgotten Book posts can be found
on Patti Abbott’s blog, Pattinase

Chicago Lightning

Chicago Lightning by Max Allan Collins © 2011, Thomas & Mercer 2011 trade paper - mystery short story collection– Nate Heller

I’ve only read a couple of Collins’ Nate Heller novels, enjoyed them very much and have several more waiting on the shelf for the right time. So I was glad to see a new book listing for this and bought it right away. I had time for a short story collection recently when I was ill, and this was just the ticket.

This book collects 13 stories, all set in Chicago early in Heller’s career. Some tell the same or part of the same story from different perspectives or with a slightly time frame, but all are interesting, well written and I found them page-turning.

As far as I know, this is the only collection of Heller stories existing, or at least in print. A very satisfying collection which offers many insights into the character Heller was and will become.

a bit of Flicker never hurts

I snapped this yesterday, through a could-be-cleaner window downstairs, when this fellow visited our bird feeder. A pair of these Flickers were here for a month or two last year at this time, too.

New Arrivals, January 30 – February 5, 2012

Just one book this time, and it’s something a little different.

How to Be A Bad Bird Watcher by Simon Barnes [Short Books 2006 trade paperback, new] – non-fiction – the various reviews of this have intrigued me, all of them good, and I kept seeing mention of it here and there, and thinking “I should get that.” So a week or two ago when I came across it again I picked it up.

A review in The Observer said “An amiable mix of memoir, the merits of binoculars, Charles Darwin, laughing gulls and comments on how watching birds can compare with watching English footballers.”

Though I read mostly mystery, science fiction and fantasy, I’ve already put this on the top of the TBR as a break from those genres. Can’t wait. Review here soon.

FFB: Sands of Mars

this is the 77th in my series of forgotten books

Sands of Mars by Arthur C. Clarke, © 1951 -[publishing history: U.K.: Sidgwick & Jackson, London 1951, U.S.: Gnome Press 1952, Science Fiction Book Club 1953, Pocket Books 1954, Permabook (this copy) 1959 – cover illustration by Robert Schultz - science fiction

I first read this, in this copy, in 1959 when this edition was published. I liked it at the time, and I know that not so much because I remember as because I found a note inside that I’d put there when I finished reading it, presumably the summer of 1959, when I was between 8th grade and high school. I made a comment that it was pretty good with good detail, and gave it a “B”.

I took it off the shelf in order to read it for two SF reading challenges (or non-challenges, if you will): The 2012 Science Fiction Experience hosted by Carl V. over at Stainless Steel Droppings and Vintage Science Fiction Month run by The Little Red Reviewer. Click the links for more info on them. Here it is the 25th of January and I’m just now getting to this, so I may only have this one book, but it’s certainly “classic science fiction”.

Space stations circle the earth, the Moon has been colonized, there is an outpost on Venus and Mars has a colony. Mars Colony is fighting the hostile environment, making slow headway in the teeth of political and economic opposition from Earth, which provides the funds and supplies to keep the colony going. It seem as if Mars will never become self-sufficient, never pay off, and the politicians and tax-payers are beginning to think it’s time to give up and shut it down.

Well-known and respected science fiction author Martin Gibson has been invited by the Colony administrator to take a trip to Mars Colony aboard the Aries, a ship which will hopefully carry an increasing number of colonists to a soon-thriving colony, in spite of the sentiments on Earth. It is hoped that Gibson can give the Colony good publicity that will help persuade the authorities to loosen the purse strings and continue support for the Colony.

The trip to Mars aboard the Aries is described in detail, sometimes slow, painstaking detail that many readers today would find boring. Where’s the action and excitement?? Where’s the adventure promised on the book’s cover? It must be remembered that this book was written in 1951. What seems boring to us in 2012 elicited a sense of “oh, wow, that’s cool!” when I read it in 1959.

Gibson connects with the crew during the three month voyage, finds much to like about life on Mars and finally when it seems it will never come, something happens: a sand storm brings down a plane carrying the pilot, Gibson and two others. Finally getting a signal out to Phobos, and waiting to be rescued, the group stumbles upon something that will change the face of Mars – and the Mars Colony – forever.

A third of the way into this book I would have given it a grade of “C”, but by the time I was finished reading, I’d upgrade that to the “B” I gave it 53 years ago. Certainly not the best Clarke wrote, but worthwhile after the real classics have been read.

~  ~  ~  ~  ~

links to all of this weeks Forgotten Book posts can be found
on Patti Abbott’s blog, Pattinase

New Arrivals, January 23-29, 2012

A mix of books and music this time. Here we go.

Music of Downton Abbey by John Lunn [Decca Records December 13, 2011 audio CD, new] – soundtrack – original music from the TV series, Season One – I still haven’t seen this series, though it’s in the Netflix queue, but I listened to a few clips of the MP3 files of this and decided to buy it, on my preferred format, a CD. It’s what I’d call “a good listen”, not great, but most of it (the vocals I can skip) very pleasant.

Dragoncharm by Graham Edwards [Harper Prism 1994 mass market paperback, used] – fantasy – all I know about this is it was recommended, I got it from BookSwap, and I’ll get around to it one of these days.

Fables 15: Rose Red by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, et al [DC Vertigo 2011 trade paper, new] – graphic novel – fantasy – I have been pounding the pulpit, so to speak, about Fables since the first comics showed up at my local comic shop. When the first collection was published I gave it my highest rating and a rave review, and have done so again with each successive volume, and deservedly so. This is the only comic / graphic novel I currently read. After moving to Portland, the only good comic shop is a ways away, and I just don’t get there very often. Thus, I buy what I know and this is it. Highly recommended! Start at the beginning (vol. 1) and try this, you won’t regret it.

Fables 16: Super Team by Bill Willingham, Mark Bucking ham, et al [DC Vertigo 2011 trade paper, new] – graphic novel – fantasy – I have been pounding the pulpit, so to speak about Fables since the first comics showed up at my local comic shop. When the first collection was published I gave it my highest rating and a rave review, and have done so again with each successive volume, and deservedly so. Highly recommended! Start at the beginning (vol. 1) and try this, you won’t regret it.

The Film Music of Brian Easdale – BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Rumon Gamba, conducting [Chandos Movies 2011 CD, total time: 76:42, new] – film music from various films – I continue to buy the Chandos film music CDs, I find them very enjoyable listening, even better when I put them in the 5-disc changer on Random and they spin away for hours. This one contains music from the films The Red Shoes, Kew Gardnes, Black Narcissis, Battle of the River Platte (only a march), Adventure On! and Gone to Earth. Confession: I had this on my Amazon wish list for a long time, but no one got it for me, so after Christmas, I bought it for myself. That’ll show ‘em!

Johan Halvorson Orchestral Works volume 1 – Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi conducting [Chandos 2010 audio CD, total time: 76:48, new] – classical music – I’m new to Halvorsen, so I bought this and the next listed CDs to try his music. This one has Symphony No. 1, the Suiyte from Mascarade and three short pieces.

Johan Halvorson Orchestral Works volume 3 - Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, Neeme Järvi conducting [Chandos 2011 audio CD, total time: 80:32, new] – classical music – I’m new to Halvorsen, so I bought this and the next listed CDs to try his music. This one has Symphony No. 3, Fossgrimen Suite and three short pieces.