Recent Reading

Spring Break is always good for shrinking the "To Read" pile.

Tithe by Holly Black: having just seen Ms. Black at Vericon, I was inspired to try her books again. I really enjoyed this one; the teenaged narrator sounded just right and the plot went in unusual directions. This isn't what I was expecting from the author of "Spiderwick" and I mean that as a compliment.

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson: this is his first published novel. As such, it's amazingly assured. The plot hangs together nicely, the characters are well-developed, and a large number of people die. (Note: I don't demand that my favorite authors kill off their characters, but if a plague decimates the city, I expect something like 10% of the named characters to suffer also.)

The Voyage of the Sable Keech by Neal Asher (technically, a re-read): another bloody, lengthy, twisty adventure from Mr. Asher. Explains a good bit more about the Prador and why the Second Kingdom became the Third Kingdom.

The Magicians and Mrs. Quent by Galen Beckett: it's not quite England, it's not quite Pride and Prejudice, and almost nobody really believes in magic... I found this book utterly charming, but most of my friends thought it was too derivative and dragged in the early sections.

Plenty by Yottam Ottolenghi: I managed to score a properly British edition (not the one in the link) which uses Gas Marks, Celsius, and British terms for vegetables. I had to ask DH to translate a lot of it for me! Still, the recipes look fabulous and reading this just before bedtime gave me lovely dreams for a week.

fresh coriander = cilantro
courgettes = zucchini
aubergine = eggplant
rocket = some wild green akin to arugula
samphire = another wild green
mange toute = peas that can be eaten with their pod on
haricots = very thin green beans

I feel fairly confident that I'm forgetting at least one novel, but I'll just cover it on the next report!