It has been quite a while since I last posted on the blog… loads of things happening at the moment, amidst work and getting ready to receive a new member to our little family (baby due at any moment!!!!)

However, since I really can’t afford to neglect my quick reviews (and lose my Netgalley feedback ratio), here are a couple of quick notes on a few recent reads for your perusal.

The Magician’s Land – Lev Grossman

Rarely have I come across such polarising books as The Magicians trilogy. For those not familiar with the story, think of Hogwarts as an American university rather than an English boarding school. And as such, a common reaction is to consider it a pure and blatant Harry Potter / Narnia rip-off? As derivative as a book can be? Others would say its an homage to the fantasy genre, while adding an adult, gritty spin to the fantasy genre, showing what actually happens when we grow out of magic. Truth be told, I enjoyed the first two books, but did felt put-off by its derivative nature. But then I read The Magician’s Land. It’s rare to come across such a satisfying end to a story, everything wrapped up so nicely, such a fitting conclusion. And now, when I see the whole story of Quentin and his adventures, I can only say, what a treat. Definitely a fan, and extremely recommended. Read it. Now. 5 / 5

Half Bad – Sally Green

I actually quite enjoyed Ms Green’s debut novel. Again, like above, the Harry Potter theme is quite present, but with an interesting edge, tone, voice. I loved the writing style, the short sentences resonating the main character Nathan’s sense of silence, brevity, anguish. Not a perfect book, but clearly hooked enough to be looking out for the sequel next year. Let’s give it a 4 / 5.

Lock in – John Scalzi

Having thoroughly enjoyed Scalzi’s previous effort Redshirts, I was really looking forward to this one. Went with high hopes… and nope! Just not good enough. Premise was interesting, clearly setting up a future franchise, but whether it was the tone (not real enough), the lack of character building (not good enough), it just didn’t do it for me. Poor execution. “M’eh” is the word that comes to mind. Feel free to give it a pass. 2 / 5.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay – Michael Chabon

Friends that share my taste in books were always shocked when I told them I actually had never read Kavalier and Clay, a Pulitzer winning novel set in the Golden Age of comics. I finally managed to get around to it. Suffice to say, all of its accolades are richly and truly deserved. If you consider the first two-thirds of the book, in my opinion, this is a masterpiece in every literary sense: the writing, the characters, the stories, the intertwining of real and fiction. You feel like you are reading a non-fiction about the history of comic books, yet you are completely captured in the moment, rooting for these two young comic artists trying to make it. Everything feels truly amazing. If only the last third worked better… the story winds down very quickly without much sense of resolution… and it just doesn’t do the story justice. I understand rumours abound about a sequel, but who knows. I still give it 5 stars, and will consider it amongst one of the best reads of the year. But I just wished I could give it more.