Mad Hatter's Reading Log - January

Ahh, a fresh year. Back to book 1. I've been very remiss in posting my log so expect the February list quite soon as well. And yes, I am trying to get back on to a regular review schedule. I'm in the process of selling my house. We have an offer and it looks to be closing in the next few weeks after which a sigh of relief will be head round the world.

1.  Faith by John Love - Full review here.
2.  Shadow Ops: Control Point by Myke Cole - After a false start I couldn't put this contemporaneity military fantasy down. Wizard/special ops FTW. A very character driven story with lots of flashy magic. Review to hopefully come soon.
3.  A Little Gold Book of Ghastly Stuff by Neil Gaiman - A fun little trip down Gaiman lane with a few early and rare stories, poems, and popular blog posts. The opening poem "Before You Read This" particularly set things off quite nicely. Also included is "Featherquest," his first published story, which shows how much he has grown and also how much Moorcock he read in his earlier years. Definitely recommend for hardcore fans, but already a little difficult to track down.
4.  Miss Tamara, The Reader by Zoran Zivkovic - A nice suite of stories all taking a different path relating to books. Some are quite strange while others are more mundane, but as a whole the collection shows the different facets of adulthood and turns into a very introspective read given the questions the author poses. What would you want the last book you read to be if you could choose? Highly recommended.

5.  Perfect Shadow by Brent Weeks - A must for Night Angel fans telling the origin story of Druzo Blint. The story itself is a little clunky towards the end, but rekindles the world quite nicely. Getting to see Momma K develop was actually more a joy though.
6.  The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss - A gorgeously designed flip book unlike you've ever seen. Really something to behold and the story matches the level of care of the packaging. It is a pair of stories told from opposite points of view in a budding romance in a very endearing fashion. Though it can be read first from either the man or woman's perspective I think it is best to go with the woman's. Highly recommended.
7.  Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed - Sword & Sorcery done in a gritty style with a protagonist who is been there, killed that, and needs to retire. Reviewed here.
8.  Hitchers by Will McIntosh - A very different style and tone then McIntosh employed in his debut Soft Apocalypse [reviewed here] with a more offbeat quality. The story deals with comic strips, mass murder, and the return of spirits hitching a ride. Recommended.

9.  Stories for Nighttime and Some for The Day by Ben Loory - A delightful collection of new fables. It reminded me of Zivkovic only with a lot more humor. I'm eager to see what else Loory can do as this is one of the best collections I've read recently. Recommended.
10. Tale of Sand by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl - Beautifully odd just like nearly everything Henson created early in his career. Archaia and the artist have done his legacy proud and given it a trippy feel. One would also think if this lost screenplay ever got produced while he was alive might have led him in an entirely different direction.
11. Dragon's Deal by Robert Asprin and Jody Lynn Nye - This is a DNF despite the fact I enjoyed the first two books in this UF series Dragons Wild and Dragons Luck. The series is set in New Orleans, a setting I generally love. I tried my best to get through it, but too much focus on card playing just dragged things down.  Part of the problem stems from the fact that Asprin passed away before the book was complete and Nye was working from an outline and some written sections. Oh, well.

Although this was a bit of a slow start to reading this year things are looking good for genre fiction if we're to judge by Saladin Ahmed, John Love, and Myke Cole's debuts. They each offer a different flavor. Ahmed with his action, Love with his psychological explorations, and Cole bringing a modern flare to Military Fantasy. You can't go wrong with any of them.

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REVIEW | Soft Apocalypse by Will McIntosh
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REVIEW | Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed