Spring cleaning
Sep. 20th, 2009 04:00 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
trixtahI'm renewing the lease on my flat - I've been here over a year, OMG - and the nice landlady wants to do an inspection. Also, it was about time I got it looking slightly more presentable.
As part the spring clean, I've cleared out the load of books that have ended up by my bed. This in no way represents the total of what I've read these last few months - it's just the ones I happened to finish it some point before switching off my light. :-)
Creation in Death - JD Robb. I love these trashy futuristic detective stories. Not candy floss - more salt n vinegar chips washed down with a beer.
In the Last Analysis - Amanda Cross. This is the first Kate Fansler detective story that "Amanda Cross" (Carolyn Heilbrun) wrote in the early 60s, and how nice to see a strong independent female detective-cum-academic lead character in that era.
Economia - by Geoff Davies. This is a very long look at alternatives to the current economic systems. He is a geologist by trade, and navigates an unusual route to discuss what he thinks an economy could look like (he essentially likes mutual banking systems). The main things I agree with are the fact that growth for growth's sake is unsustainable, and that despite the pretence otherwise, economics is a social science, and humans are not necessarily rational actors. So, interesting food for thought, but I unfortunately believe - like anarchism - his ideas have a snowball's chance of being implemented.
A Grave Talent - Laurie R. King. I think Laurie King is one of the best contemporary detective writers. She writes a whole series based on the Sherlock Holmes stories - which are great and really well done - but this is one of her lesbian detective stories. So nice to have queer protagonists in books written by non-queer authors.
Undead and Unwed - MaryJanice Davidson. Just as trashy as you might expect, but an amusing romp.
Fool's Gold - Gillian Tett. This book by a Financial Times journo is the best analysis of the recent credit meltdown I've read so far. While she leans a little heavily on her apparent sources inside J.P. Morgan, she clearly explains the issues, what CDOs and the other derivatives actually do, and also explains some of the personalities involved. I laughed out loud at the assertion by one of the players that markets are "efficient and rational" - do economists and other people in the money business seriously still believe that? - but she reported it with a straight face.
I Never Knew That About London - Christopher Winn. Little quirky facts about various places around London, organised loosely by borough. Since I've read quite a bit of the history of London, there was a reasonable amount I did know, but there are also lots of interesting nuggets that I didn't.
Confessions of an Eco Sinner - Fred Pearce. This guy decides to trace the origins of various goods and foods he consumes, and finds out some interesting stuff. Frank, but balanced and non-preachy.
Strong Poison - Dorothy Sayers. A classic. Nuff said.
Dare, Truth or Promise - Paula Boock. A great teenage coming-out story/romance set in NZ. One of the better ones I've read from any country.
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte. Another classic.
Big Bangs - Howard Goodall. A book based on a TV series done by the composer to discuss the five greatest innovations in Western music. He talks about musical notation, the invention of the piano, the equal temperament developed by Bach, opera, and the invention of recorded sound (he makes the observation that recorded music actually makes it possible to listen to music by ancient instruments that would not normally remain in tune for an entire piece). All interesting stuff.
Amazons - edited by Jessica Salmonson. This is a fairly typical assemblage of fantasy short stories written by women up to the 1980s. She says in the introduction that the stories were not chosen to be about victims or revenge, but seriously, FAIL. Depressing earnest angsty stuff, and it epitomises the strain of women's SFF I loathe. Sort of the flip side of the Stephen Donaldson/George R.R. Martin genre. God knows why I've hung onto it this long - time to toss it.
Sacred Spirit - Mercedes Lackey. I know I know, about Lackey, but about 1 in 7 of her books are entertaining reads, even if they're not the most nuanced fantasy books in the world. These are like eating fries from McDonalds - you know you shouldn't, but sometimes they just hit the spot.
The Time Trap. Classic time management how-to book, and it's bounced off me entirely. I need to figure out a way of organising myself, but I haven't come up with a method that's likely to work for me yet. I am not and have never been a list-maker, and a book that is essentially about making lists doesn't help much.
Wavewalker - Stella Duffy. I love these suspense books by Stella Duffy. Kiwi-in-London author with dyke protagonist FTW.
Lois Lenz, Lesbian Secretary - Monica Nolan. A hilarious piss-take of 1950s pulp novels, and a cute romance story as well.
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen. Totally my favourite Austen, closely followed by Northanger Abbey.
Play Piercing - Deborah Addington. Pretty obvious what this one's about!
The Flame Takers - Lilith Norman. Classic children's fantasy story by a prominent Australian children's author. I bought the book from AbeBooks for a ridiculous amount of money quite recently. Of course it's out of print.
The Changeover - Margaret Mahy. One of Mahy's best young adult stories, set in suburban NZ. I like her combination of suspense with nice resolutions, and the fact she doesn't back away from teenage sexuality.
As part the spring clean, I've cleared out the load of books that have ended up by my bed. This in no way represents the total of what I've read these last few months - it's just the ones I happened to finish it some point before switching off my light. :-)
Creation in Death - JD Robb. I love these trashy futuristic detective stories. Not candy floss - more salt n vinegar chips washed down with a beer.
In the Last Analysis - Amanda Cross. This is the first Kate Fansler detective story that "Amanda Cross" (Carolyn Heilbrun) wrote in the early 60s, and how nice to see a strong independent female detective-cum-academic lead character in that era.
Economia - by Geoff Davies. This is a very long look at alternatives to the current economic systems. He is a geologist by trade, and navigates an unusual route to discuss what he thinks an economy could look like (he essentially likes mutual banking systems). The main things I agree with are the fact that growth for growth's sake is unsustainable, and that despite the pretence otherwise, economics is a social science, and humans are not necessarily rational actors. So, interesting food for thought, but I unfortunately believe - like anarchism - his ideas have a snowball's chance of being implemented.
A Grave Talent - Laurie R. King. I think Laurie King is one of the best contemporary detective writers. She writes a whole series based on the Sherlock Holmes stories - which are great and really well done - but this is one of her lesbian detective stories. So nice to have queer protagonists in books written by non-queer authors.
Undead and Unwed - MaryJanice Davidson. Just as trashy as you might expect, but an amusing romp.
Fool's Gold - Gillian Tett. This book by a Financial Times journo is the best analysis of the recent credit meltdown I've read so far. While she leans a little heavily on her apparent sources inside J.P. Morgan, she clearly explains the issues, what CDOs and the other derivatives actually do, and also explains some of the personalities involved. I laughed out loud at the assertion by one of the players that markets are "efficient and rational" - do economists and other people in the money business seriously still believe that? - but she reported it with a straight face.
I Never Knew That About London - Christopher Winn. Little quirky facts about various places around London, organised loosely by borough. Since I've read quite a bit of the history of London, there was a reasonable amount I did know, but there are also lots of interesting nuggets that I didn't.
Confessions of an Eco Sinner - Fred Pearce. This guy decides to trace the origins of various goods and foods he consumes, and finds out some interesting stuff. Frank, but balanced and non-preachy.
Strong Poison - Dorothy Sayers. A classic. Nuff said.
Dare, Truth or Promise - Paula Boock. A great teenage coming-out story/romance set in NZ. One of the better ones I've read from any country.
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte. Another classic.
Big Bangs - Howard Goodall. A book based on a TV series done by the composer to discuss the five greatest innovations in Western music. He talks about musical notation, the invention of the piano, the equal temperament developed by Bach, opera, and the invention of recorded sound (he makes the observation that recorded music actually makes it possible to listen to music by ancient instruments that would not normally remain in tune for an entire piece). All interesting stuff.
Amazons - edited by Jessica Salmonson. This is a fairly typical assemblage of fantasy short stories written by women up to the 1980s. She says in the introduction that the stories were not chosen to be about victims or revenge, but seriously, FAIL. Depressing earnest angsty stuff, and it epitomises the strain of women's SFF I loathe. Sort of the flip side of the Stephen Donaldson/George R.R. Martin genre. God knows why I've hung onto it this long - time to toss it.
Sacred Spirit - Mercedes Lackey. I know I know, about Lackey, but about 1 in 7 of her books are entertaining reads, even if they're not the most nuanced fantasy books in the world. These are like eating fries from McDonalds - you know you shouldn't, but sometimes they just hit the spot.
The Time Trap. Classic time management how-to book, and it's bounced off me entirely. I need to figure out a way of organising myself, but I haven't come up with a method that's likely to work for me yet. I am not and have never been a list-maker, and a book that is essentially about making lists doesn't help much.
Wavewalker - Stella Duffy. I love these suspense books by Stella Duffy. Kiwi-in-London author with dyke protagonist FTW.
Lois Lenz, Lesbian Secretary - Monica Nolan. A hilarious piss-take of 1950s pulp novels, and a cute romance story as well.
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen. Totally my favourite Austen, closely followed by Northanger Abbey.
Play Piercing - Deborah Addington. Pretty obvious what this one's about!
The Flame Takers - Lilith Norman. Classic children's fantasy story by a prominent Australian children's author. I bought the book from AbeBooks for a ridiculous amount of money quite recently. Of course it's out of print.
The Changeover - Margaret Mahy. One of Mahy's best young adult stories, set in suburban NZ. I like her combination of suspense with nice resolutions, and the fact she doesn't back away from teenage sexuality.