Current Non-Genre Reading III

[Randy M.]

Finished Japanese Tales of Mystery and the Imagination by Edogawa Rampo. Rampo was influenced by Western mystery/detective writers, and especially Edgar Allan Poe, drawing his title from the title from Poe's first book of stories. This contains Gothic, macabre tales that seem on the verge of spilling over into the supernatural while displaying their psychological underpinnings, with one exception and I'm not saying which. There is much of doubling/twins/doppelgangers here, and an interesting use of vision and perceived reality. A good read with the added interest of seeing a popular Western genre through Eastern eyes. Would make an interesting October read.

 

[Ropie]

Finished another - my 17th in fact - Iain (M) Banks novel, The Business.

This was the usual absolute pleasure to read as is normally the case with anything by Banks. The machinations and secrets behind the running of the ancient organization known as The Business were very interesting, quite amusing and wholly credible. Also with some extremely well-written characters, up there with his best probably. The only problem here was that the grand reveal of the secret behind the corruption was a bit of a damp squib.

4 / 5

 

[Westy]

I read Papillon, the purported true story/autobiography of Henri Charrière (nicknamed Papillon), who was wrongfully convicted of murder in the early 1930's and sentenced to life. The narrative follows his life in prison and his many attempted (and many successful) breaks from various institutions.

I can't even remember if I've read the whole book before (but did see the movie with Steve McQueen many years ago), either way it was an engrossing read - the often squalid conditions prisoners live in, the detailed planning behind the prison breaks, but I think above all it's Papillon's positive attitude throughout. A big message of the story is loyalty to your friends and treating people with respect, and this comes across strongly in the writing style. The book also had a map as the end paper which tracked his travels throughout the north part of South America, which was good to flick to while reading the story.

The true story side of things also makes it absorbing to read - although Papillon has said it's "75% true story" and commentators since have thought many of the anecdotes were based on other prisoners/friends of Papillon. Either way it was a great read.

 

[AtramentousFlux]

Nuclear war renders pretty much every land mass on the planet uninhabitable. The crew of the Nathan James have to find somewhere to live before the ship's nuclear fuel is exhausted.

This could have been shorter. The writing style is long-winded and extensive use of a thesaurus appears to have been involved. I found myself speed-skipping pages at a time.

 

[suciul]

I read Papillon, the purported true story/autobiography of Henri Charrière (nicknamed Papillon), who was wrongfully convicted of murder in the early 1930's and sentenced to life. The narrative follows his life in prison and his many attempted (and many successful) breaks from various institutions.

That's an excellent book I've read quite a few times decades ago when I was growing up - one of the guilty pleasures of that time alongside S Hassel's Legion the Damned series; not sure how I would perceive it today (and of course how good is the English translation) - the movie with Steve McQueen was decent but again I watched so long ago I do not remember much - the more recent one with Rami Malek was fairly good also

 

[Westy]

the more recent one with Rami Malek was fairly good also

Wasn't aware of that, might check it out.

 

[pogopossum]

Liked the setup. In 1087, a monk is sent out to retrieve (steal) the remains of St Nicholas, a long dead (343 CE) saint famous for miracles associated with his remains and pleas for his intervention. Yeah, we're talking Santa Claus.
Based on historical accounts of attempted grave robbing, the book has a plethora of characters. A holy monk, accomplished thieves, various poobahs, Ecclesiastical and Civil, who lust for his remains. Even Turkish invaders who had just taken over his place of interment.
Starts off lively. When I saw a laudatory review I was enthused. The book does sag towards the end. The various ratings that I looked at averaged four of five stars. I had hoped for more medieval flavor rather than theft capers. I'd give it a medium positive.

 

[pogopossum]

Things That Go Bump In The Universe by C. Renee James.

Cephid variables, Supernovas, Pulsars, Gravitational Wave Astronomy. At least 30 different cosmic bodies and behaviors, few of which I had any real knowledge of as compared to the detailed discussions in this 25 chapter book.
The author deals with most of these bodies, forces and discoveries conversationally. Generally with astrophysicists who are the scientists currently exploring these phenomena. Thus it is not a text but something that a non scientist (me) history major can (mostly) follow. It is however not simplistic. The detail was, almost overpowering.,The NYT review that occasioned my picking it up says, "James’s journey through the study of these objects is exhilarating, sometimes difficult, but ultimately rewarding thanks to her cheerful, agreeable prose; she is better than most astrophysicists at explaining their sometimes abstruse work."
My favorite image is of a pulsar that revolves 716 times per second (not a typo). This is a body larger than our sun. The author nicknames it "Zippy"
A fascinating but often difficult read. I did put it down for weeks at a time to relax with collections of old SF. But went back to it. Got it from the library. Go thou and do likewise.

 

[suciul]

Finished A Cafe on the Nile by Bartle Bull (Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935), the second in his Anton Rider tetralogy starting with the excellent The White Rhino Hotel (WW1 in Africa and its aftermath) and continuing with The Devil's Oasis (WW2 in the desert 1939-1941). Excellent novel - my Goodreads review below and the blurb after

The second in the Anton Rider tetralogy set more than a decade later during the start of the Italian invasion of Ethiopia. A bit slow going in the beginning, the novel starts in Cairo where the dwarf Olivio owns the cafe of the title and the main characters gather.
The novel follows a few threads - Anton's safari in Ethiopia with two rich American twin girls out for adventure and fun and the artist fiance of one of them, Gwenn's journey to keep her two sons fed and educated at all costs while she pursues her dream medical career, Ernst' scheme to swindle the Italians and get himself a fortune, Olivio and Lord Penfold schemes to get rich buying pieces of desert that will get irrigated under the Egyptian government plans to expand their agriculture and (new series character) Enzo Grimaldi, colonel aviator in the Italian invasion force and longtime lover and protector of Gwenn who left Anton once their Kenyan estate failed and Anton refused to leave his nomadic safari organizer and guide life, Enzo who is outraged that Gwenn plans to go to Ethiopia in a Red Cross uniform to help the natives if/when the Italians invade.
Most of the narratives are excellent - only Olivio's quest for riches and to extend his life (he is 50 which is very ancient for a person with his disabilities and he hires a German-Swiss expert to help him live longer) are less interesting, while unexpectedly Enzo's journey (among other things he has to babysit Mussolini's young sons who want to be aviators, obfuscate the Italian use of toxic gases against the Ethiopians and eliminate any credible witnesses like western aid workers) is very interesting as the colonel, brutal and a believer in Italian destiny to rule in Africa, has also a moral code of his own as opposed to some of his fascist officers who are just brutal.
The safari part and the tension between the twins and Anton is also excellent with memorable scenes like when the twins fight for the right to spy on Anton making love with his Portuguese "contesse" friend from the last book whom he meets by chance during their journey, while Ernst' monomaniacal goal to get a fortune from the Italian pay chests lead him to interesting encounters, including a stint as civet feeder at an island monastery and a grudge to the death ongoing fight with colonel Grimaldi who of course wants to recover the money...
And so it goes, alternating between the narratives, with some more energetic than others, so the book reads somewhat in a start, stop, start again manner but it is definitely worth. No sugarcoating of the difficult life in the bush, of the hideous brutality of war and of the lengths people go for money and power, with tragedy and triumph and with no one coming unscathed from their experiences, if of course they survive it...
Highly recommended and even better than White Rhino in many ways

Blurb:

It is 1935 in East Africa. Mussolini's armies are streaming by the hundreds of thousands through Suez on a march to Ethiopia. In the desert the Italian Air Force, equipped with bombs and poison gas, prepares for invasion. Abyssinia sits on the edge of a nightmare that will alter modern history, while safaris in the African highlands cater to the excesses of the wealthy and disenchanted. And in Cairo, on the Nile, the cosmopolitan crowd gathers at the Cataract Café to gamble with destiny.
All paths cross at the Cataract Café. There, with a single word, a simple gesture, an extravagant gift, alliances are drawn, deals made, and fates unwittingly determined for the memorable cast of characters that people this tale of high adventure. There professional hunter Anton Rider's Gypsy blood runs cold when he spies his estranged wife, Gwenn, with her lover, the Italian count and aviator Lorenzo Grimaldi. There the spoiled, rich American twins from Lexington, Bernadette and Harriet Mills, contract Rider for an ill-fated safari across East Africa with Ernst von Decken, a German freebooter who has stolen a fortune in silver from the Italian army. There Olivio Alavedo, the Goan proprietor of the Cataract Café, celebrates the fifty years that have blessed him with the friendship of the down-at-the-heel English lord Adam Penfold, with a good wife, six daughters, an exotic mistress, and useful political connections. A dwarf, Olivio also suffers his age and knows he won’t see fifty-five. But no one knows just how dangerously the days are numbered at the Cataract Café.

 

[Westy]

I read Extreme Measures, no 11 in the Match Rapp spy thriller series by Vince Flynn.

This one was a bit uneven overall - the side plot of secondary character Nash's private life slowed things down, and a big portion of the novel was courtroom drama that was also a bit tedious at times (and unrealistic, happening while there's the threat of a terror attack). Also unrealistic was a senator's complete back flip on her core beliefs; the message behind the novel was not subtle.

But the scenes involving Rapp interrogating and chasing down terrorists were great at times, unfortunately on the whole though an average read.

 

[blailock]

I read Mind Prey by John Sandford. This is the 7th Lucas Davenport book. This one has some pretty hardcore violence in it, which I don't mind. It's a solid, short read.

 

[Raf]

Finished, "Blood Feud: Wolves of Odin 1 by S.J.A. Turney. Pretty decent Viking offering. Book 1 of a 5 book series. I had run across Turney when I read his "Ottoman Cycle" series earlier this year. One of my favorite reads of 2025. Thought I'd give this one a try.

In a world of emerging Christianity, Halfdan's (MC) Father still holds out and worships the old ways. And the pantheon of Norse Gods. Once a legendary warrior, his Father now farms and is the leader of a small village on the island of Gottland off the Swedish coast. A visit from the King's son demanding an Oath of Fealty leads to the slaughter of the entire village upon the discovery of worship & sacrifice in the old Norse ways in the village.

Young Halfdan watches as his father and mother are killed and the village burned on the order of Halmigli the Christian Friar accompanying Yngvarr, son of the King. Though young, Halfdan declares a Blood Feud with Yngvarr.

Fast forward 15 years and Halfdan has acquired a ship and a crew. He learns that Yngvarr has sailed to Rus (Russia) to provision a fleet to explore and raid. Halfdan means to join Ynvarr's Fleet and work his vengeance...and maybe make a bit of coin along the way.

Good story. On to the 2nd in the series, "The Bear of Byzantium".

 

[Randy M.]

Just finished Cat of Many Tails by Ellery Queen, first published in 1949 and reissued this year in the American Mystery Classics series edited by Otto Penzler.

Ellery joins the investigation to help his father, Inspector Queen, after the Cat has strangled four people, all with a cord of silk, and none of the victims have any traceable connection to each other.

Ellery Queen (cousins Fredric Dannay and Manifred B. Lee) was as close to the American Agatha Christie as there was in the 1920s into the 1950s. There is some very good writing here, but as with so many detective novels of the period, there is little in the way of characterization of the detective -- Ellery is largely (like Hercule Poirot and Philo Vance and Dr. Fell and ...) a collection of quirks. And yet the book gives the impression of a greater maturity than the early Queens. If you like old mysteries that don't require much from the reader other than following the plot, it's a good, often tense read.

 

[Raf]

Finished the 2nd novel of S.J.A. Turney's "Wolves of Odin" series. "The Bear of Byzantium". After the battles in Georgia, Halfdan and the hardy crew of the Sea Wolf sail to Constantinople seeking to join the fabled Varangian Guard. An elite unit of northern warriors oathbound to the Emperor of Byzantium and his Queen.

This book was slower than the last. With a lot of emphasis on city politics and factions. It was an okay read. The author seems to treat each book as a separate story in the further adventures of the Sea Wolves. And does not leave the story on a cliffhanger, but rather leaves crew off to new adventures in Italy. So, I'm comfortable with setting this series aside for awhile to read something else.

 

[blailock]

I read The Waiting which is the latest Ballard/Bosch novel. Well, there wasn't much Harry in this one, but it seems Connelly is trying to pass the torch from Harry to Maddy Bosch. I'm not wild about that. I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't one of my favorites. I want more Harry and less Maddy.

 

[Raf]

Reading "Alexander: God of War" by Christian Cameron. Slow going though, as it is a lengthy book. Good story and it answers some of the progression issues I had with his "Tyrant" series. Ideally you should read this book before you start the Tyrant series. I did not but I can see the tie-ins now.

 

[suciul]

Finished Statesman of Rome by T Cloutier (it is KU so free with subscription) the ending (presumably at least) of the Marcus Agrippa trilogy and it was excellent like the first in the series - the second was ok but not as good. My Goodreads review:

This was an excellent series-ending novel - presumably as it definitely can be continued if the author wants it. Based on the conceit that Marcus Agrippa was actually an impostor (the whole tale is told in the first volume) though much more capable and loyal to Caesar Augustus than the "original", this novel starts soon after the Perusian war in 40 BC, when Agrippa is sent by Octavius Caesar (not yet Augustus of course) to Gaul to deal with difficulties there and essentially ends after Actium and the conquest of Egypt - the conceit now is that the narrator Agrippa, now close to 80 and living in obscurity after he faked his death some 25 years or so earlier -and telling this tale just after Augustus' death is also on the verge of death by some incurable malady of old age, so he has time to recount only the momentous events until Augustus won supreme power at the battle of Actium and consolidated it after looting Egypt the following year to pay the troops and rebuild Rome, while going fast in a few pages over everything that came after, but with the promise to tell more details if he gets better...

This solves neatly the main issue of this being the last book of a trilogy that would cover a long period (in reality Agrippa lived another 18 years or so after the conquest of Egypt in 30 BC, so the trilogy which essentially covers the years 48-30 is about only the first half of his adult life), while of course leaving room for more if somehow the fake Agrippa gets better even only temporarily and wants to write more about his life.

The novel has excellent pace and narrative power and a very good mixture of action - battle on land and at sea as well as personal combat - with intrigue, politics and personal details like Agrippa's first (and last) interview with Cleopatra which is superbly done.

Highly recommended and while the second series novel is not quite of the same quality, this one and the series debut are superb and the whole series a great reading experience overall.

 

[Raf]

Reading "Alexander: God of War" by Christian Cameron. Slow going though, as it is a lengthy book at 800+ pages. Good story and it answers some of the progression issues I had with his "Tyrant" series. Ideally you should read this book before you start the Tyrant series. I did not but I can see the tie-ins now.

Finally finished this epic fictional account of the life and eventual death of Alexander the Great. This book also ties into the characters in Cameron's "Tyrant" series. I always wondered how he could kill off such an interesting character as "Kineas" in a single book. But the Tyrant series was the end of Kineas's story, not the beginning.

Told in first person by Ptolemy, King of Egypt to Kineas's teenage son, Satyrus in the time following Kineas's death. Ptolemy was a childhood friend of Alexander, son of Philip of Macedon. Trained in the brutal Macedonian Court as Grooms. Grooms were the "Squires" and eventual Officers in the Cavalry & armies of Macedon.

Long convinced of his pending Godhood, Alexander gathers his childhood friends and challenges the rule of his father Philip. As well as his father's Generals. In one blindingly successful battle after another, Alexander molds a military force that eventually conquers all of Macedon, the Greek Peninsula, Persia and eventually India.

After 5 years of continuous war, Alexander's armies rebel and force him to return home. But on the trip home, Alexander continues to fight one small war after another until his officers eventually poison him.

Really an outstanding book and character study. Christian Cameron at his best.

 

[suciul]

....

After 5 years of continuous war, Alexander's armies rebel and force him to return home. But on the trip home, Alexander continues to fight one small war after another until his officers eventually poison him.

Really an outstanding book and character study. Christian Cameron at his best.

I liked the book too when I read it on publication though I thought both the fairly negative portrait of Alexander and the poisoning were a bit over the top - while poisoning has never been conclusively excluded, the many and ultimately debilitating injuries Alexander took in his campaigns were more than enough to lead to his early death. There is a very interesting series by Robert Fabbri about the wars of the succesors - currently at 5 volumes, I really enjoyed the first 4 though didn't get yet to the 5th. Unfortunately, the audiobooks are narrated by P Kenny of whom I am not a big fan, to say the least...

 

[Raf]

I liked the book too when I read it on publication though I thought both the fairly negative portrait of Alexander and the poisoning were a bit over the top - while poisoning has never been conclusively excluded, the many and ultimately debilitating injuries Alexander took in his campaigns were more than enough to lead to his early death. There is a very interesting series by Robert Fabbri about the wars of the succesors - currently at 5 volumes, I really enjoyed the first 4 though didn't get yet to the 5th. Unfortunately, the audiobooks are narrated by P Kenny of whom I am not a big fan, to say the least...

As a fictional account of a historical character, I guess the author chose to take his story in that direction. While some believe he died of wounds taken in battle, there are still scholars that posit poisoning as the possible cause of death. And some go so far as to suggest Ptolemy as the suspect. Though anyone with a grudge and access could have done so.