literature.cafe chat

I have been working through the short stories in the 1st Thieves’ World Anthology. It’s easily been on my TBR list since the 90’s from when I read one of the follow up books about one of the characters, Shadowspawn. If I manage to get through that before the next post, I’m either going to go on to Gulliver’s Travels or start the Zelda Twilight, Princess Manga.

Haven't gotten around to reading that much, been busy unfortunately.

I walked into a random bookstore and got advised to read “Rossignol” by Audrey Pleynet. As far as I know it has only been published in French, but I hope this is going to change.

It’s a short read, but absolutely amazing. A woman is on the run, and mixes memories of her past in a futuristic space station to flashes of her escape. Only slowly do all the pieces fall together, creating a tale with many emotions, strange characters and glimpses of a lively mixed station where all are welcome, but where tensions between groups are rising.

I loved it for the deep characterization of the main character, while all others are just fast drafts. I loved it for the sci-fi and the politics and the action.

I started it yesterday and already finished it.

I’m most of the way through Murtagh by Christopher Paolini. And then I think I’ll be starting The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

It starts with the nameless narrator experiencing a near-fatal car crash due to his drug and alcohol induced hallucinations. During his lengthy recovery in the burn ward, he meets a psych patient who alleges their story begins 700 years ago in a German monastery. She tells him stories about their past in Germany, including how she obtained and translated a copy of Dante's Inferno predating all known German translations. She tells other stories too, about a Japanese glass craftswoman, an Icelandic Viking, an Italian blacksmith, maybe some others, most of whom die young and tragically. She's also a talented sculptor of stone gargoyles, a skill she allegedly learned from the narrator. The narrator suspects her stories are just the delusions of a schizophrenic, but can't go back to his pre-accident life, so he agrees to go home with her to continue his recovery, and maybe learn a little more about her and why she's taken an interest in him.

I'm about 3/4 through it and impressed with how it's written. Unfortunately, I never read the Divine Comedy, so I'm pretty sure I missed some things that a better educated reader would have recognized.

Working my way through book 12 of the Serge Storm mysteries by Tim Dorsey, Gator a-go-go. Who doesn't like a comedic series about serial killer.

Way to much work literature to my taste.