reading doldrums

[winterbadger]

I've been watching a great deal more than I've been reading in the last 2-3 months. About the only titles I think I can add at present are

Go Saddle the Sea and Bridle the Wind by Joan Aiken (18, 19): Young adult adventure stories by one of the masters of the genre. I read many of her Wolves of Willoughby Chase books when I was young, followed by a good many of her short stories and novels for adults. She has a strong sense of whimsy and magical realism that come alive here, but grounded in a historical context. I enjoyed these a great deal and am reading the third of the trilogy now. One thing that's striking is her vivid description of the different places that the hero, Felix Brooke, travels to in Spain, England, and France. She clearly researched the locations; who knows? She may have traveled to them. I've gotten the urge to put together a small website chronicling Felix's travels, with maps and notes about the real-world places descrived in the text. We'll see if the urge is strong enough to carry through.

In progress:
The Teeth of the Gale by Joan Aiken
How Can Man Die Better: The Secrets of Isandhlwana Revealed by Mike Snook
Dunkirk: Retreat to Victory by MG Julian Thompson
Empire of the Mind: A History of Iran by Michael Axworthy
Boer Commando by Denneys Reitz

Comments

[rolypolypony.livejournal.com]

I love love love love love Joan Aiken. And while they're aimed at an even younger set, have you read her Mortimer the Raven books? The crack me up so much that DH often demands that I read them aloud because he gets so amused at me trying to keep reading and not just laugh hysterically. One day, I am going to get this user pic of Mortimer as a tattoo.

[winterbadger]

I *do* know Mortimer--he was a favourite of my mother's (both Joan Aiken and Quentin Blake were people whose work she adored).

[rolypolypony.livejournal.com]

Yay!! I'm so glad :)