Book rec

I have a cold.

Which is entirely my own fault as I spent January to halfway through April not sleeping, then Easter getting wet and cold and then the last couple of weeks hanging out with the parents of toddlers, or as I like to call them, prime virus incubators.

But on the good side, it has given me a chance to catch up on my reading. The Read Everything By Agatha Christie in Random Order Project is now more than 60% complete so I have had to slow things down as it will be a sad finishing (and I have to knock over the romances soon, so I don't find myself with them all at the end). Happily, all those books I ordered for review for my mag and which didn't make it on time for any of my deadlines arrived in one fell swoop, and so I have been immersed in print media.

Which leads me to the point of this post: it is extraordinarily likely that you, yes you, will massively enjoy Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London. Because most of you have vaguely similar taste to mine, and I adore it.

Part Urban Fantasy, part Police Procedural, it starts with a murder, uncovered by Martin Turner, who was innocently making his way home through Covent Garden when he tripped over a headless body.

As Martin noted to the detectives conducting his interview, it was a good thing he'd been inebriated because otherwise he would have wasted time screaming and running about – especially once he realised he was standing in a pool of blood. Instead, with the slow, methodical patience of the drunk and terrified, Martin Turner dialled 999 and asked for the police.

Probationary Police Constable Peter Grant finds himself guarding the scene that night, which is when he sees the ghost. All things considered, it's for the best that he sees the ghost, since Inspector Neblett has Peter (easily distracted, slightly disappointing) slated for a desk job. But a copper who can see the incorporeal is not to be wasted, which is how Peter ends up both a fully fledged Constable and an apprentice wizard, in training, to Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale.

Soon he is knee-deep in a series of inexplicably violent encounters plaguing the London metropolis, at the same time as trying to broker a peace between Mama Thames, who controls the tidal parts of the river, and Father Thames, who hasn't been down to London since the 1850s. And if you think that's odd, wait till you hear about Mama's daughters (Tyburn's a bitch).

Diana Gabaldon has a blurb on the cover saying 'What would happen if Harry Potter grew up and joined the Fuzz.' Which is wrong on multiple levels -- for a start, it's Blaise Zabini joining the Filth. But for everyone who loves Jo Rowling's passion for language and complex, clever worldbuilding, Aaronovitch will be a joy. The characters are appealing and the crimes intriguing, with enough learning the wizarding trade and other magical business to keep fantasy fans satisfied.

Throughout the novel little nuggets of London history and trivia are scattered -- excused textually thanks to Peter's passion for esoteric knowledge -- in a fashion that reminded me of Neil Gaiman, but compared to Gaiman's novels, as this one unwound, I found myself more involved, more enthralled and more entertained (I love Gaiman's cleverness, especially in the Sandman series, but it usually falls apart in more sustained texts.) Aaronovitch's geography is more convincing, too, and his weaving of lore into locale more effective. Though I have to say that I have always found the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line perfectly civilised in reality.

Even if you aren't ready to move on from The Bill as your Platonic ideal of British Police Fantasy, check out the excerpt below the cut and see if the consistent energy and wit of writing can't tempt you into binning Burnside. Best of all, Moon Over Soho, Aaronovitch's second novel, is already out. I have it right here. I have to type this excerpt really, really quickly so I can start reading it! 

( Despoilered as much as possible, but still a bit spoilery! )

Book rec

I have a cold.

Which is entirely my own fault as I spent January to halfway through April not sleeping, then Easter getting wet and cold and then the last couple of weeks hanging out with the parents of toddlers, or as I like to call them, prime virus incubators.

But on the good side, it has given me a chance to catch up on my reading. The Read Everything By Agatha Christie in Random Order Project is now more than 60% complete so I have had to slow things down as it will be a sad finishing (and I have to knock over the romances soon, so I don't find myself with them all at the end). Happily, all those books I ordered for review for my mag and which didn't make it on time for any of my deadlines arrived in one fell swoop, and so I have been immersed in print media.

Which leads me to the point of this post: it is extraordinarily likely that you, yes you, will massively enjoy Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London. Because most of you have vaguely similar taste to mine, and I adore it.

Part Urban Fantasy, part Police Procedural, it starts with a murder, uncovered by Martin Turner, who was innocently making his way home through Covent Garden when he tripped over a headless body.

As Martin noted to the detectives conducting his interview, it was a good thing he'd been inebriated because otherwise he would have wasted time screaming and running about – especially once he realised he was standing in a pool of blood. Instead, with the slow, methodical patience of the drunk and terrified, Martin Turner dialled 999 and asked for the police.

Probationary Police Constable Peter Grant finds himself guarding the scene that night, which is when he sees the ghost. All things considered, it's for the best that he sees the ghost, since Inspector Neblett has Peter (easily distracted, slightly disappointing) slated for a desk job. But a copper who can see the incorporeal is not to be wasted, which is how Peter ends up both a fully fledged Constable and an apprentice wizard, in training, to Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale.

Soon he is knee-deep in a series of inexplicably violent encounters plaguing the London metropolis, at the same time as trying to broker a peace between Mama Thames, who controls the tidal parts of the river, and Father Thames, who hasn't been down to London since the 1850s. And if you think that's odd, wait till you hear about Mama's daughters (Tyburn's a bitch).

Diana Gabaldon has a blurb on the cover saying 'What would happen if Harry Potter grew up and joined the Fuzz.' Which is wrong on multiple levels -- for a start, it's Blaise Zabini joining the Filth. But for everyone who loves Jo Rowling's passion for language and complex, clever worldbuilding, Aaronovitch will be a joy. The characters are appealing and the crimes intriguing, with enough learning the wizarding trade and other magical business to keep fantasy fans satisfied.

Throughout the novel little nuggets of London history and trivia are scattered -- excused textually thanks to Peter's passion for esoteric knowledge -- in a fashion that reminded me of Neil Gaiman, but compared to Gaiman's novels, as this one unwound, I found myself more involved, more enthralled and more entertained (I love Gaiman's cleverness, especially in the Sandman series, but it usually falls apart in more sustained texts.) Aaronovitch's geography is more convincing, too, and his weaving of lore into locale more effective. Though I have to say that I have always found the High Barnet branch of the Northern Line perfectly civilised in reality.

Even if you aren't ready to move on from The Bill as your Platonic ideal of British Police Fantasy, check out the excerpt below the cut and see if the consistent energy and wit of writing can't tempt you into binning Burnside. Best of all, Moon Over Soho, Aaronovitch's second novel, is already out. I have it right here. I have to type this excerpt really, really quickly so I can start reading it! 

( Despoilered as much as possible, but still a bit spoilery! )

Eurovision Semi Final 1

I was going to write a serious post about the lovely things that have arrived in the post this week -- leochi , raitala , pingrid  and neep1 , you are all champions, but that post will have to hold off until I find my camera cable, probably Sunday.

In the meantime, it's Eurovision weekend. Let me start by giving everyone a massive kiss, because we are on delay here and you have all been so fabulous about cutting spoilers. PLEASE keep it up for another couple of days! 

The semis are my fave part of Eurovision because you can catch the crap before it is all weeded out. But the presenters can be special. Three this year, one woman whose frock seems designed to remind the world Germany gave us the Christmas Tree, one woman whose frock suggests Germany also gave us the microfibre dishcloth, and one chap who seems to be there to offend just about everyone. German humour may not translate well, or he may just be a twunt.

But there is a mercifully small amount of banter, and it's onto the songs!

Poland first, and I think this exchange between Treacle and me sums up the entry:
Treacle: ALL WHITE OUTFITS! TAKE A DRINK!
Me: Do not mix shiny leotards with uplighting: it makes it look as though their vaginas are glowing!
Very pretty crew, lots of sparkly bits on the costumes, hit all the notes. Meh.

The Norwegian entry is in a mix of English and Swahili. Of course it is. Catchy tune and very good looking group, though, so I will keep my fingers crossed they go through! There is a lot of arms in the air choreography for this one, but I am from the 70s and 80s, so I'm down with that. Actually, this song is a bit awesome. I kind of love Norway this year, and not just for all my Norwegian friends.

( It goes on, and on, and on ... )

Eurovision Semi Final 1

I was going to write a serious post about the lovely things that have arrived in the post this week -- leochi , raitala , pingrid  and neep1 , you are all champions, but that post will have to hold off until I find my camera cable, probably Sunday.

In the meantime, it's Eurovision weekend. Let me start by giving everyone a massive kiss, because we are on delay here and you have all been so fabulous about cutting spoilers. PLEASE keep it up for another couple of days! 

The semis are my fave part of Eurovision because you can catch the crap before it is all weeded out. But the presenters can be special. Three this year, one woman whose frock seems designed to remind the world Germany gave us the Christmas Tree, one woman whose frock suggests Germany also gave us the microfibre dishcloth, and one chap who seems to be there to offend just about everyone. German humour may not translate well, or he may just be a twunt.

But there is a mercifully small amount of banter, and it's onto the songs!

Poland first, and I think this exchange between Treacle and me sums up the entry:
Treacle: ALL WHITE OUTFITS! TAKE A DRINK!
Me: Do not mix shiny leotards with uplighting: it makes it look as though their vaginas are glowing!
Very pretty crew, lots of sparkly bits on the costumes, hit all the notes. Meh.

The Norwegian entry is in a mix of English and Swahili. Of course it is. Catchy tune and very good looking group, though, so I will keep my fingers crossed they go through! There is a lot of arms in the air choreography for this one, but I am from the 70s and 80s, so I'm down with that. Actually, this song is a bit awesome. I kind of love Norway this year, and not just for all my Norwegian friends.

( It goes on, and on, and on ... )