What we read in January

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

The downside of finally reading a much recommended book; and it disappoints frown emoticon It was terribly 1950s which is fair enough but it read far more like a one sided argument rather than a story and boy Josephine Tey is hard on women. Dry, unbalanced and unkind. In its favour, well written and short.

 The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Now I picked this up because I had seen it hanging around the shelves for what I thought was a long time and i thought I might give it a go.  To be honest I haven’t read any fantasy for quite a while because despite loving it, it has all felt a bit samey recently, or maybe my head just wasn’t in the right place.Anyway I picked this up and sure enough the first page seemed full of adjectives and mystery which didn’t inspire me but i turned over the page anyway. And then the next one, and then the next.

Three chapters in I ordered book two.

But here’s the problem and it’s a big one.  This isn’t an old series that’s been around for ages (maybe i got that impression from the tired familiar book cover format) there are only two books and a novella.

The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

Yep, just as good as the first one. Damn. By the way, these books don’t break the genre, they aren’t a “stunning new voice” and all the other hyperbole that goes with a new series but that doesn’t matter. They are well written and tell a great story. And dammit I want to know what happens next.

A Different Class of Murder by Laura Thompson

I liked it, nothing is really resolved but I suspect he’s alive somewhere. The theory that he jumped of the Newhaven ferry just doesn’t ring true as it required more guts than he seemed to possess.  An interesting read for true crime fans. – Steve.