DB’s blog

More Gaiman. Good fun

nobody@vox.com(DB) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 07:15:24 +0100

Loaned to me by a friend at work.

Anansi Boys

Neil Gaiman

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A Gaiman equivalent of a Tiffany Aching book.

nobody@vox.com(DB) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:10:01 +0100

Pretty good. I was off work with a gammy leg & read about half of it in one go.

The Graveyard Book

Neil Gaiman

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Not a book I would have chosen for myself, but I enjoyed it anway.

nobody@vox.com(DB) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 18:07:40 +0100

A random prezzy from my mum, that had been gathering dust. Picked it up in a hurry to take on ho;iday - glad I did. Lots of good reviews & I can see why.

Coleridge: Darker Reflections

Richard Holmes

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I reckon Helen Graham would have driven me to drink

nobody@vox.com(DB) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 13:14:56 +0100

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Wordsworth Classics)

Anne Bronte

OK - I know I quaff more than I should anyway, but really, such a self-righteous, humourless prig. Still and all, I enjoyed the book enough to finish it. I didn't see the Toby Stephens/Tara Fitzgerald BBC adaptation - sounds like it should have been quite good.

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Pretty good, except for my usual rant about length & need for index

nobody@vox.com(DB) — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:10:07 +0100

The Reality Dysfunction (Night's Dawn Trilogy)

Peter F. Hamilton

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Oxegen on Saturday & Sunday

nobody@vox.com(DB) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:13:11 +0100

After enjoying a day there last year accompanying youngest daughter, I decided I would go this year even if an adult's presence wasn't required (it was, by the way). Saturday was horrible - enjoyed Saw Doctors, Squeeze and The Blizzards early on, but then the rain set in, and it got colder and colder. I don't remember much about anyone else I saw (beyond Regina Spektor being OK) and we all gave up early evening and went home. There was nowhere to sit down - the tents were full - and I couldn't be bothered to stand around shivering for hours to see the Pet Shop Boys & Kings of Leon.

Sunday was much better. Some decent new bands. Watched Lady Gaga out of curiosity - thought she was rubbish. Thoroughly enjoyed Katy Perry, Specials & Ting Tings. Razorlight OK, but then gave up again - too tired to hang around for Manic St P's or Killers or Glasvegas.

Don't think I'll go for two days again, and unless there's someone I particularly want to see I probably won't go voluntarily again for some time. I thought stretching the festival over 3 days instead of 2 didn't work - they didn't attract any more big names, so the attractions were simply spread more thinly.

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Possibly too good

nobody@vox.com(DB) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:52:17 +0100

The Well-Tempered Synthesizer

Wendy Carlos

A Fathers' Day prezzy. See my review on amazon.co.uk

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Half the album was excellent

nobody@vox.com(DB) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:47:51 +0100

Greatest Hits

Mud

Birthday prezzy. See my review on amazon.co.uk

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Les Misérables, tome 1...

nobody@vox.com(DB) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:46:19 +0100

Les Misérables, tome 1

Victor Hugo

Not the cover of the edition I read, but anyway..A doorstep of a book, and this is only the first half! I rather enjoyed it though, particularly when he got on with the story. What I didn't like were his discursive essays - an analysis of the Battle of Waterloo and a long discussion of convent life stick in my mind as not really saying much about "misery".

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Endymion (Gollancz S.F...

nobody@vox.com(DB) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:44:26 +0100

Endymion (Gollancz S.F.)

Dan Simmons

Good follow up to the Hyperion books.

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