Hellooo! Sorry I missed last week I was down in London on Saturday seeing friends for what we call a bookcrawl – a traipse around a few bookshops where each tempts the other. I was very happy for a chance to see my friends and also pop into Forbidden Planet for an author event – in particular lovely to see Danie Ware, Mike Brooks, Peter McLean and Anna Smith Spark who are all lovely.  Accidents happen and I seem to have bought more books than expected.  I am sure this will not happen at Worldcon….

But this weekend we are off to Budapest for five days which is my first trip there and it seems a fascinating place to explore.  A break from it all is long overdue and very much looking forward to a lack of trains in my future.  I shall report back next week!

What I’m watching/listening to

Films

Spider-Man Home-coming – Far from Home is on my to do list once I’m back and this was such a more satisfying Spider-Man. Although I liked Andrew Garfield his films felt a little too franchising whereas here Peter Parker is a good kid and that is more important than even his suit.

TV

I have finished an entire season of a show in a week!! Yes, virtually unheard of but I strongly recommend catching up on What We Do In the Shadows – Four Vampires live with their familiars in modern day Staten Island. Its done as a reality style show and the vampires are a mixture of funny and incredibly stupid. Highlights are a night on the town and trip to the Vampire Council (the latter you MUST watch!!).  Very funny and yet full of interesting characters

What I’m - Listening to

A new podcast rises in the form of Dumpy Little Unicorn run by a friend of mine.  First episode is at the link and she interviews RJ Barker who reads the opening of the Bone Ships. Funny and interesting interview and I know a lot more guests are a coming!

What I’ve Reviewed

Invisible Blood by maxim Jakubowski  - 17 authors including Lee Child and Stella Duffy are given an open rem it to write mysteries.  Ranging from funny to tragic; hi tech to ghost-based it’s a fascinating set of stories.

Rage of Dragons by Evan Winters - A new fantasy saga this time based around Xhosa myth and culture.  Very much action based but does a lot to make fight scenes drive character and plot.  A promising start.

The Spider Dance by Nick Setchfield - The sequel to The War in The Dark this time involves monsters and criminal gangs.  Really clever and inventive with added 60’s setting. 

The Triumph of the Spider Monkey by Joyce Carol Oates - Weird 70’s-based crime.  More a curate’s egg but a lot to admire as we go into a serial killer’s mind

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia  - A trip to 1920’s Mexico and a young woman’s road trip with a Mexican Death God. Epic, coming of age and a brilliant resolution.  Strongly recommended

This is How You Lose The Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone - Just brilliant SF with Heart – Two Time Agents battle across the multiverse and taunt each other with letters but then they realise they’ve found someone who actually understands them… READ THIS!!

Oh and as I’m kind here are my sorta mid year recs even more books

What I’m Reading on my Week Off

Well let’s be ambitious…

Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky – the sequel to one of the best SF novels and I don’t even mind the spiders!

Rosewater Insurrection by Tade Thompson - a belated catch up on this novel of aliens in Nigeria

Velocity Weapon by Megan E O’Keefe – VERY much looking enjoying another bit of space opera that all the bloggers are saying is one of the best out this year

Lord of Secrets by Breanna Teintze – new fantasy series about saving the people you love

The Bone Garden by Heather Kassner – a ghost tries to stay ‘alive’

The House of Sacrifice by Anna Smith Spark – the conclusion to one of my favourite series the Empire of Dust is a calling

August I see a catch up on ARCS plus my new idea for an ongoing new section to the blog….more on that next week