Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

Just when I thought that this series couldn't get any better, it goes and knocks me for six!  The brilliantness of Jim Butchers writing makes me wonder if he has all this planned in advance or whether he wings it from book to book (the nerd in me really hopes that he has big charts everywhere with all the story arcs, characters and twists all planned out book by book...) The best book yet, in my humble opinion, we see a more thoughtful and insightful Harry which is kinda understandable given his current predicament.  Picking up from the cliffhanger ending of Changes, we learn what has been going on in Chicago with Murphy, Molly and the gang plus some of the story arcs from previous novels are starting to pull together nicely.  I am left with the impression too that there is still a lot more in store for Harry, i think that there were some interesting points made in Ghost Story that made me look at Harry in a slightly different way, that maybe he is an unwitting bad guy after all if you think about some of the things that he has done?  I have to eke by last couple of Dresden Files out now, as goodness knows when the next will come...

Song of the Day: Therion - Lemuria

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Not quite the story that I had imagined it to be but was still an interesting tale set during the 17th century Dutch Golden Age, a setting that is so far removed from where I live now.  It was scary to read people's reactions and beliefs at the time and prejudices that were around.  I just wish there was more involvement with the Miniaturist, or maybe that was the whole point of their being, to cause our heroine Nella to think more about the choices she makes in her life.  There were some nice touches to details, such as lack of sanitation, lack of heat and the scandal that could be caused by a woman wandering through the streets of Amsterdam alone.  It was also interesting to read about the different personalities and ambitions of the various female characters, some happy to be wedded and looked after, Nella who was very young and naive and married off by her family to a rich merchant, and some who were more of a force of nature who did not have the desire to be tied to a man but happy to be an independent woman (not an easy task in the 17th century apparently). Plus more reminders that religion can be scary thing...

Song of the Day: Solefald - World Music with Black Edges (2015)

Changes by Jim Butcher

OH MY GOSH! This instalment of the Dresden Files certainly hits the ground running and the pace never slows down. So many revelations, so many fights and close calls, so many great characters and so many cliffhangers! I don't know if I can bear to not pick the next up straight away, but I have to force myself to eek these out for a bit longer as now I am approaching the current end and am having to face the fact that my Dresden supply isn't endless...

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

I do love a good first contact story, and The Sparrow certainly fulfilled that criteria.  The story was told both in the present and by flashbacks to the events leading up to the present situation, which encouraged an air of building tension as we slowly progress, unraveling the plot and answering questions as to what on earth had happened to the expedition in order for the situation to have reached the point that it is at in present day.

I found that this had a lot of similarities to another favourite of mine, Contact by Carl Sagan – Both involved picking up signals via a radio telescope, both involve mounting an expedition to the new galaxy and both involve first contact.  Also both raise questions of faith, what it means to have faith and to question it in the grand scale of the universe and the discovery of life elsewhere.  Sure I had a few qualms with some of the plot points but these could be easily overlooked.

It was fascinating to watch how our intrepid party coped with such a huge discovery, that we are not alone, and how things unfolded to the point where only one person returned, maimed and damaged. It was hard to imagine what could possibly have happened for things to have ended up the way that they did.  An absorbing read that involved more about the nature of belief rather than it be a book about religion, and I look forward to reading the sequel.

A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn

This is another one where I would love a 'half-star' rating system.  Set in the 1920's Delilah Drummond is an American socialite living it up in Paris when she is embroiled in one scandal too many and exiled by her family to newly colonised Africa.  Here, she is to spend some time away from the headlines until things calm down, but it seems trouble follows Delilah wherever she goes.  Staying light hearted, it briefly touches on the conflicts between the colonists and the natives, the impact upon nature and politics of the time, but mostly the story focuses on delightfully witty and headstrong Delilah who tries her best to make the most of a less than ideal situation.  She is sharp witted, modern and fiercely independent, especially for the period and admits herself that she is broken.  It was refreshing to read a strong female lead who has many layers to her and obviously delighted in her freedom as a woman.  A touch of romance too that I was expecting to have more closure to it, but turned out perfectly in the end.

3/5 stars