Author: Kenneth Sutton

Jasper Fforde. Another Thursday Next novel, and just as much fun as the first two. This one is bundled with special features at the website. (You do need to have read the book to know the password.) And here’s a great passage from page 301:

“Welcome to The Judgment of Solomon ®. It’s arbitration, mainly, a bit of licensing...”
“You’re King Solomon?”
The old man laughed. “Me? You must be joking! There aren’t enough minutes in the day for one Solomon–as soon as he did that ‘divide the baby in two’ thing, everyone and his uncle wanted him to arbitrate–from corporate takeovers to playground disputes. So he did what any right-thinking businessman would do: he franchised. How else to you think he could afford the temple and the chariots and the navy and whatnot? The land he sold to Hiram of Tyre? Give me a break! My real name’s Kenneth.”
I looked a little doubtful.
“I know what you’re thinkng. ‘The Judgment of Kenneth’ does sound a bit daft–that’s why we are licensed to give judgments under his name. All aboveboard, I assure you. You have to purchase the cloak and grow a beard and go on the training course, but it works out very well....”

Richard K. Morgan. This is a real page-turner. Two genres I don’t read much, cyperpunk and detective story, by a first-time author, and I couldn’t wait to find out how it turned out. I hope there will be more books featuring the protagonist, Takeshi Kovacs.

Kim Wong Keltner. Chinese American chick-lit. I laughed out loud several times (often, I must admit, at potty humor).

Patrick O’Brian. Inching closer to marriage and to naval stability, with torture, espionage, a trip to India, and encouters with Diana Villiers. And a fabulous place name: Swiving Monachorum (it’s where the Reverend Mr Hinksey, whom Mrs Williams hopes will marry Sophie, is the new rector).

George R.R. Martin. First book in a fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, for which I’ve seen raves on several websites. A good, engrossing book, although not a smooth-flowing narrative. It leaves you in the lurch concerning several characters, but that just makes me want the next one. There’s lots of blood and suffering. Very ambiguous and textured characters, flawed good characters, multi-dimensional evil characters (or are they?); lots of blood and violence; the hint of magic and ancient powers. As I say, looking forward to the next volume.

Patrick O’Brian. Well, I really finished Master and Commander last week. The second volume went considerably faster, as well as reminding me more of Jane Austen. Not just ships in the Mediterranean this time!