What I read in 2011

For the historical record ...

1. Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T.E. Lawrence. Remarkable account of the desert war in WW1. Long, doesn't suffer fools, but unique. ****
2. The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Samson. Lightweight cutesy mystery, irritatingly whimsical and obviously aimed at starting a franchise. No star
3. The Bones of Avalon by Phil Rickman. Elizabethan scientist Dr Dee investigates a murder with mythic and political resonances. Adequate. No star
4. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Sprawling, unfocused tale about the gorgeous, flawed, Divers, whose beauty conceals murky secrets. **
5. Rommel by Desmond Young. Superb short biography of the field marshal, based on interviews with colleagues and family. ***
6. The Hollow Men by Nicky Hager. Interesting study of how the right tried to win power in New Zealand. Of moderate interest to denizens of other lands. **
7. Silas Marner by George Eliot. Slight and sentimental yarn about rural types. Not really very distinguished at all. No star
8. Out of Sight by Catherine Sampson. Dreary murder mystery that lurches from unlikely to absurd, with an "Eeny, meeny, miney, mo" feel to end. No star
9. The Dead Pool by Sue Walker. Very poor murder mystery marred obvious killer, predictable plot twists and some really clunky dialogue. Less Than No Star
10. Blood is Dirt by Robert Wilson. African tale of murder and corruption starts brilliantly, but loses its way. Great setting and first chapter. *
11. Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper. Part one of famous children's fantasy series. Readable enough, but not great to revisit. No star
12. Angel Isle by Peter Dickinson. Massive late work by one of Britain's greats. Magic, adventure and ideas, but it is the characters that sustain it. **
13. Rain Dogs and Love Cats by Andrew Holmes. Crime novel that could have been interesting. Well written and observed, marred by whimsy. *
14. Out by Natsuo Kirino. Thriller about four women who conceal a murder, and the consequences. Dark and nasty but interesting and involving. **
15. 1974 by David Peace. Re-read. Ferocious murder shocker. Doesn't relent on the blood and depravity, but author's purpose isn't clear. *
16. The Twentieth Century by Howard Zinn. Class based history. Possibly a bit repetitive in the end. Zinn would argue this is because nothing's changed. *
17. Tell Me How Long The Train's Been Gone by James Baldwin. A black actor grows up, confronting racism and his romantic travails. Great pages, dull chapters. No star
18. Aneurin Bevan by Michael Foot. Sympathetic, very detailed biography of the perennial Labour outsider. Part one of two. ***
19. The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke. Typically well written and interesting account of efforts to build an earth-to-orbit pulley system. *
20. City of Screams by John Brindley. Ambitious YA novel that has too much going on. Something about religion, evolution, violence and angels. No star
21. Paradise Alley by Kevin Baker. Overblown wannabe epic makes remarkable times - the New York draft riots - tiresome. *
22. Final Cut by Paul Thomas. Pacey mystery that loses its way halfway. Killer obvious, plot incoherent. No star
23. The Thin Man by Dashiell hammett. Entertaining whodunnit that perhaps has to work a bit too hard to gloss over its doubtful plot. **
24. The Man Who Went Up In Smoke by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö. Adequate policer marred by languid telling and clumsy denounement. We arrive there pages before the admirable Martin beck. *