Rocket Ship Galileo is the first book that Heinlein had published, and as one his works aimed at younger (juvenile) readers is heavy on action and adventure but light on heavy thinking. It’s also one of the earliest Heinlein books I remember reading as a pre-teen and still holds a strong appeal for me despite the passage of time.
For those unfamiliar with the character, Father Brown is a catholic priest who just also happens to be something of a successful detective. He appeared in over fifty short stories between 1910 and 1936, and is quite probably one of G. K. Chesterton’s most famous creations. As far as I’m aware (and according to the blurb on the cover), this volume brings together every single Father Brown story in print, and despite its somewhat daunting page count is, in my opinion, a fantastic addition to any fan of detective fiction.
Needle In The Groove is the sixth of Jeff Noon’s books I’ve read, and while I admit that I think they’re all good books, personally I think this is one of his best.
Imago is the third and final volume in Octavia E. Butler’s Lilith’s Brood trilogy, and if I’m being honest I’m not entirely sure whether or not to say it’s my favourite of the three. On the one hand I found it to be an excellent read, but once I’d finished it I couldn’t help but feel a little disturbed by some of the concepts raised by the story.
For the uninitiated, Richard Castle is a fictitious crime writer, portrayed on TV by Nathan Fillion in the show Castle. The Nikki Heat books are essentially glorified props from the show, or possibly more cynically well-thought out marketing endeavours to tie in with the show. Whichever way you look at them, they make for excellent reading, especially if like me you’re a fan of the show itself.
It’s quite rare for me to give a book five stars, so when I tell you that this one deserves all five of them I’m not messing. I’ve previously read (and enjoyed) indie author H. L. Burke‘s fantasy series, The Dragon & The Scholar, so I already had some strong expectations when I started Beggar Magic, and it’s fair to say that her latest work has exceeded those expectations.