onwards

I should find out if there's some way to cut space out of itunes files to edit all those massively long silent gaps preceding hidden tracks. Message brought to you by Placebo's Burger Queen, which in my version has about 12 minutes of silence, but I could also do with editing down Neko Case's Marais La Nuit, otherwise known as 30 minutes of cricket noises. Possibly I am missing the point of the artistic choices involved.

( Kate Grenville, The secret river. )

( David Almond, The savage. )

( Naomi Wolf, Misconceptions. )

( Merryn Williams, The Chalet girls grow up (re-read). )

School stories

I've been reading pre-1950s school stories for years (predominantly British or Commonwealth) and find them soothing, in similar ways to detective stories and other strongly formulaic genres; some transcend the form, some exemplify it, some have occasional good bits and some fail completely (there's also the entertainingly bad form). I do find them interesting as social history as well, in terms of what's expected and what isn't, although attitudes and expectations can sometimes be a bit difficult to calmly accept (class particularly in these ones, although gender sometimes gets a little bit of consideration).

( Margaret Biggs, The Blakes come to Melling (re-read). )

( Margaret Biggs, The new prefect at Melling (re-read) )

( Margaret Biggs, Last term for Helen (re-read). )

( Margaret Biggs, The head girl at Melling (re-read). )

( Margaret Biggs, Summer term at Melling (re-read). )

( Margaret Biggs, Susan in the sixth (re-read). )

( Margaret Biggs, Changes at Melling. )

( Angela Brazil, The youngest girl in the fifth. )

( Angela Brazil, Monitoress Merle. )

( Dorothea Moore, Tenth at Trinders. )

( Helen Barber, A Chalet School Headmistress (re-read) )

( Elinor M. Brent-Dyer, Janie Steps In. )

China Mieville, The city and the city

When catching up on book posts I do tend to start off with the books that worked less well for me, and save the really good ones until I have the time to do them justice. The disadvantage of that is never getting around to posting, and, for example, finding that I still haven't written up Morris Gleitzman's really excellent book Then from 2008 (brief summary: brilliant, heart-crushing children's book about WWII; technically a sequel to Once, but can be read without it and is I think better that way).

So, this time I'm trying to alternate. First of a loose group of books that I really enjoyed - I'd recommend them all, although I would also be prepared to critique them.

I loved Perdido Street Station, stalled on The Scar and hated Un Lun Dun, so was a bit iffy about picking this up at all. I'm glad I did.

( China Mieville, The city and the city. )