Fans Book Club (for real this time)

[Tess Abrahams]

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So who is in and what are we going to read? The Hunger Games series has been suggested but if anyone has any other ideas, shoot 'em out! :dance

[Dasquian Belargic]

I vote Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London:


My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit - we do paperwork so real coppers don't have to - and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluable, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England. Now I'm a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden . . . and there's something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair. The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it's falling to me to bring order out of chaos - or die trying.

It sounds like it has the potential to be like.. a British version of the Dresden Files. Getting lots of good reviews on Amazon :)

[Tess Abrahams]

Ooooh. That sounds very interesting indeed.

[Droo]

I'm in! &nbsp; &nbsp;

[Anna Fernandez]

I think we should pick someone to lead the discussion of the book to keep us on track.

So, a month to read it and then discussion? I'm good with the one Jenny suggested.

[Wyl Staedtler]

Should be able to get into the city to pick this up sometime this week. When does everybody want to start this show?

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

I'm in on this :)

I'll swing by the bookstore tomorrow and see if it's in stock.

[Rossos Atrapes]

I'll have to check and see if it's available for teh Kindle.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I'll have to check and see if it's available for teh Kindle.

Oh, it is ;)

[Rossos Atrapes]

I'll have to check and see if it's available for teh Kindle.

Oh, it is ;)

Nice! Though since you suggested it, I probably should have realized it was Kindle-accessible. How much is it? [/lazy]

[Dasquian Belargic]

$11.41 / £6.99

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Looks like I can only get it from amazon, but shipping will be 10-14 days since it'd be coming from the UK

[Dasquian Belargic]

How about we try and read this by the end of March?

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

According to the mailing slip from Amazon, I should be getting it by March 15-ish, so the end of March works fine for me :)


edit - I also bought this (http://www.amazon.com/Humper-Monkey-John-McCarthy/dp/0557708834/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297816404&sr=8-1), and respectfully submit it for October's book-to-read.

[Anna Fernandez]

Good grief why is this book not available?! Not even for Kindle.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Says here (http://www.amazon.com/Rivers-of-London-Ben-Aaronovitch/dp/0575097566/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297822636&sr=8-1) that there's 11 new, and 3 used in stock :huh

[Anna Fernandez]

Yeah, but not actually from Amazon. I should have clarified. I have a GC I need to be able to use if I'm going to buy the book. I'll look at the library but I don't have high hopes :(

[Dasquian Belargic]

Good grief why is this book not available?! Not even for Kindle.

http://www.amazon.com/Rivers-of-London-ebook/dp/B004K1EC1S/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=A7B2F8DUJ88VZ&qid=1297843756&sr=1-1

:huh

[Rossos Atrapes]

This title is not available for customers from: United States.

Just saw this on the link. :(

[Dasquian Belargic]

Oh well. Someone pick another book :)

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Once my copy gets here, I'll still read it with you, Jenny :)

As for other books, anyone keen on reading some Steinbeck?

[Ben_Aaronovitch]

Oh well. Someone pick another book :)

Before you rush off can I just, as the humble author, point out that the book is available in the US under the title of 'Midnight Riot' (please don't ask me why). I won't give a link because that's a little bit too much like spamming but it can be found at Amazon.com under Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch.

Available in all good virtual formats (or so I'm told).

Ben (shameless plugger) Aaronovitch:)

[Serena Laran]

Well, you are most welcome to plug all your books here, I'm always looking for something new to read. :)

If I can get it here stateside under Midnight Riot then lets do it!

omg are you really Ben Aaronovitch??

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

No WAY O_O

Well isn't that just too cool :)

[Tess Abrahams]

I really want to believe that was actually Ben Aaronovitch.

omgomgomg stoked :ohno

[Anna Fernandez]

Okay then, I ordered Midnight Riot, aka Rivers of London. It should be here on the 23rd. :):thumbup

How about we all read it and come up with a thought/discussion provoking question to share with everyone else? That way we're not dependent on one person to move the discussion forward.

[Ilias Nytrau]

The local bookstore has it! I'll pick it up this week when I'm down at the main post office seeing if they have last year's stamp collection book for my sweetheart.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Oh well. Someone pick another book :)

Before you rush off can I just, as the humble author, point out that the book is available in the US under the title of 'Midnight Riot' (please don't ask me why). I won't give a link because that's a little bit too much like spamming but it can be found at Amazon.com under Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch.

Available in all good virtual formats (or so I'm told).

Ben (shameless plugger) Aaronovitch:)

Ha, wow, this is certainly unexpected - but thanks for the tip! :) I guess this is a sign that we should all definitely read this book ;)

Please feel free to stick around for the discussion! It would be fascinating to have some 'behind the scenes' insight as we read.

I've got my copy waiting to be read on my Kindle.

[Droo]

As for other books, anyone keen on reading some Steinbeck?

I love me some Steinbeck, but if he starts posting here, I'll shit myself.

[Ben_Aaronovitch]

As for other books, anyone keen on reading some Steinbeck?

I love me some Steinbeck, but if he starts posting here, I'll shit myself.

I just had this wonderful image of people on various discussion boards reading posts from beyond the grave...

I will not contribute to any discussion because it would inhibit any real dialogue (what if you hate it) but if questions are thrown up that you think I can answer you can contact me via www.the-folly.com and I'll return to the thread for a post discussion... um discussion.

Ben Aaronovitch :)

[Dasquian Belargic]

:lol Droo! Say his name three times and we might summon him, ala Beetlejuice!

Thanks again, Ben. We will keep that in mind :)

[Rossos Atrapes]

Got it! Mr Aaronovitch, you just made whatever cut Amazon gives you out of 6.94$, that you have previously agreed on with your publisher. Which is probably 1.00$. Or something close to that.;)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

As for other books, anyone keen on reading some Steinbeck?

I love me some Steinbeck, but if he starts posting here, I'll shit myself.

This is the most hilarious thing I've read in a while. :lol

Ben (Mr. Aaronovich? I'm not sure what to call you, lol), I'm tickled pink you posted here, and you're more than welcome to return any time. :)

I'm trying to think of something witty to say, but I can't think of anything. *facepalm*

[Ben_Aaronovitch]

Got it! Mr Aaronovitch, you just made whatever cut Amazon gives you out of 6.94$, that you have previously agreed on with your publisher. Which is probably 1.00$. Or something close to that.;)

Are you talking about my hard earned royalties that are my only recompense for slaving over a word processor for six months or something else?

Ben

[Dasquian Belargic]

Only recompense? Ben, you have stumbled, perhaps unknowingly, into a nest of would-be authors.. don't dash our dreams of glamorous author-dom against the rocks of the cynical real world! :mneh

[Ilias Nytrau]

^ What she said. Seconded.

[Pierce Tondry]

Might I ask how you came to find our hole-in-the-wall, Mr Aaronovitch?

[Ben_Aaronovitch]

Might I ask how you came to find our hole-in-the-wall, Mr Aaronovitch?


Turned up on a Google alert.

[Rossos Atrapes]

Got it! Mr Aaronovitch, you just made whatever cut Amazon gives you out of 6.94$, that you have previously agreed on with your publisher. Which is probably 1.00$. Or something close to that.;)

Are you talking about my hard earned royalties that are my only recompense for slaving over a word processor for six months or something else?

Ben

Royalties. Or are there other things? I was disabused of the notion that I could get paid a stipend for being 'handsome'. Apparently publishers will only go so far to market something. Or maybe the story sucked and they felt that no matter how handsome I was they wouldn't make their money back.

Google alerts seems useful, on an unrelated note.

On a further note, the book was rather good. Some nice twists. Rereading it and getting Moon Over Soho; that is unless we silly yanks have changed the title for that too.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

You read it already?! Mine only just shipped!

[Rossos Atrapes]

Yeah, I finished it. It's a curse of mine that I read pretty quickly. I read almost like people watch movies, all at once.

On another somewhat related note, this book and Peter Grant's blog makes me want to read The Groundwater Diaries again.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

My copy arrived today. :D Pretty fast!

[Dasquian Belargic]

For everyone who hasn't read the book yet, are we all going to be okay to start reading on, say... Feb 28th? :)

I see that the hardcover is supposed to be about 400 pages long, so it shouldn't take us more than a week or two to get through.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Good heavens Holly, hehe. My copy of Humper-Monkey came today, so hopefully Rivers of London will show up sometime next week :)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I know, right? Amazon told me I should expect it on the 23rd but here it is! I'm waiting to start until the 28th... if I CAN RESIST.

The new book beckons me closer... calls to me with its siren song of never-been-touched pages and stories as yet unknown....

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Tandy wouldn't like it if you started reading early :uhoh

[Ilias Nytrau]

I'm waiting for the 28th. I'm somewhat swallowed by my current read and I just bought... probably more books than I really should have (Midnight Riot, included).

Book club is kind of an excuse to buy new books. Not that I need one. :lol

[Peter McCoy]

I saw this book on the shelf in Waterstones. After Droo showed me Jenny's post with the synopsis, I have to say it sounds awesome. I shall purchase it when I get paid on Friday.

[Dasquian Belargic]

Are we ready, people? :D

[Anna Fernandez]

I am ready!

[Tess Abrahams]

My copy should be here by tomorrow! :D

[Anna Fernandez]

I start reading tonight. Can't wait!

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Okay, I read the first chapter of Midnight Riot last night when I was supposed to be asleep and had to force myself to stop so I could actually get some rest. I love what I can only describe as the British cadence to the text. It reminds me of Terry Pratchett, and that can only be a good thing. The first person narrative can be easy to get wrong, in my opinion, but I am enjoying the 'voice' of Peter Grant. (who's name, btw, reminds me of Survivors, :lol)

Also, speaking of Pratchett, his Nights Watch books have put me in good stead for understanding the workings of the Metropolitan Police. Obviously things are a bit different here - no living at the station in the US! but it is now obvious to me that the actual London police were absolutely the inspiration for the Nights Watch. I mean, I knew that already but now I really know that. Ahem. Anyway.

So far I'm completely drawn in and can't wait to find out what this Nightingale person is all about. And of course the face changing murderer is intriguing.

(to those who may not know, I also post as Anna Fernandez)

[Dasquian Belargic]

^ I think you're probably right about the Met and the Watch :) After having read the first chapter, I was actually wondering what the US people here would make of it. Was there anything in there that didn't make sense to you?

As far as my own opinion goes.. I thought it was a very effective, and succinct, introduction to the primary characters and the setting itself. I'm especially curious about Nightingale.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

No, it all made sense. The thought of living at the station was probably the most jarring (that is, not much but enough to say "huh, that's different"), but then firemen live at their station all the time so its not too hard to figure out how/why that works. And then that isn't a problem with the book its got more to do with how England does their police department. Frankly it was really interesting to me. :)

[Dasquian Belargic]

I think living at the police station must be something specific to being on your initial probationary period as a Constable, or to the Met themselves.

I was more curious about the language and if any of that posed a problem to you, but then as you say.. you have probably become aware of some of it through Pratchett and through any Brit TV you've seen.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I'm pretty savvy when it comes to your silly Brit-speak. ;)

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

My copy still hasn't arrived yet, so until it does I'm gonna be avoiding this thread. Just so that you guys know I haven't forgotten it or anything :)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I figure on using spoiler tags for anything plot related, until we're all done.

[Rossos Atrapes]

Finished chapter 1 again.

As Dasq said, a good introduction. It does set up the book nicely, as well as establish the characters in their roles. The successful use of humour is the best part though. Not as good as 'Catch-22', but it works very well, especially in making Pete's voice more personal and believable. I do also remember that Catch-22 is a very different kind of book, so when I say 'not as good as Catch-22', I do not use it in a snooty upturned nose kind of way (oh how droll, he's trying to be funny!), but in a sense of contrasting similar elements of different types.

Nightingale seems a bit corny for the name of a magic copper. That could be just me, though.

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Last night I was reading through chapter 2, but when I got to the end I had to keep going. Couldn't just leave it at that for the night! So, I read chapter 3 as well. I know we don't have a set pace to read it, I'm just over sharing. ;)

Chapter 2 spoilers:
Oh God, a dead baby. Not something that happens often in the books I read (ok well, ASoIaF is an exception, there are a few poor babes who get their brains dashed out in those books) and it was quite shocking. Shocking isn't a bad thing, its a good thing - and it wasn't gratuitous, imo. I could feel what the characters were feeling about it.

The murder scene at the house was described very well, and Peter's words as the narrator are fun to read. His dialogue and the interplay between him and Leslie are pretty much perfect to me. And Leslie as a character is great, I really like her. Her questions about Nightingale were hilarious. And Peter asking the Inspector if he was like Harry Potter was another highlight for me.

Chapter Three spoilers:
Ugh, what is Molly? She creeps me out too. I didn't mention it before but the dog is a fun addition to the book. I hope she doesn't eat him.

The background of magic was different than anything else I've read. Points for originality! The forma practice at the end actually sort of made sense to me, lol. Describing in text how to do magic (and we've all done it, with the Force here on the boards) is actually quite difficult. How does one write down how to do something mystical that only really happens between your character's ears? Anyway, I thought it was well done. Kudos to Ben for the description!

Um this is rather disjointed. But the incident at the movie theatre was entertaining and I liked how it was conveyed like a police report.

One chapter yesterday... two today... I am picking up momentum! This is the sort of book I'd usually devour in two or three sittings, letting the house burn down around my ears, but I'm trying to ration myself a little more sensibly. Plus I'm spending a lot of my free time writing for the Mutants Unite scenario.

[Anna Fernandez]

So did anyone besides me finish this already?

Short review: I really liked it a lot.

Short spoiler: I always hated Punch and Judy as a child and now that I know the story behind it I KNOW WHY ugh.

[Droo]

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a266/lizmclellan/kirk.jpg

Just sayin'.

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

My copy came in the mail today :eee Will start in on it tomorrow :D

[Tess Abrahams]

:lol

Preach it, brother! *praise hands*

[Loklorien s'Ilancy]

Finished it Saturday :)

Was a very enjoyable read, and the pacing was great. I'll write more when I have the time :)

[Dasquian Belargic]

Bump for great justice!

I am ashamed to say that I haven't finished reading - a cheeky little Nintendo 3DS came along and distracted me :uhoh - but I am going to change that this weekend.

[Anna Fernandez]

I want to know what everyone thought about the vestigia.

I don't know if that's really a spoiler. As its April maybe we should just assume the people who are going to read it have/are. :)

[Dasquian Belargic]

Feeling exceptionally patriotic this morning - reading a book about London bobbies, in the British sunshine whilst drinking out of a Union Jack mug. The juxtaposition is completely coincidental ^_^;

EDIT: As of this afternoon, I'm all done! :)

I think my favorite character was... Toby the Dog! :D Or perhaps even the city of London itself. The author's style doesn't involve huge swathes of description about the city but still manages to evoke the various locations really well. I have only been to London myself once or twice, but I found it really easy to visualise even places that I haven't visited before.

One thing I did come away from the book wondering, amongst other things, was how much of the plot was based on actual history or folklore that the author had used for inspiration. It's similar to the reaction I had reading American Gods, in that I wanted to look up various names and places (e.g. the tributaries of the Thames, Charles Macklin) to see how they had influenced their corresponding characters. I am always intrigued by the way, as a writer, you can reinterpret characters and concepts - particularly those fond in older myth and folklore - and bring them into a modern setting.

I was not at all expecting the twist that Lesley was 'inhabited' by Henry Pyke for a good portion of the story, and genuinely thought that she might end up suffering the same 'face falls off' fate as his other victims so kudos to the author for that. Quite often you find characters (I'm thinking of Karrin Murphy in the Dresden Files) are thrown into dangerous situations, but a little voice in the back of your mind says "Oh, they'll be fine! They're the bloody love interest after all, they can't die so soon!" but here I genuinely thought she might be done for - and even at the end, there is no presto-fixo spell to get her face back to normal. Left me wondering if she re-appears in the sequel(s)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Yay! I'm glad you finished it!

I loved Toby the Dog too, but somehow I always tend to enjoy stories with a plucky dog (or a plucky kid [Arya Stark is my favorite]) better than other stories. Maybe I just like typing the word "plucky." We may never know.

And I had the same reaction Jenny - wanting to know if the Punch story was really that gruesome. Wikipedia claims it isn't quite, but it was written well in the book and I totally bought it as true, even if it was only true in the book world.

The Lesley twist you mention - I was worried too. Like you said, I'm really used to that sort of character being covered in plot armor and being untouchable. But I like an author who has guts to endanger main characters.

[Rossos Atrapes]

One thing I did come away from the book wondering, amongst other things, was how much of the plot was based on actual history or folklore that the author had used for inspiration. It's similar to the reaction I had reading American Gods, in that I wanted to look up various names and places (e.g. the tributaries of the Thames, Charles Macklin) to see how they had influenced their corresponding characters. I am always intrigued by the way, as a writer, you can reinterpret characters and concepts - particularly those fond in older myth and folklore - and bring them into a modern setting.



All the river names he used were accurate, as far as I know, and that's only because of a guy named Tim Bradford who wrote the Groundwater Diaries, a book pretty much all about his search for the tributaries of the Thames and what's grown over them. He's hilarious, and has a knack for describing things in such a way as to show them being incongruous in their own environment. He also does hilarious maps showing the routes of the Thames and its tributaries showing various "places and things of interest" along the way.

[Dasquian Belargic]

I knew that the river names were accurate, but I was more curious to see if there was anything about those particular tributaries - in terms of their location/geography - that might have informed the personality of the characters who shared their names.

Groundwater Diaries sounds like an interesting read!

[Anna Fernandez]

I started Moon over Soho the other day. Haven't had a lot of time to read it yet but it starts I think pretty immediately after the events of "Rivers of London/Midnight Riot."

[Dasquian Belargic]

I've read the opening chapters. I feel so bad for Lesley :(

[Lilaena De'Ville]

I feel quite bad for her too. Finished the book last night! He is certainly opening up the world of magic in new and interesting ways! Grant and Nightingale's small little cozy world isn't as small as they thought it was.

The reveal at the end with Leslie was a bit 'whaaat?' but really I could see her learning more magic and going off the rails as she tries to figure out a way to fix her face. Speaking of - shudder - really awful.

I'd be interested to know how Mr. Aaronovich chose his protagonist and his interests (or non-interests, like jazz). A young, black policeman, not to be confused with a black magician - Grant and Nightingale's conversation about ethically challenged practitioners cracked me up - is a different choice, but one I appreciate.

And there is a TON of extra info about London sites and places in Moon over Soho, just like in Midnight Riot. Maybe a little too much. But overall I quite enjoyed it.