Booklog 6/2018 - Sean Grigsby: Smoke Eaters

This is a mash-up of science fiction and fantasy. It's a blazing debut, well worth your time. The Smoke Eaters fight dragons and dragon-fires with high-tech gadgets in a post-collapse 22^nd century America. It's a bleak future vision. Firefighter captain Cole Brannigan is pressed to take up service with the Smoke Eaters after 30 years in the fire service because they discover that he can breathe dragon smoke without choking on it. He'd been planning his retirement with his wife, but now his future looks very different. Dragons emerge from below, destroying neighbourhoods and eating the population. They've destroyed the infrastructure, made travel by road too dangerous to contemplate, and turned the USA into a collection of autonomous, isolated city states. And then there are the wraiths, ghosts of the consumed who manifest electrically and attract dragons like I attract mosquitos in summer. Brannigan goes from being a seasoned firefighter to a Smoke Eater rookie as he has to learn the job all over again, but he brings with him thirty years of firefighting experience, a stubborn attitude and a deep hatred for the mayor who seems to be intent on sacking public servants and replacing them with droids and drones. Brannigan is a great character. Strong on attitude but weak of bladder. How nice to have a sixty year old hero who gets the job done out of sheer cussedness and commonsense. The author is a firefighter and it shows in the detail and the knowledge – and very probably the attitude. Loved it. NOTE: I had this as a pre-release review copy from Netgalley.

Booklog 7/2018 - Georgette Heyer: Frederica

It's no good, I'm a sucker for Heyer's regency romances. The Marquis of Alverstoke is rich, influential, thoroughly spoiled and bored by almost everyone he meets… until Frederica Merriville, a very distant relative, applies to him for help in launching her beautiful younger sister into Regency society. He only agrees in order to give his annoying, pushy, sister a set down, but finds that whatever Frederica is, she's not boring. Gradually drawn into the chaotic Merriville family (which also includes two irrepressible boys) Alverstoke learns his lessons and the ending is as you might expect. It's not the ending (which was flagged up from very early on in the book) but it's how the characters get there that's the delight. I really liked this one. Alverstoke was never completely irredeemable, and Frederica had a huge dollop of commonsense.

Booklog 8/2018 - Julia Quinn: What Happens in London - Bevelstoke #2

When Sir Harry Valentine moves in next door to the Bevelstokes, Olivia is intrigued by local gossip (that he murdered his fiancée) and sets out to spy on him--exceptionally ineptly, causing initial friction between them. (Let's be honest, they hate each other.) Harry knows a bit about spying, having joined the Hussars with his dashing cousin, Sebastian, survived the Peninsular Campaign, and moved on to working for the War Office. True, it's the boring part of the War Office since he's mostly translating Russian documents (thanks to his grandmother he speaks the language fluently) but he rather enjoys the quiet life. However when he gets instructions to spy on a Russian prince who has shown a marked interest in Miss Bevelstoke, things get interesting. Julia Quinn has given us an interesting hero with an intriguing family backstory which has given him the odd hangup. There's a plot (besides the romance) which works well and a terrific proposal scene. The secondary characters, particularly cousin Seb, are particularly well drawn. This is the followup to The Secret Diaries of Miranda Cheever. Julia Quinn is always worth reading. There's witty dialogue, a lot of humour, high excitement and the obligatory sex scene (which she writes well). It's light, frothy and very engaging.

Movie of the Week: The Post

An American political thriller  directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer. It stars Meryl Streep as Katharine Graham and Tom Hanks as Ben Bradlee. It's set  just before Watergate, when the Pentagon Papers are leaked exposing three decades of government lies about the Viet Nam War, involving four presidents. Graham is notable as being the first female owner/publisher of a major  American newspaper, and Bradlee as the tenacious Washington Post's editor. Though set in 1971 it addresses not only the actual scandle, but the battle for the freedom of the press involving both the New York Times and the Washington Post, themes still very much relevant today. Streep underplays Graham beautifully as she finds her courage. Hanks is a delight as the tough but consciencious editor.