AO3 for Vidders

Eight books in June - more than usual for me.

Concrete Island by J. G. Ballard
I'd only read The Drowned World by him and seen the movie adaptation of High Rise, so when I saw this novella on the library I decided to give it a try. Did not like it, but at least I finished it. None of the 3 characters were remotely likable in any way - each was a unique example of incompetence all the way through.

A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Another vintage British book this time focusing on an unlikable main character with an unapologetic violent nature, this was brilliantly done. I'd seen the movie many years ago so I knew generally what to expect, an exploration of free will vs. state mind control. Burgess' writing was very good, his world building fantastic.

The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah
I had no idea anyone was writing new Hercule Poirot books and I enjoyed this a lot. Felt like David Suchet was talking to me through the pages.

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
This was the only book in his Tiffany Aching series I'd read, but looking for an audiobook I found this version narrated by Indira Varma and featuring Bill Nighy and other. A real delight. Varma has narrated the entire series and I know I'll be making my way through them.

American Indian Corn (Maize) . . by Charles J. Murphy
Published in 1917, this unexpectedly complex book with recipes from New England, the Deep South and other places in the US where this native grain has been tied to local food culture. Information on how native peoples processed and used maize and a few recipes (in a narrative format, not detailed instructions) from Mexico, unspecified New England tribes, Dakota, Hopi, Zuni, and Western Apache people.

I was curious about Murphy and found that he born in 1832, was an officer in US-Mexico conflict of the 1850s and the Civil War, around the 1880s he worked in the US Department of Agriculture specializing in corn (maize) and part of his job was to promote the use of corn in Europe.

The Incandescent by Emily Tesh
A book about a middle aged woman, the Director of Magic at a boarding school with both a magic and academic curriculum who is tasked with protecting the school against demonic incursion, I really liked this. It's gone on my preliminary list of books to nominate for next year's Hugos awards.

Esperance by Adam Oyebanji
I recently read a review of this sf murder mystery, it sounded interesting so I grabbed it at my local library. A Chicago police detective and an otherworldly women in Bristol, England are each racing to find the perpetrator of a series on inexplicable murders. Really good, this has also gone on my Hugo list for next year.

The Killings at Kingfisher Hill by Sophie Hannah
Ah, sadly not as good as the Poirot book by her that I read at the beginning of the month. Kind of formulaic