Shadows, pianos and rivers

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Book review backlog time again.

"A Piano in the Pyrenees", by Tony Hawks (not the skateboarder) is another in the peculiarly British genre of "Humourous Books In Which The Author Does Stuff For A Bet/Laugh/No Good Reason". Hawks is a past master of the form, his first book being "Round Ireland With A Fridge" in which the author makes a bet about hitchiking around Ireland with a small refigerator. Dave Gorman's books are othr examples of this blossoming area. In "Piano", the author buys a house in France. Amusing things occur, and we learn a bit about life in rural France. A funny read, good for passing the time.

(My wife was once sat on the tube in London, reading the aforementioned fridge book, and was asked by the man sat next to her if it was any good. She replied that it was ok, and took no further part in any conversation as is right and proper on the tube. It was only when the man got off that she realised that it had been the author himself sat next to her.)

"River Of Time", by David Brin, is a short story collection. Surprisingly good, considering that I picked it at random from the library. Some great ideas in here about why the universe seems empty of intelligent life.

"A Shadow In Summer", by Daniel Abraham, is another in my seemingly unending backlog of free ebooks I got from Tor's promotion ages ago. Another fantasy doorstop, first volume of an unspecified number. Not bad, the author had made quite a bit of effort to create a non-standard world for his characters. Worth a read.

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