A catalogue of failure...

So, you remember my 2011 Reading Challenge? No? Well I do...

As you can see, I hit March before petering out, but actually I did read a few more books ( actually I read very few books not on the challenge list in 2011 - my rollercoaster life has afforded less reading time than I have had previously ) that I didn't get around to writing up, so I may not have failed quite as much as I appeared to have. I still failed by around 50% though.

To Ride Hell's Chasm by Janny Wurts, recommended by makoiyi

This was a brisk and fun read- the central story of the little-trusted foreigner with the mysterious past who gradually proves himself to be a hero in a country that finds itself suddenly out of it's depth when confronted with devastating magic is entertaining and well told although I was unconvinced by the world beyond our little bubble of characters and events.

There were a few things that grated - firstly the way people responded to dialogue was a little weird. A made up and exaggerated example:

"I'm very slightly annoyed with you," she said. He recoiled, stung by the brutality of her harsh words, his insides twisting in bitter turmoil at the inexplicable intensity of her rage.

It seemed as though much of the time the way characters reacted to things that were said just didn't make sense as a response to what was actually said. Maybe I'm just really bad at following subtext or something but it happened enough that I started to notice it and then increasingly find it funny.

Also although the horses involved in the ride down the chasm were certainly essential for the story to be pushed on and heroic in their own right, in keeping with most fantasy they were also very much lined up as victims throughout. This is a personal bugbear of mine, but it also inspires me, which is always helpful.

Horse Heaven by Jane Smiley recommended by dancing_crow

This was an interesting book - Jane Smiley obviously understands the racing industry intimately and she describes the different aspects of it beautifully. It works more as a series of interlocking vignettes rather than a story as such, which may be one reason it took me ages to read - there wasn't anything to it that made me want to pick it up and read what happened next - but it was never dull and the characters and horses are very well drawn.

I'm currently reading In Great Waters and I have Out Stealing Horses in my to-read pile so I may almost hit half of the books I thought I would get around to at least...