Sara's reading log

I am a book hoarder and reader. My main genre is SF, but I also love magic realism, fantasy and general fiction. Favorite authors are Iain M. Banks, Ursula K. LeGuin, Haruki Murakami, José Saramago, Isaac Asimov, Ben Aaronovitch and more. My rating system is based on five stars. I rate books based on my expectations and what a books aims to be. This means that the brilliant 'Fahrenheit 451' gets five stars because I thought it would be good, people said it was good, and it was good, but 'A Closed and Common Orbit' also gets five stars because in its series, in its style, I really enjoyed it and was not disappointed.

Un Lun Dun by China Miéville

  • Started on: 2011-09-08
  • Finished on: 2011-09-13
  • Read in: English
  • Rating: ****-
  • Genre(s): Fantasy

China Mieville said in an interview I once read that he wants to write books in every genre. Previous books I read by him could be classified as steampunk, science fiction or detective books, and this one is a childrens/teen adventure fantasy.
This is the story of Zanna and Deeba who discover the strange world of UnLondon, a world parallel to their London, where everything is slightly different. Giraffes are murderous predators and roam the streets. Umbrellas (unbrellas) are broken but live. Trash can be a pet. Everything is slightly weird. The people there believe Zanna is the chosen one, and they need her to save their city from Smog, sentient pollution that wants to rule UnLondon.
The book is filled with action, mysteries, funny un-things, beautiful drawings by Miéville himself and heroics. The story does seem a bit similar in premise to that of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, but goes its own way and does its own thing. It is a light fun and fast-paced read, good for old and young alike.

  • Started on: 2011-09-08
  • Finished on: 2011-09-13
  • Read in: English
  • Rating: ****-
  • Genre(s): Fantasy

China Mieville said in an interview I once read that he wants to write books in every genre. Previous books I read by him could be classified as steampunk, science fiction or detective books, and this one is a childrens/teen adventure fantasy.
This is the story of Zanna and Deeba who discover the strange world of UnLondon, a world parallel to their London, where everything is slightly different. Giraffes are murderous predators and roam the streets. Umbrellas (unbrellas) are broken but live. Trash can be a pet. Everything is slightly weird. The people there believe Zanna is the chosen one, and they need her to save their city from Smog, sentient pollution that wants to rule UnLondon.
The book is filled with action, mysteries, funny un-things, beautiful drawings by Miéville himself and heroics. The story does seem a bit similar in premise to that of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, but goes its own way and does its own thing. It is a light fun and fast-paced read, good for old and young alike.