I'm going to list and give brief comment to each of the books I read this year, as a follow up to my 2016 reading list here: 2016 Reading List | SFF Chronicles
(The info is also now available here on Goodreads: Brian’s Year in Books - and in my Goodreads reviews archive: Brian Turner's bookshelf: read (showing 1-30 of 58) (sorted by: date added))
In that blog post, I listed various books I got last Christmas, but then added more - marked with an asterisk. What I managed to achieve last year was read something from pretty much every major genre: science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, horror, YA, thriller, romance, literary, world fiction, and even a Western.
This year I intend to be more relaxed with my reading, and focus more on novels and non-fiction I might enjoy, rather than continue pushing to read so widely.
And I'll keep my reading updated in this thread, as it's easier to manage than in a blog post IMO.
Reading 2017
Jan 2nd - Troop Leader by Bill Bellamy
I've been reading a number of WWII autobiographies from German soldiers. When I saw this, and a string of similar ones for just 99p, I decided to take a punt. And I'm glad I did - it turns out this was a book I'd chased after before. However, previously it was only available as a very expensive paperback.
The account overall is interesting and contains some wonderful anecdotes - Lindybeige quotes a couple in one of his videos, which was why I'd originally hunted it down in the first place.
However, as a WWII campaign account it begins somewhat limited, as much of it is basically "truck driver in Normandy, after the landings". But once Bellamy starts leading a tank squadron the account becomes rich, enjoyable, and far more entertaining, especially for a WWII memoir.
Definitely a recommended read.
Jan 13th - Once a Hussar by Ray Ellis
I wasn't sure what to expect with this one - an autobiography of an artilleryman didn't seem to promise, but again, I bought it for just 99p. What I got was one of the most amazing and detailed WWII accounts I've read to date.
Over half of the book is involved in the early years of the North African campaign, first fighting just the Italians, then being pushed back when the Germans arrive. We have a long and intense chapter about the 8-month siege of Tobruk, which Ellis was caught in.
The sheer intensity of the Axis onslaught comes across as the British forces were pushed back toward Egypt. However, before Montgommery changes the tide at El Alamein, Ray Elli's unit is destroyed and he is captured.
We then spend a number of chapters with him as a POW in Italy, then escaping and ending up living with an Italian family, before escaping back to Allied lines.
What really stands out about this book is the details - little things that never get in the way of the narrative, but always enrich it. I ended up making quite a lot of notes for my own chronicles series. Later on, his account of his time in Italy was translated into Italian because it captured a way of life, now gone, that was little written about.
Overall, an outstanding book - so much so, that I'm going to chase down the sequel about his post-war life.
Jan 18th - Always a Hussar by Ray Ellis
Once a Hussar ended abruptly when Ray Ellis reached home and docked at Liverpool, but there was clearly more story to tell and I was eager to hear it.
It started off powerfully enough, with his growing sense of disillusionment, poor treatment by the British Army, and suffering from PTSD. This is something all too important but often missing from WWII military autobiographies, and Ray Ellis's honesty for his own flaws and failings in this process comes through.
Gradually, he rebuilds his life, and people who might have once been forgotten come to the fore again. It was interesting to see him develop both in and alongside post-war Britain.
I won't provide spoilers, other than to say that I found Ray Ellis's story truly fascinating, moving, and uplifting. In fact, after finishing it, I was tempted to write to him to say so, and thank him for his honesty in sharing his account.
Unfortunately, it appears he died a couple of years ago. In which case, I can only hope that his family still benefits from royalties from these books - and to kindly suggest an ebook version.
Jan 23rd - Guardsman and Commando by Cyril Feebery
Feebery's laconic humour and clear detail shine through. As a biography it is a decent and enjoyable read.
However, as a WWII biography some people may find its appeal limited - except from a short stint in German-occupied France after D-Day, he never really saw action.
So while he's involved in a lot of preparations and minor incursions, this is more a soldier's account of being in training and travelling around battlefields.
In that regard, this book may better appeal to WWII enthusiasts looking for more information on the early days of the SAS and SBS. For the more open-minded reader, this is a decent read of daily soldiering life through WWII, and from a somewhat more unusual and broader perspective than usual.
Jan 29th - The King Beyond the Gate by David Gemmell
It's hard to go wrong with Gemmell - his books make for smooth and easy reading. There are grim heroes with a hard - but reasonable - outlook on life, who despite their sometimes amoral arguments, usually find themselves fighting against a clear evil.
The King Beyond the Gate is little different, and there's yet-another-siege that the heroes must stand in.
What makes it a little different than normal is that there is a larger cast, and this helps create a more epic feel than normal.
Additionally, a lot of the story ties in directly with Gemmell's debut, Legend, resulting in a lot of nice hat tips and cameos.
If there's one complaint, it's simply that there's too much of the familiar Gemmell formula at work. But as mentioned above, that's part of his appeal - knowing that the story will be clear, the characters larger than life, and everything resolved at the end.
It does seem to rush a little to the resolution, and it clearly sets up the possibility of a sequel story. Alas, Gemmell doesn't do sequels - instead his Drenai books tend to be spaced at least a generation, sometimes centuries, after one another, and Quest for Lost Heroes - the following book in terms of chronology - appears to be no different.
IMO it remains a shame - and works against Gemmell's popularity - that his books are written to be sold as standalones. IMO he missed a big trick by not running his stories concurrently as a closer-fitting epic saga. The result is that characters you emotionally invest in during one book are unlikely to be seen again, albeit with rare exceptions.
(The info is also now available here on Goodreads: Brian’s Year in Books - and in my Goodreads reviews archive: Brian Turner's bookshelf: read (showing 1-30 of 58) (sorted by: date added))
In that blog post, I listed various books I got last Christmas, but then added more - marked with an asterisk. What I managed to achieve last year was read something from pretty much every major genre: science fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, horror, YA, thriller, romance, literary, world fiction, and even a Western.
This year I intend to be more relaxed with my reading, and focus more on novels and non-fiction I might enjoy, rather than continue pushing to read so widely.
And I'll keep my reading updated in this thread, as it's easier to manage than in a blog post IMO.
Reading 2017
Jan 2nd - Troop Leader by Bill Bellamy
I've been reading a number of WWII autobiographies from German soldiers. When I saw this, and a string of similar ones for just 99p, I decided to take a punt. And I'm glad I did - it turns out this was a book I'd chased after before. However, previously it was only available as a very expensive paperback.
The account overall is interesting and contains some wonderful anecdotes - Lindybeige quotes a couple in one of his videos, which was why I'd originally hunted it down in the first place.
However, as a WWII campaign account it begins somewhat limited, as much of it is basically "truck driver in Normandy, after the landings". But once Bellamy starts leading a tank squadron the account becomes rich, enjoyable, and far more entertaining, especially for a WWII memoir.
Definitely a recommended read.
Jan 13th - Once a Hussar by Ray Ellis
I wasn't sure what to expect with this one - an autobiography of an artilleryman didn't seem to promise, but again, I bought it for just 99p. What I got was one of the most amazing and detailed WWII accounts I've read to date.
Over half of the book is involved in the early years of the North African campaign, first fighting just the Italians, then being pushed back when the Germans arrive. We have a long and intense chapter about the 8-month siege of Tobruk, which Ellis was caught in.
The sheer intensity of the Axis onslaught comes across as the British forces were pushed back toward Egypt. However, before Montgommery changes the tide at El Alamein, Ray Elli's unit is destroyed and he is captured.
We then spend a number of chapters with him as a POW in Italy, then escaping and ending up living with an Italian family, before escaping back to Allied lines.
What really stands out about this book is the details - little things that never get in the way of the narrative, but always enrich it. I ended up making quite a lot of notes for my own chronicles series. Later on, his account of his time in Italy was translated into Italian because it captured a way of life, now gone, that was little written about.
Overall, an outstanding book - so much so, that I'm going to chase down the sequel about his post-war life.
Jan 18th - Always a Hussar by Ray Ellis
Once a Hussar ended abruptly when Ray Ellis reached home and docked at Liverpool, but there was clearly more story to tell and I was eager to hear it.
It started off powerfully enough, with his growing sense of disillusionment, poor treatment by the British Army, and suffering from PTSD. This is something all too important but often missing from WWII military autobiographies, and Ray Ellis's honesty for his own flaws and failings in this process comes through.
Gradually, he rebuilds his life, and people who might have once been forgotten come to the fore again. It was interesting to see him develop both in and alongside post-war Britain.
I won't provide spoilers, other than to say that I found Ray Ellis's story truly fascinating, moving, and uplifting. In fact, after finishing it, I was tempted to write to him to say so, and thank him for his honesty in sharing his account.
Unfortunately, it appears he died a couple of years ago. In which case, I can only hope that his family still benefits from royalties from these books - and to kindly suggest an ebook version.
Jan 23rd - Guardsman and Commando by Cyril Feebery
Feebery's laconic humour and clear detail shine through. As a biography it is a decent and enjoyable read.
However, as a WWII biography some people may find its appeal limited - except from a short stint in German-occupied France after D-Day, he never really saw action.
So while he's involved in a lot of preparations and minor incursions, this is more a soldier's account of being in training and travelling around battlefields.
In that regard, this book may better appeal to WWII enthusiasts looking for more information on the early days of the SAS and SBS. For the more open-minded reader, this is a decent read of daily soldiering life through WWII, and from a somewhat more unusual and broader perspective than usual.
Jan 29th - The King Beyond the Gate by David Gemmell
It's hard to go wrong with Gemmell - his books make for smooth and easy reading. There are grim heroes with a hard - but reasonable - outlook on life, who despite their sometimes amoral arguments, usually find themselves fighting against a clear evil.
The King Beyond the Gate is little different, and there's yet-another-siege that the heroes must stand in.
What makes it a little different than normal is that there is a larger cast, and this helps create a more epic feel than normal.
Additionally, a lot of the story ties in directly with Gemmell's debut, Legend, resulting in a lot of nice hat tips and cameos.
If there's one complaint, it's simply that there's too much of the familiar Gemmell formula at work. But as mentioned above, that's part of his appeal - knowing that the story will be clear, the characters larger than life, and everything resolved at the end.
It does seem to rush a little to the resolution, and it clearly sets up the possibility of a sequel story. Alas, Gemmell doesn't do sequels - instead his Drenai books tend to be spaced at least a generation, sometimes centuries, after one another, and Quest for Lost Heroes - the following book in terms of chronology - appears to be no different.
IMO it remains a shame - and works against Gemmell's popularity - that his books are written to be sold as standalones. IMO he missed a big trick by not running his stories concurrently as a closer-fitting epic saga. The result is that characters you emotionally invest in during one book are unlikely to be seen again, albeit with rare exceptions.
Last edited:
