Palimpsest: Catherynne M Valente

In terms of “what I’m reading” right now, I’m on a big push to read all the fiction finalists for the Hugo Awards, and this week I finished Catherynne M Valente’s Palimpsest, which I found an intriguing read, but not a particularly easy one—although the story did come together at the end. I don’t want to say too much about any one book in the Hugos finalists’ lineup until I’ve read them all, but I know a couple of other readers who gave up on Palimpsest before reaching the end, and in one case, after only a few chapters. So this is definitely not a book for everyone . . . but for myself, I’m glad I read it. I don’t know whether or not it will turn out to be my favourite of the six finalists (I have read three so far, with three to go including Robert Charles Wilson’s Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America, which I have just started reading)—but yes, definitely glad I’ve read Palimpsest.

Taking a little time out from the Hugo reading, I also finished the second book in Tamora Pierce’s Beka Cooper series, the novel called Bloodhound.

Bloodhound: Tamora Pierce

I have been a fan of Tamora Pierce’s writing since reading Alanna: The First Adventure, way back when, and was pleased when Beka Cooper: Terrier returned to the Tortall world of that first Song of the Lioness series, although at an earlier time period. I really like the character of Beka Cooper—she’s a smart, resourceful, tough, but also compassionate heroine. My kind of gal, definitely, and I enjoyed reading the Bloodhound story.

But as regular readers may have guessed, since I interview poets for the Women on Air programme, Plains 96.9 FM, I also read a lot of poetry books. At the moment I am re-reading Voyagers: Science Fiction Poetry from New Zealand (Interactive Press),

Voyagers

edited by Tim Jones and Mark Pirie, as well as reading Pascale Petit’s The Treekeeper’s Tale (Seren) for the first time.

I suspect many people may have thought there would not be sufficient science fiction poetry written in New Zealand to make up an anthology, but Voyagers proved any doubters wrong with a wonderful compilation of poems on topics as diverse as space travel, apocalypse, extra-terrestrials and altered states. It’s up for a Sir Julius Vogel Award this year, too, in the category of “Best Collected Work”—a well-deserved nomination, in my opinion.

The Treekeeper's Tale: Pascale Petit

The Treekeeper’s Tale is the third collection from celebrated UK poet, Pascale Petit, that I have read (or will have read, once I finish). Petit’s poetry is emotionally powerful, savage even, in books such as The Zoo Father and The Huntress, but she also has a powerful command of language. So despite finding these first two books challenging reads, I also found the poetry extremely inspirational. I am finding The Treekeeper’s Tale a gentler read, but no less inspirational poetically. The subject matter (so far) is of nature and archaeology but with the same mythological overtones I remember from the earlier collections. I am really enjoying it and although I won’t know if I have a favourite poem until I finish, so far Siberian Ice Maiden is a strong contender.

Just to give you a feeling for Petit’s use of language, here are the opening lines to the poem Hieroglyph Moth:

“When the white ermine wings
opened at night

like a book of frost
smoking in the dark,

I understood the colour of vowels
painted on moth fur –

the black, red, saffron signs
of a new language.”

(c) Pascal Petit

from Hieroglyph Moth, in The Treekeeper’s Tale

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So now, time to share—what are you reading currently?