Black and Blue
Ian Rankin
Orion
I'm giving some serious thought to shutting down my blog. I haven't been feeling that creative lately and while I've been reading a tonne, I find that I don't have too much new or inspiring to say. You guys can only take so many "wow -- that book was awesome!" or "wow -- that booked totally sucked" reviews, right?
Maybe I just need to shake it up a bit and read something that really knocks my socks off. Ugh. So hard to know what to do. That said, I'm here now and I might as well get down to business and give you the skinny on Rankin's Black & Blue.
I would consider this novel to be Rankin's best that I've read so far. Rebus' professional life is a bit of a wreck -- he's been kicked out of his precinct and assigned a new home, he's under investigation for helping a colleague who is suspected of planting evidence, the media is hounding him about a wrongful conviction, and he's working four cases. Sigh. Yes, he's still the perfect man. Well, aside from the drinking. Since I'm over 40 now, I guess I'm not supposed to be that picky.
With so much going on in Black & Blue, you would almost expect the narrative to be somewhat choppy and episodic. Rankin defies expectation and writes a tight, dark, action-packed story that flows from location to location, case to case, emotion to emotion. Four hard-boiled detectives out of five.
4 comments:
Don't stop blogging!!! I am not tired of your posts!
I do have a suggestion - why not recruit some guest bloggers?
Thanks for the feedback! Guest bloggers might be a good idea. I'm not unhappy with the blog per se, I'm just in a rut and find that I don't have new ways to talk about books and follow the general blogging rules that I set up for myself when this first got going. I will consider your suggestion though -- other people do, after all, inspire me. Hah! Maybe I'll just write some entries after I'm about an hour in to a Nyquil buzz -- that ought to up the creativity ante.
I for one sincerely hope you don't stop blogging. I honestly look forward to reading your latest updates and have made several book selections based on your recommendations. As for being in a creative rut - I don't see it.
If you're really just not enjoying it any more than that's something else entirely and I could not in good conscience try to talk you into devoting time and energy on something that has become a chore. But in any other circumstance I really, really, really hope you keep gong at whatever pace makes sense to you.
Besides you'd be denying the chance for literary nerds to socially interact with a hottie who also happens to be a literary nerd herself.
All the best.
Well, thank you Coleminer. Hottie? Hah! You apparently haven't seen me at the gym lately.
Funny you should send this today. Last night I was thinking that I should do the DES book of the year post and let you guys know the top five from last year.
I really, really, really appreciate the kind words. I don't think the blog is dead yet. I'll be back soon. Promise.
k.
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