Update

So the plan was to read a book a day and write about it. While I've been doing quite well on one front, not so much on the other. So a new post once or twice a week about what I've been reading strikes me as the way forward. Random lists and thoughts will also continue to be posted.

So for the weekend just past, I read Empress Orchid by Anchee Min and The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt. Both good in different ways and both recommended. Empress Orchid is a historical novel set in China's Forbidden City and follows the life of the titular Orchid as she becomes first the Emperor's concubine then Empress of China and mother to the next emperor. It's a fascinating look at a secret hidden world, and Orchid is an interesting narrator. She tells the story as an old woman looking back over her life and the struggles to get to where she is. If you like history and are interested in China then this is for you.
The Court of the Air is something completely different, set in a fantastical world in a country called Jackals, it tells the story of two orphans Molly Templar and Oliver Brooks as they discover that things are not quite as stable as they seem and find their places in a world full of magic and riven by political intrigue. It's a good romp, starting slow but picks up the pace as Molly and Oliver are thrust into their adventures after a series of murders force them both on the run with different new friends trying to help them on their way. Assisted by magical creatures known as fey and the mysterious steammen, it's up to the two children to save their world and themselves.