What I've been reading

"Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex" by Eoin Colfer  as an audiobook (read by Nathaniel Parker, who I adore). I love this series but felt like this book was a weak link. Artemis has big plans to make the world better, but while he's convened with his fairy friends, they're suddenly attacked by an unknown enemy who tries to drop a space probe on their heads. However, Artemis is less help than usual in a crisis, suffering from a mental malady caused by guilt, "The Atlantis Complex." I found it a little disappointing that Artemis "isn't quite himself" for almost the entire book, since his Semi-evil Genius plots and hijinks are much of what make the books fun. On the plus side, I like that characters grow and change over the course of the series despite it being mostly a silly, light entertainment. I'm looking forward to listening to the final installment of the series soon.

and

"The Comfort of Strangers" by Ian McEwan. This slim novel (129 pages in paperback) is packed full of creepy and disturbing but beautiful writing. Mary and Colin are an English couple on holiday in Venice, Italy.  While exploring the city, they run into Robert, a friendly and charismatic man who owns a bar in the city. He introduces them to his wife, Caroline, who has a chronic bad back and is virtually a prisoner in her home, and tells them strange stories of his domineering father and sadistic older sisters. Mary and Colin are both intrigued and a little frightened by the other couple, and things do not turn out well. I'd read "Atonement" by McEwan earlier this year, and it's a more mature novel, but a lot of his trademarks are already in place in this short, earlier novel -- finely drawn characters with intricate and perverse motivations, beautiful prose, descriptions that are sharply drawn with just a few words or phrases, and loads of atmosphere. I really admired this book and want to seek out even more by McEwan.

My full comments on both books here.