Christmas Mischief

I know I have said this before, but I don't understand why I find the things Mischief Theatre do so funny. 

I mean Magic Goes Wrong was, like Comedy about a Bank Robbery before it, probably more clever than funny. The magic itself was super slick, but still I laughed. But the Goes Wrong Show, that really tickled me. Tickled to an embarrassing level I'd say. 

Anyway, what have I read in December? 

Slade House - David Mitchell
The Tattooist of Auschwitz- Heather Wilson
The City of Brass - SA Chakraborty
Bearmouth - Liz Hyder
Twas the Nightshift before Christmas - Adam Day
Release - Partick Ness

After having another attempt at the Jacob de Zoet book I figured I should probably give up on that and switch to the David Mitchell (the other one) book that I hadn't read. I really enjoyed it, which only makes me wonder why I found Thousand Autumns so unexcitedly unreadable. Weird. 

Another book that took two attempts was Bearmouth. I was put off by the phonetic spelling, then saw it bubbling away in the end of year charts, so figured it was worth the perseverance. 

By any standards I should have quit City of Brass. The premise is brilliant (it's basically a Middle Eastern Daughter of Smoke and Bone) but the set up was frustrating and by the time the ending came I had stopped caring about any of the characters. 

I finally got round to reading the Tattooist of Auschwitz. Whilst it was absolutely brutal, it was a much easier read than the genie book, which I guess is why it's been in the best sellers chart for a couple of years. 

I suspect I'm not the only person who has read the Adam Kay book in the ladt couple of days. It had me chuckling. Not as much as Mischief, mind, but some good solid chuckles none the less. 

And Release, which embarrassingly I had read before. I don't remember reading it, but as soon as I started everything seemed familiar. Often on a re-read it is the other way round. I remember the act of reading but not the story (I've read both The Alchemist and the Great Gatsby twice, and have no idea what happens in either). Still, thoroughly enjoyed this the second time.