A Possible Life by Sebastian Faulks
Allow me to start off with the negative for this book… and it’s rather a large one. Despite what Faulks says and how this is marketed, to me, it does not feel like a novel. It feels exactly what it...
View ArticleSSDD #7 – Ellie Warren
This week I’ve rearranged the furniture and dragged in another table from the shed. There should be plenty of chairs to go around, so the first person to sit at the new table is Ellie Warren – book...
View ArticleFish Change Direction In Cold Weather by Pierre Szalowski
Fish Change Direction in Cold Weather is an odd book, quite a conundrum, in fact. From reading the blurb you could expect an emotional tale of a family disarray. You feel set up to read a book that...
View ArticleBit of an update…
So, over the last few weeks the blog has been very quiet. This is a combination of several things including a holiday and illness. Sadly I’ve fallen behind on my reviews and projects as a result. I’m...
View ArticleMe and My Black Dog
I dislike referring to depression with its correct term. Depression is such an ugly word, it’s one that people are scared of despite some being quick to use it. I’ve suffered from depression or, as I...
View ArticleLife of Pi by Yann Martel
So, back in 2004 I bought a paperback copy of Life of Pi with an urge to read it. I made it to around twenty pages in and gave up, got rid of my copy of the book and decided that it was unlikely I’d...
View ArticleRed Country by Joe Abercrombie
Someone find me a mop and a swear jar. Joe Abercrombie is letting the blood and swears flow in his latest novel – Red Country. I’m a newcomer to Joe’s gritty fantasy so approached the effort with some...
View ArticleInstructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell
This is a very advanced review. As of today, the book doesn’t come out for 91 days but I enjoyed it so much I wanted to write about it. Reading this back, I’ve not done the book justice, at all. When I...
View ArticleKetchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher
When I first read Annabel Pitchers debut novel, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, I was amazed by her skill to broach difficult subjects for a younger audience. However her writing transcends her YA...
View ArticleTrain Dreams by Denis Johnson
Sometimes a literary novel can capture every nuance and feeling of a character with such little effort it is breathtaking. The best writers can transport a reader from cosy sofa to the panic of forest...
View ArticleThe Best Books of 2012
This year, like last year, I am writing a top ten of my favourite books from the year. Yes, they are in order. No, they aren’t all five star books. They are books that have stayed with me, books that I...
View ArticleGreyhound by Steffan Piper
Greyhound is one of those books that’s just nice to read. It is written well, with great characters and an enjoyable central premise. For me, it isn’t going to be one of those novels that will linger...
View ArticleMerry Christmas and Thank You!
So, here we are. Only a few more sleeps until Christmas day and then it won’t be long until the New Year is rung in. This will be my last blog post until New Years Eve as after today it is all about...
View ArticleHere We Are, 2013.
I had originally sat and written a post for today, stating how I had a couple of blogging resolutions and such, but I deleted it. Towards the end of 2012 my blogging started to slip – I kept forgetting...
View ArticleMortality by Christopher Hitchens
I have to admit that through much of my adult life I have been blind to the genius of Christopher Hitchens. Though I have heard his name bandied about, I never felt much of a reason to reach out and...
View ArticleFirst Novel by Nicholas Royle
Sometimes a novel comes along that impresses me to the point where I am left wondering – even as I read the last 50 pages – how in the hell I will come to write my thoughts. Some novels are so...
View ArticleMini Reviews: Heart-Shaped Girl Child
Sometimes I’ll read a book and forget to write the review for a while. Then, when I finally come to writing it I notice that the book has done the rounds and is a huge success. Which leaves me...
View ArticleThe Night Rainbow by Claire King
The Night Rainbow is a wonderfully involving novel that transports the reader to, not only the meadows of France, but also a life of isolation. Everything about Claire King’s debut is questioning and...
View ArticleThe Aylesford Skull by James Blaylock
This was my first meeting with Langdon St Ives and it was one of mixed emotion. The reemergence of James Blaylock into the world of Steampunk is lauded by many. This is a man who paved the way for...
View ArticleProblems With Personal Computers
I thought it best to pop a quick update on here. My PC has a virus and will not allow me to boot it up – even in safe mode. This will of course hinder my blogging a little. I can do most things from...
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....