What I've been reading...

Nov 5, 2023

The Peripheral by William Gibson

A clever whodunnit spanning two timelines and an alternative universe.

Oct 23, 2023

After The Forest by Kell Woods

A shifter romance and a dark fairytale.

Feb 26, 2022

The Pendergast series by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

Aloysius XL Pendergast is an Albino FBI agent with hidden depths. He's ex special forces; a practictioner of Voodoo variants; he's insanely rich; a great white hunter; he works alone and is able to pick and choose which cases he takes. He's a Buddhist monk, who can see into the past and visualise events from centuries earlier.

Jan 13, 2022

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel is an exhortation to relish the present, and enjoy the world we live in now - because you never know when it will disappear in a cloud of flu virus.

Dec 7, 2021

Rebel Code: Linux And The Open Source Revolution by Glyn Moody

For a rare change, I've actually done a book review over on The Crow. I gave Rebel Code: Linux And The Open Source Revolution by Glyn Moody 4.5/5 arguing that it ended too soon. But it's a history book and history books have to end sometime.

Sep 18, 2021

Weaveworld by Clive Barker

Most of the action is set in the 1990s Liverpool and on the Wirral, and as I am a native of such parts, it's fun to read about places I know and love. The action at Thurstaston is particularly satisfying.

Aug 22, 2021

The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson

A Rose tinted view of humanity working together to solve societal and climate change issues - depressingly unrealistic.

Jul 12, 2021

Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky is solid soviet sci fi.

If you ever pondered on humanity's place in the universe and suspected that as a species and a planet, we are insignificant dots on the asshole of creation, Roadside Picnic is the book for you.

Jul 7, 2021

China by Edward Rutherford.

Compared to Edward Rutherford's other works, this was a bit of a disappointment.

Jun 29, 2021

Mid-lich Crisis by Steve Thomas.

I finished Mid-Lich Crisis, but i was close to abandoning it several times. 4/10.

May 30, 2021

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells.

The characters are well rounded, the dialogue and the situations are entertaining, and the action is well written. as I say, wholesome as heck. You should read the Murderbot diaries right now..

May 4, 2021

Doctorow and Stross team up for surreal antics in Rapture of The Nerds.

There aren't any deep ethical, moral, or existential questions, despite deep ethical, moral, and existential questions being the core of the plotline. It's slapstick, it's opera, it's a comedy of errors with a confused protagonist, and it's glorious.

Apr 28, 2021

Homeland and Attack Surface by Cory Doctorow - a teen novel grows up.

Little Brother mostly concerned itself with the evils that government departments do in the name of your security. Homeland and Attack surface are more concerned with the evils that corporations do in the name of money, and the potential for zero oversight, unaccountable badness when they integrate with the public sector. No surprises there - unbridled capitalism is evil. We all knew that already.

Apr 12, 2021

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow - a teen novel that's essential reading for adults.

Practical cyberpunk manual in a fictional guise. Plot-wise, it's fun, anti-authoritarian hijinx. It's actually a handbook.

Apr 8, 2021

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab is a dark-ish Beauty and The Beast

The heroine is your typical, spirited independent woman in 17th century rural France - she loves to draw, she loves to read, she loves her dad, and she doesn't need no man. Think Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Her antagonist is the physical embodiment of darkness (in the form a sexy man named Luc), with whom our lead character makes a pact - her soul in exchange for living independently forever.

Apr 7, 2021

Shadow Captain and Bone silence by Alastair Reynolds - finishing up the Revenger series.

The universe is still the Spanish Main in space, and that the sisters are still adventuring on the cosmic high seas. The stakes were high in Revenger, but they're even higher now.

Mar 17, 2021

Revenger by Alastair Reynolds.

In the grim darkness of the far future, everyone talks like a pirate. Revenger, by Alastair Reynolds, is a classic high seas adventure with ships, mainsail, pirates, treasure, and villains. But in space.

Mar 11, 2021

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

A wild ride through wartime Barcelona. Heroes, villains, lovers and friends. Shocks! Jump scares!

Mar 1, 2021

Dead Lies Dreaming by Charles Stross.

Fast paced, addictive and funny - let down by the chief bad guy being a 'sexual deviant' - always a lazy signifier shortcut.

What I've been reading...

The Peripheral by William Gibson A clever whodunnit spanning two timelines and an alternative universe.

After The Forest by Kell Woods A shifter romance and a dark fairytale.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel is an exhortation to relish the present, and enjoy the world we live in now - because you never know when it will disappear in a cloud of flu virus.

Weaveworld by Clive Barker Most of the action is set in the 1990s Liverpool and on the Wirral, and as I am a native of such parts, it's fun to read about places I know and love. The action at Thurstaston is particularly satisfying.

The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson A Rose tinted view of humanity working together to solve societal and climate change issues - depressingly unrealistic.

Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky is solid soviet sci fi. If you ever pondered on humanity's place in the universe and suspected that as a species and a planet, we are insignificant dots on the asshole of creation, Roadside Picnic is the book for you.

China by Edward Rutherford. Compared to Edward Rutherford's other works, this was a bit of a disappointment.

Mid-lich Crisis by Steve Thomas. I finished Mid-Lich Crisis, but i was close to abandoning it several times. 4/10.

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. The characters are well rounded, the dialogue and the situations are entertaining, and the action is well written. as I say, wholesome as heck. You should read the Murderbot diaries right now..

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow - a teen novel that's essential reading for adults. Practical cyberpunk manual in a fictional guise. Plot-wise, it's fun, anti-authoritarian hijinx. It's actually a handbook.

Shadow Captain and Bone silence by Alastair Reynolds - finishing up the Revenger series. The universe is still the Spanish Main in space, and that the sisters are still adventuring on the cosmic high seas. The stakes were high in Revenger, but they're even higher now.

Revenger by Alastair Reynolds. In the grim darkness of the far future, everyone talks like a pirate. Revenger, by Alastair Reynolds, is a classic high seas adventure with ships, mainsail, pirates, treasure, and villains. But in space.

Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. A wild ride through wartime Barcelona. Heroes, villains, lovers and friends. Shocks! Jump scares!

Dead Lies Dreaming by Charles Stross. Fast paced, addictive and funny - let down by the chief bad guy being a 'sexual deviant' - always a lazy signifier shortcut.