Book Review: Fire and Blood by George R. R. Martin

Five years. I've been waiting five years for George R. R. Martin to release the next instalment in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. I reread the whole series thus far last year, as I'd heard rumours that book 6, The Winds of Winter, was due out in 2018. It never appeared. Instead, …

Favourite Books of 2018

That time of year, when I look back over the previous year and pick my favourite things. We're starting with books. I read quite a few new books this year, so here is my top ten, divided, as ever, into fiction and nonfiction. Nonfiction 5. The Panther in My Kitchen by Brian Blessed The legendary …

Book Review: Adventureman by Jamie McDonald

I can't remember when or why I downloaded this book onto my Kindle, but I'm glad I did, as Jamie McDonald's story of his epic run across Canada is a charming and inspiring tale. As a young child, Jamie was beset with serious health problems and at one point it was doubtful that he would …

Book Review: Ax by Ed Mcbain

I returned to the 87th Precinct and was treated to a short, sharp detective story as Detectives Carella and Hawes try to solve a brutal murder. The elderly janitor is found in the basement  of the building where he works, the victim of a brutal attack with an axe. The detectives struggle to find a …

Book Review: Why I Write by George Orwell

I've read a fair amount of George Orwell's nonfiction work over the last couple of years, and been really impressed with his writing. Unfortunately, this collection of four essays was a bit of a disappointment. The eponymous essay that kicks off the book is decent enough, as Orwell discusses how he wanted to be a …

Book Review: Angels & Demons by Dan Brown

I quite like Dan Brown's novels, they've consistently proven to be entertaining, fast paced thrillers. And this book, the first entry in the Robert Langdon series shows that Brown got his formula down early. We're introduced to Langdon as a quiet, slightly quirky, Harvard professor specialising in "symbology". In the middle of the night he …

Book Review: Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames

I can't remember where I heard about this book, but I added it to my wishlist and friend came through and got me a copy. It had been reviewed favourably and it sounded like my kind of thing. And when I finally sat down to read it I instantly fell in love with Eames' writing …

Book Review: Menagerie Manor by Gerald Durrell

Having really enjoyed Encounters With Animals, I was eager to read more of Durrell's work and they were added to my mental wish list, and in a happy coincidence I discovered this book on a charity shop shelf and had to buy it. The book concerns Durrell's observations and misadventures while running his zoo in …

Book Review: The Snowman by Jo Nesbo

I'm not entirely sure what I make of this book, aside from the fact that it's rather dark. I remember Nesbo was a big deal during the Scandi-noir boom a few years ago, and he's been on my radar for a while, but this tome has sat on my shelf for months. I finally got …

Book Review: The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby

This isn't the kind of book I would usually go for, but I'd heard good things and it's cropped up on a few "books you should read" lists, so when I found myself on a book buying binge at Waterstone's this ended up in my bag with a few others. Well, this book proves that …