Book Review: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain by Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone

This book is a little different from the ones I normally review because while it's definitely fiction it's not a traditional novel. This is part of the Fighting Fantasy series, and they're a series of roleplaying books where the reader chooses how the action unfolds. I've done books like this as a kid, but this …

Book Review: Cofiwch Dryweryn by Mari Emlyn

I think one of the things would surprise teenage Chris is how much of a proud Cymro I have become as I got older. I support independence, I vote Plaid Cymru and I get angry about the way my country, and its language, are routinely insulted, dismissed or ignored. And it seems I'm not alone …

Book Review: Werewolf By Moonlight by Guy N. Smith

This is the second book by Guy N. Smith that I've read this year, having really enjoyed Night of the Crabs, This book is another fast moving, pulpy horror novel, but does have a major flaw. Namely, the hero of the story Gordon Hall. He's not the most likeable bloke, and while some of this …

Book Review: Cell by Stephen King

I've seen the movie version of this, so I knew what this was about and there was a risk of it being "old man fears technology" but it's actually a very well done and clever thriller, with King showing his skills at building tension and a sense of growing unease. The plot is simple, while …

Book Review: Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid by Jan Harold Brunvand

Urban legends are wonderful things, not just because of the gross, macabre stories themselves but for the fact that they're constantly changing. You hear one when you're a teen and then years later there's a variation of the same story doing the rounds on Facebook. Brunvand collects retellings of various urban legends, and it's an …

Book Review: Night of the Crabs by Guy N Smith

I only became aware of this book because a Twitter account I follow posted a couple of the author's covers as part of a tribute to him following his death just before Christmas. After seeing this I went on a Wiki search and discovered that Smith was a hugely prolific pulp horror writer and this …

Book Review: Hard Men of Rugby by Luke Upton

I got given this book for Christmas, and have thoroughly enjoyed reading it since then. Luke Upton has chosen twenty of the tough sports' tough guys and they reflect the global nature of the game, and the changes it has undergone. There are old school hard men who played in amateur era, a wild west …

I wrote a book!

I've wanted to be a writer since I was about twelve years old and there are countless notebooks which have my abandoned novels, scripts and stories scribbled in. I've always found that I have tons of ideas, but getting them on the page has been where I've struggled. But with time off before Christmas I …

Book Review: For the Exe by Stephen Reynolds

I got sent a copy of this for free because the author and I follow each other on Instagram. It came with a lovely note from the author, and having finished reading, using the note as a bookmark, I'm going to put both away safely. I've read three of Reynolds' books about his walking adventures, …

Book Review: A Cure For Love by Jenkins

I got this book because I follow the author on Twitter and he tweets some funny stuff, and has shared a few of his short stories in the past. So, when he announced that a selection of his stories were going to be published I thought I'd check it out. And I'm really glad I …