Ali

I read this book as a child and parts of it have stuck with me since - the three heads of corn, three biscuits, the dragon, summer and winter - so when I saw it in a charity shop I had to buy it again. It was the same familiar cover, and I dived right in.
It's still as enjoyable a yarn as it was when I first read it, though the latter half of the book I didn't remember at all. Two children, the midwinter equinox, the fight of nature for the light and dark of summer and winter, magic, dragons, kings and puppies, knights on horseback. What more would a youngster need to enthrall and entertain for a while. Childhood rediscovered!

This was one of the set books for my A-level English, way back in the 80's. I'm not sure ‘enjoyed' is the word I would use to describe this book, but there are lines of poetry from here that come to mind from time to time and bring a smile to my face.
I kept my copy after A-levels, and still have it. Every now and again I dip into it and now, yes, I think I do enjoy reading it, probably because now there is no looming threat of exams... Nostalgic happiness.

I almost gave up on this book after a couple of chapters, but am so pleased I stuck with it, as it took right off after then. The storyline became totally engrossing, and I found it tough to put the book down most nights. I have seen the word ‘bleak' used to describe this book and I can't think of one more appropriate; however, cold, anxious, frustrating and atmospheric also come to mind, perfect for crime noir in 80's Moscow. Give it a couple of years and I'll read it again.

I only got Early Riser as a stopgap between Shades of Grey 1 & 2 (still waiting for 2...), and didn't know what to expect. I really don't like reading spoilers before starting a book or film or tv series, so only knew it was about humans hibernating as the norm over winter and that was about it. As I got further into the story I knew I was going to enjoy it, and I did. Fforde's wit shines through, and I love the references to things outside of the specific universe he built here, and the nun's names are brilliant!
Definitely on my ‘to read again' list.

A story of pre-determination between two characters, which I found very frustrating to read. There seemed to be very little explanation of why they would still be in love, more a matter of habit. I found the story very wordy, and a bit of a slog to finish. I also found it very uncomfortable to read, and even after several years it still doesn't sit right with me.

It's amazing how horrific something that looks like a children's picture book can be. From the man that gave us The Snowman comes the dreadfully sad story of a naive older couple Jim and Hilda as they try and cope with The Bomb and the fallout from it, in every sense of the word.

Quite poignant in today's political climate too.

I'm really not sure what I thought of this. It had its moments, but I didn't like the writer breaking the fourth wall to talk directly to the audience, or the warnings, etc. It was an annoyance, and just distracted me from the story, so much so that I was skipping chunks of pages to get to the next bit.

I did enjoy Cass and Max-Herbert's interactions, and their workings out of things. Not enough, however, to read any more in the series.