Terrance
Amazingly exhaustive and comprehensive behind the scenes look at one of the most influential movies ever made. A must read for fans and film buffs alike.
I'm really in two minds about this book. On the one hand it's a raw and no holds barred look at the life of an Australian JET ALT with all the hilarity and emotional highs and lows of living in Japan. On the other hand it's a poorly written and seemingly mean spirited criticism of the Japanese people and their country.
The author himself has stated that he has written many of the stories in a tongue in cheek manner and that readers need to keep that in mind. While that is true, the humor fails to be funny in almost all cases and does not work in the written form. Instead of laughing with the author, we as readers are usually left feeling as though he bears grudges against the Japanese people simply because they fail to act in a way that he expects them to.
On top of that the stories are often disjointed and loosely structured so that it is hard to follow along before coming to an abrupt end.
I appreciate the fact that he has taken to time and effort to share his life and thoughts on Japan and I realize that he may well be a wonderful teacher and have loved his time in Japan. But at the same time, the absence of any teaching anecdotes and only brief mentions of his fondness for his students will leave readers with the sense that he merely spent two years traveling around Japan to party and get drunk.
I certainly hope that if he writes about his life in China he will take any criticism of his work to heart and present us with a wonderfully crafted tale of what living and teaching in Asia entails. Both the good and the bad.
A wonderfully light-hearted take on the more obscure elements of the English language. For anyone who has a passing interest in English this is well worth reading when you have a moment to spare.
Great return to form for Mr Rankin. Packed to the brim with puns and humour that will have you busting a gut at every page.
A great read for fans of the Alan Wake videogame. It manages to add a substantial amount of info to the backstory and introduces some interesting takes on the universe of Alan Wake and Bright Falls.
A strong narrative and some intriguing backstory to the enigma that is Roland make this a riveting read.
A wonderfully innocent and charming read. Characters that any child would instantly fall in love with and a world that holds a great multitude of exciting adventures.
While this is certainly not a terrible book when compared to other works, it is nonetheless one if the weakest of the Dark Tower novels for me personally. The narrative seems disjointed and the strongest aspect of the series, Mid World and its many strange coincidences, are missing for the vast majority if the story. Despite that it does at least rush us headlong into the conclusive book of the series and serves to give Roland and his companions some impetus on the final stretch to the field of roses and the Dark Tower.
An average read that didn't manage to enlighten me on Japan in any way. Everything seemed to go in circles and only touch on the surface of many issues with constant comparisons to Britain for some reason. Alan Booth's travel books are a far better way for readers to acquaint themselves with this fascinating country.
Kelly Link's collection of short stories was my first exposure to any of her writings. I'd never heard of her before and had no idea what to expect. Having finished Stranger Things Happen I'm pleasantly surprised but also a tiny bit disappointed.
She has a wonderful knack for creating some unique characters and situations, but many of the stories themselves feel only half-formed. I came away from many of the stories thinking they lacked any sort of focus or denouement. Maybe it's the sort of book that will benefit from multiple readings but at the moment I'm not inclined to pick this back up any time soon.
If you're looking for a book to introduce you to the indie gaming scene then you can go far wrong with this one. It presents a nice selection of some of the best indie games out there from the absurd to the wonderful.
With independent developers and games becoming the next big thing in the gaming industry it's great to have a foot in the door with 250 great games that show you the wonders that indie developers are capable of.
Films and games have always had a tumultuous relationship from the very beginning. Ask any gamer what they think of their favorite franchises and gaming experiences being translated to the silver screen and they'll surely answer you with a rueful sigh and a string of titles that will surely include the Mario Brothers movie and everything directed by Uwe Boll.
Generation Xbox takes readers through a wonderful journey from the beginnings of this relationship and leads us through to how games and cinema are more respectful and tolerant of each other and have even learned how to work together to create new and engaging experiences.
The book itself is well written and covers many of the major points and players from both sides. The author isn't afraid to address the problems that have come from both sides and doesn't look at the issue through rose-tinted glasses.
If you're a gamer or a film aficionado then be sure to read this to see how these two industries are moving towards a new and exciting future of interactive media.
I initially started this book as course material to teach ESL students how to give speeches, but Covid caused the course to be cancelled. Nonetheless I carried on reading the book as it proved to be fascinating and very detailed about how exactly to write and give speeches.
If you are at all involved in an industry where you need to give speeches, even occasionally, then I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
If you have any love for books for any reason whatsoever, then you have to read this. The illustrations are sublime. The message is moving, and it shows just how wonderful and magic books can be as well as those of us who work with books or appreciate them.
Welcome to Night Vale is as unique in book form as it is in podcast form. If you're a fan of the show and it's cast of weird and quirky characters, then you'll love this.
The authors have done a great job at translating the show's humor into words and sentences and paragraphs and chapters, and thereby into a fully formed and engrossing book.
All hail the Glow Cloud!
There's not much more I can add to the millions of glowing reviews out there about The Little Prince. It's one of the all time great books. In less than 100 pages it manages to grab your heart and give you such a Seth of emotion on finishing it. That speaks volumes about just how amazing a story it presents. This is most assuredly a book everyone should read.
The Fisherman by John Langan is one of the most gripping Lovecraftian novels I have read in a very long time. As a fan of the genre, I've read plenty of interesting takes on cosmic horror, but The Fisherman is by far the most effective. Right from the off, you are invested in the characters and the layers of the story, with each section of the tale being as captivating as what preceded it.
This is very much the sort of book that is perfect on a cold, and rainy night. You'll open it and find that several hours have passed by. Peak cosmic horror at its best. Can't wait to read more of John Langan's work.
Reality is Broken is a breath of fresh air. These days gaming as a culture is so often vilified and derided as something which is of no value to society at large. Jane McGonigal manages to show us the other side of the argument, that games are of great benefit and in some cases even necessary for us to improve ourselves and even the world around us.
Her book is easily accessible for anyone to read no matter what your background is in terms of gaming. so even if you've never played anything in your life other than a game of monopoly bcd in your childhood you'll still be able to read Reality is Broken and see how her theories will pan out.
Better yet is that she gives plenty of real world examples of how games have indeed been used to improve peoples' lives and the quality of life for many others. Rather than writing a book that merely focuses on thew potential of games without showing any real world examples she uses her long career of developing socially rewarding games to teach us how games have improved our world.
If you're a parent who is worried about the negative impact games might have on your child then read this to see that when approached in the correct light games can be something that will give your child a huge boost in their later life. If you're a gamer then read this and discover how you can tap into a wealth of experience and potential that you may have not even known you had before!
A fascinating brief look at the history of video games and how they have slowly but inevitably become part if our culture.
Excellently written and presented this is a book that should appeal to anyone, even those people with only a padding interest in video games.
A phenomenal work and one that I could hardly do justice to with a review. Lord of the Rings is the sort of book that will last for ages to come and it's characters and stories should be passed on from generation to generation.
Watchmen still stands as the greatest dissection of the superhero psyche with a story and setting that are still as valid today as it was on its initial release.
An interesting look at the folklore underlying the Discworld series of books. Worth a read to get a glimpse into the traditions and characters underlying the stories.
Having a background in finance (I'm an accountant after all) I really loved reading Pratchett's take on accounting and banking. Like the other Discworld books its packed from start to finish with witty one-liners, jokes, puns and captivating characters. A great read all round.
A good introduction to the subject of habitual behavior and how we can go about changing it.
A wonderfully crafted tale of Booth's journey through a fascinating and culturally unique country. Whimsical and strange adventures lie behind each page.