Terrance
A decent tale that enlightens us a bit more about Roland and his ka tet. It's not up to the best that King wrote in the other Dark Tower novels, but neither is it his worst. Fans of the series will certainly get their money's worth and be eager for more afterwards.
A classic horror book that stands the test of time. Will, Jim and Will's father are characters that will stay with you long after you've closed the book. As will the characters and freaks that inhabit the carnival and continue to lure unsuspecting carnival goers to a somewhat unexpected end...
A wonderfully macabre and touching tale of Nobody Owens and he childhood as a member of a graveyard. Truly an amazing read that ranks up there with some of the very best writing that Nail Gaiman has ever done. And that's saying a lot!
Wonderfully whimsical tale that once again shows Gaiman's marvellous use of the strange and absurd to deliver commentary on the mundane and ordinary things in everyday life.
Terry Pratchett's Nation is a marked departure for the esteemed author from his Discworld series of books but presents the reader with many of the same issues and underlying messages as his other works. It's certainly well worth a read and introduces us to some truly memorable characters.
A good cast of new characters introduces football to the world of Discworld but unfortunately they are not as interesting of complicated as some of the other well known characters such as Sam Vimes or Granny Weatherwax. Nonetheless its still a good read and will having you laughing out loud more often than not. Of course as a football fan myself I loved the actual football in the book!
One of the most amazing books I've ever read. Perfectly written and the character of Shadow is wonderfully crafted an fleshed out over the course of this monumental story. Bravo Neil Gaiman!
Anansi Boys is one of the most humorous and wonderfully crafted books I have read in ages. Neil Gaiman is in phenomenal form here and the book is like a dream combination of Robert Rankin's off-the-wall humor, Terry Pratchett's wit and Neil Gaiman's take on life, the universe and everything.
There is not a single moment that I was bored or zoned out while reading Anansi Boys. Every single page is dripping with character and every sentence drags you onwards without pausing for breath.
I can highly recommend this to anyone who is in any way in the slightest a Gaiman fan as well as anyone who is in search of a gripping, funny, serious, wonderful story of family, gods and fantastical stories.
Bill Bryson can somehow take the most mundane sounding of themes and turn it into an adventure spanning the globe with seemingly little effort. At Home: A Short History of Private Life takes readers on a magnificent journey spanning our entire existence and every facet of our lives and introduces us to people, places and events that have shaped our everyday lives whether we know it or not. Bill Bryson's great skill is in presenting facts and history that serve as a launching pad for you to think more closely about everything you encounter and to be curious about the smallest of things. Something like that cannot be praised highly enough.
It's one of those books that once you start reading it you will struggle to put it down. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. If you're at all familiar with Bill Bryson's other books then this is a must have. If you're at all interested in interesting and strange facts then you'll fall in love instantly with this book. In fact as soon as you're done reading this review I've written go out and buy this book as soon as possible!
A phenomenal and stunning work that serves as a marked departure in the sci-fi genre. A must read for anyone with a passing interest in the evolution of zombie fiction and a remarkable work of literature that deserves to be placed up there with the greatest works of our time.
A fascinating read in some aspects that touches on both the potential for good and for bad in our exposure and use of technology.
Where it falls flat however is that there seems to be no discernible conclusion or thread that hasn't been grout up before.
Still worth a read if you want to see how humans have changed just as much as the technology that drives our world today.
As a gaming aficionado myself this is a book that I read through from cover to cover with very few pauses in-between. Gaming as a hobby / interest is still something that many people don't necessarily approve of as a good use of time and anyone who loves games even more than a little bit must by necessity be a bit strange. In some cases they are right as not every game out there deserves anything more than a second of your precious time but the same can be said for movies or books or music.
What makes gaming unique when compared to a lot of other industries out there is the amount of control we as consumers of that medium are able to exert. Of course most games are strictly plot driven games that don't allow you to dictate the plot to any large degree other than choosing to be ‘good' or ‘evil' and selecting between two or three separate branches that might be offered to you. Nonetheless what they do allow you to do is take an active part in the telling of that story by creating your own stories within their worlds. Most of my fondest gaming memories are tied to open game worlds such as SimCity, Far Cry 2 and numerous others that let you go from point A to point B by way of point Z with little to no restrictions on how to go about it.
And the best thing about the gaming industry having been around for as many years as it has is that the older it gets the more maturity there is to find in it's offerings. For every game that has no semblance of plot other than shoving a gun in your hands and asking you to mow down hundreds upon hundreds of identical looking bad guys there are two or three sublimely crafted ‘experiences' that see you trying to save your son from drowning be trying to survive a serial killer's tests of your parenting (Heavy Rain), dealing with the atrocities of violence and it's justification (Spec Ops: The Line) and contemplating your death and what you've done with your life (Dear Esther).
After blathering on so much how does this have anything to do with Extra Lives? Well these are the sorts of things Tom Bissell seeks to answer. These are the questions he works through in the book and using his own life and experiences with gaming he tries to tell us whether gaming really matters. Of course it's not a simple black or white answer. For every person out there there will be a gray answer that determines whether gaming has had any affect on their lives. What this book can definitely say is that no matter how we might want to believer otherwise, gaming is here to stay and can provide us with some great moments that can be shared between gamers and non-gamers alike. If you've ever played a game of Pong or Dragon's Lair and lost yourself in a world of the game developers creating then pick this up and rediscover some of the wonders that gaming can bring to young and old alike.
If you're a fan of the Doors then you can;t do worse than pick this up. It's an interesting read detailing the history of the band and the trials and tribulations of Jim Morrison.
A pretty good and interesting read. Wheaton has always been a great writer in the time I've been following him and this book just further cements his reputation in my mind. Riveting from start to finish I enjoyed every word. It provides a good look at the life of an actor from a cultural phenomenon such as Star Trek and how he comes to terms with that in his life, both personally and professionally.
This is the second time I've finished both this book and the Dark Tower series. While I still feel the first 3 or 4 books of the series are the strongest I can't deny that I finished this last book with a slight smile and a bit of sadness at saying goodbye to Roland and his compatriots. After Song of Susannah it's refreshing to once again return to Roland's world with it's many mysteries and rich backstory. If there's anything that King has managed to accomplish with this series, it's the creation of a richly detailed world with endless possibilities for future stories. I look forward to what he and others will be able to create using it's detailed tapestry of history.
Once gain Stephen King shows that he really has an uncanny knack for extricating suspense and horror from the smallest mundaneness of everyday life. Truth be told I'm a huge fan of his short story collections over and above his more well known long form writing (with the exception of the Dark tower series!) and Just After Sunset is yet another fantastic collection of scares that will keep you reading from the first page until the last.
Frank Miller's vision of an ageing Bruce Wayne once again taking up the mantle of Batman in the near future is one of the most well told and defining points in the Batman mythos. A must read for fans of Batman and comic lovers.
A great example of Junji Ito's inspiration from HP Lovecraft. Remina is a story that tells a story of the end of the world through some unknown entity beyond the comprehension of mankind. We have no idea of the origin or purpose of the monstrous planet, Remina. What we can do, though, is appreciate a master of the genre at the peak of his skills.
A wonderful sequel to The Gunslinger that draws us deeper into both Roland's character and world as well as introducing two interesting new characters. While The Gunsslinger can be seen as a brief introduction that promises much in terms of story, The Drawing of the Three delivers on those promises with some fascinating glimpses into what Roland's quest for the Dark Tower actually means. Highly recommended.
A must read for any fan of sci fi and a book that may very well change and fine some areas of your life with its views on humanity and our behaviour towards others and ourselves. Still as important a book as it was when it was originally released.
A wonderfully dark and intellectual look at a dystopian future and the meaning of what it is to be called ‘human'. An essential read for any fan of sci-fi as well as Blade Runner fans.
I faithful retelling of Wizard and Glass that shows some interesting points for the series to carry on.
A wonderfully whimsical look at the world of stationery that's well worth a read whether or not you're a stationery aficionado.
Each chapter focuses on one particular sphere of stationery: pens, paper, pencils and everything in between. What makes it so fun to read is the author's passion and humorous way of describing the histories and coincidences that led to the discovery of so many of the things we use in the office and around our homes 365 days a year.
It'll be a book that will hardly leave your hand until you turn the last page and it's certainly worth every penny.