Josh

Overhyped and overrated twaddle.

Insufferable, two-dimensional characters who held grudges and caused conflict for no reason other than to make something happen in the book.

This book was meant to be a love letter to video games yet the games they created sounded as fun as walking across a room full of LEGO barefoot.

Nonsense, pretentious words dropped in every so often in an attempt to elevate the writing. These were just jarring and left me thinking the author had randomly deployed Word's thesaurus tool to terrible effect.

How on earth this passage got through an editor beggars all belief:

“She leaned in to kiss him, and he kissed her, and then she put her hand between his legs, wrapping her fingers around the cylindrical chamber of blood sponges that was his (and every) penis. He felt the corpora cavernosa, commanded by nerve messages from his subconscious brain, fill up with blood, and the tunica albuginea membrane, the penis's straitjacket, trap the blood inside.”

Sweet mercies, I've just thrown up all over my Kindle.

The fact that this book got twice as many votes as Backman's masterpiece ‘The Winners' in the Goodreads Fiction Book of the Year Award makes me question whether reading is for me.

Fiction book of the year and one the best books people have ever read?! Please...it's not even the best book I read this week.

2 stars because I finished it.

I've always feared reading Dune - discussions about the scope, the mythology and the world building have always seemed to categorise the book as a must read but not necessarily an enjoyable one. With the upcoming release of the Dune movie (part 1) I thought it was about time I took the plunge. I need not have worried, Dune is far more accessible than people give it credit for and it rarely feels like it was written in the 60s.

There's a reason this is the best selling sci-fi book of all time and considered an absolute classic. The influences on modern sci-fi and fantasy are prevalent throughout - thank you Frank Herbert for pioneering the way.

A few niggles and a slightly rushed ending prevent the full 5 stars but it's still an absolute epic.

“Some people, when they do someone a favor, are always looking for a chance to call it in. And some aren't, but they're still aware of it—still regard it as a debt. But others don't even do that. They're like a vine that produces grapes without looking for anything in return. A horse at the end of the race ... A dog when the hunt is over ... A bee with its honey stored ... And a human being after helping others. They don't make a fuss about it. They just go on to something else, as the vine looks forward to bearing fruit again in season. We should be like that. Acting almost unconsciously.”

Hard to rate this as a reading experience as it's the private musings of a very notorious, very wise figure of history and as such it was never meant to be read as a book.

Still, there's some gems of wisdom contained within the book and Aurelius is a champion of the stoic philosophy which resonates strongly with me. It's interesting to watch someone 2000 years ago struggle and muse over the same sort of things that still affect us today - reputation, fame, sense of worth, purpose, identity. The Roman empire is but a distant memory, faded to dust; yet people are still people and some truths are eternal.

“It never ceases to amaze me: we all love ourselves more than other people, but care more about their opinion than our own. If a god appeared to us��or a wise human being, even—and prohibited us from concealing our thoughts or imagining anything without immediately shouting it out, we wouldn't make it through a single day. That's how much we value other people's opinions—instead of our own.”

The safest pair of hands in fantasy - Abercrombie delivers another masterpiece of grim human struggle. Delectable writing, detestable characters and vicious action framed against the backdrop of a story with undertones of the French revolution. Not for the faint hearted.

My first time listening to one of these on audio and Steven Pacey is on another planet in terms of audiobook narrators. Dozens and dozens of voices and an incredible range of vocal emotion, it was the most visual audio experience I've ever had. Stunning book and a better experience than most films I watch.

Middle book syndrome? I don't think so. Golden Son smashes that notion into smithereens in what is a stunningly told tale of intricacy and depth. Full of political intrigue, heart pounding action and moral questioning around the impact of war and revolution. How far would you or I be willing to go to break the chains of injustice? The plot writhes around like a snake in the throes of death, jerking your heart one way and tearing it back again in the opposite direction. Jaw dropping revelation after revelation leaves you breathless and begging for a break.

Friendships are shattered, betrayal is rife and you never quite know who to trust. What I do know is that my heart is fully allied to Darrow and his relentless pursuit to tear down the corrupt world around him. His striving towards justice and equality for everyone, not just those at the top, resonate so strongly with me as this same battle is sadly echoed in our own society. I palpably felt the weight of responsibility crushing Darrow as he is asked to make impossible choice after choice. What price will he and all those around him ultimately pay and will it be worth it?

The book saves the biggest, baddest, most gut wrenching bombshell right until the end. It's a perfect twist in the context of the story; an absolute jaw dropper that left me stunned and reeling. The twist wants you to hate it, it almost dares you to walk away from this world saying no I can't take this anymore, I've been through enough. But you see, it's cleverer than that. For after a brief period of wanting to run and protect yourself, something else happens. Your mind starts to turn to the next book and you realise that in fact the revelations demand you to continue. You have to see this to the end and not give up - just like Darrow. There's only one way to combat a twist like that and it's to dive straight into Morning Star and continue the fight. Bring it on!

A very powerful look at loss, loneliness and guilt through the eyes of a thirteen year old boy whose Mom is suffering with cancer. The use of the monster as a ‘ghost of Christmas' figure who interjects in Connors life to bring him wisdom and set him free is very effective and evocative. Sometimes the monsters in our lives turn out not to be the ones we think are standing right before us.

Heartbreaking. Metaphorical. Transcendent. Mesmerising.

This book had quite a significant impact upon me and I've thought about it a lot since I finished it. Great job Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd!