⭐⭐⭐⭐ I had a really good time with Whistle. Linwood Barclay has always been great at writing fast-paced thrillers that are difficult to put down, and while this one leans much more into horror than some of his previous work, it still has that same page-turning quality. I found myself saying I'd read just one … Continue reading Creepy, Compelling and Hard to Put Down
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I absolutely loved this book. I went into it expecting a few funny stories about making low-budget horror films, but I ended up getting so much more than that. Bruce Campbell has such a distinctive voice that it feels less like reading an autobiography and more like sitting in a pub while he tells … Continue reading The Ultimate B-Movie Memoir
⭐⭐⭐⭐ I really enjoyed Artemis. It isn't quite on the same level as The Martian for me, but it's still a fun, fast-paced read that kept me turning the pages. Andy Weir has a real talent for making science feel interesting without it becoming overwhelming, and the setting of a city on the Moon is … Continue reading A Fun Trip to the Moon
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Going into Unseen Academicals, I honestly wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. The central focus is football, and as someone who has never really been interested in the sport, I thought this might be one of the few Terry Pratchett books that wouldn't quite work for me.I couldn't have been … Continue reading Even a Non-Football Fan Can Enjoy This One
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I've been slowly working my way through Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, and Making Money has easily become one of my favourites so far. What surprised me most was how Pratchett managed to make a story about banking, economics, and finance not only entertaining, but genuinely difficult to put down.The novel follows Moist von Lipwig, … Continue reading A Brilliantly Funny Take on Banking and Human Nature
⭐ There are books that overwhelm you with the sheer volume of events, where every chapter feels like it is trying to outdo the last. Mosaic by Catherine McCarthy goes in the opposite direction, and while that might sound like a relief on paper, the result is far more draining: a story in which very … Continue reading A Story That Never Quite Starts
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ There’s always something a little strange for me when I pick up a Tiffany Aching book. I never dive into them with the same immediate excitement I get from some of the other Discworld novels, and every single time it takes me a while to properly settle into the story. Wintersmith … Continue reading A Wintery Return to Tiffany Aching
⭐⭐⭐ I went into Camp Blaze expecting a grimy, over-the-top slasher and, to be fair, that’s exactly what it delivers. Unfortunately, it rarely feels like it wants to be anything beyond that. The entire novel leans so heavily into shock value that it starts to feel repetitive long before the ending arrives. Every brutal scene … Continue reading Blood, Screams, and Not Much Else
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’ve been slowly making my way back through the Discworld books, and every time I return to the City Watch novels, I remember why they’re some of my favourites. Thud! might honestly be one of the strongest of the lot. It’s funny, angry, clever, absurd, surprisingly emotional, and somehow manages to balance a murder … Continue reading “WHERE’S MY COW?” — Rage, Revolution, and One of Discworld’s Best Watch Novels
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Another of this year’s re-reads for me, and revisiting Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir felt oddly well-timed considering the film adaptation has recently come out. I haven’t actually seen the movie yet, but it definitely pushed the book back to the front of my mind. Sometimes a re-read can flatten the excitement a … Continue reading Science, Survival and Another Trip Across the Stars: Revisiting Project Hail Mary
Gareth Ellis - Author 