⭐⭐⭐ I’m always up for anything involving zombies or virus outbreaks, so The Splits by M.V Clark immediately felt like something right up my street. It has that kind of premise that promises tension, collapse, and all the messy human reactions that come with it—and going in, I was expecting to really get pulled into … Continue reading A Strong Premise That Doesn’t Quite Stick the Landing
Tag: books
A Relic Worth Returning To: Pendergast Steals the Show
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ There’s something ridiculously satisfying about going back to a book you already know you love and finding out it still completely holds up—and that’s exactly what happened with my reread of Relic. Honestly, if anything, I think I enjoyed it more this time around.It’s easy to forget just how tightly put together this book … Continue reading A Relic Worth Returning To: Pendergast Steals the Show
Cleaning Up After Her
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I went into My Sister, the Serial Killer expecting something a bit louder, a bit more overtly shocking. The title kind of dares you to brace yourself for blood, chaos, and brutality. But what Oyinkan Braithwaite actually delivers is something far more unsettling—and, honestly, far more impressive.This isn’t a story that lingers on the … Continue reading Cleaning Up After Her
Neither Snow Nor Rain… Nor a Reformed Con Man
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ As part of my chronological read-through of the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett, I’ve finally finished Going Postal, and I can honestly say it might be one of the most entertaining entries in the entire series so far. Even after reading a lot of Discworld already, this one still managed to feel fresh, inventive, … Continue reading Neither Snow Nor Rain… Nor a Reformed Con Man
Back to the Jungle: Loving Congo Just as Much the Second Time Around
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I recently went back and re-read Congo, and I’m genuinely surprised by how much I still love it. Sometimes revisiting a book you loved years ago can be a bit risky—you worry the magic might not hold up, or that nostalgia did most of the work the first time around. But in this case, … Continue reading Back to the Jungle: Loving Congo Just as Much the Second Time Around
A Big, Dumb, Bloody Good Time (With a Few Cracks Showing)
⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is my second read-through of Meg by Steve Alten, the first being about ten years ago. Back then, I gave it a full five stars without hesitation. It was fast, exciting, and exactly the kind of over-the-top creature feature I loved. Coming back to it now, with a bit more reading experience under … Continue reading A Big, Dumb, Bloody Good Time (With a Few Cracks Showing)
Learning to Be Yourself the Hard Way
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I’ve really been enjoying watching the Tiffany Aching books grow along with the character herself. A Hat Full of Sky feels a bit bigger and stranger than The Wee Free Men, but also more personal. It’s less about the adventure you go on and more about the kind of person you decide to be … Continue reading Learning to Be Yourself the Hard Way
Marching Against the Absurd
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Monstrous Regiment was next up in my chronological read-through of the Discworld books, and it ended up being one of those moments where the project suddenly feels even more worthwhile. I went in expecting something solid and funny, and came out feeling like I’d just read one of Pratchett’s most pointed and emotionally grounded … Continue reading Marching Against the Absurd
A Scrappy, Sharp-Edged Fairytale
⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’ll be honest: this one took me a little while to click with. Not in a bad way, exactly — more that I had to adjust my expectations. The opening didn’t immediately grab me in the way some Discworld stories do, and for a bit I felt like I was circling the edges of … Continue reading A Scrappy, Sharp-Edged Fairytale
Bending Minds and Reality
⭐⭐⭐⭐ I just finished There Is No Antimemetics Division by qntm, and I have to say, it’s exactly the kind of weird that gets me excited about fiction. From the very first entries, there’s this uncanny, almost clinical tone that makes you feel like you’re reading a classified briefing rather than a story, and I … Continue reading Bending Minds and Reality
Gareth Ellis - Author 