The Five Feathers (The Filey Chronicles, Book 2) by Janet Blackwell: #BookReview.

The second book in the proposed trilogy of The Filey Chronicles continues the story begun in The Bridge and the Butterflies, which I read and reviewed after being introduced to the series by a writing friend.The story carries on the fast-moving, emotionally challenging trip of adventure combined with multiple life questions. Meg, the main player, …

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The Bridge and the Butterflies Vol 1 (The Filey Chronicles) by Janet Buckwell: #BookReview.

A YA Contemporary Fantasy novel packed with adventure, relationships, humour, tension and family matters. There’s some magic and alien science along the way, too. Meg, Mirabel and Will are characters easy to empathize with. We come across courage, angst, youthful certainty and doubt, and that wonderful teenage willingness to take risks. This bunch of kids …

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Makers of Rome: by Plutarch. Translated and Introduced by Ian Scott-Kilvert #BookReview.

I’ve had this book on my shelves for so long I’d forgotten it resided there. Curiosity made me pick up this ‘classic’ to discover what I could. There is much to learn here, if you have an interest in European history. However, it becomes clear that Plutarch was not a particularly reliable historian. His interest …

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Enduring Love by Ian McEwan: #BookReview

A thriller written by a master of the language. Not for the faint-hearted or those lacking in education, this story relates the series of events that lead up to the stalking of the main character by a seriously disturbed and potentially violent would-be lover. The stalker is obsessive and deluded and follows the pattern of …

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Mostly Harmful, by Michael Paulkovich: #BookReview.

Subtitled ‘1001 Things Everyone Should Know About RELIGION’, this is a piece of work, as the subtitle says, everyone should read.That it is a scholarly work is indicated by the comprehensive bibliography, index and accompanying notes, which take up around 28% of the publication. The author lightens a heavy subject by being occasionally a little …

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Contagious Tales, Edited by Andrew Simms: #BookReview.

176 pages.22 modern folk tales. Alan Rusbridger, former editor of The Guardian and now editor of Prospect magazine remarks, ‘These stories matter because they help us grasp a world that is seemingly out of control, and imagine what steps we can take to make things better.’ This anthology is subtitled ‘22 modern folk tales in …

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A Seasonal Short Story for You. Enjoy!

The picture above is by Larry Krause, on Flikr It is replicated using the Creative Commons License The story is entirely free and posted just below this brief intro. I have a free seasonal story on my site already, but it’s a humorous piece about New Year, and has been on there for some years. …

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Bridport Prize 2022 Anthology: #BookReview.

This anthology from the respected Bridport Prize annual competitions presents the winners of the Poetry, Short Story, and Flash Fiction sections. Of the 35 pieces published here, I’m disappointed to report only one, Kerry Lyons’ ‘Seventeen Weeks’, really moved me. Many of the others struck me as pretentious, overly academic, self-absorbed, or simply incomprehensible. A …

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Houses Borders Ghosts, from The Fiction Desk: #BookReview.

Nine short stories from contributors to The Fiction Desk appear in this, the 14th anthology published by this independent publisher of short stories and edited by Rob Redman.This is an eclectic collection of tales on no particular theme or treatment. It seems unnecessary to individually review these stories, and to synopsise them would be to …

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Between Before and After, by Jessica Stilling: #BookReview.

If you’re seeking an emotional see-saw you could no better than try this book. The ups and downs are so beautifully handled, and the characters so wonderfully drawn, I was engaged from the very beginning, and remained so to the end.On the surface, this is the story of a filmmaker, one of the ‘arty’ types, …

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#MABLE – The Launch of Several New Books

And Not a Few Older Ones! Publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing, run by the inimitable Dan Grubb, hosted an online event for the month of October to launch several new books from his publishing house, and to bring to readers’ attention other books that had not had the coverage they deserved due to the Covid epidemic! …

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The Deadly Reckonings, by: Rebecca Heap & Victoria Heap. #BookReview.

A story employing themes of injustice, bullying, courage, the overwhelmingly destructive nature of power, prejudice, and the joys, pains, and potency of love. The Deadly Reckonings, although a complete story in itself, is clearly the first of a series set in this imagined world with its population of characters that merge humanity with animalistic properties.A …

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#MABLE: Author Interview with Meghan Purvis

Meghan Purvis You’re all cordially invited to join in the fun of the Massive Autumn Book Launch Event (#MABLE) organised by my publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing. The books in the event are hugely discounted, so it’s a great opportunity to try some new and exciting fiction. It began on 17th September and runs to 31st …

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#MABLE: Author Interview with Linda Nicklin

Linda Nicklin You’re all cordially invited to join in the fun of the Massive Autumn Book Launch Event (#MABLE) organised by my publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing. The books in the event are hugely discounted, so it’s a great opportunity to try some new and exciting fiction. It began on 17th September and runs to 31st …

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#MABLE: Author Interview with Jack Mann

Jack Mann You’re all cordially invited to join in the fun of the Massive Autumn Book Launch Event (#MABLE) organised by my publisher, Fantastic Books Publishing. The books in the event are hugely discounted, so it’s a great opportunity to try some new and exciting fiction. It began on 17th September and runs to 31st …

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