The Polygamist, by William Irvine, Reviewed.

On 07/05/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Fiction, Reading, Review

A very human story of one man’s relentless search for a way of life that will suit his view of what a man’s life should be. Culture, religion, philosophy and morality all impact on the story, which has a Muslim protagonist, Omar, living in India, where his beliefs are in the minority. There are lessons …

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Forces of Nature, by Professor Brian Cox, Reviewed.

On 02/05/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Nature, Reading, Review

This surprising book exudes the author’s enduring sense of wonder and delight at the natural world. Such qualities, when demonstrated by a leading academic, who is also a well-loved and respected TV presenter, can motivate and inspire. I hope many non-scientists read this book. Not an ‘easy’ read, it demands attention and concentration. But it …

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Homo Deus, by Yuval Noah Harari, Reviewed.

On 13/04/201713/04/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, politics, Reading, Review

What a tremendous book this is. Subtitled, ‘A Brief History of Tomorrow’, this follow-up to ‘Sapiens’ confirms the author’s mastery of deep research combined with an intelligence that permits him to see the world as a whole. I selected this book to read now as I’m at the initial editing stage of a science fiction …

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Creating Stories, by Hank Quense, Reviewed.

On 03/04/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Reading, Review2 Comments

This writing manual is about making stories; the creative process and the practical work involved in getting the story from mind to page. As a fairly ancient and experienced writer, I’ve come across quite a few books about writing, so it’s difficult for an author to present something new for me. In this volume, Hank …

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NSA, by Benny Neylon, Reviewed.

On 30/03/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, politics, Reading, Review

This is satirical, dystopian science fiction taking a brutal swipe at the media, politicians, conspiracy theorists, security experts and the military. All of it richly deserved. The writing is good, characterisation is thorough, creating archetypes rather than indulging in stereotypes as is so often the case with books of this type. The humour is hard, …

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The Writer’s Lexicon, by Kathy Steinemann, Reviewed.

On 23/03/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Grammar, Review, Word Use

Are you a lover of words? Do you write? Is language use an issue of interest? If so, you’ll find Kathy Steinemann’s ‘The Writer’s Lexicon’ a veritable cornucopia of expressive words. A thesaurus provides alternatives for the idea of a word. A dictionary gives definitions and, sometimes, origins for those construction blocks we use daily …

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The House on Sagamore Road, by Cary Grossman, Reviewed.

On 20/03/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Creative Writer, Fiction, Reading, Review

The second in a projected trilogy, this deeply complex fantasy follows on from Chopin’s Ghost, taking the reader through the next twisting, convoluted maze that constitutes the story. If you haven’t read the first book, I advise you do so. However, the author includes enough detail from that first novel to allow readers new to …

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Can’t Buy Forever, by Susan Laffoon, Reviewed.

On 12/03/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, Reading, Review2 Comments

Listed as Teen/YA romance and mystery, this is a book in a genre I wouldn’t normally read. However, I was approached by the author for a review, read the blurb, and decided to give it a chance. I’d actually classify it as fantasy romance, but that’s a personal judgment based on how I view the …

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Until Death Do Us Part, by Lynda Hilburn, Reviewed.

On 27/02/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, Reading, Review

Humour with vampires: those who love the genre will really get their teeth into this. (Sorry, unforgivable bloody pun! – And again!) This is a well-constructed short that manages to pack in the conventions of the vampire world. I love the idea of the psychologist treating vampires for their problems. This story is told from …

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IQ84, by Mike Dickenson, Reviewed.

On 26/02/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, Reading, Review

Mike Dickenson’s ‘IQ84’ is a timely satire on American values and culture. Written in the style of a humorous pulp thriller, it captures the banality, self-obsession, materialism and superficiality that characterise the USA for so many of us who live in the rest of the world. The recent populist backlash against the establishment that has …

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The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood, Reviewed.

On 15/02/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Reading, Review11 Comments

An astounding piece of work. Because this book is a modern classic, it has been much reviewed, discussed and dissected, which probably renders my review somewhat redundant. That won’t prevent me writing in praise of the novel, however. The author describes the work as speculative fiction rather than science fiction, and I understand her distinction. …

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Sherlock Holmes and the Oakwood Grange Affair, by April Taylor, Reviewed.

On 09/02/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Reading, Review

Having read, and enjoyed, April Taylor’s other novels, I was eager to see how she would tackle this challenge. It’s no mean feat for an author to contribute a novel to such a well-established, ubiquitous and much-loved series as the Sherlock Holmes collection. April Taylor, however, has managed to combine her own voice with the …

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The Strange Life of Brandon Chambers, by Scott Spotson, Reviewed.

On 05/02/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Fiction, Reading, Review

The Strange Life; it says a lot about the book, this title. Intriguing? Yes. Compelling? Yes. You can sense the ‘but’, I suspect. This is a strange book. It follows the life of a young boy of military parents as he grows into adulthood after those parents mysteriously disappear following an accident for which his father …

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Choices and Illusions, by Eldon Taylor, Reviewed.

On 26/01/2017 By stuartakenIn Author, Book, Reading, Review6 Comments

I received a free copy of this book for review from one of the team supporting the author, otherwise I would never have come across the book, let alone read it. It’s one of thousands of similar volumes ostensibly designed to offer ‘self-help’ or ‘self-development’ but, in reality more akin to an elaborate catalogue aimed …

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The Fallen, by Clay A. Kahler, Reviewed.

On 18/01/201730/07/2017 By stuartakenIn Reading, Review5 Comments

I don’t like to write negative reviews: writing a book is hard enough, and getting people to read it is even more difficult. But I review, honestly, as an aid to other readers, so here goes. Is this a bad book? Well, it’s full of typos and errors that a good piece of editing would …

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