I was introduced to Fear of Dying by a friend after I’d read and reviewed Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying. Inevitably, there’s a temptation to compare, which I’ll attempt to resist. I’m of the same generation as the author, though a few years younger, so I’ve lived through the years she’s experienced and understand many …
Continue reading Fear of Dying, by Erica Jong, Reviewed.
There are times when a book comes into our lives at an appropriate moment. This was one such for me. I’d just spent a few days reviewing the research I’d been doing for a science fiction novel set on Mars. Amongst the websites I’d downloaded to consult on technical issues, I found references to this …
Continue reading How We’ll Live on Mars, by Stephen Petranek, Reviewed.
Romance in the days of slavery, set in the West Indies, is here given a treatment that’s both thoughtful and inspirational. This is a tale of love against the odds. Two young people thrown together by circumstance are trying to deal with differences in outlook based on their individual ignorance and prejudices. And the threat …
Continue reading A Shackled Inheritance, by Madeleine McDonald, Reviewed.
I feel I should share this piece of good news with you all. I hope you'll find it interesting. It's a copy of an email I received today: Hello Stuart, In our community of readers, you stand out in a notable way:Â You're one of the top 1% of reviewers on Goodreads! With every rave and …
Continue reading Seems I’m One of Goodreads’ Top 1% of Reviewers!
This book needs no more reviews; but I’m a compulsive reviewer, so here goes. I’m of the generation the author writes about in this modern classic and found so many points on which I was able to connect that it was like making a visit to my early home. However, my enjoyment of the period …
Continue reading Fear of Flying, by Erica Jong, Reviewed.
This anthology of science fiction stories by many different authors is a fantastic collection of disparate views of the future presented by creative talents. I must, however, before I expand on that summary, confess to my vested interest: I’m one of the authors. But, as a single voice among 27 stories, I feel justified in …
Continue reading Synthesis, Published by Fantastic Books Publishing, Reviewed.
Regular visitors to the blog will know I usually review works of fiction. But I also do this for nonfiction, when I think it'll be useful for readers. My recent move to the Forest of Dean has meant I've discovered species of bird unknown to me, so I bought this book to help my wife …
Continue reading Collins Complete Guide to British Birds, by Paul Sterry, Reviewed.
I have never read anything like this. Now, there’s a statement. But what does it mean? This book is subtitled, ‘a portfolio’ and that’s a good description of the range of contents. First, let me advise potential readers that this is material for adults. Those who seek gentle reassurance in romance and the sweet murmurings …
Continue reading The Red Room, by Joan Barbara Simon, Reviewed.
Ray Bradbury was one of my earliest writer heroes. I read a lot of his work when I was a teenager and young man. Along with Asimov, Clarke, Aldiss, Heinlein and Wyndham he was one of the authors who created my love of science fiction. I hadn’t come across this collection of essays aimed at …
Continue reading Zen in the Art of Writing, by Ray Bradbury, Reviewed.
Madeleine McDonald’s book is a traditional romance set in an unusual location. Told from the points of view of the two main protagonists, the story reveals secrets about both that neither are aware of in each other. The clash of cultures and personal histories makes the possible resolution of this romance uncertain until the very …
Continue reading Enchantment in Morocco, by Madeleine McDonald, Reviewed.
Who’d have thought a novel written from the point of view of a fourteen-year-old American chapel-going girl would find favour with an agnostic British male pensioner? This one did, and how! Lily is given an authentic voice by the writer so that there’s no danger of author intrusion in this tale of prejudice, faith, injustice …
Continue reading The Secret Life of Bees, by Sue Monk Kidd, Reviewed.
I’m cautious about reviewing poetry: it’s an esoteric art form with echoes of the world of the contemporary arts. In other words, a field full of the pretentious attempting to bamboozle the unwary, and too often succeeding. It differs from the world of visual art in the amount of cash thrown at it, of course, …
Continue reading Navigating Nightmare Ecstasy, by The Junk Talk Poet, Reviewed.
This novella introduces amateur sleuth, Georgia Pattinson, early music soprano and a lady with guts. Sound a little specialist? Not a bit of it. Whilst there are references and interesting details relating to both her skill and the musical world she inhabits, this isn’t one of those elitist books that allows a special interest to …
Continue reading Whistles After Dark, by April Taylor, Reviewed.
Perhaps, Amazon can be persuaded to do something positive for authors who provide it with a living? The company currently has a policy preventing honest reviews from writers giving opinions on the books of other writers they may know. The whole policy is a sledgehammer to crack a walnut. It’s intended to prevent dishonest reviews …
Continue reading Amazon: a Solution to the Review Problem?
Subtitled, ‘English and How it Got That Way’, this is typical Bryson wit and erudition at his best. I confess, I was tempted initially to disagree with some of his numbers on the speaking of English, but a quick gander at Google soon put me right on that issue. The book is divided into 16 …
Continue reading The Mother Tongue, by Bill Bryson, Reviewed.
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Antidote to the Novel
Stuart Aken 