Review - Luna New Moon by Ian McDonald

Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonald
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The moon has a cold heart.

For me, this was a frustratingly great read which should have received a full five stars. However, due to the many, many mistakes I had to lower my rating.

Hailed the “Game of Domes”, the story follows one of the five dynasties, or ‘Dragons’, who control the moon. We follow all members of the Corta family, and some others, through their various political, financial and romantic challenges.

McDonald cites the Godfather as a key influence and you can see that throughout. The interfamily struggles and the battles with the other Dragons are all handled superbly and remain intriguing all the way from start to finish.

McDonald won a Gaylactic Spectrum Award in 2016 for this book, which was well deserved. In the world he has created, discrimination against sexuality doesn’t exist and people can marry whoever they want. Reading this gave me hope for what could become a reality, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Another great thing about this story is McDonald’s description of the difference between poor and rich. Anyone who has ever been in financial difficulty will be able to relate to this.

Poverty stretches time. And poverty is an avalanche. One tiny slippage knocks on another, knocks loose yet others and everything is sliding, rushing away.

The might and magic of money is not what it allows you to own; it is what it allows you to be. Money is freedom.

Characters

The characters are sculpted really well, probably one of the crowning achievements of the book is how McDonald is able to write so many good characters, storylines, trials and tribulations within 400 pages. A lesser author might have had to write 800 pages but McDonald is able to write concisely, which moves the story along.

Notable issues

The writing is altogether beautiful, jarring and erroneous. Most frustrating of all is the sheer amount of errors. I’m not sure who is at fault but another pass by the editor should have fixed this.

Forgetting to include full stops at the end of sentences, or place commas anywhere in sentences that clearly need them are huge mistakes in my view. And this happens often.

There is a whole interaction in chapter four where speech marks are totally forgotten about.

There are just some obvious spelling mistakes. blood oh-two = O2. Plashing = Splashing.

There is an absolute doosey near the end where something is happening between the Cortas and the MacKenzies. In the Corta dock, Rafa, Lucas, Wagner and Ariel Mackenzie. It isn’t the Mackenzies, it’s the Cortas.

Some of the writer’s style choices annoyed me, namely his need to say things three times. Every time this happened it jarred me out of the story. To me it was a bit much.

…out of boredom and familiarity and monotony. Flat flat flat. Monotony monotony monotony.

Is it a minimalist refuge from the endless voices and colours and noise and rush of people, people, people?

…all wrong, and real real real.

I just saw faces faces faces, all around me…

...question after question, questions, three hours of questions. Details. Memories. Tell me again again again.

I might just be nit-picking, but all of the above, and the multiple other mistakes throughout the book tear you out of the world in your head and stop the flow of the story. Above all, they could’ve been easily fixed.

Final thought

You shouldn’t let my minor rant about the mistakes above stop you from reading the book. It was a great story and I will be reading the next book very shortly (release date 23 March). This should have been a five star book as it got everything right, it was just too many errors that knocked down my rating.



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Review - The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum

The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

All hail the king of horror. No one makes me squeamish quite like Ketchum.

To my horror, half way through the book I realised that it’s loosely based on the true story of the tragic Sylvia Likens. The story is about two teenage girls who are left in the care of their aunt after a horrible accident. It tells the story of the escalating abuse both of them suffer at the hands of their aunt and her children.

The story is told through the view of David, who finds the abuse compelling as well as horrific and tells the story of his struggle with it as he comes to terms with what is really happening.

Writing

The book is short and the writing is crisp. It does its job, moving the story along nicely.

I thought the use of older David looking back at the events, commenting on them whilst flashing back to the past was very effective. The events clearly play a huge part in his later life and as he reflects as older David, it only adds to the emotional side of the story. So here’s my check, overdue and overdrawn. Cash it in hell…

Ketchum does an excellent job of making you hate Ruth, the evil aunt. I can’t remember a character I’ve hated so much.

Final thoughts

I don’t agree with this being categorised as a ‘crime thriller’. To me, it’s very much a horror.

I can’t really say too much more without giving anything away. Ketchum is a must read for all horror fans. This, and Off Season, are fantastic and horrifying. You know you’re doing well when Stephen King answered the question “Who’s the scariest guy in North America?” by saying “Probably Jack Ketchum.”.

What happened next, was the basement…


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Physical reaction to books

Have you ever been that scared of a book that you’ve dropped your kindle in fright, on the train, in front of lots of people? I’ve been there. I was so wrapped up in the story that I forgot my surroundings and what more can you ask for from a book?

Thankfully for my fellow rail users, I don’t throw my kindle around that often. This did get me thinking about when I have physically reacted to books and I found I had enough for a list. I’m not sure what that says about me as a reader but let me know if you have similar reactions.

Jorg eats out – Broken Empire by Mark Lawrence

The broken empire series is by far one of the best fantasy series to hit shelves in a long time. This is saying a lot considering the quality of fantasy books out there at the moment. There is one scene where Jorg, our main character, rips out a human organ and eats it. The writing was so vivid that I cringed so hard that I dropped my book. I also couldn’t eat my dinner that night (you owe me a steak Mr Lawrence!).

Taking the p**s – A child called IT by Dave Pelzer

This is so much worse as it’s a true story. I don’t want to reveal too much but Dave, as a child, is forced to eat a dirty nappy… just, yuck! I shivered whilst reading it and I’m shivering now. A great book, Pelzer is a brave man for writing this and I commend him for it.

My kindle sure is durable… - Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

This is the one I refer to in my opening. I was on the train, thoroughly engrossed in Mr King’s brilliant vampire novel when something scary happened causing me to jump in my seat, sending my kindle flying and thudding on the floor. Suddenly aware of my surroundings, I looked up and there were at least ten other rail passengers sniggering at me. The best vampire novel I’ve ever read and surprisingly my kindle still works.

Why can’t I see my book? Oh, I appear to be crying – Boy’s Life by Robert McCammon

Men are allowed to cry at books, right? This is the first of two books to make me cry and is in my top three books of all time. It’s a wonderfully written work of art that I recommend to anyone who’ll listen to me. At the end I was blubbering so much I had to go upstairs and hide in case my wife came home and thought something serious had happened to me!

Why am I crying? This book is supposed to be a comedy! – 600 hours of Edward by Craig Lancaster

This it the other book I cried to. This time I bawled to Lancaster’s awesome book which starts off funny and then hits you with all the feels. A great book, highly recommended.

“Something funny Paul?!” – Pyramids by Terry Pratchett

The late Sir Pratchett’s writing is marvellous. This is the first of his books I’ve laughed out loud at, almost continuously. It got that bad that my wife had to ask me just what the hell I was reading and what I found so funny.

I can’t tell you why I’m laughing because I’m too embarrassed – A Decent Ride by Irvine Welsh

Better known for his Trainspotting books, which are also hilarious, Welsh’s spin off series for cab driver Terry ‘Juice’ Lawson are even better in my view. I was chuckling to this so much that someone asked me what was funny but there was no way I was going to repeat the words I’d just heard, I’d be far too embarrassed!

Please be quiet… - Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

Storm of Swords was so engrossing during the final chapters that I had to ask my wife to be quiet and stop asking me questions because I just couldn’t believe what I was reading! This was the whole red wedding thing. Luckily for me I read it before the tv show was made and I was utterly dumbfounded by how good it was. I should really buy my wife some flowers…

What? Who? What? Wow! – Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay

I would class this book as ‘grown up’ fantasy; it’s fantastic, beautiful and well thought out. It’s also a standalone fantasy novel which is a rare bonus. The last couple of sentences just blow your mind as you try to understand their meaning. I can’t say any more but I was literally talking out loud to my book trying to figure it out.

WWHHHHAAAATTT?? - Defending Jacob by William Landay

Similar to Tigana with the unbelievable ending, Defending Jacob had me shouting in my car at the audiobook like I had road rage.

Ewww..wtf Stephen? - IT by Stephen King

I don’t want to ruin anything, but there’s a scene right at the end of IT which almost ruins the whole book. It’s just disgusting and involved Bev (those who’ve read it will know what I mean). I nearly ruined my paperback as I was curling the pages in disgust at this point. Thankfully the rest of the novel is masterful enough that it doesn’t matter.

My poor kindle – Story of the eye by Georges Bataille

I picked this book up blind after it appeared on a ‘cult favourites’ list and boy do I regret it. It’s the vilest, crappiest and downright nastiest thing I’ve ever read. It wasn’t cheap too! This all led to me throwing my kindle across the room in disgust. I’m offended that this book still appears on my cloud, it sickens me that much.

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Review - The Falls by Ian Rankin

The Falls by Ian Rankin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A terrific cop thriller full of Scottish heart

The only other Rebus book I’ve read is the first in the series, Knots and Crosses. I gave it a three star rating at the time and said that I wouldn’t be reading further into the series. That was unfair of me because a) the first book in these types of series are most always the worst and b) The Falls was awesome.

Story

The story focuses one a ‘missing pers’ (person) and a cryptic online game, run by the ‘quizmaster’. It is nicely done from beginning to end and the clues the quizmaster presents are clever and require the team to work together to solve them.

Characters

The story focuses on Rebus (obviously) and Siobhan. Rebus is a very realistic character and Rankin shows his humour and emotional side alongside the copper within him. Rankin presents Rebus as a character with flaws which makes him all the more lovable.

The other characters are all very believable and add a lot to the story.

Writing

Jumping from the first book in the series to the twelfth, I was able to see the huge improvements that Rankin has made in his writing and the pacing of the novel. It has much more character.

Similar to Welsh, Rankin paints a very realistic picture of Edinburgh.

Notable issues

James MacPherson, the audiobook narrator isn’t the best. I think they could find someone who delivers with more impact. He is perfect for the dialogue and humorous moments, but you want someone who can carry the action scenes.

Final thought

I’ll be reading more of the series!

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Review - The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A rip-roaring story with a huge dilemma at its center. Scalzi delivers yet again!

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi is part of a new sequence (I can’t find details on how many books it will comprise of but I hope it’s lots!), which is due for release on 23 March. I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Background

Set in a universe where planets in the ‘Interdependency’ are all connected via the Flow. Space travel hasn’t evolved to the level used in most sci-fi stories so the Flow is the only method to get between systems, and for the first time in centuries, the Flow is about to change.

As far as dilemmas go, this is one of the biggest in scope that I’ve encountered. It immediately draws you in. Scalzi explains things clearly and sets it up nicely, allowing him to really focus on character instead of all the science-type stuff.

Writing

Scalzi’s writing is a joy to behold. It’s not the prettiest prose but it is clear, concise and has its own character. There are a lot of swear words, so if that offends you, be warned. Above all, Scalzi’s books have a unique feeling to them because of his tone. I’ve picked out a couple of my favourites lines below:

“Prepare for what?” “The collapsing empire,” Jamies said. “And the darkness that follows.” - How great a set up is that?

”…an officious cockwomble.” - Best insult ever!

”Stop whining like a f*cking child.” - Kiva
“You could have just said, ‘I need your help.’ ” - Marce
“All right. I need your help. Stop whining like a f*cking child.” - Kiva
“That’s not better.” - Marce - Great example of the awesomeness that is Kiva.

…suppressed an itchy feeling. - This is a great adjective which made me really understand what the character was feeling. Itchy might not be what you would call a fancy word, but it certainly does the trick and shows Scalzi’s strength as a writer.

Scalzi’s dialogue, in here and in all his books, is what shines for me. It’s wholly believable and never forced. Most impressive is Scalzi’s ability to deliver a lot of action, background, exposition and character through dialogue. This cuts down on word count and makes it so much easier to fly through.

I loved the way that Scalzi built up the different conflicts. The first, the potential collapse of the empire due to issues with the Flow is a huge issue and is what we focus on right off the bat. What Scalzi builds over the course of the story is the very human conflict between the different families, or guilds.

Characters

Every book should focus on the characters within it. Some writers forget this, particularly in sci-fi books. Scalzi has created a bunch of characters that are easy to understand, unique, funny and frankly, awesome.

Kiva is one of my favourite female characters ever. She’s badass and takes no crap from anyone and was the highlight of the book for me.

The scenes at the start between Cardenia and her father, the emperox are heart-warming and tragic.

The women really stood out to me, not because they are all stereotypical ‘strong independent women’ but because they are very real. The book is told from the viewpoint of a female character around 75% of the time. Very refreshing and not forced at all.

Notable issues

Not much in the way of issues. I would have liked the book to have been a bit longer and for the characters to reflect more. It is rather action packed. I do prefer a bit of a longer book so it’s purely a personal thing.

Final thought

Scalzi is in my top two sci-fi authors list (the other is Iain M. Banks). I will be continuing with the series. For anyone looking to jump into sci-fi but don’t know where to start, here is as good a place as any!

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Reading habits tag

Reading habits
I’ve been inspired to do this tag after reading @Bill_Khaemba do it on his blog page.

Do you have a certain place at home for reading?
Either on my couch or in my bed, although I’m not that particular and I will read anywhere, anytime I get the chance.

Bookmark or random piece of paper?
Bookmark. I have amassed a wee collection although I have resorted to using rail tickets in times of desperation.

Can you just stop reading or do you have to stop after a chapter / certain number of pages?
I can stop reading mid-sen…

Do you eat or drink whilst reading?
I try not to eat whilst reading as I end up just pigging out. I do like to have a drink with me though, preferably orange juice or irn bru.

Multi-tasking: Music or TV while reading?
No. Complete stone-cold silence for me, thanks.

One book at a time or several at once?
I never read just one book at a time. I find that the more books you read, the more time you will dedicate to reading. The magic number for me these days is four:

• One book that I want to do a full review for (usually reserved for the books I really, really want to read).
  
• One audiobook. I find that thrillers or mysteries lend themselves to audiobooks well.
  
• One re-read or funny book. This is where I’ll have something that I can read through that doesn’t require as much attention. So if my serious book feels like too much after a hard day’s work, I’ll either read something I’ve read before, or something light and comical.
  
• One book of poems. These usually take me a while to get through but they are great when I have five minutes or want to read something just before bedtime.

Reading at home or elsewhere?
I read everywhere I get the chance. My usual routine is:

• Get up
  
• Shower
  
• Stick my audiobook on whilst getting ready for work
  
• Listen to my audiobook on the drive to the train station
  
• Read an ebook or paperback on the train to Edinburgh
  
• Listen to my audiobook on short walk from train station to work
  
• Work
  
• Listen to my audiobook on short walk from work to train station
  
• Read an ebook or paperback on the train to Kirkcaldy
  
• Listen to my audiobook on the drive home
  
• Do housework (whilst listening to audiobook)
  
• Make dinner (whilst listening to audiobook)
  
• Spend time with family
  
• [If I have time for a cycle I’ll do that whilst listening to an audiobook]
  
• Read on the couch or in bed
• Sleep, repeat

Weekends are dedicated to reading also if I don’t have much on.

Reading out loud or silently in your head?
Silently in my head…I hope.

Do you read ahead or even skip pages?
Never. It’s hard not to jump to the last sentence in the book but I’ve managed to train myself to stop doing that. If that fails, I will place my bookmark over the last paragraph to avoid temptation.

Breaking the spine or keeping it like new?
Break it!

Do you write in your books?
Yes, although I do feel bad doing it. Although I do enjoy finding someone else’s notes within books I pick up from the charity shop.

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Book Dare - Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James

Book dare – 50 Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Rating = 2 stars

I’m surprised to be giving this two stars instead of the one star rating I thought I’d give. Don’t get me wrong, the writing is awful but it does have a simple enough story to be interesting. There is also good back and forth between the characters which I found funny. The relationship between a dominant and submissive makes it instantly intriguing.

I can’t believe I’m giving this the same rating as I gave the Road by Cormac McCarthy. I also can’t believe 50 Shades of Grey has sold over 125 million copies! From starting out as a Twilight fan fiction series under the pen name ‘Snowqueen’s Icedragon’, E.L. James has certainly done well for herself and this book should serve as a reminder that absolutely anyone can publish a book no matter what their background.

Whilst updating my status on Goodreads my good friend, Mrs Danvers, pointed out that when E.L. James hosted an AMA someone asked the question ‘After the success of “Grey” have you considered re-telling the story from the perspective of someone who can write?’ A good burn and definitely deserved.

Above all, the message that you should give abusive relationships a try and stick with it is disgraceful.

Structure

It’s a simple, linear story which is easy to follow when the writing doesn’t trip you up. When I looked over my wife’s shoulder whilst she read this, I was appalled to see that a good percentage of the book is made up of emails. The critic in me instantly hated this but I thought these were actually the best part of the book. The short quips via email balance out the horrendous dialogue when they are face to face.

Notable issues

Where to start? I’ve never made so many notes whilst reading a book. I can’t possible include everything. The writing is truly awful!

Instead of showing us what the main character is like the author chose to simply tell us. She spells out the fact that Ana prefers her own company, doesn’t do well in crowds and is very clumsy. Real writers do this through showing us, not telling us. Seriously, she mentions that she’s shy and clumsy at least four times in the opening chapter. ‘Here’s me, all gawky and uncoordinated, barely able to get from A to B without falling flat on my face.’

How many times do you have to exclaim ‘Holy sh*t!’, ‘Holy crap!’, etc?It loses all impact quickly as she uses it nearly every second page.

The author forgot to put Ana’s internal thoughts in italics during the first couple of chapters and then remembers to do this for the remainder of the book. She also doesn’t know how to use commas.

Ana is super annoying and dumb. Throughout the whole book she says things like ‘some of his answers were so cryptic’. No they weren’t. For the most part, Christian sat you down, talked very clearly about what he wants, what he needs from you and even has a bloomin’ contract for you to look over so that you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into. He couldn’t have been less cryptic.

The fact that I had to use a dictionary to look up some words shocked me. Was this an attempt to look smart or just an overuse of a thesaurus? No one uses words like foisted, autocratic, somnambulant or phlegmatically!

You know Troy McClure from the Simpsons who says things like ‘have it your way, baby?’ That’s what I think of every time Grey speaks during any sex scenes – ‘Feel it, baby.’ ‘That’s right, baby.’ Everything has ‘, baby.’ attached to the end of it.

James has the annoying habit of inserting feelings and situations that just aren’t true in an effort to push the story in the direction she needs it to go. Grey mentions his past and suddenly he’s been ‘sexually abused’. He didn’t say that at all. And his ex is all of a sudden marked an evil bitch but has done nothing to warrant it.

Kate / Katherine / Miss Kavanagh / Katherine Kavanagh and the Katherine Kavanagh Inquisition’s (seriously, can’t you just call her one thing instead of switching all the time?) hair seemed to change from blond, to reddish blond to ‘she’s almost blond – well, strawberry blond’. Why the hell does Kate’s hair colour matter so much and why does it keep changing?

“Tell me about your parents,” I ask - Not a question. And why is there a comma here?

‘Stop! Stop now! my subconscious is metaphorically screaming at me.’ – Not a metaphor. Also ‘my’ should have a capital M.

‘And it’s suddenly blindingly obvious. He’s too gloriously good-looking.’ – Adverb much?

‘The drinking – oh no, the drinking – the phone call – oh no, the phone call – the vomiting – oh no, the vomiting.’ – Worst. Sentence. Ever!

‘probably located at the base of my medulla oblongata near where my subconscious dwells.’ ¬– Really? She mentions the medulla oblongata a few times in an effort to sound smart.

‘It’s not a room – it’s a mission statement.’ – What?

‘First, I don’t make love. I fu*k…hard. Second, there’s a lot more paperwork to do.’ ¬– I was in stitches reading this, it’s so bad.

‘I think I’m in shock. My subconscious has emigrated or been struck dumb or simply keeled over and expired. I am numb. I can observe and absorb but not articulate my feelings about all this, because I’m in shock.’ – Bad, bad writing. You think you’re in shock, or are you in shock? This is a good example of how James slows the pace to a crawl at key points. A good writer would simply write ‘I was shocked.’

‘Christian Grey’s feet… wow… what is it about naked feet?’ – Yuck.

‘Two orgasms…coming apart at the seams, like the spin cycle on a washing machine, wow.’ – Wow indeed! I can’t believe I read and then typed that sentence.

‘I ignore her, but deep down I know she has a point.’ – That’s not ignoring someone!

‘“Your new e-mail address.” – I have an e-mail address?’¬¬ - It’s 2011, why is this a big thing?

‘The plane banks and turns as the wing dips, and we spiral toward the sun. Icarus. This is it. I am flying close to the sun, but he’s with me, leading me. I gasp at the realization’.– The realisation that you’re Icarus?

A truly awful book!

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Review - Emperors blades by Brian Staveley

A Shael-spawned good book!

Synopsis

Follow two sons and daughter (occasionally) as they lead their different kind of lives.

Overview – 4 stars

A well written fantasy tale which had me hooked from the start. Although there isn't much in here that's overly original (what is original in fantasy these days?), it still manages to pack a punch with its characters, writing and setting.

Structure

The story follows Valyn, Kaden and, sometimes, Adare. Valyn is near the end of his military training, Kaden, the heir, is nearly finished his studies as a monk and Adare is at court as a finance minister, dealing with her fathers death.

The book is split nicely into POV chapters which makes for easy reading. The writing also makes it very easy to digest. Whilst not overly beautiful, it does it job and you can't ask for much more than that.

I listened to this on audiobook and the narration was fantastic.

The world

The world is realistic and well thought out. It doesn't require you to remember a lot of locations as it simply isn't required. I like the use of religion and gods. I'm already using some of the Shael spawned curses already!

One of my biggest issues with fantasy books is the authors need to explain everything about his imagined world. The best authors don't need to overtly explain it. The world is built through the actions and experiences of the characters. This is something that Staveley accomplishes.

Also, huge birds that the military can fly in on? More please!

Notable issues

There weren't very many things wrong with this. Whilst most of the components weren't very original, how Staveley mixes them together is key, and he does this well.

The biggest issue is the use of Adare. I've seen a few reviews saying that women are generally underused, which I don't agree with. There were a few cool moments. Adare felt a bit thrown in for no reason. We could have learned what Adare learned through other means. If I was editing this, I would have said to either chop all of Adare out, or make sure she got more chapters.

Also, why didn't we have more chapters of Valyn fighting the slarn?? That sequence was awesome but over too quickly.

All in all though, a great read which I'll be continuing.

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Review - The raven and other poems by Edgar Allan Poe

Be nothing which thou art not.

Overview 4/5 stars

I don't read much of any poetry. Apart from poems I've read for school (way back when), this is my first book of poetry I've ever read. I will be reading more poetry from now on as I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Poe is well known for the Raven, which everyone has heard at some point. Even the Simpsons recited it during a tree house of horror episode. His other works are also brilliant. There are, of course, a few misses but for the most part everything is great.

The raven

This is now my favourite poem ever. I'm currently looking on amazon to see if I can get the poem in a frame to put on a wall in my house, it's that good. If you don't check out any of the other poems, you must read the raven.

I’ve read this every night before bed since starting this collection. Very few writers can command language like Poe. Here are some of my favourite lines.

But the Raven, sitting lonely on that placid bust, spoke only That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.

But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door

Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!

I could copy the whole thing as every word is placed brilliantly.

Other favourites

Amongst my favourites were Tamerlane, Alone, Elizabeth, Lenore, The City in the Sea, The Sleeper, The Valley of Unrest and Dreamland.

Most of the poems are gothic in nature and are rather haunting, though beautiful. Here are just some of my favourite bits. First up is a beaut from Dreamland:

By the lakes that thus outspread Their lone waters, lone and dead,—Their sad waters, sad and chilly With the snows of the lolling lily,—By the mountains—near the river Murmuring lowly, murmuring ever,—By the gray woods,—by the swamp Where the toad and the newt encamp,—By the dismal tarns and pools Where dwell the Ghouls,—By each spot the most unholy—In each nook most melancholy,—There the traveller meets aghast Sheeted Memories of the past—Shrouded forms that start and sigh As they pass the wanderer by—White-robed forms of friends long given, In agony, to the Earth—and Heaven.

Would to God I could awaken For I dream I know not how, And my soul is sorely shaken Lest an evil step be taken,—Lest the dead who is forsaken May not be happy now.

My love, she sleeps! Oh, may her sleep, As it is lasting, so be deep; Soft may the worms about her creep!

For no ripples curl, alas! Along that wilderness of glass—No swellings tell that winds may be Upon some far-off happier sea—No heavings hint that winds have been On seas less hideously serene.

“Wretches! ye loved her for her wealth and hated her for her pride, And when she fell in feeble health, ye blessed her—that she died! How shall the ritual, then, be read?—the requiem how be sung By you—by yours, the evil eye,—by yours, the slanderous tongue That did to death the innocence that died, and died so young?”

Read nothing, written less –in short’s a fool

And all I loved—I loved alone

And boyhood is a summer sun Whose waning is the dreariest one—For all we live to know is known, And all we seek to keep hath flown

Darkness there and nothing more…

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Review - On Writing by Stephen King

The master shares his recommendations for all writers, they should pay attention

Overview – 4 stars

I found this book to be more interesting than I thought it would be. There's a lot of King’s personal thoughts about his experiences in the writing business, and what made him a writer in the first place. He covers his rough experience when he got smacked by an idiot in a van in between writing this.

(On) Writing

The majority of this book is dedicated to helping writers to work on their ‘toolbox’. He shares what works for him and is very honest about what it takes, and the business as a whole. There are tonnes of quotes used from this, some even appear as you load Goodreads. I agree with all of them (not that I'm a writer in any way but I agree with King’s theories).

Here are just a few:

you can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.

The road to hell is paved with adverbs

To write is human, to edit is divine

Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that

Structure

If you've read any of King’s works you'll be familiar with the way he writes. It's no different here but the writing style is, obviously, different. It's a very easy read and the most helpful inclusion has to be the examples he includes, which he dissects and edits throughout.

King fan stuff

There was some really interesting factoids littered in this book. Stand outs for me (and I don't think this is spoiler-y since it's non-fiction):
• He doesn't remember writing Cujo much, since he spent most of his time high
• His idea for Misery came to him in a dream on a plane
• He almost ditched the Stand, my favourite book ever
• He states that he was disappointed with Insomnia

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Review - Pyramids by Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett takes the mick out of ancient Egyptians, hilarity follows

Overview

Pyramids gets a solid 4 star rating. I rarely have a physical reaction when I'm reading but I was chuckling on the train to this one…hopefully not too loudly! This has turned me from a fan to a Pratchett fanboy.

Structure

Pyramids uses a fairly straight forward structure. It's linear and focuses, mainly, on Teppic our main character. The paragraphs are nice and short in the main. It also includes the nice little footnotes that Pratchett uses in most of his works. All in all, a very easy book to read.

Characters

Teppic is one of the better characters I've come across in the Discworld. There are funny moments littered throughout and I did end up feeling sorry for him throughout this book. And that's the holy grail when writing characters isn't it, make me feel for them. Pratchett certainly does so here.

There isn't a huge amount of character development, Teppic’s arc is good, but considering the type of book this is there is no need to have a hugely meaningful and introspective dive into the character.

The side characters are all well formed. I loved Teppicymon when he was a ghost commenting how silly all the pyramid nonsense was.

Writing

This is where Pratchett thrives, in his writing. If you laid out any two or three sentences and asked me to identify it's owner, it would be easy to spot Pratchett’s work. It's simply beautiful. Here's a few of my favourites:

Mere animals couldn’t possibly manage to act like this. You need to be a human being to be really stupid.

Broadly, therefore, the three even now lurching across the deserted planks of the Brass Bridge were dead drunk assassins and the men behind them were bent on inserting the significant comma.

‘In layman’s terms,’ the doctor sniffed, ‘he’s as dead as a doornail.’ ‘What are the complications?’ The doctor looked shifty. ‘He’s still breathing,’ he said. <><><>‘Well, what can you do about it?’ said Arthur. ‘Nothing. He’s dead. All the medical tests prove it. So, er … bury him, keep him nice and cool, and tell him to come and see me next week. In daylight, for preference.’

He also gets brownie points for using the word inhume to describe assassination.

Complaints

I didn't spot any errors within. My only minor complaint came with the end where it got a little confused and jumped to different povs almost from paragraph to paragraph which meant I found myself having to back track just to keep up. As I said though, fairly minor.

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