-
Review: I am Legend and Other Stories
I am Legend and Other Stories by Richard Matheson My rating: 5 of 5 stars I read this book on honeymoon, nice romantic writing 🙂 ‘I am Legend’ is a great story, though unusually I did prefer the film version. The short stories tagged onto the end were mostly disappointing and didn’t add anything, other…
-
Review: Writing the Breakout Novel
Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass My rating: 5 of 5 stars Aside from overusing the word ‘breakout’ (it appears pretty much in every other sentence), Donald Maas has written a very readable book on how to construct a novel. He focuses on the themes that make a book engaging, such as the sympathetic…
-
Review: The Night Circus
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern My rating: 5 of 5 stars Fantastic book. Brilliant imagery and great story telling, highly recommended. View all my reviews
-
Review: On Writing
On Writing by Stephen King My rating: 4 of 5 stars Stephen King is very good at what he does. And what he does, is write. I’ve read his books for the past thirty or so years and have always loved his style. His novels are imaginative and his prose is tight, understandable given he…
-
Review: Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers: How to Edit Yourself Into Print by Renni Browne My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is an excellent book, with brilliant examples to stress the clearly stated points and end-of-chapter exercises to ensure all the points have been grasped. The best writing book I’ve bought! View all my reviews
-
Review: The Heather Blazing
The Heather Blazing by Colm Tóibín My rating: 4 of 5 stars Colm Toibin’s ‘The Heather Blazing’ is a masterclass in understated prose. The book follows the High Court judge Eamon Redmond, with flashbacks to his early years. The writing is sparse, lacking any emotion, mimicking Eamon’s state of mind, despite several key events in…
-
Review: Jamrach’s Menagerie
Jamrach’s Menagerie by Carol Birch My rating: 4 of 5 stars This was another good read from the Man Booker 2011 short list pile (a year behind but at least the bottom is in sight…) The book starts with a ‘coming of age’ for cat food wannabe Jaff, and ends with a touch of culinary…
-
Review: APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur. How to Publish a Book
APE: Author, Publisher, Entrepreneur. How to Publish a Book by Guy Kawasaki My rating: 4 of 5 stars I like this book. Guy’s writing style is informal and chatty, but concise and to the point. This is the first book of his that I’ve read, though oddly enough I was looking at another when I…
-
Review: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is only the second novel I’ve ever re-read, the first being Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and it’s still as much fun as it was when I read it twenty-odd years ago! View all my reviews
-
Review: The Last Song
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks My rating: 3 of 5 stars By the mid way point, I felt like I needed a sick bag, by the end of the book, I needed a stomach pump! But… to its credit, the book is well written and an entertaining, if predictable, read. It was my first…
Got any book recommendations?