How strongly I recommend it: 10/10
You won’t even get past the contents page of Lanark before realising that there is something strange about this novel. Announcing itself as ‘A Life in 4 Books,’ the sections of the novel are presented in the following order: Book 3, Prologue, Book 1, Interlude, Book 2, Book 4 and Epilogue.
Lanark: A Life in Four Books – by Alasdair Gray Read More »
How strongly I recommend it: 10/10
This book belongs on every book-lover’s shelf. Whether you read casually or have a deep interest in how fiction is constructed, How Fiction Works manages to cover everything from character to structure to the way books deal with time to the way stories end, and does it in an extremely entertaining and informative way.
How Fiction Works – by James Wood Read More »
How strongly I recommend it: 10/10
Colm and Pádraic are the best of friends. That’s why it strikes Pádraic as incredibly strange when one day, calling on Colm at his house at 2 o’clock to go to the pub, same as he always does, Colm ignores Pádraic’s knock at the door. Stranger still is when Pádraic later posts up beside Colm in the pub and Colm, not even turning his head to look at him, responds with a brusque, ‘Sit somewhere else.’
The Banshees of Inisherin- written and directed by Martin McDonagh Read More »
How strongly I recommend it: 8/10
Castleview, Illinois is an ordinary American town. Less than a hundred miles from Chicago, it has all the usual amenities: a Chinese restaurant, a summer camp and a car dealership. It also has a peculiar phenomenon; sometimes, on a clear day, a gigantic medieval castle seems to appear on the eastern horizon.
Castleview – by Gene Wolfe Read More »
How strongly I recommend it: 9/10
‘He unfolded, in a confidential manner, a copy of the day’s Gazette. Almost reverently he opened it to page fourteen. There, at the top, was a line of photos of men and women. In the center was a photo of Ragle Gumm himself, and under it the caption:
Grand all-time winner in the Where Will the Little Green Man Be Next? contest, Ragle Gumm. National champion leading for two straight years, an all-time record’
Time Out of Joint – by Philip K. Dick Read More »
How strongly I recommend it: 10/10
‘The elm tree planted by Eleanor Bold, the judge’s daughter, fell last night.’[1] What seems an otherwise perfectly mundane opening to a novel that appers on first reading to be a ‘sweet, gentle, meandering reminiscence,’[2] still haunts both my dreams and waking life in the many years since first reading this absolute diamond of a book.
Peace – by Gene Wolfe Read More »
How strongly I recommend it: 7/10
In this slim volume, auter filmmaker David Lynch gives us a peek behind his red curtain at his creative process and personal philosophy regarding Transcendental Meditation. I found the short, clear and to-the-point chapters enjoyable, if a bit hard to recommend to anyone other than diehard Lynch fans, but an interesting read nonetheless.
Catching The Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity – by David Lynch Read More »
How strongly I recommend it: 10/10
Exhalation is one of the best short story collections I have read in recent years, and also some of the best science fiction I have ever come across. Like the best sci-fi literature, Chiang’s stories invoke the oldest themes in the genre, but deal with them in a truly new and original way. His real mastery as a storyteller is his ability to communicate big, scientific concepts in not just layman, but what I would call lyrical terms; by fusing them with virtuosic clarity, wit and humanity.
Exhalation: Stories – by Ted Chiang Read More »
How strongly I recommend it: 10/10
It was my intention to begin this review by posting a trailer for Midnight Mass above, however I feel that if any series exemplifies and rewards the tennent of going into something cold, without knowing a thing about it, then it is Midnight Mass.
Midnight Mass – created by Mike Flanagan Read More »
How strongly I recommend it: 8/10
‘Altogether it’s been one hell of a time, but Barton hasn’t changed a lot. (Here I’m awfully tempted to tell you all about… bunches of other stuff. But that’s all after the end, so why should you care?) The Ben Franklin Store’s been squeezed out by more boutiques. Some new people own the Magic Key now, and they don’t call it that. The worst thing by a long shot is that Uncle De Witte Sinclair is dead. I could tell you quite a bit about that; but you wouldn’t want to read it. And to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t want to write it. So long, Uncle Dee. Kisses.’
Pandora By Holly Hollander – by Gene Wolfe Read More »