I'm a former bookseller, English graduate and bookaholic.
This book suffered a lot from "there might be a book in it" syndrome. There didn't appear to be any personal reason behind the challenge he set himself, and he didn't appear to gain much from it either. Apparently there WAS a book in it; unfortunately it wasn't one worth reading.
As far as books by comedians go, this is one of the better ones. An unexpectedly dark drama, I found it hard to enjoy but I was impressed by the writing.
A good sturdy psycho-thriller with a likeable hero and some deeply nasty villains.
I was given this to review, and it's not the sort of thing I'd normally pick up. However, I thought I'd give it a chance. Unfortunately I was really disappointed with it. The story had potential, and there are some laughs to be had, but it could have really done with some judicious editing.
This is right up my street - an overblown historical romp with intellectual overtones. Funny, serious, exciting and ridiculous. Loved it.
I very much enjoyed Stott's previous novel, and picked this up with high expectations. The Coral Thief is a very different kettle of fish to Ghostwalk, but I would say it is certainly on a par (if not better). I enjoyed the colourful detail of Paris in the immediate post-revolution period. I felt that Lucienne's philosophical and scientific beliefs were rather crow-barred into the plot at times, as she was a perfectly interesting character without them, but I'm all for strong and intelligent heroines so I shan't complain too much! All in all this was a great read, I learned a lot and I'm very much looking forward to Stott's next book.
I expected this to be a bit of a piss-take of people who believe in all things supernatural, but it turned out to be a little more thoughtful than that. Will Storr is a likeable companion on this journey of discovery through hauntings, possessions and various other spooky goings-on. An entertaining read that makes you think about the world around you and how you perceive it, although it failed to turn me into a believer.
I'm not a religious person, but I found this novel fascinating. It re-tells well known Bible stories from the viewpoint of the female characters, and it really made them seem far more real to me. It also gives an insight into how the stories might have come into being. Very human and moving.
This was absolutely fascinating, not only explaining how he achieves some of his remarkable feats but also the sheer hard graft and study that goes into it. He comes across as a very likeable, extraordinarily intelligent man with a real passion for his profession, and a great deal of righteous indignation for the pseudoscientists and "psychics" who have hi-jacked it. I skipped the bits about memory techniques etc as I got a little bored, but I liked his style and the little autobiographical tales, although I was never quite sure how much to believe! It still really annoys me when people don't believe he's fooling them, and that he must be performing "real" magic. I have often overheard people exclaiming that there must be something spiritual about what he does. Hopefully this book will enlighten them!
Another one of those books that is ideal for dipping into when you're in need of cheering up. Never fails to amuse.
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I always return to this book (and its predecessor, "Things Snowball") when I need cheering up. If you've ever seen his stand-up you'll recognise the narrative voice of these stories, and it's almost impossible to read them without that growly Montana drawl in your head. These are quirky, cynical, sometimes unexpectedly touching and beautifully structured (and, of course, hilarious) short comic stories. I really hope Rich Hall writes a full-length novel, as his writing is wonderful, his characterisation is spot-on (you really get to know these people, even in such a short space of time), and of course his eye for the absurd and amusing in everyday situations is finely tuned. The prime example of this is how he can take a man standing on a corner holding up a Golf Sale sign and spin it into a remarkably clever self-help book; not only a very funny juxtaposition but probably the most accurate and concise critique of the whole self-help phenomenon ever committed to paper. Read this, and annoy people on the train by laughing out loud. A lot.
This is a great coming-of-age story about a group of boys in a backwoods mining town who dream of becoming rocket scientists. Uplifting but not too syrupy sweet.
The first of the Rebus novels. This isn't the best by a long chalk, but it's very good, and will certainly get you hooked on the series.
This is the kind of book which makes me feel very very stupid, because I found it utterly impenetrable. Wonderful, but completely mystifying.
This was absolutely fascinating. The title does it no favours at all though; this is far more than an exploration of love (although it certainly covers it in all it's permutations, not just the dark), it is an epic social history of Syria over the last hundred-odd years. More specifically it is about the problems caused by the clan mentality, as well as the religious and political upheavals which influence the freedom of its citizens to do and love as they like. The murder aspect of it is really only there to set up the sprawling story, and to give it a nice neat conclusion. I loved the fact that every character, major or minor, felt absolutely real, and despite the sheer number of them it wasn't difficul to remember who was related to who, as is sometimes the case in these things. Don't be put off by the house-brick dimensions of the book - this is an absolute treat.
