Book Review: Weatherland by Andrea Harris

Weatherland by Alexandra Harris is a sweeping panorama and magic carpet ride through the history of England using a quirky weathervane to measure the changing culture – the weather.

Author Alexandra Harrisโ€™ debut book won The Guardianโ€™s Book of the Year. Itโ€™s no surprise either because this is a far-reaching, expansive book written in an engaging, poetic and erudite way.

Book Review: Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan

Egan is author of the sprawling coming-of-age novel A Visit from the Goon Squad which won the Pulitzer Prize. She has written another epic genre-bending novel this time set during WW2 in New York City, it’s immersive, sparkling and exhilarating. Rating:ย ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ Genre:ย Fiction, Adventure, Thriller, Historical Fiction Publisher:ย Corsair Review in one word:ย Nostalgic * Contains no spoilersContinue reading “Book Review: Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan”

Book Review: The Lonely City by Olivia Laing

The Lonely City by Olivia Laing is a mixture of reportage, biography and creative non-fiction. Weaving together strands of history, philosophy and art, Laing explores one of the last taboos of humanity which is loneliness. This is an alarming and at times uncomfortable book to read if you have been or are now lonely. Yet loneliness is common to all of us at some point in our lives. It’s what we seek at all costs to avoid and hide under the rug.

Book Review: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Dr Robin Wall Kimmerer

Robin Wall Kimmerer is a Botanist and an indigenous woman of the Potawatomi Nation in Braiding Sweetgrass she weaves together the two strands of indigenous wisdom and scientific understanding to create a wonderous union of the two forms of knowledge.

Book Review: Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet

Rating: ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ Publisher: Text publishing. Genre: Fiction, psychological thriller. Review in one word: Perky Scottish writer Graeme Macrae Burnet is the author of one of the best Scottish crime novels ever written His Bloody Project, which I have reviewed on this blog before. Burnet’s new book is yet another step back in time and anotherContinue reading “Book Review: Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet”

Book Review: Something out of Place, Women and Disgust by Eimear McBride

Rating: ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ Genre: Non-Fiction, Feminism, Sociology, Philosophy, Sexuality. Publisher: Picador Review in one word: Provocative This is a fascinating, provocative and stirring book. It enrages and stimulates in equal measure and will make you think differently about the world if you are a woman or if you are a man then you will come to understand the disturbing waysContinue reading “Book Review: Something out of Place, Women and Disgust by Eimear McBride”

An Anatomical Guide to Godzilla and other Gigantic Japanese Monsters

These amazing diagrams showing a medical crossโ€“section of Godzilla along with other Japanese monsters such as Mothra, Gamera and Agurius. These illustrations were created in 1967 by Shogo Endo for a book called ‘An Anatomical Guide to Monsters’. This cult book was crafted by Shoji Otomo (writer) along with Shogo Endo (illustrator) (1967). An AnatomicalContinue reading “An Anatomical Guide to Godzilla and other Gigantic Japanese Monsters”

Book Review: The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of a Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

The surreal tale of a 100 year old man named Allan Karlsson who on his 100th birthday abandons his drooling and dottery compadres in a retirement home and skips town for an intriguing and unexpected adventure. Rating: ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ Genre: Fiction, Adventure, Black Comedy, Thriller, Action. Publisher: Picador Review in one word: Playful Loads has been written about this book.Continue reading “Book Review: The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of a Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson”

Book Review: Elmet by Fiona Mozley

A dark, crepuscular and gripping Yorkshire thriller about family and loyalty that is timeless, lyrical and immensely satisfying. Rating: ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ๐ŸŒŸ Genre: Fiction, Gothic Noir, Yorkshire Noir, Thriller Publisher: Algonquin Books Review in one word: Stygian This debut book by Fiona Mozley was short-listed to win the Booker Prize in 2017 and it is easy to see why. This bookContinue reading “Book Review: Elmet by Fiona Mozley”