Reviews and Comments

Perhaps too long, the plot meanders somewhat, a big reveal is predictable bur nevertheless this is charming and engaging. Not sure why Hell has a library in the first place, but I'll throw my hat into the ring to take over the role and commence digitising all those books.

The best novel about life on a Norwegian island in first half of the twentieth century ever written. The book tells the story of the Barrøys, who live on a small island north of the Arctic circle .Nothing much happens; there are births, deaths, coming and goings but the rhythms and cycles of island life take centre-stage and are exquisitely delineated . Quite simply one of the best novels you're never read

Despite the undergraduate essay level of writing, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in the future of the Internet. Some may find the the chapter on academic publishing a real eye-opener and the discussion of the EU copyright directive terrifying. Though heavy going at times, the book is extensively referenced (with all links using the Internet Archive's Wayback Machine). It's a pity that the book's publication preceded the rise of generative AI, as the liberal use of ChatGPT and suchlike does raise some interesting questions about copyright.

The other Crouch books I've read have been better plotted than written. Happily that isn't the case here. I wasn't expecting much, but the whole false memory premise does take very interesting and thoughtful directions. Happy to give it five stars, for the plot, the exploration of the central conceit and the open-ended... ending which is bound to disappoint all those who like things wrapped up neatly (I like to think of "Don't Stop Believin'" playing on the jukebox in the bar), but it really is a pale imitation of Ken Grimwood's 'Replay', which I heartily recommend to the two or three people who'll see this review (and to everyone else who won't).

Mary Roach hits the sweet spot of being informative and entertaining; I really love her sense of humour. It's written with a light touch that often brings through the personalities of the astronauts. As a librarian who gives classes on digital literacy, I especially enjoyed the shredding of the Enos the chimp anecdote - check the sources, people. Not sure I can use it in class though.

The eponym is a hard-boiled Canadian ex-serviceman plying his trade as a private dick in early 1950s Glasgow. He's also a gangland gopher for the three bosses who run crime in the city. When a second-tier gangster with aspirations is murdered, Lennox investigates. Femme fatales, thuggish cops, morally ambiguous heroes; the author rummages through the big bag of noir tropes to serve up a bland and convoluted tale with too high a body count. I didn't find the period setting authentic and do Canadians really play "ice" hockey? The constant dissing of Glasgow, the Scots and Scotland was very tedious and the distal good guys were not to my taste. Lennox has potential and the first in a series always suffers from the world-building that has to be done. Reading subsequent books in series might be a worthwhile journey, but not one I'll be undertaking.

Charming, if quite anodyne, tale of life in a Glasgow tenement in the immediate post-WWII period. Outside of those - like myself - who have a link to [Glasgow] tenement life, perhaps this is more interest for its historical aspects. Yeah there's a little "poverty, religious bigotry, racism, heartbreak, lies, violence, and death" but its mostly quite ...cosy. There's a rank bad yin, whom to call one-dimensional would be to grossly overstate his depth. Potentially interesting storylines are often resolved too quickly and without any great drama. Still, it rattles along and the author provides plenty of verisimilitude. I'll happily look out for the sequels. With a little tinkering would make a decent TV miniseries.

Every year, on my summer holiday, I read a lot of books; there are days where I do nothing but read. Reading so many books in such a short space of time, you get a real feel for author styles and ability to turn a phrase. Therefore I might have enjoyed this more if I'd read it more in isolation, but it suffered by being read immediately after the Connolly and Kadrey books. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, but it doesn't stand it out. It chugs along at a decent pace but is all a bit meh - doesn't transcend its tropes.

To me the Sandman Slim was slow to get going, but Kadrey effectively ramped up the existential/ontological threats. They reached their peak in the previous instalment and here we have a ...reduced Sandman Slim who's no more than a glorified private eye. However, his first case is to find who's responsible for murdering Death, so there's still a while to go before his cases involve missing heirs and blackmailed businessmen Kadrey still pulls it off, largely because of the supporting cast, but one gets the sense that the series is running out of steam. Miles better than Harry Dresden, but.

Harry Connolly, and the Twenty Palaces series merit wider recognition; the series being among the best of that particular flavour of urban fantasy. Good world-building, excellent pacing (more so the series than this entry), warts and all characters and a memorable, mind-fucking big bad here. What's not to like? Perhaps a little too long, but a cut above most of its rivals.

A very long time ago I was given the loan of five Terry Pratchett books by an acquaintance (now running a lab at the University of Manchester where they investigate protein synthesis). I made the mistake of reading three, one after the other and was unable to read another Pratchett for over 30 years. He was a great writer and a decent human being by all accounts, but I just find him far too whimsical (when I hear the likes of "Cohen the barbarian" I reach for my sick bag). Sourcery's fine: if you like this sort of book, this is the sort of book you'll like. Otherwise, meh and I'll be able to read the next one in a year's time maybe.