Browsing all articles by Jessica Juby.
Fierce Fantasy Night – Writing Panel Recap
Living in a mostly rural area, I get few opportunities to attend book signings. For the big names, you can guarantee you’ve got to travel to London, but when my local Waterstones made me aware of a Fierce Fantasy night they were hosting back in June, with a panel of female authors, I knew it […]
One Way by S. J. Morden
Frank Kittridge is a middle-aged convict, doing time for killing his son’s drug supplier. His wife has divorced him and moved away with their son; he hasn’t heard from either of them since he went inside. He’ll never see them again and will die in prison serving his 120-year sentence. He’s not a typical murderer; […]
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood – Book Review
Set in the near future, society has become something different; there’s a new hierarchy at play. The government has fallen and life has fractured as a result of pollution and radiation. The Republic of Gilead rises from the ashes. Men have taken the position of power as head of the household. They are in charge; […]
Symphony of the Wind by Steven McKinnon – SPFBO #4 Finals Review
*Disclaimer* Writing and reading is a subjective art. What some folks will absolutely love, others will dislike. It is a bit like Marmite in the UK—normal people dislike it intensely, but some weird folks actually enjoy the taste of warm road surface and fresh roadkill upon their tongue. To each their own, I suppose. Symphony […]
Mind Machines by Dima Zales and Anna Zaires
I’ll confess: I’ve still not made the switch from physical book to ebook. I’m lingering on the border still, but more on the side of print. I only really step into the Kindle realm if there’s an offer on. It was through a notification from the Kindle app on my phone that this title was […]
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
Sometimes trips to the local charity shop can be a bust. There are however rare occasions where you’ll find a gem. For me, that gem was Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book. Confession time: the only other works by Gaiman that I’ve read are The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Stardust, Hansel & Gretel […]
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
As a big fan of titles by Becky Chambers and Pierce Brown, this space adventure by Sanderson sounded like a no brainer. In the online announcement that Sanderson made, he noted that it would be sold under the young adult branch in the US but under science fiction in the UK; it definitely felt like […]
Neuromancer by William Gibson
As debut novels go, this one kicks arse. Written in 1984, Gibson’s cyberpunk tale was a culmination of various cult influences and pressure from a looming deadline. We’re introduced to body modifications, cybernetic implants, and ‘the matrix’ – an online information highway. Bear in mind that the World Wide Web wasn’t invented by Tim Berners-Lee […]
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Autumn is here and right around the corner is Halloween. I usually pass on scary books and films because I like my sleep. But, as it’s the time of year for it, I picked up one of the books that has resided on my TBR pile for a while: Let the Right One In by […]
Legend by David Gemmell
Legend introduces us to a tribe called the Drenai, who feature in 12 other books by Gemmell which form The Drenai Saga. Under attack from the Nadir, all is seemingly lost, but as a menagerie of characters merge together, they become an unstoppable force defending against the sieges of the Nadir. The initial irritation for […]
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
If you’ve not read any of the three titles by Becky Chambers, I suggest you have a little word with yourself and seek them out immediately. If you’ve not heard of Becky Chambers, then where have you been? Her first novel, The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet was the first book I managed […]
Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
If ever there was a case to be made for not judging a book by its cover, this is it. The cover sat before me shows the face of a planet in hues of blue. The only thing it’s safe for you to deduce is that the novel is set in space. To be honest, […]
