Now She is Witch by Kirsty Logan

I received a beautiful proof copy of Now She is Witch from @VintageBooks in a giveaway. At no point was I asked to write a review. Lux doesn’t have much in the world. She used to live with her mother in a run down house selling potions to local families who never really trusted them....

Tell Me An Ending by Jo Harkin

Tell Me An Ending is based on the idea of memory deletion and the various ways it could be used throughout society. I love speculative fiction, and the idea of parallels with Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind brought this to the top of my list very quickly. If you delete a memory, how does...

Burning Questions by Margaret Atwood

Burning Questions by Margaret Atwood is a collection of essays and occasional pieces from 2004 to 2021. Some of these I had already read, or read snippets of, with others being completely new to me. The book is long, and well worth the full price for the hardback version for the variety of pieces to...

Exhalation by Ted Chiang

Exhalation is a collection of science fiction short stories by Ted Chiang looking at what it really means to be human. One story considers our memory and how it could be enhanced to the extreme. Another looks at how non-human characters could be brought closer to the real world. One of the stories concerns time...

The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly

The Book of Lost Things begins in the style of a young adult book, bringing the reader into David’s world as he hears his books talking to him. He is an unhappy child after his mother died and he struggles to settle into a life without her. David tries to find a way to escape...

January, so far…

January 2022 has been a great time for me to catch up with some of the books I’ve been wanting to read for a while. The end of 2021 wasn’t a great time (for anyone really) but I’ve managed to get back to it and wanted to share the books I’ve been reading over the...

Constance by Matthew FitzSimmons

Constance is a look into the future of cloning, with a murder mystery attached. The author puts thought into what the world might look like in 10, 20 or 30 years time with major technological developments. None of these seemed to stretch the limits of what might be possible, but still felt far enough into...

Common Ground by Naomi Ishiguro

Stan is 13 and struggling at a new school when he meets Charlie. Complete opposites, they click and become good friends despite their differences. Stan is struggling with bullies whereas Charlie knows exactly how to stand up for himself and helps to show Stan how to gain confidence. Both know what it means to be...

The Remains Of The Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Remains of the day is told from the perspective of Mr Stevens, a butler at Darlington Hall for many years. On a rare few days away from work, and a trip south to meet an old friend, Mr Stevens recalls key moments from his career and brings insight into some complex and curious relationships....

Things My Son Needs To Know About The World by Fredrik Backman

Things My Son Needs To Know About The World is a great read for anyone who is a fan of Fredrik Backman. An easy lighthearted look at parenthood which is easy to dip in and out of, or devour in one sitting. The ending turns it around with a look into a very personal experience...