The NSA Files by Terry Persun
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for The NSA Files by Terry Persun. The NSA pulls Dan Johnston out of a comfortable, but boring, retirement to help them with a very unusual case where they believe politicians are being swayed through the internet and the use of totem animals. Dan has known for years that it’s a strange world, but he’s not exactly a technical geek, and has little knowledge of what it is the NSA wants him to do. As a shaman, he’s used to going to other worlds, but not a machine world. So, he does what he knows how to do, he enters through the people being affected. To make matters worse, his son, Jason, just returned from shaman training, which wasn’t going well at all for him - something about a giant snake... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st December 2014 [8/10]

Hidden Impact by Charles B. Neff
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Hidden Impact by Charles B. Neff. Jim Nordberg returns to Nicaragua where he was once a Peace Corps Volunteer, and discovers that a diary survived an old plane crash. The diary reveals secret activities during the Iran-Contra affair. People who were involved in those events will kill to keep the diary buried. Caught in the middle, Jim locates Luci Fuentes, whose own past is tied to the danger around them, and the two of them find strength - and much more - in each other... more»»
Molly Martin 31st December 2014 [8/10]

Le Freak by Nile Rodgers
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for Le Freak by Nile Rodgers. The astonishing and wildly entertaining memoir of Nile Rodgers: legendary producer and co-founder of the band Chic. You will hear a Nile Rodgers song today. It will make you happy. Legendary producer and co-founder of Chic, Nile wrote We are Family for Sister Sledge and I'm Coming Out for Diana Ross, and then produced Let's Dance for David Bowie and Like a Virgin for Madonna. But before he reinvented pop music Nile Rodgers invented himself. Le Freak is an astonishing, exuberant and inspiring story of a creative genius. It is also a stunning recreation of a time and place - by the man who wrote its soundtrack... more»»
Ben Macnair 31st December 2014 [8/10]

Flash by Tim Tigner
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed Flash by Tim Tigner. Two blood-spattered strangers awake locked in the trunk of a car - with a murdered cop and the smoking gun. Aside from raging headaches and no idea what has happened they appear to have nothing in common. Troy thinks it’s 2001 and he’s still a combat surgeon fighting terrorists in Afghanistan. Emmy believes it’s 2002 and she’s still grifting a living from the streets of L.A. Are they archenemies or co-conspirators? Lovers or friends? What the hell are they doing in the Caribbean? And why is a Croatian assassin determined to kill them? The only thing they do know for certain is that they’ll be spending the rest of their lives in prison if the police catch them before they uncover the truth... more»»
Chrissi 30th November 2014 [8/10]

Shadow on the Sun by R. Julian Cox
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Shadow on the Sun by R. Julian Cox. In this eco mystery suspense novel a nuclear scientist has inadvertently become responsible for one of the biggest breakthroughs in defence technology since the atomic bomb ended the Second World War. The scientist’s original aim was to provide limitless, clean energy but a Government has been quick to realize its other application. Forced to sublimate his original ideals in exchange for cash and for the sake of his stricken young son he reluctantly complies. But as the project nears completion new calculations show it can have unexpected effects far beyond those he ever intended. He tries to speak out but no one is listening... more»»
Paul Lappen 30th November 2014 [9/10]

Revival by Stephen King
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Matthewf has sent in a review for Revival by Stephen King. A spectacularly dark and electrifying novel about addiction, religion, music and what might exist on the other side of life. In a small New England town, in the early 60s, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister, Charles Jacobs. Soon they forge a deep bond, based on their fascination with simple experiments in electricity. Decades later, Jamie is living a nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll. Now an addict, he sees Jacobs again - a showman on stage, creating dazzling 'portraits in lightning' - and their meeting has profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings... more»»
Matthewf 30th November 2014 [8/10]

Vic: Time Doesn't Matter by Jerry Gil
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Vic: Time Doesn't Matter by Jerry Gill. In this first in the Vic series, meet Vic, a new female action hero from the 1920’s. From jungle adventure in Africa to more jungle adventure in the Yucatan, join this new heroine for non-stop excitement! A merciless, agonizing memory can sometimes break a person and render them incapable of facing even the commonplace without being unnerved. Sometimes it endows a person with near super human ability to take action in even the most savage of circumstances. Vic’s memory from a thousand generations past has emboldened her with the daring and determination to embark on an epic quest that may last a lifetime and on any day could take her life... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st October 2014 [9/10]

Counterpart by Rorie Smith
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed Counterpart by Rorie Smith. A decorated World War Two hero and a beautiful Thai lady who has suffered for twenty five years with Parkinson's disease are both dead. They are my father and my wife. This is a memoir of their lives. It is a love story, a story of adventure, a comedy and an homage. There is gambling, a gun, a bizarre manuscript. It is an attempt, by means of fiction, to be true to the spirit of who they were. It is also an attempt to preserve their memory for generations future. Because if we forget those who have gone before us we forget our history. And if we do not know our history how can we know ourselves? Counterpart is also an acknowledgement that there are as many different ways to see a life, or to write a memoir, as there are stars in the sky... more»»
Nigel 30th September 2014 [8/10]

Vic: Never Give Up by Jerry Gill
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Vic: Never Give Up by Jerry Gill. 1920's adventuress Vic Challenger and her friend Lin Li are off again. There shouldn't be any danger this time. Their plan - No bad guys, no monsters. It's basically a camping trip. Oh well. Adventure stretches from Arizona to the Highlands of Scotland. They run into bad guys, centuries old evil, prehistoric creatures, bad luck and life. They find more than once that life can sometimes be harsh on top of harsh. Death comes calling more than once but they Never Give Up... more»»
Paul Lappen 30th September 2014 [9/10]

Fractured Legacy by Charles B. Neff
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Fractured Legacy by Charles B. Neff. In Pacific Northwest mountains, the clash of an old family legacy, tribal land rights, and a marriage in trouble result in a suspicious death, threatening the lives of those who try to discover its causes. Sara Winter has reached a crisis point in her Cascade Adventures business and also with her husband Jeff. Bebe Sorensen is distressed to find her protected life as a local historical archivist invaded. Police detective Bill McHugh tries to sort out a suspicious death, and rapidly finds that big business and political interests across the mountains in Seattle are closely following his progress... more»»
Molly Martin 30th September 2014 [9/10]

Among the People by Keith Rommel
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed Among the People by Keith Rommel. After breaking one of Belial's laws, Sardurvial, a fallen angel, discovers the terrible truth behind one of hell's many secrets. He flees the false paradise and murderous companions, finding himself at the mercy of the people he once sought to destroy. Kathy, injured and grieving, is approached separately by two mysterious people and is presented with a warning and a choice: save the injured man or let him die. Her decision to aid or ignore a stranger determines the course of her own fate. Rommel weaves the supernatural struggles seamlessly with the human, internal struggles of loss and remorse, beautifully crafting the thrilling story of a demon, fallen from hell, who seeks shelter and redemption... more»»
Nigel 31st August 2014 [8/10]

Behind the Screens at the City General by Peter Sykes
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed Behind the Screens at the City General by Peter Sykes. What really goes on 'behind the screens' of a busy hospital ward? The heroes of the novel are Paul Lambert and his girlfriend Kate Meredith. Paul, a quiet and introspective young doctor, tells the real-life tales of some of his patients, at a time forty years ago when care and compassion ruled supreme. Kate is a nurse who learns more about patient care when she is admitted as a patient to her own ward than she does from all her nursing tutors and text books! Some stories are humorous, some sad, others poignant, but all are very 'human'. There is the tale of the wife who becomes pregnant two years after her husband’s vasectomy, the milkman’s tattoo that was mischievously altered whilst he was anaesthetised and the case of the elderly spinster who brought her pregnant cat to the emergency department... more»»
Chrissi 31st August 2014 [8/10]

The Sinful Man by Keith Rommel
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed The Sinful Man by Keith Rommel. Leo needs something... his stomach growls, but it can wait. That’s not hunger he must feed. He has to get to his next high, but without money he knows he can’t buy what he needs to sate the voice inside telling him to get more, get more. No luck asking his father. His mother is in no position to help. After failing to steal the money he desperately needs, Leo must appeal to his dealer, the dangerous and infamous Saint Nick - despite the inevitable beating he’ll take for showing up empty-handed. Still, anything to keep the voices and flashbacks at bay. Leo soon learns that everything has a price - not just money for drugs, but that every choice he makes has a repercussion. Suddenly caught between a world where he can see the sins of his past and a new consciousness that he doesn’t fully understand, Leo finds himself not only chasing the dragon, but being chased by demons of a whole different kind... more»»
Nigel 31st July 2014 [8/10]

The Puzzle Box by The Apocalyptic Four
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for The Puzzle Box by The Apocalyptic Four. An intriguing anthology where reality is transient and the puzzle box holds the key to the meaning of life. Archaeology Professor Albert Mallory understands reality. He knows the way the world works. When he steals an ancient puzzle box to pay off gambling debts, he thinks the only mysterious thing about the artefact is how to get it open. But when a stranger appears at Albert’s door demanding to see the box, Albert is plunged into mysteries he never dreamt possible. Through the tales of four others who succeeded in opening the puzzle box Albert learns that reality is transient and the way the world works is not found in text books.. more»»
Paul Lappen 31st July 2014 [9/10]

Cry of the Fish Eagle by Peter Rimmer
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Cry of the Fish Eagle by Peter Rimmer. This is the story of Rupert Pengelly who first heard the Cry of the Fish Eagle when he was stationed in Rhodesia for six months during the Second World War. As he was to find and as the saying goes, once you have heard the Cry of the Fish Eagle, you will always come back to Africa! It is during that first six months, Rupert searches for Sasa, the orphaned daughter of his friend, Rigby Savage. Rupert was honouring a promise made to Rigby to care for Sasa if anything did happen to him. To complicate the search, Sasa's eccentric grandfather, Kobus Loubser, had taken the young orphan into the bush prospecting for emeralds. The search is unsuccessful and Rupert returns to the war, with intentions afterwards of farming the family estate in Cornwall. However a distant cousin, George Geake, conspires to cheat him out of his inheritance and Rupert loses his beloved home... more»»
Molly Martin 31st July 2014 [9/10]

My Teacher Says You’re a Witch by Jane Schaffer
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed the non-fiction My Teacher Says You’re a Witch by Jane Schaffer. A project set up by Ofsted in 1996 trained many new recruits to be inspectors. It was at a time when Chris Woodhead had convinced the government and populace alike that teachers and schools needed to buck up their ideas. Now Ofsted could carry out its dreaded inspections across the length and breadth of the land, but Jane Schaffer’s book asks the question… Did Ofsted Inspections make a difference? For nine-year-old Steven, whose chaotic home life and severe dyslexia make home unpopular. With his teacher, it does. In the four days of the school’s inspection, Steven’s teacher picks up a handful of the much-feared unsatisfactory grades and so passes the point of professional acceptability. She leaves the school, and Steven and his classmates get a new teacher who is good at her job. Outcomes, however, are not always as happy... more»»
Chrissi 30th June 2014 [8/10]

Red Sky Radio by Matt Howarth
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Red Sky Radio by Matt Howarth. Using a converted space hotel as their base, Peri Fairchild and the other freelancers dive into the clouds of Baltuss to mine gases. Their activities are challenged by the extreme capitalists of Harvest Corporation who view them as pirates. With the illegal radio station Red Sky Radio providing free entertainment, follow Peri, her boyfriend Taz and the other miners as the final showdown with Harvest Corporation leads to irrevocable changes, both for the miners and Harvest.. more»»
Paul Lappen 30th June 2014 [8/10]

Tarizon: Desert Swarm by William Manchee
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Tarizon: Desert Swarm by William Manchee. Due to a freak auto accident, Jack Carpenter discovers a strange geological formation in the Mojave Desert near Bat Mountain, California. He thinks little about it until he returns out of curiosity and discovers the formation is growing, and doing so at a staggering rate. Fascinated by this he calls in his friend George Parker, a local geology professor, and together they begin to study the Bat Mountain Formation in earnest. George has never seen or heard of a geological formation that is growing nearly six inches a day, so he contacts a friend at the U.S. Park Service to get him to take a look. Eventually the word of the bizarre discovery gets out and people flock to see this miracle in the desert... more»»
Molly Martin 30th June 2014 [9/10]

The Wolf Warriors by M J Fleming
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Dave Lett has sent in a review for The Wolf Warriors by M J Fleming. The Dark Ages. The Roman Empire has fallen. The former province of Britannia has lapsed into anarchy. Bandits roam the ruined towns. Feral dog packs prowl the forests. Vikings pillage the coasts. Anglo-Saxon war parties invade from Germania intent on reducing the native Britons to slaves, or severed heads to decorate their encampments. Kady is a Briton, the teenage daughter of Kai, a Druid. Kai is mutilated by a werewolf – a Saxon who had ingested a shape-shifting potion. At the moment of his death Kady inherits her father's mystical powers. As the Germanic hordes conquer all before them, she must utilise her new-found skills, quickly learning how to cast spells, read minds, and receive visions. And fight... more»»
Dave Lett 30th June 2014 [9/10]

Coercion by Tim Tigner
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed Coercion by Tim Tigner. On the eve of Perestroika while investigating his brother’s death, Alex Ferris stumbles onto a KGB General’s scheme to regain Russia’s superpower status. After surviving attempts on his life and assembling bizarre clues, Alex flies from San Francisco to Siberia to find answers and avenge his brother. In the midst of that frozen landscape and those tumultuous times, he survives infiltration, interrogation, and romance only to learn that he too is being manipulated as part of a much grander scheme. Written by a former Green Beret and Soviet Counterintelligence Specialist, Coercion is a Robert Ludlum global conspiracy crossed with a Ken Follett historical drama... more»»
Chrissi 31st May 2014 [8/10]

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed Divergent by Veronica Roth. In the world of Divergent, society is divided into five factions - Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity and Erudite. Every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice Prior, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is. Her choice shocks everyone, including herself. During the initiation that follows, Tris and her fellow initiates undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them, Tris must determine who her friends really are – and whether she can trust the man who both threatens and protects her. Because Tris has a deadly secret. And as growing conflict threatens to unravel their seemingly perfect society, this secret might save those she loves… or it might destroy her... more»»
Chrissi 30th April 2014 [8/10]

Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed Insurgent by Veronica Roth. Fighting for survival in a shattered world… the truth is her only hope. One choice can transform you – or it can destroy you. Tris Prior's initiation day should have been marked by victorious celebrations with her chosen faction; instead it ended with unspeakable horrors. Now unrest surges in the factions around her as conflict between their ideologies grows. War seems inevitable; and in times of war sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge and choices will become ever more irrevocable. Tris has already paid a terrible price for survival and is wracked by haunting grief and guilt. But radical new discoveries and shifting relationships mean that she must fully embrace her Divergence - even though she cannot know what might be lost in doing so... more»»
Chrissi 30th April 2014 [7/10]

Allegiant by Veronica Roth
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed Allegiant by Veronica Roth.The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered - fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she's known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories. But Tris's new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature - and of herself - while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice and love... more»»
Chrissi 30th April 2014 [8/10]

Internal Security by David Darracott
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Internal Security by David Darracott. How far would you go to save the nation? Tom Darden is a small-time reporter who needs a hot scoop to save his career, and when opportunity finally knocks, he stops at nothing to get the story of a lifetime. When a hotel bombing in Daytona Beach kills hundreds, a frightening threat to the nation emerges from the rubble. A diabolical plot is afoot that threatens the American way of life, and only he can stop it, even though reporting the truth could cost him his life. The deeper he digs, the more terrifying the threat becomes, but still he tries to untangle a web of secrets, never knowing an even bigger danger awaits him and the country. A mysterious organization is tracking his every move, determined to crush everything he discovers, and they will stop at nothing to shut him up... more»»
Paul Lappen 30th April 2014 [9/10]

Kitchens and Gadgets 1920 to 1950 by Jane H. Celehar
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Kitchens and Gadgets 1920 to 1950 by Jane H. Celehar, a comprehensive guide to the identification, history and values of colored handled gadgets and the kitchens in which they were used. Surveys changes in kitchen design from the 1920s through the 1950s, lists housewares manufacturers of the era, and notes the value of kitchen utensils, from can openers to measuring tools and strainers. As the character of the kitchen and use of the room and its trappings began to transform came a need for contraptions used for preparing foods and garnishes. The kitchen developed into a pivotal arena of the home providing a locale for rallying and dining and conversation. Where a knife for cutting and a large spoon for beating once epitomized much of the tool ware found in kitchens suddenly there were Baking Tools and Knife Sharpeners, Bottle Openers and Mixing Tools. And, there was colour... more»»
Molly Martin 30th April 2014 [8/10]

Betting on the Muse by Charles Bukowski
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for Betting on the Muse by Charles Bukowski, a combination of hilarious poetry and stories. Charles Bukowski writes about the real life of a working man and all that comes with it. In these new poems and stories Bukowski, the erstwhile street brawler, battles on until his last breath, punching away at hypocrisy and fakery to lay bare essential truths. Charles Bukowski is one of America's best-known contemporary writers of poetry and prose, and, many would claim, its most influential and imitated poet. He was born in Andernach, Germany, and raised in Los Angeles, where he lived for fifty years. He published his first story in 1944, when he was twenty-four, and began writing poetry at the age of thirty-five. He died in San Pedro, California, on March 9, 1994, at the age of seventy-three, shortly after completing his last novel, Pulp... more»»
Ben Macnair 30th April 2014 [8/10]

September Wind by Kathleen Anderson
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for September Wind by Kathleen Anderson. Orphaned at birth in 1940, Emily lives the next eighteen years on her grandfather’s farm with four thankless men and an indifferent aunt nearby. When the school board forces Grandfather’s hand and allows her to attend school, she experiences a beautiful friendship, and the thrill and pain of an innocent young love. Still, there is an underlying loneliness, and a secret she bears alone. In 1958, the day finally arrives when she prepares to leave the farm forever. Then a tragic mistake thrusts her into a harrowing run for her life. She escapes the horror and hops a train to San Francisco. With a stout heart and a fire in her belly, she fights for her sanity and welcomes the stirrings of a grown-up love. She arrives in San Francisco wide-eyed and filled with hope. Alone in a strange town, she is vulnerable to a world of crime and those who take advantage of her. Yet, with no one to count on but the rebel inside her, she never gives up even when each turn and every door opened greets her with another unwelcome surprise... more»»
Molly Martin 31st March 2014 [9/10]

Unrecognizer by Rheo Palaeo
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Unrecognizer by Rheo Palaeo. Unrecognizer is a drug with a user base of cult-like proportions. It allows the user to cease knowing what things are called and what they are for. The criminal characters tend to use it to feel innocent and new, forgetting who they are and their deviant ways. Their bizarrity shines and glimmers and glows; their developing Unrecognizer selves arrive to the streets in their wigged out far-flunked clothes. Fhi, a psychic card player, is in for a challenge when he faces these almost demonic souls of the space crime syndicate in an all out show-down twist. Going up against corrupt corporate and government entities, his girlfriend Zel, and her German shepherd named Program, will do what it takes to help secure the future for the whole human race... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st March 2014 [9/10]

Babayaga by Toby Barlow
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed Babayaga by Toby Barlow. From the author of Sharp Teeth, comes a novel of post-war Paris, of star-crossed love and Cold War espionage, of bloodthirsty witches and a police inspector turned into a flea... and that's just the beginning. But while Toby Barlow's Babayaga may start as just a joyful love-letter to the City of Light, it quickly grows into a daring, moving exploration of love, mortality, and responsibility. Will is a young American ad executive in Paris. Except his agency is a front for the CIA. It’s 1959 and the cold war is going strong. But Will doesn’t think he’s a warrior - he’s just a good-hearted Detroit ad guy who can’t seem to figure out Parisian girls. Zoya is a beautiful young woman wandering les boulevards, sad-eyed, coming off a bad break-up. In fact, she impaled her ex on a spike. Zoya, it turns out, has been a beautiful young woman for hundreds of years; she and her far more traditionally witchy-looking companion, Elga, have been thriving unnoticed in the bloody froth of Europe’s wars... more»»
Nigel 2nd March 2014 [9/10]

Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett
Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett. To the consternation of the patrician, Lord Vetinari, a new invention has arrived in Ankh-Morpork - a great clanging monster of a machine that harnesses the power of all of the elements: earth, air, fire and water. This being Ankh-Morpork, it's soon drawing astonished crowds, some of whom caught the zeitgeist early and arrive armed with notepads and very sensible rainwear. Moist von Lipwig is not a man who enjoys hard work - as master of the Post Office, the Mint and the Royal Bank his input is, of course, vital... but largely dependent on words, which are fortunately not very heavy and don't always need greasing. However, he does enjoy being alive, which makes a new job offer from Vetinari hard to refuse... Steam is rising over Discworld, driven by Mister Simnel, the man wi' t'flat cap and sliding rule who has an interesting arrangement with the sine and cosine. Moist will have to grapple with gallons of grease, goblins, a fat controller with a history of throwing employees down the stairs and some very angry dwarfs if he's going to stop it all going off the rails... more»»
Nigel 28th February 2014 [7/10]

Vic: Mongol by Jerry Gill
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Vic: Mongol by Jerry Gill. It’s the Fall of 1920 and Vic Challenger and her friend Lin Li have gone to Mongolia. They thought they were prepared for anything but doom begins to hound them, in the form of Hung-hu-tzes, White Russians, and hellish creatures that stalk them from underground. This is Lin's first trip with Vic but will it also be her last? They both have to wonder how this trip will end! Victoria Custer remembered how she and the one to whom she vowed her eternal love were buried by mountains and swallowed by the sea. That painful, frightening memory from a thousand generations past has forged her into something more than she was and has emboldened her with unrelenting purpose. Now, as Vic Challenger, she will confront even the grimmest peril and will venture into situations so horrible they make the bravest of men cower and weep for their mother... more»»
Paul Lappen 28th February 2014 [9/10]

Eden M51 by G.R. Paskoff
Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Eden M51 by G.R. Paskoff. Eden exists, tucked away in a remote corner of the universe. In the year 2083, overpopulation, resource depletion, and climate change have pushed global civilization to the brink of collapse. Colonies on the moon and beneath the oceans, despite years of development, are struggling to survive. As international tensions escalate, and humanity faces an impending crisis for subsistence, a new race has quietly begun, one to find a habitable planet for human expansion outside the solar system. Thus far, however, every expedition sent has resulted in monumental disappointment, and occasionally, tragedy. But all is not lost. A U.S. interstellar probe, launched decades earlier, unexpectedly transmits a burst of tantalizing figures on a remote alien world in the M51 galaxy, yielding the first promising data scientists have seen in years. In response, an international team of experts is hastily assembled to investigate the prospective planet over thirty million light years away. Each with their own set of hopes and agendas, what they discover upon arrival is more than any of them imagined... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st January 2014 [8/10]

Emerald City by Jennifer Egan
Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for Emerald City by Jennifer Egan. These eleven masterful stories - the first collection from acclaimed author Jennifer Egan - deal with loneliness and longing, regret and desire. Egan's characters, models and housewives, bankers and schoolgirls, are united by their search for something outside their own realm of experience. They set out from locations as exotic as China and Bora Bora, as cosmopolitan as downtown Manhattan, or as familiar as suburban Illinois to seek their own transformations. Elegant and poignant, the stories in Emerald City are seamless evocations of self-discovery... more»»
Ben Macnair 31st January 2014 [7/10]

S. by J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst
Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed S. by J. J. Abrams and Doug Dorst. One book. Two readers. A world of mystery, menace and desire. A young woman picks up a book left behind by a stranger. Inside it are his margin notes, which reveal a reader entranced by the story and by its mysterious author. She responds with notes of her own, leaving the book for the stranger, and so begins an unlikely conversation that plunges them both into the unknown.
The Book: Ship of Theseus, the final novel by a prolific but enigmatic writer named V. M. Straka, in which a man with no past is shanghaied onto a strange ship with a monstrous crew and launched on a disorienting and perilous journey.
The Writer: Straka, the incendiary and secretive subject of one of the world's greatest mysteries, a revolutionary about whom the world knows nothing apart from the words he wrote and the rumours that swirl around him.
The Readers: Jennifer and Eric, a college senior and a disgraced grad student, both facing crucial decisions about who they are, who they might become, and how much they're willing to trust another person with their passions, hurts and fears.
S., conceived by filmmaker J.J. Abrams and written by award-winning novelist Doug Dorst, is the chronicle of two readers finding each other in the margins of a book and enmeshing themselves in a deadly struggle between forces they don't understand. It is also Abrams and Dorst's love letter to the written word... more»»
Nigel 5th January 2014 [9/10]