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About this page

Reading is something I’m very passionate about, and this page is a testament to that. here you will find the most recent books that I’ve read. In the majority of cases there will be a review, and if not, at least a rating of the title in question.

I also write updates (usually quarterly) on the blog pages of this site, featuring some of the best reads of the period. If you are interested in those, you can check out the Books category of the Blog, which also has its own RSS feed for your literary consumption.

Navigation through my books is easy for screen-reader users - each separate book is a level 3 heading. Beneath each heading there may be 2 block-quoted texts; the first of which is a description of the book and the second my own thoughts. if there’s no book description or I’ve written no review, then the block quotes won’t appear.

Finally, before the dynamic portion of this page kicks into swing, I should point out a few things.

• Firstly, the entire power of this page stems from the people at GoodReads, which is an utterly fantastic website of which I am proud to be a member. If for some insane reason this page is’nt enough for yu, my Goodreads Profile has RSS feeds of my updates.
• Secondly, I read the majority of my books in text format with a screen reader. Sometimes I will use an audio book, but more often than not, I use text (on a variety of devices).

so with that out of the way, let us proceed to… the books.

Recently read

Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex (Artemis Fowl, #7)
By Eoin Colfer

Artemis has committed his entire fortune to a project he believes will save the planet and its inhabitants, both human and fairy. Can it be true? Has goodness taken hold of the world?s greatest teenage criminal mastermind?



Captain Holly Short is unconvinced, and discovers that Artemis is suffering from Atlantis Complex, a psychosis common among guilt-ridden fairies — not humans — and most likely triggered by Artemis?s dabbling with fairy magic. Symptoms include obsessive-compulsive behavior, paranoia, multiple personality disorder and, in extreme cases, embarrassing professions of love to a certain feisty LEPrecon fairy.



Unfortunately, Atlantis Complex has struck at the worst possible time. A deadly foe from Holly?s past is intent on destroying the actual city of Atlantis. Can Artemis escape the confines of his mind — and the grips of a giant squid — in time to save the underwater metropolis and its fairy inhabitants?



New York Times best-selling author Eoin Colfer delivers a knockout, fast-paced, and hilarious adventure in Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex, the seventh book in the blockbuster series

I gave this a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. The average rating is 4.51. here’s what I thought of it:

ah, a new Artemis Fowl is always an excuse to just revert to one’s childhood. I went teen-age instead, and was up until gone 5:00 AM this morning listening to nathaniel Parker’s narration.



bit of a mixed bag here, really. The plot, old enemy comes out of the woodwork and reeks havoc, is nothing new; but it’s refreshing that it wasn’t Opal this time. Artemis’ psychological problems are far more powerful than one would have thought, which sort of leaves the issue of global warming hanging in the balance.



There are good things, too, of course. Foaly is much more involved, I don’t remember him being above ground since the first book and his out-and-about attitude adds spice to the story. The banter and language is as always deliciously Colfer, and the issues faced are truly relevant to today’s society.



whilst listening, I did have a sense; not so much of deja vu per se, more of incredulity. I think my problem was that in the earlier books, the characters were forced to find and rely on each other - i.e. artemis kidnaps short, The LEP attempt a rescue, Mulch gets called in. The pattern is repeated for other books, but there’s very much a sense of the characters ‘neding’ to be where they end up. here, it felt as though the players were simply put together for forms sake, somehow, and whilst the language and description gelled very well, I couldn’t help but wonder if all of these people in a situation similar to so many others was perhaps a little too much.



the good things, the personalities and the humour, the characterisation and the technology, the whole world Colfer’s made - these were very good, but I can’t but help feel this was let down by a few niggles. I’ve already mentioned the feeling of disconnection as to how characters just appear when they’re needed. holly’s rank seemed to bounce from Captain to Commander with alarming rapidity, and the chapters didn’t seem as well thought-out or cohesive as in previous works. Parker’s reading suffered also, for although his timing and tone were perfect, some of his voices and pronunciation were a little off, and I am a stickler for consistency.



I remember reading somewhere that the Time paradox was going to be "the last Artemis book at least for a while". it’s been 18 months or so, but no other Artemis book has made me feel, as this latest instalment did, that perhaps it is time colfer started to wind down the series. This time, the placing and pace seemed a little off. Hopefully the jokes and characters we’ve all come to love won’t ware as thin.

Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident (Artemis Fowl, #2)
By Eoin Colfer

Eoin Colfer’s bestselling antihero is back in Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident–the superb sequel to the hyper-hyped Artemis Fowl, shortlisted for the Whitbread Children’s Book of the Year. The Arctic Incident sees the slightly older, perhaps slightly more mellow arch-criminal Artemis recovered from his last adventure, richer now that he has his half of a hoard of fairy gold, and happier since the Clarice Starlingesque superfairy Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon returned his mother’s ailing mind to full health.



But there is still much unfinished business: Artemis Fowl Sr. disappeared when a daring escapade designed to free his family from their criminal–not to mention deeply lucrative–past and move the family’s assets into legitimate enterprises went horribly wrong. Held captive by the Mafiya (the Russian organized crime syndicate) for over two years, he has been declared officially dead, but Artemis Jr. knows in his heart (yes, he does have one) that his beloved father is still alive, and he is determined to find him. Meanwhile Captain Short is temporarily on assignment to Customs and Excise as punishment for letting Fowl separate her and her People from their gold and is finding her stakeout duties a little dull. It soon becomes obvious that the pair have need of each other’s considerable skills, and before long they are on track for an adventure that will ultimately have far-reaching consequences for both of them.



If you enjoyed the first book, you won’t be disappointed by the second. Initially the pace is a little slower, and the slightly more mellow Artemis is certainly a tad unnerving at first (particularly as one of the things that made him such an unusual character was the fact that there was something distinctly unlikable about him), but once the sparks between Holly and Artemis begin to fly, and the adventure that tests their endurance to their emotional, physical, and intellectual limits begins, the pages just keep on turning.



The high-tech hocus pocus, the complex underworld, and the James Bond-style storyline will keep even the most reluctant reader enthralled. Add to the mix a fair dollop of humor, the occasional sprinkling of right-on commentary about the state of the planet, and enough hooks in the story to ensure you will be clamoring for the next book. This chilling, thrilling adventure is a seriously cool (in more ways than one!) must-read for anyone age 9 and older. –Susan Harrison

I gave this a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. The average rating is 3.89. here’s what I thought of it:

"We’re being led by an idiot with a crayon!"

This second instalment of this most successful of series sees our acerbic hero doing something good for a change, rather than attempting to kidnap a fairy and ransom her for gold. Artemis Senior (father to our lead) was missing, presumed dead but has since turned up, himself for ransom. But all is not happy below ground and Artemis has fairy concerns as well as his own to deal with.



The humour carries on, the story is as gripping as ever. A very good continuation indeed.

Artemis Fowl (Artemis Fowl, #1)
By Eoin Colfer

Eoin Colfer describes his new book, Artemis Fowl, as "Die Hard with fairies." He’s not far wrong.

Twelve-year-old Artemis Fowl is the most ingenious criminal mastermind in history. With two trusty sidekicks in tow, he hatches a cunning plot to divest the fairyfolk of their pot of gold. Of course, he isn’t foolish enough to believe in all that "gold at the end of the rainbow" nonsense. Rather, he knows that the only way to separate the little people from their stash is to kidnap one of them and wait for the ransom to arrive. But when the time comes to put his plan into action, he doesn’t count on the appearance of the extrasmall, pointy-eared Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon (Lower Elements Police Reconnaisance) Unit–and her senior officer, Commander Root, a man (sorry, elf) who will stop at nothing to get her back.

Fantastic stuff from beginning to end, Artemis Fowl is a rip-roaring, 21st-century romp of the highest order. The author has let his imagination run riot by combining folklore, fantasy, and a fistful of high-tech funk in an outrageously devilish book that could well do for fairies what Harry Potter has done for wizardry. But be warned: this is no gentle frolic, so don’t be fooled by the fairy subject matter. Instead, what we have here is well-written, sophisticated, rough ‘n’ tumble storytelling with enough high-octane attitude to make it a seriously cool read for anyone over the age of 10. –Susan Harrison

I gave this a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. The average rating is 3.74. here’s what I thought of it:

"Stay back, human, You don’t know what you’re dealing with."



This is of course the first Colfer work I ever read - in fact, I first stumbled upon it completely accidentally at the public library on audio cassette. colfer’s absolutely stunning blend of the fairy tale and futuristic technology has gripped me time and time again, and this is easily the tenth reading of this short but massively incredible work.



"Let us proceed under the assumption that the fairy folk do exist and that I am not a gibbering moron."

#We have Artemis the evil Genius, Butler his servant, and a host of fairy folk whom Artemis is attempting to extort money from. The pros, and, yes, the sublime reading by nathaniel Parker of the audio, gripped me from the very first pages.



Looking back at those days I can still feel the glee of Artemis’ triumph at his initial success. I laugh out loud at the quips and the banter. and I always, always look forward to reading the sequels. at time of writing this review the seventh installment of the series is coming out in a few days. truly, I can’t wait.

The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, #3)
By Brandon Sanderson

Who is the Hero of Ages?



To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin killed the Lord Ruler. But as a result, the Deepness—the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists—is back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls and ever more powerful earthquakes. Humanity appears to be doomed.



Having escaped death at the climax of The Well of Ascension only by becoming a Mistborn himself, Emperor Elend Venture hopes to find clues left behind by the Lord Ruler that will allow him to save the world. Vin is consumed with guilt at having been tricked into releasing the mystic force known as Ruin from the Well. Ruin wants to end the world, and its near omniscience and ability to warp reality make stopping it seem impossible. She can’t even discuss it with Elend lest Ruin learn their plans!



The conclusion of the Mistborn trilogy fulfills all the promise of the first two books. Revelations abound, connections rooted in early chapters of the series click into place, and surprises, as satisfying as they are stunning, blossom like fireworks to dazzle and delight. It all leads up to a finale unmatched for originality and audacity that will leave readers rubbing their eyes in wonder, as if awaking from an amazing dream.

I gave this a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. The average rating is 4.37. here’s what I thought of it:

A brilliant series all the way through, I cannot fault the pros or the personae, and the plot is so overarching and grand! Some of what fantasy really should be, and no mistake.



Of course with everything there is a but - and in this third volume it was the ending. Though there were twists and turns and revelations aplenty that kept me thinking, the ending was a little too pat for my liking. There was a great sense of inevitability to it all, and it was perhaps a little transparent. It must be an incredibly difficult task to plan things out in such exhaustive detail then lay the clues and delicate tendrils of plot for the readers, and it worked for me so, so brilliantly in the first two. perhaps I’m just becoming used to Sanderson’s style. Even with all that said, there’s no denying that this is a memorable work and a truly enjoyable read for any fantasy fan.

The Well of Ascension (Mistborn, #2)
By Brandon Sanderson

The impossible has been accomplished. The Lord Ruler—the man who claimed to be god incarnate and brutally ruled the world for a thousand years—has been vanquished. But Kelsier, the hero who masterminded that triumph, is dead too, and now the awesome task of building a new world has been left to his young protégé, Vin, the former street urchin, who is now the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and to the idealistic young nobleman who loves her.



The Lord Ruler’s empire has broken into its components parts. In the former imperial capital of Luthadel, Elend is the new king of the Central Dominance, ruling with the help of an elected assembly he insisted on, a body with the power to depose him. The new kings of the other Dominances—most notably, Elend’s ruthless father, Straff Venture—aren’t waiting on that chance, and assassination attempts are frequent.



Vin is wearing herself out trying to protect Elend. Stopping assassins does keep her Mistborn skills sharp, but it is not her only problem. As Kelsier’s heir and slayer of the Lord Ruler, Vin is venerated by a rapidly growing new religion, a distinction that makes her intensely uncomfortable. Even more disturbing, the mists have begun behaving ominously since the Lord Ruler died and harbor a strange vaporous entity that seems to be haunting her.



Three armies—one composed of ferocious giants—are approaching to vie for Luthadel’s conquest. The city’s half-trained forces are insufficient to man lengthy walls never intended to foil a real attack. As the siege of Luthadel tightens, an ancient legend seems to offer a glimmer of hope. But even if it really exists, no one knows where to find the Well of Ascension or exactly what manner of power it bestows.



All of these troubles whisper a single, chilling fact. Killing the Lord Ruler was the easy part. Surviving the aftermath of his fall is going to be the real challenge.

I gave this a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. The average rating is 4.26. here’s what I thought of it:

An absolutely brilliant continuation of the series, the shocking twists and turns just kept on coming. The 47th chapter was my favourite one, but overall the sheer scope and depth to the characters and world is truly incredible.

Mistborn: The Final Empire (Mistborn, #1)
By Brandon Sanderson

For a thousand years the ash fell and no flowers bloomed. For a thousand years the Skaa slaved in misery and lived in fear. For a thousand years the Lord Ruler, the Sliver of Infinity, reigned with absolute power and ultimate terror, divinely invincible. Then, when hope was so long lost that not even its memory remained, a terribly scarred, heart-broken half-Skaa rediscovered it in the depths of the Lord Rulers most hellish prison. Kelsier snapped and found in himself the powers of a Mistborn. A brilliant thief and natural leader, he turned his talents to the ultimate caper, with the Lord Ruler himself as the mark. Kel’s plan looks like the ultimate long shot, until luck brings a ragged girl named Vin into his life. Like him, she’s a half-Skaa orphan, but she’s lived a much harsher life. Vin has learned to expect betrayal from everyone she meets, and gotten it. She will have to learn to trust, if Kel is to help her master powers of which she never dreamed.

I gave this a rating of 5 out of 5 stars. The average rating is 4.39. here’s what I thought of it:

not since Robin Hobb has a fantasy author gripped me with such a tome. I have truly adored the Dave Duncan I’ve been reading of late, but his longest work would barely mar the dust jacket of one of these.



The world is stunning - not rich or vibrant but downtrodden and poor. the characters are so much more vivid as a result - combined with the excellent narrative and superb mastery of pace, the story unfolds and keeps you coming back for more. it’s a self-contained story in and of itself, but leaves so much of the history and even more of the future open for speculation and further works, of which I tend to partake posthaste.

Warbreaker
By Brandon Sanderson

Warbreaker is the story of two sisters, who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn?t like his job, and the immortal who?s still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago. Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren?s capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can only be collected one unit at a time from individual people. By using breath and drawing upon the color in everyday objects, all manner of miracles and mischief can be accomplished. It will take considerable quantities of each to resolve all the challenges facing Vivenna and Siri, princesses of Idris; Susebron the God King; Lightsong, reluctant god of bravery, and mysterious Vasher, the Warbreaker.

I gave this a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. The average rating is 4.19. here’s what I thought of it:

this is the authors latest published work, and I haven’t read any of his previous. I can only hope each of his worlds is as unique, interesting and enjoyable as this one.



The politics was fascinating, the magic system well thought out and a true breath of fresh air when compared to the wand-waving or heretical chanting of some other books. Game on!

Notes to my Mother-in-Law
By Phyllida Law

It took a while before the family realised that Annie was increasingly (as she would put it) ‘Mutt and Jeff’. So Phyllida began to write out the day’s gossip at the kitchen table, putting her notes by Annie’s bed before going to hers. One night as heer husband wandered off to bed he muttering darkly that she spent so much time each evening writing to Annie she could have written a book. ‘And illustrated it!’ Here it is.It is a book full of the delights of a warm and loving household. Of Boot the Cat being sick after over-indulging in spiders; the hunt for cleaning products from the dawn of time; persistently and mysteriously malfunctioning hearing aids; an unusual and potentially hilarious use for a clove of garlic; and the sad disappearance of coconut logs from the local sweetshop.It’s about the special place at the heart of a home held by a woman born in another age. Who polished the brass when it was ‘looking red at her’. Who still bore a scar on her hands from being hit by her employer when, as a young woman, she was in service. Who could turn the heel of a sock and the collar of a shirt, and make rock-cakes, bread pudding and breast of lamb with barley.

I gave this a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. The average rating is 4.00. here’s what I thought of it:

By turns funny and whimsical, this is a fascinating little read offering compelling and intriguing insights into the time "back then", given that the autthor and the mother-in-law in question hail from an era previous to my own. The patience, fortitude and eternal buoyant optimism of the author shine through in every note penned to her aging mother-in-law, and everything - from the stories about the cat to her parental mishaps - is a delight to read.



We listened to the neatly-produced RNIB talking Book version, read by Joanna Mackie, catalogue number 17404.

Colony
By Rob Grant

I gave this a rating of 4 out of 5 stars. The average rating is 4.00. here’s what I thought of it:

As a debut solo novel, this was quite compelling. the years of experience co-writing clearly gives an individual a leg up, so that’s something to be factored in.



Reading solo matter is also a fascinating way to untangle which half of doubled material came from who, of course. Chunks of the humour were very reminiscent of parts of the 2nd Red Dwarf, Better than Life.



All that aside, this was fairly good in its own right. the characters were as off as twelve-year-old milk left baking in the sun, but then many of them were insane. The humour was nicely done, not too heavy handed yet with that indefinable, slumming Britishness that works so well. A promising start.

The Nanotech War (Star Trek Voyager #39)
By Steven Piziks

Throughout human history, mankind has turned its goals and dreams toward exploration. With wagon trains, ships, satellites and starships, humanity has chosen to seek out the new frontier, to explore new worlds, and to go where no human has gone before-even to the furthest reaches of the Delta Quadrant. There, Captain Janeway and the crew of the Starship Voyager have discovered many strange and wondrous civilizations…but few as alien as the Chiar.

An advanced and scientific people who have made great strides with nanotechnology, the Chiar expanded internally rather than externally. Every inch of their planet is crawling with the tiniest bits and pieces of artificial intelligence imaginable, working in concert as the new lifeblood of this mechanical world. The people themselves are inseparable from their nanites, which layer their skin and provide extra limbs or senses as required.

Caught up in a bitter civil conflict, some Chiar will try to take advantage of their meeting with the crew of Starship Voyager. They imagine that their homegrown nanites can harness the incredible power of the deadly Borg, and instead set in motion an experiment that goes devastatingly out of control.

I gave this a rating of 2 out of 5 stars. The average rating is 3.54. here’s what I thought of it:

While I can applaud this Voyager title for the character development (the start of Seven and Chakotay’s romance was interesting), it’s not going to win any awards on that front. the plot, too, held promise, but the nano materials were underplayed and rather pointless, serving only to let the ending come out the way it was supposed to, it seems. Tom’s relationship was handled well, though rarely have I seen janeway portrayed as a spare part more than here.