Category: Review
You need these reviews in your life.
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Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha
I want just one Irish author to write in a style other than stream of consciousness, even just once. James Joyce kicked it off with Portrait of the Artist, then Sam Beckett carried the ball with Murphy and various other novels, and now Roddy Doyle has entered the chat. I did not like this book, Read more
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The October Country
Ray Bradbury’s The October Country, first published in 1955, serves as a definitive cornerstone of American gothic and macabre literature. This collection contains nineteen stories, most of which were revised from his earlier work in Dark Carnival. The anthology captures Bradbury’s transition from the visceral pulp horror of the 1940s to the more psychological, poetic prose that Read more
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Shadow Show
Review: I loved this book. Like any anthology some of the stories I liked better than others, but I can attest that all were excellent. Edited by Sam Weller and Mort Castle, Shadow Show isn’t just a tribute; it’s a vibrant, eclectic laboratory where some of the biggest names in modern fiction attempt to capture Read more
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The King in Yellow
Review: I picked this book at random from my bookshelf, always a good way to get out of any reading ruts we tend to fall into. So, how to describe this. First published in 1895, The King in Yellow is a work of weird fiction and horror. First off let me say weird fiction is an actual Read more
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Possession: A Romance
Review: I loved this book. After reading nothing but Gibbon for the last three months it was a wonderful and uplifting experience to read a novel. But this, was not just any novel. Possession: A Romance, published in 1990, is a multi-layered masterpiece that won the Booker Prize. It is part literary detective story, part Read more
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The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire Volume I
Review: In the second century of the Christian era the Empire of Rome comprehended the fairest part of the earth and the most civilized portion of mankind. Thus begins Edward Gibbons epic… epic is an understatement. More like massive, exhaustively researched history of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. Now, most people, myself Read more
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1000 Facts About Space
Review: I always say that if you want to learn about something, anything, the best way to do that is to get yourself a kids book. And once again I am proven right as this book was brilliant. Lots of information, lots of pictures, and presented in such a way as to keep me reaching Read more
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Under the Volcano
Review: This was so good. A modernist novel that right from its first publication was recognized as a masterpiece. I loved this book and will be referring back to it in the future, often, until people are sick of me banging on about Under the Volcano. With that said, not everyone loves or even admires Read more
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World War I Trench Warfare Vol. 2
Review: Neilos reading a book on World War One history? Shocking! Okay not really, and despite all the books I read on this subject I always learn something new, and this book was no exception. For those that don’t know, Osprey books are the gold standard in military reference books. They have hundreds of volumes Read more
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Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
Review: This was a great book, both when it was originally published in 1942 and reading it now in 2025. In cliché terms it has stood the test of time as have the myths and epics described inside this remarkable volume. I have been reading Greek drama and myths since I was a youth so Read more