false 8 335 327 true 5657593 read 8 true 2649533 currently-reading 0 true 2649532 to-read 71 false 2649892 comics 19 false 2650483 favourites 18 false 5541094 prize-winners 17 false 2893181 non-fiction 10 false 4149130 poirot 9 false 2893187 autobiography http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78921101 to: Picnic at Hanging Rock (Paperback) by Joan Lindsay
This 'true' story tale of the disappearance of 3 girls and their teacher at the turn of the century and the downfall of those involved is intriguing and filled with vague menace but I couldn't really get into it. The writing style is somewhat distanced and the intermittent narration interferes too much with the story telling for my liking. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78405622 to: Nation (Paperback) by Terry Pratchett
Being a massive Discworld fan it took a while to sink into and accept Pratchett's novel as something different. The story, the themes (of belief, loss, accepting change and doing what's right) and the tone are in a world of their own and I found myself reading in a different voice to his other books (that may sound strange but it's the only way I can describe it). What I do know is that once I started reading I couldn't stop. I needed to find out what happens to the characters and I was constantly happy with what I read. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78283372 to: In the Wake (Paperback) by Per Petterson
Reading this is like getting swept up in a dream, you feel caught in the hazy, meandering narrative through mundane and heartbreakingly plain events. It's a powerfully sparse book, with lovely evocative prose, a tale exploring the way people keep living even after terrible events and loss. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77930655 to: The World of Kong: A Natural History of Skull Island (King Kong) by Weta Workshop
bookshelves: non-fiction
I stumbled upon this natural history of Skull Island in the bargain books section in a local shop. It's a wonderful book filled with nightmarish creatures, presented as though real from the expeditions to Skull Island from the 1930s. If you are a fan of King Kong or the work of Weta Workshop then this is a must. The level of detail and love that has gone into creating the world you only caught a glimpse of on film is truly stunning. One for fans of KK and make believe places. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77257871 to: The Walking Dead, Vol. 1: Days Gone Bye (Paperback) by Robert Kirkman
bookshelves: comics
I've been meaning to read this for a while and ultimately it came down to whether to pick this or Fables as my next series. This one.

The horror element is there but this is clearly a human story detailing the survivors of a zombie apocalypse as they find their way in the new world. The black and white imagery is wonderful and starkly beautiful to look at and the characters are an interesting bunch.

Still, there's not much in here yet that's any different to other zombie features, the revelations and events aren't anything new. Despite that I suspect this is a long boil and I'm more than keen to pick the next volume up and continue the journey. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/77257426 to: Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Predators and Prey (Season 8, Vol. 5) by Joss Whedon
bookshelves: comics
Not quite as engaging as the previous volume, this collects a series of one shots dealing broadly with the new world order and the public perception of vampires and slayers. The Harmony story is amusing for fans of the TV series who have an affinity with the character. I particularly liked the teddy bear episode for sheer entertainment. We also get some resolution with Dawn's story. Still wondering where the series is going though. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75682588 to: The Quickening Maze (Hardcover) by Adam Foulds
An intense, brief and lyrical novel filled with a wealth of characters involved in life at an asylum. The prose is poetic in nature, short, sparse and visual and there's an over-riding sense of madness and hopelessness pervading both the characters and envoronment. A book to read for the love of reading and words. Shortlisted for the Booker prize 2009. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/75527368 to: Flaubert's Parrot (Paperback) by Julian Barnes
It took a while to sink into this post modern and rather scholarly look at one man's obsession with the life and writing of Gustave Flaubert. Stylistic, affectionate and often funny, is a novel about writing and literature. The prose is dense and charming and hypnotic and you ultimately come away with a real feeling of pleasure once you've finished. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74595338 to: The Martian Chronicles (Paperback) by Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury's classic collection of interwoven stories about the human colonisation and destruction of Mars. These short tales and stories fit together loosely following a chronological pattern from the initial doomed yet almost comedic landings to the spread of the human disease and the destruction of everything known. Heavily tied into the atomic age these stories offer a terrifying and ultimately melancholy portrait of humanity. Well worth reading. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73186801 to: The Tooth Fairy (Paperback) by Graham Joyce
A strange and compelling coming of age tale, following the lives of 3 young boys as they progress through puberty and the mysteries and horrors of life. The ambiguous tooth fairy in question is present throughout permeating the events of their lives and the people in them but it's more than that.

Funny and painful, horrific at times, it's a great look at northern Britain in the sixties and the pains and danger of growing up. I found it slow to get into but soon you realise it's 2 in the morning and you're still reading to find out how it ends. When it does you feel you're travelled a journey with the characters. ]]>