Colin Marks's Blog, page 18
July 30, 2016
Review: The Amateur Marriage
The Amateur Marriage by Anne Tyler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Anne Tyler is one of the greats. The subtlety of her writing, the huge swathes left unsaid, allows the reader to mirror their own experiences onto her character’s. I’ve read much of her work, and though her writing style is consistent, the uniqueness of her voice and the depth of her characters, make her books classics. She writes about humdrum, no thrills, no spills, just average people going about their average lives. The Amateur...
July 28, 2016
Review: Dear Amy
Dear Amy by Helen Callaghan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Note: this book was supplied by Netgalley for an honest review.
I liked this book. It’s a fairly standard physiological thriller, but nicely done and paced to hold the interest. The writing was good, some lovely prose in places. I did feel Margot was a bit too wobbly at times, but a small criticism for an otherwise solid read.
July 20, 2016
Review: The Art of Perspective: Who Tells the Story
The Art of Perspective: Who Tells the Story by Christopher Castellani
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As Castellani says, “in devising and drafting a narrative strategy, an author makes all sorts of craft decisions that influence how the work will be read and enjoyed”. He adds that the language can seduce the reader, maintaining the staying power of the work. It’s both of these that won me over – the book opens with his account of an incident in Philadelphia, the quality of the writing and the ques...
July 5, 2016
Review: Hunger
Hunger by Michael Grant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Despite this second instalment having some good themes (anti-hero uprising, food shortages, etc.), I enjoyed it less that Gone. It’s turning into one of those series where you just know however bad it looks, the lead characters are going to emerge alive. Hopefully Lies will have more surprises. Still, it’s good stuff, so a solid 4 rating.
March 31, 2016
Review: Gone
Gone by Michael Grant
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I read this with my daughter, and we both loved it. Gone is a cross between Lord of the Flies and Akira – super powers affecting children in a world without adults, yet far smarter and better written that the recent splurge of YA dystopian novels. As with all super power books, you end up thinking, “Why didn’t so-and-so just use their power there?”, but, only a minor criticism, highly recommended. Stephen King likes this series, I’m not going to...
January 11, 2016
Review: The Ballad of a Small Player
The Ballad of a Small Player by Lawrence Osborne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
From the opening sentence, it’s clear Lawrence Osborne knows what he’s doing, that you’re in the hands of an assured writer. The writing is beautifully sparse, navigating the reader through the casinos of Macau, dipping into China’s culture. The only issue is that it’s hard to empathise with any of the characters. Like the ghost stalking Lord Doyle, the leads seem transparent without the definition needed for the reade...
August 9, 2015
Review: Talking About Detective Fiction
Talking About Detective Fiction by P.D. James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Not quite the book I was expecting – this is a history of the genre rather than a how-to guide. Still, an interesting read, though I did skim some of repetitive sections towards the end.
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August 5, 2015
Review: Raven Black
Raven Black by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I hadn’t heard of Ann Cleeves, before my father-in-law gave me this book after attending Harrogat’s crime writing festival. First impressions weren’t good; the writing is simple and surprisingly clumsy at times. But, the story is a good one, and that helps smooth over those cracks. I’ll be reading White Nights next, the second book in the series, which is a pretty good indicator of what I thought of this one…
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April 23, 2015
Review: Fight Club
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read this after seeing the film, so the twist element was hugely ruined. But, still a great read: fast, succinct, excellently written…
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March 8, 2015
Review: The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement
The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is an interesting attempt to fictionalise a business book; interesting, though I’m not sure entirely successful. The storyline anchors the advice into the real world, showing how processes should be constantly reviewed and how the naysayers can be bought around, but without Alex Rogo’s struggling marriage I suspect the business element to this book could be squeezed into a pamphlet.
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