Colin Marks's Blog, page 4

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Review: Hide by Kiersten White

Hide is how Stephen King would’ve tackled the Hunger Games! An excellent opening with a great setup, then some irritating PoV jumps and ta bloated and over-written ending (I found myself skimming paragraphs), but a fun holiday read. It won’t change your life, but the premise will keep you entertained!

Book supplied by Netgalley for an honest review.

See review on Goodreads.

Review: French Braid by Anne Tyler

I’ve loved Anne Tyler’s books for years, including her last, “A Spool of Blue Thread”, which was marketed as being her final novel. Unfortunately, I feel she should’ve stopped there. Her books are always a slow burn – typically following a family over a generation or so – but a focus and a direction drive them forward. This one was so slow I wanted to give it CPR, it wandered and drifted, with a vague theme of you never really know your family, but it took a long time to get nowhere. For a mid-s...

Review: Vladimir by Julia May Jonas

Vladimir is a book of three parts. The first, introduces John and his unnamed wife, literary academics, and the writing is gorgeous. The wife’s wit and intelligence shine – she discusses the #MeToo movement, her husbands need for sexual attention from the younger students, and what it means to grow old and how that shapes her interactions. This section was 5*s for me. Sadly, the plot sharply turned, and I found her character less relatable and definitely less likeable, until the final section wh...

Vladimir by Julia May Jonas

Vladimir is a book of three parts. The first, introduces John and his unnamed wife, literary academics, and the writing is gorgeous. The wife’s wit and intelligence shine – she discusses the #MeToo movement, her husbands need for sexual attention from the younger students, and what it means to grow old and how that shapes her interactions. This section was 5*s for me. Sadly, the plot sharply turned, and I found her character less relatable and definitely less likeable, until the final section wh...

Review: On Opium: Pain, Pleasure, and Other Matters of Substance by Carlyn Zwarenstein

On Opium in an interesting series of essays discussing the use of opium and other hard drugs, both for recreational and medical/pain relieving purposes. Some sections were eye-opening, such as how the decriminalisation of these drugs, as with the alcohol prohibition in 1920s America, causes unwanted consequences and forces otherwise good people into crime and dangerous street drugs, and how misdemeanours are more heavily prosecuted against minority populations.

Worth a listen, but my criticis...

Review: Who by Geoff Smart and Randy Street

Excellent book, covering all aspects of recruitment. Very American (UK here) and very boardroom focused, but valuable observations that would work for all positions across an organisation. The fourth chapter, Select, discusses how to structure interviews, and that would be worth reading for candidates and recruiters alike.

See review on Goodreads.

Review: The Importance of Being Interested: Adventures in Scientific Curiosity by Robin Ince

I’ll start by saying I like Robin Ince, he’s a great co-host on Infinite Monkey Cage, and his intelligence and humour are normally engaging. Unfortunately, his book on being interested, just wasn’t, well, interesting.

The book is about science and curiosity, but it’s incredibly rambling. Ideas aren’t pursued before he spins off. He just gets beneath the surface on a topic, then wham, he’s off quoting somebody and heading in a different direction. Robin mentions the “tangential nature of my ja...

The Importance of Being Interested: Adventures in Scientific Curiosity by Robin Ince

I’ll start by saying I like Robin Ince, he’s a great co-host on Infinite Monkey Cage, and his intelligence and humour are normally engaging. Unfortunately, his book on being interested, just wasn’t, well, interesting.

The book is about science and curiosity, but it’s incredibly rambling. Ideas aren’t pursued before he spins off. He just gets beneath the surface on a topic, then wham, he’s off quoting somebody and heading in a different direction. Robin mentions the “tangential nature of my ja...

Review: The Quiet Whispers Never Stop by Olivia Fitzsimons

On the face of it, The Quiet Whispers Never Stop has a very simple story, but the plotting and execution make this a stunning literary debut by Olivia Fitzsimons. Set amidst the anger and distrust at the peak of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, relationships within a dysfunctional family are explored over several timelines and perspectives. My only criticism was the writing, though elegantly crafted, was always too urgent – brief, minimal sentences create a sense of foreboding, but when overuse...