Michael J. Ritchie's Blog, page 17

“Hazards Of Time Travel” by Joyce Carol Oates (2018)

“They would not have come for me, naively I drew their attention to me.”

I really need to stop reading dystopian futures in the current climate. Never mind, here we go again.

Adriane Strohl hsa been chosen as the valedictorian at her high school in the North American States. Unfortunately for her, she decides this is an opportunity to ask a few questions about the world she’s grown up in; a world of strict laws, conformity and constant surveillance. Her punishment is to be sent to Zone...

“The Waiter” by Matias Faldbakken (2017)

“The Hills dates from a time when pigs were pigs and swine were swine.”

Two books in a month about working in hospitality seems a bit much, especially given that’s what I do with my day anyway. But here we are. This’ll do for now.

The Hills is a Oslo-based restaurant steeped in tradition. Every day, the same pianist plays the same songs, the same customers come and order the same wine, and the same waiter patrols the tables, keeping everything in check. He prides himself on his custome...

“Artemis” by Andy Weir (2017)

“I bounded over the gray, dusty terrain toward the huge dome of Conrad Bubble.”

Sometimes this world seems a bit too small and we long for escape. Humanity has seemingly always been interested in exploring space, and science fiction has really helped us do that while we wait for technology to advance far enough to allow us to do it for real. In Artemis, we’re heading to the first permanent city on the moon.

Artemis was constructed as the moon’s first city. With a population of two thou...

“Dumb Witness” by Agatha Christie (1987)

“Miss Arundell died on May 1st.”

So much Agatha Christie, so little time. In Poirot’s sixteenth outing, we’re back in a big old house with a dead body to examine. The more things change, etc…

When Emily Arundell takes a fall one night, everyone is convinced that the blame lies with her dog, Bob, who must have left his ball at the top of the stairs. Emily, however, isn’t so sure when she realises that Bob was out all night. Becoming increasingly convinced that one of her family has atte...

“Writers & Lovers” by Lily King (2020)

“I have a pact with myself not to think about money in the morning.”

It’s a cliché for writers to write about writing. I think a lot of it comes from the (somewhat questionable and incredibly limiting) advice to “write what you know”. Still, since wanting to write a book is a fairly common dream, I suppose there’s a good deal of material to be had. Here is Lily King’s take.

Casey feels trapped. She’s been working on the same novel for six years, and works in a high-end restaurant as a ...

“Chocky” by John Wyndham (1968)

“It was in the spring of the year that Matthew reached twelve that I first became aware of Chocky.”

When aliens come, I sense humanity won’t react well. Of course, we’d like to think we’ll all band together, but since as a species we still haven’t got to grips with treating each other with respect, a new species, especially a peaceful one, doesn’t have a chance in hell. Sometimes they arrive all guns blazing, or simply ready to destroy the planet in one fell swoop. Other times, however, t...

“Stuff You Should Know” by Josh Clark & Chuck Bryant (2020)

“Hey and welcome to the book everybody.”

As someone who, when not reading or writing, tends to have something playing in my ears, I listen to a lot of podcasts. One I’ve listened to for a very long time is Stuff You Should Know, hosted by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant. Since 2008, they’ve been regaling listeners in a light-hearted way about everything from wetlands and karaoke, to parrots and even death. At last, they’ve compiled a book.

Taking twenty-seven topics the podcast has yet to ...

“Pyramids” by Terry Pratchett (1989)

“Nothing but stars, scattered across the blackness as though the Creator had smashed the windscreen of his car and hadn’t bothered to stop to sweep up the pieces.”

I’ve made a couple of forays into Discworld and never been hugely keen. It’s odd, because everything about them seems like something I should be down with, but I just can’t get into them. After The Colour of Magic and Mort, I thought it was time to give it at least one more try, so here I am at Pyramids.

Teppic has been trai...

“The Bees” by Laline Paull (2014)

“The old orchard stood besieged.”

Talk to anyone in the know about the climate change disaster that’s currently unfurling and before long it’s probable you’ll end up discussing the bees. With bee populations plummeting, the knock on effects to agriculture would be catastrophic. It might not seem real, given every supermarket in the world is still is well-stocked with honey, but bees do far more than that, and without them the world will be a poorer place indeed. In Laline Paull’s debut no...

“Cards On The Table” by Agatha Christie (1936)

“My dear M. Poirot!”

I’ve been doing this for so long that I assume by now when I read a Christie again I assume I’ve already reviewed it. As it is, they’re still not all done, so time to tackle one of her most ingenious.

Hercule Poirot bumps into an old acquaintance Mr Shaitana at an exhibition and finds himself invited to a dinner party. Mr Shaitana promises that he can use the dinner to show off a new collection of his – a collection of killers. Poirot attends the dinner to find him...