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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Sound of My Voice in Books
Jul 29, 2023
98 of 235
Book
The Sound of My Voice
By Ron Butlin
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Morris Magellan has a house in the suburbs, nice wife and kids. But Morris is also a chronic alcoholic, heading fast towards self-destruction. Morris is not hoping to meet Ms. Right and acquire the two kids that will straighten everything out. He already has all this and it hasn't kept him off the bottle. Ron Butlin's tale of one man's inner turmoil is haunting, harrowing, yet strangely uplifting; a masterpiece from a neglected Scottish writer.
A glimpse into the mind of an alcoholic and how he sees the effects of his actions on his family. A different book to what I’m used to and I did find myself liking it.
Book
The Sound of My Voice
By Ron Butlin
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Morris Magellan has a house in the suburbs, nice wife and kids. But Morris is also a chronic alcoholic, heading fast towards self-destruction. Morris is not hoping to meet Ms. Right and acquire the two kids that will straighten everything out. He already has all this and it hasn't kept him off the bottle. Ron Butlin's tale of one man's inner turmoil is haunting, harrowing, yet strangely uplifting; a masterpiece from a neglected Scottish writer.
A glimpse into the mind of an alcoholic and how he sees the effects of his actions on his family. A different book to what I’m used to and I did find myself liking it.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Perfect Kill in Books
Feb 7, 2020
Superb, a real return to form
Thanks to the publishers Avon and NetGalley for the chance to read a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
This, the 6th of Fields' Edinburgh crime thrillers has a different feel to it. These books had started to feel a little formulaic, with one major investigation, one minor one and personal issues lurking in the background. Here the story is for once fully focused on (what turns out to be) one large-scale linked crime.
Luc Callanach, who has taken something of a back seat in the recent books, is back in his native Paris, as Scottish liaison to Interpol. He is working to uncover a suspected organ theft operation with potential Scottish victims. Meanwhile back in Edinburgh, Ava Turner is embroiled in missing persons cases, apparently unconnected murders and a few bone fragments left by pigs, trying to piece it all together.
The underlying story is strong as usual, with clear and believable twists and discoveries. The new characters introduced are all well-formed and distinct, and the dialogue much stronger than in previous books (I have at times had issues with the form of swearing in the books - living in Edinburgh and taking public transport I hear a fair amount of it!).
I absolutely rattled through this book in under 4 days - pretty much unheard of for me - partly due to being away on business and with no English TV channels in my hotel room, but also due to the superb rolling storyline which makes you want to read one more chapter.
A superbly told and imagined crime thriller.
This, the 6th of Fields' Edinburgh crime thrillers has a different feel to it. These books had started to feel a little formulaic, with one major investigation, one minor one and personal issues lurking in the background. Here the story is for once fully focused on (what turns out to be) one large-scale linked crime.
Luc Callanach, who has taken something of a back seat in the recent books, is back in his native Paris, as Scottish liaison to Interpol. He is working to uncover a suspected organ theft operation with potential Scottish victims. Meanwhile back in Edinburgh, Ava Turner is embroiled in missing persons cases, apparently unconnected murders and a few bone fragments left by pigs, trying to piece it all together.
The underlying story is strong as usual, with clear and believable twists and discoveries. The new characters introduced are all well-formed and distinct, and the dialogue much stronger than in previous books (I have at times had issues with the form of swearing in the books - living in Edinburgh and taking public transport I hear a fair amount of it!).
I absolutely rattled through this book in under 4 days - pretty much unheard of for me - partly due to being away on business and with no English TV channels in my hotel room, but also due to the superb rolling storyline which makes you want to read one more chapter.
A superbly told and imagined crime thriller.
Keeping in Paradise: My Autobiography
Book
John Fallon remains one of Celtic's great characters and is a lifelong supporter of the club. Now,...
Selected Poems and Songs
Robert Burns and Robert P. Irvine
Book
'The Poetic Genius of my Country...bade me sing the loves, the joys, the rural scenes and rural...
Awix (3310 KP) rated Dog Soldiers (2002) in Movies
Feb 12, 2018
Raucous and highly derivative low-budget werewolf movie. Director Neil Marshall went on to bigger and somewhat better movies, but this is a decent calling card.
A group of British squaddies on a training exercise run into a pack of werewolves in the Scottish highlands (as happens all the time, I expect); they take refuge in a remote farmhouse. What follows is largely composed of bits lifted from Evil Dead and Assault on Precinct 13, done with a great deal of enthusiasm by all concerned. Part of the fun of this kind of movie is being able to guess what's going to happen next; you may well be able to do so even if you haven't seen the same films that Marshall has. Well-staged gory action; rather impressive werewolf suits considering the low budget.
A group of British squaddies on a training exercise run into a pack of werewolves in the Scottish highlands (as happens all the time, I expect); they take refuge in a remote farmhouse. What follows is largely composed of bits lifted from Evil Dead and Assault on Precinct 13, done with a great deal of enthusiasm by all concerned. Part of the fun of this kind of movie is being able to guess what's going to happen next; you may well be able to do so even if you haven't seen the same films that Marshall has. Well-staged gory action; rather impressive werewolf suits considering the low budget.
Eilidh G Clark (177 KP) rated Mary's the Name in Books
Jun 21, 2019
Good book from a new author
Contains spoilers, click to show
This was my first book of the year and it didn't disappoint. Mary is a great wee character that the reader is drawn to from page 1. This is a novel about an innocent child and a corrupt granddad - a diamond of a man who loves his granddaughter dearly. The author did a great job of writing from Mary's point of view when the character is so young. My only criticism would be the explaining of Scottish words - trust your reader. Otherwise, it was great. The plot was brilliant and I even had a gasp, right in the middle, but I won't spoil it for anyone. Well done Ross, looking forward to the next one.
James Koppert (2698 KP) rated Where the World Ends in Books
Nov 3, 2019 (Updated Nov 3, 2019)
McCaughrean does an incredible job here. She heard a true story of a group of boys and men in the 1800s who go to a 'stack' to farm birds. The stack is a juttering jagged rock rising from the cold Scottish seas, a nasty place to be, so they plan to stay for a few days and then they hope to be collected. Although they weren't. McCaughrean then tried to imagine what happened to them next and what we get is an incredible well imagined narrative of hardship and survival filled with hope and love and triumph and turmoil. One of those novels which gives you a piece of history which was unknown and hard to imagine and at the same time makes you ask yourself what you would do in the same situation.
A Wealthier, Fairer Scotland: The Political Economy of Constitutional Change
Book
How can Scotland use its new and existing powers to create a brighter economic and social future?...
The Dun Cow Rib: A Very Natural Childhood
Book
John Lister-Kaye has spent a lifetime exploring, protecting and celebrating the British landscape...
A Utopia Like Any Other: Inside the Swedish Model
Book
A Utopia Like Any Other is an accessible and easy to understand guide to contemporary Sweden and its...