Collected Poems
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This Wordsworth Edition includes a new exclusive Introduction by Cedric Watts, Research Professor of...
Bottleneck
9.0
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Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Ed McBain and Christopher Brookmyre, Bottleneck sees the return of...
David McK (3731 KP) rated The Savage Isle (Savage Isle Series book 1) in Books
Feb 22, 2026
It's been a while since I last read any by the author - indeed, a while since (I believe) he has published any - the last I read being, I believe, "Marston Moor", so I was a bit unsure if I would read this one or not.
In the end, I'm glad I did.
This is, largely, a 'coming of age' tale that sheds some light on the pre-Roman Britain and the culture therein, which modern evidence has shown to be more sophisticated than originally thought (after all, "history is written by the victors" and all that), following the main character of Cullen as his tribe (the Atrebates) is first destroyed by the Catuvellauni, and then finding himself fighting for the very same against the Roman invaders.
I reckon I'll pick up the inevitable sequel.
The Art of Joy
Anne Milano Appel and Goliarda Sapienza
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Goliarda Sapienza's The Art of Joy was written over a nine year span, from 1967 to 1976. At the time...
Letters and Diaries of Kathleen Ferrier
Christopher Fifield and Kathleen Ferrier
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In 1953, at the age of 41, Kathleen Ferrier, England's greatest lyric contralto, lost her courageous...
Another Morocco: Selected Stories
Abdellah Taia and Rachel Small
Book
Tangier is a possessed city, haunted by spirits of different faiths. When we have literature in our...
Cynthia Armistead (17 KP) rated Fifty Shades of Grey in Books
Feb 23, 2018
The writing definitely needs polish and a good editor--I couldn't possibly give it more than 3 stars due to that alone. The sexy is there, though, and that's the whole purpose of the book. It does follow most of the traditional romance tropes, which explains most of its acceptance, but the addition of spicier sex seems to be what has everyone talking. (I'd call it spicy more than truly kinky.)
The entire plot takes place in just three weeks, which isn't bad in the romance world. That doesn't leave much time for character growth, but there is a little. That brings the book up a star from where I'd put most romance novels.
If you want some light, sexy summer reading and don't mind the fact that this is so very obviously a self-published first novel, go for it. Some people will want to read it just because of all the uproar, I imagine. If you're looking for literature or true erotica, pass this one up.
David McK (3731 KP) rated Flying Colours in Books
Feb 8, 2020
Unlike the other entries, this one takes place largely on land, with the majority - a good two thirds, say - of the novel dealing with Hornblower's (and Bush, and Brown) captivity, escape from the same and journeys across France before a daring raid that sees him recapture and return home (where he has been presumed dead) with a (now re)captured British vessel.
As such, this is perhaps more character-driven than we have been used to so far, with large swathes of the book concerned with Hornblower himself and his mental state, riven with self-doubt and jealousy, and unsure of how his surrender will be viewed at home: a home where he is both unhappily married and awaiting the birth of his third child (after the death of his previous two to Smallpox).
The Genius of Valhalla: The Life of Reginald Goodall
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When Sir Reginald Goodall died in 1990, at the age of 88, he had already acquired cult status and...
Ghana in Search of Development: The Challenge of Governance, Economic Management and Institution Building
Book
This title was first published in 2001. When Ghana became independent in 1957, becoming the first...