Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation
An excellent inspiring book on the mind and how taking a introspective approach to your thoughts and feelings through simple mediation techniques. The author demonstrates through many stories of how he helped his clients, how to deal with psychological issues. I would have liked more practical guidelines, but I think his actual techniques are so simple that they should be achievable. The impact his ideas and techniques have on the people he's worked with were dramatic. The human mind, and how the brain and body control it, are very important concepts that I will need to revisit by reading this book again sometime.
Pandora's Star
Really long, but addictive. Don't judge this book by the cover, as you'd be disappointed if you chose to read this because of it.Breed
I read the exerpt in the Guardian newspaper online, and I was both a little grossed out and intrigued. The story of a New York couple, for whom everything is within easy reach, cars, clothes, opera. Everything but an Heir for father Alex's stunning townhouse and fortune, and a wee darling cherub for Leslie to mother. However, a last resort trip to an unethical and creepy fertility doctor in Slovenia sets the couple, and subsequent family down a scary path. Twins Adam and Alice are born, and we meet them at age 10, scared, lonely, in a rundown house with parents whose behavior even the kids know is abnormal. The hero of the story is one of the twin's teachers, a gay man named Michael. Though only a bit player, still one of my favourite of the characters, the other character's bad choices, especially from Dad Alex, seem plot rather then character driven, I don't know if I was satisfied with the ending, but several scenes in the third act had me squirming in discomfort, so overall it did what it said on the packet.
A Sigh for Life's Completion
I really like this book. I hope more people find of about it so I'm giving it 5 stars. I've not really read anything like it, but it does have a touch of the romantic and emotional tones of Anne Rice, but focused much more on humans and how we would react to finding out about supernatural creatures, who weren't necessarily bad, but did have to kill to live like any animal including man.
Rise Again: A Zombie Thriller
This book contained everything I like in a zombie story, strong characters, realistic dialogue and action that kept me on the edge of my seat. You can tell the author works with the visual medium as the book was easily imagined and I could easily see this being a better version of TV's walking dead.Looking forward to the sequel which the author has just finished the draft version of.
The Desert
A slog to get through, didn't like any of the characters, didn't care what happened. Seeing the other reviews, and knowing this is a first time novelist, I wish I liked it more but it was just okay.
Roses of Blood on Barbwire Vines
A very gruesome almost depraved book, the beginning had me wondering if I could continue, and I wouldn't want my mother reading this, nor some people knowing I have read this. However, it was a good book. The plotting was excellent, the two main female characters kicked ass, each in their own way. Writing was quite baroque at times, the author drawing a vivid image of guts and gore that at least twice made me giggle with the absurdity of words used to describe the violence, or the characters eyes, who often had very descriptive colors. Would have preferred a different ending but it did not spoil the book.
Zombie Fallout
I was going along happily until a scene where a zombie is hit in the head with the butt of a shotgun, the sound this makes is described "as repellent as watching two guys kiss". If I could have slammed and thrown this book I would have but it's an audiobook. Why the homophobia Mark?Book fail, want money back now. The scene was also compared to the feeling of "a horde of spiders crawling over your head." Really? Mind your own business, Sir.
14
Loved it. Nate Tucker, a young, smart well-educated guy in a dead-end data entry job, is very identifiable. The reluctant hero/leader is an archetype seen many times, but here it's done very well and pulls the reader into the world Peter Clines has created. I was rooting for Nate the whole book. This world is set in Hollywood, California and we are treated to meeting many interesting, flawed and real characters living in a mysteriously cheap and historic building. The characters all seem lonely, even the one couple, and through their investigation of the building's strange locked rooms, each room more creepier then the last, they become a community, a family of sorts. This is the aspect I enjoyed the most, the mystery was good, but I love the idea of people being thrown together in weird situations and working together to try to come out on top. I won't say if they did in this case, but they certainly come together. I was expecting more from the first character introduced in the book, but she is almost forgotten about. I look forward to a sequel Mr Clines. Do search out his other books, but this is his best book yet. When We Have Wings
Recommended, and for someone who doesn't read detective novels, which in essence this was, it was done in such a well written and genre bending way that I really enjoyed it.
SPOILER ALERT!
The Replica
A short story about a man who replaces his ex girlfriend with a replica robot. I enjoyed it, I was able to read it on two quick bus trips, and on the homeward bound journey almost missed my stop as I read the climax. It would have been cool if Julia had also replaced the protagonist with a robot, as he stated they both treated each other poorly
The Spiral Tattoo
Enjoyed it. Well done Michael!The first person perspective is not my favourite, I'd rather have a mix of first and third, but really liked it was from the perspective of a crime fighting fairy who can fly and do magic, something I've never read before. Would like to know more about coping as a tiny being in a land of giants.
The editing was very good, the pacing about right.
As others have said, a map would be good, especially if more tales are to be set in the city.
I'd like to know more about the characters, how they ended up as partners, etc, so maybe a prequel could answer these.
I don't read thrillers or police procedurals but the fantasy element helped keep me interested.
Look forward to more.
Hilda - The Challenge
I enjoyed the full-length novel expanding Hilda's world. It was great to see William back from the first book.
Hilda - Snow White Revisited
Not as good as the first book, but I enjoyed it. Does need a good editor, but has a lot of potential.