Book Reviews
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Book ReviewsThe Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling
JK Rowling’s first post-Potter book is never less than readable, as expected, but it's somehow unadventurous. There’s some superficial excitement... Read more »| 22 Oct 2012 -
Book ReviewsThe Raven by Lou Reed and Lorenzo Mattotti
Lou Reed meant this quite sincerely, but it’s really rather dreary, Starting its life a staged and musical tribute to the works of Poe – When i... Read more »| 22 Oct 2012 -
Book ReviewsBattleborn by Clare Vaye Watkins
Nevada is a curious place, a barometer of presidential elections - the state has an almost faultless record in voting for the winner. And whilst the gambling... Read more »| 04 Oct 2012 -
Book Reviews
The Heart Broke In by James Meek
Ritchie Shepherd is a middle-aged television producer, threatened by catastrophic gossip: an ill-thought out affair threatens to destroy everything he cla... Read more »| 25 Sep 2012 -
Book ReviewsThe Children's Hospital by Chris Adrian
Chris Adrian's second novel, The Children's Hospital, has been published for the first time in the UK some years after its debut in the states. This is presu... Read more »| 25 Sep 2012 -
Book Reviews
The Stone Thrower by Adam Marek
Adam Marek’s second collection of short stories, The Stone Thrower, revolves around the profound and sometimes unexplainable relationship between paren... Read more »| 25 Sep 2012
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Book Reviews
All The Little Animals by Walker Hamilton
All The Little Animals was first published in 1968, and is something of a forgotten classic. Alan Warner’s introduction to this reissue gives a summary... Read more »| 10 Sep 2012 -
Book Reviews
The Dark Knight Rises by Greg Cox
Novelisations of blockbuster movies are always going to suffer in comparison to the finished product. The Dark Knight Rises suffers especially, because it ca... Read more »| 10 Sep 2012 -
Book Reviews
Kick Ass 2 by Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.
It’s highly anticipated, but Kick-Ass 2 is something of a downer. After the events of the first volume, Kick-Ass, now basically just Dave Lizewski, is ... Read more »| 10 Sep 2012 -
Book Reviews
The Fall of the Stone City by Ismail Kadare
There’s an old Albanian folk tale at the heart of The Fall of The Stone City where a dead man responds to a dinner invitation. The book’s plot re... Read more »| 10 Sep 2012 -
Book Reviews
The Guilty One by Lisa Ballantyne
Solicitor Daniel Hunter is defending Sebastian Croll, an eleven-year old accused of murdering his eight-year old neighbour – a case with deliberate ech... Read more »| 24 Aug 2012 -
Book Reviews
Train Dreams by Denis Johnson
Denis Johnson’s Pulitzer Prize nominated Train Dreams is the life story of a man called Robert Grainier, who “started his life story on a train r... Read more »| 01 Aug 2012 -
Book Reviews
Close Your Eyes by Ewan Morrison
After the birth of her daughter, Emma Phillips becomes obsessed with the death – or was it? – of her own mother in a road accident. The body... Read more »| 25 Jul 2012 -
Book Reviews
Days of the Bagnold Summer by Joff Winterheart
Days of the Bagnold Summer is a short book – 80 pages, and only a few panels per page – but it’s never slight. Sue and Daniel Bagnold are a... Read more »| 25 Jul 2012 -
Book Reviews
Redlegs by Chris Dolan
Chris Dolan leaves the mainly Glaswegian setting of his previous novel Ascension Day and relocates to the Caribbean for this tale. Elspeth Baillie,... Read more »| 25 Jul 2012