The Martian - David Weir

I rated this book 9/10
First published February 2014

I’m stranded on Mars.

I have no way to communicate with Earth.

I’m in a Habitat designed to last 31 days.

If the Oxygenator breaks down, I’ll suffocate. If the Water Reclaimer breaks down, I’ll die of thirst. If the Hab breaches, I’ll just kind of explode. If none of those things happen, I’ll eventually run out of food and starve to death.

So yeah. I’m screwed.

A bold, tense tale of survival on Mars.

What a brilliant read! Mark Watney finds himself stranded on Mars as the rest of his team presume him dead and make their get away from the Red Planet without him. Reporting via journal/blogging entries, we follow Watney's desperate (and often witty) struggle to survive everything that the planet throws at him. Weir uses such realistic terms to describe Watney's daily trials, that it's hard not to believe that this could be a real issue in the not so distant future. 

Strong characters, laced with humour and full of suspense; this is a fast and addictive page turner to put on your reading list.

I absolutely can't wait until the film starring Matt Damon is released in October. 
The advert for it looks pretty spot on so far...

Available at Waterstones

The Fry Chronicles - Stephen Fry

I rated this book 7/10

Spanning 1979-1987, The Fry Chronicles charts Stephen's arrival at Cambridge University up to his thirtieth birthday.

The first book I have finished reading in 2015!

I wasn't sure as to whether I liked Stephen Fry so much, and I must admit that I am still none the wiser. He certainly has a way with words, and his autobiography was interesting. I could almost hear him talking about some of the famous faces of comedy in that distinctive voice of his.

Having said that, I don't think we really got much emotion from him, nothing much of his personal life except his occasional bouts of self-depreciation, it's mostly a description of his and other people's successful careers. I understand that Fry suffers from cyclothymia and don't get much insight into this. Perhaps because I skipped his first memoir and have not read the next instalment yet, I am missing something?

It's definitely worth picking up, if for nothing else then for the winding and eloquent description, and the odd quote or idea that will be worth remembering. I enjoyed it overall.

The Games - Ted Kosmatka

"The boy lay motionless in
the tube as the machine moved
all around him."

Rated 8/10

This stunning first novel from Nebula Award and Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award finalist Ted Kosmatka is a riveting tale of science cut loose from ethics. Set in an amoral future where genetically engineered monstrosities fight each other to the death in an Olympic event, The Games envisions a harrowing world that may arrive sooner than you think.

My Thoughts: The Games was one of the many books that I found difficult to tear away from. I loved the theme of the title; genetic engineering, super computers, vaguely dystopian and very much appealing to the geek in me.

Although Vidonia didn't really appeal to me as a character (she seemed very much the 'token' lady, and her relationship with Silas was forced and unnecessary), most of the others were introduced with skill and I loved the way that Kosmatka gave us their little quirks and charms. Even the very minor characters (such as James Mitchell for example, who appears on just one page) were described without any kind of jarring awkwardness. Fair enough, the characters didn't 'grow' much during the course of events, but they were well rounded enough from the start to be interesting.

The one thing that let this book down was the fact that the first half of the novel was written with such style, suspense and a real building of tension that had me eager to turn pages - and then the last half of the book went obliterating that build-up completely, rip roaring to a speedy (and not entirely tied up) car-crash ending. I wanted more from it; I needed answers. It's as if Kosmatka had a really epic idea in place, but then ran out of space and had to bring it to a speedy close. I loved the scope of the plot that was set out before us, and then was disappointed to see it come to an abrupt ending.

And so, if you're looking for a neatly sculptured novel with developing characters and a steady plot line then you're in the wrong place. The Games is pure entertainment and nothing more.

The Psychopath Test - Jon Ronson

This is a story about madness.

Rated 9/10

This is a story about madness. It all starts when journalist Jon Ronson is contacted by a leading neurologist. She and several colleagues have recently received a cryptically puzzling book in the mail, and Jon is challenged to solve the mystery behind it. As he searches for the answer, Jon soon finds himself, unexpectedly, on an utterly compelling and often unbelievable adventure into the world of madness.

My Thoughts: Jon Ronson has quickly become one of my favourite writers. His style is witty, interesting and tongue in cheek. I love the observations that he makes and the quirks from people that he picks up on. I love that his reporting style is a little gung-ho - not a huge amount of planning seems to be in place (at least that's how it comes across). And he's not afraid to rub people up the wrong way sometimes. 

Another brilliant read that I would highly recommend. I'm looking for yet more from Ronson, and can see myself with the full set of his books on my shelves fairly soon.

Lost At Sea - Jon Ronson

A young man called Bill
stands in the shadows behind
a curtain at a converted
paintworks factory in Bristol,
now a TV studio.

Rated 10/10

"The New York Times"-bestselling author of "The Psychopath Test," Jon Ronson writes about the dark, uncanny sides of humanity with clarity and humor. "Lost at Sea "reveals how deep our collective craziness lies, even in the most mundane circumstances. 

Reviewed on my iPhone. 

My thoughts: I had barely reached page 30 and had already been taken behind the scenes of Deal or No Deal and met the worlds most advanced humanoid robots!

This is a book of articles packed with so many interesting people, and Ronson's dry wit and sarcasm that had me thoroughly entertained. I love Ronson's writing style, and I am currently seeking out more of his books for my upcoming holiday.

There have been other less favourable reviews about Ronson not doing research and just showing up to interview people on a whim. I actually quite admire this approach - it makes each article a lot more personal and we can see his own viewpoints based on his observations. Whether we agree with them or not is a different matter; we could always do our own extensive research if the cold hard facts meant that much to us.

Readers should remember that a lot of Ronson's own feelings and emotions come through - it is of course going to be biased. I think that this gives the writing a touch of personal honesty and a bit of an insight into Ronson himself too. I find this connection important in anything I read, whether non fiction or otherwise.

This has actually inspired me to perhaps explore my own passion for writing and perhaps taking this love down a route that I haven't yet explored. Real people provide the most interesting of stories at times, and it takes the right kind of writer to get the best (or worst) out of them. 


An enjoyable and thought provoking collection!

Ready Player One - Ernest Cline

"Everyone my age remembers
where they were and what they
were doing when they first heard
about the contest."

Rated 9.6/10 (amazing!!!)

Imagine the world at stake. An epic struggle between good and evil. The greatest quest in history. The fate of humanity resting in your hands. Are you ready?

My Thoughts: I fell into this book from the first chapter. It satisfied every desire that I have when it comes to reading. It had the fabulous (not so perfect) characters. It had the dystopian world filled with suppression and struggle. And it had geekery - lots and lots of 80s themed, futuristic sci-fi geekery. 

In a declining world of poverty, over-crowding and hunger - people are bound to escape into a virtual world. It is easy enough to see this happening. With technology advancing at the speed that it has, Ready Player One's themes could be relevant to us all. 

It is very clear that this book has been meticulously researched. I think that if I played out every 80s game that appears in the book, every movie that Ernest makes reference to, they would all be exactly as they are described on the pages. 

A very clever read that would suit teenagers, sci-fi fans, self-confessed geeks and children of the 80s.  

Theme: 5/5
An original theme that spans across multiple levels. 

Plot: 5/5
Everything is here - action, drama, romance... There are plenty of twists and turns along the way.

Characters: 5/5
Nobody is perfect. And not everybody is as they seem either...

Setting: 5/5
A virtual universe filled with countless numbers of custom made zones, sectors, planets and worlds.

Style: 4/5
Ernest has written in a style that is accessible to a lot of people - but I think that the style would most suit teenagers and young adults as it seems a little young at times.

 Overall: 9.6/10

Twitchhiker - Paul Smith

"It was quiet and still, the
very dead of night when the
dead themselves might consider
turning in, and I had no business
being awake."

Date Finished: 12th July 2012

There were five rules of Twitchhiker. I can only accept offers of travel and accommodation from people on Twitter. I can't make any travel plans further than three days in advance. I can only spend money on food, drink and anything that might fit in my suitcase. If there is more than one offer, I choose which I take. If there is only one, I have to take it within 48 hours. If I am unable to find a way to move on from a location within 48 hours, the challenge is over and I go home. 

My Thoughts: First impressions of this book were good - it seemed to have the dry wit and humour that the likes of 'Yes Man' entertained me with, and I was really looking forward to getting stuck in. It seems like a fascinating idea, to travel the world with nothing but the good-will of others to help you on your way.

And so you would expect really interesting cultural observations, crazy characters and heart-warming, funny tales. And you get very little of any of this. Paul Smith tells us mainly about him being drunk; waking up with hangover after hangover; complaining about being tired and far from home; crying a lot; and throwing up a lot.

I could forgive the drunkenness if there were some bizarre escapades and hilarious events that happened during these episodes. I could forgive the endless descriptions of hangovers if he didn't tell us that he sat around on his computer for the rest of the day. And of course he's tired and missing home - we don't need to be told this over and over. Too much vomit and too many tears.

The locations he visited during the course of his travelling must have been amazing, and they would have been brilliant to read about. But Paul doesn't really get chance to explore until the very end. This might not have been his fault, but as a reader I want to be captivated by the locations and entertained by amazing sights and the awesome things that happen. Even just a bit of down to Earth reflection on his deeper thoughts would have sufficed.

As for the other people in the book, Paul doesn't really do them much justice. A brief (and usually quite shallow) physical description and an outline of their personalities - and they are each just another sentence on another piece of paper. Don't get me wrong, he might be a lovely fellow when he isn't being moody and tired, but I really don't like Paul as a person in this book.

In short, although this Twitchhiking business might have been an amazing adventure for Paul and the others involved, and the journey did raise a lot of money for charity (good for him!), as an entertaining read it failed. I'm not quite sure whether the critics on the book cover were reading the same book as me to be honest.

Recommendation: I would be quite reluctant to recommend this to anyone really. Perhaps somebody who is an avid reader of travel literature might be good to give this a go. Or anybody fascinated with Twitter and its social implications. It's not a terrible read after all, just not a particularly good one. 

I RATED THIS 4/10

Click here to grab this at Waterstones.com

Jurassic Park - Michael Crichton

Date Finished: 6th September 2011

On a remote jungle island, genetic engineers have created a dinosaur game park.

An astonishing technique for recovering and cloning dinosaur DNA has been discovered. Now one of mankind's most thrilling fantasies has come true and the first dinosaurs that the Earth has seen in the time of man emerge.

But, as always, there is a dark side to the fantasy and after a catastrophe destroys the park's defense systems, the scientists and tourists are left fighting for survival...

My Thoughts: Where do I start?!? This is the book that one of my all time favourite movies was adapted from, and so I had high expectations from the very beginning.

The very first thing that struck me was how unlikeable most of the characters are - Hammond is the most naive and frustrating character I have stumbled across in a long time. I know that he is supposed to be the shady character in the book, but to me he just seemed to be full of forced idiocy - which doesn't seem plausible for the man behind such a massive development.

The next character that I found nauseating was Lex - and I'm not surprised that she was completely transformed in light of the movie. I don't think we are told how old she is (correct me if I'm wrong) and I can not even begin to guess at her age. She appears to be a bit of a tomboy, loving baseball and such, but all the way through the book she whines, can't walk for herself, touches things she shouldn't, gets in the way, can't keep quiet. She really grated on me.

Don't get me started on Malcolm, at least 80 percent of his dialogue could have been chopped out and I would have been happy.

I didn't find myself attached to any of the characters at all, and I will let Crichton off a little on this one, because the book is very much plot-driven. Having said this, some of the detail in the novel was just completely unbelievable (and hey, I know the whole thing is supposed to be far-fetched, but I like to have some kind of explanation as to why certain things might happen).

It seems that 'anything goes' is the key to this read and that doesn't quite sit well with me, I'm so glad that it was reigned in a little for the film.

The fact that this novel was also supposed to be set on a beautiful island - masses of stunning landscape sliced through with man-made concrete buildings and wire fences escaped me a little. Crichton could definitely have elaborated on this a touch more; could have placed me right in the middle of the scenery. His descriptions of the island (in my own opinion) fell flat.

The reason I'm not marking this off as a complete failure is because the basic ideas behind the book are stunning, and it produced such an iconic movie that I watched over and over as a kid. That in itself is one hell of an acheivement.

So, well done Crichton for conjuring this one up. I won't be reading anything else by him, but I will always have a bit of a soft spot for Jurassic Park. :)

Theme: 10/10
Plot: 5/10
Characters: 1/10
Setting: 4/10
Style: 4/10

OVERALL AVERAGE:  5/10

Feed - Mira Grant

Date Read: August 2011

In 2014, two experimental viruses—a genetically engineered flu strain designed by Dr. Alexander Kellis, intended to act as a cure for the common cold, and a cancer-killing strain of Marburg, known as "Marburg Amberlee"—escaped the lab and combined to form a single airborne pathogen that swept around the world in a matter of days. It cured cancer. It stopped a thousand cold and flu viruses in their tracks. It raised the dead...

My Thoughts: This book was not worth ploughing through and unfortunately I gave up after 190 pages. Too much political tedium and information on teenagers blogging for me. There wasn't much action at all and I didn't care for any of the characters. It's a real shame because the front cover is pretty awesome and the blurb read pretty well.

I RATED THIS 1/10

Yes Man - Danny Wallace

Date Read: July 2011

Recently single, Danny Wallace was falling into loneliness and isolation. When a stranger on a bus advises, "Say yes more," Wallace vows to say yes to every offer, invitation, challenge, and chance.

My Thoughts: Brilliant! Danny Wallace is an absolute legend! This was a big, bold and hilarious read that had me thinking about it long after finishing the last page. It's nothing like the film starring a certain Jim Carey - it is so much more than that!

An honest and entertaining account of one man's struggle to come to terms with his own philosophies. A definite winner that should be on everyone's reading list.

I RATED IT 10/10

The Holy Machine - Chris Beckett

Date Read: March 2011

Illyria is a scientific utopia, an enclave of logic and reason founded off the Greek coast in the mid-21st century as a refuge from the Reaction, a wave of religious fundamentalism sweeping the planet. Yet to George Simling, first generation son of a former geneticist who was left emotionally and psychically crippled by the persecution she encountered in her native Chicago, science-dominated Illyria is becoming as closed-minded and stifling as the religion-dominated world outside...

My Thoughts: I thought this was a great book. It had quite a lot of scope, covered some fairly deep issues and had enough imagination to keep me turning pages. It was easy-to-read, very quick, and as one or two people have pointed out, would make a good beach read for those not interested in fluffy chick-lit.

Fans of dystopian novels should give it a try - it won't take too much time from busy schedules. I wouldn't put it on the same standing as Orwell, but it's an entertaining read that shouldn't be dismissed lightly.

I RATED IT 7/10

Zero Hour - S. D. Perry

Date Read: January 2004

Sent to investigate a series of grisly murders in Raccoon City, S.T.A.R.S. Bravo Team scrambles into action. On the way to the scene, Bravo's helicopter crashes. Although everyone survives, what they discover next is gruesome: an overturned military transport truck riddled with corpses -- and that's only the beginning of their nightmare. Bravo Team is about to discover the evil that is growing all around them, and rookie member Rebecca Chambers is beginning to wonder what she's gotten herself into.

My Thoughts: It goes without saying that anyone who loves the Resident Evil games will get more out of this than those who don't. The book is easy-read and puts all of the cheesy charm from the game onto paper, laced with puzzles that Rebecca and Billy seem to solve all too easily. They know exactly what to do straight away, hardly any questions asked. If (like me) you find yourself going round in circles trying to complete some of the games, you will wonder where they managed to draw all of this magic intuition from.

The characters in RE are so well known, and on paper they just seemed to fall flat. The scenery is also not well described (although if you've played the games, this won't be much of a problem).One thing that brought me round a little towards this book is that the action is constant, and you are never bored with it.Not too bad, but could have been so much better!
I RATED IT 4/10