ian

My first thought was cases where there are language differences, but of course that doesn't really apply to English speaking countries. So I think it must have at least something to do with marketing. We do seem to have a very saturated market, book wise - the sheer number of new books that come out every week are over-whelming. It just isn't possible to read them all, so inevitably, people will tend to stick to something familiar to spend their hard earned cash on. When we do feel the urge for a "new" writer, what do we do? We either read a review, which is all part of the marketing, or we go into a bookshop and see the displays that read something like " if you like writer X, then you'll love Writer Y. Websites like this do play there part of course, but I'd be interested to see how many books become best-sellers based entirely, or mostly, on word of mouth. All of which is a long-winded way of sating I don't really know!

I think I'd have to say the books of Desmond Bagley. He wrote around 20 book from the 60's up to the early 80's - he died around 1984. They were all easy to read thrillers/adventures , usually in exotic places. My absolute favourites were "Running Blind" which was set in Iceland & "The Tightrope Men" set in finland at the height of the cold war. Sorry, I realise this doesn't really fulfil the requirements of a top 5 or 10.

That sounds like an interesting read - great review!

I think the problem for a lot of readers is - if you come to the fantasy genre by reading Hobbit or LOTR first, then you're probably going to be fine. So much of what has been written after has at least some comparison with these, that if you're read lots of other fantasy first, then The Hobbit & LOTR will seem derivative! At least, that's how I've rationalised it to myself. And don't worry, Angury - No one's going to send you into Exile because you don't like a particular book! I'm also not keen on the Hobbit films - I think I annoyed my family when they showed the second one over Christmas. I spent most of it tutting and muttering " that wasn't in the book"

Well, if you don't mind also going into the YA territory, then you can't really go wrong with The Hunger Games books.

I must admit, I've struggled with Brave New World in the past, and was only able to get a few chapters in. At some point, I'm going to have to give it another crack of the whip.

Book 4: Mr Stink by David Walliams The second original, touching, twisted, and most of all hilarious novel for children from David Walliams, number one bestseller and fastest growing children’s author in the country – beautifully illustrated by Quentin Blake. "Mr Stink stank. He also stunk. And if it was correct English to say he stinked, then he stinked as well…” It all starts when Chloe makes friends with Mr Stink, the local tramp. Yes, he smells a bit. But when it looks like he might be driven out of town, Chloe decides to hide him in the garden shed. Now Chloe's got to make sure no one finds out her secret. And speaking of secrets, there just might be more to Mr Stink than meets the eye… or the nose. My thoughts ​My book jar threw this out at me, and I have to say I was quite relieved. All I've read in 2017 so far have been quite heavy, dystopian books. A nice, light read was in order. This was actually my daughters book; she recommended it to me. I'd seen a couple of BBC adaptations: Billionaire Boy & The boy in the dress and enjoyed them. The spirit of Roald Dahl lives on. A very similar style - delighting in all the things kids enjoy - all nasty parents and stinky smells. And I found plenty of laughs for the adults. The scene with the Prime Minister (not actually named, but he asks that you "call hm Dave") had me laughing out loud, as did any scene with Raj the shop owner. And at the end, a rather nicely done moral about treating people kindly, not matter what they look like. I need to raid the kids bookshelves more often! 5/5

I'll be interested to see your thoughts on Tenant of Wildfell Hall. Personally, I'd put it up there with Jane Eyre & Wuthering Heights for Bronte novels

Blimey, just reading your TBR list made me come out in a cold sweat! Hope your mojo finds its way back to you - happy reading!

Great review! I really must go back to Len Deighton. My dad had the "Game, set and Match" trilogy, and they were some of the first "adult" books I attempted to read.

The same! Not that I didn't enjoy most of the books we read. But, looking back, was I really old enough to properly understand To Kill a Mockingbird? And (draws breath), Shakespeare will always be, for me, something to watch, rather than read. (There I said it!) Still, we did some fine books, and she was always complimentary of my book reviews. When I did my mock exam, 6 months before the real thing, I got a B. When I sat down for the real thing, I'm afraid I sat there and thought "what is the actual point of doing a character assessment on a fictional person?" Then my mind went a bit blank. I know I wrote something, but it couldn't have been any good - I got a U. Fortunately, it didn't impact on my love of reading!

Book 3: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury The terrifyingly prophetic novel of a post-literate future. Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to burn books, which are forbidden, being the source of all discord and unhappiness. Even so, Montag is unhappy; there is discord in his marriage. Are books hidden in his house? The Mechanical Hound of the Fire Department, armed with a lethal hypodermic, escorted by helicopters, is ready to track down those dissidents who defy society to preserve and read books. The classic dystopian novel of a post-literate future, Fahrenheit 451 stands alongside Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World as a prophetic account of Western civilization’s enslavement by the media, drugs and conformity. Bradbury’s powerful and poetic prose combines with uncanny insight into the potential of technology to create a novel which, decades on from first publication, still has the power to dazzle and shock.The terrifyingly prophetic novel of a post-literate future. My Thoughts. I'm calling this a re-read, but I admit, that I only remember the first two thirds of the book. Maybe I didn't finish it before. What can I say? This book is rightly a classic, and is in parts, very prophetic in the way technology can sometimes control us. Obviously, in other ways, it can seem a little dated. One of those books you should read, as much as want to. 4/5

I think she would be surprised - particularly considering that I failed English Literature!

I have to share this with some book-lovers. Only you will understand how pleased this makes me. I remember like it was yesterday, being sat in one of my English classes. Our teacher, Mrs Baker, was reading a section of a story that was in a text book. The story was about a man who was arrested because he was walking down the street. I think the point was to show us an example of dystopian fiction. I can still remember the teacher be-moaning the fact that the story and author wasn't named, as she would love to read it. This was in about 1985. I currently re-reading Fahrenheit 451, which always reminds me of that story as there are some definite parallels. Especially as I knew that Ray Bradbury was stopped by the police once for the suspicious behaviour of walking along the street at night. Well, thanks to the internet, I'm now 99% sure that it is in fact "The Pedestrian" by Ray Bradbury, the short story that Bradbury re-worked into Fahrenheit 451. Mrs Baker, if you're out there - thanks for encouraging me to read!

I didn't find the length of the books a problem - they are quite easy reads, in my opinion. The biggest problem I found, especially with the first one, is the fact that just when you've got a handle of the story and the characters; it jumps forward a hundred years or so. That was the point at which I nearly gave up.

Book 2: The Machine stops - E.M. Forster. "The Machine Stops" is a science fiction short story (12,300 words) by E. M. Forster. After initial publication in The Oxford and Cambridge Review (November 1909), the story was republished in Forster's 'The Eternal Moment and Other Stories' in 1928. After being voted one of the best novellas up to 1965, it was included that same year in the populist anthology 'Modern Short Stories'. In 1973 it was also included in 'The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume Two'. The book is particularly notable for predicting new technologies such as instant messaging and the internet. (Taken from Goodreads) My thoughts. This short story was mentioned in a letter to a newspaper on new years day. It piqued my interest, and I was able to find a copy to download. The story involves a woman (Vashti) who lives, like everyone else on earth, underground, alone in a hexagonal room, where her every need is taken care of by The Machine. Virtually all human contact takes place through screens, physical contact has become repellent and attention span seems to have deteriorated to about 10 minutes. In lots of respects, this story predicts the way technology divorces us from real life and interaction with real people. Considering when it was written, that's quite astounding. Inevitably, in other places, the story can seem quite dated, and I found myself liking it more for its message, than for the story itself. 3/5

Catcher in the rye - finished it, but I really can't say that it impressed me much Catch-22 - a bit unfair of me, I couldn't get past the first chapter. It still amazes me that it's held up as one of the funniest books of all time. Life of PI - also seems to get a few people arguing - that's one a particularly liked. Lord of the Rings - too long? Too boring? Too much poetry? But I'd put it as my favourite book ever. Fifty shades of Grey - not one I've ever read, or likely to, but it does seem to polarize opinion!

Book 1: The City of Mirrors - Justin Cronin #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A thrilling finale to a trilogy that will stand as one of the great achievements in American fantasy fiction.”—Stephen King You followed The Passage. You faced The Twelve. Now enter The City of Mirrors for the final reckoning. As the bestselling epic races to its breathtaking finale, Justin Cronin’s band of hardened survivors await the second coming of unspeakable darkness. The world we knew is gone. What world will rise in its place? The Twelve have been destroyed and the terrifying hundred-year reign of darkness that descended upon the world has ended. The survivors are stepping outside their walls, determined to build society anew—and daring to dream of a hopeful future. But far from them, in a dead metropolis, he waits: Zero. The First. Father of the Twelve. The anguish that shattered his human life haunts him, and the hatred spawned by his transformation burns bright. His fury will be quenched only when he destroys Amy—humanity’s only hope, the Girl from Nowhere who grew up to rise against him. One last time light and dark will clash, and at last Amy and her friends will know their fate. My Thoughts I always approach the final book in a series with a slight sense of dread. Will it live up to expectations? In the case of this trilogy, I had an extra sense of dread. The Passage - the first book - was an absolute 5 star epic for me, but The Twelve did disappoint a little. It was too light, reading more like a standard thriller rather than the more detailed and slower paced first book? I'm glad to say it really didn't disappoint. This book is weighty, in all senses of the word. The story starts initially where The Twelve left off, but, as he did with both of the previous two, the author isn't afraid to take a mighty leap in time, this time backwards from a post-viral future approximately 100 years in our future back to the late 1980's. And then take 100 pages to fill in a backstory on Tim Fanning, the original source of the virus that almost wipes out mankind. That kind of detour may put some people off, but I loved it. All of the loose ends are tied up nicely and the characters that you invest so much time in reach some satisfying conclusions. A word of warning - don't even attempt to read this unless you've read the first two books - they won't make any sense. But I can't recommend them enough 5/5

There was something about the first episode that made it a little disappointing. Still enjoyed it - but when I compare it against the very high standard of this programme, it wasn't quite there. I can't pinpoint what it was that I wasn't happy with - so maybe I just had too high an expectation. Still a good watch though. The second episode however was all kinds of awesome

Happy new year everyone! I thought I would be setting up this new page much sooner than I have. My excuse is the only reasonable one for a book forum - I've been too busy reading! I did think I could wait until I had finished the first book of the year, but it turns out that what I'm reading is deceptive. It doesn't look 600 pages long, and the writing is dense. I've never found a better way to explain it than that. Some books, you can read a page a second it feels like. The words flow off the page and into the brain. And while they are with this; they do it slowly. Not to say I'm not enjoying it - quite the opposite I'm 400 odd pages in and loving every word but... I guess some books are like fast food. Tasty, easily devoured. This is more like a gourmet meal; I'm savouring every mouthful. So what is it? It's "The City of MIrrors " by Justin Cronin. The final book in The Passage trilogy. I've been waiting for this to come out for ages and it was one of my Xmas pressies. Sense told me to re-read the first two books again first as it's been so long, but when did sense come into it when there is an unread book staring at you! Anyway, that's me for now. Happy reading everyone!

Blow Back by Peter May When France's top chef, Marc Fraysse, summoned the world's press to make a shattering announcement, rumors abounded that he was about to lose one of his three coveted Michelin stars. Instead, on arrival at his remote restaurant on a volcanic plateau in central France, they were greeted with the news that the troubled genius had been murdered, and the message he intended to deliver was never made. Seven years on, the identity of his killer also remains an enigma. Enzo Macleod takes on his fifth cold case and delves into the big business and high stakes of French haute cuisine. As winter sets in, and snow gathers along a volcanic horizon, he retraces long cold footsteps across a remote hilltop. But unravelling the complex web of relationships that surrounded the brilliant and mercurial chef - a spurned lover, a jealous wife, an estranged brother, an embittered food critic--also leads to strange parallels with his own life. And in opening up this celebrated cold case, he finds himself reopening old wounds from his past (taken from Goodreads) My Thoughts I thought I would enjoy this more than I did. I didn't really warm much to the main character - Enzo Mcleod. Maybe it's dropping into a series in the middle, rather than starting at the beginning, but he (Enzo) comes across as a bit of an insufferable know-it-all. He knows about wine, he knows about food. He can solve crimes that have baffled everyone else for years. Naturally, every woman in his presence falls for his charms. But, fair play, this is a memorable crime and it's well written and obviously well researched. The relationship between Enzo & the female police officer goes into a direction that I wasn't expecting and so was refreshing in what can be a bit of a cliche in crime novels of this type. I obviously need to read more. 3/5

Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver James Bond, in his early thirties and already a veteran of the Afghan war, has been recruited to a new organization. Conceived in the post-9/11 world, it operates independent of MI5, MI6 and the Ministry of Defense, its very existence deniable. Its aim: To protect the Realm, by any means necessary. A Night Action alert calls James Bond away from dinner with a beautiful woman. Headquarters has decrypted an electronic whisper about an attack scheduled for later in the week: Casualties estimated in the thousands, British interests adversely affected. And Agent 007 has been given carte blanche to do whatever it takes to fulfill his mission . . . My Thoughts Jeffery Deaver & James Bond? What could go wrong? Well, something could, because I was left feeling a little underwhelmed by this. My first problem was the first couple of chapters. It felt like Deaver was trying just a bit too hard to introduce little bits to make the book seem more British. And he didn't need to - he got it pretty much nailed down. Also, we seemed to spend a lot of time at the start re-introducing James Bond, who in this book is a modern day Bond. Is that really necessary? It settles down after the first quarter, and becomes much more readable, but still, it didn't come across to me as very exciting, and I can't pinpoint why. Perhaps my expectations of this book were just too high. 3/5

The Twelfth Card by Jeffrey Deaver A nail-biting suspense about why a professional hit-man would target a brilliant high-school girl, who is digging into a 140 year old mystery about her ancestor & his shocking secret My Thoughts. I've read a few of these now, so I know what to expect: lots and lots of twist, most of which you won't see coming. And if you do, it will be a double bluff. It's fast-paced, without losing any readability. My only problem? I guess that most readers. like me, know that there are twists, and so we look harder for them. This means that the author has to work harder to keep us on our toes; a kind of arms-race of red-herrings! So, at times, I did feel like I was being tricked, rather than just reading a book. Still really good though, so 4/5. Interestingly, I picked this up at a charity shop without really looking at it. It turned out to be an "uncorrected bound proof" copy, which isn't something I've come across before

I've still not read any Peter May, which is a massive omission in my reading. Your post has made me want to pick some up again!

Solar by Ian McEwan Michael Beard is a Nobel prize–winning physicist whose best work is behind him. Trading on his reputation, he speaks for enormous fees, lends his name to the letterheads of renowned scientific institutions, and half-heartedly heads a government-backed initiative tackling global warming. While he coasts along in his professional life, Michael’s personal life is another matter entirely. His fifth marriage is crumbling under the weight of his infidelities. But this time the tables are turned: His wife is having an affair, and Michael realizes he is still in love with her. When Michael’s personal and professional lives begin to intersect in unexpected ways, an opportunity presents itself in the guise of an invitation to travel to New Mexico. Here is a chance for him to extricate himself from his marital problems, reinvigorate his career, and very possibly save the world from environmental disaster. Can a man who has made a mess of his life clean up the messes of humanity? A complex novel that brilliantly traces the arc of one man’s ambitions and self-deceptions, Solar is a startling, witty, and stylish new work from one of the world’s great writers (from Goodreads) My Thoughts Oh boy, I struggled with this one. It's actually quite difficult to pinpoint why. It's certainly well written, and there were some chapters that I zipped through. Others just dragged for me. I think in part was that I really didn't like the protagonist, Michael Beard. I get that he's meant to be unlikable, but he really is irritating at times. There are some funny parts (there is an incident with a zip at the arctic circle that had me both laughing and cringing) but they don't come often enough for me. It's not a long book, but it sometimes felt that way. 3/5