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Review - Maggot Moon Synopsis Amazon A starkly original and heartbreaking tale of friendship and rebellion 50% Friendship, 20% Danger, 20% Rebellion, 10% Conspiracy Shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal and a 2012 Costa Award winner. Narrated against the backdrop of a ruthless regime determined to beat its enemies in the race to the moon, MAGGOT MOON is the stunning new novel from award-winning author Sally Gardner. When his best friend Hector is suddenly taken away, Standish Treadwell realises that it is up to him, his grandfather and a small band of rebels to confront and defeat the ever-present oppressive forces of the Motherland. Utterly original and stunning, it is impossible not to be moved by MAGGOT MOON's powerful story and the unforgettable heroism of Standish. Review I picked up this book with some birthday vouchers after been enticed by the synopsis and cover (not actually the one pictured). I hadn't actually heard of it before but was intrigued enough to give it a go. The story follows Standish Treadwell, a school boy with special needs, during his time at school. Standish lives in a nation that filters all media and controls everything. The state is the law and everyone follows the rules or pays the price, think North Korea. Around the time the book is set this empire is about to launch a moon mission and plant weapons on the moon to destroy all the 'motherlands' enemies, or so its citizens believe. See the premise sounds really exciting. The chapters are incredibly short, some just a paragraph and are told from the perspective of Standish. I did enjoy finding out about everyday life for the citizens of this regime and some of the plot points were fairly interesting. My main problem with the book is the way it is told. I have read many books told from children's perspectives, including those with additional needs, but for me this doesn't quite hit the mark. I also found the plot points fairly simple and the ending was quite lear a way off. Overall I am a bit disappointed with this book and would only recommend it as a quick read if you can find it cheap and are interested in learning a bit about how people leave in an oppressed regime. 6/10

I have finished Maggot Moon and will post my thoughts on it soon. I have about 25% of I Am The Secret Footballer left and hope to finish it over the next couple of days.

Well I haven't been on for a while. I have invested in a new kindle in the time that I have been away and I am almost at the end of two books. Maggot Moon and I Am The Secret Footballer. Hope to get both finished by the end of the week.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes all. I took quite some time to choose the books I spent my vouchers on with much picking up and then changing my mind. Waterstones have many appealing looking books at the moment. In the end i went for: Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner Alex by Pierre Lemantre The Honey Guide by RIchard Crompton Lost at Sea by Jon Richardson

Well it was my birthday yesterday and as a result I have been given two new books along with some lovely book vouchers. The books were given to me based upon my passion for cricket and they were; CMJ: A Cricketing Life - Christopher Martin Jenkins Twirlymen - Amol Rajan I am heading home from France today so will have to pop to Waterstones in the next couple of days and decide what to spend my vouchers on.

The Age of Miracles - Karen Thompson Walker Synopsis - Amazon WHAT IF our 24-hour day grew longer, first in minutes, then in hours until day becomes night and night becomes day? 'It is never what you worry over that comes to pass in the end. The real catastrophies are always different - unimagined, unprepared for, unknown…' What if our 24-hour day grew longer, first in minutes, then in hours, until day becomes night and night becomes day? What effect would this slowing have on the world? On the birds in the sky, the whales in the sea, the astronauts in space, and on an eleven-year-old girl, grappling with emotional changes in her own life..? One morning, Julia and her parents wake up in their suburban home in California to discover, along with the rest of the world, that the rotation of the earth is noticeably slowing. The enormity of this is almost beyond comprehension. And yet, even if the world is, in fact, coming to an end, as some assert, day-to-day life must go on. Julia, facing the loneliness and despair of an awkward adolescence, witnesses the impact of this phenomenon on the world, on the community, on her family and on herself. Review I bought this book as I was really interested in the premise of the Earth's rotation is slowing and the effect this would have on the planet and its inhabitants. The story is told through the eyes of Julia, a secondary school student living in California. Because of this the book has two main strands. The first is the describing of the 'slowing' and the effect this has on not just Julia but also her community and the world as a whole. The second is a coming of age tale as Julia deals with the issues of growing from a girl into a woman. Personally I found the parts about the slowing absorbing and left me eager to read on and find out more however the parts about Julia having crushes on boys and falling out with friends I didn't enjoy as much. I feel there are much better coming of age tales out there and this part of the book didn't particularly engage me. The book was very easy to read and I managed it in a couple of days, which nowadays for me is quite something. The style is fairly simplistic as it is told through Julia's eyes and we get her opinion on most things. Through her narrative Julia often hints at world events and what's to come as a result of the slowing without directly talking about them which I found a good device to keep the reader up to speed on its effects. Overall I did enjoy this book but wold have preferred it to concentrate more on the excellent premise of the world is slowing, our days are getting longer, what do we do? I would still recommend it as a good read read though and I look forward to reading other work by this author. 7/10

Back Story - David Mitchell Synopsis - Amazon David Mitchell, who you may know for his inappropriate anger on every TV panel show except Never Mind the Buzzcocks, his look of permanent discomfort on C4 sex comedy Peep Show, his online commenter-baiting in The Observer or just for wearing a stick-on moustache in That Mitchell and Webb Look, has written a book about his life. As well as giving a specific account of every single time he's scored some smack, this disgusting memoir also details: • the singular, pitbull-infested charm of the FRP (‘Flat Roofed Pub’) • the curious French habit of injecting everyone in the arse rather than the arm • why, by the time he got to Cambridge, he really, really needed a drink • the pain of being denied a childhood birthday party at McDonalds • the satisfaction of writing jokes about suicide • how doing quite a lot of walking around London helps with his sciatica • trying to pretend he isn’t a total **** at Robert Webb’s wedding • that he has fallen in love at LOT, but rarely done anything about it • why it would be worse to bump into Michael Palin than Hitler on holiday • that he’s not David Mitchell the novelist. Despite what David Miliband might think Review I picked this book up as I find David Mitchell very funny on many of the panel shows I enjoy and also saw it recommended on a thread on these forums. The book follows Mitchell as he walks from his home in Kilburn to BBC television centre. Along the way each landmark is noted and reminds Mitchell about some part of his past as we follow his story from Primary school up to the present day. I found the book relatively amusing and it was written exactly as you would imagine Mitchell to say it. Most of the anecdotes were fairly interesting and I did enjoy finding out about his rise to fame. He clearly portrays how hard it is to make it in the tv world and the fact you need a lot of luck as well as talent. Overall I did enjoy the book but not quite as much as I was expecting. I can't really put my finger on exactly why though. 7/10

Well my holiday reading has progressed nicely and I have finished two books in the past week, Back Story by David Mitchell and The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker. The reviews will follow soon. I only have a couple of days left in France so now need to decide what book to make a start on and then continue back in England.

The Crucifix Killer - Chris Carter Synopsis Amazon When the body of a young woman is discovered in a derelict cottage in the middle of Los Angeles National Forest, Homicide Detective Robert Hunter finds himself entering a horrific and recurring nightmare. Naked, strung from two wooden posts, the victim was sadistically tortured before meeting an excruciatingly painful death. All the skin has been ripped from her face - while she was still alive. On the nape of her neck has been carved a strange double-cross: the signature of a psychopath known as the Crucifix Killer. But that's impossible. Because two years ago, the Crucifix Killer was caught and executed. Could this therefore be a copycat killer? Or could the unthinkable be true? Is the real killer still out there, ready to embark once again on a vicious and violent killing spree, selecting his victims seemingly at random, taunting Robert Hunter with his inability to catch him? Hunter and his rookie partner are about to enter a nightmare beyond imagining. Review I purchased this book some time ago when it was first released but for some reason I have constantly overlooked it as my next book to read. It is the debut novel of Chris Carter and introduces the character Robert Hunter who now features in three other books by the author. I haven't read a crime novel in a little while and fancied going back to the genre. This book is a very fast paced thriller that moves along to its conclusion very swiftly. I found the characters a little cliche and some of the chapters written just to try and add back story and intrigue to them. I found this book very gruesome and some of the murders were really unpleasant and went into quite graphic detail. I also felt I saw the killer coming from fairly early on in the book. Overall it was an ok book. I have purchased the next in the series as it was on offer for 99p on kindle and will read it at some point, hopefully the author will improve over time. 7/10

Well thanks to a long ferry ride and a very wet first day in France I have finished 'The Crucifix Killer' by Chris Carter (review to follow soon) and I am now about 60 pages into 'Back Story' by David Mitchell. Hopefully I will be able to keep the reading pace up.

Well reading has been going slow but now that I have the summer in front of me I hope to pick up the pace. Off on holiday soon with a long reading list and the hope I will make a big dent in it. I am about 120 pages into the crucifix killer and have found it ok so far. Very gory and in my opinion some poor writing in places but not going to give up on it.

I saw this book in a bookshop yesterday and thought that looks really interesting, I was in a hurry so didn't have to time to look and read the blurb. Thanks to your review I will be going back to buy it. A great review Poppy and your thread is always such a great place for me to find new books I really enjoy!!

Well my busy period at work has finally come to an end, so I will have a little more time to enjoy some reading at last. Plus my holiday is only 2 and a half weeks away!! I have made a start on "The Crucifix Killer' by Chris Carter as I fancied a crime novel and this is his debut that has been sat on my shelf waiting to be read for a couple of years.

Hope you enjoy 'Eleven' Devi. I thought it was excellent when I read it a couple of years ago. As I said in my review don't think this book is quite up to that standard but still a good read!

Thanks Athena, I hope you enjoy reading it when you get around to it and I will look out for your review.

The Knot - Mark Watson Synopsis - Amazon Dominic Kitchen is a wedding photographer. Every Saturday since his career began in the sixties he has photographed a bride and groom on the happiest day of their lives, captured the moment they tied the knot forever, and then faded away into the background. But throughout his life, Dominic has felt a knot inside him tighten, threatening his own chance of a happy ever after. And as the years go by, it becomes more difficult to ignore, until the ties that bind threaten to tear him apart… Review I picked this book up at the supermarket after reading Watson's first book 'Eleven' and really enjoying it. I liked his sense of humour in his stand up comedy and felt he also bought that to his first novel. This book follows Dominic through his life from his very first memories till around his fifties. He is a wedding photographer and the story revolves around his growing love of photography, his job, his personal life and his big secret. The knot in the title refers to a feeling Dom gets in his stomach every time this secret rears its head. Without giving too much away the secret centres on a very taboo subject and one that is very rarely discussed in society. I found myself enjoying the book as I learnt more and more about Dom and his family and always wanted to read a little more to find out what happens next. Watson has a very easy style of writing to me and one I really enjoy reading. There is humour in there but probably not in the same amounts as in his first book. As the book wore on I did get the feeling it wasn't really going anywhere and to a certain extent I was right. This book simply is a snapshot of the life of a wedding photographer, one who just happens to have one very big secret. Despite this I still enjoyed it and was disappointed when it came to an end. I don't think I particularly liked any of the characters in the book but did enjoy getting a glimpse into their lives. Overall I found the book enjoyable but preferred his previous novel. 8/10

I have finished 'The Knot' by Mark Watson this morning and a review will follow soon. Have lots of very tempting books lying on my TBR pile at the moment but not sure what I'm in the mood for. Hopefully something will grab my interest later today.

I read this book towards the end of June and initially gave it an 8/10 but the more I have reflected back on it since and again when answering these questions the less impressed I have been with it. 1- Who was your favourite character? For me this is a tough one as initially I did like Harold but as the story wore on I felt less and less connection with the reason for his pilgrimage and saw him as a bit of a sell out when he agreed to the sponsorship deal from the energy drink company. Initially I didn't like Maureen as I found the fact she just let Harold go a bit unbelievable but she grew on me as the book progressed. So overall I would say my favourite character depended on what part of the book I was reading. 2- Was there a particular part you enjoyed more than the rest? I did enjoy the initial part of the walk and Harolds descriptions of the English countryside and his reflections back on the mistakes he had made in life. 3- Was this the first book you've read in this genre/ by this author, has it encouraged you to read more? The is the first book by Rachel Joyce I have read and will probably be my last. 4- Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with? I struggled with the end of the book, pretty much from where the pilgrims joined. Although in our age of 24 hour news this probably would happen in real life I felt that the pilgrims themselves were a bit exaggerated as characters and I certainly don't think news channels etc would start following the new pilgrims on the final part of the walk and leave Harold alone. 5- Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience? At the time I did quite enjoy reading it but at the end and reflecting back after I am a little disappointed. 6- How important do you think the girl in the garage was? Very as it gave Harold the justification, however unbelievable it was, to start the journey. 7- Why do you think strangers who met Harold wanted to help him? Because people are inherently good and people enjoy supporting others in seemingly impossible tasks. 8- Are there any morals to be drawn from the other "pilgrims" who joined Harold? That some people are only interested in what is in it for me. I felt these pilgrims were however very exaggerated characters and most of them quite unbelievable. 9- Did he help Queenie in the end at all? Well I feel that Queenie did hang on to see Harold one last time but did doing that and living a few months more in the condition she was in help her, i'm not so sure. 10- Was Harold's Pilgrimage all in vain ? No as Harold came to terms with a lot of his demons and saved his marriage in the process.

So at the moment my work is kind of taking a back seat to the reading. Am about 200 pages into 'The Knot' now and still not sure where it is going. Am hoping it will turn out to be somewhere great but I am starting to get just a few feelings that there may be a great big build up to nothing... hopefully not. Picked up a couple of books on Kindle over the past couple of days. David Mitchell - Back Story (after reading a thread about in the non-fiction section by Poppy and Frankie I think) John O'Farrell - The Man Who Forgot His Wife - I have read 'The Best a Man Can Get' before and really enjoyed it. I really must stop buying books now!!

Wow! Impressive mind reading powers your husband has. Hope you enjoy the book, I certainly am so far. About 130 pages in now.

Thanks Ben, looks like an upgrade might be heading my way too.

Sorry to hijack your thread Ben but my original kindle is heading the same way as yours I fear and was just interested in what you make of the new paperwhite compared to the original kindle.

It is currently a very busy time at work at the moment. Things should ease off next week but it has slowed my reading a little. I have made a start on 'The Knot' by Mark Watson and am currently about 100 pages in. I'm not really sure where it is going at the minute as the early chapters have all been the narrator of the tales life story but I am enjoying it and again the style it is written in. Hopefully will manage to keep reading a little over the next busy week and finish it the week after.

Well I have just watched the trailer for World War Z and read a couple of reviews of it and I don't think it could be anything less like the book. The zombies in the book are slow and make loud noises meaning it is easy for people to hear them coming and take action however the ones in the clips I have seen run like Usain Bolt! Also the reviews talk about lots of zombies taking over planes and that the final cure is found in a laboratory in Wales none of which happens in the book. I think the rights have only been bought to try and get more people interested in the film as I can't see anything of the book in it at all from what I've seen/read so far.

World War Z - Review Synopsis - Amazon It began with rumours from China about another pandemic. Then the cases started to multiply and what had looked like the stirrings of a criminal underclass, even the beginnings of a revolution, soon revealed itself to be much, much worse. Faced with a future of mindless, man-eating horror, humanity was forced to accept the logic of world government and face events that tested our sanity and our sense of reality. Max Brooks lives in New York City but is ready to move to a more defensible location at a moment's notice. His Zombie Survival Guide was adopted by all of the world's basic military training programmes during the recent global conflict. Review I bought this book in the Kindle Spring sale as it was only 99p. I hadn't really heard much about it and wasn't aware it was being made into a film but thought the premise sounded interesting. The book is written as a series of interviews with survivors of a global war between humanity and the undead. Some of the interviews are with military commanders, other with every day civilians. The book is broken into chapters that detail the initial outbreak, the spreading panic, the first battles, survival and the fightback. Each extract is fairly short and is introduced by a short synopsis of the interviewees experiences of the war. The interviews take place around the world with many different nationalities. I have to say on the whole I did enjoy the book, especially the early parts that detailed the outbreak and how different countries dealt with it. There were certainly some extracts I preferred to others but on the whole I liked the way the book was written. As the book continued I did feel it lost its way somewhat as we got more and more extracts from military personal rather than the everyday person and there were also some questions I felt it left unanswered. Overall I really enjoyed the book but realise it wont be to everyones tastes. 8/10