Timstar

There's no stopping you this year! Some great reviews there Gaia

Hi all, I know I haven't updated lately and I generally don't like posting anything negative but unfortunately I need to say that Ivy had to be returned to the re-homing centre. We had some issues that I won't get into but needless to say I was pretty upset. I've wanted a cat as long as I can remember giving her back was the hardest decision ever, especially as it's not good for the cat to be moved so frequently. But ultimately I still believe it was the right decision both for us and Ivy, I just hope she can find a good home. I really appreciate all the support from you guys on here, but this is one issue I would like to avoid discussing if possible please. In happier news I started my new job last week. I am mainly recruiting patients for a lung cancer study and extracting peripheral blood cells for genetic study, but I should be assisting in other projects and further research/analysis. It's going really well, working in a nice small group and they are easing me in slowly. I was very sorry to hear about your father Kylie, I hope you're doing OK! it is a privilege to be working against something that affects so many people. I don't have many reading updates, the only one I have finished lately was Bones of the Hill by Conn Iggulden, the third book of his conqueror series which just keeps getting better. I am currently reading: Les Misérables Deadhouse Gates Evolutionary Void Forest Mage The shortest of which is 600 pages so it might be a while before I get around to finishing any

I noticed that, assumed it was a joke. It also looked like her eyes on screen as oppose to Capaldi's but I might be wrong on that.

Interstellar. Wow. Absolutely incredible film, quite possibly my new favourite film of ever!

That's as adorable as it is hindering! Have you had time for any reading?

Yeah that's what worried me, I had a quick look at it, it is certainly well presented with some great art work. I assume most of it will be explanation of the history that is either implied or just hinted at in the books as well as the larger world such as Dunk and Egg. But it would be interesting if there is something more in there as well.

Not really what I said but OK.

Do you know how much original material is in it? Seems a lot like a money grabbing attempt to me.

Me too, he's like the Jack Kethcum of SF/Fantasy, good for their shock factor but not much more. I have Altered Carbon and Black Man on my TBR pile, no idea when I will get around to them though

The Steel Remains - Richard Morgan Synopsis Ringil, the hero of the bloody slaughter at Gallows Gap is a legend to all who don't know him and a twisted degenerate to those that do. A veteran of the wars against the lizards he makes a living from telling credulous travellers of his exploits. Archeth - pragmatist, cynic and engineer, the last of her race - is called from her work at the whim of the most powerful man in the Empire and sent to its farthest reaches to investigate a demonic incursion against the Empire's borders. Egar Dragonbane, steppe-nomad, one-time fighter for the Empire finds himself entangled in a small-town battle between common sense and religious fervour. But out in the wider world there is something on the move far more alien than any of his tribe's petty gods. Anti-social, anti-heroic, and decidedly irritated, all three of them are about to be sent unwillingly forth into a vicious, vigorous and thoroughly unsuspecting fantasy world. Called upon by an Empire that owes them everything and gave them nothing. Review Although this is my first Morgan book, I knew what to expect from reading reviews of his other work. This was his first attempt at traditional fantasy and his influences are as clear as the personal touches he has added. The first of the trilogy entitled A Land Fit for Heroes, The Steel Remains follows 3 warriors, heroes of the war 10 years ago.They were cast aside during peacetime and have become bitter and resentful and have gotten by by taking any jobs they can. Now all three of them are asked/persuaded/paid to do seemingly unconnected tasks. This series must be unique amongst fantasy as having 2 out of the main 3 characters gay, including Ringil the main protagonist. The sex scenes which show this are graphic and don't make for pleasant reading (not to sound homophobic... they're just really graphic!). It was certainly a bold move but works quite well, some characters perceive him as the Hero of Gallow's Gap where he helped win the war, others just insult and look down upon him for being gay. There is also a lot of swearing, a lot! Especially from Egar but also in the narrative prose, a lot of which felt unnecessary. The Steel Remains had some great fight scenes and well imagined locations, but the story overall felt like it didn't progress much, however, it was fairly short, 400 pages or so and is the first of a trilogy so I will expect more from the second The Cold Commands. Overall 7/10

I've also given up on reading plans and trying to catalogue any kind of TBR list, it's just depressing. What I am doing at the moment is a list of books or series that I would like to read soon just so I don't forget about them. This is pretty flexible though. I avoid changing scores, it's a good way of remembering how I felt about the book after reading it and not with several months hindsight. But I understand why you might want to stop altogether though. I haven't read any Nazi Zombies or Zombie Nazis books, I feel I should though, you know of any better then The Night Boat? I do love some of the brilliantly terrible films about them though!

New addition to the family: We just picked her up yesterday from Woodgreen animal shelter. Her name is Ivy, she's a tabby 1 year 7 months old and is very playful. She settled in quite quickly but is still frightened of any new noise or movement. This is our first ever cat so we are a bit nervous but I think it's going well ETA: She doesn't always look quite so evil!

Cujo- Stephen King Synopsis Once upon a time, not so long ago, a monster came to the small town of Castle Rock, Maine . . . He was not a werewolf, vampire, ghoul, or unnameable creature from the enchanted forest or snow wastes; he was only a cop . . . Cujo is a huge Saint Bernard dog, the best friend Brett Camber has ever had. Then one day Cujo chases a rabbit into a bolt-hole. Except it isn't a rabbit warren any more. It is a cave inhabited by rabid bats.And Cujo falls sick. Very sick. And the gentle giant who once protected the family becomes a vortex of horror inexorably drawing in all the people around him . . . Review Cujo wasn't quite what I expected, which is strange as I have read over 35 King novels to date and Cujo is one of the more well known storylines. Well, half of it was what I expected which is a rapid St Bernard on a killing spree. These sections switched between Cujo's point of view and his victims. The other half went into detail about the residents of Castle Rock (A common setting for King), especially focused around two families the Trenton's and the Camber's. None of this latter half had anything to do with Cujo and seemingly no addition to the storyline. The sections with Cujo were great, King does a good job showing the mind of Cujo, innocent and playful at first, then the illness of the rabies infection followed his decent into madness as the disease takes over. Here, King writes a brilliant blend of both gorey and his more conventional psychological horror that kept me glued to the pages. However the other half of the book felt like King was trying to put more of his own personal struggles in, such as addiction and alcoholism. This felt forced and therefore out of place. As for the characters, the usual array of King suspects are all there but the stand-out was Donna who is put through hell with the reader right along side her, the rest however fell flat as the story didn't hand them any opportunities to develop. So overall it was a bit of a let down, had it been more like Gerald's Game with a tightly focused story on the one horror, I think it would have worked much better, or even it had been edited down to a novella. Overall 6/10

Authorised by whom? Great review, Baxter has quite a few books out I wouldn't mind reading.

The Lady - Very moving film about Aung San Suu Kyi played brilliantly by Michelle Yeoh.

That's really good work, well done! I haven't read The Martian Chronicles yet but I do own it, not sure where it is though :S I read another short story collection called Quicker than the Eye by Bradbury which had some good stories but quite a few forgettable ones.

Sorry, I promise reviews are coming soon, but at the moment I am working through Deadhouse Gates and Les Misérables so those ones will be a while! It was my birthday yesterday (the big 25) and my Father-in-Law took me to see John Cleese at the Cambridge Arts theatre which was awesome! He answers every question with a funny anecdote, he's still full of life even at 75! Front row seats! Also went to see Conn Iggulden this evening talking about his new book. He's a great public speaker, went on for over an hour without notes or slowing

In trying to get the desired pun of Nosferatu, it was necessary to change it in the UK otherwise it doesn't really work. There have been many more instances of whole titles completely changed for much more trivial reasons than that.

It's just because of how the A is pronounced in US compared to over here, it works better with the R in the UK

I certainly preferred Heart-Shaped Box over Horns, it felt more like a traditional horror/suspense novel. Though NOS4R2 is my favourite book of his.

The Internship, ridiculously predictable, in the same vein as Dodgeball but no where near as good. But still not completely terrible in itself.

I hope so! I met Peter F. Hamilton yesterday in Ely, got him to sign my collection Wearing one of his trademark waistcoats, he gave an interesting talk about his writing and a Q&A.

Enjoy A Feast for Crows, I'm sure you will! I recently finished A Handmaid's Tale, I wasn't impressed either, though I wouldn't say I hated it.

Thanks all, although it's only a 12 month contract (there are very few permanent contracts in Science) I think it will lead to bigger and better things. Yeah I really want to try and finish or continue some of the series I have on the go.

Non-Stop, better than I was expecting but nothing groundbreaking. Liam Neeson really needs to start taking some different roles, I hear he's making Taken 3 now... seriously who keeps taking stuff from this guy?