IM BACK!!!!!!!!!!

 After two years away from my blog and with all the COVID restrictions, I thought it was time to breathe in some fresh air to my much-neglected blog. So here is my first review in a LONG LONG TIME.

An intriguing look into a job very few people would be able to do. This book started as an article for a magazine but the author soon saw that there so much more to tell. As well as the story of cleaning up what is left behind after a death, this book also tells the tale of a very savvy and driven business person.

Be warned this is not a book for the squeamish or even slightly squeamish. The author does a great job of describing the work at hand as he suits up to help out. I for one will never look at my bathtub the same again. One for those that like a book a bit left of center. 

RATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is no school like the old school and James Herbert is one of the masters of old school. In The Rats he delivers up a squirm fest of man eating rats on the rampage through London and it's surrounds.

It is quite easy to look over such books as relic of a by gone age in which horror was valued more for its shock value than narrative. This story serves up  a strong storyline with well fleshed out characters that draw you into the story. This is complimented by a smattering of gore and terror that will sate the hunger of most horror fans.

I am eager to delve into the second book of this series to see where the rats strike next. It could be in a suburb near you so keep a wary eye out. The Rats is a great example of 70's horror that reads just as well in the new  century as it did then.

3.5 Stars



I'm Back With Mythos

Stephen Fry brings the legends and tales of the Ancient Greeks back into the public eye and does it in a completely spell binding way. I put up my hand and admit that this is my first Stephen Fry book and I feel in love with his writing style straight away. We have all heard some of the stories from this era but if you are like me this exposure was only a small amount. So for me a lot of these where for brand new stories and Stephen Fry ability to make them relevant to readers of today is remarka Stephen Fry brings the legends and tales of the Ancient Greeks back into the public eye and does it in a completely spell binding way. I put up my hand and admit that this is my first Stephen Fry book and I feel in love with his writing style straight away. We have all heard some of the stories from this era but if you are like me this exposure was only a small amount. So for me a lot of these where for brand new stories and Stephen Fry ability to make them relevant to readers of today is remarkable. So if you want to return to the tales of old if you are like me hear them for the first time then you can't go past this book. I am looking forward to sampling more of Mr Fry's offerings. 4 Stars

Hops & Glory by Pete Brown

Hops and Glory tells the story of one man quest to recreate and replicate the epic journey that turned swill into the glory that is IPA. Pete Brown book is a masterful melding of a travelogue, history and damn good story telling.

From the moment I started reading this book I knew I was in for something special and a little off the beaten track. The authors love for his subject borders on severe OCD at times and the cast of characters we meet along he way are larger than life.

So join the author on this trip of a life time and take back a step in time as well as getting a look at the rise of the beer to it's new heights.

3.5 Stars

Blood River

History is best told from the ground level from where it came from. Blood River tells the history of the Congo from this view and does it with gusto. Tim Butcher combines history with his travel's through this area as he tries to follow in the steps of the great explorer Stanley.

 

The thought of trying to travel through one of the worlds most dangerous areas is enough to entice any reader with a sense of adventure. By following in the Stanley footsteps he enters parts of Congo's that not even the U.N will venture.

This is a tale of history, travel, war, corruption, adventure and most of important at all the people of the Congo. Tim Butcher has delivered a masterpiece of history and travel adventure balanced perfectly that takes the reader on to the Congo river, mosquitoes and all.

4 Stars

   

It' Death But Not As You Know It

I love these books that cover subjects that happen everyday but not many people want to talk about. Caitlin Doughty brings the reader into the world of death, crematoriums and the funeral business. She does it with a touch of humour, decorum and most importantly with honesty.

Smoke in your eyes also looks at culturally how we have dealt with our dead in the history. This is a wonderfully balanced book and her personal stories are sure to raise a few readers eyebrows. In the end this book left me with a new appreciation on how we care and dispose of our dead and made me sad our culture has distanced us from the whole process of death.

3.5

The Sting Of The Wild

As the title suggests this book is about wild things that sting. Further to this it is about a entomologist who has come up with a scale to rate such stings. Being an Australian I was unaware of a lot of these little critters but that did not diminish my enjoyment of this book.
The Sting Of the Wild is mainly a story of the evolution of Insects and their defence systems. It is also a story of the authors own life fascination on the subject and his journey close and far afield to study them. Overall a good and entertaining read just lacked the sting in the tale to make it a great one.

3 Stars