Review: World of the Unknown Ghosts

World of the Unknown Ghosts by Various
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So much fun to read this again.

Full knowing that most people reading this will be fans of the original, Usborne have not bothered to make any serious revisions (presumably, they took out anything racist/sexist by today's standards). Therefore, the stories and pictures are brilliantly quaint. They suggest using a notebook and pen to record any ghostly goings on because, in this World of the Unknown, mobiles aren't a thing.

Being a tad more sceptical than when I first read the book (13; I'm now 39), I realised that many of the ghost stories were very likely to be the result of bad lighting/drafty houses/someone being drunk. However, the story of the cursed WW1 Uboat seemed quite sinister - not because of the supernatural but because of the horrors of submarine life in warfare.

The book sweetly provides a list of further reading but, obvs, I have Google. And - of course - I will be Googling the history of pictures that the book claims aren't fakes immediately after finishing writing this review.



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Review: The Diary of a Bookseller

The Diary of a Bookseller by Shaun Bythell
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was, at times, very funny and insightful. I've always tried to avoid Amazon but this book makes you realise just how damaging the rise of Amazon has been to the independent bookshop industry.

However, I think Bythell's acerbic observations of his customers can sometimes border on the downright mean. Plus, not sure he needed include every diary entry for the whole year as entries were repetitive etc.

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Review: To Be Taught, If Fortunate

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another lovely book from Chambers. The basic premise of all of her books seems to be what people could achieve if they just worked together and weren't so obsessed with being right.

Her skill is that her books never feel preachy or sentimental. Plus, she makes Sci Fi accessible for those (like me) who don't particularly like Sci Fi.

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Review: Matilda

Matilda by Roald Dahl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just as wonderful as when I first read it as a child. As an adult, though, I now realise how subversive and dark Matilda is in places. I was quite besumed that Dahl has a five-year-old reading Brighton Rock - a book I gave up on for being too bleak! Plus, that he has Miss Honey outline the difficulties of leaving an abusive relationship (albeit with an Aunt rather than with a partner) is quite impressive for a kid's book.

But, the magic of Matilda is that it shows kids of all ages that they should celebrate their talents. And that people who belittle others are just nasty bullies.

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Review: Mort

Mort by Terry Pratchett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I don't think this was one of Pratchett's best offerings, but, in fairess, it is one of his early ones (apparently, iit is the first one he was pleased with because it was the first one to have a proper plot). Mort is endearing enough but not a patch on Granny Weatherwax, which is probably why this is the first in the Death series not the first in the Mort series.

Ultimately, though this is a Pratchett book. His mediocre is often better than another writer's best. I suspect I probably will continue the Death series. Discworld is a bit a addictive I've found...

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Review: Fire from Heaven

Fire from Heaven by Mary Renault
My rating: 0 of 5 stars

To be honest, this was a cover buy. I love the Virago modern classics special editions that were brought out last year to celebrate the publishing house's 40th anniversary. I just, erm, I don't want to read them. I've bought four and, so far, I only managed to read one (Their eyes were wathcing God).

I think there's nothing wrong with cover buys but, when you're trying (like I am) to reduce the number of books you DNF (more than 30 this year alone!), you probably should accept you shouldn't get a book unless you would buy it even if it didn't have a pretty cover.

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Review: If Cats Disappeared from the World

If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

An interesting concept - essentially, what would be prepared to give up to have one more day of life? And, would you get to the point when you felt the an extra day of life wasn't worth whatever it was you were giving up?

Somehow, the concept doesn't quite work. Possibly, the translation doesn't quite work? Or the book just doesn't have anything that profound to actually say about life and death?

Overall, a good idea that just isn't fully realised.

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