Andrew Adam

Enjoyable enough to pass the time, after one chapter I was fairly convinced it was X-Men fanfic. Pretty basic though, lots of wish fulfillment, far too little world-building (tell me more about the fascism!), and, from reading reviews about the Sixties Scoop, a bit problematic in its inspirations. If you like happy endings and easily-resolved conflicts, it's fine as a light read.

One of the reviewers described it as “ambitious”, and that title is well-earned. Incredibly deep world-building, a very believable future, and brilliant research on octopuses, intelligence, and the things beings will do in the name of the greater good. I can see myself coming back to this one again in the future, particularly reflecting on AI and corporate greed.

It was engaging enough that I read it in a day, but I think I probably could have found a better use for the day.

(minor spoilers ahead) The twists are so well-signposted that you can see them half a book away, there's a stack of convenient coincidences, and the epilogue completely undermines the message of “feminism good, misandry bad”.

The Parable of the Sower does a much better job of the world-ending segment, and too many threads are begun but never fleshed out (did Nick single-handedly crash the world economy? how much does the wider commune know? why does Miranda have to do everything herself? did she just start lactating and then stop again?!)

Those questions may intrigue you enough to read the book, but I can't promise you'll find answers to any of them.

The author thanks her editors for toning down her use of italics, and I'm inclined to agree, there were plenty as it was!

It's a classic rom com, and a very easy read. A nice way to pass the time.

Easy to read, and hopeful (which is an underrated and underrepresented category of fiction!) A ever-timely reminder to knock those regrets on the head, celebrate the positive effect you've had on the world, and take agency over what comes next.

A powerful book, but for me, I think it suffered because I read it in parallel with the original Huckleberry Finn - I was expecting a straight perspective shift, rather than a reimagining that diverged first a little and then completely from the original narrative.

Whilst I appreciate the agency given Jim/James to reshape the story, I felt there were missed opportunities (Huck's straightforward rejection of slavery being at odds with the moral quandary it presents him with in the original; missing out on the fate of the King and the Duke; exploring Jim's feelings during and after the shenanigans at Phelp's farm; maybe even contrasting Huck's youthful perception of adventures with Jim's more mature perspective). Also, that's a lot of steamboat disasters for one book.

Ever the critic - some great explorations of white hypocrisy, grim and vivid descriptions of life as a slave, and I enjoyed the code-switching device. But I don't seem to have the level of appreciation for it that the Booker judges did.

I enjoyed it more than Tom Sawyer! I find it a little hard to know what was cutting satire and what was boy's own adventure - I think the deeper reading perhaps eluded me. But enjoyed reading it in parallel with James (Percival Everett), and perhaps my opinion will change once I've finished the latter.

Absolutely worth reading, as a reminder to take a step back and look at what data is telling us. But not without its problems.

I think the core message she emphasises - that sustainability means meeting the needs of current generations as well as future generations - is very valuable. Sustainability is about improving quality of life today, too, and that's often overlooked.

The data quoted is really useful too, in terms of understanding impacts of (for example) different types of farming and land use, and how that should influence our diets.

The strong embrace of nuclear power is one I struggled to understand. Not because of the safety fears - the author is absolutely right that nuclear power is much safer and less damaging on many levels than fossil fuels - but because, as she quotes herself (on p85 of my edition), the cost of PV and wind has plummeted in the past 10 years, whilst nuclear costs have spiralled. It just doesn't make economic sense to build more nuclear (and also, nuclear waste isn't touched upon).

I think it's also limited by the author's decision to avoid any engagement with politics - in terms of political willpower, short-termism, and neo-colonialism (for example around plastic waste).

As with Rosling, the positivity is welcome, but must be tempered by an awareness that these things will not just happen - we need to work at them.

I find it very difficult to fairly judge books that are very clearly of their time. It's a classic, and is very evocative of childhood and the context, but is also very simple, and obviously problematic in its language through today's eyes.

I think my favourite element is the absolutely lurching tonal shifts from schoolboy antics to “whoops, witnessed a murder” and back again.

Why did I read it now? Because I'm about to read James, meaning I need to read Huckleberry Finn to appreciate it, and I'm a completionist who doesn't want to miss out on any context.

Amazingly gripping and educational, I devoured it in a single sitting.

The power and danger of historical fiction - I'll now consider it fact, when clearly assumptions will have to have been made (that said, the research seems bang on). By far my favourite way to learn history (other than Wikipedia).

Having read this and its predecessor within a total of about 24 hours, it would seem this was exactly what my brain needed.

Gods, but it's a realistic portrayal of teenage angst. But also a very easy read!

Affirming, positive, and lovely comfort reading (especially when you've already seen the film but can't remember any names so don't have the central mystery spoiled). And a nice bonus to have bought a copy from Category Is bookshop in Glasgow!

I don't read nearly enough short stories, this collection was tremendous (my favourite being Nice Dog by Vee Martin, for its humour and hope).

Outstanding. Everyone should read this book, and that includes you. Yes, you, reading this review. I have spare copies if you want to borrow one.

If we're going to make a better world, we need to be compassionate, curious, radical, and pragmatic. The author expertly pulls a consistent thread through some of the thorniest issues of our time - cancel culture, free speech, gender non-conformity, how to respond to historical injustices - and gives us the tools to do better.

This should be a core foundational text for anyone who wants to change the world for the better. Read it, share it, practice it, live it.

Outstanding. Everyone should read this book, and that includes you. Yes, you, reading this review. I have spare copies if you want to borrow one.

If we're going to make a better world, we need to be compassionate, curious, radical, and pragmatic. The author expertly pulls a consistent thread through some of the thorniest issues of our time - cancel culture, free speech, gender non-conformity, how to respond to historical injustices - and gives us the tools to do better.

This should be a core foundational text for anyone who wants to change the world for the better. Read it, share it, practice it, live it.

I genuinely think I'll need to re-read it before I'll be able to firm up my opinion on it - so much foreshadowing/doom-signposting throughout that might have been decipherable to a cleverer mind than mine, but that I think I'll only really be able to understand after a second run-through. Which is apt, I suppose.

But on reflection, I'm not invested enough for a re-read, as I think that might only serve to highlight some of the holes in character motivation that I've been ruminating on. It's entertaining and passes the time, that's enough!

The perfect ending to the quartet. Sure, it's a little over-reliant on coincidences that lead to the main characters overlapping, and it's not really explained how one character manages to evade death on three separate occasions, but I can forgive those - the final chapter is a wonderful coda.

Tremendously self-aware, and a fascinating journey through progressive activism over the past hundred and fifty years. I have huge admiration for the author after reading this - I'll be revisiting her back catalogue in due course. In many ways disheartening, but her final chapter filled me with new hope and determination to crack on with building a better world (and having the courage to follow in her forebears' steps by standing up to fascism).

Not as strong as the full novels in the series, but an enjoyable prequel for fans of the series.

It took me a very long time to read, I definitely needed to be in the right brain space! Whilst some of the science is outdated (a lot can change in 20 years), it's still an excellent primer on the history of the world, with the Wizards offering characteristic commentary and interference.

Enjoyable, readable, with a number of surprise twists (maybe a couple too many?) - if questions are answered and loopholes closed in the third book, I may revise my rating up a bit. It felt like it skipped/underegged a lot of emotional processing of the various revelations. I did very much enjoy the barely-concealed caricature of Dominic Cummings!

I didn't get much from it, and what I did mainly relied on me reading it in Bob's voice. Some funny moments, and generally an easy read, but I'd glean more enjoyment from watching him on Gone Fishing or Would I Lie To You.

Immensely readable, humanly stupid and loving characters, and The NPC broke my heart a little.

Cosy fantasy perfectly suited to bibliophiles. I could nitpick about the depth of characterisation, and some of the Satchel shenanigans at the climax, but the warmth and friendship at the heart of the story are the point of the book. A lovely easy read!

I enjoyed it, but it was very much evident that this was a YA author branching into adult fantasy. Really great social commentary, love the politics, the author is searingly good on intersectional issues, and whilst others might have seen a certain revelation about Theo coming, I was very happily blindsided, and it elevated the book from what I thought it was going to be. HMRC an enjoyable play on acronyms, but CIA pushed it too far!