Terrance

This is the second time I've finished both this book and the Dark Tower series. While I still feel the first 3 or 4 books of the series are the strongest I can't deny that I finished this last book with a slight smile and a bit of sadness at saying goodbye to Roland and his compatriots. After Song of Susannah it's refreshing to once again return to Roland's world with it's many mysteries and rich backstory. If there's anything that King has managed to accomplish with this series, it's the creation of a richly detailed world with endless possibilities for future stories. I look forward to what he and others will be able to create using it's detailed tapestry of history.

While this is certainly not a terrible book when compared to other works, it is nonetheless one if the weakest of the Dark Tower novels for me personally. The narrative seems disjointed and the strongest aspect of the series, Mid World and its many strange coincidences, are missing for the vast majority if the story. Despite that it does at least rush us headlong into the conclusive book of the series and serves to give Roland and his companions some impetus on the final stretch to the field of roses and the Dark Tower.

A wonderfully light-hearted take on the more obscure elements of the English language. For anyone who has a passing interest in English this is well worth reading when you have a moment to spare.

I'm really in two minds about this book. On the one hand it's a raw and no holds barred look at the life of an Australian JET ALT with all the hilarity and emotional highs and lows of living in Japan. On the other hand it's a poorly written and seemingly mean spirited criticism of the Japanese people and their country.

The author himself has stated that he has written many of the stories in a tongue in cheek manner and that readers need to keep that in mind. While that is true, the humor fails to be funny in almost all cases and does not work in the written form. Instead of laughing with the author, we as readers are usually left feeling as though he bears grudges against the Japanese people simply because they fail to act in a way that he expects them to.

On top of that the stories are often disjointed and loosely structured so that it is hard to follow along before coming to an abrupt end.

I appreciate the fact that he has taken to time and effort to share his life and thoughts on Japan and I realize that he may well be a wonderful teacher and have loved his time in Japan. But at the same time, the absence of any teaching anecdotes and only brief mentions of his fondness for his students will leave readers with the sense that he merely spent two years traveling around Japan to party and get drunk.

I certainly hope that if he writes about his life in China he will take any criticism of his work to heart and present us with a wonderfully crafted tale of what living and teaching in Asia entails. Both the good and the bad.

A decent tale that enlightens us a bit more about Roland and his ka tet. It's not up to the best that King wrote in the other Dark Tower novels, but neither is it his worst. Fans of the series will certainly get their money's worth and be eager for more afterwards.

A fascinating read in some aspects that touches on both the potential for good and for bad in our exposure and use of technology.

Where it falls flat however is that there seems to be no discernible conclusion or thread that hasn't been grout up before.

Still worth a read if you want to see how humans have changed just as much as the technology that drives our world today.

One of the most amazing books I've ever read. Perfectly written and the character of Shadow is wonderfully crafted an fleshed out over the course of this monumental story. Bravo Neil Gaiman!

A wonderfully told tale that will surprise, scare and unsettle you. What's not surprising is that Neil Gaiman has yet again crafted such a fantastical story.

An excellent read yet again from Terry Pratchett. Vimes is probably his strongest and most well written character and it shows in this book.

Well worth reading and highly recommended. Yet another classic Discworld story.

This collection is pretty sparse when it comes to action packed noir stories. Many of the stories fall flat and left me wondering what the point of the narrative was.

The only redeeming feature is that I didn't have to pay for this.

Avoid this.

A wonderfully innocent and charming read. Characters that any child would instantly fall in love with and a world that holds a great multitude of exciting adventures.

A strong narrative and some intriguing backstory to the enigma that is Roland make this a riveting read.

A wonderfully crafted tale of Booth's journey through a fascinating and culturally unique country. Whimsical and strange adventures lie behind each page.

An average read that didn't manage to enlighten me on Japan in any way. Everything seemed to go in circles and only touch on the surface of many issues with constant comparisons to Britain for some reason. Alan Booth's travel books are a far better way for readers to acquaint themselves with this fascinating country.

A wonderful sequel to The Gunslinger that draws us deeper into both Roland's character and world as well as introducing two interesting new characters. While The Gunsslinger can be seen as a brief introduction that promises much in terms of story, The Drawing of the Three delivers on those promises with some fascinating glimpses into what Roland's quest for the Dark Tower actually means. Highly recommended.

A wonderfully written and engaging book that becomes all the more interesting on a second read through after having become aware of the end of the Dark Tower series. A precursor for Roland Deschain's adventure in travelling ever onwards to the Dark Tower.

Amazingly exhaustive and comprehensive behind the scenes look at one of the most influential movies ever made. A must read for fans and film buffs alike.

Not one of King's greatest works but a nonetheless good read.

A phenomenal and stunning work that serves as a marked departure in the sci-fi genre. A must read for anyone with a passing interest in the evolution of zombie fiction and a remarkable work of literature that deserves to be placed up there with the greatest works of our time.

A must read for any fan of sci fi and a book that may very well change and fine some areas of your life with its views on humanity and our behaviour towards others and ourselves. Still as important a book as it was when it was originally released.

Once gain Stephen King shows that he really has an uncanny knack for extricating suspense and horror from the smallest mundaneness of everyday life. Truth be told I'm a huge fan of his short story collections over and above his more well known long form writing (with the exception of the Dark tower series!) and Just After Sunset is yet another fantastic collection of scares that will keep you reading from the first page until the last.

A good cast of new characters introduces football to the world of Discworld but unfortunately they are not as interesting of complicated as some of the other well known characters such as Sam Vimes or Granny Weatherwax. Nonetheless its still a good read and will having you laughing out loud more often than not. Of course as a football fan myself I loved the actual football in the book!

A wonderfully macabre and touching tale of Nobody Owens and he childhood as a member of a graveyard. Truly an amazing read that ranks up there with some of the very best writing that Nail Gaiman has ever done. And that's saying a lot!

One of the defining comics in the industry and a wonderfully poignant look at life.

Terry Pratchett's Nation is a marked departure for the esteemed author from his Discworld series of books but presents the reader with many of the same issues and underlying messages as his other works. It's certainly well worth a read and introduces us to some truly memorable characters.