Review: War School

Publisher: Matador

Price: £ 11.99

This is exactly how I would imagine a teenage boys mind to be! But, maybe I imagined more sex! This is the story of Jake and his mad ass adventures in and around Warworld. I didn't really know what to expect from this book at all. Mr Ramsden had said to me on Twitter that it is like Narnia on drugs and I think that that is indeed a fair description! 

This does indeed feel like you are trapped inside a teenage boy's mind. The only criticism I would have is that the language is very eloquent and mature and the observations far too intelligent for any real teenage boy who isn't some kind of literary prodigy...but I can let that slide as I think I am just being picky!

There is a feeling of escapism about the whole thing and the book defo seems to me to be a tale of morals and lessons learned. The observations of mundane and normal life are very impressive in their insightfulness and their sarcastic and quickly done off the cuff amusements. 

The Under Her Spell sections are very dark and very creepy as well as intimidating and set an entirely different tone compared to the rest of the novel. They also seem far more off the wall than the rest of the book which I believe is saying something!! Hee hee!

This was, for me anyway, more of a YA novel than an adult novel but I would like to read more of Mr Ramsden's stuff to see what else his mad imagination can create for our enjoyment. This won't be for everyone, especially not the girly girls but it is a different, interesting and fun read!

Happy Reading

Book Geek

:-p

P.S. I KNEW all the best stuff was in hell!!!

P.P.S. Mr Ramsden has informed me that this is indeed a YA novel! (updated 2 hours after posting)

Review: The Understanding of Women

Publisher: Self I believe

ebook Price: 96p

First off I must say that Miss Matthewson is lovely!! She can be found on twitter @J9London and she is a bloody daemon at Words With Friends.

Now, on to the important part...

Mummy Geek read only the first page of this novella but she was intrigued to read more. I thankfully read all of it and I was delighted to do so!

I thoroughly enjoyed the style of this piece. The sentence structure and language are very precise, to the point and somewhat blunt but with an edge of sarcasm, there is almost a tone of superiority but with a tongue in cheek edge and it is thoroughly enjoyable! The whole thing is written as if you are looking at it from a slightly higher plateau of knowledge and superiority.

The flashbacks are fantastic. They are written so well that you can see them very clearly in your head. The character descriptions are almost film like and you can almost see the person pop up and sort of stand around in their unique way for you to give them the once over!

With regards to the characters, Maybe-Meg is a total babe! I love her! She rules! James made me feel like I was on the edge of madness. The dude had a bit of a Catch 22 element about him which was unnerving but kept me on my toes. The characters as a whole really hit a cord with me and they reminded me of very specific friends of mine. I would name them but then that would be mean and my anonymity may be gone forever!!

The story felt like it should be sad but, it made me feel hopeful. In a word, this novella is, beautiful!

Happy Reading

Book Geek
:-D

P.S. I wish all tube drivers were like the one in this story!!

Review: Ecko Rising

Publisher: Titan Books

Price: £ 7.99

I hadn't ever read a sci-fi book by a female author before. Don't know why, just never had so I was most excited! And by gum did Ms Ware do a wonderful job! 

The novel is a clash of titans, sci-fi gets plonked straight in the middle of fantasy! It is like a genre head to head mash up and it is fantastic! So cleverly done and so well executed that you aren't sure on occasions which genre this book is actually meant to fall in to! The sci-fi elements are bleak, dark and futuristic but the fantasy elements are full of quest, adventure and olden timey fires, swords and heros on horses. 

Looking at the characters this mash up is pretty obvious also. Ecko is your sci-fi man and a total marmite character, well he is for me anyway! I don't know if I want to punch him or love him but he is great and provides a bit of a parody element to the fantasy feel of the novel. He pokes fun at the formulaic aspects of fantasy novels and the quest element that usually unfolds in books of the genre. It is very entertaining, yet, I hope I haven't read too much in to him. Another character I'd like to big up whilst I am on characters is Redlock! I loved him, he is a total dude! He is my falling in love character for this book!

When it came to the plot the phrase totally bat shit crazy works well. It was mental! You have no idea if you are coming of going, who to love, who to hate, who is good, who is evil or what exactly the plot is on occasion. However, all the to-ing and fro-ing and craziness just makes this book more compelling and even more of a page turner. You are gripped from the off and have so many different questions floating around at one time that you need to keep reading! But have no fear, the clouds do part and the whole thing is hugely fulfilling!

This really is a cracking read and if you are a fantasy fan but not a sci-fi fan I urge you to give this a go. I've always swayed to the world of fantasy but I think I need to broaden my sci-fi horizons a bit more after reading this. Ms Ware certainly has the bogey man's luck with her! And there had better bloody be another one!!!!

Happy Reading

Book Geek

;-)

P.S. There were are two TOTALLY amazing quotes in this book:

'The magic far away pub' and 'cleavage you could park a bike in.'

Review: Mr Bison's Journal

Ebook: £5.15

Self published I believe

So, you've seen my previous school of Mr Bison posts as many a thing are pointed out in this 'ere ebook. However, here is my proper review.

This appears to be a collection of ponderings and short stories from a very crazy and odd mind! Many are funny, however some are funny in an obvious way...maybe that makes this appeal to a wider audience. However, with the repartition of some story lines/thought trains things get old on occasion! The collection is defo NOT for the prudish and weak of stomach and you will find this funny on the whole if you are of the right sense of humour and are in the right mood for it! 

My one big criticism is that some entries were blatantly full of homophobia and racism. These stories did spoil the odd bit of the collection and have tainted my whole view of this book. Bison does say well tough shit if you think I'm homophobic, and if that is his stand point he is entitled to it. However, I don't condone such rants at all! (I had to point this out as it really did get to me and disappoint me, even though I did enjoy the majority of the book and find it funny).

I particularly liked the parodies of fairytales! They were pretty clever as well as hysterical! The whole thing is kind of like having a really weird uncle who tells inappropriate stories in your pocket at all time!

OOO I have to mention the illustrations. They are amazing! I love the retro feel and their cuteness. They are a total contrast to the crude humour of the book. I would even like prints of a few of them on my wall.

All in all, a funny read the majority of the time. You just have to ignore the entires you will no doubt find a bit offensive.

Happy Reading

Book Geek 

:-)

The School of Mr Bison: Part 2

Those of you who are avid readers and mega fans of this blog will have noticed that Part 1 of this school of wisdom appeared earlier in the month. I was just under half way through when I shared 50 factoids, tid bits, nuggets some may say from Edward Bison and the things I realised whilst reading his ebook. I AM STILL NOT FINISHED but, here are 50 more things I have learned/had reinforced:

51. Mummy Geek and Brother Geek are loo roll fiends

52. Bison is loo roll obsessed

53. Bacon or Sex is the new pub debate

54. Becoming your parents is inevitable

55. Bison is toilet obsessed too

56. Gay marriage is not there for comedy purposes

57. I stand for minimal chest hair

58. You can laugh a woman in to bed

59. Dogs are cool

60. Men are perverts in the summer

61. Avoid Ambien

62. Novelty ties are not welcome gifts

63. There are serial cat murderers in this world

64. Porn is a rite of passage

65. Never rent shirts

66. I am so excited for Christmas

67. Trilby hats are for winners

68. Some docs tests are more upsetting than words can describe

69. Budgies are not proper pets

70. Kids are way smarter than you think

71. Everyone should read the etiquette book 'Four Weddings, A Funeral and When You Can't Flush The Loo'

72. What's wrong with mascara?

73. People can really surprise you with their intolerance and closed mindedness

74. There is actually an American who doesn't love the UK

75. Shaving is the invention of Satan

76. Don't create unnecessary embarrassment for yourself

77. Humour is lonely when it is repetitive

78. BLOODY HELL, SOME PEOPLE!

79. People really do collect any old shit

80. There is more than one Nurse Bridget

81. I will never have flat mates ever again

82. Oust is helpful sometimes

83. How does one look like a fish in a dress?

84. You're is you are. Your is your!!!!!!!

85. If you send a Christmas letter you are defo a dick

86. What's wrong with a shovel?

87. Water bars sound boring

88. Civil rights are thrown around far too much

89. Hopper is another word for loo

90. I hate the phrase 'back in the day'

91. Bison is a dentist wuss

92. The loo roll obsession is serious

93. There are seasonal knit ware catalogues

94. Poo is for the loo

95. I will never think of Snow White in the same way again

96. Naturists are brave

97. Humans just don't bend 'that way'

98. Activia yoghurts make me ill

99. Toilet obsessions scare me

100. It is true, foreign sweets often ming.

The next one will probs come with the review

Happy Reading

Book Geek

:-p

Review: Shadow of Night

Publisher: Headline

Hardback: £ 16.99

I read the first book in this trilogy about 6 weeks ago (Discovery of Witches) and despite initial reservations loved it. Alas, I am not totally enamoured with part 2!!

I will start with what I did like.....

• The recaps were minimal and that was pretty damn good as I get annoyed when they are very obviously thrown in your face. 
• Phillipe is a total and utter beast, a great character and I loved him.
• Gallowglass was also an AMAZING character and I want him to be my friend.
• I thoroughly enjoyed the chapters plonked back in the modern day. They were few and far between but they were totally fantastic and provided a great line of intrigue to spur me through. 
• The last quarter was great and totally worth reading the other 3/4.

What I didn't like....

• Diana was a door mat and Matthew was a total dick for the majority of the book.
• The amount of time spent in 1590 seemed a bit excessive....I agree with my bezzie on this point.
• The past chapters/portions were VERY hit or miss up until the last 1/4 when the fun started.
• The very last chapter was odd beyond belief and didn't really fit in.

Yes, I enjoyed the book to an extent but I did not love it as much I hoped/expected. Harkness is indeed a VERY intelligent woman to delve in to such history so successfully and create not only the characters but the attitudes, fashions, manners and locations with such skill. I will of course read the final part when it comes out as I have to know what happens next. But, if this was the first book, I don't think I would have moved on to book two...however, as with many trilogies, book 2 is always a let down.

Happy Reading

Book Geek

:-)

The School of Mr Bison: Part 1

At the moment, on the Kindle app for iPhone I am working my way through this little gem:

Whilst this is not a proper review (one will rock up somewhere in my musings upon Mr Bison's book), I thought I would share with you the stuff I have learnt, gleaned, discovered, decided so far. I am doing this in instalments as I am not even half way through but have already expanded my self knowledge a great deal and I would like to share the nuggets with you!

Hope that is ok....so here we go:

1. There is farting advice to be found everywhere
2. Red riding hood is a slut
3. Always avoid erectile disfunction meds
4. Everyone hates airlines
5. Toilets in Japan sound awesome
6. There is an alternative use for shower caps
7. Boxer dogs are not for me
8. Boobs aren't everything
9. Stories about nose picking make me feel sick
10. Hannibal had a friend
11. Farting in public really can silence a crowd
12. Big Ben doorbells are for losers
13. Harry Potter could have been good if JKR had made an effort
14. Dog penis soup exists
15. The boy would fit in well in the Mid West
16. Part of me misses school dinners
17. Money for losing weight sounds great to me
18. All airplane loos stink
19. It is of course universally easy to pull drunk girls
20. Purchasing toilet paper should not be done lightly
21. I hated Wednesday afternoons when I was in 6th form college
22. I really hate SOLUTIONS and SOLUTION PROVIDERS
23. I want to see a bat up close
24. American marching high school bands are as weird as I thought
25. Time dysphasia sounds funny
26. What is all this about Richard Gere having animals up his bum? If someone would explain I would be thrilled!
27. Seen one safety demo, seen em all
28. Balance is necessary
29. Toilet roll companies actually have websites
30. Man draws/cupboards are universal
31.Valentine's day is for chumps
32. What is London Broil?
33. Groundhog life isn't always bad
34. Men have menopause too
35. It's good to say fuck
36. Always get a man in
37. Men think they are the only people who read on the loo
38. Dog poo can look like a stick
39. I really don't like the word clunge
40. Winde chimes are average
41. Snickers will never be the same again
42. Don't drink and write
43. Snoring is evil
44. BHS
45. Yay for the NHS
46. Don't push yourself too hard on hot days
47. I don't know what a traditional Chinese New Year gift is.......Help welcome here too
48. Drunk friends are equally funny and annoying
49. The Mona Lisa was a bit more than a craft project wasn't she?
50. Razor choice is overwhelming

Onwards!!!!

Book Geek
;-p