Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this audiobook via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

Wolfe’s Dickensian tale of New York in the 1980s remains compelling, insightful and affecting four decades later. This Babylon of the 20th century is full of egoists and the self-interested; no one acts in good faith, no one is worthy of redemption, and the guilty are semi-arbitrarily picked out of a crowd of the awful.

The one true love found in this book – that of a father for his daughter – is destroyed with as little thought or care as a snowflake on the warm ground.

There are pointed references to Poe and “The Masque of the Red Death”, and this is certainly a story in which the rich find they can’t keep the world out.

A reminder, in case it were needed in 2024, that America is a land of shits.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

As a breezy overview of Red Dwarf’s production, peppered with chatty opinions on each episode, this does well enough. What wears a bit thinner are all the fannish, fact-listing bits. The episode-to-episode observations on Rimmer’s holographic status would have been better handled as a single sidebar (TL;DR it’s inconsistent); the notes on dated cultural references could have been interesting with a bit more analysis, but as it is, they are just lists of each episode’s less funny gags. Thirty-six years in the future, we still await the definitive account of the mining ship Red Dwarf.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

A treasure trove of jumping off points for nostalgists and younger games alike. If the format means there’s a disappointing lack of analysis of wider trends in the games discussed, Carton does an admirable job of getting across the style, format and quality of each of the many, many titles under discussion. Enjoy the trivia, feel bittersweet feelings about how games used to be, and marvel at the hubris of producing multiple Treasure Planet games.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

There’s no doubting the scale of ferocity of Alan Moore’s imagination, but whether it’s captured effectively on the page is a different matter. The Great When is in turns witty, disorienting and frustrating. There are many, many great lines, but they’re not drawn into much of a coherent narrative. Perhaps fittingly, I’m left not really sure what I just read.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Despite what the cover, publisher and author might suggest, this isn't a crime novel. What it is is a surprisingly open and frank discussion of female sexuality and its perceptions from almost a hundred years ago. As a cultural artefact, it's fascinating; we all know we didn't invent it, but it's still something to read about it from such a time. I'm happy to say society is a bit more accepting of unwed mothers now than it was then – although, unfortunately, I'm not sure we're where we should be when it comes to those with children by multiple fathers. As an actual engaging novel, though, it's not aged so well; I suspect our maturing sensibilities have robbed the story of some of the salaciousness that was doubtless it's main selling point. I'm sure it's one I'll think back to a lot in terms of what it taught me, but as an actual read it was a bit of a slog.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Any short story anthology is going to be a mixed bag, and I'm afraid most of these were misses for me. The reasons are varied, but ultimately horror (like comedy or erotica) seeks to provoke an embodied reaction and any analysis is going to be an effort to retroactively explain that. Ultimately, I just wasn't scared. Sorry.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

A book that is, in its own words, all about "deception, simulation, artifice". I loved Morrison's dense, linguistic flourishes, but while it might be the point that its mixture of magical realism and high camp might be a bit much at times, that doesn't mean it isn't also a very difficult book to keep a handle on. Although, if any book is going to make a point out of disappearing into self-referentiality, it's this one.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed the first half with its satire of American consumerism in all its Baudrillardian glory, and the impossibility of death in the mind of a living thing. But it lost me a bit once we got into the desert; I’m glad others got swept along by the fever dream, but I just couldn’t match the vibe.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

A haunting book that wallows in the contrast of the beautiful and the disgusting. But I think it's the sense of loneliness and sadness that will stay with me. Blakemore depicts a world of ingrained pain and cruelty; the expectation of those things has become their own response. In place of sympathy or love, there is only disdain and frustration. There is no mechanism for comfort in Tarare's world; hunger is the synecdoche for his pain, and it is a pain that his world will not salve.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Compellingly written and brimming with facts, this is a quick and jolly run through some of history's worst places to be. Like Randall Munroe's What If? books, it's less about the answers to the questions posed and more about the fascinating things you learn along the way. It is popular history and I'm sure there'll be a few "um"s "er"s and "actually"s from people who actually know a thing or two about any of the events discussed, but this isn't written for them. There's the vague air of a Horrible Histories for adults, and that's a rather lovely thing to have.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Montgomery Bonbon's second case is every bit as delightful as the first (to be honest, I think I even enjoyed it a little bit more). It's a tough call to craft a mystery that is both funny and coherent, but Beckett-King achieves it in charming style – and Claire Powell's illustrations are an equal delight. Part Agatha Christie, part Enid Blyton (now with smugglers) and maybe just a little bit The Wicker Man. Long may M. Bonbon's career continue, distinguished and exotic, and long may his identity remain les groß mysterioux.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

A deceptively captivating novel that explores the murky swamps between depression and egocentrism, the comfort of place and routine when all else is lost, and the inescapability of the past. I say "deceptively" because O'Regan's straightforward style, focused on practicalities and the feelings of the moment, and littered with bathetic pop culture references, belies the depth of the impact of the events his characters are experiencing – just as the apparent simplicity of his protagonist belies the extent to which he is lost.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

I wanted to like it, I really did. It’s trying very hard to be a freewheeling, time-travelling, action-adventure comedy, but ends up a horrible mess (which I guess is kind of fitting, given the zombies of it all).

The mechanics of the time travel don’t make sense. And, to be fair, it’d be far from the first time travel story not to properly think through its own premise, but an awful lot of space is given over to trying to make those mechanics make sense.

It’s a continuity nightmare, with pages and pages given over to explaining who this person is, why they know that person, how it matters, and why we’re now on Christopher Columbus’s ship. I’m not sure there’s a single original character in the novel.

Deadpool’s in it, though (a lot). I don’t like Deadpool. I like Ryan Reynolds. But Ryan Reynolds isn’t in this book.

There are a lot of fight scenes of the sort that are boring enough on screen and in comics, but here you can’t even see them. Perhaps that’s a mercy (I don’t know if you’ve seen Quantumania…).

And as for structure, well, if it were a school, the kids would be sent home and the local MP on the news. The story doesn’t so much end as stop.

A big tick in its favour is the focus on female characters; younger women are the fastest growing and frequently most positive section of superhero fandom, and it’s pretty tiresome how often comic show more books, movies and their tie-ins act like the only people watching are 36-year-old male nerds in MAGA hats.

I am sorry. I wanted to like it. It’s the sort of thing I really should like. But good intentions don’t make a good book. show less

Utterly charming. An easy guide through the most popular dinosaurs (and a little bit beyond), presented via the cheerful persona of Tom Baker’s Doctor. I’d have loved this as a kid and I’m mystified we didn’t get anything similar during the show’s 21st century heyday (someone must have pitched it).

Also always takes me aback when I’m reminded that as late as the 1970s (when this book was written) there was still no consensus on what killed off the dinosaurs.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

This novel mix of audiobook and podcast is ostensibly about the practical and psychological dimensions of going on the run. How does it actually work? What is like? Through interviews with academics, police experts, and current and former fugitives, we're given an insight into how the exercise can be at once romantic and bathetic.

But the emergent and most interesting aspect of the book is its exploration of the moral dimension of evading the law. Reynolds and his interviewees pick over thorny questions about the nature of bravery, the extent to which we can trust our impression of others, and whether fleeing the law is an inherently selfish act.

It's a fascinating set of discussions that, while inevitably short on hard answers, is an interesting journey to go on.

A deceptively broad book for one so short. Taking the cartoon dog game (or more likely, its demo disc) you might remember from childhood as a cultural artefact, Mike Scholars uses it to explore everything from the mechanics of rhythm action games to the purpose and value of representation in media. All while providing a forensic rundown of the game's actual contents.

This sort of monograph on a single cultural item is increasingly popular (there are series covering everything from albums to Doctor Who episodes), but the art is not always there, and I've read some that have lacked cohesion and others that have felt overly specific. This, though, is an exemplar of how to do it.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

The history is fascinating, the themes interesting, and some of the dialogue is very good, but there's a lack of immediacy to things; despite all the action, there's precious little intrigue. Our protagonist has lived a life in which he has been kidnapped, sold and given away, but still feels like he's observing a lot of that fascinating history for much of the book's length. I'd love a revisionist James Clavell, but sadly I'm not sure this is it.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Too slight to have much of a lasting effect, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop does at least, in its very brief page count, capture something of the aimlessness of those post-university years, and the escape books can offer when there isn't much else going on. The main thing I'll take from it is that I really should visit Jimbocho if I ever make it to Tokyo.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

The conceit is weak; as other reviewers have said, it’s basically one fan’s theory put up for debate. But as an oral history of the Beatles’ breakup and their attitudes towards themselves and one another in the immediate aftermath, it’s much stronger. There’s plenty of the detail, insight and trivia you’d want, and Rachel is ultimately a lot more convincing in his arguments about why the Beatles broke up than he is in what might have happened if they hadn’t.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

A new crime novel from the author and world of the Vinyl Detective – and there's plenty that fans will find comfortable and familiar. The protagonist, Cordelia, is a great deal more nefarious and a great deal less likeable than the unnamed detective, but that didn't bother me as much as it seems to have bothered some other reviewers; in fact, I thought she was quite fun.

Perhaps because it's the first in the series, there's a lot of time spent on establishing the world and its characters (to the extent that, on more than one occasion, the narrator has to reassure you there will be deaths), but it's a nice place to be and they're largely interesting people. If it's gentle and slight, it is enjoyably so, and I had a very pleasant time in Cordelia's nefarious company.

Oh, and before you buy it for your mum, be warned: it's also a very horny book.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Taking a broad definition of "deep state" – essentially, vested interests that have subverted democratic conventions to their own ends – Fitzgerald then details examples of its actions across the world from antiquity to the present day. It's a dispiriting but educational read. The main problem is a lack of synthesis, a "so what?". We're told a lot about how democracies have failed or been corrupted but not given any sense of what it means, what it tells us, or perhaps even what we should do about it. The last section, about the emergence of digital deep states, comes closest to offering some insight, but it's limited. The book feels more like a resource text than an argument.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

A brisk and enthusiastic overview of one of my favourite genres in gaming. Carton explains the importance and popularity of the best-remembered games from the genre (Monkey Island, Myst, The Walking Dead, while also delving into some of the less well-remembered but still interesting titles (Shivers, the CSI games, er, Softporn Adventure). The book is well illustrated, with most entries getting at least one screengrab that captures the mood and style of the game.

However, it could have done with more of a story and more behind-the-scenes info and contextualisation; it often feels like a collection of summaries rather than a coherent narrative that traces the evolution and innovation of the genre. Some entries are a little under developed – the entry on Sherlock Holmes games, in particular, feels like an intro for a chapter that wasn't.

Of course, wanting more isn't the worst criticism and this really is a fun little book that left me feeling quite warm and nostalgic. It'd be a great introduction to the genre for newcomers, while more seasoned fans will appreciate the warm tone and the reminder of some titles that might not have thought about for a while.

A dozen true crime stories from the 1970s. It's a quick read and deceptively light for a subject so dark, but it satisfies the morbidly curious while avoiding undignified speculation.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

A brisk and fun introduction to a subject as vast as its landscape. I'm sure more serious scholars of the period will baulk at its focus on the famous legends rather than the more prosaic forces of history, but Nolan's trick is to use the former as a way into the latter. He remembers why people are fascinated by the Old West and doesn't tell them off for it.

His theories are ludicrous – he doesn't so much ignore Occam's Razor as tie it to a weight and dump it in the Thames – but there's a small degree of amusement to be taken in that, and some of the historical detail is genuinely interesting. If you can ignore the sanctimony.

The Transformers cosplay as steampunk. There really is nothing more to it than that.

Very quick, very silly fun. It knows what it is – a Transformers crossover with the platonic ideal of 60s spy-fi – and goes to town indulging in all the clichés, conventions and conceits of the genre. And bonus points for an uncharacteristically solid understanding of London geography for an American comic book.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

I'm afraid I struggled with this one. The 20th-century occult isn't exactly under-explored in British comics and there's nothing of the weirdness or elevated invention we've seen from Alan Moore, Robert Anton Wilson or all the others who've been this way before. True, Cornell's aim is to be more grounded than any of them, possibly producing something a bit Graham Greene-ish, but it all comes across as bit too uncertain, a bit... meek, for want of a better word; straying far enough away from fact that it's not directly informative, while not being bold enough in its fiction to reveal any deeper meaning.

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

A new spin on a James Bond book that, well, takes James Bond out of the book almost entirely. Instead, we focus on a new generation of 00 agents, guided by an old guard of returning characters. It's all very Star Wars.

And this book, like its protagonists, has a mission, to widen the window of who gets to be a superspy and what issues these books should consider. Our three heroes all break the great white hero mould in one way or several (gender, sexuality, race, ability, background) and the book considers the forms and manners of violence that were likely invisible or under-considered by previous generations of authors.

Its laudable and succeeds in making these books modern, relevant and different from what's gone before. Ironically, it does much more to that end than the simple act of removing James Bond does – we've all read or watched plenty of thrillers are just Bond without Bond.

The villain is more recognisable: a Moore-era megalomaniac for the era of climate crisis and disaster capitalism. I mean it as a compliment when I say he could have stepped out of an Alex Rider novel.

Ironically, some of the book's highlights are those moments when it pauses to look back on Bond himself, and his place in the modern world. Self-reflexivity is almost the default for James Bond these days (and he was always a reflective sort – a poet even, as someone here notes), but Sherwood show more utilises those concerns about the character (his bravado, his loneliness, his position as a champion of a lost empire) in the construction of a real mystery around his disappearance.

Double or Nothing isn't a perfect book, though, and my four stars are really rounded up by 3.5. Those interweaving narratives are not always as gripping as each other and parts of the conclusion feel hurried. There were times I was willing the pages to flip by faster so I could get back to the good stuff and others when I was sure I must have missed a couple so quickly had events moved on.

Recommended if you want a new and different take on Bond, while still getting your action and intrigue slickly delivered. show less

Disclaimer: I was given a free copy of this book by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Like an amiably delivered introductory lecture, this book is full of interesting information and titbits, but you’re very much there to learn. To Scudder’s credit, she makes it clear both that the universe is full of wild and crazy things (jellyfish galaxies, Hyper Velocity Stars, volcanoes that could hit the International Space Station) and that is takes a lot of maths to understand that. Well-pitched and interesting, but drier than you might hope.