I picked this book up after reading another of Blessed’s biographies, A Panther In My Kitchen. While that book was a collection of anecdotes about the animals he’s had throughout his life, I was hoping this would be a more linear telling of his life. And while that’s not what I got, it was still a great read.

In the course of three days, one of my articles received over 10,000 hits, and I have no idea why this article has been so wildly successful.

I'm always going to be nervous about a sequel to a novel I loved as much as I loved Fall of Giants. But this is an instance where you don't need to worry. What we have with Winter of the World isn't so much a sequel but rather a continuation of the same story with no drop in quality. 

Carthago takes a little while to grab you, but once it does you find yourself in a rich and complex world. It’s just a shame that the ending doesn’t quite live up to expectations

Does anyone else find it hard when they come to the end of a book or TV show?

When I finish whichever series or story I’ve been invested in for so long, I find myself at a complete loss for what to do next?

A pleasant afternoon read, perfect for curling up with on a cold winter day. But your enjoyment will depend on how much you can bear each author.

50mg Sertraline, taken daily, has lifted a cloud from my brain. While I don’t feel 100% at my best, it’s allowed me to embrace my creativity again. I’m able to plan out a full day of work. I can think again. 

But this ability to function doesn’t mean I’m not still depressed. 

I picked this up on a whim, worried it wouldn't be as good as I remembered. But I was happy to discover it’s just as powerful now as it was when I read it twenty years ago.

We tend to think of history as another world. As we learn the narratives of the past, those times begin to feel almost fictional. But we walk the same streets, use the same buildings, and live the same lives as those that came before us.

An English Ghost Story is a novel of interesting ideas, poorly handled. There is a lot in here that could have made a fascinating story. Unfortunately, Newman doesn’t deliver on any of these. 

What else can I say about this book, other than it’s exactly what you would expect from something written by Brian Blessed? Just sit back and let yourself enjoy page after page of anecdotes that don’t seem like they could happen to any other person.

I spent a little time figuring out what the exact point for “a year” should be. But I rapidly decided it wasn’t worth the time. There was no one, single moment when it all "happened". Let's just say "it's been a year".

Let’s just be clear about this. This was not “a really bad day for him”.

What happened in Atlanta was a hate crime, perpetrated by a mentally disturbed and radicalised white 21-year-old male.

She was walking home. 

We’ve heard the same thing over and over again in the last few days. And weeks. Months. Years. Longer.

And I have to ask myself, if I believe I’m one of the Good Guys then why aren’t I calling this out more often?

Apparently, my opinions are interesting and people like to hear them. Why do I find this so strange?

By the time I got to the end of this book, I was really enjoying myself. Honestly, the final couple of chapters were hard to put down. But that isn’t able to cover up the fact that the first half felt rushed, oddly structured, and kind of redundant.

A bit of a mix this month. From an absolutely outstanding piece of epic historical fiction to an incredibly lacklustre graphic novel.

It’s been a while since I've read a book I almost literally couldn’t put down. Fall of Giants is Ken Follett at his best. Historical fiction, epic in scale yet filled with individual emotions and events.