Book Reviews

Bethany is a young girl who works in Staples. She doesn't know what she wants to do with her life but she knows she doesn't want to spend the rest of it stacking shelves. One day she comes across a journal written by her co worker Roger. Except this journal is written as though she herself has written it. Bethany writes a reply and although angry at first she wonders how he can write as her so well. From then on they communicate through this journal. We learn more about them both as Roger writes his book for Bethany and Bethany replies to him.

This isn't my favourite Coupland book. However, it would be difficult to out do his previous book "Jpod". I still enjoyed it. I thought it the friendship between Roger and Bethany was sweet. You couldn't help but hope that everything turned out for the both of them. You wanted Roger to get his life back on track and you wanted Bethany to go out there and actually live her life. A friend of mine felt that it was saying that you don't have much of a life if you work in retail. I don't agree. Yes there was a hint of that but I don't think it was directed at retail. Roger and Bathany could have worked anywhere just about any job that involved a little monotony. The point of the book would still have been the same. A great book if not Couplands best.

Jude is an aging rock star. He is living out his life in a huge house with occasional road trips to let the world know he is still alive. He is also a collector of anything dark and unusual. One day his agent comes across a ghost up for sale. All Jude has to do is buy a suit belonging to the old man and his ghost will follow. Not really believing it but not wanting to miss out just in case Jude buys the suit. Sure enough the ghost follows behind it but it's not the friendly old man he was hoping for. This old man was the step dad of his old girl friend who killed herself. This old man is out for revenge against Jude and everyone close to him.

For those of you who don't know Joe Hill is the son of Stephen King. It was my curiousity over that which made me pick up the book more than anything else. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. His writing style is very similar to his dads but he adds a modern touch to it. Probably the same touch King was able to add during his youth. Despite that if I had read it without knowing who I would probably think it was King. Still worth reading as it was a good story and good ghost stories are difficult to write (same as good vampire stories). It will be interesting to see if he develops his own style as his career develops.

Anna is a surplus child. She shouldn't have been born along with everyone else in the surplus complex. Surplus Anna is the best surplus child in there. She makes sure that every hour she is awake is filled with usefulness to make up for her parents greed. She has a secret though. A diary and if anyone was to find out she would be badly punished. For surplus children are not allowed to have anything of their own as they shouldn't be there in the first place. Then along comes a surplus boy who tells her he knows who she it. He tells her that her parents love her and want her back. He tells her that surplus children aren't a drain but the people who want to live forever are.

I'll be honest. I was attracted to this kids book for its cover. I'm glad I read it though. It is very simply written but sometimes those are the best. It looks at the questions what if we run out of energy? What would happen to the planet if we found a way to live forever? Really not what you are expecting when you see the bright pink cover. It's definitely worth a read and if you like Malorie Blackmans "Noughts and Crosses" series then you will love this too.

This is the sequal to Hamilton's "Pandoras Star". In book one we learn all about how humans have expanded across the galaxy. They learn of a star system which has been enclosed in a Dysons sphere and send a ship out to investigate. While there the sphere comes down and a war race attacks the confederation. Meanwhile the confederation is fighting another battle. That with the cult called the guardians. They believe that the old alien ship "Starflyer" is not so dead and that it is turning humans into it's agents. "Judas Unchained" continues on from those events. The commenwealth is now coming up with battle plans to save their worlds from the motile aliens. If none of these plans work they may have no option but to consider genocide. Meanwhile a few high up in the commenwealth are beginning to believe that maybe the guardians are right. Maybe the starflyer is an alien working against humanity. Maybe the Starflyer brought down the sphere in the first place.

I love Hamilton's books. I shouldn't because they always involve a lot of battle. Essentially they are science fiction war books. The stories though are so complex and involve so many different characters and story lines that all eventually come together. It's for that that I enjoy them so much. That and I do like the technology he comes up with. Like all his others it's a large book and there are probably so much he could cut out but I enjoyed every page. Definitely one for science fiction fans.

Judy, I suppose I do have a large DVD collection. All the Star Trek ones aren't mine though. They belong to my mum who loans them out to me. I do seem to spend most of my money on DVD's and books. Occasionally I will spend it on craft supplies instead though. And I only buy DVD's that are on sale unless it's something I have been waiting impatiently for (like BSG).