Book reviews: saucers, staves, socialists, sideshows and scandal

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So hey, I’ve read 60 books this year. And, unbelievably, this post means I’m up to date with reviews!

And this is the correct attitude with which to meet that news.

I’m more impressed with the second bit than the first: reading is something I do because I love doing it. While the number-goes-up part of it is pleasing in a way (hurr) I have stopped trying to meet random reading targets because it was making me focus on the wrong thing: quantity over enjoyment. But keeping up with reviews? That’s something.

Anyway, books!

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Book review: time, robots, firemen, replicants and gruel

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Time for another five reviews!

Four of them are audiobooks, which some may say don’t count, but fuck those people. Three of them are classics that I’d long wanted to read (or ignored, in the case of one of them) so I was pleased with this brace.

Let’s get into it.

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Book review: swan-dives, man-dogs, gamblers, magick and the supposed master race

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Well well well.

If it isn’t me getting more manageable book reviews online in a relatively acceptable timeframe.

Pictured: you (presumably)

Right, let’s go.

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Book reviews: concrete, crims, scholars, high weirdness and big lizards

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Well, this is a better stab at timely reviewing.

Imagine hating on me when here’s where I’m posting from.

I mean, it’s timely inasmuch as there’s some reviews generated before the amount due overwhelms me and stops me from doing anything at all. There’s not twenty for you to wade through – there’s only ten this time.

Baby steps, I suppose.

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Book reviews: a buttload

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So hey, remember how this year I was going to be more measured about getting my reviews written up and out into the world (or this creaking edifice, at least)? And how I was going to make it easy for myself and everyone?

Allow me to borrow a quote from David Mamet’s screenplay for Ronin.

So what could have been concluded in a collegiable atmosphere is now fucked into cocked hat.

The vibes are immaculate.

Yep, it’s another post featuring 20 reviews. Buckle up.

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Book reviews: 2026 first ten

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I’m not going to deny it: this is a pretty good tally for the first month of the year.

(I’ve read more than this, and I’m AWARE that the first post of the year about books is breaking my rule of reviewing five at a time, but it’s currently an extra day off work so I’m going with it.)

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2025 consumption: a look at some stuff I liked

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Right, right. This should’ve been finished before the end of 2025. But between engagements and gastro, it took a bit of a back seat.

YES I KNOW GODDAMNIT.

But now I’m (mostly) back on deck, so here’s your yearly guide to things I perceived. You can check through the previous versions (here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here) for some more me-review action.

I think this will be less wordy than the usual variant, but we’ll see how we end up.

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Planning the pages: 2026 edition

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In a change to my normal way of doing things, I’m planning the pages for 2026 on New Year’s Eve. This is because I won’t get to do my usual year-end write-up until next year, and I figured I wanted to have my motivational, a-nice-lot-of-books-to-choose-from list done before the next year and its horrors arrives.

Anyway, here’s a list of books.

New year arrives, old habits persist
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Book review: my procrastination, your delectation

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As I continually reiterate, the plan here is that every five books I read, I review. Here. In a relatively timely manner.

Tick tock, motherfucker.

Naturally, I’m behind because a) I’m disorganised and b) it’s December and my be doing with 2025 energy levels are surprisingly low.

All of this is to say here’s another load of reviews. Some will be shorter than usual, purely because of the number I have to push through. Let’s get on with it, boyeeeeeeeeeeeee.

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