Field Notes
The things we never say - Elizabeth Strout
Artie and Evie are living a lie. One has never told the other about their son, and they can never talk about it. Set in the contemporary political chaos of the United States, which lingers in the background, (also never spoken about by some in the story because of…
Service Model - Adrian Tchaikovsky
A light hearted, farcical, science fiction yarn featuring the robot protagonist, Charles – who reminded me of Kryton from Red Dwarf – also of the robotic butler/valet ilk. A journey through a dark, dystopian world, encountering various characters and challenges until the not-quite-as-you-expect finale. It questions free will,…
Engleby - Sebastian Faulks
I enjoyed this story of a troubled life. The central premise may have been quite apparent from fairly early on, but it kept me guessing. I enjoyed the setting of Cambridge as I grew up near the town and have been a frequent visitor over the years. I did,…
The Maidens - Alex Michaelides
Another murder mystery/thriller this time set in Cambridge, UK. As I’ve spent a lot of time in Cambridge, I enjoy anything set in this beautiful city. It has such an ambience, and I love being able to visualise places I know and often learn about or discover places I…
The Fury - Alex Michaelides
I enjoyed being on a Greek Island for a while, and this book put me there for a short while. A murder mystery/thriller set on a private Greek island where retired movie star Lana Farrar invites her husband Jason, son Leo, and friends Kate and Elliot Chase for an…
Fairy Tale - Stephen King
The setup of this book was a lot more engrossing than what was being set up. Of all the ‘magic land’ books I’ve ever read I’ve usually enjoyed the new world a lot more than the setup, but not in this case. Once we finally got the…
The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R Tolkien
I tried to read the whole Lord of the Rings trilogy when I was little. Or at least, I had the books. I don’t think I actually got far into book 1 before I gave up. It’s a mighty tome, and even though it is of course a classic,…
Red Dwarf: Titan - Doug Naylor
I’ve always enjoyed the sci-fi comedy Red Dwarf, with its lovable flawed characters. Although this was a good read, I felt like I’d already heard or seen most of this before, including most of the lines, put-downs and clever quips. I think I missed whether this was all…
The Artist - Lucy Steeds
I enjoyed this book a lot. Probably enhanced by the fact I read it it Provence, and it’s set in Provence. A simple story of an outsider entering a different world, with a couple of mysteries within. It conjours up the world vividly, and I was quite…
Enduring the grind
This morning I found myself going down a new WordPress 7.1 rabbit hole. I was faced with integrating a Google Gemini API key, and subsequent credit costs into the new Connectors plugin within WordPress, the driving force? To see how well it did creating ALT text for images in…
The Grey
A review of the film 'The Grey,' praising its exploration of alpha male dynamics despite a slow middle act.
Django Unchained
A review of Tarantino's 'Django Unchained,' highlighting its entertaining characters and stylized violence.
Escape Plan
A review of the prison breakout film 'Escape Plan,' finding it a bit corny despite the fun premise.
Safety not Guaranteed
A review of the ambiguous indie film 'Safety not Guaranteed,' which follows a search for a time traveler.
The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
A review of the film adaptation of 'The Hundred-Year-Old Man,' praising its comic timing and faithful translation.
The Social Network
A review of 'The Social Network,' praising David Fincher's tight storytelling and smart script.
Noah
A review of the film 'Noah,' finding it overly long and disjointed despite impressive visuals.
The Killing (Seasons 1-4)
A review of the dark and brooding detective noir series 'The Killing,' noting its compelling characters.
Pompeii
A review of the film 'Pompeii,' which I found to be a somewhat laughable derivative of 'Gladiator.'
Cool Runnings
A review of the classic comedy 'Cool Runnings,' reflecting on its charm 20 years after its release.
Big Fish
A review of Tim Burton's 'Big Fish,' a fantastical drama about family and personal journeys.
Pan's Labrynth
A review of Guillermo del Toro's 'Pan's Labyrinth,' praising its disturbing creature design and political context.
Half Nelson
A review of 'Half Nelson,' which I found somewhat claustrophobic and aimless despite Ryan Gosling's performance.
The Black Sea
A review of the submarine thriller 'The Black Sea,' noting its effective use of genre clichés.
