Tag Archives: Book Review

Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master

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Michael Shea. Independently Published, (94p) ISBN: 9781726631822. RPG Guide, read 28/05/25, Paperback ★★★★☆

Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master

Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master

I’ve had this sat on my shelves for about four years now as I bought it just before I stopped having anything to do with group gaming, so I just didn’t bother reading it.

Until now, as I’m starting to think about getting back into group gaming once more and I really used to enjoy DMing.

This is a set of ‘rules’ to help run your campaigns and sessions easier, to help you be a ‘lazy’ DM.

It was a fascinating read as each of the steps make a lot of sense especially if you’re time poor and want to get the most out of your sessions, and the emphasis on the DM having a core knowledge of the players at the heart of the game makes so much sense.

I’ll probably end up using quite a few of these aids to DMing, but since I love the whole world building malarky they will probably end up as tools in the toolbox for anything that needs to happen on the fly, especially if players decide to make their own merry way through the world and ignore most of the hints and hooks as they usually do…

The best use of this for me would be for impromptu sessions, getting new players on board with a quick low-level adventure and such.

Well written and well executed toolbox to make running your tabletop sessions smoothly and with minimum fuss.

It has also reminded me that slyflourish.com is out there.

Hunting Harkonnens

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The Road to Dune

The Road to Dune

This is the start of the Dune Universe readathon, a short story by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson collected in The Road to Dune book

An interesting story set in pre-Butlerian Jihad times and showing the main Harkonnen lord as still being ruthless and exploitative. Though his son Piers wants to change.

It introduces us to the Cymeks and thinking machines.

Overall had a very 70s feel to the story which seems very appropriate for the start to the universe.

Exciting little adventure with a lot of foreshadowing

Books of 2024

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Books of 2024

Books of 2024

This is a list of the books I’ve read throughout 2024. I usually set a target of 52, so one a week but quite happy to see where it goes.

I’ve decided to stop using Goodreads as I’m cutting down on all my social media use and just going back to blogging for me and anyone who wants to read these little streams of consciousness.

I’ll list each book with it’s star rating and I’ll link it to the review on this site if it has one. This will be done with the most recent being at the top of the list.

I’ll start a list like this for each year from now on as well.

  1. The Fey and the Furious (31/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  2. Lies Sleeping (31/12/24) ★★★★☆
  3. Water Weed (29/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  4. Cry Fox (29/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  5. Detective Stories (29/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  6. Winter’s Gift (28/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  7. Elements of Horror: Air (27/12/24) ★★☆☆☆
  8. The Hanging Tree (24/12/24) ★★★★☆
  9. The Furthest Station (22/12/24) ★★★★☆
  10. Black Mould (21/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  11. Night Witch (21/12/24) ★★★★☆
  12. What Abigail Did That Summer (21/12/24) ★★★★☆
  13. Night of the Ghoul (20/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  14. Foxglove Summer (20/12/24) ★★★★☆
  15. Body Work (19/12/24) ★★★★☆
  16. Broken Homes (18/12/24) ★★★★☆
  17. Whispers Under Ground (17/12/24) ★★★★☆
  18. 30 Days of Night: Volume 1 (15/12/24) ★★★★☆
  19. Think Like A Street Photographer (12/12/24) ★★★★☆
  20. Shrouded Horror: Tales of the Uncanny (12/12/24) ★★★★☆
  21. A Werewolf’s Guide to Seducing a Vampire (10/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  22. Moon Over Soho (09/12/24) ★★★★☆
  23. Root Rot (07/12/24) ★★★★☆
  24. Rivers of London (07/12/24) ★★★★☆
  25. Orbital (05/12/24) ★★★☆☆
  26. Shadowhall Academy: Ghost Story Society (03/12/24) ★★★★☆
  27. Rivers of London: Action at a Distance (03/12/24) ★★★★☆
  28. The Masquerades of Spring (03/12/24) ★★★★☆
  29. Light Matters (16/11/24) ★★★★☆
  30. Uncanny and Improbably Events (11/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  31. The Colour of Magic (10/11/24) ★★★☆☆
  32. GUMAA: The Beginning of Her (09/11/24) ★★★★☆
  33. The Deorhord (06/11/24) ★★★★☆
  34. Crypt of the Moon Spider (04/11/24) ★★★★☆
  35. The Game Changers (04/11/24) ★★★★★
  36. This Can’t Be Happening (02/11/24) ★★★☆☆
  37. The Dragonfly Will Be the Messiah (31/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  38. The Party (30/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  39. The December Witches (29/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  40. Dread Wood (26/10/24) ★★★★☆
  41. Doomsday Clock: The Complete Collection (25/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  42. El Fuego (24/10/24) ★★★★☆
  43. Blue Skies Through the Window of a Moving Car (23/10/24) ★★☆☆☆
  44. What Moves the Dead (23/10/24) ★★★★★
  45. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches (22/10/24) ★★★★☆
  46. The Vampires of El Norte (19/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  47. Night People (18/10/24) ★★★★☆
  48. Akogan: Brutalizer of Gods (18/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  49. The Whispering Night (17/10/24) ★★★★☆
  50. Barrowbeck (12/10/24) ★★★★☆
  51. Armed With Madness (10/10/24) ★★★★☆
  52. Witchcraft: A Graphic History (09/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  53. One Swallow Does Not Make a Summer (09/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  54. The Snowman Code (08/10/24) ★★★★☆
  55. Moonrise (07/10/24) ★★★☆☆
  56. Shy (05/10/24) ★★★★★
  57. Soma (30/09/24) ★★★★☆
  58. Lockett & Wilde’s Dreadfully Haunting Mysteries: The Ghosts of the Manor (28/09/24) ★★★★★
  59. A Mudlarking Year (26/09/24) ★★★★★
  60. Strange Stones (23/09/24) ★★★☆☆
  61. The Great When (23/09/24) ★★☆☆☆
  62. A Gift for a Ghost (22/09/24) ★★★☆☆
  63. Vampires Never Get Old (22/09/24) ★★★★☆
  64. Cult of the Lamb (17/09/24) ★★★★★
  65. Where the Daybreak Ends (17/09/24) ★★★★☆
  66. The History of Cinema (13/09/24) ★★★★☆
  67. The Watkins Book of Urban Legends (10/09/24) ★☆☆☆☆
  68. Cemetery Kids Don’t Die (09/09/24) ★★★★☆
  69. Jill and the Killers (08/09/24) ★★★★☆
  70. Tales from the Gas Station Volume 1 (06/09/24) ★★★★☆
  71. Design: A Very Short Introduction (05/09/24) ★★☆☆☆
  72. Tales Accursed (02/09/24) ★★★☆☆
  73. The Book of Forgotten Witches (01/09/24) ★★★☆☆
  74. The Sky On Fire (31/08/24) ★★★☆☆
  75. Kaleidoscope Japan (31/08/24) ★★★☆☆
  76. Supernatural Creatures (30/08/24) ★★★★☆
  77. 50 Psychology Ideas You Really Need To Know (30/08/24) ★★★☆☆
  78. Psych 101 (19/08/24) ★★★☆☆
  79. The Story of Art Without Men (13/08/24) ★★★★★
  80. Tender (06/08/24) ★★★☆☆
  81. Byobu (02/08/24) ★★★☆☆
  82. Of Cattle and Men (01/08/24) ★★★★☆
  83. Invasive (31/07/24) ★★★★☆
  84. The Devourer Below (31/07/24) ★★★☆☆
  85. SmörgåsBOARD (31/07/24) ★★★★☆
  86. These Deathless Shores (17/07/24) ★★☆☆☆
  87. The Undermining of Twyla and Frank (16/07/24) ★★★★★
  88. Crave (15/07/24) ★★★★☆
  89. We Called Them Giants (14/07/24) ★★★★☆
  90. The Night Mother Vol. 1 (14/07/24) ★★★★☆
  91. Cursed Under London (18/06/24) ★★★★☆
  92. The Ministry of Time (14/06/24) ★★★★☆
  93. The Complete Chronicles of Conan (11/06/24) ★☆☆☆☆
  94. One Day On Our Prehistoric Planet… (11/06/24) ★★★★☆
  95. The Boy On Fire (11/06/24) ★★★★☆
  96. Cub (11/06/24) ★★★★☆
  97. Everything Is Fine (09/06/24) ★★★★☆
  98. The Silence In Between (05/06/24) ★★★☆☆
  99. Garbage Nights: The Complete Collection (29/05/24) ★★☆☆☆
  100. The Serpent and the Wings of Night ((29/05/24) ★★★★☆
  101. Dragon Den (26/05/24) ★★★★☆
  102. Wolf Road (22/05/24) ★★★☆☆
  103. How to Read a Tree (22/05/24) ★★★★☆
  104. The Court of Thorns and Roses (20/05/24) ★★★★☆
  105. House of the Unholy (18/05/24) ★★★★☆
  106. The Third Love (14/05/24) ★☆☆☆☆
  107. Dandelion (13/05/24) ★★★★☆
  108. Woven Song (13/05/24) ★★★★☆
  109. A Rivalry of Hearts (09/05/24) ★★★☆☆
  110. Space-Mullet (01/05/24) ★★★★☆
  111. The Details (01/05/24) ★★★★☆
  112. Green Frog (30/04/24) ★★★★☆
  113. Freaky Folklore (29/04/24) ★☆☆☆☆
  114. Book Lovers (28/04/24) ★★★★☆
  115. How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying (25/04/24) ★★☆☆☆
  116. Do/Photo (23/04/24) ★★★☆☆
  117. It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth (21/04/24) ★★★★★
  118. Most Haunted Theatres (21/04/24) ★★☆☆☆
  119. When Among Crows (20/04/24) ★★★★★
  120. Flowers from the Void (20/04/24) ★★★★☆
  121. A Haunted Girl (17/04/24) ★★★★★
  122. Off the Tracks (16/04/24) ★★★☆☆
  123. Is It A Seed? (16/04/24) ★★★★☆
  124. Griz Grobus (14/04/24) ★★★★★
  125. The Honey Witch (13/04/24) ★★★★☆
  126. Sisters of Sword and Shadow (09/04/24) ★★★★☆
  127. Murder Road (03/04/24) ★★★☆☆
  128. The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction (02/04/24) ★★★☆☆
  129. Scotland’s Forgotten Past (01/04/24) ★★★★☆
  130. Abroad in Japan (31/03/24) ★★★★☆
  131. Faceless and the Family (26/03/24) ★★★☆☆
  132. A Tempest of Tea (25/03/24) ★★★★☆
  133. Magic: A Very Short Introduction (21/03/24) ★★★☆☆
  134. The Spellshop (20/03/24) ★★★★★
  135. Anna’s Garden (19/03/24) ★★★★☆
  136. Tomorrow’s Children (17/03/24) ★★★★☆
  137. The Great God Pan (13/03/24) ★★★☆☆
  138. Not a River (12/03/24) ★★★★★
  139. Bight Risk: Caught Dead (09/03/24) ★★★★☆
  140. Black Hole Cinema Club (06/03/24) ★★★★☆
  141. The Man From Maybe (02/03/24) ★★★★☆
  142. Nights Volume 1 (01/03/24) ★★★★★
  143. The Essential… Taylor Swift (28/02/24) ★★★★☆
  144. The Cull Volume. 1 (25/02/24) ★★★★☆
  145. My Throat An Open Grave (21/02/24) ★★★★☆
  146. The Harrowing (20/02/24) ★★★★☆
  147. Chernobyl: The Fall of Atomgrad (19/02/24) ★★★★★
  148. Gogmagog (13/02/24) ★★★★☆
  149. Dwellings (12/02/24) ★★★★★
  150. Hobtown Mystery Stories Volume 1 (09/02/24) ★★★★★
  151. Welcome to Arkham (08/02/24) ★★★★☆
  152. Let Me Out (07/02/24) ★★★★☆
  153. Loki: A Bad God’s Guide to Taking the Blame (26/01/24) ★★★★☆
  154. This Skin Was Mine and Other Disturbances (25/01/24) ★★☆☆☆
  155. What Happens to Girls? (18/01/24) ★★★☆☆
  156. Whose Dog Is This? (13/01/24) ★★★☆☆
  157. The Queen Next Door (13/01/24) ★★★☆☆
  158. The Secret Elephant (13/01/24) ★★★★★
  159. Wolf and Bear (13/01/24) ★★★★☆
  160. Wild Wild Wood (07/01/24) ★★★☆☆
  161. Sunbringer (03/01/24) ★★★★☆
  162. Incredible Jobs You’ve (Probably) Never Heard Of (01/01/24) ★★★☆☆
  163. Snail (01/01/24) ★★★☆☆
  164. The Search for the Giant Arctic Jellyfish (01/01/24) ★★★★★
  165. The Last Stardog (01/01/24) ★★★★☆
  166. Gina Kaminsky Saves the Wolf (01/01/24) ★★★★★

The Living Mountain

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Nan Shepherd. Canongate Books. (176p) ISBN: 9781786897350. Nature Writing, read 18/06/18, Paperback ★★★★☆

The Living Mountain

The Living Mountain

I’ve had The Living Mountain sitting on my shelf for about five years now and for some reason just never got around to reading it, but now that I read a lot of children’s books I always like to read a more serious book as a sort of ‘palette cleanser’.

On starting I was astounded that the introduction for the special edition was almost as long as the book itself, but what a wonderful introduction.

Once I got into the book proper, Nan Shepherd’s writing was so mesmerising I didn’t want to put it down, she transported me into the mountains as no other book about the mountains has done previously.

The strength of her imagery and her obvious passion for the mountains made the whole of her world come alive for me.

Though Nan Shepherd is placed firmly in her time, the timeless nature of the Cairngorms are exemplified by her prose and imagery.

This is a classic of travel, nature and mountaineering and deservedly so and I am glad that I finally got around to reading it and not just having it on the shelf as some sort of trophy book.

Wrestliana

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Toby Litt. Galley Beggar Press. (260p) ISBN: 9781910296899. Memoir, read 18/06/18, Paperback ★★★★☆

Wrestliana

Wrestliana

Wrestliana is a complicated book, on the surface it is a biography of Toby Litt’s great-great-grandfather William Litt, but it is also an exploration of his relationship with his own father, his sons, and representations of masculinity.

I was lucky enough to receive this from Galley Beggar Press to read and I really appreciate the chance as Toby’s writing is clear and impelling.

William Litt was a champion Cumberland and Westmoreland Wrestling athlete and writer and this book follows his life around the wrestling circuit and further abroad.

It is the joining of these two modern day extremes, ‘Jock’ and ‘Nerd’ that Toby explores, both in William’s life and his own.

Positing that William’s era was possibly the beginning of separation of body and mind as distinct social personas, body and mind was commonly combined. But with the rise of educational specialism and professional sports they became irrevocably sundered.

A really great read written with understanding and passion.

Murder Most Unladylike

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Robin Stevens. Penguin. (352p) ISBN: 9780141369761. Middle Grade, read 21/02/18, Paperback ★★★★☆

Murder Most Unladylike

Murder Most Unladylike

Just before Christmas (a couple of years back) we found out that Robin Stevens was coming to one of our local schools to talk to the pupils about her books and writing mysteries, have to say I jumped at the chance to organise something to support the schools librarian and the school (but also to meet Robin 😉 ).

Robin was kind enough to give me a few of her lovely US editions of the series, Murder is Bad Manners being the US name for Murder Most Unladylike, and they are such beautiful editions too, strikingly different art from the UK editions, reminiscent of the 30s John Buchan/Agatha Christie covers.

In this first book, Daisy and Hazel seem to be ironing out the kinks in their relationship whilst trying to discover who murdered their teacher, Miss Bell.

This involves following various clues, red herrings and threads to their conclusion, and in the tradition of all good murder mysteries the reveal is surprising but follows from the clues sprinkled throughout the book.

The pace was well-judged, moving along quickly enough to keep a reader interested but not so quick as to lose the thread of the plot, Hazel is a wonderful narrator in the style of a Watsonesque sidekick, but with a bit more personality than that much maligned assistant.

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