Books

I enjoyed the chaos of the additional race added in this sequel to Children of Time, but it didn’t hook me in quite the same way.

Finding myself in a sci-fi mood, Children of Time really hit the spot. Epic in scale with incredible world-building, and a narrative that cleverly bounces between 2 very different evolving species. Probably not a book I’d recommend to arachnophobes, though! 🕸️

I saw The Convenience Store by the Sea described as “cosy fiction”, and found it to be a gentle, easy read exploring themes of connection and community. Each chapter is like a little story in itself, linked to the others by the convenience store setting and the people who work there.

Another book in the Secret Projects series where Sanderson’s influences are clear - in this instance Yumi and the Nightmare Painter draws inspiration from anime, Japanese culture, and Final Fantasy X. I enjoyed the dual protagonists and settings, and as ever the world building was a particular highlight.

A fascinating and horrifying glimpse inside one of the most powerful companies in the world. If your view of Facebook/Meta is already a dim one, Careless People will confirm all your worst suspicions and then some.

A fun read blending science, humour, and an impending apocalypse without feeling particularly heavy. If you enjoyed The Martian, there’s a pretty good chance you’ll enjoy Project Hail Mary too.

Book 5 of Brandon Sanderson’s Secret Projects series is a treat for Cosmere fans - loads of little references to the wider universe and a fast-paced story that felt brief despite the book not actually being short. Perhaps I’ve just trained my brain to expect 1,000+ pages whenever I pick up a Sanderson novel!

As my first Warhammer Age of Sigmar novel I tried to get into Soul Wars, but in the end there just wasn’t much to get into. A straightforward plot and characters with such little depth they were basically interchangeable. Maybe there are better Warhammer books, or maybe I’ll just stick to painting the models 🤷

Another outstanding Tiffany Aching Discworld novel. I was surprised by the darker tone of I Shall Wear Midnight, but the development of Tiffany as a character as she comes into her own as a witch was a delight to read.

I’ve been dabbling in the Warhammer Age of Sigmar hobby recently, and the core book is a great introduction to the lore and history of its massive fantasy universe. There’s lots of artwork and photographs of stunningly-painted models to be inspired by too. The Mortal Realms might just fill a Cosmere-shaped hole when I have no more of those books to read 🤓

The grand finale of the first major arc of The Stormlight Archive. In a similar way to Rhythm of War before it, I felt Wind and Truth suffered from pacing issues and could have been shorter. Flashback chapters fleshing out character backstory were frequent enough to feel like a distraction, and probably could have been condensed. There was however a lot of payoff for events built over the preceding 4,000ish pages of the series so far, and I’ll be back for the second arc when book 6 has been written!

It’s coming home… To Ankh-Morpork! ⚽ A book about football. But also a book about class and social mobility and nature vs nurture and probably many other things I missed, as there’s nothing quite so densely layered as a Discworld novel, which is one of the reasons I’m looking forward to future series rereads.

The making of one of my all-time favourite TV shows, as told by one of its stars. If you’re a regular Parks rewatcher, you’ll enjoy Jerry’s Garry’s Larry’s Jim’s stories about making it.

Winner of the Booker Prize 2024, so clearly a very good book, but my 3 star rating is as much a reflection of my own mindset as anything else. Orbital is a deep and introspective read with some beautiful prose, and so is slightly mismatched to my current taste for lighter fiction. A good book that I’d have likely enjoyed more if I’d read it at a different time.

Brandon Sanderson at his most whimsical - channelling no small amount of Sir Terry Pratchett (and mentioning him as an influence in the post-epilogue blurb) - in a tale written from the perspective of recurring Cosmere character Hoid. I really enjoyed Tress and the shift in tone that comes with an in-character narrator.

A suitably explosive conclusion to Mistborn era 2, packed with revelations about the Cosmere and raising even more questions about what the major players are up to 👀

I’m really enjoying era 2 of Mistborn - it’s every bit as good as the first trilogy. And, as ever, there’s always another secret…

Shadows of Self is where it really feels like era 2 of Mistborn has properly gotten underway, and is more connected to wider events in Sanderson’s Cosmere universe. It also has a jaw-dropping final act that reminded me of The Final Empire - a very good thing!

The more modern world of electricity, railways, guns, and technology is a fun setting for new Mistborn stories, and I enjoyed Wayne’s antics 🕵️‍♂️

Something of an extended epilogue for the first Mistborn trilogy, and essential reading for anyone following the story that draws all of Sanderson’s Cosmere works together. I can see I’m going to have to pick up era 2 of Mistborn next!

Another intriguing magic system and the origin story of the most darkly comic sentient weapon in the Cosmere. More good stuff from Mr Sanderson 🙌

The second book in Moist Von Lipwig’s Discworld subseries is all about money - our relationship with it, the value we assign it, and the absurdity of the whole system.

People don’t like change. But make the change fast enough and you go from one type of normal to another.

A standalone tale in Sanderson’s Cosmere that I quite enjoyed, despite it supposedly being one of the weaker novels set in his universe. If that’s the case, I’m looking forward to the others!

An insightful, entertaining, and at times slightly depressing insider account of 10 years of political dysfunction in the Tory party.

Another wonderful entry in the Tiffany Aching subseries of Discworld. Tiffany is a great protagonist, and as she grows up Sir Terry explores themes of responsibility and agency in ways that made me reflect on the later stages of his life following his diagnosis with what he named “The Embuggerance”.

This I choose to do. If there is a price, this I choose to pay. If it is my death, then I choose to die. Where this takes me, there I choose to go. I choose. This I choose to do.

More than other Stormlight books, I felt like sections of Rhythm of War dragged a bit. Like the others it’s a very long read, and the final act does contain a lot of payoffs that reward your patience, but the journey to get there could have been shorter. Nonetheless I’m eagerly awaiting the fifth volume in the series now that I’m up to date, and I’ll likely pick up some of the other books set in Sanderson’s Cosmere universe 🌌

These Words are accepted.

I loved Dawnshard - the Lopen, centre stage! A lighter and more humourous entry in The Stormlight Archive, with all the character development and world building Sanderson does so well.

Oathbringer follows Mr Sanderson’s formula of detailed world building, lengthy buildup, and an explosive final act where everything comes together. If I had one complaint, it would be that there wasn’t quite enough of the Lopen who is clearly one of the best characters in the series 😆 I hear that’s put right in book 3.5 of The Stormlight Archive though…

The most important step a man can take. It’s not the first one, is it? It’s the next one. Always the next step, Dalinar.

The Discworld series continues its exploration of darker themes in Thud! while retaining its trademark laugh-out-loud moments. I really enjoyed the continued evolution of Sam Vimes’ character while the book explored themes of race, prejudice, community, and tradition.

Water dripping on a stone, dissolving and removing. Changing the shape of the world, one drop at a time.

What I expected: a fun little interlude between main series books, featuring a minor character.

What I got: a fun little interlude between main series books, featuring a minor character and some plot development that is probably going to be really important for book 3. I’m glad I didn’t skip Edgedancer!

Book 2 of The Stormlight Archive is an absolute triumph. I’m loving the series and I’ll pick up book “2.5” next - it’s a novella that I think is technically optional, but I’m enjoying my time in Roshar so much I’ll read the in-between books too!

A reread of an impactful book that gave me a lot to reflect on. I bought extra copies to give away, because I think all men would benefit from reading it. We all need to talk more, and about the things that really matter.

A history book full of insight, wit, and genuine laughs. I’d recommend it to anyone with even a passing interest in history or the English national psyche.

The first book of The Stormlight Archive took a lot longer to “hook” me than The Final Empire did for Mistborn, but hook me it did. Somewhere around half way through this lengthy first instalment was where things started to click, and I think I see why the series is regarded as some of Sanderson’s best work. I quite liked the interlude chapters between the main sections of the book, which tend to change setting completely and introduce new characters to build out the intricately detailed world.

There are, however, still far too many raised eyebrows for my liking 🤨

Moist Von Lipwig’s debut is a Discworld series highlight, and the Industrial Revolution subseries as a whole has been great so far. In Going Postal I particularly enjoyed the cameo from an X-Files-esque trio of hackers 👨‍💻

A man is not dead while his name is still spoken

An incredibly satisfying end to the Mistborn trilogy; there were several moments I had to put the book down and stare vacantly out the window while I processed the story’s latest turn 🤯

In The Hero of Ages Sanderson continues to build and expand upon the world and systems set up in the previous 2 books, before pulling everything together and fully resolving every thread. I’ve really enjoyed Mistborn, and I’ll delve in to another Sanderson series when my head stops spinning.

There’s always another secret.

Insightful anecdotes and valuable tips from three distinct stages of a career in technical leadership - manager, director, and executive.

One of those books that seems to get recommended all the time, The Thursday Murder Club was entertaining and kept me guessing.

A bit of a slower burn than The Final Empire, until it suddenly isn’t. If this series is ever made in to a TV show, I hope the characters “raise an eyebrow” every 20 seconds or so to remain true to the books 🙃

The second book of the Tiffany Aching Discworld subseries, which is fast becoming a contender for my favourite! Pratchett explores the power of stories, belief, and community, in another “young adult” novel that refuses to talk down to younger readers.

Why do you go away? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colours. And the people there see you differently too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.

I hadn’t read Brandon Sanderson before, and The Way of Kings looked a bit long for a new-to-me author at ~1,000 pages. Instead I chose The Final Empire, the first book in the Mistborn trilogy, which turned out to be nearly 800 pages so I really didn’t save much reading! Fortunately it was a great read. Sanderson’s world-building is excellent, and the magic system - Allomancy - was well thought out and made for some incredible action scenes. I’ll continue the trilogy after dipping back in to Discworld for a bit.

An excellent resource for new engineering managers, and probably those that have been doing the job for a while too. I picked up a few tips from this book that I use daily.

Lives up to the title; Dave Grohl tells great stories! Every page overflows with passion for the things that matter most to him in life - family, friends, and music.

The worlds of His Dark Materials are well-built and incredibly imaginitive. I found some of the character development in this last book puzzling; Lyra and Mrs Coulter in particular seemed to undergo quite sudden and drastic personality changes. That aside, The Amber Spyglass was an extraordinary end to a series I really enjoyed.

I felt the story was slowing down a bit as I reached the middle of the book, but it soon shifted back up a gear and I found myself hooked again. On to The Amber Spyglass!

I’d been aware of His Dark Materials for a while, but hadn’t gotten round to checking out the series until a couple of colleagues recommended the first book. I’m glad they did - I loved the intricately detailed world, and appreciated the rapid pace of the story in this first volume. I’m looking forward to continuing the series.

As a lifelong Discworld fan this was an absolute must-read. Anecdotes and memories shared by a man who was by Terry’s side through the good times and the hard ones, right up to the end that came too soon. A joyful read that became a very difficult one as I neared the conclusion of the book, and finishing it felt like losing Terry all over again.

GNU Terry Pratchett

Interesting, sometimes amusing, occasionally eyeroll-inducing during sections casually recounting a breathtakingly privileged life with barely an acknowledgment of it. Perhaps to be expected of an actual prince, though. I thought spoken dialogue was handled a little weirdly - always in italics.

A Discworldly take on the military, gender roles, and sexism. It took me longer than I’d care to admit to spot some of the character… developments, let’s call them 🙈

I have found the book I’ll use to introduce my daughter to the Discworld. Tiffany Aching is a wonderful role model for little girls everywhere and, frankly, everyone else too. Top-tier Pratchett!

A fascinating exploration of biases we all hold about the general state of the world - that things are getting worse, the world is more dangerous and divided than ever before, and so on, when in fact the data shows the opposite. Factfulness offers a framework for recognising and overcoming these biases in order to think with more clarity and optimism.

An important book that explores the history of racism in the UK and the ways in which it continues to shape society. An eye-opening, thought-provoking, and challenging read.

A management classic, and pretty much required reading for anyone considering a career in people leadership. Kim Scott provides a framework for having hard conversations, backed up by real world examples that make the advice memorable.

I really enjoyed this memoir of Barack Obama’s early political career and first term as President. An insightful look at American politics and the challenges of leadership.

A software engineering must-read. I read the 20th anniversary edition as I started to become a more senior engineer, and found its lessons invaluable.

The first book I read on technical leadership, at a time when it wasn’t really a career path I was considering but I wanted to better understand organisational changes at my company. The Manager’s Path is an excellent resource, and my go-to recommendation for anyone considering a move into technical leadership and management.

Empowering women doesn’t just benefit women, and in this powerful book Melinda Gates illustrates its transformational effects on entire societies.