Books

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.