It’s time to go back to the ‘verse of the Expanse, and I can’t even begin to tell you how much I have missed these characters. Within a few pages, I was back into that world, recalling all that had happened before, and worrying about the new dangers and old enemies that the crew of…
Category: The Book Shelf
Odd and the Frost Giants (2008) – Neil Gaiman
It’s always a delight to explore a Neil Gaiman book, and though this novella was far too short, it was everything I’d come to expect from this master storyteller. Incorporating Norse Mythology, which is also the subject of his latest book, the story follows a young boy, named Odd, who has an unexpected encounter with…
So Long, and Thanks For All the Fish (1984) – Douglas Adams
So I felt it was time to check in with the gang from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy again, and dove into book four of the trilogy. This one seems a bit shorter than the previous tale, and to my chagrin, Ford Prefect is barely in it, Marvin makes only an appearance, and Zaphod…
Star Trek: The Vulcan Academy Murders (1984) – Jean Lorrah
It’s been a while since I checked in with the non-canon universe of Star Trek, so I dived into the world of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy in this would-be murder mystery. Spock is preparing for some leave on his home planet of Vulcan. When an attack from a Klingon ship wounds one of the Enterprise’s…
The Couturier of Milan (2017) – Ian Hamilton
Next Monday, the adventures of Ava Lee continue in Ian Hamilton’s latest instalment in the addictive, page-turning series that began with The Water Rat of Wanchai and continues now with book nine(!) and one novella – The Couturier of Milan. Over the course of these books, I have grown to consider Ava Lee a friend,…
The Lego Batman Movie: The Essential Guide (2017) -Julia March
The Lego Movie when it came out, took the world by surprise with just how fun it was, and it’s breakout character, which should not be a surprise, was Batman. It should come then as no surprise that Lego decided the Caped Crusader should have his own film, which opens next month. DK Canada gave…
A Monster Calls (2011) – Patrick Ness
It’s been a long time since a book has reduced me to tears, but Ness’ powerful, and beautiful young adult books, A Monster Calls has done just that. Inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd who passed before she could tell it herself, the story is a singular experience that is heartbreaking in its truth…
Life, the Universe and Everything (1982) – Douglas Adams
Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Marvin the robot, Zaphod and Trillian find themselves caught up in trouble again as the third Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy book finds its way to The Book Shelf this week. And, just like the preceding novels, this one is a life riot as well. Arthur and Ford are where we…
Gemina: The Illuminae Files 02 (2016) – Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
The second volume in the Illuminae Files, Gemina, is not only an excellent follow-up instalment in this vibrant and exciting Young Adult series, it is also highly entertaining science fiction and space opera. The first book, told through IM and audio transcripts, descriptions of video surveillance, was brilliant, fun, and probably a game-changer in the…
Star Wars: Rogue One – The Ultimate Visual Guide (2016) – Pablo Hidalgo
Can you believe that we get a Star Wars movie every year now for the next foreseeable future? That time between Star Wars and Empire, and then Jedi, seemed interminable growing up. The wait between Jedi and Menace was even longer, and soured many a viewer, and while Awakens was a fun ride, not everyone…
The Mind Reels 