Life is a Slow March (also I do nothing for a month)

 I've been thinking about my oldest brother lately which isn't surprising. A date has been set for when he goes into the ground. Good thing, we're not Jewish because it's taken several sunsets. Who knows what we actually use to believe. 

A Catholic service is about as comforting as slapping when you don't believe in any of that crap, especially when it's a funeral for someone on the younger side. I just felt angry listening to all the shit and the main reason for having a Catholic funeral cannot be there for medical reasons. 

All this crap about god being a shepherd. Well, if he has been shepherding my family, I would like a word about several things and that maybe he should invest in a sheepdog.  So my thoughts through all the prays was about what a dick he is, which is probably the wrong attitude to have during a funeral. What is the right one, anger is meant to be one of the stages of grief but maybe you shouldn't be cursing god in a church. 

I joke about not being able to say I'm Satanist because I'm not an atheist. I guess I believe in something, but I don't believe we will meet again in the same form. I definitely don't believe in Abrahamic faiths and their teachings at all. Mainly they mostly sexist and no one plays attention to the actual good ones. Got to have your super churches, while the poor starve. 

Having a school next to church is quite awkward when leaving a funeral. They put him in the ground before my family got to the gravesite which is kinda shitty, especially as we were running early. 

The priest seemed to rush through the service, which I guess a good thing because I was dreading the idea of giant service. There are no hymns during a covid funeral. Why do Catholics sit up and down so much? We do not appreciate it as disabled people.

I've not done much recently, barely read but I have finished watching Murder, She Wrote except for the films. I've watched all of Hannibal in the last week, would have been quicker than that but I wanted to read fanfiction. Reading early fanfiction before a series is finished, Now I'm wondering what if Jessica Fetcher was Hannibal? Maybe she secretly is. I've been thinking about the murder statics around Jessica as I watch all 12 seasons. I had thought about doing vlogmas. I have several videos that I want to see the light of sitting unedited. 

This post probably be very different if I had finished writing three week ago instead of now. 

Book Review: Zom-B: Bride by Darren Shan

Marriage is not how to solve politician issues. Anymore.


Does True Love lurk in the Darkest of Places?

Could a psychotic stalker be the man of your dreams?

Can a Killer win your heart?

Here comes the Bride...

This is the 10th in the Zom-B series (which I have review the majority of the series: Zom-B, Undergound, City, Angels, Baby, Mission, Clans, Circus, and Family). This one was odd. Odder and creepier than the other books in the series.

B is 13 years old physically and a fully grown man/clown is telling her he loves her. This isn't a spoiler with what this book is called. It stated several times that it not romantic, but it still creepy. Creeper than the babies.

There's a lot of gore for gore sake. Limbs everywhere and other dumb decorating choices.

We get more answers in this book, but B also ran away from answers. 
The Plot is clearly gearing up for Climax of the series. It's definitely going somewhere.

B's personality is her weird, soft, cult side. Not sure where her head is.

Overall, I give you this book 3.5/5 stars for blood baths. I feel my opinion might change on this book with what happens with the last two in the series so might update this rating or address that in my future reviews.

Book Review: Zom-B Family by Darren Shan

If the zombie apocalypse had came, it would probably be over by now.

Can anyone hurt you as much as a love one?

When does the fight become the much to bear?

How much pain can one person endure?

B Smith is discovering the true meaning of family...

This is the 9th book in the Zom-B series (which I review the majority of Zom-B, Undergound, City, Angels, Baby, Mission, Clans and the in between that is Circus). So now that series has been finished for over a year, I'm finally back to reading it after two years of a bit of not doing so. After this book I've only got three to read and I'm planning to read and review them one after another basically.

The book has a lot of resolutions and is definitely going somewhere which has been my biggest problem with the series in the past. It's builds on B's family issues and all that racist stuff. The KKK was still perhaps on the nose but then again why not be blunt about this things (especially the way things have/are turning out in real, non-zombified world).

I think B has pretty much had enough now, so I'm wondering where that's going to lead the series. 

Overall, I give this book 4/5 stars for Banners. The series is building to something and I want to know what that something is. I will be reading the next books pretty soon and should have them all read and reviewed by end of February.

Book Review: The Ghost of Helen Addison by Charles E. McGarry

I can't be arsed to do an opening comment.

LEO MORGAN - connoisseur, private investigator, seer of visions - sets out from the splendid isolation of his Glasgow apartment to solve the homicide of a young woman at Loch Dhonn in Argyll. He arrives at a brooding, wintry landscape where he encounters a host of colourful characters, including the spectral murder victim himself. 

FRUSTRATED BY THE FORCES OF EVIL summoned up by the killer, Leo fails to make headway, and his pomposity and intemperance tests the patience of the police. Close to despair, he must draw on all of his powers to unmask the murderer before he himself becomes the next victim.

 This is a book I got from the library upon reconsigning it, it was an Halloween recommendation from them and I swear I also watched a video saying it was good but can't find it or remember who it was by.Also set in Scotland, therefore fun. Homophobic comments in the first 50 pages, therefore go away and die. Yeah, there's few issues with this book.

Funfact: It continues the accidental trend of me reading books during the time they set and this book is set between Janurary and whenever Ash Wednesday was. It changes. 

The plot is fine if not typical and cliché. It's the usual Satanism affair that adds nothing. Leo Morgan is a pretentious, hypocrite, catholic. I said his religion because he's goes on about it a lot. There's a thing about good and evil, with usual display of Satanism. Morgan is a psychic with confusing visions of the past.

This book is unenjoyablely male. All the woman are fuckable, victims or lesbians. Homophobic as hell. The only women that Leo doesn't fancy is describes as being masculine, that makes her lesbian and is terrible to her husband. Yeah she has a husband. Morgan also makes a gay friend, I would like Moran better if he was gay but he still unlikable dick who is obsessed with his own dick. He mentions his "Benjamin Franklin" three times. I don't why male writers put this shit in their books. Also it written in third person so it's the narrator that is talking about Morgan's penis, not Morgan himself making these observation. Why do I, the reader need to know that Leo Morgan has morning wood?

Morgan is described as being a good man by the ghost of the 20-something and tells him she would have sex with him if she was alive and single. What dumb bullshit. 

Like I said that book in third person, often with weird side comments which makes confusing whether it's Morgan thoughts or facts a.k.a. the lesbian comment. 

Overall, I give this book 3/5 stars for Idiot Barons. This is meant to be a start of series but I have too many issues to continues reading it. It just usual thriller with psychic detective thing going, no near the best one I've read. It bring nothing new to the table. The way talks about women puts me off and don't really care for another drunk older middle age man whose probably going to die alone. I guess if you're a older middle age man then you would love this book but if you're not and you hate all that shit then probably skip this one.

Book Review: Devotion by Ros Barber

The cover is better than the book.

April is angry. Only nineteen, April is an elective mute, accused of a religiously motivated atrocity.  Dr Finlay Logan is broken, a borderline suicidal criminal psychologist, still reeling from his daughter's death. He must assess her sanity in a world where - ten years after the death of Richard Dawkins - moves have been made to classify religious believes as a form of mental illness. 
Both April and Finley struggle to understand what happened to them

Asking fundamental questions about the nature of reality, Barber skilfully explores the balance between the emotional and rational sides of human experience. 

Sharing Secrets, silence and inability to deal with the world around them. Gently unpicking the lives of these broken characters.

This book was disappointing. I read this book mainly because Skulls and 'Elective Mutism'. Skulls on the cover and it's cool cover. Makes senses with the actual plot. There's no Elective Mutism in this book or the more modern term of Selective Mutism. It's always fun where stories set in the future have outdated terms. Even acknowledging the old definition, it's used just to be smart more than describing April; who is deciding not to speak to her count appointed Psychologist, Logan who will decide her whether she insane or not.

Going off the description, I thought it would be a dual protagonists, but it's very much Logan's story and the effect he will have on April's final outcome. This puts me in the awkward situation as I read this as part of the silent protagonist review video series I'm doing. I have seen better summaries that rightly focus on Logan. Moving on.

So Logan is a bland, male that cheats and has done terrible things to woman and his children.

The prose is fine. I didn't think about it until I seen other people talking it. It has that whole literature thing going on. It's fine.

The plot is half-arsed questioning god, but also not really. Its end up being more about choices and the whole butterfly effect thing again. Its deals with mental heath and with several characters having bad mental health. Though, they all have had fucked up stuff have happened to them. This book raises questions to abandoned them. It's fine. The classifying religion as mental illness, only deals with the type fundamentalism that involves blindly killing yourself for the cause; that's badly defined and go against your actual religion's beliefs so probably should be.

Overall, I give this book 3/5 stars for ill-advise charity events. This book brings nothing new to the table but is also not terrible. I probably would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't had such mislead ideas about what it was about. It's fine. There's nothing to rave for or against. If you like the idea, go for it.

Book Review: Fleshmarket by Nicola Morgan

Fleshmarket does not contain cannablism. Only Jokes about Cannabism,

"Footsteps echoed through the towering corridors as the woman walked...followed by her silent family. No One could touch her. She touched none of them. She was different. Robbie, young as he was, felt it...had felt her pain as if it was his. It had burned him and left its mark. The mark was the empty space where his real mother had been. The place where she had left him.'

It is Edinburgh, 1828 and Robbie is haunted by the horror of his mother's death at the hands of the famous surgeon, Dr Robert Knox. The Operation was intended to save her life. Instead it brought her intolerable pain before it killed her. Now her family is torned apart, and living in appalling poverty. A desperate Robbie is intend on Revenge on Knox. But how far is he prepared to go - and what will he lose in the process?


This is a book I wanted to read since 5th Nov 2007 when I heard about, brought it 7 years later and read it almost 10 years later. It sounded cooler, I tried to buy when I heard about it, but I don't think I had enough money on me. The lady selling the books also seem confused that I would want that one also.

So this book is about Robbie who blames his family's poverty on real historian person Dr Robert Knox. The book goes during the birth of Modern Medicine, as in they didn't know about bacteria and inflections yet. Nor much about the Human body as no one was willing to have their body cut for science as religion says that you need your body to rot for God for some reason.

This book does have lot questioning of God, because of the time period and the list of bad things that have happened to our main character. It's a few pages of the book, and think is reflective of the time the book is set. The bodies rotting for god does come into play of the plot. If you recognize Doctor Know, then you probably guess how it relates. I didn't and strangely I never guess what a book called Fleshmarket set in 19th century would involved such a famous Edinburgh thing so I will leave you to discover it or already know.

I think a big problem is that Robbie is a bit desperate to blame Knox for his problems that it comes across as dumb. Yes, he 14 and hormonal, but there's several "error of my ways" moments that happen in this book. He also abandons his 8 yr old sister several times, making him unlikable.

Overall, I give this book 3.5/5 stars for bread barrow. I prefer Nicola Morgan's The Highwayman's Footsteps series better than this book. It was okay, I don't know if Young me would have liked it better. If more a fan of historian fiction involving real people then this might be the book for you.

Book Review: Zom-b: Clans by Darren Shan

At first it's hard to hang off a Cliff but eventually you forgot you're on a Cliff.

How much do you value your best friend's life?

When do you go when run out of options?

How far can you trust an evil promise? 

B Smith must consider her next move...

This is the 8th book in the Zom-B series (which I review the majority of Zom-B, Undergound, City, Angels, Baby, Mission and the in between that is Circus). The last main book ended on a major cliff-hanger so it took me months to pick this book up. Life is a weird thing that happens to you. 

The book continues straight off from last book and I found it easy to fall back into it. The story quickly goes into a weird angle not far in.

The characters were basically their typical selves. But who cares because in this book we finally get the origin stories of certain characters and that is why you should read this book.

Overall, I give this book 4 out of 5 stars for Hypocrites. I like this book because we get answers and B isn't acting as though she devoted cult follower anymore. Question superiors, kids. Though, with the ending of this book, who knows if that will last.

Book Review: The Dark Light by Julia Bell

It's a cult on island. Try not to avoid listing those in your head.

Ten minutes to midnight!' Jonathan shouts over the sound of the blazing fire. Sparks rise into the sky and mingle with the stars. 'Only ten minutes!' Bevins says, falling down on his knees. 'So it begins.' Rebekah has lived on the island her whole life, and it's only now that she's starting to wonder what she might experience outside her strict religious community. Alex has been sent to the island to escape her dark past, and through her eyes it's a dark and sinister place. Thrown together by chance, Rebekah and Alex strike up an unlikely friendship and it's together that they attempt to break free of their worlds and make a world of their own. But when a kiss between the girls is witnessed by an islander there is no escape they can make - the Rapture is coming for them all.

This book about a cult on remote island, while my first YA novel that featured this, it's definitely not the first time I read or see something with that. This is a Christian cult with an insane American leader on a Welsh island so Wales is the almost original part of that sentence. Though, being original isn't actually a big part of the story.

We have two point of views from the two main characters but I didn't feel that they were distinctive from each other which I would have liked to seen with their different backgrounds. Also there were a lot of times I didn't know which character they were referring to. Even with rereading the sentence, I was still not sure who they were talking about.

The characters were a bit flat. I got frustrated with the main characters erratic behaviour and thoughts. I did try to be understanding that they were in a scary situation where they had to act a certain way to avoid punishment but as the book went on, it was hard to be understanding. My main issue is probably that I wanted them to be more rebellious. There was also something difficult about becoming attach to these characters so I didn't care that much about their outcomes, despite wanting justice because I like just desserts.

The set up for this book is pretty dumb as well, I'm about to state what happens in the first chapter. I guess skip if you're all about not being spoiled at all. It starts with Alex getting into trouble, therefore she has go to the island which is approved by a police officer and a Social Worker, despite the island not normally taking troubled youths or anyone. It is not normal to send minors to islands ran by cult leaders on the word of their parents alone, especially if they have a history of mental health issues.

The way this book plays out is bit rushed to be realistic. If the time scale had been longer then it could have worked for me, but major belief switches happen within a day. The ending was an ending. It was a tad bit annoying and almost feels tragic for the sake of it.

Overall, I give this book three out of five stars for poppies. This book is pretty short, so if you're still intrigued after reading mine or other people's thoughts; I say go for it. Personally, I'm still hunting for better YA cult books.

I got this for review off NetGalley and it's being published by Macmillan Children's Books on 16 July 2015.

Book Review: Zom-B: Circus by Darren Shan

This book is tiny looking in comparison to the way the other books are put together.

Could you survive a plague of zombies?
What would you sacrifice to stay alive?
Who would you try to save?
For one human, judgement day is coming . . .

 This is book 7.5 in the Zom-B series, though in terms of spoilers it would only spoil the first book (and a slight spoiler for it in this review), you should be probably read the second book as well before this one at least. (My reviews here: Zom-B and Undergound). Though, you should just read the series in order.

This book follows B's old Maths teacher, which is odd for book in Children's/teenager's/YA book series to have a Protagonist in her late 20s. All should follow this example, it won't get weird not at all. 

I liked the parallels between Cat Ward and B's escape from the school. Cat is unlikable character, not just because of her questionable action, just her thought process more than anything. You can find other characters to like.

Going by this cover that you will guess what other character we see in this book. That's right, Count Dracula. I was very surprised. You won't be surprised to know that is a lie. Though, as Dracula is now in public domain, anyone can have him appear in their book. There was some cool, gruesome imagery.

Overall, I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars for talk of soldiers. This was a cool intermission in the series and it was cool to hear the voice of the living during this apocalypse. It re-raised some question to ponder between books.

Book Review: Zom-B: Mission by Darren Shan

If you guys didn't know already, that I'm a idiot. I'm about to prove it.

B Smith and the other Angels are relieved to finally receive their first mission to safely escort a group of human survivors from the zombie-infested streets of London to New Kirkham, a barricaded safe haven in the country. But after battling through crowds of undead monsters, B discovers that the survivors of the town do not necessarily represent the best of humanity. And when evil influences make their way to New Kirkham, unearthing demons from B s past, the humans will be forced to choose between being honorable and being safe.

So this is the 7th book in the Zom-B series, I have review them all (Zom-B, Undergound, City, Angels and Baby) except the last one, Gladiator because I somehow forgot that I had read it. I got it from the library and everything again, sat down to read it and it was really familiar because I had already read it so no review for that one. Especially a shame, considering I had new comments from that about the series. Maybe I reread the series someday and then I review it. On to the actual review of this book, no spoilers for this book but not previous book in the series as usual.

We get to leave to London. YAY! Having another setting besides from the Country Hall area was interesting. I enjoyed seeing other parts of this world that we've not heard about before. Also we see the more of characters, so I never felt my usual plot frustration as I was distracted.

The topic of racism makes it way back into the series. I like how it was subtle and then slapped you in the face. Also we get made to see how much B developed since the first book, I mean I never shouted at her in this book, not even once.

This book ends in a proper cliffhangers, so might want to have Clans on sidelines waiting. I think I'm going to go straight on to the next book, especially since as this book brings up more questions than it answers.

Overall, I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars for trees. These reviews are turning into thoughts. I know that what reviews are but should be more critical or structured or something. Basically, never based your reviews off mine. Now that I'm finish this review, I'm off to read the next book in the series and then write a review of that and then read the book after that etc.

Book Review: Zom-B: Baby by Darren Shan

Oh, that baby is adorable. In comparison of other monster babies.

B has spent the last few months bunking with the Angels, a group of teens dedicated to eradicating the evil dead from the face of the earth, beginning with the undead roaming the abandoned wreckage that was once London. But the Angels' mission is a bit more complicated than that, and B takes to the streets of a very changed London to decide: is it a mission really to be believed? But instead of answers, B finds a horror beyond imagining.

This is the 5th book in the Zom-B series and I only promise to be spoiler free for this book. If you haven't read the other four books why not check out my reviews of them: 
Zom-B, Zom-B: Undergound, Zom-B: City and Zom-B: Angels.

This book was disturbing mainly because I think Rage might have flirted with B. B was her typically aggravating self.  It like she has no self-preservation sometimes. Yes, you're dead but that comes with own problem of no healing power at all.

This was mostly character study really. So little happen in terms of plot and you probably guess by the title what that was. It all happens near the end of the book. 

I said this was character development stuff but don't feel as reader we got much. I guess there was relationship building that's probably relevant to the series overall plot. I know these books are short but I want to more within those 250 pages. The pictures are pretty. Though, I do doubt many people say that about illustrations of zombies. 

Overall, I gave this book 3/5 stars for zombies on skates. I like this series but I just wish there was more plot in the books.

Book Review: The Good Luck of Right Now by Mattrew Quick

I prefer to believe in Karma because then people get what’s coming to them.

Bartholomew Neil is thirty-nine and lost. He's lived his whole life, up till a few weeks ago, with his devoted mum, but now she has died Bartholomew has no idea how to be on his own. His grief counsellor, Wendy, says he needs to find his flock and leave the nest. But how does a man whose whole life has been grounded learn how to fly? So Bartholomew turns to Richard Gere, the man his mum adored from afar, in the hope he can offer some answers. In Bartholomew's letters to Richard Gere he explores philosophy and friendship, alien abduction and the mystery of women. The letters also reveal his heart-breaking need of a family, but when Bartholomew does manage to assemble a motley family of sorts, he seems to have taken on more than he bargained for . . .

This book is a character study so that what going on.

The characters are tad flat for my liking. Most of them feel one-dimensional except for Bartholomew. The other character were just supporting cast and even with Bartholomew he not very memorable.

It also features the teaching Buddhist with the main character being life-long catholic. There other weird stuff such as alien abduction.

This novel is in the format of letters to Richard Gere. This book is meant to be, being adapted into a movie so I’m hoping to they get Richard Gere to play Bartholomew mainly because it would be terrible casting and it would be confusing as hell if they keep the whole Richard Gere side to the book. Back to the point of the letters, this was done quite well as there is some lines of dialogue but Bartholomew (which is a hellish name to keep writing) keeps a note of interesting things that people say so that sort of works.

I’m not sure what I thought of the ending. It seemed a little bit over happy for me.

Overall, I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars for preserved body parts. It had issues but would recommend for people who like letter formatted books and character driven books. I enjoyed reading and did like it mainly for the letter format.

I got this off Netgalley for a review. It’s being published by Picador on 10^th April 2014 (also currently known as tomorrow).

Book Review: Dead Silent by Sharon Jones

Imagined if Bob the Builder became a Psychic Crime Investigator? Now that’s a show I would watch.

When Poppy Sinclair and her boyfriend visit snowy Cambridge, she doesn't expect to discover the body of a student - arms outstretched in the act of smearing bloody angel wings on the chapel's floor.

Suddenly, Poppy is faced with the possibility that the one closest to her heart might be the one committing the most malicious of crimes.

Dodging porters and police, dreading what she might find, Poppy follows the clues left by a murderer bent on revenge...

Long-hidden secrets are chillingly revealed, an avenging angel seeks forgiveness and red-hot vengeance must be quelled in the amazing new Poppy Sinclair thriller.

Dead Silent is the second book in The Poppy Sinclair Thriller series, if you have not read the first one then I suggest checking out my review on Dead Jealous. Though, I wouldn’t say you have had to read the first one to understand what going on but you should read the first one purely on the fact that it is awesome.

The characters are very realistic. Poppy and Michael feel like real teenage. Poppy has this complicated relationship with her dad and I think that was dealt with well. This also YA book with a proper plot that doesn't just stick to a school vocabulary a.k.a there is sexy talk and swearing in it. I love YA novels with swearing in it. It my biggest issue with YA is that no one ever swears, not even when they run into walls and demons. In real life you most certainly swear in those situations. Back to my point, it's another reason I love this book.

This is a very entertaining book to read. It quite witty at times and there is some awesome lines in it. My favourite being “You're not flaming Bob the Builder, Poppy. There are some things is you can't fix.” I shall now quote this to everyone at random times. It won't make any sense, especially since I don't know any one named Poppy.

The actual mystery part of the book involves a secret society and religious imagery so what not to love. The solution once again was everything it should be: logical and not obvious. I thought I knew who it was; I kept seconded guessing myself but it did turn out I was right. You never actually sure  of the solution until the big reveal. 

The supernatural side of the series is growing with Poppy having Psychic incidents. It didn’t really have much to do with the crime solving but does seem to be building up to that in the next book (Well, I really hope there’s next book anyway). So far there has also been a Physicist reference in every book. I'm really hoping for Richard Feynman in the next one. Though, maybe Jones is only sticking to British ones.

I give Dead Silent 5 out of 5 stars for bloody wings. The content is more mature than the first book, there is swearing, sexier times and the crimes are sort of gruesome (which I awkwardly love). It has a good mystery, well written and the characters are awesome. It just a very good and enjoyable novel/series to read; which I shall be pushing on to everyone from now on. 

P.S. I had to rewrite the whole review so I’m not very all pleased with blogger/google at all. I shall now forever to be paranoia to have backups of everything. Frankly, not as happy with this as the first one which is the way when things are lost.