Fiction – Page 21 – Everything Is Better With Dragons

Review: This Us How We Are Human, by Louise Beech

PUBLICATION DATE: 10 JUNE 2021 | ORENDA BOOKS | PAPERBACK ORIGINAL | £8.99

Sebastian James Murphy is twenty years, six months and two days
old. He loves swimming, fried eggs and Billy Ocean. Sebastian is autistic. And lonely.

Veronica wants her son Sebastian to be happy, and she wants the world to accept him for who he is. She is also thinking about paying a professional to give him what he desperately wants.

Violetta is a high-class escort, who steps out into the night thinking
only of money. Of her nursing degree. Paying for her dad’s care.
Getting through the dark.

When these three lives collide, and intertwine in unexpected ways,
everything changes. For everyone.

Both heartbreaking and heartwarming, This Is How We Are
Human is a powerful, moving and thoughtful drama about a
mother’s love for her son, about getting it wrong when we think
we know what’s best, about the lengths we go to care for family
and to survive.

‘Storytelling at its finest, Louise Beech is a beguiling wordsmith’ Amanda Prowse

“Though This is How We Are Human is fiction, the premise was inspired by my friends, 20-year-old Sean, who is autistic, and his mum Fiona. Fiona had spoken to me about how much Sean longed to meet a girl and have sex. No one talks about this, she said – the difficulties navigating romance often
faced by those on the spectrum. It ’s an issue that I wanted to explore. Fiona and Sean encouraged me and guided me through the book; Sean regularly consulted on dialogue, rightly insisting that his voice was heard, was strong, and was accurate. I cannot thank my extraordinary friends enough for their help and support.” Louise Beech

Review: This Fragile Earth, by Susannah Wise

Published by Gollancz
24 June 2021 (NEW DATE)
Hardback £14.99 also as eBook and audiobook

Blurb

Not long from now, in a recognisable yet changed London, Signy and Matthew lead a dull, difficult life. They’ve only really stayed together for the sake of their six year old son, Jed. But they’re surviving, just about. Until the day the technology that runs their world stops working. Unable to use their phones or pay for anything, Matthew assumes that this is just a momentary glitch in the computers that now run the world.

But then the electricity and gas are cut off. Even the water stops running. And the pollination drones – vital to the world, ever since the bees all died – are behaving oddly. People are going missing. Soldiers are on the
streets. London is no longer safe.

A shocking incident sends Signy and Jed on the run, desperate to flee London and escape to the small village where Signy grew up. Determined to protect her son, Signy will do almost anything to survive as the world falls apart around them. But she has no idea what is waiting for them outside the city…

Review: Tommy Twigtree and The Easter Plan, by Michael Firman

Summary:

This is the story of Tommy Twigtree and his Easter adventure. This book is the second story in the Tommy Twigtree series by the author Michael Firman and follows Tommy Twigtree and the Carrot Crunchers.

Information about the Book

Title: Tommy Twigtree and the Easter Plan

Author: Michael Firman

Genre: Picture Book

Publication Date: 1^st April 2021

Page Count: 19

Publisher: Clink Street Publishing

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tommy-Twigtree-Easter-Michael-Firman/dp/1913962725

TBR Pile Reviews: More MurderBot!

57680116. sy475 — This short story is told from the point of view of Dr. Mensah and follows the events in *Exit Strategy.* Kindle Edition, 19 pages
Published April 19th 2021 by Tor (first published May 5th 2020)

My Review

I enjoy MurderBot and this short story kept me going between novels and novellas. Here we read about Dr Mensah’s reaction to being held hostage once they have returned to Preservation Station. Dr Mensah doesn’t want to admit that she’s traumatised. MurderBot doesn’t know what to do but in its own way tries to help.

I enjoyed reading about events from a different perspective and this short story shows how one of the main characters is affected by event without the intermediary of MurderBot. A good addition to the canon.

53205854. sy475 — *No, I didn’t kill the dead human. If I had, I wouldn’t dump the body in the station mall.*

When Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station, it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people—who knew?)

Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans!

Again!

Hardcover, 168 pages
Published April 27th 2021 by Tor.com
ISBN:1250765374 (ISBN13: 9781250765376)

My Review

I had this book on pre-order but forgot when it was due to arrive so finding it in the post pile on Tuesday afternoon as I was leaving for swimming was a great surprise and a very happy one. I read it yesterday afternoon, to relax and because I needed my sci-fi fix.

We’re back on Preservation Station with MurderBot and its human friends. There’s been a murder! So MurderBot helps the Station Security investigate. Station Security really don’t want MurderBot around and initially suspect him, but it soon becomes clear that there are other things going on that no one knew about and a local has been suborned by the Corporations.

In this novella we see an expansion of MurderBot’s relationships and the world around him as the strangeness of Preservation in comparison to Corporate space is explored. As usual events are filtered through MurderBot’s experiences and thoughts, and are told with humour and panache. The final showdown is rather explosive. I love it.

Children’s Picture Book Review: Daddy’s Weekend, by Tehya and Michael Cunningham

Information about the Book

Title: Daddy’s Weekend

Author: Michael Cunningham

Release Date: 25^th May 2021

Genre: Picture Book

Page Count: 50

Publisher: Clink Street Publishing

Amazon Link: https://amazon.co.uk/Daddys-Weekend-Michael-Cunningham/dp/1913136884

Summary:

Tehya and her daddy hang out.

This is their story.

Written by father and daughter Michael and Tehya Cunningham, this book aim to give extra love and support to children of divorced of separated parents.

Book Review: Screams From The Void, by Anne Tibbets

Fiction: FICTION / Science Fiction / Alien
Contact
Product format: Paperback
Price: £9.95; $14.95
ISBN: 978-1-78758-572-0

For two years in deep space, the freighter Demeter and a small crew have
collected botanical life from other planets. It’s a lesson in patience and hell. Mechanics Ensign Reina is ready to jump ship, if only because her abusive ex is also aboard, as well as her overbearing boss. It’s only after a foreign
biological creature sneaks aboard and wreaks havoc on the ship and crew
that Reina must find her grit – and maybe create a gadget or two – to
survive…that is, if the crew members don’t lose their sanity and turn on each other in the process.

TBR Pile Review: Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir

56049167. sx318 — Audible Audio, Unabridged, 17 pages
Published May 4th 2021 by Audible Studios

54869216. sy475 — Hardcover, 478 pages
Published May 4th 2021 by Del Rey
ISBN:1529100615 (ISBN13: 9781529100617)

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission–and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that’s been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it’s up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

Part scientific mystery, part dazzling interstellar journey, Project Hail Mary is a tale of discovery, speculation, and survival to rival The Martian–while taking us to places it never dreamed of going.

Review: The Walls of Rome, by Robert M Kidd

The Walls of Rome

218 BC. Sphax is seventeen and haunted by the brutal murder of his parents at the hands of Rome. After ten years of miserable slavery he will make his last bid for freedom and go in search of Hannibal’s army and his birthright. He will have his revenge on the stinking cesspit that is Rome!

Destiny will see him taken under the wing of Maharbal, Hannibal’s brilliant general, and groomed to lead the finest horsemen in the world – the feared Numidian cavalry that would become the scourge of Rome.

From the crossing of the great Rhodanus River, Sphax’s epic journey takes him through the lands of the Gaul to the highest pass in the Alps. This is the story of the most famous march in history. A march against impossible odds, against savage mountain Gauls, a brutal winter and Sphax’s own demons.

This is more than a struggle for empire. This is the last great war to save the beauty of the old world, the civilized world of Carthage, Greece and Gaul. The world of art and philosophy – before it is ground into dust by the upstart barbarity of Rome.

Purchase Links

UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Walls-Rome-believe-climbed-Hannibal-ebook/dp/B08MQMRDMM

US – https://www.amazon.com/Walls-Rome-believe-climbed-Hannibal-ebook/dp/B08MQMRDMM

Giveaway to Win the A Hostage of Rome (Book 3) to be dedicated to the winner, & a signed dedicated copy too (Open INT)

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/33c69494422/?

*Terms and Conditions –Worldwide entries welcome. Please enter using the Rafflecopter box below. The winner will be selected at random via Rafflecopter from all valid entries and will be notified by Twitter and/or email. If no response is received within 7 days then Rachel’s Random Resources reserves the right to select an alternative winner. Open to all entrants aged 18 or over. Any personal data given as part of the competition entry is used for this purpose only and will not be shared with third parties, with the exception of the winners’ information. This will passed to the giveaway organiser and used only for fulfilment of the prize, after which time Rachel’s Random Resources will delete the data. I am not responsible for despatch or delivery of the prize.

Review: Setsuko and the Song of the Sea, by Fiona Barker, Illustrated by Howard Gray

Blurb

Setsuko loves the sea. She swims its shallows. She dives its depths. But she worries that her friends have chosen to abandon her way of life. Then she meets a whale who also fears he is the last of his kind. In return for giving him hope, he gifts her a song which she uses to remind people of the beauty of the ocean. Setsuko took the song and made it her own. They played together from the first crisp light of morning until the setting of the evening sun. Everyone who heard Setsuko’s song was filled with the wonder of the sea. They remembered the beauty and mystery of the ocean. A story of an unlikely friendship, Setsuko and her friend the whale have one thing in common ― their love of the sea. Much like the revered ama-san, ― women who have been diving off the coast of the Shima peninsula in Japan for over 2,000 years ― Setsuko is a strong girl who is on the path to becoming one of these real-life mermaids. 10% of the net profits from each book will be donated to the Marine Conservation Society, the UK charity working for seas full of life. Visit www.mcs.org.uk to find out more.

Buy Links

Publisher Shop – https://bit.ly/3cfj7mp

Waterstones – https://bit.ly/2YgEDz2

Foyles – https://bit.ly/3ooqzxS

Amazon – https://amzn.to/3a63xHb

Goodreads – https://bit.ly/3iNZ0gw

Children’s Book Review: Dad! I’ve Hurt Myself!, by Andrew Rogerson, Illustrations by Christopher Dodd

**Publisher :** Clink Street Publishing (1 April 2021)
**Language :** English
**Paperback :** 36 pages
**ISBN-10 :** 1913962393
**ISBN-13 :** 978-1913962395
**Reading Age**: 4 – 7 years

Blurb

This is the story about how a dad tries to distract his daughter when she has hurt herself or feels ill. These are all real moments.

Written by Andrew Rogerson, this book is for anyone who enjoys reading time with their children. It especially highlights the unique relationship between a father and his daughter and shows how acting silly can sometimes distract and defuse a tricky situation.

The book is beautifully illustrated by Christopher Dodd who has a unique perspective because he has known the author for many years and has seen Poppy grow up from being a toddler. The illustrations offer an insight into the world of books and well-known children’s characters providing a wonderful point of discussion between parent and child.

Review

This book shows various attempts by ‘Dad’ to distract ‘Poppy’ after she gets minor booboos. Tea and biscuits, ice cream, sweets and being silly are the main ways ‘Dad’ distracts ‘Poppy’. There’s a list of story references at the back for children to find in the illustrations.

It is quite a funny little story. Very simple to read and understand. There are questions on each page for the reader to ask/answer.

The illustrations are colour pencil drawings in a cheerful, slightly wacky style. There are all sorts of strange creatures and references to a range of nursery rhymes and children’s books. Some of them seem to be on the wrong page for the words, but that might be an ARC feature?

I think the reading age range is a little high, maybe 3 to 5, rather than 4 to 7 years.

Nice little book for early readers.