Toby Martin (the wastrel?)
A significant chunk of my university dissertation was dedicated to what was, essentially, me gushing about my favourite anime. Specifically, the character arc of my favourite character in my favourite anime. I bring this up for two reasons – firstly, it’s a bit of a flex. How much joy is there in any university that […]
Because the process of writing, editing, pitching, and publishing a novel is an arduously long one, with various unexpected plot developments (mostly in real life, but also in the drafting process), it often occurs to me that it might be a while before anyone who either regularly follows or occasionally sights upon this blog might […]
The late Terry Pratchett (a creator whom I need to read more of) once made the case that to capture the more evident features as a species, anthropologists were wrong to designate us as Homo sapiens, the wise man. “In reality,” he said, “We are Pan narrans, the storytelling chimpanzee.” In essence, I’m tempted to […]
This title is of course as blunt as anything, but I feel it’s important to get that out of the way before I elaborate. To be more accurate and nuanced, there’s no secret to always guaranteeing productivity even when you try, often because if procrastinating is your natural default, you have to commit your mental […]
Alice Oseman is continuing to become a recognizable name in some circles, and for good reason – very few authors can be said to have written their debut when they were still a teenager and still have in hold up today. Not to mention the Netflix adaptation of her graphic novel and webcomic Heartstopper gaining […]
Yes, I’m using Goodreads a lot for this blog, but in my defence, once I’ve posted this, I’ll be all caught up in what I’ve been recently reading…until I very soon finish the work I’m currently reading and have to update accordingly, but never mind that for now… Proving public libraries still have a need, […]
Christmas was, what, four months ago? What better time to review a Christmas book??? OK, maybe things have got on top of me. Maybe there’s a bit too much stress and anxiety coming around every corner. Maybe sometimes I just need a break. And whilst yes, I did finish this book a few months ago […]
This book is the sequel to Of Fire And Stars, which I reviewed here. Reading this particular follow-up had been a long time coming, and here, I give my full thoughts. Wish they could be structured slightly better, but sometimes it’s best to have it written organically: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4511527495
In years past, I’ve tended to make Christmas-related posts before Christmas. But this year, well…obviously, I haven’t. Maybe I was neglecting the blog or maybe I was…*gasp*…enjoying myself too much and got distracted…? This year’s been chaotic, not quite to the extent of last year, but you never know how things will continue, and whilst […]
Yes, OK, I need to post other things, but this is at least a sign I’m still alive and kicking, right? Anyway, this is a review of a book I technically read a while ago, but recently got my hands on the sequel and felt I really needed to refresh on what had happened before. […]
Toby Martin (the wastrel?) 