Phillip

I loved this book and found it at times very difficult to put down. The middle section was a bit laborious but towards the end and our modern times I really enjoyed.

Peter gives a very consise history of the world from the early abrahamatic religions to 9/11 and how different people, culture, religions and raw resources have shaped the world we live in today and how we got here.

Well worth a read if you have a week or two and have an interest in our shared history.

Wow, simply wow. This is an exceptional and excellent book. At times it can be a little slow but from cheaper 20 onwards it simply gets better and better.

Not a bad book and has a lot of good advice on how we can all do our part to combat global climate change. 

At times I found it frustrating and wanting the shake the people at the top to take action and say you need to be doing a helluva lot more to secure the future of our planet.

Wow what a book, I started this late last night and I have not put it down. as a website developer and one who is about to start a blog on my passions this is the one book I now adore and love. This will have a permanent home on my desk from now on.

Unlike most books out there this is also a visual masterpiece and really easy on the eyes.

I cannot believe how quickly I devoured this book. I started this late last night and within an hour I was at page 110, this morning it only took me 15 mins to finish it.

As a freelance web developer this book really is a great source of inspiration. I love the idea about the analog desk to do the most work  and its something I am going to put into practice.

If like me you too are a creative get this book, you will not be dissapointed.

  The Serpent Called Mercy is a debut novel by Roanne Lau, and what a stunning debut it is! While it's not without its imperfections, I found it to be an engrossing and memorable read, which is why I'm giving it a strong 4-star rating.

The world-building, while evocative, occasionally felt sparse, leaving me yearning for a bit more detail to fully visualize the setting. That said, the descriptions provided were just enough for me to picture the harsh, atmospheric world in which our protagonists, Lythlet and Desil, struggle to survive.

This is the second Advanced Reader Copy I've had the privilege of reading via NetGalley, and I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity. The Serpent Called Mercy gripped me from the very first chapter, and I could barely put it down. I was also fortunate enough to connect with the author, Roanne Lau, on BlueSky while working my way through this captivating story—a wonderful way to enhance the reading experience.

I started the book on January 2nd and found myself halfway through by the next day. By January 7th, I had turned the final page, left both satisfied and eager to see what Lau writes next. The striking cover immediately caught my attention—it's beautifully designed and perfectly captures the essence of the story. I'd be curious to know who the artist is, as their work deserves recognition*.

Although I occasionally struggled to picture the intricacies of the world our protagonists navigate, I was thoroughly impressed by how well the characters were developed. They leapt off the page with vividness and heart. Among the many memorable figures, I was particularly charmed by the bees and a puppy named Runt, whose speech impediment gave him an endearing uniqueness.

Interestingly, the book evoked a Dickensian vibe for me. While I'm not sure if Roanne Lau intended to evoke the mid-to-late 19th century (though it's clearly not set in London), there's a palpable sense of societal struggle and disparity that resonates deeply. The themes felt strikingly relevant to today's world, especially the glaring gap between the top 1% and the rest of us. It's a sentiment I've often reflected on—being cash-poor truly is expensive, and Lau weaves this truth into her story with poignant effect.

The plot follows Lythlet and Desil as they are thrust into an underground world of illegal combat, where they face terrifying mythical beasts. Their ultimate goal? To pay off crushing debts and escape the relentless grip of poverty. The writing is so immersive that I found myself vividly imagining the gritty action, much like the visceral energy of Gladiator, one of my favorite films.

But this book offers more than just adrenaline-fueled action. Beneath the surface lies a rich tapestry of political corruption, family reconnections, and secrets that shake the foundations of trust. Lythlet's journey is as much about survival as it is about uncovering the layers of betrayal and hope that define her relationships, particularly with Desil, the one person she thought she could rely on unconditionally.

I was thoroughly captivated by The Serpent Called Mercy. For a debut novel, it's an exceptional piece of work—bold, heartfelt, and thought-provoking. Roanne Lau has crafted a story that lingers long after the final page, and I congratulate her on this remarkable achievement. I'll be eagerly awaiting her next book and can't wait to see how she builds on this promising start. 

I was brought up in the 1980s in a place called Hodge Hill in Birmingham by a Labour supporting family. During my mid to late teens, I got quite involved in my local Constituency Labour Party and at the time I was being groomed in a career with the party perhaps even ending up as an MP. 
I remember at around the age of 17 I had been volunteering for Terry Davis's Election Campaign which as history tells was successful.

As a thank you for all my hard work Terry invited me down to Westminster as his guest to the houses of parliament. I was lucky enough to enter the chambers of both the commons and the lords and eventually have lunch on the terrace before watching my MP in the stranger's gallery. I remember at the time that this is the life for me and I became obsessed with becoming an MP in my own right.

After watching Ant on channel 4's series about the SAS, I started reading his first book while on holiday in Rome (I had a rather interesting conversation with a priest who spotted me reading this book sat at a bar 5 mins walk away from Vatican City ). 

This second book of his is just as good as the first, Very well balanced and very easy to read. I could not put it down.
Well done Ant, you have written another blinder here.

way back in my late teens I was involved in my local Labour Party of Hodge Hill. I was lucky enough to visit the Houses of Parliament with my local MP Terry Davis back when I was about 17. 

I thought back then how much I wanted that life myself for the future. Luckily it did not turn out like that and I am now a self-employed freelance website developer which I love doing.

This book by Jess has been a real Joy to read and is an unabashed and honest look into the life of an MP and the work involved. A lot of us think that all they do all day is shout at each other in the chamber and give interviews on a Sunday morning. However the reality is a lot more than that. 
Give this book a read by my fellow Brummie Jess Phillips. I found it difficult to put down and I wish there was more too it.

Wow what a read that was. Stephens humour does come through quite a bit and reading this makes the film version look like a child's pantomime.
I did struggle with the names at times but I thoroughly enjoyed it all the same.

Ancient Japan was a weird place as they say in the film Ghost Dog starring Forrest Whittaker. 

This book features quite heavily in that film amongst a few others. I love that film and I just had to read this book from it.
According to this book, it was a foot weird and surreal place. 

Akugtagawa was an incredible writer and he takes you by the hand and leads you on some weird and wonderful journeys. He had an incredible talent and somewhat a sad story of depression, melancholy and in later years madness.

This book is a must-read.

I honestly don't know what to make of this book—which is exactly why I plan to reread it in the future. For now, I'm giving it 3.5 out of 5 stars, though that rating might change on a second read.

If On A Winter's Night A Traveller is certainly a challenge to wrap your head around and not for the faint-hearted. It's an intellectual puzzle of a novel, and I even found my vocabulary expanding with words like edulcorate and excogitate making an appearance.


There's no doubt this is a literary classic, and Italo Calvino has a dedicated cult following. However, for me, it's a bit of a Marmite book—you either love it or hate it. I enjoyed the beginning and the ending, but the middle dragged at times, and I found it slow in places.


The novel consists of 22 chapters: 12 numbered chapters that tell one continuous story, and in between them, fragments of different unfinished novels, each with a unique title. But interestingly, if you string together the titles of these fragmented stories, they almost form a coherent sentence:

“If on a winter's night a traveller... Outside the town of Malbork... Leaning from the steep slope... Without fear of wind or vertigo... Looks down in the gathering shadow... In a network of lines that enlace... In a network of lines that intersect... On the carpet of leaves illuminated by the moon... Around an empty grave... What story down there awaits its end?”

Then there's the overarching story in the numbered chapters, where you—the reader—become the protagonist alongside another reader, Ludmilla, as you both search for the rest of If On A Winter's Night A Traveller, all while navigating a strange and surreal love affair.


This is the first book in my #50BooksAt50Challenge, and it originally came out when I was just three or four years old, way back in 1979. It's certainly a unique reading experience, but one I feel I need to dedicate more time to on a future read. 

The ending of this book is quite spectacular and what mark says in it has also made me feel “Alive, Very Alive”.

We never know what the future holds and most of our time is being squandered on chasing more money, worrying about insignificant problems and giving a fuck about things that in all reality we should not.

Well I for sure give a fuck about this book and you should too. Yes the start of this book is very potty mouthed but I think it needs to be.
Do read it pilgrim.

I loved this book, I thought it would be quite a hard read at first as you need a bit more about you than reading the same subject material by the brilliant Stephen Fry. The thing I found the most taxing was the introduction but after that it was all plain sailing.

Stephen Fry is a good starting point but if the subject of Greek Mythology grabs you like it did me then this translated versin by Emily Wilson is a very good next step. Now onto Wilson's version of the Illiad (Yes I know its backwards but still)

Simply brilliant. Was lucky enough to have visited one of the rainforests mentioned in this book

Well this took me less than a week to read and I goto say it's a lot better than the film. Onto the rest of them now.

Lovely book. Well it's good I must admit and it is a real page turner. However I think the ending could have been a little better in my opinion. Still worth a read methinks.

Wow, what a book. As a Brit, I am finding myself quite obsessed with American Politics. For the past four or so years I have watched with horror what the great United States has become under Trump.
He in the UK we can draw some similar parallels with our own version of Trump although not divisive.

I would say this is one of the best books I've read so far this year. Thank goodness there are people out there like Adam Schiff.

I love reading books by Stephen Fry as they are witty, enticing and full of humour (especially some of the footnotes). 
stephen has an excellent storytelling style that drwas you in especially this one. The only thing I do struggle with is some of the greek names and the multitude of them but thats not really Stephens fault.
If you want an easy start to Greek Mythology thats not too heavy then this is a good place to start.

 I have just finished reading the brilliant Believe by Sarah M Govett and the first thing that pops into my head is that this book lends itself well to become a film or a televised series. Its that good in my opinion. The brilliantly written phycological thriller is gripping, myserious, cerebral and full of surprises. Sarah really keeps you on the edge of your seat with this. I had to force myself to hit the sack at 1.45am this moring as I was about 75% of the way through this book and as soon as I woke up I had to finish it as its a real page turner. The story follows four main charachers with many support cast like pavarotti which incedentially has goto be my favorite character. Ryan and Natalie seem to have the perfect life with a nice suburban house in a posh area of london, good careers and a bright future untill you scratch below the surface and see things aint quite as they seem. DI Stratton and DS Bradley are a new partnership who investige a murder near to where Ryan and Natalie live. Stratton seems to have tunnel vision and goes with her gut instinct all the time while Bradley is more collected and by-the-book leaving no stone unturned and seems to follow every lead. Up untill the last few pages I had a few suspects in my mind never thinking what was about to happen, Sarah Govett really pulls the rug from underneath your feet with this one and I have no issues with rathing this fine novel fove out of five stars. If you are a television producer reading this then please pick up this book and turn it into a mini-series or a film, its that good. This is an incredibly strong debut novel and a complete triumph that is full of tension, dark intrugue and utterly compulsive. Thank you to Sarah Govett and Net Galley for an advaced vopy of this ARC for my complete and Honest review.