Scan barcode
mrgale's reviews
138 reviews
Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland
5.0
Lovely bit of narrative history, areas ive read about before but nicely paced through with some interesting little tidbits made it feel fresh. Going to work my way through his other Rome books - the Hollandology?
The Hunter by Richard Stark
5.0
Visceral brutal noir genre stuff, no anti hero concessions just a very mean chap going about his business.
Martian Time-Slip by Philip K. Dick
4.0
It's got most of your classic PKD elements - scifi main story that's barely relevant to the actual plot, throwaway grandiose scifi concept in the background and the main story being some weird metaphysical idea. Thankfully no weird references to hot teenage girls.
The actual top level narrative is a bit narrow in scope perhaps and for a while I was a little confused in the problematic usage of mental health and disability terms was just olden days problematic or just terms being used to mean something more abstract. A good drinking game... Probbo, Sixties or PKDism.
The actual top level narrative is a bit narrow in scope perhaps and for a while I was a little confused in the problematic usage of mental health and disability terms was just olden days problematic or just terms being used to mean something more abstract. A good drinking game... Probbo, Sixties or PKDism.
Area 51: An uncensored history of America's top military base by Annie Jacobsen
2.5
I like the military history summary of the base and it's planes, lots of stuff I wasn't aware of there, but you can see the issue reading journalists rather than historians... The writing can be a bit snappier but not correctly framing speculation and weighing the likelihood of sources but instead treating it all like facts means some absurd stuff is presented to you as truth. The ending in particular is so comical I was waiting for it to be revealed as a joke that she was presenting this one unsourced absurd story as fact, especially when she cited occams razor for the most long winded silly thing. Very bizarre.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
1.0
The book opens with a note this is the full version and what a crime it was the original was mangled down ... Then you have to read through the most long winded, 10 hours but should be 3, simple undeveloped scifi story with every character just monologuing their thoughts for pages and pages. Someone bring back the manglers.
Powers and Thrones: A New History of the Middle Ages by Dan Jones
5.0
Danny remains the narrative history GOAT
The Friedkin Connection: A Memoir by William Friedkin
5.0
Had to listen to the audiobook as its the Actionboyz Bible. Cant really rely on anything Friedkin says, but damn you love the journey.
James Acaster's Guide to Quitting Social Media by James Acaster
3.0
I was expecting some sort of parody but that it instead was a surreal building narrative was a fun surprise, but it does sort of drag on a bit in its "and then" worldbuilding, would have loved a more condensed version I imagine. Definitely a few colourful ideas that tickled me.