Emma Types Stuff

I don't write this blog to slag off books. In fact, it's very rare for me to review books I hate, since I don't finish them. Even books that I've been highly critical of on here, I've more-or-less considered the experience a net positive.  And I try to be responsible; for all that my audience rarely reaches above one or two, I would never take pot-shots against a self-published or indie author, or at otherwise easy targets. But sometimes a book betrays you. Sometimes you, the reader, are the injured party. Sometimes writing a thousand word blog piece is your only source of justice. So, what did A Marvellous Light [Freya Marske] do to earn this dubious honour? And what is it about? Robin has just inherited the family estate but has been denied the family money, forcing him to fail-up into a civil service role. He soon discovers that he is actually the Prime Minister's liaison to the magical business of the country. His predecessor has vanished wi

I don't recall purchasing this book. I don't even recall picking it up and starting it. This is likely because I bought it within about ten seconds of reading the summary, and started reading it about five seconds after that. Before I'd realised what was happening to me I was already several pages in. Because what a summary it was. Space Opera [Catherynne M. Valente] is the story of Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeros, a trio who were basically Queen meets the The Mighty Boosh for about five minutes - before one of them literally crashed-and-burned in their car and the other two stumbled into their 'has-been' era. When aliens make contact, Earth discovers that the galaxy has been nearly destroyed by a war and that an interplanetary song contest is the way all new species are invited to prove their own sentience. Or else. With humanity destined to be wiped out if they get the dreaded nil points , the contact team helpfully provides a list of artists who mi

Normally I open my reviews with a quick explanation of why I picked up the book in the first place, but in this case the question is:  why wouldn't I? Death of a Bookseller is clearly designed to be a buzzy thriller for people who like books and want something slightly twisted to read on the beach. It is to book-loving millennials what The Girl on the Train was to wine moms and Gone Girl was to wives.   Death of a Bookseller [Alice Slater] follows two employees at a Walthamstow branch of Spines (an obvious Waterstones expy). Roach, a serial killer-loving goth living in a world of 'normies', becomes immediately obsessed with Laura, a bougie (and dear god you will become familiar with that word), seemingly put-together hipster who has just joined the branch. Rebuffed by the true-crime hating Laura at every turn, Roach discovers Laura's connection to a famous serial killer and begins a campaign of stalking that pushes Laura ever closer to the edge.  This has garnered al