Review: In the Rundown

In the Rundown by Joe Hill

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Ugh that was so frustrating! That story was really good! I mean really good!!! I was quite happily just reading away and then I was like, woah! What the hell just happened? It completely took me by surprise and drew me straight in. It's only a short story, about twenty pages long. But I was flying through it! I needed to know what happened! I needed to find out how it was going to end!

Then it just stopped. No answers, no real ending, it just sort of stopped. I feel used. I feel teased. This isn't fair! How did this story finish!
I understand the whole cliff hanger concept, but I've now got about five different endings in my head. Thanks very much Joe.

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk



View all my reviews

Review: Sick Bastards

Sick Bastards by Matt Shaw

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I'm don't know, maybe I'm a bit too desensitised. I didn't think this book was too bad? Yeah at the beginning it was little bit woah! But after that initial shock factor I thought that it calmed down quite a bit.
As a story I enjoyed it a bit. I'm sorry I'm going to go against the trend, I would say it was amazing, it was just ok.
I did like the authors writing style, I will definitely check more out from him. Just this particular story got a bit too repetitive for me and I found myself getting a little bit bored here and there.

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk



View all my reviews

Review: kiss my name

kiss my name by Calvin Wade

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Fantastic read. I really enjoyed the authors first book "forever is over" so I was always going to get this one when it came out. I have to admit that I was a bit weary when I saw some people had categorised it as a romance novel. AS that really isn't my cup of tea. I wouldn't call it romance though. Yes there is a romance involved but that is such a small part of the story. Just like forever is over. This book had me gripped straight away and I didn't want to put it down until I had finished. The unique way it's written makes you relate to characters a lot more than you usually would. Recommend to anyone who enjoys a good coming of age and who done it kind of novel. Five stars. Well worth the read.

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk



View all my reviews

Review: I'll Be Damned

I'll Be Damned by Andrew Hannon

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



Ok, first point! If you are going to release your book in parts, then actually state that. This book is PART ONE of a story, I didn't know that because it hadn't said it was until the very end!
I actually stumbled across this book searching my own name on iBooks. No im not self obsessed, I was just checking if my story was on there yet.
Anyway, it had a pretty cool cover and the blurb sounded ok.
Well, the story. I don't want to give any spoilers away, although nothing really happened so it would be quite difficult to do that anyway.
The "possession" is very very briefly touched upon and being honest sounds like a straight rip off from "The Exorcist" (possessed man jumps out of window) that's not a spoiler by the way. It's in the blurb! It's also pretty much the only bit of the possession you hear about.
Other than that, a kid goes to the park with his uncle to get ice cream. The father goes to work.
Then 15 of the 60 page story! 25% of the story! is just a background story on the priest and why he became a priest!!
Just as it started to actually get into any kind of story, it ended and I was told part 2 will be available soon.
Well I'm sorry I won't be reading it. Maybe if you told me that this was just an intri I would've waited and maybe enjoyed the book more knowing it was maybe just a bit slow moving but might eventually get somewhere. But instead you have released something advertised as a stand alone book which is basically a story of nothing happening at all!
I'm sorry I'm not usually so negative, but this just pissed me off. Feel like I was conned.

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk



View all my reviews

Review: The Black Phone

The Black Phone by Joe Hill

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



That was a pretty cool story. It went the way I hoped it was going to go anyway. I do feel that maybe when hill started off writing this he was planning for something longer and something a bit different. Maybe during the process he decided he had enough of this story and cut it short.
It's a good short story but it had the potential to be a very good full length novel.

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk



View all my reviews

Review: The Water Knife

The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



The beginning of this book was a bit slow moving. Up until around the 20% mark I was actually considering giving up.
However, when it got going, it really got going! It became a really fun book to read! Gun fights, gangs, torture!
Once it got going I didn't want it to stop, just wanted to keep going onto the next chapter to see what happens next.
I would definitely recommend this to people to read, just get through the slow beginning and then you're on for a fun ride!

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from negalley

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk



View all my reviews

Free Short Story

I have a short story available to download for FREE on SMASHWORDS

This shorty is named TIME. IF you would like to get a copy then just click the following link:

TIME - FREE DOWNLOAD

This one is a little bit different from my usual stories. It's a bit of a tear jerker.



I hope you enjoy it.

DOWNLOAD - A LIFE TO WASTE - FREE NOW!

This book is now free to download on Amazon for the next four days.
If anyone is interested in reading this book now is your chance to grab a copy for free. I'd love to hear your feedback.
If you click on the following link that will take you to the Amazon site for your country.

http://bit.ly/1hOhIB7

Hope you enjoy it guys & gals.



Thanks

Andrew Lennon

Review: Better Than Home

Better Than Home by Joe Hill

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Well that was weird?
It was quite a good story. Homer, the main character obviously has some form of mental illness, maybe autism? The story was interesting in the way that Homer told it to you. You could see things from his perspective and see through his eyes how he thinks people see him. It was interesting and a little bit moving.
What was weird about it? This story is in the book collection 20th century ghosts! I just don't see where this fit in at all?
Good story, just shouldn't be in this collection.

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk



View all my reviews

Review: The Waste Lands

The Waste Lands by Stephen King

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



So that's number three in the dark tower series done! Really enjoyed it, would say this was just as good as the second book.
Starting to really get to know the characters now, they all seem to open up a lot more in this book.
I have decided that Blaine, is a bit of a dick, he almost dropped my rating of this book from a four star to a three. Just because it seemed a bit stupid for me and it didn't really fit with the rest of the story in my opinion. However he's there so may as well deal with him.
Also, I want an Oy! I really wish those bumbler things were real because that would be awesome!
Right well now that another book is out of the way I guess I'll add number four to my list and join the guys for the rest of the journey to the dark tower.

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk



View all my reviews

Review: Swan Song

Swan Song by Robert McCammon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I actually read this book a year ago, but even now my mind keeps drifting back to eat. I've noticed that I am constantly comparing books I'm reading now to this book.
So this made me think, for this book to still have such an impression on me even a year after I've read it, I obviously enjoyed it a lot more than I originally thought.
Changing my 4 star review to a 5 star and leaving my original review below.
I think when I look back that this could possibly be one of my favorite books of all time.





Well, it took me a month, but I finished it! This was a mammoth off a book at nearly a thousand pages. Really enjoyed it, completely different from anything I've ever read before. I think being honest the book could quite easily have been written and have been just as effective in maybe five or six hundred pages. It seemed to dwindle and stagger quite a few times. Overall though it is a brilliant powerful story and gives quite a frightening view into a post apocalyptic world. I would recommend this book to anyone at all who enjoys reading



View all my reviews

Review: Authors vs. Goodreads

Authors vs. Goodreads by Zoe Desh

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



I cannot believe anyone thought this was a good idea.
First, the idiot who decided, not only to write it, but to publish it!
Second to the GR staff who actually allowed this to be added to the site!
I guess th censorship of speech is more selective than I first thought?

I just can't make sense of this one at all.

Joke!

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk



View all my reviews

Giveaway

So, I was tidying some stuff and I came across a spare paperback copy of my book.






ok,ok well my point is. I thought it would be a good idea to give this paperback away as a signed copy. Hopefully it may generate a little bit of interest in the book.
So here it is:

 
 

    Goodreads Book Giveaway
 

   

       
   

   

     

          A Life To Waste
     
     

          by Andrew Lennon
     

     

         
            Giveaway ends February 28, 2015.
         
         
            See the giveaway details
            at Goodreads.
         
     
   
   

      Enter to win

The Easy Way to Success

No, crying girl gif, you are wrong, WRONG!

After reading many reviews comments this week I found my way to a blog.
This is a special blog, it's got a lot of people talking.
I'm sure if you want to find it, it won't take long just scroll through your news feed, you'll know the one.

So anyway, the key to success. well it's this easy.
You get people to read your book and have them post their review. Simple? Yes.
This is the secret bit, only let the people with POSITIVE reviews actually post!
If there are any negative reviews just contact GR admin and have them removed.

There you go, overnight you have created a masterpiece which receives nothing but positive feedback. That has to lead to good fortune doesn't it?


















you're welcome

Review: Abraham's Boys: A Story from the Collection 20th Century Ghosts

Abraham's Boys: A Story from the Collection 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



That was a great little story!
What's it like growing up as a Van Helsing? Bet you never wondered did you? Well now I've asked you will wonder and this story will tell you!
I really enjoyed this and it was brilliant in the way it showed how easily people can confuse fantasy and reality.
Was Van Helsing a vampire hunter? Or was he just a deranged murderer who saw monsters in the faces of his victims?

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk



View all my reviews

Review: Something Coming Through

Something Coming Through by Paul J. McAuley

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



45% DNF

I'm sorry, I really tried to like this book, I really really tried!
I like the idea of the book, different worlds, but still basically the same script as being on earth because while you may be able to move people you can't change them!
This was kind of an alien crime thriller, and again, I liked that bit.
The problem I had was that it is so slow moving! It felt like a chore moving from one chapter to the next. By the time it did reach something cool I didn't care anymore because I'd already trawled through too much filler to get there!
I could see this story itself being very good if a lot of the unnecessary filler was removed, but for now. Two stars for me I'm afraid.

I received this book from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk



View all my reviews

Review: You Will Hear the Locust Sing

You Will Hear the Locust Sing by Joe Hill

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Well this was the first joe hill story I haven't really enjoyed.
It was a bit too weird, and not the good kind of weird.
Also I've read a story before in an anthology named "brimstone cleopatra " that's all I could think about while reading this, and all I could think was the other story was better.
I don't know which was written first, perhaps I just enjoyed the other more because I read that first.
I'm usually a huge Hill fan and I'm sure other people may enjoy this story.
This one just didn't do it for me I'm afraid.

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk



View all my reviews

Review: MILK-BLOOD: A Tale of Urban Horror

MILK-BLOOD: A Tale of Urban Horror by Mark Matthews

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



That was really good!
This book had me gripped from the very start. The story itself is brilliant and very believable. The writing was quite simple, but that's what made it work I think? It felt like I was genuinely listening to the story being told by the characters.
This book is a definite little gem and I'm really happy I found it. The ending went a tiny bit off, but not enough to ruin it or anything. I just think maybe I would have finished it a little bit differently.
Overall I say four out of five stars and I'm pretty sure I will be looking at some other works by this author.

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk



View all my reviews

Review: Pop Art

Pop Art by Joe Hill

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



When I started reading this I thought it was going to be awful! Like some terrible porn or something. A boy and his inflatable friend!!!
The thing is bough, this is actually a really good story about friendship and life in general. It does start to pull on the old heart strings a little bit towards the end.
It's a short story, only takes maybe half an hour to read but it's definitely worth checking out.

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk



View all my reviews

Review: 20th Century Ghost: A Story from the Collection 20th Century Ghosts

20th Century Ghost: A Story from the Collection 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



As soon as I started reading this I realised I had read it before.
I found this in a book called "Poe's Children" overall the collection was a bit disappointing.
This story however was probably one of the better ones in the collection, perhaps one of the best.
Has a definite creepy vibe to it.
Plus pretty much anything written by Joe Hill is worth a read.

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk



View all my reviews

Review: Advent

Advent by James Treadwell

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



No, I'm sorry.
I started off liking this book, but then all of a sudden when it jumped 500 years into the past and started harping on about this strange Wizard trying to save his soul for eternity I lost interest.
Should have just stuck with Gavin seeing "things/ghosts" etc, I liked him.

Anyway I received this book in a free giveaway so I can't really complain.

Maybe one for the more avid fantasy readers, just not for me I'm afraid.

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk/



View all my reviews

Review: The Pan Book of Horror Stories

The Pan Book of Horror Stories by Herbert van Thal

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I liked a couple of these stories, but overall most of them were very dated and very boring.
I read a short story in between reading books so I've been reading these off and on for months.
Sadly I disliked more than I liked.
Two stars only because of the few stories that were actually ok.


All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk/



View all my reviews

Review: Best New Horror

Best New Horror by Joe Hill

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



That was really good! I enjoyed it a lot!
Was really creepy, although I think if it was possible I would love to read "button boy" in full!
The thought of that story creeped the hell out of me!

All reviews can be found at http://lennonslair.blogspot.co.uk/



View all my reviews

Review: Night Tremors

Night Tremors by Matt Coyle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



That was good!
I was expected a bit more of a horror I think, from the title. This was a solid crime thriller.
It was really good though! It had me gripped from the start. It's a really good story, with good characters and good background.
Without giving anything away, there is a twist which completely blind sided me!
Definitely one to look out for!



View all my reviews