The book follows P&P from Mary’s perspective and then what happens afterwards. When Mary has to leave their family home, as the Collinses take up residence, she feels uncomfortable at her sisters’ homes and her mother is always criticising her. Staying with her aunt in London is a lifeline for Mary, who is appreciated for her intellect and two men are interested in her; the eccentric but polite Tom Hayward, and the impulsive Mr Ryder who is pursued by Caroline Bingley.

Mary’s character development is central to the novel as she learns to stand up to people and know when to trust her emotions over rationality. Through Mr Hayward, she also gains an appreciation for poetry, when she used to prefer reading only facts. I felt as if I was reading an Austen book, as the structure and ideas were inspired by them, but that’s what I liked about it. There were further perspectives on characters such as Mr Collins, Mr Bennet and Mrs Hill, which might even enhance my next reading of P&P.

Published by Macmillan, 2020.

This book is divided into two parts. The first part is the history of spectacles, up until the world wars. The focus is on the industries and processes which allowed the technology to improve, and society’s views on people who wore glasses. You will not be surprised to hear that women wearing glasses was frowned upon, even by doctors. The second part of the book is more of a cultural history, focusing on representations in the movies in particular and the history of designer frames. This part started off very interesting to me, but it became a little tiresome because there was so much discussion of film. I’m not at all fussed about designers either, although as a part-time glasses wearer I often go for designer frames if they suit me better. I felt that although the subject is very worthy of a history book, the focus of it was not quite what I wanted. There is praise from Simon Garfield on the front cover, and indeed it’s the kind of book he would write, with its niche history topic and irreverent, rambling style. There are some photographs of famous spectacles-wearers, including Harold Lloyd, Buddy Holly, Dizzy Gillespie, Michael Caine, Gloria Steinem, Jarvis Cocker, Keith Haring, and John Lennon (the nude photo of him and Yoko). It was a good read, considering I bought it from the discount trolley at Waterstones!

Published by Abacus, 2023.

I was wary of reading the book, when it appeared in my recommendations. I knew it was going to be dark and heavy, despite some lighter anecdotes and a much-needed sense of humour. It includes graphic descriptions of drug use, plus references to self-harm and a lot of emotional distress. However, I’m glad I read it because it gives an informed perspective on the psychology of addiction and an understanding of bipolar disorder. Importantly, it does not glamorise the rock star lifestyle with its easy access to substances and is remarkably respectful to Scott despite everything. I can’t find much about what Mary is doing these days but I hope she continues to be well. A cynical reader might say that without the name Weiland attached to the book, it could be any tragic tale of addiction and mental illness. Not to trivialise it, but there are so many, and not all are about rock stars. True, the main reason anyone would read it is for their interest in Scott; but I really admired her determination to have a separate identity, to get sober and be there for her kids. There is a section of photographs, not always flattering, which show the reality of Mary’s life. It may not be the best-written memoir I’ve ever read, but it’s one of the most compelling and honest, and I’d definitely recommend it, if you can cope with reading about the themes discussed in this review.

Published by HarperCollins, 2009.

Thank you to the publisher MacLehose Press for the review copy via NetGalley. English translation by Anton Hur, 2026.

I have to admit that the story wasn’t quite what I expected. The writing style, illustrations and themes matched the first book, however the majority of the story was set on the farm, which was not at all interesting to me. Moreover, the ethics of dairy farming and of humans eating animals were presented in a strangely positive way, at odds with what our future civilisation might be like. The best part of the story is right near the end, when Roz is navigating through urban landscapes and ends up literally meeting her maker. The book cover shows an industrial setting and the blurb misleadingly mentions having to work in a city, so I thought it would be more of an exciting adventure, maybe even talking with the other robots and trying to change their programming, but it’s nothing of the sort. It’s not exactly Asimov. However, it’s a children’s book and perhaps I’m expecting too much. There’s another book, The Wild Robot Protects, but I’m not sure if I’ll read it.

Published by Piccadilly Press, 2018.

The book describes what happened to the Apollo 13 mission, which was supposed to be the third manned lunar landing in 1970. Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise were on their way to the Moon, when there was an explosion in an oxygen tank – on April 13th. They had to abandon the Moon landing and focus on getting home, with the odds stacked against them.

Although the book was co-authored by Lovell, the perspective is third person. At first I thought that was strange, as there are chapters of his biography every so often, but then it made sense. A lot of the time we are following the various teams on the ground as they battled to solve problems and communicate to the crew. We also follow Marilyn, Jim’s wife, as she tries to reassure their children and fend off the media frenzy, while praying that he would come back. As a non-technical person, the book had too much detail for me and I think it could have been shorter, but for a science nerd I’m sure it would be perfect. I appreciate how it was carefully researched and structured. There is a good deal of background on previous missions and astronaut selection before we get to number 13. With a few diversions, the rest of the narrative, which is written in quite a journalistic style, follows the events closely. I liked the epilogue best, which manages to blend the investigation into what caused the explosion, with fast-forwarding to 1993 and Jim showing his space souvenirs to his grandchildren. At the end of the book, there is a timeline, list of Apollo missions, and dramatis personae. I think some images would have been a good addition, but I’m sure plenty can be found elsewhere.

Published by Hodder and Stoughton, 2015.

Related reviews: Space: The Human Story by Tim Peake, Magnificent Desolation by Buzz Aldrin, Look Up: Our Story with the Stars by Sarah Cruddas, The Moon by Oliver Morton, Challenger by Adam Higginbotham.

Thank you to the publisher Hodder & Stoughton for the review copy via NetGalley. The publication date is 16th April.

Now that the Equinox has passed and we are officially in Spring, I have made my latest short story collection, Whispers in Yellow: Spring Stories, FREE to download on Amazon until the 27th. Enjoy!

Click here to get your copy!

First published in Japan, 2020. English translation by Alison Watts published by Penguin, 2023.

The book details the early days of Mal, before following his career with the GPO and as bouncer for the Cavern Club. He became a huge fan of the Beatles and was to be indispensable to them after he quit his day job. He even contributed to the music and he had a famous bag which contained anything a Beatle could possibly need. In the days of crazy Beatlemania when they still performed live, it was Mal who had to clean the sticky messes of jelly babies – thrown by the fans after George once remarked he liked them – off the equipment. He went on holidays with the Beatles, partied with them and helped their solo careers. Out of all the candidates for ‘fifth Beatle’, he would have a strong claim, based on the details in this book.

The contrast in Mal’s character, which this book presents, is that everyone said how friendly and helpful he was, yet when it came to his wife and children, he often kept his distance and escaped to the US – and to other women – whenever he had the chance. The Beatles were his number one priority and whenever any of them wanted something, he would run to them. I didn’t really want to reach the end of the book, because I knew of the tragedy which approached. However, I appreciate that Mal’s story has now been told, with much consideration for his family, so that all Beatles fans can discover his vital contributions to the band’s legacy.

Published by Mudlark, 2023.