mrschristine

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mrschristine reviewed a book.
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The War of the Worlds

“Having devoured this very quickly and enjoyed almost every word of it, I can't quite understand why I haven't read it before. It's short and fabulously well-written, and the tension can be felt from start to finish. I really liked the first half, with such attention to detail in the vast...”

“Having devoured this very quickly and enjoyed almost every word of it, I can't quite understand why I haven't read it before. It's short and fabulously well-written, and the tension can be felt from start to finish. I really liked the first half, with such attention to detail in the vast differences between those who had seen the Martians first hand, and the gradual spread of panic. The juxtaposition of those fleeing with those who were going about their daily life was brilliant.

The second half was good, although it all came to a rather quick conclusion. Thankfully, the ending made sense and was expertly done, so that you weren't left feeling short-changed, but it did feel like the weight of the book was more towards the build-up than the aftermath. It did seem a bit unlikely that the two characters would find each other again at the end, but hey, there needed to be a bit of good news in there!

Overall, really enjoyed it, recommend it, and will no doubt read it again some day.”
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The War of the Worlds
- Rated 4 stars
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The War of the Worlds
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mrschristine reviewed a book.
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From last to first : how I became a marathon champion

“I have a love/hate relationship with books about running, because whilst I enjoy reading about other people's adventures with the sport/exercise that has grabbed my attention, I am always insanely jealous of those who are actually quite good at it. This was an autobiography of sorts from Charlie...”

“I have a love/hate relationship with books about running, because whilst I enjoy reading about other people's adventures with the sport/exercise that has grabbed my attention, I am always insanely jealous of those who are actually quite good at it. This was an autobiography of sorts from Charlie Spedding, bronze medal winner in the marathon at the Los Angeles' Olympics.

He's also done a lot more than that, and we get extensive detail of the races he ran and how he trained his way towards the top. Where I thought it was most interesting though was the psychology side. Spedding readily admits that he is a good runner but may not be naturally gifted in terms of speed. However, having the right philosophy turned his career around. The chapter where he sits with a beer and talks himself into what I can only clumsily call positive thinking was just marvellous to read.

Unlike some biographies I have read, although Spedding does go through the "I did this, I achieved this, I was the best at this" details, it does feel more level-headed and down to earth than some sportspeople. The section at the end about how to improve sport in schools and encourage more competition in athletics verges on a little bit preachy, but proves just how much he cares about the subject.

Overall a good read. I can see it being a bit too much detail for the average reader/runner, but I found the majority of it interesting.”
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Leon says

I used to love F1. Stopped following up a season or two after Senna died. I haven't watched the movie yet, but one of these days...
I'll check your books :)

Posted 3 months ago. ( send a note )
Leon says

You wrote a book about Formula 1?

Posted 3 months ago. ( send a note )
Stuart Wilson says

Another fellow Brit! Just a quick note to introduce myself as the author of Kyle vs Leila - Battle for the Cyberdomes. Hopefully my YouTube reading will convince you it's worth a look :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id24IXgUsGA

Posted 3 months ago. ( send a note )
Monkey Davies says

Was a pleasant surprise to chance upon someone who's got a few books in common with me - and who actually bothers to write proper reviews of what they've read! It's so frustrating to see half-baked reviews.. esp. considering how long someone spent writing (and presumably how long the punter spent reading!) the book. Look forward to reading some of your reviews in future. Cheers

Posted 4 months ago. ( send a note )
A. J. G a l l a n t says

Would you be so kind as to check out my first novel Madman in the Mirror? And perhaps place it in your Plan to Read? Thanks

Posted 1 year ago. ( send a note )

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Leon says

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Leon says

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Stuart Wilson says

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Monkey Davies says

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A. J. G a l l a n t says

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