Siege by Simon Kernick

Yes, he's back, and this time with what is possibly his best and fastest-paced book to date.

Readers and friends will undoubtedly be aware that I am a huge fan of Simon Kernick meaning this review was, inevitably, going to be bubbling with positivity and optimism, but nevertheless, I'll write it anyway.

Siege is the story of a group of Arabic terrorists who, angry with Britain and its government for taking part in the war on terror, decide to hijack a prestigious hotel, take a large number of hostages and hold a Seige until their demands are met. However, as this is a crime and SK novel, things don't go as planned and people are hurt. Additionally, to add to the pace and (as Simon himself admitted) stop the book from being boring, there is a subplot which involves the return of one of my all-time favourite characters, Tina Boyd.

Inspired by the Mumbai hostage situation of 2008, Siege is also disturbing, exciting and sometimes confusing due to the large amount of characters who come in and out of the book. However, as one reads on, he (or she) can't help but mentally cheer the characters on or try and tell them not to do do that or go there.

Like all of his other novels, this one shows that Kernick researches everything thoroughly and likes to get every detail right before putting pen to paper, making this yet another realistic novel. Despite this, there is the odd cheesy moment in there and I noticed a small number of repititions, the latter being something I'm guilty of doing myself. Still, c'est la vie.

Managed in just 3 reading sessions, this is the fastest I've read in a long time and a book I had trouble putting down with each chapter finishing on a juicy cliffhanger. And to quote a recent Facebook status of mine: "Time flies when you've got no money and a good book".

Overall rating: 5/5

The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells

So, after two months of lazing around, not bothering to pick up a book (minus 80 pages of George Gissing's Nether World), I finally finished a book, albeit a short one at 130 pages.

The Island of Dr. M was set as an optional read out of many for an essay due in 6 weeks, but as I'm a fan of the great War of the Worlds (novel and musical), I soon set to reading this. And a good job I did, otherwise this blog would end up just rotting away.

The Island tells the story of Edward Prendick who, after surviving a shipwreck, is saved by some sailors and brought back to good health on their mysterious home island. However, this isn't just any island. Inhabited by strange-looking mix-breeds, the island is a nightmare unimaginable to any man.

Over time, Prendick has to defend himself, kill to survive and find a way of escape. But will he? You'll have to read the book to find out.

Well-paced and rarely a dull moment The Island of Dr. Moreau is a read made for any fan of weird creatures and lone survival.

Although this was an enjoyable read it did have some slow bits resulting in small daydreams but mostly gripping, it was definitely one of the better books I've read as part of my degree. If War of the Worlds looks a bit long for your liking, this would be a good introductory read to the world of H.G. Wells. It is also a book that could easily be finished in one or two sittings (I managed it in five due to various conflicts).

Overall rating: 4 out of 5