Stephen Fry takes us on a colourful journey through the tales and myths of ancient Greek heroes. Some of the stories I knew, or thought I knew. Others were an incredible surprise.

The text is lifted by his superb grasp of the English language. At no point does the book drag or merely seem to be telling us stuff for the sake of it. I will admit to getting confused and have trouble remembering all the names and places. He alludes to the problem himself and has included a comprehensive list of characters at the back.

There appears to be nothing the gods and heroes weren't capable of. Incest, infanticide, murder, bestiality come at you thick and fast.

I would recommend this for entertainment alone but is also a great source of ideas and inspiration for your own stories. And so much of what went on has been carried down in names and sayings into our media fixated society. Long live the legends!

Everyone at some point has stood under the stars and wondered about our place in it all.

This book helps with that journey. The universe is incredible and our fascination since we first began to evolve has grown. Now we are discovering more and more, opening doors held closed by outdated theories and the constraints of religion.

I loved how the harder scientific aspects were made easier by great graphics and photographs. A companion to the tv series, I would recommend watching the matching programme after each chapter.

A must in these radical times of personal focus. It's a big universe. Look up from the phone and search for some answers.

Anybody with a blog, Facebook page and Bookstagrammers are more than welcome to join - the more the merrier!!

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I was completed fascinated by this masterpiece of story telling. It is historical by nature and to experience the emotional journey of a young girl in such different times. There are some remarkable surprises and many reminders of how certain things haven't changed.

Tess is vulnerable. The opposite sex is omnipresent and driven by their own needs. The tale revolves around her attempt to to remain true to herself. The reaction of the men she encounters says a lot about how misdirected society was.

Being able to survive the threat of genuine poverty is central to events. This is a different kind of hardship to today's standards. Expectations are far lower and more realistic. Enough food and roof is all that matters. The richer man sees her as an easy target. Her true lover is all too hung up on moral standards influenced by the religious fanaticism of his father and destroys the joy he finds.

Our heroine wishes to help her family financially and this leads her into a world all too ready to take advantage of her loyalty. The detail that Hardy gives us of rural life is absorbing. You can read this book to learn if nothing else.

I loved how the writing drew you close to Tess and you wish so much for her to find the happiness she deserves. Hardy's narrative voice is perfect and he makes you think long after reading.

Great fun. Made me laugh out loud.

I wanted to give this three and a half stars. I love the subject matter and the easy way we can enter the world of the norse gods. The language is uncomplicated and the book avoids the sprawl of other tales of this nature. The pace is keen and engaging throughout.

Herein lies my dilemma. As a writer myself I was aware of the lack of depth in the descriptions. I'm not sure if this work is aimed at adults or a younger audience. It can work for both (as can most books!).

I got a little tired of the over use of Yours Truly and Humble Narrator phrases. Perhaps I was supposed to. Loki is an anti-hero to like and loathe in equal measure.

I was confused by Loki's motives. Again, maybe he was too. Did he seek acceptance or destruction? I wondered if the author really knew. And if Loki is such a child of chaos, why is he so scared of it at the end?

A wonderful, colourful trip through a British year. I learned while I loved. It makes you want to get out there, see and hear for yourself and generally appreciate all four seasons.

Infinitely better than phone scrolling, this is a book in all its glory. Read on.

A story of a small community in the days of genuine hardship when one man is affected enough by what he sees to try and make a change.

There was an emphasis on routine, on things being kept like they always had been. With that comes the outdated religious views that should never apply to a modern and caring society.

This book achieves great depth through simplicity, no mean feat. Hopefully it can act as a stimulus to most readers and get them to examine their own lives and ensure they aren't stuck on return and repeat.

Besides all that heavy stuff, it is an enchanting insight into a small community in a time before image and self obsession became so dominant.

Finally, Nancy is free. Long kept locked away by the ‘normal’ people of the dominion for being a Disfigure, considered ugly and dangerous, she seeks a distant shore and a cure to the affliction she knows will kill her.

This is to be a tough journey through mysterious lands full of fantastic creatures. She must call on great courage and use her special powers to negotiate the perils and face powerful men with their own agenda. Does she have the guile and determination to survive? How much will she sacrifice for success? And are all of her efforts to be in vain?
In this novella - Beyond the Dominion, highly acclaimed author Chris Cloake takes you back to the epic fantasy world of his Dominion Trilogy. If you love deep story telling and inspiring imagination, you won’t want to miss this special addition to his work.

Get Beyond the Dominion and prepare to be transported to a land of aching beauty.

I love John Wyndham so this was good to read. As a story I found it to be a slow builder. There is a lot of technical detail and references to various organisations. The story plays out with great believability.

Taken as a science fiction thriller, it lacks obvious confrontation and the usual head on battles you get from Hollywood. This makes it different and doesn't bother me. It feels like a child of its time.

The rising of the water must stand as a stark warning to us in the climate change century. Wyndham has no romance or human heroics in this scenario. Selfishness and combat is what the human race falls back on when under pressure. I hope he is wrong because the high tide is coming.

Worth reading!