A Sceptic's Guide to Alien Encounters

Are we alone in the universe? It's a question everyone asks, sooner or later. It's also a question that's fascinated astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson since childhood, and which led to his latest book, 'Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter'.

Wicked Lady?

 So much has been written and broadcast about the Tudors that Henry VIII’s courtiers seem stars in their own right.  We know their acts and allegiances, their loves and lies, their foibles and (often terrible) fates. Yet one lesser-known figure often lurks near the centre of court machinations while remaining beyond the spotlight.  She is Jane Rochford, the focus of Philippa Gregory’s latest novel ‘The Boleyn Traitor’.

True Crimes

Hallie Rubenhold is an unfortunate historian.  Every book she starts researching seems to take her in unexpected directions, and her latest study of the story of a murder is no exception.

In Two Minds...

In a first for me, I'm going to attempt to tell you about two recent reads in one blog post; 'You Don't Have to Be Mad to Work Here' by Dr Benji Waterhouse and 'And How Does that Make You Feel?' by Joshua Fletcher.  Wish me luck...

Comets and Cosy Crime

I was waiting for Father Christmas to bring me some new books, when Penguin Random House jumped the gun and sent me an advanced proof of cosy crime novel 'The Murder at World's End', a grown up book by children's author Ross Montgomery.

Review of the Year 2025

Happy New Year, fellow readers!

As 2025 becomes 2026, I decided it was time for a quick reflect on the books I've read this year, including those that I haven't had time to post about. Don't worry, there are never that many of them, despite my best intentions!

Much More Complicated Than That

 Yet again, I am proof that modern marketing works. After just the right amount of targeted adverts, I looked up 'The Ministry of Time' by Kaliane Bradley to find out what the fuss was all about.

Ghost of a Good Idea

 As autumn approaches, it's time to turn to thoughts of darker days and spooky nights. To get me in the mood for the dying of the year, I picked up 'Ghosts of the British Museum: A True Story of Colonial Loot and Restless Objects' by Noah Angell.

Work, Life, Balance

Summer is coming to a close and many people are returning to work after holidays, so it seemed an apt time to tell you about 'I Hope This Finds You Well' by Natalie Sue.

This Book will Give you an Ear Worm...

Continuing the story of the dream team tackling supernatural nightmares, 'Relight My Fire' takes the Stranger Times gang to a whole new level of weird. And thanks to its title, makes Take That and Lulu your daily internal soundtrack.

Thoroughly Modern Myth-Making

Can anything new be said about the story of King Arthur?  If you read 'Bliss and Blunder' by Victoria Gosling, the answer is surely 'yes'. 

Dreaming Shires

 

I have read 'Jude the Obscure' by Thomas Hardy, and now I need therapy.

The Age of Possibility

I'm not entirely sure why '18: A History of Britain in 18 Young Lives' by Alice Loxton caught my eye, but it did. Perhaps it was just very thorough marketing - it did seem to be everywhere when it first came out! More likely, it simply sounded like it could be interesting, which, to be fair, is a pretty good reason for reading anything.

Come On, Bill Bailey!

Bill Bailey is one of my favourite stand up comedians and, unusually for me, I was aware of him quite early.  Not right at the beginning, but put it this way, the first time I saw him it was in a decent city-centre venue and it only cost me £12.50. Now he's filling stadia, those tickets would cost over £90, and he's presenting great TV programmes left, right and centre! As a fan of his work and knowing he's a Westcountry lad, his book 'My Animals and Other Animals: A Memoir of Sorts' immediately got my attention.

Do Fear the Reaper...

I'm sucker for a good story idea, so when someone recommended a book about a vicar who also happened to be a serial killer, it certainly got my attention. I had to read 'The Reaper' by Peter Lovesey.

What is the Satsuma Complex?

As long-term readers will know, I'm deeply suspicious of a massive bestseller. So, while I enjoy Bob Mortimer's work, I couldn't help rolling my eyes a bit when I saw that he'd followed up his autobiography, 'And Away...' with the smash hit novel 'The Satsuma Complex'. Would this be just another mediocre money spinner made massive by the celebrity name on the front? With some trepidation, I began to read...

Elieen Loves Books Will Return...

Hello Everyone and happy New Year!

Nearly a year ago, I decided to take a formal break from Eileen Loves Books, but now I'm ready to start blogging again.  I've missed it and, of course, you!

'Utterly Brilliant' by Timmy Mallett

For people of a certain age, Timmy Mallett on the telly was a fixture of childhood.  During the 1980s and early '90s, he hosted the Wide Awake Club on Saturday mornings and Wacaday during school holidays, bouncing around the studio in his fluorescent-coloured clothes and wacky spectacles, cheerfully striking everyone from pop princess Kylie to prime minister Margaret Thatcher over the head with Mallett's (foam) Mallet and delivering unashamedly dodgy puns and funny sketches.  Seeing his name on the book 'Utterly Brilliant: My Life's Journey' conjured up all sorts of memories, and I was intrigued enough to want to know what he'd been up to since last brightening our screens.

'The Woman Novelist and Other Stories' by Diana Gardner

I love a short story and admire anyone who can craft a successful one.  Thanks to publishers like Persephone Books and the British Library, it's becoming ever easier to find and enjoy works that would otherwise be lost to history.  Persephone has published quite a few short story collections, and I have recently finished 'The Woman Novelist and Other Stories' by Diana Gardner.

'Illuminations' by Alan Moore

I'd not read any Alan Moore before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect when I picked up 'Illuminations', his first collection of shorter fiction. Moore is best known for his comic books, including 'Watchmen', 'From Hell' and 'V for Vendetta', but as a fan of other graphic novel alumni such as Neil Gaiman, this just told me to expect something fantastical. But that was just the start of it.