Today's Reviews

No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay

Review: A decent thriller.

Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives: Stories by Brad Watson

Review: This is an anthology of short stories by the same author. Despite the title, this deals with neither science fiction nor immigrants. Instead Aliens comes across as the authors attempt to deal with his torment in that the stories tend to involve a miserable man, a child and a dark plot and setting. The characterization, prose and pace I found quite riveting. However, each story strikes me as a "slice of life" where it often starts without a context and often stops with issues unresolved.

The Pig that Wants to be Eaten by Julian Baggini

Review: Excellent, eminently readable introduction of philosophy and philosophers. Baggini presents them as what he calls "Thought Experiments" by first presenting a storied anecdote which sets the issue; describes alternative, often conflicting, philosophies then challenges the reader to struggle with the concept. For each topic, Baggini cross references related topics in his book to give the reader an opportunity to gain a broader view. On a five star rating, I'd give The Pig That Wants to Be Eaten a six. (Please note, due to a leaky bus window, the original copy of this book was water damaged. I've worked within the library policy to obtain a replacement, but do not know the current shelving status).