RECENT READS AND BOOK REVIEWS

American Gods and Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

    This writer has to be one of my top favourites right now.  Written like a gourmet feast of words and images. 
    Neverwhere is the story of a "Ford Prefect" like character who falls between the cracks of his life into a hidden world of mystery and magic.  Of course there's a quest and a lady in distress.  But it's not cliche.    It's original and crisp.
    American Gods is a far darker and more mature story.  Shadow, a released convict, falls in league with a group who appear to be the remnants of old gods.  The plot twists and turns like a roller coaster ride.  The ending is a thought provoking commentary on what our society values and worships.
    Both books rate 10/10

The Atlantis Blueprint by Colin Wilson

    Colin Wilson has been writing books for nearly half a century.  His first book, The Outsider, became a famous work of literary philosophy, examining what he calls "The New Existentialism".  ...OK, so the main reason I'm telling you that is to establish him as a serious academic writer rather than a flake. 
    This is a carefully researched and argued work on the possibility of an advanced civilization pre-dating our history and knowledge.  An "Atlantis", if you will.  His scientific and historical data is incredibly detailed and documented.  I've never had so much fun reading a book centred on history and anthropology.  Even if some of his conclusions may be arguable, the sheer volume of interesting tid-bits of information within these pages makes it a valuable and entertaining read.
    Rated 10/10