#58. The God Machine: A Hellboy Novel by Thomas E. Sniegoski

Title:	The God Machine: A Hellboy Novel
Author:	Thomas E Sniegoski
Genre:	Supernatural Fiction
Synopsis:	Hellboy investigates the disappearance of objects of faith and is led to a cult thought long disbanded, who are mixing science and magic to bring about their birth of their god.
Verdict:	Possessions, false gods and the risk of Armageddon are all in a day’s work for the BPRD. Fun as always. This one particularly hammered home the point that if you are bringing a being of unbelievable power onto your plane of existence you’d better be sure what their intentions are – don’t just take their vague and open to interpretation word for it.
Pages:	357
Read:	April 2010

#57. Touch Me, I'm Sick: The 52 Creepiest Love Songs

Title:	Touch Me, I’m Sick: The 52 Creepiest Love Songs
Author:	Tom Reynolds
Genre:	Non-Fiction
Synopsis:	A list of the most disturbing love songs the author could find that most people never listen to closely enough to worry about.
Verdict:	Amusing and interesting but the ‘found’ letters seemed a bit forced in some places. The amount of people who play ‘Every Breath You Take’ at weddings is funny all by itself.
Pages:	272
Read:	April 2010

#56. Accelerando by Charles Stross

Title:	Accelerando
Author:	Charles Stross
Genre:	Science Fiction
Synopsis:	As humanity struggles to keep up with technological developments, identity is key. Even those right on the cutting edge can’t keep up with the speed of developments and the resultant ethical and societal quandaries.
Verdict:	What makes a person a person? What is humanity’s fate? Scary, thought-provoking and far too real. I had never considered the role or limitations that would face a society so used to being hooked up and connected and constantly communicating.
Pages:	433
Read:	April 2010

#55. Gut Symmetries by Jeanette Winterson

Title:	Gut Symmetries
Author:	Jeanette Winterson
Genre:	Fiction/Magical Realism
Synopsis:	Tells the interweaving stories of a handful of characters and their parents across the change of centuries and life.
Verdict:	Beautiful language and imagery, a little confusing at times. Overall quite good. I shouldn’t have read so many Jeanette Winterson books in such a short time frame because I started getting a little frustrated without being certain of who was speaking or which time we were in. Even as cranky as I became I was still impressed with the writing.
Pages:	219
Read:	March 2010

#54. Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey

Title:	Sandman Slim
Author:	Richard Kadrey
Genre:	Supernatural/Thriller
Synopsis:	A magician sent to Hell during a ritual claws his way back to Earth for revenge.
Verdict:	Fast-paced, fun and crazy. Seems quicker than normal but it works for Kadrey. He crams description in with action and just keeps it flipping along. Of all the things that could have bothered me in this book – descriptions of demons, sadistic rituals and fights – the thing that kept me shaking my head was the constant and almost persecutory demise of every piece of clothing the main character put on. Vengeance is tough on the old wardrobe.
Pages:	388
Read:	March 2010

#53. Good News, Bad News by David Wolstencroft

Title:	Good News, Bad News
Author:	David Wolstencroft
Genre:	Thriller/Spy Drama
Synopsis:	Co-workers in a boring job are stunned to find they’re both spies tasked with each other’s elimination and pursued by others when they don’t carry out this task.
Verdict:	Nicely balanced action, background and drama. Basic message, don’t become a spy!
Pages:	414
Read:	March 2010

#52. Weight: The Myth Of Atlas And Heracles by Jeanette Winterson

Title:	Weight: The Myth Of Atlas And Heracles
Author:	Jeanette Winterson
Genre:	Myth/Fiction
Synopsis:	A retelling of the myth that shows Atlas in a new light and offers more hope for the characters both divine and mortal.
Verdict:	A lovely gentle story, more thought than action, worth it just for Laika’s happy ending.
Pages:	151
Read:	March 2010