The Long Mars - Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter. Book Review

Publication Date:19th June 2014
Publisher: Doubleday

The third book in the Long Earth series which explores the Long Mars. The first two books introduced the concept of stepping between parallel Earths which differ from each other. Some Earths have life and there are some that do not. Our earth known as the datum is the only earth where humans exist.

Pratchett and Baxter develop the idea of infinite parallel words further by introducing the Long Mars, an infinite number of Mars where some have life on them.

I adore the characters, especially Lobsang, a deceased Tibetan monk whose spirit resides in a network of computers, (sometimes referred as the God of the Long Earth). Lobsang's philosophy combined with the ethical issues dealt in the Long Earth series make this Science Fiction series a must read. The only possible negative is the constant switching between characters, which for some readers may be completely alien because there are readers who want to get to know the characters properly before the plot starts to quicken.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Stars  

Catch up

I have nearly finished my re-read of the Lord of the Rings. I really like Tolkien' s writing, which brings Middle Earth to life. The journey which one goes on in this book shows the amazing power of books.

I intend to re-read a Terry Pratchett book in hope to laugh out loud and to keep my current pace that I am reading books at. Book review of the Long Mars by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter will be coming soon.

Life of a Reader

I go to a bookshop and buy a book with the intention of reading that book. The book gathers dust as one neglects to read the unread book. Favourite books are re-read and still the new book remains unread. Eventually I decide to read the once new book and my mind is blown and I begin to wonder why I did not read the book at the first opportunity. This all part of the fun of being a reader.

Physical Books vs E-readers

Generally I prefer to read physical books, though I have started to read more book on my Kindle. Below I am going to list reasons why physical books are better than e-books and then a list of reasons of why e-books are better than physical books.

The Positives of Physical Books

• Turning a page-The feeling one gets when turning a page with the anticipation of what I am going to read on the next page. Moreover, it does feel natural not to read a book without the physical action of turning a page. Some books are called page turners for a reason.
• Displaying Books- The major advantage of physical books is that you are able to display your book collection on a bookshelf for all to see. It is easy to store 1000 books on an e-reader, but nobody can see the books you own. Displaying the books you own is a way of letting a visitor to your house know something about yourself. 
• The smell of old books- Many readers, myself included, love the smell of old books. For me the smell of an old book gives it character, because the book may have been read and enjoy by many readers before myself gives me the sense of the power of a good book. E-books are digital products which lack the same character and history of a second-hand physical book. 
• Visiting a bookshop- Despite the age of the internet I do still like to visit my local bookshop to browse and buy new books. One picks up a book that catches my eye, reads the blurb, and may decide to buy the book straight away. Also, the staff in bookshops are often book lovers themselves and may recommend books similar to the book you are purchasing.

The Positives of E-books

• The ability to carry more books at once- Choosing how many books to pack for a holiday can be a pain, especially if you have limited room in your suitcase. An e-reader enables you to take more than enough books with you on your holiday, and if you can access WiFi on holiday you can also purchase more e-books as well.
• Access to books not stocked in a bookstore- In the age of the internet book bloggers and booktubers are recommending books which may not be available at bookshops in your country. However, thanks to e-book stores such as the kindle store and the kobo store, one is able to purchase a book recommended by somebody in America relatively easily. 
• Free e-books- Many e-books, such as classics, are available to download for free. If you feel guilty about not having read books by Charles Dickens or Jane Austin and you are low on money, you are able to download these e-books for free. Most book lovers want to read as many books as possible, and free classics downloaded from the internet is a simple way to increase your collection of books. 
• Saving trees- E-books requires no paper. Therefore, in the long run if more people were to switch to e-readers, it would decrease the demand for paper and may save trees. Of course, e-readers are not totally environmentally friendly because they require electricity, which is generated by the burning of fossil fuels.

  Thanks for reading, feel free to let me know your preference in the comments and I hop to have a review of the Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman up by the end of the month. 

My Favourite Books

1. The Lord of the Rings- J.R.R. Tolkien 
2. The Hobbit- J.R.R. Tolkien 
3. Night's Watch-Terry Pratchett
4. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone- J.K Rowling 
5. Little Dorrit- Charles Dickens 
6. Good Omens- Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
7. A Dance With Dragons- George R.R. Martin 
8. Ready Player One- Ernest Cline
9. Pandemonium- Lauren Oliver
10. Thief of Time- Terry Pratchett 

Pandemonium My First Book Review

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver 
Published by: Harper Collins Children's Books, 2012. 

Rating 8.3/10

The second book in the Delirium trilogy, where Lena experiences to full reality of what it means to be an invalid and working for the resistance. Like the first book, Pandemonium takes place in a world where love is considered a disease. Dystopian themes relating to state control, censorship and lack of liberty are explored to a certain extent in this novel.

The relationship which develops between Lena and Julian is interesting because Lena was in a relationship with Alex in the first book, which meant Lena felt guilty about having feelings for Julian. The fact that Julian is the son of the leader of the DFA (Deliria-Free America) adds a second dimension to the relationship between Lena and Julian. Julian was raised like Lena was that deliria was a contagious disease and that the cure was the only solution. 

I enjoyed the plot in this book, which I felt to be slightly better than Delirium. The most interesting new character introduced in this book is Raven, a young woman who wants totally forget her past life before she escaped into the Wilds. To learn more about Raven and her role as the leader of a community in the Wilds read the book, I do not want to spoil it for those who have not read the book.


 A solid second book to a trilogy, cannot wait to read the final book.