Sleeping giants – book review

Wanting a fresh read with a unique structure and exciting twists and turns? Of course you do! This past week I’ve been reading Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel, it’s a gripping science fiction and thriller read.

The basic outline of the plot (spoiler free!) is that parts of a giant entity have been discovered all around the world after being dormant for thousands of years. This opens up the questions of where did this thing come from? Why was it found separated all over the planet? And most importantly, is the human race ready for what is to come? To start to answer these questions a team is put together by a mysterious character who is the puppet master of the whole operation.

Sleeping giants is written in a structure unlike anything I’ve come across before. The whole book is templated off something that would quite easily resemble a top secret file. Almost all of the book is set out in an interview format between this mystery man and the characters he interacts with. This creates a refreshing and unique reading experience.

World building is kept to an absolute minimum as you learn everything through character dialogue. I can appreciate that those of you who like to read more complex world building may be slightly put off by the idea of this however, I’d really recommend you give this book a chance. You won’t be spoon fed anything and this creates the opportunity for your imagination to run wild.

The book itself is about 320 pages long, so it’s a decent sized read and is book one of the Themis files what is made up of three books. Although it is worth mentioning there are some bonus texts that fit into the series. These aren’t novels, they are more works of flash fiction.

Continue reading “Sleeping giants – book review”

How to get out of a reading slump

We’ve all been there; you want to sit down with a book and relax but somehow, you’re just lacking the drive to. You feel unmotivated to read and nothing seems exciting anymore. You have a look at your bookshelf and there’s so many books that you’ve been meaning to read for ages, but you just can’t bring yourself to. If you’re feeling like this, chances are you’re in a reading slump.

Most readers will go through this at some point, even I experience them, and I love reading. With the current situation around the world, many people are returning to their books. I know many people (myself included) who have set reading goals at the moment. But like most things, we start strong but eventually the excitement runs out and you get into a reading slump. Thankfully they’re not impossible to overcome and I compiled a list of my favourite ways to get out of a reading slump.

If you’re struggling to get your motivation back for reading, give these a go and see if they help. Continue reading “How to get out of a reading slump”