I Read, Therefore I Blog

The Blurb On The Back:

How ownership came to control us - and what we can do about it.

You may not believe it, but there is a link between our current political instability and your childhood attachment to teddy bears. There’s also a reason why children in Asia are more likely to share than their Western counterparts and why the poor spend more of their income on luxury goods than the rich. Or why your mother is more likely to leave her money to you than your father. What connects these things?

The answer is our need for ownership. Award-winning psychologist Bruce Hood draws on research from his own lab and others around the world to explain why this uniquely human preoccupation governs our behaviour from the cradle to the grave, even when it is often irrational and destructive. What motives us to buy more than we need? Is it innate, or cultural? How does our urge to acquire control our behaviour, even the way we vote? And what can we do about it?

Timely, engaging and persuasive, Possessed is the first book to explore how ownership has us enthralled in relentless pursuit of a false happiness, with damaging consequences for society and the planet - and how we can stop buying into it.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Bruce Hood is professor of Developmental Psychology in Society at Bristol University. This fascinating book examines the psychology of ownership, including distinguishing between legal, moral and psychological possession, links between ownership and personal identity, sharing, the links between wealth and happiness and how to give it away. I came away with a better understanding of why I have so much stuff that I find difficult to give away.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

”The super-suit is powered by two things: kindness and imagination. Luckily you, Marvin, have tons of both!”

Marvin is on a school trip to the dinosaur museum when supervillain Rex makes the dinosaur skeletons come alive. He wants one for a sidekick and he wants it NOW!

When Marvin puts on his superhero suit he becomes MARV - unstoppable, invincible and totally marvellous. Chased through the museum by a rampaging T-Rex and then surrounded by velociraptors, Marv must use the power of his suit to save the day.

Marv and Pixel are about to show Rex that you can’t make someone be your sidekick - you need to earn their respect and friendship first.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The second in Alex Falase-Koya’s superhero series for children aged 5+ (with great, inclusive illustrations by Paula Bowles) is an action-packed affair with important messages about friendship and kindness. Rex was a more threatening supervillain, Pixel has more of a character here than “cute robot” and there are more hints that Joe knows Marvin’s secret. All in all, the series is developing nicely and I look forward to reading on.

MARV AND THE DINO ATTACK was released in the United Kingdom on 3rd February 2022. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

”The super-suit is powered by two things: kindness and imagination. Luckily you, Marvin, have tons of both!”

Marvin loves reading about superheroes and now he’s about to become one for real.

Grandad is passing his superhero suit and robot sidekick, Pixel, on to Marvin. It’s been a long time since the world needed a superhero but now, with a mega robot and a supervillain on the loose, that time has come.

To defeat his enemies and protect his friends, Marvin must learn to trust the superhero within. Only then will Marvin become MARV - unstoppable, invincible and totally marvellous!

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Alex Falase-Koya’s first book in a new superhero series for readers aged 5+ is a charming affair about the power of kindness and imagination with great black representation that’s well supported by Paula Bowles’s excellent illustrations. There’s a lot of set up here (which is understandable), I’m not sure how kindness powers the suit and the villain is underwhelming but there’s a lot of scope for future books and I look forward to reading on.

MARV AND THE MEGA ROBOT was released in the United Kingdom on 3rd February 2022. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Dead girl walking.

Pip Fitz-Amobi is haunted by her last investigation. But soon a new case finds her and this time it’s all about Pip.

She has a stalker, one who keeps asking: Who will look for you when you’re the one who disappears?

Pip soon discovers a connection between her stalker and a local serial killer, but the police refuse to act. As the dangerous game plays out it’s clear that if Pip doesn’t find the answers, she’s as good as dead …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The conclusion to Holly Jackson’s YA thriller trilogy is a dark and unsettling affair that works as a natural progression to the earlier two books (both in terms of plot and character) but there is a disturbing message here about how police and criminal justice system failures justify turning vigilante without any real consideration of proportionality or personal responsibility and I think the book loses something because of that.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Isadora Moon is special because she is different.

Her mum is a fairy and her dad is a vampire and she is a bit of both.

Isadora has got a maths test on Monday, and she’s worried she’s not going to do very well. If only she was ill she could get out of doing the test …

But giving yourself the magic pox is never a good idea and soon everything is out of control. Can Isadora make it all better?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The 15th in Harriet Muncaster’s self-illustrated ISADORA MOON SERIES for readers aged 6+ takes something that most children can relate to - dread of doing a maths test - and turns it into a charming story about perseverance, trying your best and telling the truth without being preachy. I liked Isadora’s naughty cousin Mirabelle (who has her own series) and enjoyed Isadora’s parents different remedies for being unwell.

ISADORA MOON GETS THE MAGIC POX was released in the United Kingdom on 3rd March 2022. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

In 1906, the revolutionary Joseph Djugashvili - who would later take the name Joseph Stalin - met with an old friend, a clerk at the Tiflis branch of the State Bank of the Russian Empire, for a glass of milk. Over talk of national pride, the spirit of the new century and Djugashvili’s poetry, they agreed the beginnings of a plan.

With the aid of the Outfit, Djugashvili’s hardened crew of “expropriators”, they would pull off the biggest, bloodiest and most daring robbery in Georgia’s history, and ruthlessly change the direction of the Bolshevik revolution forever …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

David Tallerman’s historical novella focuses on a notorious robbery, which cemented Joseph Stalin’s status in the Bolshevik movement. The narrative sticks to the facts with Tallerman noting at the back what he’s fictionalised but it’s a weirdly detached read with Tallerman not capturing Stalin’s psyche and being more interested in the more colourful Kamo (who benefits from an epilogue). Ultimately it’s fine but didn’t grab me as much as I hoped.

THE OUTFIT by David Tallerman was released in the United Kingdom on 3rd March 2022. Thanks to Rebellion Publishing for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Russia’s relationship with its neighbours and with the West has worsened dramatically in recent years. Under Vladimir Putin’s leadership, the country has annexed Crimea, begun a way in Eastern Ukraine, used chemical weapons on the streets of the UK and created an army of internet trolls to meddle in the US presidential elections. How should we understand this apparent relapse into aggressive imperialism and militarism?

In this book, Sergei Medvedev argues that this new wave of Russian nationalism is the result of mentalities that have long been embedded within the Russian psyche. Whereas in the West, the turbulent social changes of the 1960s and a rising awareness of the legacy of colonialism have modernised attitudes, Russia has been stymied by an enduring sense of superiority over its neighbours alongside a painful nostalgia for empire. It is this infantilised and irrational world view that Putin and others have exploited, as seen most clearly in Russia’s recent foreign policy decisions, including the annexation of Crimea.

This sharp and insightful book, full of irony and humour, shows how the archaic forces of imperial revanchist have been brought back to life, shaking Russian society and threatening the outside world. It will be of great interest to anyone trying to understand the forces shaping Russian politics and society today.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Sergei Medvedev is a Professor in the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. This is a very readable book (translated from Russian by Stephen Dalziel) first published in Russia in 2017 and published in the UK in 2020 that’s scarily relevant and prescient to Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine. Through short essays, Medvedev describes what’s driving Putin’s colonialism and how it’s caused by Russia’s failure to reckon with the traumas of its past.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

”Allow me to introduce myself.” But he needed no introduction.
“Anansi the spider!” said Anansi the boy. “The tales were true!”

Kweku has grown up hearing stories about the mischievous spider, Anansi. Kweku’s father gave him the nickname Anansi because of his similarly cheeky ways.

On a holiday to visit his beloved Nana in Ghana, Anansi the boy meets Anansi the spider who shows him a magical pot that can be filled with whatever he wants. Will he learn to share this wonderful gift?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Taiye Selasi’s first picture book (boldly and beautifully illustrated by Tinuke Fagborun) takes the traditional Akan character of Anansi and weaves him into a clever tale of family and the importance of being generous while also introducing children to the food and folklore of Ghana. It’s an entertaining read that parents will enjoy with their little ones and I particularly enjoyed the illustrations of Anansi himself, with his dapper outfit.

ANANSI AND THE GOLDEN POT was released in the United Kingdom on 6th January 2022. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Above our world is a toxic wonderland where the party has raged for centuries.

Humans know the partygoers simply as “narcotics”, “opioids”, “drugs”. But here they are malevolent gods, toying with the fates of mortals. Roxy and Addison have made a wager to see who can be lethal the quickest.

Isaac and Ivy Ramey are their targets. Ivy is understimulated and over medicated. Isaac is desperate to recover from a sports injury that jeopardises his chance of a scholarship. This is the start of a race to the bottom that will determine life and death. One Ramey will land on their feet. The other will be lost to the Party.

The only question is … Which one?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Neal and Jarrod Shusterman’s YA fantasy is a sadly misfiring affair that aims to convey how “insidious, seductive and dangerous” these drugs can be but is hampered by world building that doesn’t quite click, a competition that fails to convince and inconsistent messaging on whether drugs have an inherent morality of their own or are merely tools that humans need to beware resulting in a stilted read with a “abuse of drugs is bad, mmkay?’ vibe.

ROXY was released in the United Kingdom on 11th November 2021. Thanks to Walker Books for the review copy of this book.

The Blurb On The Back:

Emma is beautiful.
Men stare at her.
Girls are jealous of her.

Yet Emma is trapped.

Trapped by her beauty and trapped by a lack of prospects. She sleeps on her nan’s sofa and rushes to cleaning jobs after school. She dreams that there’s more to life than just scraping by.

Then Emma is tempted by two men who promise her the world in exchange for modelling work. But there’s a dark side to their offer that she will only discover when she’s in too deep …

Can Emma break free and take control of her own life?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Shappi Khorsandi’s contemporary YA novel uses the life of Nelson’s mistress, Lady Emma Hamilton, reimagining her as a girl on a council estate. Khorsandi is strong on prejudice, the difficulties of having a low income and the low expectations of teens from these backgrounds, but the story is repetitive with a series of selfish or abusive men taking advantage and Emma not dealing with it, which I found dull, while the pacing is lop-sided.

Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.