Tag: Enjoying

Tony Hawks – One Hit Wonderland | Review

Title: One Hit Wonderland

Author: Tony Hawks

Type: Non-Fiction

Page Count: 310

Rating: 4/5

I picked this one up after seeing it in a charity shop and reading and enjoying Round Ireland with a Fridge. Hawks has a quirky sense of humour, but it’s one of the rare instances where someone’s sense of humour comes across really well in the written page and where it doesn’t annoy me.

Here, we basically follow what happens when Hawks decides to head abroad to try to record a follow up to a one hit wonder that he had before I was even born. He meets a colourful supporting cast of characters along the way of course, and overall we end up with a fun little book that you can whizz through in a couple of days.

I actually read this while everyone was locked down because of Coronavirus, and it was the perfect read for that because it helped to take my mind away to a time where the world wasn’t quite in the state that it’s in today. It’s weird, I haven’t seen anyone I know for a week or so, and so just the very idea of going outside and spending time with people feels like something I did half a year away.

All in all then, I was pretty happy with this book and I still plan to eventually read everything that Hawks has published. The list is disappointingly short, and he must be about due something by now, but perhaps he’s no longer taking silly bets and going off on crazy madcap adventures. I don’t know, I haven’t looked him up.

Would I recommend this one? Definitely, and it’s actually one of those where I think you’ll find something no matter what kind of stuff you normally read. It’s just loads of fun.

Learn more about One Hit Wonderland.


Agatha Christie – Ordeal by Innocence | Review

Title: Ordeal by Innocence

Author: Agatha Christie

Type: Fiction

Page Count: 224

Rating: 3.5/5

This one was okay, but it was a little bit of a letdown after reading and enjoying Parker Pyne Investigates. Christie is at her best when she’s writing short stories, at least in my opinion, and when she writes novels she’s best when she’s writing about Marple or Poirot. This one had none of the features that make something a standout Agatha Christie novel, at least for me, but then it’s still an Agatha Christie novel and so there’s still plenty to love.

I don’t think it’s the best that she has to offer and I wouldn’t recommend it to people who are new to her work, purely because I think she can do so much better. But it is still a pretty cool book and decent enough for my default rating, and certainly not the worst that she’s written. It’s just nowhere near the best, and in fact I’d say it’s easily in the lower half.

For me, it was worth reading it, but only because I’m a completionist. It’s definitely not the right book for everyone, and even as a Christie fan, I thought the mystery was just okay and the characters were forgettable. So take that as you will, I guess.

Learn more about Ordeal by Innocence.