Who Owns England? by Guy Shrubsole

 

Who Owns England? Is a fascinating exploration of land ownership in England, and occasionally Wales. You’d think the question of who owns what wouldn’t be all that difficult to answer, but no, England’s history of land ownership and land reform is likely one of the most convoluted in the world. Land ownership continues to be shrouded in secrecy, and despite its formation in 1861, HM’s Land Registry remains incomplete. This book recounts Shrubsole’s attempts to map the landowners of England as well as the history of land itself in England, which remains tied to the aristocracy and archaic traditions. 

Throughout his investigation, Shrubsole emphasises environmental protection, housing affordability and tax evasion as issues of key importance, and unsurprisingly is no fan of Margaret Thatcher. Each chapter explores a different type of land ownership such that Crown Land, farming, corporate ownership and the average homeowner are given consideration. While I had no real ideas of land reform before going in, I came out convinced that changes can and need to be made. The best part of this book is that provides viable solutions and policy changes, and it’s made me finally register for postal vote to do what I can from Australia.

Bottom line: this is a passionate and informative look into land ownership in England, and you’ll come out realising there’s far more that should and can be done for housing affordability and the environment. I gave this 5/5 stars.

I would like to thank Guy Shrubsole and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book. You can find out more from Shrubsole's website and buy the book on Amazon, Waterstones, Kobo, Bookdepository and hopefully your local bookshop!

The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde

The quasi-biblical mess that is 2020 has been a year of literary discovery for me. Just as you can find pretty much anything on Reddit, I’ve also realised you can find pretty much anything in books. ‘The Constant Rabbit’ by Jasper Fforde is just one of several forays into anthropomorphic fiction, a subgenre I first learned to love through Jamie Brindle’s ‘Chaos Drive’.  While The Constant Rabbit does not feature the anthropomorphised frogs of Brindle’s creation, it does feature rabbits (and foxes and weasels too.) 

The Constant Rabbit follows Peter Knox, a mildly boring middle-aged man working for a notoriously anti-Rabbit agency in an England with over 1 million human-like rabbits. Following an ‘Event’ 55 years prior these rabbits had started to walk, talk and function in society to much leporiphobic (rabbit-phobic) opposition. Fforde’s exploration of the political implications of this absurdist entry into British society provided grounds for a scathing satire of anti-immigrant and pro-Brexit rhetoric - and human nature in general. 

Fforde’s absolute success throughout this novel was in making the idea of humanised rabbits seemingly probable. Not only did he think through the impact this would have on human culture but also developed a clear sense of rabbit culture and the ways in which the two would interact. His success in establishing the absurdist world of our protagonist made for both a humorous and thought-provoking read. 

Doing what weird fiction does best, Fforde’s political commentary is able to make use of this absurdism by applying comedy and approachability to social critique. Similarly to the use of animals in Art Spiegelman’s Maus, different animals are used to represent different groups of people. A feature of anthropomorphic fiction in general, this allows the reader to separate from their own context whilst simultaneously comparing it to that of the book. 

However, while I thoroughly enjoyed the world-building and character-arcs, The Constant Rabbit is fairly light on plot. Though I enjoyed Peter’s often clueless perspective, the fact he didn’t know what was happening most of the time meant that there was also not a lot beyond his monotonous life to drive the book forward. His discovery of rabbit-culture and examination of his own role in their plight was interesting, but I also felt like nothing actually happened for the first 250 pages. 

The use of inter-species romance was also interesting, but also kind of weird. The implications of what is effectively consensual beastiality were concluded to be ‘love is love’. However, the end of the book called this into question for me as the species barrier is still very much a thing. I also found Peter to be bizarrely apathetic about certain events which I would have expected a far greater reaction to. 

I decided to give this a 3 star rating all up, but would definitely recommend it to those looking for something a little weird and serious. I’ve also heard Fforde’s other work is similarly whimsical and look forward to checking it out.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Hodder and Staughton and Jasper Fforde for giving me an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. You can get a copy of The Constant Rabbit from Kobo, Bookdepository, Amazon and most other major booksellers. 

Ivy Feckett is Looking for Love: A Birmingham Romance Review

‘Ivy Feckett is Looking for Love’ is Jay Spencer Green’s second novel, and the second that I’ve read. His first novel, ‘Breakfast at Cannibal Joe’s’, is a dystopian comedy equally entertaining and thought-provoking.  Consequently, I went into this expecting to simultaneously laugh and frown. I wasn’t disappointed. Certainly a tonal shift from Breakfast at Cannibal Joe’s, Ivy Feckett swaps dystopian for romance as we see Ivy navigate the bizarre world of academic research and Birmingham-borne cults. She also starts to fall for her boss, Ned Hartfield. 

In what I’ve discovered to be Green’s signature style, this Birmingham romance is guaranteed to elicit laughs and smiles abound. One of my favourite aspects was the quasi-biblical quotes which begin each chapter, especially once their relevance became apparent. I am highly tempted to try and harass Green into writing a full version of this bible, but that would probably be rude. 

The setting of Birmingham is clearly one which Green is highly familiar with, as we’re taken on both a tour of its geographic class divides and the bustling CBD. If the borders ever open back up I’d love to spend a day in Birmingham retracing Ivy and Sam’s steps; maybe even give geocaching a shot. Alas, Ivy Feckett will have to suffice for now. 

Ivy as a character perfectly encapsulates the female introvert. She’s smart; she knows (or thinks she knows) when she’s wanted. I felt personally attacked by some of the lines in this book, especially as she describes her reasoning for not going out or generally doing anything outside her routine. The arrival of Ned sees a change in Ivy. She starts to tackle a subject she’s long relegated to her own imagination - sex. I found her obsession with him fairly stupid but entirely realistic. And then there’s her best friend Sam. 

Sam, like Ivy, is a nerd. He loves geocaching and boardgames. Winning either in Ivy’d presence is his way of showcasing masculinity. It’s adorable. Sam accompanies Ivy throughout the book, as her colleague and bestie, he’s also witness to her burgeoning romance with Ned. Ned is manipulative and repulsive, and is part of a much larger plot Ivy doesn’t realise she’s involved in too. Don’t go into this expecting a plain old romance, the surprising mystery of this plot really shows up around half-way through. I won’t say any more on this because I think it’s more fun to discover, but I will say that it’s both an entertaining and philosophical inclusion. 

‘Ivy Feckett is Looking for Love’ is hilarious and heartwarming, and I’d highly recommend picking it up. I saw another reviewer saying it’s a romance for people who don’t like reading romances, which I’d say is pretty accurate because of how much relatability, humour and depth it brings to the table. Jay Spencer Green has fast become one of my favourite discoveries of the year and I’ll soon be looking to his third novel, Fowl Play. I gave this a deserving 5/5 stars. 

                                                        

You can purchase this book at Amazon, Kobo, and BookDepository.

Note: I would like to thank Jay Spencer Green for reaching out to me and giving me a copy of this book to review - it means the world as a reviewer.

Breakfast at Cannibal Joe's and the unexpected joy of dystopian comedy

This is one of those books that is both incredibly hard to describe and review, which if I'm perfectly honest has led to me procrastinating doing so. 'Breakfast at Cannibal Joe's' is described as a dystopian comedy, and I'd say that is a perfectly accurate description of this insane satire of Western capitalism and the Irish people. I found myself frequently and religioulsy highlighting both hilarious and hard hitting passages for later reference. Following Joe, the manager of a small firm producing article abstracts which doubles as a CIA intelligence gathering agency, we see look into the lives of the average Dubliner, foreign spies and the criminal underground. What Jay Spencer Green did so excellently in this novel was combining Joe's apathy and machismo with objectively horrible things to make both a poignant and amusing point.


While ~dystopian~, the setting of late-capitalist Dublin is so close to being within our own reality that at times it feels like a surreal look into the world in 20 years time. This made me incredibly uncomfortable but also left me laughing like an idiot while I read at the kitchen table, my family staring at me undeniably concerned. Coming off the heels of a research essay into the effect of deindustrialisation in Northern England, Green's discussion of deindustrialisation and unionism appeared particularly pertinent. While written in 2015, I found his commentary on globalisation in general especially interesting during a time when we are each seeing the consequences of our globalised division of labour and manufacturing.

This novel was fairly loose on plot, at least until you got around 60% of the way through, at which point it became an addictive mystery of sorts. At around 25% I had pretty much had enough, struggling to see the point. However, I am incredibly glad that I was able to push through as the satirical nature of the novel became more and more apparent. I was honestly quite taken aback by the brazen objectivisation and sexist remarks Joe made at times, but this appears to have been Green's intention, reflecting the coarse locker-room talk we so often hear excused. Furthermore, Joe's own self-doubt became apparent as we learned more of his past and tangled present which deepened my understanding of the way he chose to approach the world. Certainly, Joe was not always a likeable character and not necessarily 'good' either, but his humanity and complexity made him an excellent instrument through which we came to know his world.

As readers we start this book with 'The End'. It was so satisfying to finish the last written chapter and go back to the start, finally understanding everything that first chapter meant. I highly recommend this book for lovers of dystopian who ere on the side of weird, but I will say that it's not for everyone. I'll definitely be looking into Green's other novels and gave this 4/5 stars.

I would like to thank Jay Spencer Green, BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for review. You can pick up your own copy on Amazon, Kobo, BookDepository or Barnes and Noble.

WARNING: I don't normally do this but if books had age ratings this would be MA15+ or R-rated. Don't read this if you're not comfortable with strong language and imagery (both violent and sexual.)

Weird Dream Society - An anthology for the playful, dark and thoughtful

The Weird Dream Society anthology holds a host of wonderfully weird and weirdly wonderful stories. The contributing authors themselves originate from across the English speaking world, with varying notoriety and existing bodies of work. The profits from this collection are to go to RAICES, a Texas-based non-profit which provides legal and educational services to migrants which is certainly a great cause to support.

I absolutely loved the diversity of setting, from clear references to our current pandemic predicament to entirely new fantasy words somehow brought to life in just a few pages. So many of these stories left me wanting to read more in their worlds, from the scarred faces of 'Skin Like Carapace' to the floating ice whales of 'Glasswort, Ice'. I know that weird may at times be a rather intimidating moniker, but that each of the contributing authors was able to fully embrace it meant that the extraordinary became ordinary and the worlds and happenings far more unique and captivating. The short story format enabled even small ideas to be explored for their practicalities and implications. One example of this is 'The Hoof Situation', which explores how being faced with the realities of aging can affect our perception of youth through a society where old women grow hooves in place of feet.

Moreso than the worlds, many of these stories left me sitting, quiet and pensive, contemplating what on Earth had just happened (in a good way.) This is certainly not an anthology to be read in one sitting, as you will almost certainly need time to consider and imagine. The characters were overwhelmingly well developed and despite the format also often grew with the progression of the story. One thing that did annoy me was that a couple of the stories used 'they' as a singular pronoun, which for me at times made it harder to understand and didn't always feel necessary. Although this might just be a me thing. I ended up vehemently googling several of the authors following these reflection comas and will almost certainly be exploring more from A.C. Wise, Steve Toase, Emily Cantaneo, and Chip Houser; the authors of 'Crossing', 'Skin Like Carapace', 'Glasswort, Ice' and 'Meat for Skritches' respectively.

I have to give this a 5/5 stars, and though I read this as an eBook I am certainly looking to buy it in paperback when I can. You can pick it up on Amazon, Kobo, Weightless Books and for the Americans out there: B&N Nook, Barnes and Noble (Paperback), and Indiebound.org.

I would like to thank the authors of Weird Dream Society, Julie C. Day who was also the editor of the anthology, Reckoning Press and netGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sentient frogs you say? Chaos Drive by Jamie Brindle

Matt and Charlotte, are young, vivacious, and just married. They haven't started to hate each other yet. Waking up the morning after their very normal wedding, they each wake up to find a not-quite-right version of the other. Oh, and Charlotte's somehow managed to get on a space ship, with a humanoid creature that seems a lot like her very normal cat to boot. Everything is decidedly strange and the not-quite-right versions of their partner are even stranger, babbling of stories and sentient frogs. If this sounds like a solidly weird sci-fi/fantasy novel to you, you'd be correct, but boy does it wear it well.

Like the Grand Idiot that I am I didn't realise that this was sort of part of a series before picking it up. And you make ask, how can a book be sort-of-part-of-a-series? The answer is of course The Storystream. This novel takes place in a universe of Brindle's creation in which many versions of a 'story' exist, the notion we simpletons would call a 'life' with parallel universes. The collective of these infinite versions is The Storystream. While we follow Matt and Charlotte in Chaos Drive, most other stories of the series do not so it can be read first with a little extra concentration. Each story must find balance between Order and Chaos, but the two stories of Matt and Charlotte which we follow don't seem to be doing that very well (of course leading to more glorious chaos.) I'm not going to lie, this took me a little to wrap my head around (probably because I didn't read the series in order), but once I did it was something I couldn't stop thinking about because it could entirely apply to our own boring world. And honestly I really hope some other version of me isn't sitting in quarantine.


This book was awesomely weird. From the race of sentient frogs to the magical cat, it never failed to make me smile at the simultaneous sheer stupidity and genious of its context. The sentient frogs were a complete and complexly thunk out society which we get to explore from the perspective of Headfrog 127, a Captain looking for power in the deceptive and bloodthirsty society of the Frogopolis. Do not underestimate the ability for one to enjoy the perspective of a sentient frog, because it's great. Throughout the book Brindle is able to weave a unique, whole and consistent look into the thoughts of Headfrog 127, allowing us to gain full perspective of a society which most values qualities of deception and a drooping underbelly are prized. This was a load of fun to explore this along with the rest of the oddness of The Storystream. As a sidenote, I also spent much of the book pretending Headfrog 127's commentary was that of Donald Trump, something that Brindle most probably didn't intend but made it even more entertaining.

Another fantastic thing about this novel was the way the dynamic switched it up around halfway through. I had just started to get a bit sick of the relationship between the Matts and Charlottes, but Brindle seemed to know that I would, and created character growth and layers for each through this change. This would also go on to be integral to the progression of the plot and our understanding of the implications of the predicament which they have found themselves in. As above, one of the three viewpoints which we read from is Headfrog 127, and the other two are the normal Matt and normal Charlotte. It was fascinating to see how their perception of themselves and each other mushroomed through their interactions with the other version and strangeness itself.

About a third of the way through, I realised that Jamie Brindle might just be shaping up to be a new favourite author. He combines the humour and worldbuilding abilities of Derek Landy with a splash of nitwit, blubber, oddment and tweak. In fact, I'd highly recommend getting into The Storystream for fans of Landy. At this realisation, I promptly went to amazon and bought the first two books of The Storystream, and immediately read The Hardblokes of Sparta after finishing this, about to start Chaos Born and I loved it. Definitely look out for its upcoming review. To conclude this one, I think it's safe to say that I am a fan of Chaos Drive and what it brings to the table, I'm also now obsessed with frogs. I gave this book 4.5/5 stars.

Check out this book on Goodreads and Amazon.

The book that made me scared of the dark again.... Anna Dressed in Blood

Cas Lowood is a real life Ghost Buster, who also happens to be dealing with high school and the legacy of a father who died at the hands of a cannabalistic ghost. We learn early on that he tends to be a loner but the story would be depressing if he didn't pick up some friends at some point, and that he does. On arrival in Thunder Bay, Cas is expecting to kill Anna Korlov and soon learns that things were going to be a lot more complicated than the average stab-n'-go.

For my second time reading the book, I expected a bit of boredom. Some time had passed since I first picked it up, but the main surprises would still be gone. I was wrong. This story doesn't even know who boredom is. I was at times completely terrified and had to use a flashlight to save myself from the dark. I was sure that ghosts were hiding in the walls of a house which no one could possibly have died in (or so I choose to believe). I am not particularly fond of being afraid of my house, but the great thing about this book is that the horror was always balanced out with the humour. While I probably won't drop a dedicated review on Girl of Nightmares, the second part of the duology, I can say that it didn't disappoint on the horror either. Anna Dressed in Blood never takes itself too seriously, and you shouldn't either.

This world has stuck with me for the past four years. Blake has managed to bring complexity and humour to being a teenage ghost buster. Anna's relationship with our main characters is utterly ridiculous, but also completely reasonable for a world in which each murderous ghost is given a story and pain. Somehow this book manages to turn murderous rampages into pity, and I love that it does. From the first ghost we met I was hooked. And if ghosts and ghost-busters weren't enough to sell you on giving this a read - there's also an entire paranormal network to learn about. The fantastic world-building was coupled with fabulous characters and a fast-paced plot. Anna, Thomas, Carmel and Cas had me absolutely flying through the book (which only took me a couple days to finish thanks to pretending impending deadlines didn't exist.)

However, my one sticking point for making this God-tier would have to be the romance aspect. While it was great to see a ghost buster fall in love with a ghost, I did find myself getting a bit sick of it by the end. Despite this, I'm going to have to give this a 4/5 for being so damn memorable (and because I recommend getting it stuck in your head too.)