I’ll admit I’ve been doing some heavy-duty procrastinating in an effort to avoid writing this post, but I can’t put it off any longer so here goes… After nearly fourteen years of waffling about books and how much I enjoy them, I’ve decided to shut up shop and move on to pastures new. Over the last twelve months, it has become increasingly apparent to me that my book reviews are no longer of sufficient interest to the book-reading public, based on website hits. Jim McLeod, my bearded bookish brother from another mother put it far better than I ever could. “…I’m going through the same thoughts. Not to bash the tikers and insta lot, but I have a feeling that the days of well-thought-out written reviews are over. It feels like authors and publishers are more interested in buzz than reviews”.  Times change, I get it. No one to blame, just the nature of things. I dont think my particular brand of literary enabling is the done thing any more and you know what? That’s ok. Some real-life changes have also made it increasingly difficult to devote as much time to The Eloquent Page as I have done in the…

The Eloquent Page sprung into life way back in 2010. I had posted a couple of reviews on my personal blog and my other half suggested I should have a bash at doing something a bit more structured. I was forever bemoaning the fact that I had nothing to occupy my spare time. Since then, I’ve spent the last decade sitting about engrossed in one book or another. Time well spent, I’m sure you’ll agree. So here we are, 772 posts later (I know I can’t believe it either), and I am still waffling about books on a regular basis. The last ten years has seen some flattering comments and the occasional weird moment. Here are just a few, in no particular order – I was described as ‘a genre authority’ at one point. I pondered it for a while, and think that just means I’m old and have been around long enough that people consider me part of the furniture. That’s ok. I’ll happily be that shabby looking credenza in the corner of the room. One weird incident was when an author accused me of encroaching on their social media presence because I linked to and shared one of…

2018 is all but done, so it’s time once again for me to dig my judging hat out of storage and cast my beady eye over the last twelve months here at The Eloquent Page. Before all the excitement and accolades, some thrilling numbers for all you stat fans out there. Since 1st January I’ve read fifty-eight books. Forty-one of those fall into the categories of either fantasy, sci fi or horror. Conversely, crime, action/adventure, and historical fiction were all pretty thin on the ground. I’ve written fifty-three thousand five  hundred words of book-related review waffle and, most importantly, thoroughly enjoyed myself to boot. Now time for the awards. As ever, what follows is a random assortment of plaudits, each of my own devising. The “End of the World and I Feel Fine Award” for the Apocalypse in Fiction – Tough group this year. The Feed by Nick Clark Windo was brilliant. Zero Day by Ezekiel Boone was suitably bonkers (flesh eating spiders are wonderfully icky). Hunted by G X Todd continued The Defender series, and was both thoughtful and immersive. So many great books in one of my favourite categories. I do love the end of the world. My…

After much tinkering, copious amount of swearing, lying down in a darkened room for a bit and then large quantities of coffee, the latest iteration of The Eloquent Page is now live. The site hasn’t changed much since it’s inception back in 2010, so it was high time for an upgrade. The content remains much the same as before, lots of book related waffle, but now everything is more responsive. I’ve been told that having a more responsive website is a good thing. The important thing is I can keep writing reviews and I like that. Everything else is secondary. For the interested amongst you there is now some more up-to-date information available on the following pages Curious about what is eligible for review? Check our the site’s review policy If you are an author or publisher and need to know my availability for a potential review? You’ll be needing the review calendar  Do you have a burning desire to receive e-mails from me on a regular basis? I recommend an email subscription. Interested in all that there legal type mumbo-jumbo? Cast your glance towards our privacy policy So now that we’re all clear and everything is all new and…

Welcome to The Eloquent Page’s annual awards/review of the year (2017 Edition). Ten awards created at random for your delectation and delight. The rules remain deliciously simple. I make up a series of categories and I choose a winner. Eligibility is also easy, if I’ve read it this year, it’s eligible. First some stats (I apologise, I’m a stat whore and so I’m often compelled to start throwing numbers around). I’ve read sixty-one books this year. There were an additional fifteen I started but didn’t finish. Fantasy fiction featured most heavily with twenty-two books, while Horror came a close second with seventeen. My longest review was one thousand two hundred and thirty-four words long, my shortest was four hundred and twenty-eight. The total number of review words written in 2017? A suitably satisfying fifty-two thousand and sixty-six words. “Enough of this statistical folderol”, I hear you cry. Alrighty then. Please take your seats and direct your attention towards the stage. Without further ado on with the show… The “They’re Good Dogs Brent” Award for Canines in Fiction – For some inexplicable reason, 2017 seemed to feature more dogs in fiction than in previous years. Adrian Tchaikovsky brought us Dogs of…

For the uninitiated – The Eloquent Page is just me, on my own. There are guest reviews from time to time but I read 99% of the books myself. I’m most definitely not a writer, I’m just a collector of stories, so I don’t bother with negative reviews. Life, as I have discovered, is way too short to be reading books you don’t enjoy. As has become habit over the last few years, I like to round off the reviewing calendar with a look back over the last twelve months, and dispense some awards that are entirely of my own devising. In 2016, I’ve read sixty-five books and the only criteria to be in the running for an award, except for one category, is that I’ve read and reviewed the book. Now that we’ve sorted that waffly preamble out… on with the show. “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It” Award – I enjoy a good apocalypse as much is the next person so I read as many of the Armageddon-esque gems as I can lay my hands on. This year I read some corkers. The Ship by Antonia Honeywell, Bite by K.S. Merbeth and The Last…

Time for a much needed break so The Eloquent Page won’t be getting updated this week. I don’t want you all to panic though. In the words of the accomplished stage and screen actor Arnold Schwarzenegger “I’ll be back“. Whilst I’m away could I suggest hunting out a great book, supporting an author, and doing a spot of reading? It’s what I’m planning to do 🙂 I shall return before you know it. See you soon.

Another year draws to a close, and I find myself in the midst of the little book vacation I always give myself. A couple of weeks off means I can come back to the blog refreshed and reinvigorated for the coming year. It also gives me the opportunity to reflect upon what I’ve read over the past twelve months. Now, it’s time for the annual Eloquent Page awards. The rules are as arbitrary as ever. I make up the categories myself and the only real requirement are that the winners are taken from within the books I’ve read this last year. I’ve tried to reduce the number of books I read in a year; I’m aiming for one a week. In the past the blog has taken over my life a little, but in 2015 I came pretty close to my target. The grand total was 60 books. So without further ado on to the awards themselves. The They Will Be Missed Award – Sadly, all good things to an end. The biggest disappointment for me in 2015 was that way back in January, the final book in the Ack Ack Macaque series, Macaque Attack by Gareth Powell arrived. *Sniffle*…

Wow, five years have just flown by haven’t they? Way back in 2010 I thought it would be fun to start waffling about books on the Internet. It all began when Mrs Cheesecake demanded suggested that I get myself a hobby. Frankly, she felt I was making the place look untidy and she told me I had to do something about it. Half a decade later, and I’m still here and I’m still waffling. To celebrate this auspicious occasion, I thought I would do something a bit different and have a crack at interviewing myself. Who is Pablo Cheesecake? Just some guy who likes books a whole lot. I’m originally from Scotland, but my heart brought me south to Nottingham and that is where I now lay my hat. I’m six foot two, blue eyed, brown haired and currently incredibly hirsute. According to Mrs Cheesecake I look like the bastard child of Sasquatch and a Bee Gee. By day, I am a mild-mannered computer geek, but by night I am a something quite different… a mild mannered book reviewer! (Ok, perhaps not that different after all). If you look hard you can find me lurking on various social media channels,…

Welcome to The Eloquent Page review of 2014. It’s been another barnstormer, genre fiction wise, in the last twelve months. I’ve managed seventy eight books and for the first time ever the site has had over two hundred thousand page views which equates to over fifty thousand unique visitors. That boggles my tiny mind. But never mind all this statistical mayhem. Let’s cut to the chase. It’s time for my awards for the year. Random as ever, and judged by a panel of one, me. The “They Did What?” Award – I’m a boring old sod at heart. I’m not massively interested in the vagaries of the book industry. I read what I like, and that’s about all there is to it. That said, even I’ll admit I was confounded and disappointed when I discovered that Angry Robot were discontinuing Strange Chemistry and Exhibit A. Both were brilliant imprints. Obviously, I appreciate there were probably entirely valid economic reasons why what happened happened, but personally I wish they were both still around. I read some cracking books from both imprints and I’m still disappointed that they are gone. One small silver lining is that Kim Curran’s final book in the…

Over at Jo Fletcher Books today there is an interview with an up-and-coming new book reviewer that I think everyone should check out…. Ok, I admit it. It’s me. Don’t let that put you off though. Jo Fletcher Books

I’m constantly surprised that people, other than me, actually read my ramblings here at The Eloquent Page.  I often potter around my little internet home blissfully forgetful of all the other fantastic book review sites out there in the ether*.   That’s why it came as the most pleasant of surprises when Niall from The Speculative Scotsman got in touch and asked if I would be interested in providing a guest post while he was away on holiday. Words can’t express how happy I felt, my 1st ever guest post. The image below should at least give you some idea. Anyway, who am I to deny a fellow Scotsman? Said post is now live and can be read in all its glory via the link below.   Guest Post | Pablo of The Eloquent Page Reviews Swan Song by Robert McCammon   Be warned! prepare yourself for some for full-on McCammon love.   *There are many. I urge you read them all in order to get the best possible insight into all things bookish. Come back here sometimes as well though m’kay.

Juggernaut by Adam Baker is published by Hodder & Stoughton and will be released on Thursday 16th February in the UK. Fancy winning yourself a copy? Of course you do. Well it’s all terribly easy. Simple follow the instructions below. All you have to do is copy and paste the text below into a tweet .  All those that post the tweet will be entered into a draw and 1 lucky winner will picked at random. Please tweet the following text by 9pm Friday 10th February: Follow @TheEloquentPage & RT this for a chance to win a copy of Juggernaut by Adam Baker #Juggernaut http://bit.ly/AwOw7d RULES: To be entered into the draw you must have tweeted the above text sometime before 9pm Friday 10th February 2012, AND be a follower (old or new) of @TheEloquentPage twitter account. Unfortunately this competition is restricted to UK residents only.