About

Welcome to FictionFan’s Book Reviews!

I’ve been reviewing books for several years now and have got into the habit of reviewing everything I read. I do it mainly for my own pleasure, to remind me of what I liked (or didn’t) about a book, but I hope other people might find them interesting too.

My tastes tend to fluctuate over time, though there’s always a basic core mix of quality fiction, crime and factual. Currently I’m reading a lot of classics, including getting to know the classic literature of my own country, Scotland, better. In contemporary fiction, I look for books that tell me something about the world, often with a political edge.

I’ve fallen in love with all the great vintage crime that several publishers are doing  such a great job of bringing back to general notice, and am probably reading more of that at the moment than contemporary crime, although I do still read a fair amount of it too. I enjoy good historical crime – that is, where the setting is well researched and the characters’ attitudes are true to their time.

My factual reading tends to be a mix of heavyweight history, political memoirs, popular science and true crime, with some quirkier books thrown in from time to time.

In the winter months I read a lot of vintage horror, especially of the late 19th/early 20th century period, and am slowly developing a taste for weird fiction. Vintage sci-fi is another interest, particularly of the early to mid-20th century.

I cross-post my reviews to Amazon UK, where I’m currently a Top 500 reviewer, and Goodreads. (The Amazon links given on reviews on the blog are intended merely to be helpful. I am not an affiliate and make no money from this blog.) I am also a member of NetGalley and enjoy the wide range of titles they offer. And they give me badges…

I’m happy to consider requests from publishers for reviews of books in one of the genres I enjoy. However, I don’t participate in blog tours or any other form of advertising. I can be contacted at FictionFan@virginmedia.com. As always, my review will reflect my honest opinion. I regret that I won’t accept requests from self-published authors.

Please browse the site and I’d love to hear what you think of the blog, the reviews or the books, so all comments will be gladly received.