Fiction Book Reviews

Austin 3:16: 316 Facts and Stories about Stone Cold Steve Austin by Michael McAvennie

Austin 3:16: 316 Facts and Stories about Stone Cold Steve Austin is a trivia-and-fact compendium by Michael McAvennie, published by ECW Press in March 2021, celebrating the career and cultural impact of WWE legend Steve Austin through exactly 316 curated facts, figures, and catchphrases — a number chosen as a deliberate nod to the most famous promo in sports entertainment history. This review covers the book's content and published reception; it does not reflect hands-on use or testing.

Jul 10, 2026

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

Guards! Guards! — adapted for the graphic novel format by Stephen Briggs and illustrated by Graham Higgins — is the comic fantasy novel by Terry Pratchett that launched the beloved City Watch strand of the Discworld series, following the hapless Night Watch of Ankh-Morpork as a secret brotherhood's dragon-summoning scheme spirals magnificently out of control.

Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett

Carpe Jugulum is the twenty-third Discworld novel and the sixth entry in Pratchett's beloved Witches subseries — a satirical fantasy that pits Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and a crisis-of-faith priest named Mightily Oats against a thoroughly modern vampire family who have talked themselves out of all their weaknesses. Released as an audiobook by Transworld Digital on April 28, 2022, with a full cast including Indira Varma, Peter Serafinowicz, Bill Nighy, and Steven Cree, this edition brings one of Pratchett's darker and more philosophically ambitious Witches entries to a new listening audience.

Dog Man: Big Jim Believes by Dav Pilkey

Dog Man: Big Jim Believes (Dog Man #14) is a graphic novel by Dav Pilkey, published by Graphix on November 11, 2025, aimed at readers aged 7–10. The fourteenth installment in the globally bestselling Dog Man series, it sends the mischievous Space Cuties From Space crashing back into our heroes' celebration, triggering an adventure anchored in themes of self-belief, confidence, and integrity. Red Balloon Book Shop's starred notice calls it "well-crafted" and praises how its themes of believing in yourself and supporting others are "perfectly woven into the high-speed" action. This review is based on published sources and the publisher's description, not hands-on reading.

Jul 8, 2026

Dungeon Crawler Carl, Vol. 1 by Matt Dinniman

This review covers the content and published reception of Dungeon Crawler Carl, Vol. 1 (Graphic Novel), published by Vault Comics in May 2026, based on published sources rather than hands-on reading. The graphic novel adaptation — illustrated by Laurel Pursuit Studios with contributions from Tevagah and developed in partnership with Aethon — brings the New York Times bestselling LitRPG science fantasy series to the comics page for the first time, drawing on the previously published Webtoon. It is an ambitious format leap for a beloved franchise, best suited to fans of the original novels and readers new to the series who prefer a visual entry point.

Hogfather: Discworld, Book 20 by Terry Pratchett

4.6

Hogfather is Terry Pratchett's twentieth Discworld novel, originally published in 1996 by Victor Gollancz and now available as an audiobook from Transworld Digital, narrated by Sian Clifford, Bill Nighy, and Peter Serafinowicz. A 1997 British Fantasy Award nominee that placed in the BBC's The Big Read survey, it remains one of the most celebrated entries in the long-running series — a festive, philosophically charged adventure in which Death himself must step in to save belief in the Discworld's Father Christmas equivalent, the Hogfather, while his granddaughter Susan Sto Helit battles the sinister assassin Mr. Teatime. This review is based on the book's contents and published reception, not hands-on use of the audiobook.

Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story by Jewel

4.5

Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story is the New York Times bestselling memoir in which multi-platinum singer-songwriter Jewel — born Jewel Kilcher in Alaska — traces her life from an unconventional and often harsh childhood through homelessness, the meteoric rise of her debut album Pieces of You, marriage, divorce, and motherhood, weaving in her own lyrics and poetry throughout.

Peter Pan (Illustrated): The 1911 Classic Edition by J. M. Barrie

4.4

This Sky Publishing paperback pairs J. M. Barrie's complete, unabridged 1911 text of Peter and Wendy with all 13 of F. D. Bedford's original first-edition illustrations, making it a straightforward and accessible reprint of one of children's literature's most enduring adventures. This review covers the edition's stated contents and published reception; it does not assess the physical object first-hand.

Jul 10, 2026

The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood

4.2

Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin is a structurally daring, prize-winning novel that weaves multiple narratives across twentieth-century Canada, earning the Booker Prize in 2000 and a place on Time magazine's list of the 100 greatest English-language novels since 1923 — though its deliberate coldness and considerable length are not for every reader.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

4.1

Gone Girl is a crime thriller novel by Gillian Flynn — a New York Times bestseller that drew widespread critical acclaim for its unreliable narration, devastating plot twists, and sharp dissection of modern marriage. This review draws on content and published critical reception; it does not reflect hands-on reading or testing.

Wrestling the Hulk: My Life Against the Ropes by Linda Hogan

3.8

Wrestling the Hulk is Linda Hogan's memoir of her twenty-four-year marriage to wrestling icon Hulk Hogan, published by William Morrow in 2011, covering allegations of abuse, infidelity, and the behind-the-scenes reality of a life built around celebrity — assessed here on content and published reception, not hands-on reading.