Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

I’m a big fan of sci-fi and dystopian novels.  I love the way that a good writer can create a complete world of fantasy and then sell it to the reader as if it’s reality.  I’m the perfect reader for this type of novel as I get completely absorbed and really believe in the story, however crazy it gets.

First published in 1968, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? is set in a future where Earth has been almost destroyed by war.  Vast numbers of people have emigrated to Mars, but some have chosen to remain behind on Earth.  Rick Deckard, the main character, is a bounty hunter living in San Francisco who tracks and ‘retires’ androids for a living.  One day he gets his dream break and is given the chance to prove himself in his job, but the closer he gets to the androids he must destroy

Call of the Wild and White Fang by Jack London

When I was little I used to watch an animated television series called The Legend of White Fang.  I was mad for dogs as a kid and at one point desperately wanted to be a vet, so of course I adored the programme.  When I realised years later that the series was based on the books by Jack London, I placed his novels firmly on my to-read list, but didn’t get round to getting hold of any copies until (surprise surprise) I spotted one going cheap.

As expected, I loved these two stories. 

The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

I finished reading The Wind-up Bird Chronicle earlier today, and when I had read the final word in the final chapter, and turned the page to make sure it definitely was the last chapter, I closed the book and thought: “What on earth am I going to write about?”

I can at least start with a small taster of what you can expect to find in this novel.  Toru Okada’s life is made up of everyday incidents and domestic chores, until his cat goes missing and his wife begins spending more and more time away from home.  Strange characters seek him out and ever stranger coincidences keep occurring, until he is forced to embark on a quest to get to the root of it all.