First option: Run away. Change your name and disappear around 2 in the morning—far better timing than the middle of the night when people are still likely to be awake. Stay on the run for at least five years before settling down in a small town and becoming a farmer. I’ve recently discovered that spring onions grow like weeds so keep that in mind when you’re deciding what crops you plan to farm.

If you’re too lazy for option one then make a list. Prioritise books that have review deadlines first, then list the books you’ve agreed to read and review for authors or as part of a book club, readalong, etc. Now you can fill in the gaps with all the books you want to read. Don’t make your schedule too tight. I allow myself 3 or 4 days to read a book and if I finish earlier then I pat myself on the back for staying ahead.

Consider doubling up. I dislike reading more than one book at a time but I make exceptions when I feel like it. This is particularly useful when you’re reading both digital and physical books as you can catch up on the paper book when your device is charging.

Don’t be tempted to try a book-buying ban; they only work for people with a specific combination of genes and the favour of Thoth, Egyptian god regarded as the inventor of writing and all-round intelligent Ibis-man. Be sensible with new purchases and offers to review books. Practicing a little restraint is easier than denying yourself outright.

If you haven’t already created a TBR shelf then try it now. This is your new bookshop, right in the comfort of your home. Don’t fuss over it too much. Let these books be strangers to you so you’ll feel excited when you approach this shelf to find something to read.

Sometimes people in books have no interest in staying alive. They do the most idiotic things for the sake of minor heroism or because they’re simply too stupid to recognise imminent danger.

It annoys the hell out of me. For the longest time I thought this was some First World phenomena where people simply have no concept of the dangers posed by dark alleys and rooms, walking alone at night, or strangers. I’ve since realised that authors just let their characters be muck-for-brains twerps as a means of moving the plot forward.

I’m not talking about instances where the character realises a situation is potentially dangerous but moves forward anyway because the stakes are too high not to. I mean the person who goes downstairs in their underwear calling ‘who’s there’ in a horror movie.

A book I read recently featured a sporting event during which one of the opposition players literally shanks a member of the MC’s team during the match. Although they’re given an unfavourable out from the match, the MC volunteers to face the happy stabber player to finish the game.

It’s a game, dude! Who the heck fights to play a game against someone who’s likely to shove something sharp and pointy between your ribs? And the other members of the team are like ‘yeah, you show him, man!’.

Show him how to die a pointless death?

Last year there was a book where a train suddenly stops, people swarm off it, and start charging off along the tracks. The viewpoint character then meanders around beside the train and asks a guard what’s going on. This guard tells her to run and overtakes her. That’s a fair sign that there’s shit going down you don’t want to get involved in, don’t you think?

Nope. This lady strolls off after everyone else, stops to help a person who’s been mauled by the protesting mob (they’re zombies, but nobody knows that yet). Mobs so savage that they actually bite chunks out of people are a glowing neon sign that you don’t want to be in this situation, right? Hahahanope!  Moron lady camps out on the train station platform with the person she rescued, watching his bites ooze weird shit until the person tries to eat her.

I really hope she died for her stupidity but that was the point where I said ‘nope’ and stopped reading.

The concept of an entire spaceship dedicated to schooling is intriguing and I loved the variety of species present in the student population. The beings are a sheer imagination trip. I did find some elements of the setting odd, such as the clay buildings used in the town. It created a strange image of a rudimentary settlement nestled beneath the dome of a roving deep spaceship. But, perhaps Singer intended the reader to see the dissonance in these smaller details.  

Seven is a likeable and balanced character, for the most part. There were times when I found him annoying, but this was mainly during a large sports event where he was being a fool with no sense of self-preservation. Pi and Iris are good sidekicks and complement Seven well while Ava is fun. One comes across as a slightly stereotypical bully although the ending adds layers of complexity to the rivalry between him and Seven.

Although the basic premise for the plot is easy to identify, the way events play out is interesting. I would’ve liked a few more surprises before the revelations leading up to the denouement but enjoyed reading The Sky Drifter regardless. Singer’s descriptions are as vivid as the strange and wondrous places featured in this novel.