My Book Reviews
On Tuesday I redesigned the book review section of my website (see My Reviews tab). There are now 56 reviews covering a diverse range of books. Previously resident book blogger Adam also contributed reviews, but he has found a home of his own (details to follow).
This week’s post takes the form of a friend asking me questions about my book reviews, and me answering. Perhaps this will lead to you discovering new books that are of interest.
(Note: Click on the book links to read my review)
Q. You have written 57 book reviews since you started your blog in addition to your weekly blog posts. Why?
A. As a writer of novels I find it useful to review the books I have read, as it helps me to analyse other authors writing styles. Above all I like writing book reviews because I enjoy sharing my reading experiences with others.
Q. Where else do you share your reviews?
A. goodreads, google+ and Twitter.
Q. What is the latest book you have read and reviewed?
A. Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi. It is a 600+ page true crime classic about the Manson murders – a fascinating, if at times heavy going read.
Q. I see you have reviewed 4 of John Steinbeck’s lesser-known works? Would you recommend any?
A. All of them, but particularly The Wayward Bus and the novella The Pearl.
Q. As you know I love non-Fiction, particularly history. Have you read any non-Fiction lately that you think I would enjoy?
A. King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild tells the brutal history of the Belgian Congo. It is a fascinating if disturbing book.
Q. Have you reviewed any Indie books?
A. Yes, a few, and I have a couple more on my to-read list. I particularly enjoyed Barry Braithwaite’s Last Life by A R Lowe. It is a heart-warming tale about an alcoholic, with a less than impressive front cover that belies what lies beneath.
Q. Do you have a favourite non-English language author?
A. Joseph Roth, the Austro-Hungarian Jewish author. He is only now 75 years after his death getting the attention he deserves in the English speaking world. I have reviewed his seminal work, The Radetzky March and his novella The Legend of the Holy Drinker. His writing has a nostalgic tone, which I appreciate.
(Click here to read my rather morbid blog post about Roth’s demise).
Q. Your second novel Necropolis is a satirical black comedy that could be labelled as Transgressive Fiction. Have you reviewed any Transgressive books?
A. Yes, I’ve reviewed many books that could be labelled as Trangressive, including 6 Chuck Palahniuk novels and 4 of Bret Easton Ellis’s works. Peruse my book reviews and you will discover many more.
(Click here to read my blog post about the Trangressive genre).
I’m ordering a copy of The Wayward Bus from Amazon right away. Your reviews are great and I loved Necropolis. Helter Skelter sure is a heavy read but well worth the effort. True Crime is one of my fav genres along with trangressive fiction of course.
Thank you Trina. I have only recently started reading True Crime. Planning to read The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule soon. It is about Ted Bundy, but you probably already know that. Have a good weekend.
Very interesting section. I haven’t stopped here before but glad I did. Right now my TBR list is all of authors I have had personal contact including you. If I ever live long enough to get back to the rich and famous authors I will check back for recommendations.
Thank you John. Keep traveling and you’ll live forever, or at least long enough to clear the to-read list. I am starting to wonder if I’ll get through my to-read list in my lifetime.
I tend 2 read different authers for their style of writing n jondra, I have only commented about them ad part of the six book challenge
I have never come across the six book challenge Margaret.
The review section is an excellent area of your site Guy and reflects the amount of time and effort that you put into your reviews. I am sure that many readers will find it really valuable. 🙂
Here’s for hoping Diane. One of these days I will have hundreds of reviews.