The 21 Books I Read In 2020

Happy New Year everyone. As is my custom at this time of the year, I am devoting this blog post to the books that I read last year – the good, the bad and the ugly. Click on the titles to read my reviews. My hope is that you’ll find something here to add to your TBR. I am confident that you will.

Bottomless Cups by Joel Bresler – This tepid, purportedly humorous offering is comprised for the most part of musings, quips and banter. 

Suttree by Cormac McCarthy – This episodic tome boasts poetic prose and poignant and profane content. It is a must for all dark fiction aficionados.

The Rapture by Claire McGlasson – It is loosely based on the ‘Panacea Society’, which followed the beliefs of a self-proclaimed 19th Century prophetess. A worthwhile read.

God Hates You Hate Him Back: Making Sense of The Bible by C.J. Werleman – An irreverent dismantling of The Bible. The humour is puerile and distracting but there is also plenty of thought-provoking content to ponder.

Glue by Irvine Welsh – This Transgressive novel is about four friends from Edinburgh. Glue is a meandering but also highly entertaining read.

Rest In Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses by Bess Lovejoy – This morbid read is brimming with interesting trivia. However, the matter-of-fact narration is relentless and monotonous. A book best dipped into.

Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau – Walden, which comprises the vast majority of this book, is an account of the author’s two years living in the New England wilderness. This is a rewarding but onerous read.

Spools of Red Twine by Rachel Pacelli – Pretentious and laborious, this debut transgressive work is at least mercifully short.

My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite – The intriguing premise, darkly humorous elements and dialogue-heavy content are an enduring combination. Excellent.

Six Days: How the 1967 War Shaped the Middle East by Jeremy Bowen – The book outlines in intricate detail Israel’s defeat of the Arab coalition. It is accessible and quite interesting but excessively long.

Disaster Inc by Caimh McDonnell – This is the first instalment in a series by a former Irish stand-up comedian and successful television writer. It is humorous yet convoluted.

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy – This episodic book is set in the 1800’s. It is almost unparalleled in its misanthropy and repugnant content. A superb novel.

Logging Off by Nick Spalding – This ‘humorous’ novel has a pertinent theme; namely that we, or at least many of us, are spending way too much time online. But the message is banally communicated.

Black Hole Town by Henry Hinder – This Transgressive novelette centres around two degenerate drinkers. An immensely impressive literary debut.

Out of the London Mist by Lyssa Medana – The book boasts an unusual premise and an atmospheric, Gothic setting. I had some reservations. Overall all though this is a decent read.

Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut – What the book lacks in plot, it makes up for in farcical, cartoonish content. I appreciated its shrewd social commentary.

A Decent Ride by Irvine Welsh – This is a work of Transgressive Fiction with a hint of crime caper. It is one of transgressive maestro Welsh’s best offerings.

The Rules of Attraction by Bret Easton Ellis – A nihilistic, Transgressive novel about lost kids with no direction. It is chilling and authentic.

The Devil All The Time by Donald Ray Pollock – This gothicesque, loosely assembled novel is replete with reprehensible rednecks, depraved content and frequent shifts in points of view. Utterly engrossing.

A Bolshevik Christmas by Yoel Bereket – This satirical novella, set during The Cold War, merges reality with fantasy. It is repetitive and there is a great deal of unnecessary detail.

Written in Dead Wax by Andrew Cartmel – Written in Dead Wax is the first instalment in The Vinyl Detective series. I found it to be convoluted and turgid.

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