Category - Books

1
Walking, Sleeping, Eating, Reading & Writing.
2
5 Good Books Containing Dark Humour.
3
The 21 Books I Read In 2020
4
5 Transgressive Fiction Reading Recommendations
5
Food, Feasting, Fire & Free Fiction.
6
Fauna, Fireworks, Fiction & Flu.
7
A Scary Fun Book Bonanza
8
Torrential Rain, Transgressive Fiction & Culinary Delights.
9
5 Transgressive Fiction Reading Recommendations
10
The Gazebo – Release Imminent.

Walking, Sleeping, Eating, Reading & Writing.

This blog post’s title sums up my life. Well, there’s also housework, gardening, Netflix, watching sport, bathing and procrastinating in there too. But I digress …

It’s been a longtime coming but I finally got some new bedlinen, which if you follow me on Twitter you may have already seen. If you missed it don’t worry, here it is again:

It is ‘hotel quality’, or so the packet it came in claims. Not sure whether they mean The Ritz or Premier Inn. Regardless; so far so good.

Bought walking boots about four months ago. They’ve since ripped to shreds and now resemble hobo footwear. These are the new ones.

This combo takes some beating.

Sometimes simple fare is the best.

Currently, I am reading this. It is the third book I’ve read by gothic crime writer Pollock. It is likely the last as he’s only written three.

As for me, I am writing away and counting down the days until the release of Mangetout.

Have a good weekend.

5 Good Books Containing Dark Humour.

Not a lot’s been going on this week, so it’s back to the trusted topic that is books. The following five books all contain dark humour. Click on the links to read my reviews.

Suttree

This brutal, bleak and at times humorous episodic tome (600+ pages) is a must for all dark fiction aficionados. 

My Review: Cornelius Suttree resides in a dilapidated houseboat on the Tennessee River, on the edge of Knoxville. He ekes out a living fishing in its murky waters; his primary …(more)

Disaster Inc.

Disaster Inc is the first instalment in a series by former Irish stand-up comedian and successful television writer Caimh McDonnell. 

My Review: Bunny McGarry is an Irishman in America on a mission to find someone. Hungover one morning, he is having breakfast at a diner, when …(more)

Survivor

Survivor is an innovative and erudite social commentary, brimming with satirical observations and irreverent humour.

My Review: Tender Branson, the last survivor of the Creedish Church cult, has hijacked an aeroplane, which is now flying on autopilot. His objective: to dictate his life story onto …(more)

A Decent Ride

This is one of Welsh’s lighter books. Its seediness, humour and bawdy Leith vernacular dialogue will appeal to many. 

My Review: Terry ‘Juice’ Lawson is an Edinburgh taxi driver who moonlights as a porn actor and drug fixer. Since losing his virginity at the age of eleven, he has …(more)

My Sister, The Serial Killer

The intriguing premise, darkly humorous elements and dialogue-heavy content make for an enduring combination.

My Review: Twins Koredie and Ayoola are very different. Conscientious Korede is a senior nurse in a hospital while the beautiful Ayoola is …(more)

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.

Happy New Year. Click here to sign up to my monthly book-related newsletter.

5 Transgressive Fiction Reading Recommendations

It is back to books this week. Of late I have been immersed in Transgressive Fiction. Here are five transgressive books that I have read recently. Click on the links to read my reviews.

The Devil All The Time

This gothicesque novel is replete with reprehensible rednecks, depraved content and frequent shifts in points of view.

My Review: Willard’s wife has cancer, so he turns to God for help. As her condition worsens, his invocations become increasingly extreme. There are …(more)

Black Hole Town

This aptly named novelette boasts memorable characters, visceral prose and an abundance of effectively employed adjectives.

My Review: Friends Fortz and Goose are degenerate drinkers and drug users. Goose is fed up with his psychotic, pill-popping girlfriend Miley, so he hatches a …(more)

A Decent Ride

This is one of Welsh’s lighter books. Its seediness, humour and bawdy Leith vernacular dialogue will appeal to many. 

My Review: Terry ‘Juice’ Lawson is an Edinburgh taxi driver who moonlights as a porn actor and drug fixer. Since losing his virginity at the age of eleven, he has …(more)

Blood Meridian

Set in the 1800’s, Blood Meridian is an episodic book, which is almost unparalleled in its misanthropy and repugnant content. 

My Review: ‘The Kid’ is a fourteen-year-old hailing from a Tennessean backwater. Following an ill-fated stint as a conscript in a Mexico-bound militia, he is …(more)

The Rules of Attraction

Published in 1987, this transgressive work adroitly captures the era’s zeitgeist with regards to drugs, music, and above all relationships.

My Review: The book is written in the first person from the perspective primarily of three students – Lauren, Sean and Paul. All are pupils of Camden College, an …(more)

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Food, Feasting, Fire & Free Fiction.

We are in the midst of Lockdown #2 here in the UK and fun is in short supply. It’s wet, miserable and gets dark really early. Fortunately, there is still pleasure to be found. It had been a long time since I had scampi and chips.

Here is a Tesco-originating, Italian-themed antipasto I assembled earlier.

News of the birdfeeder has spread like wildfire. There are often multiple tits on the feeder at any given time with more waiting in the wings.

I’ll probably only fill it once a week. Otherwise it is going to become a financial burden.

After weeks of mild weather, there has been a cold spell. It was 1°C this morning.

The first fire of the season.

Presently, there is a KDP free day promotion running for my satirical offering – Tomorrow’s World: Darkly Humorous Tales From The Future. It is the only one of my books exclusive to Amazon. The five day campaign ends tomorrow (Saturday).

1,302 Amazon users downloaded Tomorrow’s World yesterday and it reached #37 Free in Kindle Store in Canada this lunchtime. Whether any of this means anything, only time will tell. Regardless, I am pleased that the book appeals enough for people to download despite the fact that it hasn’t got many reviews. Now I need them to read it.

Links: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, Amazon AU

Have a good weekend.

Fauna, Fireworks, Fiction & Flu.

I finally got around to getting a bird-feeder. Its first visitor was this blue tit.

Everyone likes a free lunch. News has spread quickly and the feeder is now being frequented by coal tits and great tits, in addition to an abundance of blue tits. Photos to follow. I will relish the additional company during Lockdown. The flu’s back and our once great nation is in Lockdown for four weeks.

After a period of ghastly weather, Lockdown has coincided with some sunshine.

A ray of light in a bleak world.

I did manage to get a few fireworks in on Thursday.

This work of Transgressive Fiction is going down a treat.

Have a good weekend.

A Scary Fun Book Bonanza

Before I get into the details of the book bonanza, here is a photograph taken in my home office stroke summerhouse. I finally moved in on Monday. So far it is proving to be a new lease of life. The only problem, or benefit, depending on how you look at it, is that there is presently no internet.

Now for the book bonanza. I have teamed up with twenty of my fellow humour authors for a promotion. Scary Fun Books runs from Oct. 19th-31st. The books encompass a number of genres and all tastes are catered for. My title is Tomorrow’s World: Darkly Humorous Tales From The Future. It is presently on offer for the tantalising price of 99c/99p from Amazon only.

SCARY FUN BOOKS LINK

Time to get back to the office. I am hard at work on my latest book (#8). The plan is to finish it in record time.

Have a good weekend.

Torrential Rain, Transgressive Fiction & Culinary Delights.

It’s absolutely pouring out there. On a day like this, one just wants to lie around in a hot bath, or watch Netflix. Not sure this photo in any way captures the severity of the current downpour, but for better or worse here it is.

The dog is also feeling lethargic today.

I am an avid consumer of fish fingers. However, it’d been a long time since I had fishcakes.

Prior to the weather turning horrendous, I came across these pheasants near my house feasting on birdseed.

Anyone a fan of carrot cake? For some reason I was under the impression that I couldn’t stand the stuff; so it was a pleasant surprise last weekend to discover I was sorely mistaken.

This week I purged my mailing list. It had a lot of dead weight. Now it’s time to start building it up again.

I have also been reading. Not sure how it took me so long to get around to reading this, as I am something of an Easton Ellis fan. So far, so good.

Currently, I am seeking reviews for my books, especially the latest one. If you have read any of my books, a short review on Amazon or elsewhere would be much appreciated. Reviews are vital to us authors for finding new readers.

Have a good weekend.

5 Transgressive Fiction Reading Recommendations

This week I don’t feel like talking about myself, so it’s back to my old staple, reading recommendations. Here are five works of Transgressive Fiction that you might like. Well, I’m not sure they are all strictly Transgressive Fiction, but they certainly all contain transgressive elements. Click on the links to read my reviews.

Definition: Transgressive Fiction is a genre that focuses on characters who feel confined by the norms and expectations of society and who break free of those confines in unusual and/or illicit ways.

Glue by Irvine Welsh

Glue adeptly captures the zeitgeists of the various eras it encapsulates. The book’s scabrous descriptions will appeal to fans of Transgressive Fiction.

My Review: Glue is about four friends who hail from Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh. It begins with them as infants in the 1970s, and ends at the dawn of the new …(more)

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

Set in the 1800’s, Blood Meridian is an episodic book, which is almost unparalleled in its misanthropy and repugnant content.

My Review: ‘The Kid’ is a fourteen-year-old hailing from a Tennessean backwater. Following an ill-fated stint as a conscript in a Mexico-bound militia, he is  …(more)

Glamorama by Bret Easton Ellis

Glamorama adeptly captures the hedonism of 1990s New York. The text is punctuated with numerous pop-culture references.

My Review: Victor Ward aka Victor Johnson is a male model living in 1990s Manhattan. Victor is a vapid, soulless character, obsessed with celebrity culture, who lives an existence that …(more)

Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk

Survivor is an innovative and erudite social commentary, brimming with satirical observations and irreverent humour.

My Review: Tender Branson, the last survivor of the Creedish Church cult, has hijacked an aeroplane, which is now flying on autopilot. His objective: to dictate his life story onto …(more)

Red Russia by Tanya Thompson

Red Russia could best be summed up as a frenzied, post-Soviet satirical transgressive work.

My Review: Tanya has accompanied her American entrepreneur boyfriend Peter to Russia on a business trip. She is there to act as his interpreter. Their hosts are a motley collection of shady …(more)

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The Gazebo – Release Imminent.

My seventh book, The Gazebo, will be unleashed on the world next Tuesday (September 1st).

This darkly humorous, quick read (42k words) will be available in eBook and paperback form from all major retailers. I toyed with the idea of just opting for Amazon initially due to their potential incentives, but for better or worse decided against it in the end.

For a limited time only, The Gazebo (eBook) will be only 99p/99c. After a week or so a dollar/pound will likely be added to the price.

If you missed it, here is the back matter:

Click here to see The Gazebo on Goodreads.

Well, best be getting back to writing the next one. Have a good (extended if in UK) weekend.

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