Books | Guy Portman's Blog

The 5 Books I’ve Read Recently

Aug 21 2020

The last few months I have been concentrating on my own writing (more on that next week). I am currently taking a short hiatus from my fiction writing and catching up with some other stuff, including reviews of books that I’ve read. Here are the five books that I have read recently. Three of them are my typical dark fiction/dark humour fare, while the other two aren’t. Click on the links to read my reviews.

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)

My Opinion: Funny but convoluted.

Six Days: How the 1967 War Shaped the Middle East

Through its numerous interviews, journalist Bowen imbues his account of the conflict with a personal touch.

My Review: Over a six-day period in 1967, Israel fought and defeated an Arab coalition consisting of Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Tensions had been …(more)

My Opinion: Interesting and too long.

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)

My Opinion: Lives up to the hype.

Walden

Walden, which comprises the vast majority of this book, is an account of the author’s two years living in the New England wilderness.

My Review: This Collins Classics publication consists of two works in one. The latter, Civil Disobedience, is a pamphlet-length, instrumental anarchist …(more)

My Opinion: Onerous yet rewarding.

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 …(more)

My Opinion: Bleak and exceptional.

Reading, Writing & Searing Heat

Aug 14 2020

It’s been unusually hot and humid in the UK of late, though it appears conditions will soon be returning to normal. It was 36C here the other day and it has been very sticky at night. Yesterday, while in the supermarket observing my fellow shoppers, I came to the conclusion that summer is the kindest time of year on the beautiful, the cruellest on those who are not.

The supermarket had rolled out some great deals on beer.

I opted for two Cobras and a Staropramen.

What with the heat, Trigga has been seeking the coolest places he can find.

He gave the postman a bit of a fright when he emerged barking from here.

Writer’s block is an ailment that affects many writers. This one is currently suffering from a bout. I have used some of the time to catch up with other stuff, including writing book reviews. It’s a labour of love but one I am adamant helps my writing. Six new book reviews will be appearing in the review section soon. I also ordered a couple of new books. Transgressive fiction and satire – two of my favourite genres.

I’ve been trying to mobilise some interest, from UK readers primarily, in the Necropolis Trilogy. A handful have taken the plunge.

With any luck some of them will be intrigued by my forthcoming darkly humorous book, The Gazebo (Release date: Sep. 01).

Have a good weekend.

The Gazebo: Check Out The Front Cover.

Aug 07 2020

Today, I am pleased to unveil the front cover for The Gazebo, my forthcoming darkly humorous work of fiction. Release date: September 1st.

Hope you like it as much as I do. The colour scheme and contrast is I believe appealing. Purple is a luxurious colour and an appropriate one for a darkly humorous read. The designer has done an excellent job with the depiction of the gazebo, which is a sinister presence in the first of the two stories.

The Gazebo is my seventh book. It will be available in eBook and paperback form. It is a quick, humorous and memorable read. The plan is to offer it at a discount for a short time, probably 99p/99c.

Here is the back matter:

It is searing hot here today and feels like Chad out there. Have a great weekend.

Click here to see my Goodreads Author Page.

Humorous Fiction and A New Toy

Jul 03 2020

You know when you have no luck with something. It could be anything – but in my case it’s brush cutters amongst other things. I started off with the cheapest I could find. It weighed the same as an Atlas stone from World’s Strongest Man, and the engine overheated and switched itself off every two minutes. I then bought a Kawasaki which was pretty good until it wasn’t. As repairing it was proving to be a big undertaking, I upgraded this week to the Ferrari of brush cutters – a Stihl FS70. It cost an arm and a leg, but I am hoping it will be just what the doctor ordered. I will be taking it out for a test run soon.

Here’s my dog posing with his new tennis ball in my mown, but not brush cut garden.

I just got him this 2kg bag of charcoal dog biscuits from Amazon. What did we do before Amazon came on the scene? Surely life was less convenient. They might come in for a lot of criticism, but I for one am somewhat dependent on them.

My seventh book is currently being proofread. The Gazebo is a darkly humorous quick read, consisting of two stories.

Story One: Lust threatens to go horribly wrong in a tale featuring an unusual fetish and a gazebo.

Story Two: When an entrepreneur falls for a temptress, his life rapidly spirals out of control.

A lot of people have been getting a fair bit of reading done over Lockdown. I’ve done some, but not as much as many from the sound of things. Of late, my book choices have been somewhat eclectic. But I’m going to stick with my genre, humorous fiction, for a while. My next two reads will be:

Have a good weekend.

6 Dark Fiction Reading Recommendations

Jun 26 2020

There is nothing to report this week, so it is back to my bread and butter – reading recommendations. Here are six dark fiction books worth reading, if you haven’t done so already. Click on the links to read my reviews:

Novel with Cocaine

Novel with Cocaine is a nihilistic account of adolescence and addiction.

My Review: Set in the years immediately before and after the Russian Revolution, Novel with Cocaine follows the life of Vadim, a Moscow adolescent and …(more)

Rashōmon and Seventeen Other Stories

A sense of doom and despair permeates this somewhat disparate assemblage.

My Review: The book, which is divided into four parts, begins with the sinister tale Rashōmon. Set during the Heian era, it sees a confrontation between …(more)

In Wolves’ Clothing

This first-person transgressive work features a member of an anti-child trafficking organisation.

My Review: Zero Slade is a member of an anti-child sex trafficking organisation. The role entails infiltrating the industry by masquerading as
high-rolling sex …(more)

Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness is a multi-layered story about what can occur when man exists outside of civilisation’s constraints.

My Review: Heart of Darkness is a novella about a steamship sailing up a river through the jungles of The Congo, in search of Mr Kurtz, a mysterious ivory trader, who has reportedly …(more)

In Cold Blood

Capote’s seminal work is a reconstruction of the real life murders of a family.

My Review: The story reconstructs the real life murders of a Kansas farmer, his wife and teenaged children. The Clutters, as they are referred to in the book, are a popular …(more)

Less Than Zero

Less Than Zero is about a privileged and disturbed group of L.A. youngsters.

My Review: Set in nineteen-eighties Los Angeles, the story follows eighteen-year-old Clay, returned home for Christmas from college in New Hampshire. Clay immediately …(more)

Dark Fiction, Empty Fridges & Culinary Titbits

May 22 2020

It’s Friday again. This week I read Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy. I was only introduced to dark fiction author McCarthy last year, and I’ve already read four of his books. Blood Meridian is quite possibly the most brutal novel ever written.

Another trip to the supermarket was in order.

I was in luck however. Hidden away at the back of the freezer, there were gyoza. This time I succeeded in not getting them stuck to the frying pan.

Panic buying and long queues no longer appear to be an issue in the shops here, for now anyway. You are probably experiencing the same, I assume, unless you’re in Brazil. Covid-19 is wreaking havoc over there at the moment it seems, no thanks to their president.

Burning the cuttings from the garden. It proved to be an incredibly smoky fire.

My dog is obsessed with water. His reflection is the reason why I think.

Currently, I am offering the first instalment in my darkly humorous Necropolis Trilogy for free to people who sign up to my mailing list. This week I’ve sold a few copies, but haven’t succeeded in giving any away for free. If you fancy changing that, here are the details.

What is a sociopath to do?

Click here to get #1 for FREE.

Anyway, time to get back to work on my next book – tentatively titled The Gazebo. It consists of two darkly humorous stories set in the south of England, and will be of novella length. Themes include relationships; fractious ones. I look forward to sharing more in due course. Have a good weekend.

5 Good Books Containing Dark Humour

May 15 2020

This week we return to the subject of books. Here are five works of fiction that contain dark humour. Click on the links to read my reviews.

Glue by Irvine Welsh

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

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)

Suttree by Cormac McCarthy

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)

Rant by Chuck Palahniuk

Rant challenges our own traditions by demonstrating how we contort our recollection of events in accordance with our desires, motives and beliefs.

My Review: Rant is the oral history of Buster ‘Rant’ Casey, recounted by an array of people including his relations, friends, enemies and lovers. Rant’s childhood companions from the …(more)

Knockemstiff by Donald Ray Pollock

Knockemstiff is a transgressive compilation of short stories. Topics include drugs, drinking, disease and sexual degeneracy.

My Review: These interlinked short stories are set in ‘The Holler’; an impoverished part of Knockemstiff, a real-life Ohioan backwater. ‘The Holler’s’ air is permanently imbued with the stench of …(more)

Checking Out by Nick Spalding

Checking Out is a black comedy sprinkled with hope. Many will be drawn to its protagonist due to his wry wit and likeable personality.

My Review: Nathan is a young, well-off musician with a gorgeous girlfriend, a sportscar and some exceedingly expensive bi-fold doors. He is also successful, thanks to his …(more)

Lockdown: Light At The End Of The Tunnel.

May 08 2020

The news here in the UK is that the lockdown is poised to be relaxed soon. What form this will take, only time will tell. Other European countries are beginning to return to normal, or at least a new normal, so it’s inevitable we’ll follow suit now new cases of Covid-19 are falling fast.

What are you most looking forward to doing when lockdown ends? For me – getting a haircut.

And what am I least looking forward to? The inevitable increase in taxes.

This week I’ve been catching up with my book reviews for the books I’ve read this year. The six new reviews will be making an appearance on my blog soon. If you haven’t already, you might be interested in the 165 reviews I’ve written (see My Reviews section). I’ve also been jogging and weight training. Here is my dog waiting for me to catch up on a run in the woods.

And here’s an inquisitive deer looking into my garden.

I’ve been drinking Corona. Couldn’t resist Tesco’s ten quid box offer of the stuff. If there’s a better warm weather beer out there, I am yet to try it.

Yesterday, I was pleased to see a duck on the tiny pond I recently dug out in my garden.

Lockdown is obviously proving pretty trying for people, particularly those stuck in small apartments in the city, and I hope things improve for them soon. As for me, the lockdown hasn’t made much difference to my life thus far. What would I have been doing differently anyway? Not much. But knowing that others are also stuck at home makes me feel better. Selfish perhaps; but what is there in this world if not by comparison.

Visitors have been pouring into my blog of late. What does this mean? Not a lot. They are coming to read my articles and reviews of books, and have no interest in me, my mailing list, or the six books I’ve written. C’est la vie; better that than nothing I suppose. I’m used to obscurity after a lifetime of it. Perhaps one of these days I’ll monetise this blog. Maybe sign up for an affiliate program with book retailers. Until then hope springs eternal. Have a good weekend. Keep well and stay safe.

ABOUT ME PAGE

Covid-19 & The Great Outdoors

Apr 24 2020

The future has shifted from a promise to a threat. Who knows when this Covid-19 situation is going to blow over. It has to be soon, or the global economy is going to be a train wreck. Well, it is already come to think of it. As for me, I’ve been fortunate in that I can get outside, as I live in the countryside. Not that it’s all been enjoyment. Removing this stump was a living hell. It has been replaced with a hedging plant.

What with the Covid-19 situation, there are some good deals around, especially when it comes to hedging plants and gardening supplies in general it seems.

We’ve been fortunate to have had such glorious weather during lockdown, something you can’t take for granted here in the UK. Walking and unwinding in the woods has been a pleasure.

This tranquil setting (see below) proved to be the ideal place to ease coronavirus-related stress.

There is nothing quite as cathartic as water. Well opiates perhaps. But water is better for one’s health, and wallet.

What with all the gardening and writing I’ve been doing, I haven’t got as much reading done as I hoped. These two books will be devoured soon.

I’ve never considered myself a fan of sake, but this bottle was delicious.

As for book sales, it’s been a torrid period of late though there was a welcome smattering of sales of Necropolis (#1 Necropolis Trilogy) on UK Amazon this week.

Have a good weekend. Take care and stay safe.

19 Free Crime Books – Limited Time Only

Feb 07 2020

I have teamed up with some of my fellow authors to offer you a selection of 19 free crime books. Our offer includes the first instalment in my darkly humorous crime trilogy. The revamped #1 Necropolis has a new front cover and blurb.

Click Here To View The 19 FREE Books

All you have to do to claim your free book is sign up to the given author’s mailing list. It can then be downloaded in your desired format. You can unsubscribe at any time. If you want my book, but are already signed up to my mailing list, sign up again. I will remove any duplicates. The offer runs until Feb. 29.

Please share this offer with anyone who might be interested. Have a good weekend.

Click Here to Claim Your Free Books

800+ Ratings for Necropolis Trilogy on Goodreads

‘… a magnificent foray into the mind of a sociopath’ – DLS Reviews

‘The book is full of razor-sharp satire’ – Crime Fiction Lover

Category - Books

The 5 Books I’ve Read Recently

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Reading, Writing & Searing Heat

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The Gazebo: Check Out The Front Cover.

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Humorous Fiction and A New Toy

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6 Dark Fiction Reading Recommendations

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Dark Fiction, Empty Fridges & Culinary Titbits

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5 Good Books Containing Dark Humour

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Lockdown: Light At The End Of The Tunnel.

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Covid-19 & The Great Outdoors

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19 Free Crime Books – Limited Time Only

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