Category - Books

1
Culinary Delights & Reading Plans
2
6 Recommended Dark Fiction Books
3
A New Decade
4
The Books I Read In 2019
5
5 Darkly Humorous Reading Recommendations
6
Black Comedies, Book Reviews & More Besides
7
6 Darkly Humorous Reading Recommendations
8
Dark Humour Books, Culinary Delights & More Besides
9
Another Week Bites The Dust
10
The Necropolis Trilogy And More Besides

Culinary Delights & Reading Plans

I’ve read two books so far this year. The first was a pleasure, the second a chore. Here are the next books on the list. The genres will come as no surprise to those familiar with this blog. The first is dark fiction, the second Transgressive fiction. I am a big fan of McCormac and Welsh (the majority of his stuff).

And now for the culinary delights. Sunday roasts are something of a staple for us English. This beef was exceptional.

And here is a French staple I had at a café. Croque monsieur proved to be an inspired choice.

Green tea and chocolate brownies – the perfect combination for reading time.

If our world has a better dessert on offer than baklava, I am yet to try it.

Thank you America. Our nation is all the better for the introduction of Five Guys.

Vegetable samosas – my all-time favourite starter. And this is coming from a carnivore.

See you next Friday …

6 Recommended Dark Fiction Books

This week sees the return of my ‘Dark Fiction’ series. The following six dark fiction books made quite an impression on me. Admittedly, I might be a bit biased about one of them. Click on the links to read my reviews.

Child of God by Cormac McCarthy

Child of God is a tautly written and concise work of ‘country noir’. Themes include loneliness and necrophilia.

My Review: Having been dispossessed of his land, Lester Ballard is now homeless and eking out an existence in the backwoods of Sevier County, East Tennessee. For food, he steals and forages. For …(more)

Junky by William S. Burroughs

Junky is a record of its protagonist’s drug abuse that in addition to heroin includes a plethora of other substances.

My Review: Set in 1950s America and Mexico, Junky is a confessional novella about drug addiction. Its protagonist Bill Lee chronicles his drug-centred existence, which entails searching for his daily fix, scoring, and intravenous …(more)

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

This satire of the yuppies phenomenon of the 1980s adroitly explores the mind of a psychopath and questions the very essence of capitalist culture.

My Review: American Psycho is a highly controversial novel that brought its author Bret Easton Ellis instant fame. The book is written from the perspective of a young Wall Street financier (more)

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

The Metamorphosis is a bleak, existential nihilistic tale that comments on the human condition and the futility of life.

My Review: Protagonist Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning to find that he has been transformed into a beetle. This awkward situation is exacerbated when Gregor’s boss turns up at his house seeking an …(more)

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

This dark psychological thriller’s suspense, unpalatable subject matter and reprehensible characters intrigued this reader.

My Review: Libby Day was only seven when she witnessed her family being brutally murdered in their Kansas farmhouse. It was Libby’s testimony that saw her then teenage brother Ben sentenced to life …(more)

Tomorrow’s World: Darkly Humorous Tales by Guy Portman

The book’s subjects encompass manic capitalism, extreme celebrity worship, virtual reality and a grotesquely ageing population.

Daily Squib Review: There’s something about the future that scares the shit out of people a lot, maybe it’s simply the thought of the unknown that affects us with such fear. What possible delights await us in …(more)

A New Decade

Happy New Year. Some of you will have over-indulged on turkey, alcohol and/or mince pies this Christmas. For me, my poison was Stilton. Never thought I’d say it, but I am sick to death of the stuff.

Most of us have plans and resolutions for the forthcoming year, and I am no exception. With regards my writing, I am planning to have my recently completed darkly humorous Necropolis Trilogy turned into a bundle (3 books in 1) – paperback and kindle. There will also be a new front cover for part 1: Necropolis. Sales have picked up slightly of late, and I am hoping 2020 will be a bumper year.

As for new books, I am planning to release three novella length, darkly humorous satires this year. Ambitious but certainly doable. I look forward to revealing more in due course.

And as for reading, I have some books lined up that I can’t wait to read. Although an eclectic reader, my primary staple is dark humour and Transgressive fiction; the genres I write in.

This book doesn’t fit in those categories, but I got it for Christmas and it looks intriguing. The Rapture is about a cult.

2019 saw me discover a new author – Cormac McCarthy. I find his writing to be dark, bleak and profound. Next up will be:

And there will be at least one Irvine Welsh book in there this year. I am thinking:

That’s it for today. Happy New Decade.

The Books I Read In 2019

As is my custom at year’s end, this post is devoted to the books that I read in 2019 – the good, the bad and the ugly. Click on the book titles to read my reviews. The following 20 books are presented in the order in which I read them.

Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk (1999) – The last survivor of a cult has hijacked an aeroplane, which is now flying on autopilot. This innovative and erudite social commentary is brimming with satirical observations.

Spencer’s Risk by Andy Greenhalgh (2018) – This third person, thespian-themed work offers an authentic insight into the mind of a compulsive gambler.

Women by Charles Bukowski (1978) – A concise, visceral story about the exploits of degenerate drinker, gambler, womaniser and ageing lowlife Henry Chinaski; Bukowski’s alter ego.

Neon Empire by Drew Minh (2019) – Set in the near future, this dystopian sci-fi novel is based in a high-tech city. The book’s scant storyline is submerged beneath a sea of detail.

Child of God by Cormac McCarthy (1973) – A tautly written and compelling work of ‘country noir’. This bleak book’s themes include loneliness and necrophilia.

Job by Joseph Roth (1930) – The fableesque story’s themes are loss, faith and, as is the case with all of Roth’s fiction, nostalgia. While Job is far from being the author’s finest work, there is much to like about it.

The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami (1993) – This curious and comical compilation of seventeen first-person short stories is set for the most part in Japan during the economic boom of the eighties.

American Pastoral by Philip Roth (1997) – Much of this elegiac tome is devoted to detailed character exploration, which takes the form of extensive internal dialogue.

The Road by Cormac McCarthy (2006) – The story is about a father and son trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. This reader was impressed by this unrelentingly bleak and minimalist work.

The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort (2007) – This tome is teeming with escapades entailing stock manipulation, brushes with the law, prostitutes, family drama and copious amounts of drugs, particularly Quaaludes.

The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong (2016) – The Good Son is a psychological thriller set in Seoul. There was too much analysis and not enough first-hand action for this reader’s taste.

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby (1995) – Set in the 1990s, High Fidelity is a wryly humorous, music-themed novel that analyses man’s fixations and foibles.

Papillon by Henri Charrière (1969) – ‘Papillon’ is determined to escape from his penal colony in French Guiana. The story is highly entertaining, if somewhat relentless.

Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut (1961) – Howard W. Campbell was a Nazi propagandist. Now he is in prison awaiting trial for war crimes. This ambiguous morality tale is brimming with satirical observations.

Red Russia by Tanya Thompson (2017) – The story is about a pair of Americans visiting Russia for a business trip. It could best be summed up as a frenzied, post-Soviet satirical transgressive work.

Quite Ugly One Morning by Christopher Brookmyre (1996) – A police procedural type book purporting to be a comedy-cum-crime caper. This tepid offering has an excess of toilet humour.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (1890) – We all know what the story is about. The poetic prose, dark Gothic theme and plethora of barbed epigrams will appeal to many; the convoluted storyline less so.

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn (1989) – The Binewski’s are a clan of freaks who run a travelling carnival. There are numerous subplots and endless meandering.

Checking Out by Nick Spalding (2018) – A black comedy sprinkled with hope about a young man with a terminal illness. Many will be drawn to its protagonist due to his wry wit and likeable personality.

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn (2009) – This dark psychological thriller shifts between two time periods. The suspense, unpalatable subject matter and reprehensible characters intrigued this reader.

5 Darkly Humorous Reading Recommendations

This week’s post is devoted to five dark humour books. Click on the links to discover 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)

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)

Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut

Mother Night is a concise, ambiguous morality tale brimming with satirical observations and darkly humorous details.

My Review: During WWII, Howard W. Campbell was a prominent Nazi propagandist. Now he is languishing in an Israeli prison awaiting trial for war crimes …(more)

Damned by Chuck Palahniuk 

Damned is a a light-hearted satire of hell, punctuated with comical details, pop-culture references and Theological irony.

My Review: The protagonist is thirteen-year-old Madison, the daughter of wealthy alternative parents.  The privileged Madison studies at an exclusive Swiss boarding school and spends her holidays alternating …(more)

Spencer’s Risk by Andy Greenhalgh

Spencer’s Risk is a third person, thespian-themed work that offers an authentic insight into the mind of a compulsive gambler.

My Review: Spencer Leyton’s life is spiralling downhill. He has split from his wife, is virtually estranged from his kids, his career is in tatters, and he has a serious …(more)

Black Comedies, Book Reviews & More Besides

It’s been nearly a week and a half since Golgotha, the final instalment in The Necropolis Trilogy, was unleashed on the world. The reviews have been impressive. Sales have not. But, on a positive note the release appears to have generated some interest in the first instalment in the darkly humorous trilogy – Necropolis. Early next year, I am planning to bring out a box set. There are already 10 glowing testimonials for Golgotha on Goodreads. Click here to read them.

On another subject, how’s your Christmas shopping going? It is said there are two types of people in this world – those who buy their Xmas presents early, and those who do it last minute. I fall into the former category. Before you say anything, this Pokemon duvet cover set isn’t for me, it’s for a young relative.

I have one more book to read in order to complete my modest Goodreads 2019 challenge of twenty books.  This is it.

This weekend I’ll be catching up with my book reviews. It’s a real labour of love writing them, as it is a time-consuming business. However, I am of the firm belief that forcing myself to write succinct book reviews has improved my writing in general. 

It hasn’t all been hard work. Here is a Five Guys I had earlier this week.

The below is called breakfast hash. Highly recommended, and a pleasant change from the standard English Breakfast.

I haven’t been the only one spoiling myself. 

Have a good weekend. 

6 Darkly Humorous Reading Recommendations

This week’s post is dedicated to six darkly humorous reading recommendations. Click on the links to read my reviews.

Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk

The book’s premise, the superficial vanity of the beauty industry, is used both to explore the unattractive side of human nature.

My Review: Shannon McFarland is a catwalk model, who is the centre of attention wherever she goes. That is until she ‘accidentally’ blasts her jaw shot off with a gun whilst driving down the highway. Shannon is left …(more)

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Catch-22

This best-selling and controversial satirical anti-war novel is brimming with absurdist humour.

My Review: Set on the Mediterranean island of Pianosa during WWII, Catch-22 is about the exploits of the fictitious 256th Squadron. We follow protagonist Yossarian and his comrades’ farcical attempts to be declared mentally unfit in order …(more)

An Ice-Cream War by William Boyd 

An Ice-Cream War’s motif is the absurdness of war. This unpredictable serio-comedy’s utilises a blend of tragedy and black humour.

My Review: After much tension and speculation, World War I begins. The main campaign is contended on the Western Front, but there is also a less well-known offensive in colonial East Africa, where the British and their native conscripts are …(more)

Necropolis by Guy Portman

Brutal, bleak and darkly comical, Necropolis is a savage indictment of the politically correct, health and safety obsessed public sector.

The Blurb: Dyson Devereux’s life appears to be on track. He has a way with the ladies, impeccable good taste, and as the recently promoted head of Burials and Cemeteries at Newton Borough Council, a job that demands …(more)

Women by Charles Bukowski

The concise, visceral story follows the exploits of ageing lowlife and Bukowski alter ego, Henry Chinaski.

My Review: Fat, ugly fifty-something Henry Chinaski is a degenerate drinker, gambler and womaniser residing in downtrodden East Hollywood.
After a lifetime spent toiling in menial jobs, he is finally making a living as …(more)

The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka

The Metamorphosis is a bleak, existential nihilistic tale that comments on the human condition and the futility of life.

My Review: Protagonist Gregor Samsa wakes up one morning to find that he has been transformed into a beetle. This awkward situation is exacerbated when Gregor’s boss turns up at his house seeking an explanation for …(more)

Dark Humour Books, Culinary Delights & More Besides

This a breakfast I had earlier in the week. It’s called egg hash and I highly recommend it.

As for me I’ve been catching up with some reading of late. I just finished Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut. I actually preferred this quick read to the author’s seminal work, Slaughterhouse-Five. Next up is this comedy crime caper. I often drink green tea while reading.

These are the books I have left to read in 2019. Some of this pile appeared in one of my recent posts, but it has since had two additions.

For a nation traditionally blighted by substandard instant noodles, these have been a welcome arrival. Not sure what their fate will be in the face of a no-deal Brexit. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.

I am prone to doubling up on chocolate eclairs.

Like Dyson Devereux, the protagonist in the Necropolis Trilogy, I am an avid consumer of Italian delicacies. Amongst those eaten this week were these carciofi (artichokes) and prosciutto wrapped cheese.

Golgotha, the third instalment in my black comedy trilogy, will be released on Dec. 3. It will see the return of the sociopathic Dyson Devereux. Golgotha has just been uploaded to Goodreads. If you could add it to your TBR list, it would be much appreciated.

You can’t keep a good sociopath down.

Golgotha Goodreads link. Have a good weekend.

Another Week Bites The Dust

It’s Friday again. They sure come around fast. Last week I unveiled the front cover for Golgotha (release: early Dec) the final instalment in my black comedy Necropolis Trilogy. If you missed it, here it is again.

On another subject, today I came across these three Roe deer on my morning walk.

They didn’t seem too alarmed by my dog and I. Evidently they were not aware of how keen on venison we are. Trigga was fixated on this tree in my garden for ages yesterday. Likelihood is a squirrel had gone up it, or it contains a late season pigeon nest.

The garden is still growing pretty quick, and having ignored it for a few weeks, the time has come to get back to work.

What with all the dog walking and gardening, I have been losing weight. So, it’s out with the healthy stuff …

And in with the high calorie fare. You can’t beat vegetable samosas and onion bhajis.

Three chocolate brownies down; two to go.

A book delivery arrived yesterday. It’s a good feeling receiving new books; if you’re a bibliophile like me that is. For the most part, my reading matter currently comprises the genres I write in; namely dark humour and Transgressive Fiction. While Dark Places doesn’t fit into those categories, it is dark fiction. I will be reviewing them here and on Goodreads in due course. All I need now is some bookshelves to store this ever-expanding reading matter.

A reminder that Tomorrow’s World: Darkly Humorous Tales From The Future is free at all retailers. My satirical book of vignettes finally received a decent batch of reviews on Amazon US this week. It appears my book is a bit like Marmite. People either love it or hate it.

And that’s it for this week. Have a good weekend. And if your nation is playing in the Rugby World Cup, I wish you the best of luck, unless your from Tonga that is.

The Necropolis Trilogy And More Besides

Golgotha, the final instalment in my Necropolis Trilogy, is nearing completion. I am currently working on a blurb, which I look forward to sharing with you in due course. If you haven’t done so already, why not check out the first two darkly humorous offerings in the trilogy? Click here to see my books on Amazon.

What is a sociopath to do?

A sociopath’s work is never done.

I hope you’ve all enjoyed your summer (Northern Hemisphere) visitors. What with all the sun and rain, I have been besieged with gardening. It is now complete; that is until it grows again. This lawn was landscaped a few months back hence why it looks a bit patchy in places. But it’s coming along well, and I look forward to the day when it will be a pristine bowling green.

In other news, I have just finished my thirteenth book of the year – Papillon. The 600 page tome is about a man sentenced to life imprisonment in a penal colony in French Guiana. Review to follow. Perhaps you’ve read it or watched the film it inspired. Next up will be some dark humour. A batch of books are on their way.

My blog’s comments and likes etc. are still not working properly, which is annoying. But I will be migrating to a new website at some point in the not too distant future, so I am not going to try and rectify this fiddly issue for now.

Have a good weekend.

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