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.