It is a truth universally accepted that celebrities write the best books. Thank goodness there are lots of film stars, TV presenters, politicians and sportspeople all willing to put their names to these things; otherwise our bookshelves will be awash with new ideas, voices and original content. The average struggling author doesn’t get a look …
Tag: #bookrecommendations
Today is international DJ Harrison day.
We remember the prolific author who gave us Jenny Parker, Tyrant, Sol, and the arachnophobe droid Spider. The world is split between those who have read his work, and those who have not. Though the former deserve congratulations for being so discerning, the latter have the joy of anticipating their new favourite writer. His writing …
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
This book is as much fun as licking coal. There’s a man, who never gets a name, poor bastard. And there’s a child who’s as talkative as an old boot. Together they’re traipsing around kicking up ash and stones, and other bleak things that scatter this distressed landscape. There’s nothing around except ruin and devastation. …
Ken-ataphobia
Thanataphobic Barbie - pink is the new black To celebrate national cinema day yesterday, my daughter took me to see the Barbie Movie. I was immediately struck at how the film pitted two halves of the population against each other, yet not in a way you might think. I’m not talking about men against women, …
The Tiger Who Came to Tea
By Judith Kerr This is the sequel to Life of Pi, although it’s from a different author. Richard Parker’s sailing days are over. He’s now called Ricardo, because he want to come across as more exotic. He’s Sumatran, you know. He is living in London with the other disgraced tigers, in a small flat owned …
The Giant Jam Sandwich.
Story and illustration by John Vernon Lord, verse by Janet Burroway LUNA: This is a wonderful children’s book. I remember, when my humans were small, I read them this and they loved it. It had the capacity to both sooth and entertain. The rhyming is alluring, addictive, and alliterative. The pace is quick, the humour …
Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut
Breakfast of Champions is a strange one, but I think that's what makes it so special. It’s about two very different constructs, Kilgore Trout and me, Dwayne Hoover. Trout's a word processor, a science fiction guy, and I'm this business man who's slowly losing my grip on reality. We're from different worlds, but somehow our …
Dead Man’s Walk by Larry McMurtry
"Rangering means you can die any day,” Call pointed out. “If you don’t want to risk it, you ought to quit."McMurtry, Larry. Dead Man's Walk (Lonesome Dove) (p. 207). Pan Macmillan. Kindle Edition. LUNA: The first adventures of Gus McCrae and Woodrow Call are chronicled in Dead Man’s Walk. I say adventures, but really these …
Trigger Warning: Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
THE FIRST DIFFERENCE Newt noticed about being grown up was that time didn’t pass as slow. McMurtry, Larry. Lonesome Dove (p. 113). Pan Macmillan. Kindle Edition. KURT: I can’t decide wether this novel is a psychological study of epic proportions, or an epic story of psychological detail. Perhaps it doesn’t matter, so I’ll simply say …
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The Undertaker’s Daughter by John James Minster
A monster story Mary Shelly would be proud of. The Undertaker’s Daughter is a chilling horror novel that follows the story of Anna Dingel, a socially awkward teenager who is raised in a family funeral home. The author does an excellent job of setting the right atmosphere from the beginning and keeps the tension high …
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David J Harrison 