Book reviews.
There is a noticeable trend in modern publishing. Many of today’s most popular novels are getting longer Over the past few decades, data suggests that novels (particularly bestsellers and literary fiction) have gradually increased in length. One widely cited analysis of more than 2,500 notable titles found that average book length rose from around 320…
Bangkok is a city of glass towers, traffic jams, rooftop bars, shining malls, mad backstreets, and endless construction. I should know, as I’ve lived there for 12 years. I also happen to live in an area called Phra Khanong, which is coincidentally home to one of the most feared and beloved ghosts in Southeast Asia….
Happy whatever you celebrate this winter period – here is a free book called: “Haunted Thailand: Ghosts and spirits in the Land of Smiles”. You can get it here free until Boxing Day (aka 26th of December if you don’t know what that is). I know it doesn’t sound very festive – except for Halloween…
Dan Brown’s The Secret of Secrets came out a couple of months ago, and I finally got around to reading it. I’ve read all his books and enjoy them, but I still wouldn’t really call myself a fan. The book sees Langdon finally getting a girlfriend and, as she is due to give a lecture…
The Loose End graphic novel collects issues 1-4 of this new crime comic and is a lot of fun. Written by Dave Dwonch, with art by Travis Hymel, The Loose End is fast-paced and doesn’t take itself too seriously. What’s it about? The story uses non-linear storytelling at the start to get you straight into…
I wrote recently about an angry Thai ghost with a detachable head, so it is time to look at some beautfiul tree spirits that protect native trees. Thailand’s spiritual world isn’t all horror, walk down almost any street and you’ll see colourful ribbons tied around trees. They’re not decorations. They’re offerings to the spirits who…
I wrote about the Krasue on Medium recently, but it is actually an excerpt from my short book about Thailand’s spooky folklore: Haunted Thailand: Ghosts and Spirits in the Land of Smiles Years ago, I was on holiday in Thailand and was flicking through the local TV channels in my hotel room. It was late…
Or a pittance. Time will tell… The popularity of short stories has waxed and waned over the decades. They have always been around as myths and fables like the Arthurian tales or 1001 Arabian Nights. Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales are essentially a collection of short stories. Short stories really rose in parallel with the modern novel…
I’ve always been weirdly interested in the occult. I blame rock music. (Just kidding – rock rules and hail the darkness!) I recently realised that the last three books I read are all occult-based and think it is a sign. I don’t know what it is a sign of, but in case it’s the need…
AI is so damned useful that I am overwhelmed and am still thinking of ways to use it. You can probably tell that I don’t use for writing by looking at my garbled syntax and poor word choices. But I do use it for images, titles, and research, and if it is a long piece,…
Slow Horses is a spy thriller TV show that streams on Apple TV+. If you like tension, dark humour, backstabbing and twists, it will be right up your alley. Based on Mick Herron’s acclaimed series of novels, Slow Horses follows a group of MI5 agents who have been relegated to a dingy London outpost called…
Last year, I did a reading challenge where I attempted to read a book a week. I read a lot, and it wasn’t too difficult, but I will never do it again. Here’s why… The reading challenge meant 52 books, and I love to read. I read what I consider an average amount. According to…
I knew Dan Schreiber from his work on QI as an elf, and also the Museum of Everything, and There’s no such thing as a fish. All of which are worth checking out if you haven’t heard of them. I had previously bought some QI books because, er, I find them Quite Interesting. So the…
I read The Rats by James Herbert when I was about 11 or 12 and it was one of the most exciting books I had read. Obviously since then as my tastes have matured, developed, and become more discerning. I’ve read more exciting stuff since then – ‘48 by James Herbert, to be precise (the…
I finished A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L Peck a few weeks ago and can’t stop thinking about it. I hate phrases like ‘blew my mind’ as it’s typically an exaggeration. But in this case, metaphorically at least, my mind has been blown. What’s it all about? The protagonist is an American geologist…
I adore Jeeves and Wooster. I also love all the other works of PG Wodehouse, the guy was a genius, but J&W are his most famous creations. Every time I read one of his books, which I did the other day, I am left wondering why I haven’t read more. The Inimitable Jeeves is generally…
Haunted Thailand is a non-fiction book about Thai beliefs and their love of things that go bump in the night. And in Thailand, there are a lot of ghostly – and ghastly – goings on. Yup, it’s time to promote something I wrote. In my defence, I haven’t done this in years. How did Haunted…
I embarked on a reading challenge at the start of this year, and I am loving it. I should preface this by saying that I read a lot already but fancied upping my game. The benefits have been numerous, and I can see this being an ongoing thing. Being a bit of a nerd, I…
Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki has been on my reading list for years now, which might explain why I’m still broke. The book is ridiculously popular and must have made Kiyosaki an absolute fortune. It tells the story of Kiyosaki’s two “dads”: his biological father, who was highly educated but struggled financially, and…
I used to be addicted to my Kindle. I had the original one with the mini keyboard and then the one that had the tabs on the side to change pages. Or possibly they were the same one… No matter. Around 10 years ago, I got one of the first Kindle Paperwhites and never looked…