…because men in books are better
Where can a tin of tuna buy you clean clothes? Where is it easier to get 'spice' than paracetamol? Where does self-harm barely raise an eyebrow? Welcome to Her Majesty's Prison Service. Like most people, documentary-maker Chris Atkins didn't spend much time thinking about prisons. But after becoming embroiled in a dodgy scheme to fund … Continue reading Review: ‘A Bit Of A Stretch’ Chris Atkins
Truman Capote’s bestselling book In Cold Blood has captivated worldwide audiences for over fifty years. It is a gripping story about the consequences of a trivial robbery gone terribly wrong in a remote village of western Kansas. But what if robbery was not the motive at all, but something more sinister? And why would the … Continue reading Review: ‘And Every Word Is True’ Gary McAvoy
May was a pretty good month in terms of reading. I read five books; two horrors, two paranormal romances and one true crime. My enjoyment of these five reads varied, with Thin Air getting five stars and Night Train getting a measly two. All of the books that I read are listed below. To read … Continue reading May in books
A woman wakes up, frightened and alone - with no idea where she is. She's in a room but it's shaking and jumping like it's alive. Stumbling through a door, she realizes she is in a train carriage. A carriage full of the dead. This is the Night Train. A bizarre ride on a terrifying … Continue reading Review: ‘Night Train’ David Quantick
The Himalayas, 1935. Kangchenjunga. The sacred mountain. Biggest killer of them all. Five Englishmen set out to conquer it. But courage can only take them so far. And the higher they climb, the darker it gets. Is it perhaps a bit bold of me to say that I think Michelle Paver has written some of … Continue reading Review: ‘Thin Air’ Michelle Paver
U.S. law enforcement agent Heather Lane can read minds. But not the future. The dream of battle and blood that recurs every night must be a fluke, some obscure terror from her own mind. What its significance might be, she can't guess: an attack from seven psychotic vampires at once, only separated from nightmare by … Continue reading Review: ‘Shadows Strike’ Dianne Duvall
Controversial and compelling, In Cold Blood reconstructs the murder in 1959 of a Kansas farmer, his wife and both their children. Truman Capote's comprehensive study of the killings and subsequent investigation explores the circumstances surrounding this terrible crime and the effect it had on those involved. At the centre of his study are the amoral young killers … Continue reading Review: ‘In Cold Blood’ Truman Capote
It's honestly terrifying how we're into May already. I could talk about how 2021 has just felt like 2020 Part Two so far, but I'm going to try and focus on the positives instead. The latest statistics show that 14.9m are now fully vaccinated in the UK and, here in Scotland, we've been moved down … Continue reading April in books
Among the jumble of paperweights, plates, typewriters and general bric-a-brac in Mr Nakano's thrift store, there are treasures to be found. Each piece carries its own story of love and loss - or so it seems to Hitomi, when she takes a job there working behind the till. Nor are her fellow employees any less … Continue reading Review: ‘The Nakano Thrift Shop’ Hiromi Kawakami
The book that sparked a national conversation. Exploring everything from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class and race, Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race is the essential handbook for anyone who wants to understand race relations in Britain today. Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race is … Continue reading Review: ‘Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race’ Reni Eddo-Lodge
