In 2019, I reconnected with my cousin, Rob. There was never any fallout, or anything like that, but he was eight years older than me, we didn’t see each other often when we were growing up, and my dad’s side of the family are complicated – to put it mildly. But we reached out to …
In a similarity to my recent post about the Salt Path, The Penguin Lessons is another story which I saw on the silver screen first, before borrowing the book from the library. If you’ve not seen the film, it’s based on a true story and set in Argentina during the 1970s when an English teacher, …
A few months ago, I went to the cinema with my mum and brother to see a charming British film called The Salt Path. It was the story of Raynor Winn and her husband, Moth, a couple who lose everything and end up in debt and homeless. What’s worse is that the husband has just …
Even if you’re not familiar with the name Josh Malerman, the chances are you’re familiar with his work without even realising it. Malerman was the author of the 2014 novel Bird Box, which became, arguably, better known for its 2018 movie adaptation starring Sandra Bullock. And even if you’re not familiar with the book or …
It doesn’t matter who you support. If you’ve been to any ground across Europe, home or away, and Manchester United are one of the teams playing, the chances are you’ve heard that three-word chant moments before kick-off. “Bring on United!” “Bring on United!” If you’re a United fan, you get goosebumps. If you’re an opposition …
Of course, they say you should never judge a book by its cover, but I know we all do. Hell, I know I do. I try not to, but it’s only natural. The chances are the cover is the first thing you see when it comes to books. I’m no expert on that front, but …
The first rule of Chuck Palahniuk novels is you don’t talk about… I’m only kidding. Yes, Palahniuk broke onto the scene with his brilliant Fight Club. Like many, I’m ashamed to say that I saw the movie first and didn’t even know it was a book at the time. But every day I’m learning to …
This was another read from Goodreads’ Horror Aficionados. I really enjoy being a member of that community because it introduces me to books and authors that I might not have heard of otherwise. And that is especially true for this book. Named after the cold Scottish sea fog, Sodergren’s novel is set in the fictional …
The year is 1989. Sixteen years BB (Before Bale). The summer of Batman was upon the world. Aside from the rather camp Adam West version, this was a live adaptation of the Dark Knight that audiences could take seriously. Gone is the grey costume with black underpants over the top. It’s replaced with an all-black …
This was another monthly read winner on Goodreads’ Horror Aficionados – as I’ve previously mentioned in my Black River Orchard post. I’ve read a couple of Stephen Graham Jones’s books before, including My Heart is a Chainsaw and The Only Good Indians. Having enjoyed those, I was looking forward to checking this one out as …