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  • Top Three Books of 2021

    During 2021, my reading rate has been nowhere near as impressive as it was in 2020. I’m not sure why that is. However, I’ve read a good mix of non-fiction, novels, and short stories, and have continued keeping track of everything through Goodreads, which means I can carry on my now yearly tradition of picking…

  • Book Review: Under Orders

    Under Orders by Dick Francis.My rating: 4 of 5 stars. Under orders is the first Dick Francis novel I have read. It’s also the first one he penned after his wife’s death left him bereft and without a research partner for his writing. Thankfully, his son Felix stepped into that role, beginning a fruitful collaboration…

  • Book Review: Nightmares and Dreamscapes

    Nightmares and Dreamscapes by Stephen King.My rating: 4 of 5 stars. Nightmares and Dreamscapes is a collection of short stories by Stephen King, first published as a volume in 1993. I have had this book in my library for well over ten years, and finally got around to finishing it after a false start several…

  • Book Review: The Long Valley

    The Long Valley by John Steinbeck.My rating: 4 of 5 stars. The last time I read any of John Steinbeck’s fiction was back in high school, when I was required to read The Pearl and Of Mice and Men for my English Literature ‘O’ level, a qualification now known as GCSE. Even though it was…

  • Book Review: Witch Bottle

    Witch Bottle by Tom Fletcher.My rating: 4 of 5 stars. Witch Bottle is the story of Daniel, a man who is haunted by an event that took place in his childhood. He isn’t just haunted in a figurative sense, he is literally pursued by a shambling hooded figure that turns up regularly until Daniel places…

  • Buried

    Buried

    Buried is a short story I wrote at the end of 2020. It was first published in March 2021 by CafeLitMagazine. The opening paragraphs are below, and you can visit the CafeLitMagazine website to read the full story. *** Some people have happy memories of school, forever wishing they could return to those carefree times.…

  • Book Review: High Fidelity

    High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. My rating: 5 of 5 stars. Nick Hornby’s debut novel, High Fidelity, is the story of Rob Fleming, the thirty-something owner of North London record shop Championship Vinyl, who is going through the breakup of a long-term relationship. We join him as he tries to work out where he has…

  • Book Review: Luke and Jon

    Luke and Jon by Robert Williams. My rating: 5 of 5 stars. Luke and Jon is a debut novel by Robert Williams, first published in 2010. Luke and his father, struggling after the death of Luke’s mother, move to a remote run-down cottage on the fell overlooking the northern town of Duerdale. They soon meet…