Before I really get into this piece, I just want to say that there have been a lot of posts on twitter and other social media recently about what you MUST do during lockdown. I don’t want this to be one of those posts. These are my views and my take only, my experience and … Continue reading The world turns on stories… →

This is a difficult one to write. There is so much going on in the world right now, and everyone has their own priorities, but I couldn’t let #Indiebookday pass without some sort of blog. The world is falling apart at the seams, or so it appears to me. If people behave we can beat … Continue reading #Indiebookday →

I believe you can't control or choose your sexuality February is LGBTQ+ history month in the UK, and so it seemed like a good time to talk about the first series of Soho Noir as a whole and the importance of LGBT representation in fiction and fact. For those coming to this for the first … Continue reading Affirmation: Soho Noir and Representation Matters →

Novellas are still mysterious and beautiful machines to me - Jo Perry, December 2019 Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Double Indemnity by James M Cain, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James, The Old … Continue reading An Underappreciated Art →

It’s been a great blogging and reading year, from the joy (and intense hard work) of Fahrenbruary to seeing the lovely folks at Red Dog Press go from strength to strength in their first full year. Red Dog are actually the only publisher from whom I can claim a full set in my collection. I … Continue reading 2019 Ends, 2020 Begins… →

108 actually. I had a tied situation, 14 books with the same score. So, I either included all of them and go over 100, or none of them and go under. I chose over. This has been a really interesting list to piece together, I’m thrilled with the range of titles we have. The diversity … Continue reading Readers Top 100: The Final List →

So, yesterday was fun! In the real world I spent the day with my oldest friend and his family enjoying the sun. In the world of books though, The Guardian published a list. A slightly odd list in my view. It proclaimed to be The Best 100 Books of the 21st Century so far. The … Continue reading Lists and Things… →