“Lean on Pete” by Willy Vlautin
The writing style is incredibly simple, probably the most simple of any book I’ve read since childhood. It perfectly captures the realistic voice of the narrator, a sporadically-educated…
Monday morning inspiration
Be kind to yourself. Fill pages as quickly as possible; double space, or write on every second line. Regard every new page…
Lucky dip reading
Saw a good post on the Guardian website about “lucky dip” reading – buying a book you know absolutely nothing about. It…
“Global Shift” by Edmund J Bourne
Titles are important. This book was an excellent survey of emerging philosophies and practices, but it did not convince me that a…
Monday morning inspiration
Don’t sit down in the middle of the woods. If you’re lost in the plot or blocked, retrace your steps to where…
Monday morning inspiration
“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.” – Zen Proverb
“Commonwealth Short Stories”, part 4
In the final part of this series of posts, I’m reviewing stories by Mavis Gallant, V.S. Naipaul, Ngugi wa Thiong’o, Hal Porter…
“Commonwealth Short Stories”, part 3
Continuing the series, here are my notes on the short stories by Randolph Stow, Janet Frame, Andrew Salkey and Ezekiel Mphahlele. Randolph…
“Commonwealth Short Stories”, part 2
This is a continuation from yesterday’s post, which was becoming too long! Today, I’m reviewing stories by Mordecai Richler, Lee Kok Liang,…