I’m reading my first Charles Bukowski novel at the moment. “Ham on Rye”. It is said to be semi-autobiographical. If it is you would have to have great deal of sympathy for Bukowski the child. Because the upbringing he describes in “Ham on Rye” is brutal. An uncaring, ignorant, violent father and a submissive, dull,… Continue reading My first Charles Bukowski novel, “Ham on Rye”-recommended?
Category: Books
What I’m reading at the moment
I am reading, for the second time, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I must admit I am enjoying it more this time around and I was thinking why this might be so. I would say the same thing about “The Catcher in the Rye” which I found immensely more enjoyable the second time… Continue reading What I’m reading at the moment
12 rules for life, by Jordan Peterson
I am listening to this book on Audible now and it is getting increasingly irritating. I have not finished yet-only about 50% of the way through-but there are two major problems: Mr Peterson’s high pitched voice, which sounds whiney after a short period and the degree to which God, religion etc. has influenced Peterson’s 12… Continue reading 12 rules for life, by Jordan Peterson
I published this audiobook 12 days ago and have been stunned by the sales
On 22nd December 2021 I published my fourth book on the Audible audiobook platform owned by Amazon. I have been pleasantly surprised, bordering on stunned, by how well the book is selling. Today, the 3rd January 2022, I have sold 15 audiobooks. This is in excess of 1 audiobook per day-an average of 1.25 books… Continue reading I published this audiobook 12 days ago and have been stunned by the sales
On letter writing
Letter writing features large in many of the books that I read and enjoy. Books by Anthony Trollope, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens are set in the 19th century and it is easy to forget now what it was like in the time before SMS messages, email, WhatsApp, telephone, cell phones and other modern communication methods.… Continue reading On letter writing
Reading Classic Books-10 Personal Recommendations
For the last five years or thereabouts most of my leisure reading has been reading books that are known as “classics”. How you might define a classic book or what distinguishing feature allows you to say with confidence, “that’s a classic book” I simply do not know. I am sure if I searched online and… Continue reading Reading Classic Books-10 Personal Recommendations
2 Audiobooks I Would Strongly Recommend
I am listening to the audiobook “The Return of the Native” by Thomas Hardy at the moment. It is narrated by Alan Rickman who has a wonderful voice, so rich and velvety and authoritative. On starting the book, however, I was taken aback with the level of detail of the physical location of the narrative… Continue reading 2 Audiobooks I Would Strongly Recommend
Things I Will Unhesitatingly Spend Money on Every Day
Are there things in your life that you would never hesitate to spend on? Leaving aside the basic needs of food, shelter, security there are some things that I spend money on every day or week. And I do so without question, unhesitatingly. What are they? Books I never hesitate to spend on books. I… Continue reading Things I Will Unhesitatingly Spend Money on Every Day
Books I Would Recommend to My Children: #5
You probably come from the West or Europe and if that’s the case you have a particular view of the world, a view that you were taught from an early age in school. This world view would have been reinforced as the truth and the objective narrative of the world and its history. But there… Continue reading Books I Would Recommend to My Children: #5
Books I Would Recommend to My Children: #4
There is a description of working down the coal mines in 19th century northern France in “Germinal” by Emile Zola that painted a claustrophobic, vivid picture in my mind as I read this book. “Germinal” is set in the late 1800s in Northern France and describes the appalling conditions that the working class found itself… Continue reading Books I Would Recommend to My Children: #4