Author Archives: Doug Johnstone

Unknown's avatar

About Doug Johnstone

I write things

An awesome story by Aidan (8)

Just asked my son to tell me a quick story using his imagination before he got to play computer games. This is what he said: ‘ Once upon a time you were doing really well in your writing career, Dad, … Continue reading

Posted in doug johnstone | Leave a comment

Books to look out for in the next six months

Here are a handful of books I can’t wait to read over the next few months. I’ve already read a couple, actually, including Willy Vlautin’s amazing The Free, which is in the running to be my book of the year. Talented … Continue reading

Posted in doug johnstone | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

THE FUNERAL CRASHER – a brand new short story

OK, so there’s a brand new short story written by me in today’s Scotsman. It’s called THE FUNERAL CRASHER, a typically cheery wee thing, and they managed to find a miserable picture of me in their archives to go along … Continue reading

Posted in doug johnstone | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

I’m on the radio this afternoon

Hey folks, Happy New Year and all that. I’m gonna be on BBC Scotland’s Culture Studio with Edi Stark today at 2pm, talking about books and some other stuff that I don’t know much about. Listen up if you dare. … Continue reading

Posted in doug johnstone | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

The best Christmas song ever

This is so amazing – best vocal harmonies in the world. Happy Festivus, peeps!

Posted in doug johnstone | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Five albums I’ve loved this year

I don’t do music journalism anymore, and one of the nice upshots of that is that I’ve reverted to loving music like a fan again. I’ve listened to tons of stuff old and new, not being arsed about whatever is … Continue reading

Posted in doug johnstone | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Top Ten Books of the Year

OK, so here are my top ten novels of the year. Lemme know what you think, and what your own favourites are. I won’t write much about each here, but you can click on the book covers for my reviews … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My reviews of Sarah Pinborough and Kelly Braffet novels in The Big Issue magazine

Aye so, here are my last proper book reviews of the year in The Big Issue, before all the ‘books of the year’ shenanigans start. Very different novels from Sarah Pinborough and Kelly Braffet, but both mighty impressive in their own … Continue reading

Posted in doug johnstone | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

A handful of new reviews for Gone Again

The mass market paperback edition of Gone Again came out back in November, and it got a handful of very good reviews here and there. I’ve only just got round to getting them together, so here they are below. There … Continue reading

Posted in doug johnstone | Tagged , | Leave a comment

My review of Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulks

Aye so, I was asked to review this by The Independent on Sunday. I enjoyed the Wodehouse books as a kid, but I wouldn’t say I was slavishly a fan or anything. Either way you look at it, though, this ‘homage’ … Continue reading

Posted in doug johnstone | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment