Here I am picking three of my favourite ever books in The Sun newspaper. Here’s a taster: one of them is Trainspotting. I’m just above the advert on home improvements, on the left hand side.
And here’s my review of Michel Faber’s The Book of Strange New Things in The Independent on Sunday. Pretty captivating, but not without its flaws, I thought.
illustration by Mitch Blunt
Here’s my latest books round up in the Big Issue magazine, books by Shaun Usher, Sophie Littlefield and Shelan Rodger. Enjoy!
The Dead Beat just got an absolute rave review over at The Puffin Review, courtesy of Karyn Dougan. “Sharp, clean prose that moves at break-neck speed, there’s no stopping once you’ve started,” she writes. Thanks, Karyn!
I’m delighted to be appearing at the Linlithgow Book Festival tomorrow with the wonderful Helen FitzGerald, 3.45pm in the Masonic Hall. See you there, folks!
I’m absolutely delighted that my short story ‘Surtsey’ is now on The Island Review, one of my favourite websites. It’s mostly set in Iceland, and contains the word ‘Þjóðhátíð’. It was originally written for the Edinburgh International Book Festival and appeared in their Elsewhere collaboration with Cargo Publishing and McSweeney’s. Enjoy!
Been very slack in putting my book reviews up, so here is a round-up of stuff that has appeared in print in the last couple of months:
Perfidia by James Ellroy in the Independent on Sunday.
Evil Eye by Joyce Carol Oates in the Independent on Sunday.
illustration by Mitch Blunt
Plato at the Googleplex by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein and Drunk Tank Pink by Adam Alter in the Big Issue magazine.
illustration by Mitch Blunt
The Drop by Dennis Lehane and Mr Mac And Me by Esther Freud in the Big Issue magazine.
illustration by Mitch Blunt
Woody Guthrie: And the Dust Bowl Ballads by Nick Hayes and Fives and Twenty-Fives by Michael Pitre in the Big Issue magazine.
illustration by Mitch Blunt
Flight 232: A Story of Disaster and Survival by Laurence Gonzales and Sex, Drugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll by Zoe Cormier in the Big Issue magazine.
This is not even a #humblebrag, just an ordinary brag – my sad and angry little book Gone Again has just had its 100th 5-star review over on Amazon. It’s also got ten 1-star reviews, if that’s more your thing. It is still a total steal at 59p for the ebook. If you prefer a paper copy, Blackwell’s on South Bridge, Edinburgh have them on super-sale for 99p for a limited time. Lovely.
Here’s a lovely review in the Forres Gazette of the gig I did recently at the Inverness Book Festival. Lots of murder and suicide and banter and music and stuff and that. You know the drill.
Doug Johnstone 