Capsule book reviews in 255 characters or fewer. Ish. A reading diary (1st Jan 2019 onwards) by Eamonn Griffin.
Photographs of decommissioned cinemas, mostly sited in the north of England. Charming, elegiac, and melancholy in equal measure, offering a glimpse of the luxury of classic Odeons, of the turn to bingo to keep these buildings alive, and of workplaces and ways of life left behind. Recommended.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
Eleven (well, ten really, and not the twelve promised on the back cover blurb) unusual medieval deaths are discussed. From the fun (albeit seemingly defunct) Twitter bot account tweeting summaries of medieval death rolls. However, the book version is slight in the extreme: a concept that hadn’t been stress-tested for book-length content. A bit of a disappointment, really.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
The working class lives of a team of decorators, and the impacts of capitalism upon them and their families. Hugely entertaining, detailed and effective graphic novelisation of the early 20th century socialist classic, and a fine book in its own right. Lots to appreciate in artistic and in adaptation terms, with the messages of the original coming through clear. Recommended.
My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
A writer revisits her younger life and self. Excellent autobiographical exploration of how class, gender, substance abuse, poor mental health, homelessness, poverty and related issues may intersect and inform each other. Neither sentimental nor sensationalist, but clear and compassionate throughout. Plus, a Proustian moment (involving banana-flavoured vitamin drops) for me. Recommended.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
A personal geography of a Lincolnshire housing estate. Photographs and text blend to offer a discussion of the uses made and lived experiences of post-war estate dwelling. Experiential rather than nostalgic, the book celebrates modernist planning, the egalitarianism of what might be seen as bland conformity, and the ways in which use reinscribes space. Lots to think about.
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My own books here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
A history of ghosts, hauntings, and on attempts to scientifically study the supernatural. Focusing on Britain, this fine book offers a primer on celebrated hauntings, on key figures such as Harry Price, and on the social and cultural studies aspects of ghostlore. Lots of fun.
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My own books here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
A photo-book of the surviving Art Deco cinemas originally built for the Odeon chain. A lovely bit of social history; each image is presented with a brief overview of the building in question’s life. Some continue as movie houses, others are bingo halls, are derelict, churches, shops, nightclubs. As the book indicates, fewer than half of the 140 built remain, and none of them are unchanged.
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My own books are here, if that’s your thing. Newest is noir thriller East of England.
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