Joshua G. J. Insole

Book Review: ‘NOS4A2’ by Joe Hill

19th Dec 2023Leave a comment

I tackled Joe Hill’s ‘NOS4A2’ for my forty-third read of the year.

This book is epic with a capital ‘E’. It comes in shy of 1,000 pages. I started this a month ago, so it took me a while to get through it. With a reading goal of forty-five books this year, it wasn’t the smartest choice to tackle a few epics like this. But I couldn’t help it; they looked like fun reads! And they proved me right.

‘NOS4A2’ deals with a vampire who takes children to a place he calls ‘Christmasland’. You can see why I chose this time of year to tackle this behemoth. The title comes from the creature’s license plate on his old-fashioned Rolls Royce. Our protagonist, Vic, encounters the vampire as a child and survives. But later, when she is grown and has a child, the monster awakens from its slumber.

I adored this book. It reminded me of Stephen King’s epics, such as ‘It’. That makes sense, considering that Hill is King’s son. There are a few nods to his father’s works, but this is no mimicry or cheap copy. Joe Hill is himself, and ‘NOS4A2’ is a shining example of his creative powers. Considering the book is roughly 1,000 pages, it felt shorter. I read and liked Hill’s debut, ‘Heart-Shaped Box’ a few years back. As a writer, Hill has come on leaps and bounds since then.

I will look out for more of Hill’s work; this was a modern-day masterpiece.

Book Review: ‘Hail to the Chin’ by Bruce Campbell

13th Dec 2023Leave a comment

Bruce Campbell’s ‘Hail to the Chin’ was book forty-two of 2023.

I must have miscounted somewhere because I thought this was book forty-one! But it’s good to know I’m closer to my goal, even if I’m unlikely to reach it. (I set myself a target of forty-five books this year.)

I had listened to and loved his first autobiography, ‘If Chins Could Kill’. ‘Hail to the Chin’ follows where that book ended and explores the actor’s later career. As with Geddy Lee and his book ‘My Effin’ Life’, everyone who knows me knows that I love all Campbell’s work. From ‘Evil Dead’ to ‘Bubba Ho-Tep’, the man is a legend in campy, horror B-movie circles.

Listening to Lee’s autobiography via audiobook reignited my taste for the medium. Having loved Campbell’s early career tales, his second book seemed a no-brainer. And boy, was I right. Minutes in, as Campbell’s buttery smooth voice trickled out, I was already laughing.

The book covers Campbell’s personal life and hilarious anecdotes and behind-the-scenes peeks. For example, we learn about ‘My Name is Bruce’ and ‘Bubba Ho-Tep’. I’ve learned more about the movie and TV business from Mr Campbell than anywhere else. Ending on an optimistic note about ‘Ash vs Evil Dead’ stung a bit. The dramatic irony of knowing what would happen to the show. What can I say? I’m still not over Starz cancelling it.

If you like Campbell’s work, this is a must-read. Or a must-listen, depending on your favoured way of reading. Audiobook makes it somehow feel closer, listening to the man’s voice. Of course, you should read ‘If Chins Could Kill’ first if you haven’t already.

And if you don’t know who Campbell is, stop whatever you’re doing. Find copies of ‘Evil Dead’, ‘Evil Dead II’, and ‘Army of Darkness’.

Groovy.

Book Review: ‘My Effin’ Life’ by Geddy Lee

1st Dec 2023Leave a comment

Geddy Lee’s ‘My Effin’ Life’ was the next book of 2023.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I love Rush. Those three Canadian boys conjured up a particular type of prog rock for forty-odd years. Warm, intelligent, and rocking, Rush is everything I love about music. The recent loss of drummer, lyricist, and philosopher Neil Peart hit home hard. I am only seldom affected by a celebrity’s death—it’s not that it’s not sad, but my lack of knowing them creates a barrier. This distance was not the case with Peart’s death. His words, music, and approach to life burrowed deep into me and changed my outlook.

So, when I heard that bassist and vocalist Lee was penning a book about his life, it stoked me. It also thrilled me that he was narrating the audiobook himself. I always think that when writers narrate their work—fiction or nonfiction—it’s magic. So I knew that the way to experience ‘My Effin’ Life’ was via audiobook.

I like audiobooks, but I don’t love them. I have no issue with others consuming books this way—my wife listens to them daily. But I often find myself drifting off listening, as opposed to the focus required for reading words on a page. So, Lee’s book is the first audiobook I’ve listened to in years. A few minutes in, hearing the man’s beautiful voice rolling out of my headphones, I knew I’d chosen well.

Informative, well-written, hilarious, and heartbreaking, ‘My Effin’ Life’ was a joy. The tragedies that befell the trio—including those to the late, great Peart—hurt the heart. Even as I knew what was coming, I wished that what transpired would not come out of Lee’s mouth. A sort of willful twisting of reality to the way it should be and not the way it is. Alas, we all know the end of the story.

If you like Rush, give it a read. Or even better, give it a listen. And if you don’t know the band, do yourself a favour and binge their catalogue.

Then come back and listen to the man tell you the story.

Book Review: ‘Horrorstör’ by Grady Hendrix

19th Nov 2023Leave a comment

Grady Hendrix’s ‘Horrorstör’ is book thirty-nine of 2023.

I’ve read one book from Hendrix before, and I loved it—’My Best Friend’s Exorcism’. ‘Horrorstör’ is more of a novella than a novel, coming in at under 200 pages. The short length means that this book was perfect, as the previous book I read was a 700+ page mammoth.

‘Horrorstör’ follows Amy, a poor, down-on-her-luck employee of Orsk. Orsk is Ikea, but Hendrix has changed the name to avoid a lawsuit. It’s a massive store with many departments, each designed to look like a section of a house. We all know how Ikea works. Well, it turns out that things are going bump in the night, and Amy’s boss, Basil, is set on finding an explanation. It’s a haunted house story set in a furniture store—a pretty cool idea.

Overall, I liked ‘Horrorstör’, but I didn’t love it. The premise is better than the execution. It doesn’t mean it’s terrible. It’s fun; the pages breeze by. There are a few fun pokes at capitalism and corporate culture. It didn’t reinvent the wheel, but it does the job fine. The shorter length is a plus because it’s a fun little fling.

I’d read more from Hendrix in the future, but I hope they are more like ‘My Best Friend’s Exorcism’.

Book Review: ‘Der Gruselbus’ by Paul van Loon

18th Nov 2023Leave a comment

Paul van Loon’s ‘Der Gruselbus’ is my next read of the year.

I started reading this in time for Halloween, in my quest to better my German skills. The German in this book was trickier than in R. L. Stine’s ‘Goosebumps/Gänsehaut’ books. But it wasn’t too difficult to the point of incomprehension.

The story follows a class of children and their teacher as they embark upon the titular bus. A driver in a skeleton costume and a strange man on this bus greet them. The stranger is a writer with ten strange objects and a short story to go along with them. Between each tale, the tale of the children on the bus—hearing these stories—progresses. It’s all quite meta, especially for a children’s book.

I had a blast with this book. It’s the most entertaining book I’ve read in German so far. Despite the intended audience, some tales are bleak and gruesome. They had me on the edge of my seat—quite a feat for a kid’s book. The fact that the book consists of several stories, each about ten pages or so, keeps the book feeling fresh. It helps when reading a book in a foreign language.

I would read other books from Paul van Loon in the future.

On to the next German book!

Book Review: ‘To Paradise’ by Hanya Yanagihara

13th Nov 2023Leave a comment

Hanya Yanagihara’s ‘To Paradise’ is book thirty-seven of 2023 and my third book club book.

This book is massive. Its 700+ pages are daunting, and I felt intimidated by it. But I got through it. And yes, that makes it sound like an ordeal, and in a way, it was. It felt powerful and exhausting and transformative and draining. It’s tough to describe.

Yanagihara has split this tome into three sections—three books in one. She set the first in 1893, the second in 1993, and the last in 2093. She deals with inequality and discrimination in these books. It’s about love and homosexuality, for the most part. The first sees an alternate reality, where being gay is now legal in certain parts of the US during the 1800s. The book in the 1900s seems to be pretty accurate. 2093 sees same-sex relations criminalised once more.

I liked book one a lot. Part one of book two was okay. Part two of book two was slow and dull. Book three was phenomenal; I loved it. These books could be more consistent. I often wished Yanagihara had devoted a novel to each story rather than trying to cram them all into one. Either that or she had shortened each section to fit into a standard 300–400 page book.

It’s a sprawling, ambitious, messy, unfocused masterpiece. It is a challenging book to read. It takes time to get through, and it isn’t easy. It is only sometimes rewarding and is often frustrating. I’m sure there are many bits that I didn’t understand and went over my head. It could have used more editing and refinement.

But it’s still brilliant.

I recommend it to those who are brave enough.

Book Review: ‘A Night in the Lonesome October’ by Roger Zelazny

31st Oct 2023Leave a comment

Roger Zelazny’s ‘A Night in the Lonesome October’ is my thirty-sixth read of 2023.

People in the horror book communities had recommended Zelazny’s book a few times. Several people read ‘A Night…’ every October. Zelazny has divided the book into day-by-day diary entries leading up to Halloween. The idea is to read a chapter every day in the countdown to Halloween.

‘A Night…’ gives the reader excellent autumn vibes. The book follows Snuff, a dog who belongs to Jack the Ripper. Along the way, we meet all the classic monsters, such as vampires, werewolves, etc. We also meet their familiars—other animals with whom Snuff converses. We keep hearing about “openers” and “closers”, but Zelazny holds his cards to his chest. He drip-feeds us information in a way that is intriguing without being frustrating. All becomes clear by the time that final dawn comes to pass.

I won’t spoil much here, but I loved this story. It’s horror, sure. But it’s also wholesome. It’s not scary, per se. It’s more akin to a cosy murder mystery. Most chapters are short (the book is under 300 pages), so it’s easy to read. If you have less time to read than you’d like, ‘A Night…’ might be the perfect book.

I can see why ‘A Night…’ has such a cult following, and I imagine that I will reread it one Halloween in the future.

Book Review: ‘Equal Rites’ by Terry Pratchett

15th Oct 2023Leave a comment

For my thirty-fifth book of 2023, I picked up Terry Pratchett’s ‘Equal Rites’.

My wife is a huge Pratchett fan and has encouraged me to read his witch series (a part of the Discworld series) for a while. I’ve always loved what I’ve read of Pratchett and decided that autumn and Halloween would be as good a time as any. You can read the Discworld books in any order, but I decided to start with the start.

‘Equal Rites’ follows Esk. Esk is a girl whom a wizard—in his dying moment—betroths a magical staff. This act means that Esk is to be the wizard’s replacement in the world. One problem with that, though. Women can’t be wizards. Witches, sure. Wizards? Not a chance. Hence, the fabulous title.

As I’ve come to expect from Pratchett’s work, his writing is hilarious and wonderful. The book whizzes past, always staying within its welcome. Pratchett shows other fantasy novelists that you don’t need a series of 600-page tomes to tell a tale. His imagination crackles with the colour of magic. And, of course, he was lightyears ahead of the rest of us. Pratchett tackles complex issues such as institutionalised sexism and gets it bang on. And this was back in the eighties.

Delightful, creative, philosophical—’Equal Rites’ more than stands up today.

Book Review: ‘The Mist’ by Stephen King

30th Sep 2023Leave a comment

After my previous read, I reread Stephen King’s ‘The Mist’ as a palette cleanser for my next book of the year.

‘The Mist’ is a shorter book, perfect for my current mood. I needed something to remind me that I can enjoy reading when the writing style matches my reading style. Some things click with you; some things don’t.

And King very much clicks with me.

The story follows Dave and his son, “Big” Bill, in the wake of a storm for the ages. Trees have fallen, and wooden piers have sunk. Cars and garages have suffered damage. And an odd mist is creeping in over the lake. Dave heads a small group into town to pick up supplies for the next few days without power. They leave Dave’s wife and Bill’s mother alone at the house, which has suffered a smashed-in window. But whilst in the local supermarket, the mist closes in and traps them inside.

And there’s something awful in the mist.

I will keep the details of the story secret. You should read it (or watch the movie—it’s fantastic) and find out for yourself. But I recommend starting with the book and moving on to the film. I will say this for the film: it surpasses King’s ending on paper here. (Although that’s not to say that King stumbles on the landing.)

King’s style makes the short novella—a little under 200 pages—feel like a pamphlet. The pages fly by, making you wish he’d turned it into a full-length novel. He has the gift, after all. But, then again, King might have chosen this format for a reason.

‘The Mist’ is a short, sharp jab to the dome; it packs a punch.

Book Review: ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ by Gabriel García Márquez

29th Sep 2023Leave a comment

I’m unsure if I can say Gabriel García Márquez’s ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ was my next read because I couldn’t finish it.

I’m still trying to figure out what to say about this book because it’s a well-regarded classic. Wikipedia says it’s “one of the supreme achievements in world literature.” I don’t know if we read the same thing, but what I read was a jumbled mess.

There’s no plot or story. We learn nothing about the characters or their motivations behind why they do what they do. There’s no emotion or connection to anyone. It’s all surface-level events, with no understanding behind any of it. There’s almost no dialogue. Márquez tells us, the reader, a summary of what the characters say to one another. We don’t get to see it or experience it. And Márquez introduces new characters on every other page. And these new people often share an identical name to another character. The book lists empty, detached events that follow one another. It reads like a Wikipedia article. It has no heart, no soul. It doesn’t engage the imagination; it doesn’t draw me in.

I’ve done some reading around online, and most of the arguments I’ve seen say, ‘But that’s what Márquez intended! Isn’t it great?’ Yeah, you don’t care for any of the characters. The plot has no meaning. There’s no dialogue. It’s all tell and no show. Who cares if that’s intentional? Listen, it’s cool that the book is so unique and all. I get what Márquez was going for. But what he was going for is not enjoyable to me in any way, shape, or form. I’m sure there was a lot of stuff that brighter minds than I will get. But I’m not too fond of that attitude towards a hobby that should be enjoyable. The mark of a good book is whether people from all walks of life can appreciate it.

I seldom find that I can’t finish a book. But pushing through to finish this felt akin to self-abuse. I try my damndest to find redeemable qualities in all the media I consume, even if the fans and critics dislike it. I found nothing in ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ except that it has a terrific first line.

My takeaway message is this. Even if many people love something and consider it a classic, it does not mean you must like it. Second, you can stop anytime if you are not enjoying a piece of art meant for entertainment.

You don’t win points at the end of this life for having forced yourself through these 450 pages.