Books – Page 3

Book Review: ‘The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1)’ by Stephen King

18th May 2024Leave a comment

Stephen King’s ‘The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, #1)’ was my next read of 2024.

I’ve read the entire ‘The Dark Tower’ novels, including ‘The Wind Through the Keyhole’. To say that I love these books is an understatement. But it has been a while since I finished the last book, and I was itching to read through the series again. I wanted to see if it still holds up to my older eyes.

In case you don’t know, the book follows Roland, the last gunslinger, on his quest for the Dark Tower. He also wants to catch the enigmatic man in black. Hence the famous opener: ‘The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.’ Who or what a gunslinger is and why he wants to catch this man and reach this location are complete mysteries.

Rereading ‘The Gunslinger’ reminded me of why I fell in love with these books in the first place. The world is bleak and apocalyptic, yet it is colourful and exciting. King created a beautiful combination of futuristic and medieval atmospheres in these books. The characters are all intriguing, with some being downright bizarre. You can’t help but want to know more about them and their stories.

Yet, this book is my least favourite in the saga. I know I’m not alone in this thinking, either. Steve himself echoes my sentiments, as do other fans of the series. Compared to other DT books, ‘The Gunslinger’ is slow and difficult to read. This moment was a period in Mr King’s career when he did not pursue the arty accessibility he perfected. Despite this, I recommend the book because it is the necessary intro to a fantastic tale. The fact that it’s short also works in its favour.

And remember this if you are having difficulty with it:

Steve corrected his course with the next book and adopted a better approach to this story.

Book Review: ‘Stasiland’ by Anna Funder

20th Apr 2024Leave a comment

Anna Funder’s ‘Stasiland’ – a book club book – was my next read of the year.

As the title suggests, ‘Stasiland’ is a nonfiction book about East Germany during the GDR. What sets it apart is the perspective of its Australian author, Anna Funder. Funder visited Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall. She found and interviewed people who lived during that era, including Stasis. ‘Stasiland’ weaves the interviewees’ and Funder’s stories together, as she navigates new Germany.

The book is informative and engaging. Considering its location in recent history, the material packs a punch and is weighty. Reading it, I learned a lot about this period. Hearing people’s opinions on both sides – for and against the division – was fascinating. The stories were breathtaking, the tension incredible, and many moments squeezed the heart. People can be so depraved and evil. People can be so brave and good. These people can live shoulder to shoulder.

While I can’t say that I ‘enjoyed’ this book in the traditional sense, it was riveting. The material is grim, but it’s not meant to be a fun read. It’s an educational journey through an unpleasant moment in time. It’s a book that will leave you with a deeper understanding of Germany’s history.

If Germany’s narrative over the last century interests you, I recommend ‘Stasiland’.

Book Review: “Books of Blood Volume 1” by Clive Barker

10th Apr 2023Leave a comment

Book 11 of 2023 comes from an author I’ve always meant to read: Clive Barker.

“Books of Blood Volume 1″—the first in a six-book series—contains Barker’s various short stories. I’d always loved 1987’s “Hellraiser”, adapted by Barker from one of his books, “The Hellbound Heart”. So a collection of his shorter fiction seemed like a decent place to start. Having finished the short “Volume 1”, I still think it was a good idea.

Considering that “Books of Blood” was Barker’s first published work, it’s pretty good. In general, the quality of the stories is uneven, but the highs far outshine the lows. ‘The Midnight Meat Train’ and ‘Pig Blood Blues’ are exceptional horror tales. The other pieces also have something to offer. At its worst, “Volume 1” is okay, but at its best, it’s spellbinding. I see why it made such a splash when it arrived in the eighties; it signals more excellent works to come.

I recommend “Volume 1” and look forward to reading Barker’s follow-up books.

Book Review: “All Systems Red” by Martha Wells

20th Jan 2023Leave a comment

Martha Wells’s All Systems Red—gifted to me by my good friend, Leander, for Christmas—is my third read of the year.

At 150 pages long, All Systems Red (Murderbot Diaries #1) is a lean book. And boy, Wells makes use of those pages.

The series’ titular Murderbot is hilarious, enigmatic, and loveable. We learn on page one that this bot has hacked its governor module, gone rogue, and dubbed itself Murderbot. Yet, Murderbot is trying to pass under the radar, so it continues working for its assigned humans. But, of course, that’s only the setup.

Wells crams so much world-building and character development in this little book. She does more than some authors achieve in three times as many pages. Thus, I can give it an emphatic recommendation.

I will check out the next instalments of the Murderbot Diaries soon.

Book Review: “Gerald’s Game” by Stephen King

15th Jan 2023Leave a comment

For my second read of the year, I took on Stephen King’s Gerald’s Game.

I read this couplet’s other half (or should that be its other dark half?), Dolores Claiborne, about a decade ago. I adored that book, and—surprise, surprise—I also loved Gerald’s Game.

The setup is fascinating. King sets the novel in a single room with a woman chained to a bed. As a writer, I’d never dare such a novel out of fear of boring the reader. After all, how much can one write about a woman lying in bed? But King is no ordinary writer, and Gerald’s Game grips the reader like anything else to which the man puts his mind.

I am a hardened horror fan, having loved the genre since I was a young boy. Yet, there are moments in Gerald’s Game that made me squirm. Fair warning, it’s not for the weak of stomach!

As I’ve always said since I picked up The Shining at the age of 13—in an almost religious mantra:

King is king.

Listen to my narration of ‘Astro Naught’

23rd Feb 2022Leave a comment

I still can’t quite believe it’s been over two years since I wrote my second Reedsy winner, ‘Astro Naught’.

I recently recorded a narration of the story for the kind folks over at Blue Marble Storytellers. So if you’d like to listen to it, be sure to give them a visit at any of the following links:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/4sm4ZDSQZsEAl4TwgsOBas?si=eh6uLjvrTziiNoTeEvDg-g

Astro Naught – Joshua Insole

For Apple Podcasts, click here.

Listen to my interview on Read Lots Write Lots!

6th Feb 2022Leave a comment

I recently had the pleasure of joining Deidra and Russell on their ‘Read Lots Write Lots’ podcast!

We discussed books, writing, and the future of humanity, amongst other things.

You can listen to our conversation here:

Be sure to check out their website: https://www.readlotswritelots.com/wp/podcast/episode-25-joshua-insole/

Laura McToal, who has a book review blog and a popular Instagram page, has reviewed my newest collection, Under Blankets, Under Stars. Here’s my favourite excerpt:

“…I was left wondering why this is only a short story and not a full length novel!”
Laura McToal

You can check out Laura’s full review over on her blog — TheMagicFarawayTree.

Tag: Books