It's the Christmas Special...in mid-March!
Christmas Special obviously referring to this edition covering the
books I received as Christmas presents last year. And seeing as I can't read
five books in one day - though that would have an amazing impact on my days per
book rate - this Christmas Special arrives in Spring.
Dead Funny: Horror Stories by Comedians (Edited by Robin Ince and
Johnny Mains)
'Dead Funny' comes from the theory that good horror always comes with a
generous helping of black humour. What can only be described as a charity gig of
British comedians has, therefore, been assembled, each tasked to write a short
horror story that will have us screaming with both laughter and terror. This of
course doesn't really happen.
The sixteen stories can be categorised into one of three groups: the
silly comedy, aiming more for laughs than scares (Reece Shearsmith, Richard
Herring, Michael Legge, Danielle Wheeler); the psychological black humour
(Stewart lee, Phill Jupitus, Rufus Hound, Robin Ince, Al Murray); and the greater
attempts at horror writing (Mitch Benn, Matthew Holness, Neil Edmond). There
are then those that just don't fit the horror or humour categories, largely due
to my lack of respect for the comedian.
As with any short story collection, the level of quality varies
throughout, ranging from the very strong to those that can just be glossed over
and forgotten. Notable mentions go to Stewart Lee's 'A View from a Hill'
blurring the lines between reality and fiction to mess with his audience's
minds, as ever, and Mitch Benn's 'The Patient'.
There are obviously more laughs on offer here, and some maybe show that
writing fiction isn't their strong point, with some stories falling off by the
end. But that's not why this was bought for me - it was to make me laugh, which
it did. LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL (in a ghost voice).
Days to read: 14
Days per book: 15.0
Thinking About it Only Makes it Worse (David Mitchell)
No, not that one. This David Mitchell likes a good moan, and this is a
book full of his moanings that he writes for the Observer. 'Tis quite the
standard for comedians these days to publish books of their collected ramblings
for whichever broadsheet they write.
Often, these are entertaining, short nuggets of thought from comedic
minds. Though coming from a collection of years worth of writing, they can be
sometimes inconsistent and ask you to think back to that time when the horse
meat scandal was all the news knew existed.
I've always subscribed to the thought of Mr Mitchell, and this book is
no different, providing wit, insight and moments of outrageous cynicism to
entertain. This probably didn't tickle me quite as much as his holiday chum
Charlie Brooker's books - though this didn't come with free tickling gloves -
but still raises a smile with thoughts that make things better.
Days to read: 20
Days per book: 15.0
Captain of Hungary (Ferenc Puskas)
It's hard to believe, but 1950s Hungary was the Premier League hair
salon of its day. The 'Magnificent Magyars' as they were dubbed were the
international team to beat (if you're West German), with an unbeaten run that
stretched forever and a day, as they proved the greatest team never to win the
World Cup...after the England team featuring Danny Mills, of course.
It was common for members of the squad to release an autobiography in
their mid-twenties, cashing-in on their fame, much like even the least
interesting Premier League (non) star will do today. What's probably different
here, however, is that this book is about football. Strange to think that, an
autobiography by a football player at the height of his fame, but it is. Very
little is about off field activities, with focus largely on his skill and how
amazing a talent he was, and how the opposition's style of play led to their
defeat. There are chapters dedicated to single games, namely their defeat of
England at Wembley and the 1954 World Cup final.
This book is only part of the story, his days playing in Hungary when
he was part of the best international team around. This is the days before his
move to Real Madrid and the success that followed there.
A man that now has the FIFA goal of the year competition named after
him, there's no doubt that he was good. And Puskas definitely alludes to this
writing with an arrogance/knowledge of his own ability. Written approximately
sixty years ago, it shows that the more things change, the more they stay the
same.
Days to read: 8
Days per book: 14.9
Ayoade on Ayoade: A Cinematic Odyssey (Richard Ayoade)
Hello, my name is Withheld and I've never seen a film directed by
Richard Ayoade. That's not exactly many, but I do feel it still qualifies me to
read a book he has written about film making. But this isn't exactly a normal
film book about normal films.
'Ayoade on Ayoade' is a supposed collection of interviews between
Ayoade and an alter-ego Ayoade about film. But, if his interview with Krishnan
Guru-Murphy on Channel 4 News is anything to go by, he doesn't exactly do
interviews.
What this becomes, therefore, is a random collection of obscure
thoughts that always trail off, full of sarcasm and post-irony. It's clear that
Ayoade is being subversive here, discussing bad Eighties films and obscure
references to Nineties music that teach us little about his real thoughts on
directing.
But within this there is a clear lampooning of the film industry and
the character types that inhabit it, hiding what his thoughts on good filmmaking
are behind mocking of bad.
Or have I just made all this up?!
All-in-all, I'll give this twenty-seven thumbs up on a scale from one
unspecified number to another.
Days to read: 13
Days per book: 14.9
For Richer, For Poorer: Confessions of a Player (Victoria Coren)
Having read her husband's new book, I had show that I believe in
equality and read Victoria Coren-Mitchell's (then just Victoria Coren) book
about her life and times as a millionairess poker player.
Now, I don't really play poker, never in fact, and so this book is of
little interest to me. But being that 'Only Connect' is the best show in
television, I simply had to read it.
As expected from the lady herself, it is a book full of wit and charm,
charting her rise from chubby teenager joining in her brother's poker games to
European Poker Champion, winning a fair amount of money along the way. Being
that this is about the world of poker, a lot is lost on me or in language I
don't understand, so parts drag or seem a little repetitive, when they probably
are anything but. For much of this she is as much observer than player,
focusing on the characters, personalities and superstars that the 'sport' has
created, herself a lowly player who used her comedy and journalistic skills to
become a celebrity poker player.
The book builds to her European success, as her playing career
progresses, though now poker celebrity is just one of the many hats she wears,
big Stetsons, of course.
Days to read: 18
Days per book: 14.9
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