A Compendium of Good Things

Times are tough for everyone. We’re stuck indoors. There’s allegedly nothing to do. With that in mind, I thought I’d share a few things that I’ve enjoyed recently in the hope that they can bring a bit of cheer to others.

Books

Nothing Important Happened Today by Will Carver

This book absolutely blew me away. In a way that no other book has done before. Writers like Richard Thomas mention that when they first read Fight Club, it opened up what could be possible for them in terms of writing. This book is the same for me.

Partly written in the collective first person, this book is brutal, funny and sharp as hell. It’s experimental, without ever becoming too obtuse. It opens with nine people simultaneously hanging themselves on a London bridge and descends into hell and beyond from there.

Six Stories Series by Matt Wesolowski

I’ve raved about Matt Wesolowski on this site before. The opening book in the series, Six Stories captured my attention as I’m a sucker for an epistolary novel. But as the series expands, so does the scope and the quality of these books. Four books into this series and I’m already desperate for another.

Written in the style of a true crime podcast, the Six Stories series manages to expertly mimic the podcast format on the page (no mean feat) whilst marrying both crime and horror references. Highly recommmended.

David Peace’s Work

Come for the football, stay for the murder. I was hooked by The Damned Utd. The film is one of my all-time favourites and the book is even better. But if swearing and alcoholic football managers aren’t your bag, then savage murders and sadistic coppers might be.

Whilst the Red Riding Quartet isn’t exactly new, I’m yet to meet anyone who has read even one of them. They are missing out in a big way. NOTE – I have since been corrected by James Everington that he is the one person I know that has read these books. Be sure to check out James’ work too!

Peace’s prose isn’t for everyone. It’s a fever dream and a panic attack on the page. You beg for the end of the story for some solace and some peace of mind, yet when it comes you’re bereft that it’s over.

Belinda Bauer

I read Blacklands so quickly, the pages blurred before my eyes. I gobbled this book down inside a couple of days at the start of this year. It’s up there as one of my favourite reads of the last few years. Touching and brutal, subtle and blunt. It covers a range of emotions.

The main character, Stephen is only 12 and is so believably written that he draws you in from the first sentence. The story has the feel of an inevitable car crash. Something you can see coming yet are powerless to stop. Violence rushes towards you and all you can do is hang on and hope everything will be alright.

Ruth Ware

I’ve been really enjoying In A Dark, Dark Wood. It’s my current read and like all good thrillers, there’s layers upon layers of intrigue and detail. I always enjoy the thrill of the chase in books like this and so far, this has been a very engaging chase.

Lucy Foley

I’ve listened to both of Lucy Foley’s thrillers on Audible. They’re multi-perspective stories with a a variety of narrators. Not only have both books been well read but they’re really well written. Each character has their own unique perspective and motives, which makes for great reading (listening). I think I preferred The Hunting Party over The Guest List, just slightly, because of the setting, but both are worth a download.

Will Dean

Will Dean came to my attention because there aren’t a lot of English writers who can pull off Scandi-Noir. We’ve had some great pseudo versions of this set in Shetland and other places but Will Dean breaks the mold because he lives in Sweden and writes so convincingly about Swedish culture and people. His protagonist, Tuva Moodyson, is a brilliant character and the whole Twin Peaks vibe of where she lives is utterly compelling. Three books into the series, I really want more.

Jonathan Wilson

I’ve read a lot of books about football and most of the best ones have been written by Jonathan Wilson. His books Inverting the Pyramid, Behind the Iron Curtain and The Barcelona Legacy are at the pinnacle of football writing. Knowledgeable without being smug, Wilson gets to the nub of so much football history it’s hard to see him as anything other than an oracle.

Podcasts

Writer’s Routine

I love this show. It’s one of the few podcasts that I have alerts set up for. The host Dan Simpson, is genial and knowledgeable. He keeps the writers pumped up and on track really well.

And he’s landed some wonderful guests. Ian Rankin. Ann Cleeves. CL Taylor. To name just a few. The guest list of this show is absolutely premium and every episode has a lesson for other writers. Highly recommended.

The Other Stories

This podcast is all about dark stories. Horror, crime, Sci-fi. As long as there is a dark theme, these guys are putting it out there. Not only are the stories produced really well written, but the production of them is also top notch, with some brilliant narrators on board. Each episode clocks in at about twenty minutes, so you can get through a decent number a day. With new themes open for submissions all the time, it’s a great place for writers to get involved too.

This Is Horror Podcast

A podcast for writers, readers and creators featuring the best in the horror genre and beyond. I co-hosted this podcast with Michael Wilson over the first couple of years it was running. We had an absolute blast and I’m proud to have been able to help it get off the ground, but in the last few years, these guys have really upped their game. The quality of both the guests and the interviews are brilliant. It’s a must-listen for writers, regardless of whether you read or write horror.

Outside Write

There isn’t a lot of football being played at the moment and holy crap do I miss it. That said, the Outside Write podcast and its back-catalogue has been helping me through my withdrawal. Really well put together, the podcast covers football stories and themes from across the world. From the former Yugoslavia to South America, they’ve got it covered.

TV

Ozark

This is the best show I’ve found in recent times. I’m halfway through the second series and I’m loving it. Violent and tense, this show has great characters that you invest in immediately. Well written and really well acted, this is one I’m on until the final scene. I adore it.

Better Call Saul

What can be said about this show that you haven’t already read? I was skeptical at first. Breaking Bad ended so well, there couldn’t be a need for this show, or so I thought. But after 5 series, I love it at least as much, if not more than the original. The dynamic between Saul and Kim makes them one of the great onscreen duos in TV history. There I said it. What a show.

Sunderland ‘Til I Die

I’m not a Sunderland fan and apart from a much loved game managing them on Football Manager 09, I’ve never cared about their results, but this show has hooked me big time. A look behind the scenes at a club that routinely shoots for the stars and lands on its face in the gutter. It’s as compelling as the dramas listed above. Wonderful.

That’s it for now. I’ll check in with new books, podcasts and TV recommendations periodically throughout the lockdown to try and share a few things that are keeping my brain ticking over.

Stay safe. Stay well. Stay home.

Dan

What You’ve Got

I don’t need to tell anyone how strange the world is these days. Things have changed significantly in the last few months and this outbreak will likely leave a mark on our society, economy and culture for many years to come.

Right now, we’re in lockdown in England. Confined to our homes and our only reasons to leave are for medical help, buying food or one short period of exercise. These are the most far-reaching measures imposed by a British government since the Blitz and even then, they probably go further.

But one thing I’m realising is that this time can actually be a positive. I’m into my second week of working from home now, the first was fraught. Bedding in technology and managing childcare. Social media and the news battered my senses. Come Friday, I wondered how I’d survive. But then something changed.

The way I look at it now, this is an opportunity. I have no commute. I have no office job. I work from home. We won’t get another chance to spend this amount of time together as a three. In time, we will be back at work and school, spending more time apart than together.

These are some of the changes I’ve made to get the most out of this time. I hope that they can be of use to others too.

  • Exercise – make the most of the weather and the time. Where it’s safe to do so, go for a quick walk well away from others. Leave your phone behind and stretch the legs. I’ve been doing Joe Wicks’ PE Lessons via YouTube. He’s not my cup of tea as a person but his enthusiasm is infectious and the workouts leave you feeling good.
  • Step Away From The News – it’s tempting to scan the news every few minutes hoping to see something positive or in some perverse way, stay on top of the negative. All of the decisions have been made now. The world is this way for the foreseeable. Let that go. Check the news less. Twice a day, perhaps. But not first thing and then all day. That’ll just make you anxious.
  • Wind Back Social Media – social media can be great but there are times it is the armpit of the world. For me, this is one of those times. Fake news. Moronic opinions. Inaccurate facts. Political agendas. They all make us feel worse. Step away from it. I’ve put a time limit on my social media apps and they shut me out after 30 mins a day. My mental health has improved immeasurably thanks to this.
  • Drop Your Phone Altogether – with no social media and no constant news, there’s not so much need to have a phone in your hand. I’ve come up with a replacement technique. Usually when bored, I’ll reach for my phone. Those 2 mins when the laptop boots up – phone. Waiting for the kettle to boil – phone. These last 2 weeks, I’ve subbed in a book and I’ve raced through two books in less than a fortnight. Again- my mental health is through the roof because of this.
  • Write – I usually write at work on my lunch hour. I write in the silent area of the library. I don’t like noise. Now my lunch hour has a small child shouting and my wife asking me questions. It’s different, but it isn’t bad. I’m staying positive and adapting to this new environment. After two weeks, I’m happy with my concentration levels and I’m back being as productive as ever before.
  • Find Something New – we live in an age of bountiful information and access, despite being at home. Maybe now is the time to carve out a niche for yourself. Learn a language? I’ve done over 365 consecutive days of learning German on Duolingo, for example. It keeps my brain in good nick. You would learn to play that dusty guitar sat in the spare room. Get the old PS2 out and play Resident Evil. Make a stop motion film on your phone with your kid’s PlayDo. Get back into Lego. Brew beer. Bake bread. The list is endless. You’ll have stuff in the house to do. Give it a shot.

This sounds like I’m preaching but I promise that I’m not. At times like this we can stay strong and come out better, or crumble and give in to anxiety and stress. I’m doing my best to rise up in this difficult time. I hope you all can too.

Stay safe. Stay well. Stay busy.

Dan