Guy Portman's Blog, page 30
July 8, 2016
If Authors Were Desserts IV
This week we return to the subject of authors and the desserts that in my opinion their writing corresponds to. Here are 8 authors and their corresponding desserts.
Leo Tolstoy
Iconic Russian writer Tolstoy is best-remembered for his opuses Anna Karenina and War And Peace.
Corresponding dessert:Heavy Cake
(Courtesy of Pudsy You Like)
Rationale:Heavy Cake is dense and requires a lot of chewing, but it tastes good.
Anne Rice
The Vampire Chroniclescreator is one of the best-selling writers in r...
July 1, 2016
The 10 Books I’ve Read This Year
I have read10 books in 2016. I hope to read at least another 10 before the end of the year. The following books are presented in the order in which I read them. Click on the links to read my reviews.
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
Genre: Classic
Tolstoy’s opus is set against a backdrop of the emancipation of the serfs, the Pan Slavism movement, political change and technological advancement.The story follows three interrelated families…(more)
My Rating:Good
Personal by Lee Child
Genre: Thrill...
June 24, 2016
Necropolis is Now On Sale
Necropolis is 99c/99pfor today and only (24th). Usual price: $3.35/2.29.
Necropolisis a satirical black comedyabout a sociopath. It ismy second novel.
The blurb:
A black comedy of true distinction
Dyson Devereux works in the Burials and Cemeteries department in his local council. Dyson is intelligent, incisive and informed. He is also a sociopath. Dyson’s contempt for the bureaucracy and banality of his workplace provides ample refuge for his mordant wit. But the prevalence of Essex Cherubs...
June 17, 2016
13 Bizarre Books
I always knew there were some bizarre books out there, butI was not aware quite how bizarreuntil researching this post. Here are 13 books that I consider to be bizarre. I have added pithy comments/fictitious dialogue below each.
This 50,000+ word lipogram novel claimsnot to use theletter e.
How many e’s can you spot on the front cover?
Highlights in the History of Concrete
If you’re going to go to the trouble of writing a book about the history of concrete, you mi...
June 10, 2016
Authors as Desserts III
This week we return to the topic of authors and the desserts that in my opinion their writing corresponds to. Here are 8 authors and their corresponding desserts.
Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Reading theiconic Russianauthor’s books is rewarding, but challenging.
Corresponding dessert: GooeyButter Cake
(Courtesy of Its Good To Be The Cook)
Rationale:Gooey butter cake may be delicious, but it is incredibly dense and requires a lot of chewing.
L. Ron Hubbard
The Scientology founder wrote numerous Sci-...
June 3, 2016
15 Bizarre Male Author Facts
Last week it was female authors. This week it’s the men’s turn. Here are 15 bizarre male author facts.
Did you know that:
There is an asteroid named after Kurt Vonnegut.
Victor Hugo wrote The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables in the nude. Hugo would order his valet to hide his clothes until after he had finished writing.
Only 10 people attended D. H. Lawrence’s funeral. 1 of them was Aldous Huxley.
Billy Wilder’s epitaph is – I’m a writer but then nobody’s perfect.
William Burroughs...
May 27, 2016
Bizarre Female Author Facts
This week’s blog post is devoted to Bizarre Female Author Facts. I haven’t forgotten about the men. It will be their turn next week.
Did you know that:
Modernist writer Katherine Mansfield wore a mourning dress to her own wedding.
Jane Austen never married, but she was engaged for 1 night. She accepted the proposal of marriage 2 weeks prior to her 27th birthday. Austen changed her mind the next day.
Harriet Beecher Stowe (author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin) lived next door to Mark Twain.
Agatha Chr...
May 20, 2016
Authors as Desserts II
2 weeks ago I wrote a blog post about authors and the desserts that in my opinion they/their writing corresponds to. Here is Part II.
Chuck Palahniuk
Palahniuk is a controversial, transgressive author whose writing is not for the fainthearted.
Corresponding dessert: Dirt Cake
(Courtesy of Visions of Sugar Plum)
Rationale:This aptly named dessert is created by combining unusual, and some might argue unpalatable ingredients, including Oreo cookies, cream cheese and Gummy Worms.
George Orwel...
May 13, 2016
Bizarre Book Trivia
Yesterday whilstwhiling away some time on the internet I discovered some bizarre book trivia, which I thought might make a good foundation for a blog post. Here goes:
Most Bizarre Book Ever: BIRTH CONTROL IS SINFUL IN THE CHRISTIAN MARRIAGES and Also ROBBING GOD OF PRIESTHOOD CHILDREN!! by ELIYZABETH YANNE STRONG-ANDERSON.
I was planningto read it, but considered the price (113.92) prohibitive. The reason for me choosing it (the title is too long to repeat) is because of Michael N. Marcus’s...
May 6, 2016
8 Authors as Desserts
Have you ever thought that if so and so was a dessert they would be an apple strudel?
Whilst eating a slice of lemon tart at lunch today, I took to thinking about authors corresponding to desserts. This week’s post is devoted to8 authors and the desserts that in my opinion they/their writing corresponds to.
John Steinbeck
Steinbeck was an iconic American author with socialist inclinations.
Corresponding dessert:Carrot Cake
(Courtesy of Food Network)
Rationale:This modest and wholesome desser...
