Callum McLaughlin's Blog, page 67

Bedtime Book Tag

A scene from ‘A Monster Calls’, as illustrated by Jim Kay.

I haven’t done a book tag for a while and thought this one seemed like fun, so why not? Let’s just jump straight into it.

1. A book that kept you up all night reading.

I remember expecting it to take me a while to get through Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden because of its decent length and slower pace but something just gripped me about the fascinating world and captivating characters.

2. A book that made you scared to go to sleep.

The Hannibal series by Thomas Harris really gets under your skin, because, you know… Psychotic cannibals and all that.

3. A book that made you go to sleep.

Her by Harriet Lane. I hate to be mean but the pace was so slow, the character’s motivation laughable and the final pay off pretty much non-existent.

4. A book that left you tossing and turning all night in anticipation of its release.

Along with the rest of the world, I couldn’t wait for the final instalment of the Harry Potter series. It was one of those bittersweet moments of being excited to reach the end but not wanting to say goodbye to the world and characters I’d come to love.

5. A book that has your dream boyfriend.

I’ve never really been one for crushes on fictional characters but in the spirit of answering all the questions, I’ll choose Todd from the Chaos Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness. (Given that he’s very young, I’m obviously speaking strictly about personality attributes here, of course.) He’s far from perfect but he’s funny, loyal, brave and just a genuinely good person who tries so hard to do the right thing.

6. A book that would be your worst nightmare to live in.

I read a lot of dystopian so there’s plenty to choose from, but let’s just say The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. No one wants to have to kill or be killed.

7. A book that reminds you of the night time.

The first thing that came to mind was Out by Natsuo Kirino. When a factory worker kills her husband for reasons I won’t spoil, several of her female co-workers become drawn into the plot to cover it up. It explores various themes, like gender roles, the view of women within Japanese society, the limits of friendship and various other social issues. Not only do several important scenes take place at night but the overall tone is very dark and bleak, hence why I’m choosing it.

8. A book that had a nightmarish cliffhanger.

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James is deliberately ambiguous, with an unreliable narrator whose mental stability is called into question. The horrifying ending is left open to two clear yet very different interpretations. This is undoubtedly one of its strengths, being a prime example of how less is more in making the reader think, though without any sequel to clear things up once and for all, it is bound to delightfully infuriate those who crave closure.

9. A book that you actually dreamed about.

I did once actually dream that I was sent a Hogwarts invitation. Then I woke up. Life’s cruel.

10. A book monster that you would not want to find under your bed.

Taking this quite literally, I’ll go with the title character in A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. Firstly, Jim Kay’s illustrations make him pretty darn intimidating (see above) but also if you’ve read the book and know why the monster visits Conor, you’d agree that it’s not something anyone would want to be dealing with.

—

Thanks for reading. I tag YOU! :)

 

Poet’s Lament

Black is to the night

as pain is to the poet

like wisps of smoke

solidified on paper,

heartache carried home

on pathways of ink,

sorrow’s second chances

in semblances of wisdom

to spare a kindred spirit –

reject The Fates’ embrace.

Victory

Extension of respect –

No more call for bloodshed

in wasted shades of

red,

orange,

yellow,

green,

blue,

indigo, or

violet –

Humanity’s triumph,

peace on the horizon.

Indie Pride Day

Any writer, let alone an indie one, will likely know the struggle of being noticed when you’re merely a drop of water in a vast ocean. That’s why days like this are great, as we – as both readers and writers – can all show our support to each other.

Below are synopsises and links for each of my three releases thus far. Thank you to anyone who checks them out. Happy reading!

—

Seeking Solace

Seeking Solace

Seeking Solace is a collection of sixty poems that span a variety of topics and touch on universal aspects of modern life, from nature and war to friendship, love and grief, with many others in between.

From the very air we breathe to the wholly make-believe, regardless of whether inspiration has come from the world around us or the most whimsical of dreams, the one common thread that unites them all is a desire to create poetry that is both approachable and relatable.

Find it on: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

—

False Awakening

False Awakening

When teenager Abi Watson wakes in a hospital bed with no memory of the incident that put her there, she must begin the long and difficult process of piecing her life back together, but unfortunately, her search for answers will merely give rise to further questions.

Frayed relationships and haunting revelations soon come into play, leading Abi to discover that some things are best left forgotten. With a past that is unwilling to let go, her only option is to delve into the depths of her own mind so that she can uncover the truth and finally awaken from her living nightmare.

Find it on: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

—

The Vessel

The Vessel

Savaged by disease and riots, the world has descended into a state of chaos. Amidst the desperate remains of humanity, the American government has resorted to extreme measures to try and repopulate their now depleted country but one unwilling subject of their ruthless actions will not suffer in silence.

Escaping from a facility at the heart of their experiments, Eva Cole’s nightmare is far from over. Hunted at every turn, she must fight to survive so that she can expose the truth.

Find it on: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

June in Books

books, books, books!

I managed to read 10 books throughout the month of June, which I’m really happy with. This number was comprised of 6 novels, a collection of short stories, a poetry anthology and 2 graphic novels, bringing my grand total for the year so far to 54. I’m also really pleased that I managed to fit a good amount of variety in there again in terms of the genres and mediums covered.

I finished my periodic, ongoing re-read of the Chronicles of Narnia series, which was my first return to the books since childhood, so that was a nice tick on the bucket list. The real highlight of the month for me though was definitely Alice and the Fly by James Rice. It was one of the best fictional explorations of mental health and acceptance that I’ve read in a long time, so it comes highly recommended from me.

Here’s to more great reads in July!

—

How are you getting on with your reading goals? Any standout reads in June?

Echo

image source

Just call me Echo

My heart a hollowed vessel

Calling out your name.

Archives

I have mapped the constellations on your skin

freckle by freckle,

those oceans of perfect imperfections

will guide a lost heart home.

Burning in the mind’s eye

through darkest bouts of separation,

a history of touches

to nourish a suffering soul.

Too Many Books?

Can you really have too many books?

*Stands up* My name is Callum and I’m addicted to buying books.

Okay, on a more serious note, I do have a near compulsion to buy new books even when I have shelves full of perfectly interesting reads still to get to. After having to buy another bookcase to accommodate my growing collection and receiving many more books (and a new kindle) for my birthday recently, the question as to whether you truly can have too many books seemed all the more topical.

Despite a few brief moments of guilt for spending money on books that I technically don’t need yet, I’ve decided once and for all that I shouldn’t beat myself up about it. First of all, there are much worse things in life to be addicted to than books. Reading nourishes the imagination and enriches the mind; it’s never something to be discouraged, which in itself is another good point: I’ve definitely learned this year that the more books I have to get through, the more motivated I feel to keep picking them up. So if anything, I’m merely encouraging myself to make sure I always read a decent amount.

Also, just as a point of personal preference, I don’t like feeling restricted as to what I can read or having a fixed TBR list for each month. Instead, the most exciting thing for me when I finish a book is heading back to my shelves and knowing I have a whole bunch of books from all different genres to choose from, depending on what I happen to be in the mood for at that particular moment. This freedom of choice is something I really value.

So, all in all, I don’t think there is such a thing as too many books. If I was buying them and leaving them to gather dust that would be an issue but in truth, the more I buy, the more I read and though I’m not one for maths, that seems like a pretty positive ratio to me.

—

Do you buy lots of books and stockpile them like I do or buy-as-you-read?

Turntable

image source

Crackling like cinders

A dance of rhythmic beauty

Take me from this place.

Allergic to the Letter ‘E’

writing challenge

I was kindly tagged my Melissa Barker-Simpson to take part in this frustratingly fun writing challenge, which has us write a paragraph without using the letter ‘E’ anywhere. Having been at a loss as to what to write about, I decided to write precisely about that very predicament. So, here is my entry:

—

A man sits by his laptop, staring blankly at a monitor which has stood idly in his stubborn watch for far too long. It’s only an unassuming blogging task – how could it possibly birth such a bout of dumfounding block to all logic. Alas, that blinking cursor taunts with its flashing joy. But snubbing a loss, this man will hunt victory with words; small in many minds, possibly, but crucial for his own sanity.

—

Here are the rules:

1) Write a whole paragraph (a paragraph sounds easy right?) without any word containing the letter “e” (still easy?)

2) By reading this you are already signed up.

3) Challenge at least five bloggers to do the challenge. They must do it within 24 hours or it is considered as failure.

4) If you fail or pass, suffer in the Page of Lame.

5) If you win, wallow in the Page of Fame.

—

I’m making it an open tag because, yes, let’s face it, it’s the easier option ;) but also because I found this a surprisingly worthwhile exercise and want to encourage you all to give it a go.