Evening all, welcome to my latest blog.

As we approach the end of another year, and we reflect upon the last 12 months, I wanted to focus on something positive. And as a writer and avid reader, what better way to reflect than to talk about my favourite books of the past year.

These are no means books which have been published in 2017, but simply ones I have had the pleasure of reading this year.

Presented in the order my top 5 reads of 2017…

Reading the Palms of Dolls by Drew Forest

http://amzn.eu/6XAR37k

Set in October 1994, Reading the Palms of Dolls follows the adventure of a young boy named Jesse, who suffers from a debilitating condition called Scopophobia; the fear of being looked at or being seen. On his sixteenth birthday he finds the courage to escape his prison-like home and embarks on a surreal road trip. Here is my review from earlier in the year: Drew Forest is a masterful story teller. Clear evidence self-published authors are the future. Reading the Palms of Dolls is an enchanting, intelligent tale of Jesse – a boy who suffers from a debilitating condition called scopophobia; a condition which leaves him with a paralysing fear of being looked at. Having been held prisoner his whole life by an abusive, overbearing mother, on his sixteenth birthday he finally finds the courage to escape the prison that is his bedroom, with the help of a paper mache mask to give him confidence to face the world. Once out in the world he meets teenage tear away, Rabbit. A goth girl who runs errands dealing drugs for the Father. The Father offers sanctuary to lost souls and Rabbit agrees to take Jesse to him. But once in this sanctuary for the lost and found not all is what it seems.

The writing is pure poetry. The story is unique and intelligent- I have never read anything like it. Quite simply: you must read this book.

Reading the Palms of Dolls is the follow-up to Drew’s debut novel The Corpse Rooms. And he has published a third novel, Malevolent Flesh (both of which are brilliant books), but Reading the Palms of Dolls remains my favourite of Drew’s works to date.

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

That’s right, folks. You read correctly… For the most part, I tend to avoid jumping on bandwagons if I can help it. As such was my approach to one of the most famous books published this century on its initial release. I’m not going to talk about this one too much, there probably isn’t anything I can say which hasn’t already been said. But, I essentially picked this up from a local charity shop, more from the lack of having something to read at the time. I thought what the hell, lets see what all the fuss was about. It’s clear to see why Dan Brown is a best-selling author; he has a no-nonsense, simplistic, fast pace style of story telling. He also took advantage of my love of history by using it as the back drop for his most famous novel. I have to admit, I am now a fan of Mr Brown’s Robert Langdon series, having snapped up copies of the other books – although I’m still waiting on Origin to be released in paperback before I read that one.

11.22.63 by Stephen King

I had a bit of a falling out with the King of horror when I read the Tommyknockers in the summer of 2016. To be frank, it was dreadful and I couldn’t bring myself to reach the end. I figured Mr King had reached his peak with Misery and didn’t have anything new to offer. But, I was intrigued with the premise  of 11.22.63. It was the time-travel element which interested me, but it was, as with most of Stephen King’s books, the characters that really draw you in. There was even the added bonus of the novel featuring (even if briefly) the return of the town of Derry and two of the characters from It. I love this novel and it rekindled a love for Stephen King. A fantastic, gripping story – King is truly on top form with this one.

The final two books are a double-whammy..

Horror in the Woods and The Demonic by Lee Mountford.

http://amzn.eu/1v4Krgp

http://amzn.eu/dvyrGfq

Lee Mountford, like Drew Forest, is a self-published horror writer from the north of England. His debut novel, Horror in the Woods, is as the title suggests. It is clear from Lee’s writing he is a avid fan of the horror genre, and his first outing pays homage to classics such Text Chainsaw Massacre and the Devils Rejects, there is also an element of the most recent Resident Evil video game. Check out my review: Lee Mountford takes the cabin in the woods style horror to the next level with a blend of Texas Chainsaw, Devil’s Rejects and even (in my opinion) Resident Evil 7. The story, follows two couples on a hiking retreat who stumble across a seemingly abandoned cabin in the woods. Only the cabin isn’t abandoned, it’s inhabited by a family of deranged cannibals. And the poop hasn’t even begun to hit the fan. Yes, we’ve seen this story before, but Lee’s fast-paced, thrilling story telling keeps you on edge. There is plenty for the gorge hounds, without being too over the top, which showcases a story telling talent rather than trying to simply gross out the reader to stay interesting.

Lee then follows-up cannibal, cabin in the woods style horror, with a good old fashioned ghost-story in the Demonic. I must say, I don’t think there has been a story of haunting so terrifying since the Shining. Here is what I had to say: Danni Morgan returns to Bishops Hill after she inherits her late, estranged father’s farm house – the house she grew up in and fled, never to look back, as a teenager. She returns with her family to handle the estate, but ends up not only battling her personal demons, but also those of a literal sense. Lee Mountford is a masterful story teller, building layer upon layer of tension and drama leading to an explosive conclusion. Lee slowly draws you in with a beckoning hand which suddenly grips you by the throat and doesn’t let go. If you have read Lee’s previous novel, Horror in the Wood, it is easy to see how the two stories link in to a wider, shared universe, which I can’t wait to explore further.

Lee is working on his third novel currently entitled Tormented. If his previous two books are anything to good by, Tormented will not disappoint.

 

So, that wraps things up for another year. I can’t praise the aforementioned books enough, especially the work of Drew Forest and Lee Mountford. It’s a tough business being a writer and even tougher being self-published. Their works are incredible achievements and stand-out from the crowd.

In early January I will begin posting previews of my forthcoming novella, Where the Darkness Reigns.

Until then, all the best and stay safe.

 

Duncan