Category: Book Reviews

We all know what kind of a year 2021 has been. And while 2020 was a tough one, we all felt like 2021 would be the light after that dark night. For many, it was just as rough, but I’m proud of holding my head above water and for achieving what I did this year. Now that I’m done mixing metaphors, I’ll give you the lowdown. Some of it’s personal stuff, but I beg your indulgence. – here’s a bit about my new novel too. Reading and writing challenges in 2021.

New Careers

In January of this year, I decided I wanted a career change. Not just any change either – I wanted to become a teacher. And the first time I said it aloud, I wondered why it had taken me this long to work it out. It was inevitable. In all my jobs, I’ve loved mentoring my colleagues. I’ve loved being part of training. And I’d never really gotten to grips with not having six weeks off in the summer.

I have the most supportive family in the world, and with their help and support (emotional, professional and financial) I went through all the applications and interviews required to start my PGCE. I’m now three months deep into my placement at primary school, and loving every minute. It’s hard work but I think I might have found the vocation that has eluded me thus far in my professional life. And speaking of family…

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What a horror story 2020 was eh? Who would have thought at this time last January we’d all end up living in a world of travel restrictions, infection apps and no pub. No pub! Inevitably, without my favourite writing spot, my prose turnout dropped a bit this year… But three weeks of furlough did give me time to read lots of books, and I achieved my new Reading Challenge for 2020: reading 52 books in the year.

Reading Challenge 2020

We know I like to record every book I read. It’s good to read widely and to treat reading as entertainment just as worthy of your time as gaming, scrolling and Netflix. As an author, you pick up tips and learn more about your own place in your genre (or out of it). A challenge helps to push you to read more and to try new books for new experiences.

You even got a preview of what’s been on my hit-list when I posted my mid-year reading roundup in the summer. I hope you’ll still enjoy scanning a half-interested eye down the full tally.

Challenges of 2021

I know a lot of creative people have struggled this year. In the all the upheaval and ever-changing rules, your mentality recalibrates from creative to survival mode. It’s nothing to beat yourself up about. Usually, I make resolutions for the new year. But this January all I’m resolving to do is take things as they come. I’ll roll with the punches and deal with things in a positive way that might inspire others to do the same.

Who knows, I might even squeeze some writing in. I’ve got a doozie of an idea about a Victorian séance, and it would suit chapter titles named after tarot cards…

Watch this space! And now, to our headline act, the Reading Challenge 2020.

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They’re creepy and they’re kooky – mysterious and spooky. It’s… the best goth characters in fiction.

Goths are rarely the main characters in books and films, but they’re persistent scene-stealers, grabbing attention with killer fashion sense and morbid jokes. What makes a good goth character? Well, apart from a complexion that a Victorian recluse would envy, you can expect brooding philosophies, gallows humour and decadent lifestyles, in any combination. Gothic characters are great avatars for seeing the world through a darker lens, for indulging our dark sides and for ignoring what everyone else thinks.

Let’s shadow our eyes, lose our smiles (unless there are pointed teeth behind them) and meet the best goth characters in films and books.

Wednesday Addams – The Addams Family, Charles Addams

The Addamses are all creepy and kooky, but it must be said the girls of the family fly the gothic flag the highest. But while Morticia could have topped the list with her funeral-ready chic, it’s her Wednesday that out-goths the rest of her clan.

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