The False River by Nick Holdstock

 

I think somewhere within us, you could probably chart it back to childhood's fairy tales, there's an expectation that stories will have a happy ending. The hero or heroine may struggle through loss and hard times, but when they reach the final page their ending will be happy. Well, not here.  


In this collection of twelve short stories, Nick Holdstock brings us a glimpse of a world where it seems like if something can go wrong, it will. The characters struggle with loss, anger, ill health, or just the weight of day to day life, and circumstances thwarting their hopes of happiness. Somewhere, I felt, they'd all had a chance of a better life, but missed out.

The last story, The Curve of the Heavens, takes a step to the side, inviting the reader behind the scenes, so to speak, letting them see how the story is crafted, the characters moved around, good and bad luck distributed, and destiny decided by an omnipotent author. Here for once there's a happy ending of sorts, but my favourite was the preceding one, The Slope, about a young pianist determined to enjoy music (and, by extension, life) and leave the hard bits for another day.

Holdstock's prose is sparse. He writes as if watching his characters from a distance, uninvolved other than as an observer, but still building empathy for them in the reader.

I first read this book a few months ago but the overall mood seemed sad, and I wasn't in the right personal place for sad stories. Looking through the list of 'read but not reviewed' books I realised it had somehow slipped through and revisited it. I still found a lot of sadness, of life going pear-shaped, of missed opportunities, but this time, from a better personal position, I saw people still trying to hang onto hope despite everything. One of the characters describes them as "Broken people ill-treated by life who still cannot give up" - and I can't put it better.

Picks 2019

My reading/reviewing took a knock last year, and I haven't read anything like the number of books I usually would. As a result, I haven't gone for a full Top Ten of the year (also, you might note, I'm late posting this). Anyway, here we are, with some of my favourite books of 2019





Stillicide by Cynan Jones. Breath-catching, heart-wrenching, stunning - a series of self-contained but linked short stories set in a bleak, not-too distant, future where providing water to big cities requires military precision and armed guards. Although it's a long step from Jones' previous works set in rural Wales, there's the same precision and attention to detail, his ability to get inside a character's head and create living, breathing people is just the same.






The Sea Within Me by Sarah Dobbs. More dystopian sci-fi, this time in an England threatened by rising sea-levels and terrorists. In grim, beleaguered Newark by the Sea, the government is trialing a scheme to combat crime and fear which erases anything unpleasant from people's minds - a way to keep the population happy, or a form of mind control?







The 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' vibe continues with Bridget Collins' The Binding. A gripping tale of betrayal and hidden secrets set in a vaguely Victorian setting, unhappy memories are gathered by a form of magic, and bound into books. When Emmett is apprenticed as a bookbinder, he starts to uncover his own hidden memories - and his view of the world changes completely.





And The Wind Sees All by Gudmundur Andri Thorsson Another collection of short stories, this time fitting together like a jigsaw puzzle to paint a portrait of the inhabitants of an Icelandic fishing village. At a cursory view they seem happy, respectable, comfortable in their life and ways, but behind the smiling faces heartache, betrayal and deceit lurk.









My last pick - Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield - is a bit of a cheat as I also included it in last year's 'best of' list; it was only available then as an e-book, now it's in 'proper' book form. It's an astounding piece of storycraft - a tale as much about the stories we tell ourselves to make sense of the frequently puzzling world, as it is about a girl rescued from the river one dark, stormy night.

The Sea Inside Me by Sarah Dobbs

I've been reading a little 'off piste' recently, ignoring review books in favour of catching up with those I've bought myself, so here's the first of them - The Sea Inside Me by Sarah Dobbs.


I picked this up when I was at the Unthology 11 launch in Norwich (both are published by Unthank Books). I read Sarah Dobbs' debut novel Killing Daniel a few years ago and have been looking out for more by her since then, dystopian post-apocalypse novels seem to fit my mood at the moment, and (always important) the cover appealed, so I treated myself.


The story is set in a future Britain, where people seem to live in an almost siege-like state; under attack from the sea which has made great inroads on the land (Newark-by-the-Sea is presumably Newark-on-Trent which currently lies a long way inland) and from terrorists. Newark is being used as a pilot scheme of a new way to combat crime and fear by erasing victims' memories. Audrey is a Processing Officer dealing with the people whose minds are to be wiped, but among them is one, a girl named Candy, whose memory seems to be returning. With the scheme about to go nationwide, no one wants any hiccoughs in the process, so Audrey's superiors set her to tail Candy, and soon she's uncovering far more than she expected.

In a way reminiscent of  'The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', people have their minds wiped of anything unpleasant, but in Newark-by-the-Sea the memories aren't just of unhappy love affairs but of far more violent events, and instead of a cutsie rom-com this is a gripping thriller.

The grim, grittiness and corruption hiding beneath the shiny facade, the random terror attacks, the mind-control exercised on a more or less willing public, the fear of the sea surges that threaten Newark with alarming regularity, all add up to a disturbing view of a not-too-distant future. The world building is great, and the reader's dropped straight into this unfamiliar place that feels like a twisted, nightmarish version of somewhere you know. Newark is contrasted with the twee, cosy suburban 'middle England' world of Audrey's parents - but really the two places are similar at heart; in one bad things are erased; in the other, everyone's too polite to mention them.
As Audrey's investigation leads her into the murky underworld of Newark, violence erupts around her, and she also finds herself asking questions about her own past, and the authenticity of her memories.

I know dystopian fiction isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I loved it! If I'm drawing comparisons, I'd say it's like something Philip K Dick could have written.


Maryom's review - 5 stars 
Publisher - Unthank 
Genre - dystopian sci-fi adult fiction

Unthology 11 - edited by Ashley Stokes and Tom Vowler

We've reviewed many Unthology collections here at OurBookReviewsOnline, but previously they've all been read by The Mole. This time I, Maryom, managed to get my hands on the copy first, and I loved it! These are definitely my kind of stories; a little bit dark, enticing in their openings, engaging through the middle, and satisfying at the end - even when that ending is devastatingly sad.

In the introduction the editors encourage us to look beyond our everyday horizons, 'down that alleyway at twilight, into some barely lit building, its unknowable corners', for this is where these stories take place, on the margins of everyday life. Take notice of those people you might normally pass without a second glance, taking their presence for granted - the hospital workers, museum interpreters, farm workers, teens hanging out in an old caravan - they've all a story to tell, and it won't be the one you're expecting. Love, when it appears, is secretive, illicit or unrequited; not the stuff of romantic fiction. The overall tone is undoubtedly dark, so stir clear if you like your fiction feel-good and up beat.

I wouldn't fault any of the stories, but two stood out for me. Bloodstock by Paul Davenport-Randell, a tale of modern slavery, and Richard Smyth's The Berg, which introduced me to Erasmus Darwin's theory of how to combat climate change.


The Unthologists are -

Nick Holdstock
Sarah Dobbs
Paul Davenport-Randell
Angela Readman
George Sandison
Regi Claire
Richard Smyth
Georgina Parfitt
Rachael Smart
Jude Cook

Maryom's review - 5 stars 
Publisher - Unthank 
Genre - Adult contemporary fiction, short stories

Unthology 11 - book launch

We'd been planning in a vague way of going to Norfolk for a few days, but couldn't settle when or where, then fate took a hand, in the form of a Facebook event notification for the launch of Unthank Books' latest short story collection - Unthology 11 - to be held in Norwich. It wouldn't be quite fair to say the whole break was planned round it, but it did give some focus to our plans. We picked a BnB midway between Cromer and Norwich, spent the day at the coast, and headed into town for the evening.







Most of the book launches I've been to, possibly all, have been held in book shops. Unthank had chosen somewhere rather different; The Bicycle Shop, a quirky delightful restaurant, which no longer sells bikes :) 














The event was held downstairs, in a room lit by twinkling fairy lights and candles. I loved it!






Proceedings were opened by co-editor Ashley Stokes who read a few words from his introduction to Unthology 11,

"What would it take to push you to the edge? And beyond? The moth that flutters round a bulb. The echo of long-drinking that hums inside your head. Your softness against all that hardness. The reflections of the glass megalith. The darkening street beneath a line of magnolia trees. The leaves of the apple tree freckled with rot. A black and ragged looking bird. One of those planes that pulls paper letters behind it. Thick, sibilant words that make your mouth water just hearing them. The scuzzy streets of Archway, where no one cares who you are. Welcome to the hinterland. Welcome to Unthology 11."

I've read my review copy of Unthology 11, and the stories definitely take the reader to strange places hidden almost in plain sight, lurking just behind the facade that people present to the world.

Rachael Smart

Being the launch of a book of short stories there was more than one author on hand to read their work - in fact, there were four, which gave a real feel for the varied writing styles and subject matter.
First up was Jude Cook reading from his short story The Night Nurse, followed by Georgina Parfitt with her Christmassy tale Wise Man.

Paul Davenport Randell

 A short break gave me time to browse the collection of Unthank books on sale, and buy a copy of Sarah Dobbs' second novel, The Sea Within Me (it's a stunner; something Philip K Dick could have written, and she also has a story in this Unthology). Something about the lighting changed during this break, so I could take photographs of the two writers still due to 'perform' - Rachael Smart - Various Cuts of a Holstein -  and Paul Davenport Randall, who rounded off the evening with some of his story of modern slavery, Bloodstock.

Review of Unthology 11 here 

Unveiled: the First Unthank School Anthology edited by Ashley Stokes and Stephen Carver

When cuts closed down the local university creative writing group, Unthank Books stepped into the rescue setting up its own 'school'; initially a face-to-face workshop in Norwich, but now expanded to online courses. It's now been running for a little over ten years, and, proud of their students' work, the tutors decided it was time to collate some of it into a book. They asked for submissions from former and current students, and chose these fifteen pieces from over fifty contenders.

Nicola Perry; Lost Lessons of Imaginary Men
Sabine Meier; Walls
Susan Allott; Interference
Jose Varghese; In Control
Jax Burgoyne; Writer
Nicholas Brodie; The Red King
Carey Denton; No Second Chance
Claudie Whittaker; Ideas I am Sending on Holiday
Jacqueline Gittins; To Sudden Silence Won
Victoria Hattersley; The Lantern Man
Zoe Fairtlough; Zoldana
Lorraine Rogerson; The Shadow of Moths
Marc Owen Jones; Killing Coldplay
Lloyd Mills; Shizuko


What you have here is something slightly different to the standard collection of stand-alone short stories - while some fit that description, others are excerpts from novels needing a short introduction to the piece, and perhaps leaving the story and characters just as you were getting interested.
The writers come from varied backgrounds - some through the academic creative writing route, others having followed other careers before beginning to write - and the style, content and setting vary as much. Sci-fi sits next to a family saga, 1930s Ireland next to a contemporary drug dealers' den.
Some I felt worked better than others - obviously those written as complete stories but also the extracts which reached, if not a conclusion, a natural break.

There are many authors to watch out for, and stories I want to hear the end (and middle) to, but if I had to pick out a couple ... 

John Down' s Roads -  which follows events spiraling out of control after a hit and run accident. An extract from his first novel, British Teeth, it's tense and crazy and immediate, puts the reader in the heart of a burgeoning riot, or sitting calmly talking to the dead boy as if it's the most normal thing in the world. I can't find trace of the full novel being published yet, but I hope it is soon.

Killing Coldplay by Marc Owen Jones is one of the complete stories. Stefan has come to London to find out about his father's past obsession with punk. He believes it to be about the exterior display - Mohican  hair cuts, and safety pin piercings - till he discovers the music. I'm not into punk but I recognised that feeling of raw energy that takes over in a deafening rock venue. 

No Second Chance by Carey Denton is another 'proper' short story. An argument between sisters over what to do with their parents' ski chalet (a huge sum has been offered for it) re-awakens forgotten dreams, long since swallowed by 'life' and the choices forced on us by careers, family, houses and cars.

OK, that's three, not a couple, and I could probably list more, but read it for yourself and see if you can spot the next big publishing semsation.


Beware if you're hunting online for this book. I pick up the cover image that way, through that big online store, and searching by title alone brings up some very interesting and 'exotic' alternatives, a bit like 1950s' sci-fi movie posters. Don't be distracted by those. You're looking for the cover image shown above - black, white and striped diamonds in a quilting Tumbling Blocks pattern; an appropriate image for a short story collection as each story is complete in itself, as is a small quilters' block, but assembled correctly they form a new pattern.

If you're interested in writing courses, you can find out more about the Unthank Writing School here

Maryom's review - 4 stars 
Publisher - Unthank 
Genre - Adult contemporary fiction, short stories

Unthology 10 edited by Ashley Stokes and Robin Jones

Review by The Mole

Unthology 10 is, once again, a carefully and cleverly collated mix of short stories through which a trail can be followed, a trail of change. In each story we see a character touched by an incident that changes them - mostly for the better. This Unthology is, like the nine before it, the sum of it's parts - and if you construct using only the best parts then the result has got to be something special and this, once again, excels. The crafting that went into each of these stories is excellent. Well done once again Unthank in finding the very best and putting together yet another brilliant Unthology anthology.

Highly recommended coffee time reading - except you may find one story is not enough.

In Rosa and Kelsey (by Kathryn Simmonds), Matthew had agreed to share childcare but he doesn't have 100% buy-in to the idea. A chance encounter in a park causes him to think again.

Ursa Minor (by K M Elkes) tells of Jack and Carrie, a young couple, who wish to start a family but things aren't happening when they have a chance encounter with a bear in the woods. Jack feels he needs to address the bear issue once and for all.

In One For The Ditch (by Brian Coughlan) a drunk encounters an alcoholic and, despite protestations of not knowing him, the reader is left to re-eveluate their relationship.

Blowhole (by Tom Vowler) is a letter from Susie, who finds herself in an abusive relationship but feels she must carry on despite her dreams of being a mother probably never coming to fruition.

In Cafeteria (by Jay Merill) a child's mother shows kindness to a woman, known to be a prostitute, and the child observes and learns from the encounter, trying to emulate all that is good.

Tenth Circle (by Liam Hogan) deviates from the theme and shows how, even though centuries may pass, certain attitudes and beliefs remain unchanged. And it laces the tail with humour. Nice one!

When Nature Calls (by Gareth E Rees) also has a sad smile to it but a lesson is learned that defying nature is rarely successful.

The Best Way to Kill a Butterfly (by Hannah Stevens) brings out the worst in people and we learn a little of why Michael left.

Confessions of an Irresolute Ethnic Writer (by Elaine Chiew) sees the writer have a brush with mythology... or does he?

Household Gods (by Tracy Fells) tells the story of a mans loves for his mother and the wife it was arranged he should marry. But does he love his wife?

A Moment Could Last Them Forever (by Daniel Carpenter) tells of a sort of medium who gets invested rather more than usual in a case - a case she believes she's failing in.

Take Away the Sky (by Mark Mayes) sees a man, alone, set to take his own life when he has an epiphany and takes comfort from a phone number he will never use.

In Livestock (by Valerie O'Riordan) a vet's daughter sees herself in a young girl who is seemingly running away and wonders why she felt so different.

End Times (by Maxim Loskutoff) tells of a woman who struggles to come to terms with the fact that her injured dog won't live, while her husband has already given up.

Publisher - Unthank Books
Genre - Adult short story anthology 

Some Of Us Glow More Than Others by Tania Hershman

Review by The Mole

Broken down into seven small collections of stories this book came as a surprise to me - but not for that. The stories vary in length from just a few lines to several pages and while unusual not to have average length stories of several pages that too was not what surprised me.

In trying to say what surprised me about this book it could be construed that it is superior to other collections I've read - but it's not. It's different - in a good way but just very different.

The surprise came in the writing style. The writing is for the main part almost like reading poetry while definitely being prose but making all the stories feel soft and lyrical whatever the subject matter. A really easy read that you can pick up for coffee time, read a few pieces and then put the book down again.

Many of the stories are about science and/or scientists (Tania Hershman is a former science journalist) but, before that puts you off, it contains zero science except a few words that are designed to impress (but not you) other characters in stories.

But it also achieves everything I like in a short story - it stops short of telling you everything and lets you finish it the way you would like.

A really excellent collection of short stories that you are sure to enjoy and if you're unsure about the genre then this is an excellent place to start.

Publisher - Unthank Books
Genre - Adult short story anthology 


Some of the author's work has been featured and/or performed on Radio 4.

Unthology 9 - Edited by Ashley Stokes and Robin Jones

Review by The Mole

This, the latest, anthology feels like a deviation from the style of the earlier ones - but that doesn't lessen the quality of the collection or each of the stories in the group of 17.

We start with the atmospheric telling of a dream-like narration of a suicide by drowning - but within that we learn something of that has brought them to this.

The next tells of an old man's journey through life and his search for something from his childhood for one last time.

So the collection has what would normally be  very dark theme - in fact "The End" would be an appropriate subtitle for this collection. But most of the stories aren't dark and they don't, in anyway shape or form, glamorise death.

As Linda Was Buying Tulips, About Time  and Traffic are complete steps away from the theme and You May As Well Give Up Trying To Make Something Of Yourself makes you wonder and left me later thinking "What did happen there?".

My real favourite deals in life and death in a manner I've never read before and left me wondering about Ego and the Surgeon - In Rehearsal by Sarah Evans.

Each story can be read in a coffee break and give you something to think about and waiting for another cuppa.

The collection returns to suicide by drowning but the circle we have come does not fully close itself.

A really spellbinding collection of stories once again with appeal to even those of us who don't like dark themes.

Publisher - Unthank Books
Genre - Adult short story anthology 

Glass Mother by Rosie Jackson

Review by The Mole

Rosie Jackson grew up with a drive to succeed and a love of books. This led to her teaching at the very prestigious University of East Anglia, meeting and working with many household names. Clearly she had 'made it' but was it everything she expected and desired?

This feels like a very cathartic work with honesty and detail that many will relate to at some point. There is much I could say about this work that will have you rushing away saying 'No, not for me' - in fact there are parts that would have had me saying the same but nothing put me off finishing this work.

There were parts that had me looking back at my life and perhaps understanding better some of the things in my own family. There are reminiscences where she is condemned by media people as a bad mother although they were not interested in her side of events - hopefully everyone who condemned her will take time to read this narrative and reflect on their own bigotry.

I feel this is an important work on how women are treated by partners, strangers and media alike as well as a major condemnation of mental health support services.

Read this and reflect on how you might have perceived and reacted to the biographer if you hadn't read it first.

Publisher - Unthank Books
Genre - Autobiography, memoir

Unthology 2 edited by Ashley Stokes and Robin Jones

Review by The Mole

With reading Unthology 2 I can now say I have read the Unthology anthologies up to the latest one. And enjoyed every story (at some level) in every one.

In this collection we get a true flavour of what  is to come in the future books, unthologically speaking.

A failed stag night in Prague, a failed society and lifts, a failed help line call, a failed support meeting... We start to see a trend and while the trend between tales changes with each book in the Unthology series, it's as strong in book 2 as it is in the very latest.

What surprised me most was 'Siramina' by M Pinchuk - not so much as a story or outcome but it's style as being so reminiscent of the stories from the very much later short story collection from Unthank that is THE END: FIFTEEN ENDINGS TO FIFTEEN PAINTINGS in fact it could almost have been written for it!

Yes, I am biased when it comes to short stories (particularly the choices of the Unthank editors) because I love the variety of styles and the hanging endings that leave you wanting to know more. This is another for any collector of short stories - a definite must.

Publisher - Unthank Books
Genre - Adult short story anthology 

The End - Fifteen Endings to Fifteen Paintings - edited by Ashley Stokes

Review by The Mole

The inspiration behind the short stories in this collection is the artwork of Nicolas Ruston. Fifteen different paintings were created together, all in the same medium and all with one thing in common - they all featured the words "The End". Unthank then charged fifteen authors with coming up with the stories behind those paintings.

An image of the painting appears before the start of each story and its sub title - the story's  title - is added on replacing the number the artist originally gave the piece. The book was launched at an exhibition of the paintings in Norwich earlier this month with readings from some of the authors and even wine - The End Wine - in bottles featuring the images of the paintings and quotations from the stories. Sadly it was a launch I could not attend despite being one I would have loved to.

The first story in the collection reflects on what endings are. With each painting resembling the final scene in an old black and white movie it's easy to imagine what an ending might be, but why be constrained by expectations? - step outside of it and explore other endings - and being from the stable of Unthology that's exactly what these tales do.

Each of these works is a big step away from the other fourteen in both style and content and while melancholy is frequently a major factor it is presented in so many different ways. Being an Untholoholic I expected great things of this book and was not disappointed.

I often reflect on my favourite short story in any anthology - in this case I had fifteen so we won't go into too much detail.

• Loose Ends reflects on the many kinds of ending that there can be but then the other writers add to that list.
• The Slyest of Foxes is the story of an 'incomer' to a small community with insights to share.
• If you have a heart of stone you won't be moved by Coup De Grace - it was a little too close to real for me.
• Perturbation was a style that surprised me in a good way with a story I suspected the end to but found I wasn't quite right.
• Ariel... we've all been there but perhaps don't realise it.
• Chaconne in G Minor is a story of loss that captures that emotion brilliantly.
• What Happens Next is an ironic tale of a change in life that leads to its own ending.
• Burning The Ants is a story that goes to a dark place I'd rather not go - I still loved it though.
• Harbour Lights will leave you reflecting on the depth of true love.
• Decompression Chamber... well it certainly covers endings but it's hard to say much more - another brilliant piece though.
• The Crow... a very unusual tale, a story of an end. Or is it?
• Souls... a tale of justice that will horrify and satisfy - I think.
• The Sense Of An Ending - what is going on here? What would you like to be going on here? What could be going on here?
• All The TVs In Town - a story to creep you out quite a lot and leave you checking what's on TV ...anything will do.
• Nowhere Nothing Fuck-Up... a story that will set you thinking big time.

There isn't one story that doesn't 'belong' and every one will bring something to your reading. Another brilliant idea and collection from Unthank that once again begs the question "What next?". I have seen speculation about the idea of "The End II" but it's difficult to see how it could be as great as this - but this publisher has surprised me too often in the past.

Publisher - Unthank Books
Genre - Adult short story anthology 

Contributors - AJ Ashworth, Gordon Collins, Ailsa Cox, Michael Crossan, Sarah Dobbs, Tania Hershman, Zoe Lambert, Dan Powell, Aiden O’Reilly, UV Ray, Angela Readman, David Rose, Ashley Stokes, Tim Sykes, Jonathan Taylor

Unthology 1 edited by Ashley Stokes and Robin Jones

Review by The Mole

Followers of the blog will know that I have a love of the Unthology series of short story anthologies. These collections are marked by two major features...

1. The first is that a theme is passed from story to story evolving as the book progresses sometimes making you wonder if the story did change or if it's your own imagination.
2. The second is that the stories are not "safe" stories but 'experimental' leaving the reader often thinking, sometimes uncomfortable but always involved.

When the opportunity presented itself to see how it all started I was delighted to take up the chance. Having heard a little of the development of the series I had heard that a relatively small number of stories were available for this, the very first Unthology, so I was very surprised to find the stories being able to progress thematically as strongly as they do, even at this early stage. In fact the first story seems to start almost where the last story finishes this time.

The stories are varied and will take you through all sorts of moods and situations but my favourite has to be Dicks Life by Maggie Ling and I find myself impressed, as with so many of these unconventional pieces, not only with the quality of the writing but the insight into the situations portrayed.

As a coffee time read these are mostly an ideal length but remember to put the book down again or coffee time could become an all day habit.

I am shortly to read No 2 and that will mean I have read the collection through to 8 and there isn't one I wouldn't recommend.

Unthology Reviews

Publisher - Unthank Books
Genre - Adult short story anthology 

The Blogger and The Independent Press by The Mole

On Friday 26th February we attended an event at Nottingham Writers' Studio entitled "The Only Way Is Indie". After coming away I started to digest everything we heard and felt that I, as a blogger, had a small voice to be heard in all of this.

The event was attended by various writers (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, memoirs etc) and small independent presses of various genres, ages, and sizes - the idea being for independent presses to put their case for submission of work to them.

One of the benefits of it has to be that the small independent is prepared to take a risk if they think that the book is really worthwhile as against the big five publishers who want "safe bets".

As reviewers we have no aspirations to writing and we do it because reading is one of the things we enjoy doing and it's from that, neutral, perspective that I am trying to express myself.

I want to address writers here as much as anything because we see a lot of books from authors of all types:- self and vanity publishing, small independent presses as well as the big five.

So you have a story, you've written it up and you've had friends and family read it and give you an honest opinion... or have you? Does your partner really believe in you and when they say "Well, it needs more work" are they really frightened that if they let you believe it's fantastic, should it fail they don't want to have that failure held against them? And the inverse of that - they tell you it's great but every publisher sends a rejection? And that goes for friends and other family members. Can you really get an HONEST opinion from them?

We receive many review requests from authors and the first thing we check is who has published it. Is it self published? Now that in itself is not a reason to reject a book - we have read quite a few self published books that were very good. Brilliant? Rarely, but maybe with work they could have been better. And proof editing... this is a subject that I find can stop me reading a book and self published books can be terrible for it. I read one for which I prepared a list of about 30 common errors - not a definitive list - and sent it the author who was very nice about it but went quiet for a while. They then came back to me and told me that he had found a product on the web that he submitted his manuscript to and it found all of mine plus more - yet he thought it was proof read. Essentially it had been a good book unlike others that were never finished and polite emails were sent explaining that "we couldn't get on with it". We are now wary about self published but we still consider them when time allows.

When you submit your manuscript to a small indie and it's taken up they are putting their money and their reputation on the line and so will work hard with you to make it as good as they can. They will have read it with an independent eye and will believe in its potential at the very start but be prepared to listen and be involved in the necessary edits and suggested changes that they raise - don't be prissy for the sake of it.

When a request comes in to us as reviewers and is published by an independent press the first thing we do is check whether we have read anything from that press before - and did we like it? And this is another point that was made at the event:- read some things from the indie that you plan on submitting to and see if (a) you like what they print and (b) if what you've written is in the same genre. If you are convinced that they are right for you then READ their submissions policy and follow it. These small presses generally have day jobs and really don't want their time wasting - and yes they generally are just one or two people.

We know quite a few indies who we like to think of as friends and I'm sure that their published authors do too. It's a great relationship for everyone BUT at the end of the day that indie, that PERSON, is putting their money into your book so please respect that. But friends or not we will always endeavour to publish an HONEST review - recently I suggested an author take the main character out for a drink and get to know them better.

Now our relationship to indies... we support indies wherever possible but we don't blanket accept books from them. We don't just accept books from anyone. We do get books delivered that we didn't agree to and if neither of us want to read it then it won't make the TBR pile but rarely will we turn round and ask for a book if it's not offered first. We both read a wide range of genres from very young children's through to literary fiction and reading the catalogue of a few presses would limit that. BUT if an indie press would like us to review one or two of theirs (even if we've reviewed some in the past) we are happy to consider it and if we say no then that doesn't mean we won't say yes to others. And we may well accept more in the future.

Getting published with an indie is certainly a start for your work, you may get rich (which the indie will appreciate as they are generally breaking even on books!), you may not, but you will learn a great deal about the industry, make some great friends and it may just lead to a contract with one of the big five somewhere down the line. But go on... make an indie rich.. for me?

The Independent Presses represented were:-
Ross Bradshaw from Five Leaves Publications Jane & Claire from Bird's Nest Books CIC Jacqueline & Martin from Stonewood Press Tracey and Phil from Wild Pressed Books Sara-Jayne Slack from Inspired Quill (Event Organiser) Dr Teika Bellamy from Mother's Milk Books (Event Organiser) Kate from Three Drops Press Emma Wright from The Emma Press Georgina from Mud Press Ashley Stokes from Unthank Books Anne McDonnell from Pewter Rose Press Stephen Holland from Page 45

Unthology 8 - Edited by Ashley Stokes and Robin Jones

Review by The Mole

The "introduction" has a subtitle of "How To Unthology" and a most interesting piece it is. It is an extract of a talk that Ashley Stokes gave the London Short Story Festival. If you read it you will understand what you need to do to attract the attention of the editors to get your short story included. But, more importantly, if readers haven't Unthologised in the past then they will get a better understanding of why they should and what they have missed out on.

The collection commences with a fictionalised and shortened extract from the life of Edvard Munch and while I enjoyed this and was moved by parts of it It did sort of feel different to the normal selection.

We then move on to "Bye Bye Ben Ali" - a story of a deluded dictator which was extremely amusing and I did wonder, a few times, if the "dictator" was just a normal although deluded person.

With The Sculptor we start a series of short stories that follow relationships progressively from merely wondering "what if" and going further forward (or backward) through the relationship life cycle and how people can be stupid enough to throw themselves on the rocks for no good reason. My very favourite in this group has to be 10,000 Tiny Pieces.

Not Drowning But Saving is a fascinating concept and while it has been taken to a ridiculous extreme (hasn't it?) it is a story that carries more than a grain of truth - well worth a read for it's own sake. Lines In The Sand had a surprise in store - as do most short stories - but one that would make you pause and think...

As Understood By Women returned to the relationship theme but put a slant on it that was an interesting observation.

And finally.. A Beautiful Noise - an ageing music agent/promoter/publicist takes a nostalgic trip to a gig but his interpretation of people takes us back to The Sculptor.

Another excellent selection of stories by these master editors - but let's not forget that they are also selecting excellent authors work - that takes the reader on a journey across life. And in this case the "life" could be the reader's own.

I found this perhaps the most addictive Unthology yet and may yet have to join Unthologyholics Anonymous.

I have read the previous 5 books in the Unthology collection and you can read their reviews here:- Unthology 3, Unthology 4, Unthology 5, Unthology 6, Unthology 7

Publisher - Unthank Books
Genre - Adult short story anthology

The Mole's pick of 2015

It always surprises me to look back over a year and see what I have read. The biggest surprise is to find books that you really did read this year, not two or three years ago and books that you enjoyed but have not thought about since.

2015 for me brought about some discoveries of new authors and new books by old favourites. Once again I cannot compare and say what order these all come in because how can you compare crime with steampunk? BUT... in Oscar tradition there is one that sticks out above all the rest - and it will come last.

On the subject of crime, once again Leigh Russell figures amongst my picks of the year with books in each of the Geraldine Steel and Ian Patterson series. Steel goes from strength to strength with Killer Plan bridging the gap between thrillers of the first three in the series and the whodunnits of the later books, while Patterson, in Blood Axe, becomes a more rounded character and one I grow to care about more.

Denzil Meyrick found his way onto my reading list this year and having read and enjoyed The Last Witness I went back and read the first two starting with Whisky from Small Glasses, the first in the series which gives a far more complete introduction to all the characters involved. I am sort of hooked on these books now and look forward to what 2016 may bring.

Regular readers to this blog will know that I am partial to short stories and 2015 was a good year for them. Of course the Unthology anthologys continue apace and are never dull or repetitious. You might think that choosing short stories would be simple but these guys manage to put them together thematically to make each story part of a bigger picture and give greater enjoyment. A must and the next collection is sitting on my TBR pile already.

Another short story find of 2015 was Refrigerator Cake by Dickson Telfer, his second collection ad every bit as good.

One find  this year was Last Bus to Coffeeville by J Paul Henderson, a harrowing account of alzheimers disease, although it is eased with lighter moments and eccentric characters. It sounds heavy going but is surprisingly light and I am so glad that I read this one.

Before I lighten the mood - and it could do with a bit of lightening - I will mention Intercept by Gordon Corera. I haven't read a lot non-fiction in 2015 but this was a must for me having seen him speak about it at Edinburgh International Book Festival. It told me nothing about the technicalities of cyber hacking that I didn't know but it explained a great deal of history about it that came as a huge surprise. Given our growing dependence on IT in today's world this, perhaps, should become compulsory reading and could lead to people taking greater care.

We can't get the mood much lighter than nominating Jane Hissey's Old Bear's Bedtime Stories for inclusion in the pick. I used to read Old Bear and his friends to our youngest and this year a new collection has been released that contains some old stories and many new ones. A book well worth keeping in your collection "in case".

The next find was The Shield Of Kuromori by Jason Rohan - a fantasy adventure that drags the reader into impossible fantasy and holds them hostage until the last page.

The last two books were from small independent publishers who we met in Nottingham. The first of these two was Greaveburn by Craig Hallam. I haven't read a lot of steampunk in recent years but this was one of the best I have ever read.

And now... the pièce de résistance... Oy Yew by Ana Salote. This is one of the most memorable books I have read and I can't tell you why but it left me wanting to see it succeed above everything I have read in a long time. If you get chance, pick up a copy and find out what I mean.

Country Life by Ken Edwards

review by Maryom

Dennis Chaikowsky is young, unemployed, currently house-sitting while his parents winter on the Costa and being forced by the Benefits and Opportunities people into taking a job in 'retail management' (shelf-stacking) the local supermarket. This isn't the real Dennis though - he is working on a musical masterpiece,  recording sounds that form the backdrop to his life, rearranging them through his computer to form his definitive work World Music parts 1-25. He's distracted from his vision by the political ramblings of his Neo-Marxist friend Tarquin, his attraction to young mother, Alison, and his fear of Alison's husband, rock musician Severin - all building to a scenario that feels like it will end in tears.

If you could ever have a mash-up of Virginia Woolf's The Waves and the film Withnail and I, this is it!
Against a backdrop of bleak, windswept coast, overlooked by the glowing nuclear power station, two rather pretentious young men plan to set the world to rights - one through music, the other though revolution - but the world, to be honest, isn't really interested, and has nice little niches prepared and waiting for them.
The countryside isn't a jolly bucolic setting for picturesque herds of cows or sheep - but a grim, depressing  place where any animals are there as 'controls' for possible nuclear contamination, and Dennis wants to get away and to the City with all the fervour of one of Chekhov's heroines. For all the bleakness, I loved Edwards' descriptive passages, the mood they evoked of a natural world that doesn't need man.
In sharp contrast, Dennis's story is more of a comedy, though very, very dark and veering closely towards tragedy at times.
At times you might wonder where the story's going, but stick with it. This is the first of Ken Edwards' work that I've read, and I'll certainly be looking out for more.

Maryom's review -  4.5 stars

Publisher - Unthank Books
Genre - Adult, literary fiction,

Between Here and Knitwear by Chrissie Gittins

review by Maryom

This collection of twenty-two, seemingly autobiographical, stories link together to build a single tale of a girl growing from childhood, through the teenage and adult years of wanting to escape from the restrictions of home and build a life of her own, to the time when roles are reversed and she now has to care for her parents into their old age.
Each story takes a moment - often of little importance in itself but which still marks a changing point in the direction life takes. The early ones are short memories of childhood, of running away and discovering a clutch of curlew eggs hidden on the moor, or of arguments between sister and brother, filled with references to the games and toys of the early 1960s. As she moves through adolescence, a family crisis looms, with her mother's nervous breakdown and frequent admissions to the local psychiatric hospital; a confusing time for all the family, not helped by health professionals who seem unwilling to explain what's happening. The years pass, the daughter and son move away to make their own lives but find themselves called back to help as ill-health now begins to wear at their father too.


 The writing style is sparse, economical with words and emotion, but still evokes an echoing feeling in the reader. The stories show the love between children and parents, and that between the parents themselves. My favourites were Power of Eternity and Upright Chair both of which deal with the difficult task of preparing the family home for sale, marking a very definite end of an era. Each story is complete in itself, and can without doubt be read as a stand-alone piece of writing, but I think the power of the collection comes from reading them together from beginning to end, seeing the overall narrative arc, how the relationship between children and parents changes over time, and the responsibility for taking care moves from one generation to the next. 

Maryom's review -  4 stars

Publisher - Unthank Books
Genre - Adult, short stories

Unthology 7 edited by Ashley Stokes and Robin Jones

Review by The Mole

"Wonderful and frightening..." but also much, much more. The fear in this collection comes in many forms. The fear that comes of recognising the danger a character faces who, even in a short story, you have become attached to; the fear of the loss of anchors that made up your childhood; the fear that the responsibility for the loss of a life could be down to your own actions from many years ago; the fear that your actions, though legitimate and well intentioned could now place your own life in jeopardy.

Each of these authors has produced (or been selected for) a work of brilliance that sort of complements at least one more in the collection and they are ordered so that you can detect a thread joining each story. This technique makes this collection potentially the least eclectic collection of the Unthology series and while the eclecticism of the previous collections was their strength in this collection the lack of it is its even greater strength. Each one is a coffee time read that doesn't involve a huge mood swing in to the next - something that I can find means I need a pause between stories.

This collection reinforces the editors' strengths in selecting stories and compiling anthologies - this isn't Unthology 6 with new stories, this IS Unthology 7 - a new selection and a new experience for the Unthology reader. More than any other collection - this is one I will pick up again and reread.

Loved it, loved it, loved it. What can they possibly do to Unthology 8?

I have read the previous 4 books in the Unthology collection and you can read their reviews here:- Unthology 3, Unthology 4, Unthology 5, Unthology 6

Publisher - Unthank Books
Genre - Adult short story anthology

Meridian by David Rose

review by Maryom

MERIDIAN is 'heteroglossia' which pulls none of its punches. It is as comfortable delivering a disquisition on the semiotics of architectural absence as it is relaying the dialogue between the builders of the conservatory next door. It is truly not glibly, multi-layered, and in its concerns asks much of its readers and by extension, of the literary forms available to the writer in the 21st. century. In a literary landscape of conformity and ardent replication, MERIDIAN is undoubtedly and confidently 'stand alone.' It also manages to be a lot of fun. That's the publisher's blurb on Amazon...
....and....
MERIDIAN: A Day in the Life with Incidental Voices reveals the inner monologue of a successful contemporary architect. A post post-modern triumph, it builds into a discourse on modern life, a distillation of the demotic and the demonic.....  
...is what it says on the publishers web-site...... now, I don't usually include these publicity write-ups, preferring my own synopsis, but this time I thought I would - because if you read my review and think you'll buy the book, you'll probably end up on one of those websites, read the blurb, and wonder if it's the same book!  Honestly, don't they make it sound a 'difficult' read, up there with Ulysses? Actually it's a far more readable, accessible book that either of those summaries might have you believe.
An architect goes about his day taking snapshots (with one of those wearable-tech gadgety things that I don't understand) every hour, on the hour, and he notes what he's doing, thinking, seeing as he goes about his daily routine, till 12 o'clock, Meridian, when the book changes to 'snapshots' of a different kind - a series of vignettes capturing what others are doing at that point in time - anyone and everyone from the drunks in the park to the Queen. As the afternoon progresses the book reverts to the architects point of view, but this time interspersed with the other characters encountered in the 'meridian' section.
It is undeniably 'literary' - it isn't plot-driven and there aren't long lengthy physical or character descriptions, for example. Imagine instead reading a diary for the day, or listening in on a series of conversations; following someone as he goes about his daily routine, eavesdrops on his musings about his work and life. Gradually a picture builds up of this man, lonely, filled with a passion for his work, but now facing an uncertain future.
The central section with its multitude of voices feels a bit like walking down a street or sitting in a cafe and overhearing conversations - sometimes so intriguing you want to stop and listen to them!
I really enjoyed this book - yes it expected a little effort on my part, didn't hand me all the facts on a plate but there's nothing wrong with that. I haven't read David Rose's previous novel, the curiously subtitled Vault: an anti-novel but on the strength of Meridian, I'll have to track it down.
Meridian is short at just over 150 pages but packs those pages with such a wide spectrum of everyday life that it feels much wider and deeper than would seem possible for its size.

Maryom's review -  5 stars

Publisher - Unthank Books
Genre - Adult, literary fiction,