Category Archives: book reviews

Dystopian Forrest’s and the Merrily Method

Posted on February 21, 2022 by Mark Hayes

I’m not a great believer in self-help books… I always find them a suspicious offering. I suspect the only selves ever really helped are the ones selling the books. Which is ultimately the point of them, to make money. It … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, druidry, fiction, humour, indie, indie novels, indie writers, reads, sci-fi, steampunk, supernatural, Uncategorized | Tagged amreading, books, distopian, reads, sciencefiction, steampunk, writers, writerslife, writingtips | 6 Comments

Micro Fictions

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Mark Hayes

I don’t like micro fiction. I say this not to denigrate it as entertainment or indeed as an art form. It is simply a personal thing. If pushed as to why I don’t like it then I will admit that … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, dystopia, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, Harvey Duckman, horror, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, opinion, reads, Uncategorized | Tagged amreading, bookblog, books, flashfiction, Harvey Duckman, reads, writerslife, writing | 2 Comments

Echo’s of Lovecraft

Posted on January 12, 2022 by Mark Hayes

Back at the end of November I reviews a novel by Keith Healing called ‘The Burnt Watcher‘, I was, you may recall, quite taken with it, and the post cataclysm world in which it took place. Not least because it … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, cthulhu, dreamlands, goodreads, horror, indie, indie novels, indie writers, Lovecraft, reads, steampunk, supernatural, writes | Tagged amreading, bookblog, bookreview, cthulhu, indiebooks, Lovecraft, reads | 3 Comments

Bohemians of the Severn

Posted on December 30, 2021 by Mark Hayes

Gloucestershire is, I have come to believe, a strange place. Maybe it’s something to do with the waters of the Severn, or the wind blowing out of the Malvern hills, or maybe it’s something in the soil and the roots … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, big questions, book reviews, books, indie, indie novels, indie writers, opinion, pagan, reads, supernatural | Tagged amreading, bookreview, books, indiebooks, magic, reads, romance, supernatural | 4 Comments

The Talented Child Dilemma

Posted on December 29, 2021 by Mark Hayes

I’m a little tired and world wherry when it comes to ‘talented child’ stories. This may seem a little harsh, indeed it is, but as the basis for a plot it has been around along time, particularly in fantasy, sciFi … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, indie, indie novels, indie writers, novels, reads, steampunk, supernatural | Tagged amreading, bookblog, books, reads, steampunk, writer, writers, writerslife, writing | 6 Comments

The Other Elves…

Posted on December 13, 2021 by Mark Hayes

Lord of the Rings, was perhaps the greatest mythological whitewashing job ever undertaken. The works of Old Grandpapa Tolkien drew heavily on Nordic, Germanic and to a lesser extent Celtic mythology, though it changed a great deal in doing so. … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, druidry, Europe, fantasy, fiction, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, mythos, novels, reads, Uncategorized | Tagged amreading, books, darkages, fantasy, indiebooks, reads | 5 Comments

Books of the year

Posted on December 7, 2021 by Mark Hayes

It may be slightly early, as there is a fair chance I’ll read a couple more before the end of the year, but now seems as good a time as any to do my annual Passing Place Blog Books Of … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, book reviews, books, humour, indie, indie novels, indie writers, indiefriday, indiewriter, sci-fi, steampunk, supernatural | Tagged amreading, books, goodreads, newbooks, newfiction, newreads, reads, steampunk, writer, writers, writerslife | 1 Comment

Illuminating observations of the perils of an indiscreet life…

Posted on December 5, 2021 by Mark Hayes

For reasons, that have never been explained to me, at Pudsey (the small town between Leeds and Bradford and somewhat merged into both these days), in the large park behind the swimming pool, just up past the aviary, this is, … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, book reviews, books, druidry, fiction, goodreads, indie novels, indie writers, indiewriter, pirates, reads, steampunk, supernatural, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, books, childhood, druidry, druids, fantasy, reads, steampunk, steampunk fantasy, writers, writerslife, writing | 5 Comments

A touch of yellow…

Posted on November 30, 2021 by Mark Hayes

Those who have followed my blog previously will know that aside from the odd post about writing in general, book reviews, talking about my own work, and the occasional pondering on the inner workings of the universe, mental health and … Continue reading →

Posted in amreading, amwriting, big questions, book reviews, books, cthulhu, goodreads, horror, indie, indie novels, indie writers, novels, reads, rites, sci-fi, steampunk, supernatural, Uncategorized, writes, writing | Tagged amreading, books, horror, newbooks, newfiction, newreads, reads, steampunk, supernatural, writer, writers, writerslife, writing, writingtips | 3 Comments

Five years of Passing Place

Posted on November 29, 2021 by Mark Hayes

Five years ago my personal favourite of my novels, and the one I will grudgingly admit to being most proud of Passing Place was release. I say grudgingly because all my novels are little slithers of my soul and, excepting … Continue reading →