Yesterday, May 4th (so also a belated Happy Star Wars Day, May The Fourth Be With You), was Free Comic Book Day, an annual event where comic stores offer a selection of comics that customers can take for free (some ask for a small donation) to help promote their business and promote the key titles […]
Category: Books

Red Earth and Pouring Rain – Vikram Chandra
Aprils Close Encounters “Books Without Pictures” book was Red Earth and Pouring Rain by Vikram Chandra. Red Earth and Pouring Rain, on its surface, is the tale of a young Indian man, Aphay, who having returned to India from America, shoots a monkey who regularly visits his parental home for food, however, a spirit is […]

The Killing Joke
This week we were given a glimpse of what is in store for us in the new Joaquin Phoenix led “Joker”, an origin of the titular Batman villain. The film is set in 1981 and shows us failed stand-up comedian Arthur Fleck who through a variety of events becomes the Joker. Here’s the trailer in […]

Neverwhere – Neil Gaiman
Neverwhere was the Close Encounters “Books Without Pictures” book club for March-April (as in we read it in March, meet in April). The meeting was originally scheduled for April 3, but had to be re-scheduled due to illness. So, we’re were going to meet tonight, April 10th, but I’ve been unable to go for family […]

Malaterre (Part One) by Pierre-Henry Gomont
Malaterre tells the tale of Gabriel Lasaffre, a man whom I’d label as a functioning alcoholic, who at the very beginning of the book dies of a heart attack. For the rest of the tale his story is told by a friend and business partner. We’re told how Gabriel dreams of buying back the jungle […]

The Psychology of Zelda: Linking Our World to the Legend of Zelda Series
Before we start, I’m never one for reading books of this sort, I have no background in the field of psychology either, but how can we grow if we dont try something new? besides, its about The Legend of Zelda so I thought I’d give this a try, “The Psychology of Zelda…” is a collection of […]

Day of the Triffids – John Wyndham
I recently joined a book club being run at my local comic books store (Close Encounters in Bedford) and our read for February (for our meeting on 6th March) was Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham. Before I continue, this is the first time I’ve read it and I’ve never seen either the recentish […]