read MY books
the amsterdam good murder guide
‘This is the story of how I became a serial killer. And I know that sounds bad — you hear “serial killer” and immediately you think: “bad egg”. But bear with me. I’m the exception that proves the rule. I’m a good guy, and the nicest multiple murderer in history. You’ll see…’
So begins the increasingly incendiary confession of Amsterdam tour guide, conflicted Buddhist and all-round mostly good guy, Wesley Bell. After seven years of non-violence, Wesley’s dream of a world without sociopaths is given a boost when, entirely by chance, he’s caught up in a pair of fortuitous freak fatalities. Then when yet more toxic humans cross his path, Wesley is faced with a choice: does he sit back and allow these soulless trolls to wreak their terrible havoc? Or does he take arms against a sea of misogynistic man-demons, and strike a blow for the greater good?
Try before you buy: The Amsterdam Good Murder Guide.
THE LITTLE BOOK OF SHAME
“The funniest thing I have ever read.” “Beautiful writing that often leaves you breathless.” “Obnoxious and rude ... destructive nonsense.” These are just some of the words that have been written about some of the words in The Little Book of Shame, a collection of laugh-out-loud short pieces by the man described by Sky News as “one of the most exciting new literary talents of 2009”.
Whether he’s pretending to be an old lady with a touch of the palsy; spontaneously converting to Judaism on the Charing Cross Road; sleeping in a poop-filled ditch in the middle of Spain; setting himself on fire in the middle of France; confronting religious bigotry in Amsterdam; or battling sexual thoughts on the train to Auschwitz, Karl Webster's writing is consistently hilarious and at times deeply moving.
the LIVES & LOVES OF HANA LEE
Hana Lee: concert pianist, nun, sex worker, spy. She’s read more books than anyone on Earth. She’s revered as a goddess in certain parts of Japan. She’s also, by any definition, a serial killer.
Even if most of her 250 or so victims did have it coming, all that killing was bound to take its toll, so in 2012, Hana Lee is in London looking for an exit strategy. All she has to do before she goes is make a full confession. Which is how she meets Lucia. Which is when everything changes…
The Lives and Loves of Hana Lee is an extraordinary story of female love, rage and empowerment, set against a backdrop of two hundred years of male misbehaviour. By turns explicit, shocking, darkly funny and deeply moving, its cast of characters includes Parisian courtesans, ailing Samurai, sadistic gynaecologists and Sicilian sulphur miners. It also features walk-on parts for Toulouse Lautrec, Frank Sinatra, Ernest Hemingway and Sarah Palin.
BÊTE DE JOUR / sexy beast
THE INTIMATE ADVENTURES OF AN UGLY MAN
After a lifetime of being mocked and mistreated because of the way he looked, Stan Cattermole gave himself a year to turn his life around. His prime objectives were to lose half his body weight, stop living like a recluse, and find himself a girlfriend. He started a blog to record his progress. The blog was so beautifully written and became so wildly popular that Stan was approached by a literary agent who helped him wangle a book deal. There was only one problem. Stan Cattermole did not exist. But you know what? Fuck it.
Hilarious, heart-wrenching and outrageous by turns — sometimes simultaneously — this overlooked masterpiece will have you weeping and wincing through your laughter.
No misery memoir, this is a no-holds-barred account of Stan's trials, tribulations and small triumphs, in and out of the bedroom. One part love story, one part family saga, eight parts outrageous, laugh-out-loud tragicomedy — and then, just for luck, another part love story — this ever-hopeful tale will resonate with anyone who's suffered pain and rejection, anyone who's vowed to transform their life and anyone who's ever learned to laugh in the face of adversity.
