Category Archives: CCLAP Fridays

CCLaP Fridays: The Conduct of Saints, by Christopher Davis

conductofsaintsThis week at CCLaP, I review the Conduct of Saints, by Christopher Davis, a historical novel set in the immediate aftermath of postwar Italy involving a self-tortured hero reminiscent of Graham Greene’s novels.

CCLaP Fridays: Boston Noir 2: the Classics, edited by Dennis Lehane, Mary Cotton, and Jaime Clarke

BostonNoir2Today’s book review: Dennis Lehane and others edit “Boston Noir 2: the Classics,” bringing together a collection of Boston’s dark side, ranging from hard-boiled whodunits, out of print classics, and an excerpt from “Infinite Jest.” Says reviewer Karl Wolff: “For those unfamiliar with Greater Boston and its literary heritage, [this book] is a great place to start.”

The NSFW Files: The Story of the Eye, by Georges Bataille

storyofhteeye

In this week’s installment of CCLaP’s “The NSFW Files,” Karl Wolff investigates the 1928 Georges Bataille shocker, “Story of the Eye,” a very early precursor to bizarro fiction.

CCLaP Fridays: The Heroin Chronicles, edited by Jerry Stahl

HeroinChroniclesDrugs are bad.  Over at CCLaP, I review The Heroin Chronicles, edited by Jerry Stahl.

CCLaP Fridays: The Blue Kind, by Kathryn Born

TheBlueKind

Today’s book review: “The Blue Kind,” a dystopian drug novel by Chicago-area author Kathryn Born, and put out by academic imprint Switchgrass. I assert that “More novelists writing in science fiction should take these kinds of chances.”

CCLaP Fridays: Keeping Bedlam at Bay in the Prague Cafe, by M. Henderson Ellis

KBBPG

Today at CCLaP, I review “Keeping Bedlam at Bay in the Prague Cafe,” by M. Henderson Ellis, a comedic ride through post-communist Prague with John Shirting in his quest to set up a coffee franchise. I liken it to “some madcap mashup of ‘Confederacy of Dunces’ and ‘The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret.’”

NSFW Files: Gynecocracy, by Viscount Ladywood

Gynecocracy

This week at CCLaP, I investigate Gynecocracy, by Viscount Ladywood for the NSFW Files.  In the novel, a wayward aristocratic man gets a stern lesson in forced feminization and the proper wearing of a corset.  Who knew the Victorian era was so naughty?

CCLaP Fridays: The Secretary, by Kim Ghattas

Secretary

This week at CCLaP I review “The Secretary” by Kim Ghattas, about Hillary Clinton’s tenure as Secretary of State, told from the perspective of a half-Dutch, half-Lebanese female correspondent for the BBC.

CCLaP Fridays: The Last Lion: Winston Spencer Churchill: Defender of the Realm, 1940-1965, by William Manchester and Paul Reid

churchill

Over at CCLaP, I review the last volume of The Last Lion: Defender of the Realm, by William Manchester and Paul Reid, the final third of Winston Churchill’s life.

CCLaP Fridays: Tim Walker: Story Teller, by Tim Walker

Storyteller

This week at CCLaP, I review “Tim Walker: Story Teller” by Tim Walker, a photography collection for fans of high fashion, fairy tales, and steampunk.