A Day in the Life of a writer and assistant Tom

10 May 2024

I don’t do New Year’s resolutions for the simple reason January is a winter month and winter is the wrong time to start something new. The days are short, the nights are long and all you desire, is to curl up with a book, and a hot chocolate with marshmallows. Then there is the left-over Christmas food and treats which need finishing before you start something new, like giving up food so you fit into last years clothes. With this in mind, I came up with a reading plan.

I have never read any of Terry Pratchett books, so over the next couple of years, I plan to read a Discworld book once a month. I also have an ambitious task of attempting to read 60 gothic stories within the next 5 years. (again, 1 story per month). I also plan to attempt to re-read and catch up with other books. With this in mind, this week’s book of the week is Sleepers by Lorenzo Carcaterra; you may have seen the film of the same name.

book of the week

Sleepers by Lorenzo Carcaterra.

I doubt this book will be on my re-read list simply because it is too harrowing. The book is split into three books (parts) Book 1, is all about connecting you to the characters. In parts it is funny, but tinged with sadness as the writer creates a dream like quality live to what would have been a rough life in one of the toughest, and probably poorest parts of New York, Hell’s Kitchen. As you are drawn into the character’s traits, you laugh with the writer at the antics the boys got up to. This part of the book does what books should do, connects you emotionally with the boys. Because I had watched the film (another of my few favourites, but don’t watch often), I skipped part 2 (book 2) I thought this part of the story might only be a couple of chapters, but it is a third of the book. Then there was part three (book 3) and from the first line, you know life has changed. The boys are now men who have been shaped by their past. Their dreams stolen from them. Like most things in life the book does not have a happy ever afterwards, as the men cope without coming to terms with their past and live it the only way they feel they can.





 

Sleepers was originally released in 1995, by Random House and became a best seller. The books is said to be based on a true story. However, according to an article in the New York Times (Oct 18, & 22 1996,) there are doubts over the validity of this claim mainly due to lack of evidence and denial by certain parties.



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A Glenmoor House  Gothic Ghost Tale

Marie’s son, Chris, is a victim of bulling and no matter what she did, she was losing the boy he used to be. Life couldn’t go on like this, and things had to change. One day as she surfed the net, she found the house of her dreams and moved her family from the city to the country, all in aid to keep them safe and make them happy. However, Marie’s dream house came with a little something extra. A something extra Marie thought she could handle. Elise and Heidi came to Glenmoor to party and never left. As happy as they were with the new life, they had created for themselves, they were missing that little something. When Marie moved in with her family, bringing with her the things the sisters desired, they decided to take what they believed to be theirs.

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