#booksivedrawnin2022

[houl]

Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake 24 of 2022 4.5 stars . Titus Groan is a great, meandering beast of a novel which explores the fantastical, if esoteric. routines and rituals of Gormenghast Castle and the occupants who are bound to these. It’s a slow novel, filled with beautiful detail and odd moments, but forget all that and pay attention to the names. Sepulchrave, Flay, Swelter, Nannie Slagg, Steerpike, Rottcodd, Sourdust, Dr. Prunesquallor and so many more. Honestly, the novel has some of the best names in Fantasy. Forget Daenerys, Galadriel and Severus, wrap your lips around Lord Sepulchrave. To call them inspired is an insult, in fact to describe them as anything at all is an insult because, to quote Steerpike, “We are all imprisoned by the dictionary. We choose out of that vast, paper-walled prison our convicts, the little black printed words, when in truth we need fresh sounds to utter, new enfranchised noises which would produce a new effect” I won’t say it’s a novel for everyone. There’s something drab and dolorous about it, and the plot is thin, but it’s the depth of the location and the characters that tell you more than any plot could. . #titusgroan #mervynpeake #gormenghast #gormenghasttrilogy #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CmgZakMB3M_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#titusgroan #mervynpeake #gormenghast #gormenghasttrilogy #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl

[houl]

River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey #15 of 2022 3 stars . What starts as a promising and original concept, an alternate history Western where a real life proposal to introduce Hippopotamus into the Louisiana Bayou, quickly devolves into a cliched parody filled with one dimensional characters, ham-fisted efforts at inclusion that render it more spectacle than genuine and inane dialogue that borders on the laughable. However, the story is short and to the point, and entertained me sufficiently for a few hours. . #riverofteeth #sarahgailey #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CglqwRtBQTk/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#15 #riverofteeth #sarahgailey #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl

[houl]

All the books I read (and drew) in 2022. Two favourite books by a long shot were Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry and Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman, with my two favourite illustrations being The Memory Police and Bunny. . #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CnLx3Y7BiPc/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl

[houl]

The Passenger by Cormac McCarthy 4 stars . A beautiful yet unfulfilling novel. I wasn’t sure I was reading the right novel at first and had to double check, but once the incestuous relationship between brother and sister was introduced, I knew I had the right author. Good old McCarthy. I love the way McCarthy writes but felt like there was something hiding beneath the surface that I just couldn’t get to it, and I’m not sure I will. The whole novel just felt like a series of conversations with different eccentric characters used as a means for McCarthy to air a bunch of personal concerns, including a rather convincing conspiracy about who was really responsible for JFKs death. Perhaps this is just another book that’s too smart for me but I’ve been made to feel dumb in worse ways so im not too bothered . #thepassenger #cormacmccarthy #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CnLxvr_hFzj/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#thepassenger #cormacmccarthy #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl

[houl]

You Should Have Left by Daniel Kehlmann #23 of 2022 4 stars . A disquieting novella which explores perspective and perception, and plays with linear space, moving you from the comfortable to the uncomfortable in a startling short amount of time. Assuming time is linear. Space too for that matter… Just read it. . Shout out to @brittamon for the recommendation . #youshouldhaveleft #danielkehlmann #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck4w_29BbXD/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#23 #youshouldhaveleft #danielkehlmann #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl

[houl]

The Ruins by Scott Smith #22 of 2022 4 stars . A little horror number just in time for the halloweens. The Ruins is unsettling in the best way. Smith adds layer after layer to the story, building momentum and creating something truly disturbing. The lack of adherence to some key horror genre conventions allow Smith to craft a unique novel which reads beautifully and leaves an impression on the reader, like something sitting just under your skin, slowly moving. #theruins #scottsmith #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CkXoaTlBuQF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#22 #theruins #scottsmith #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl

[houl]

Twelve Angry Men by Reginald Ross 4 stars #20 of 2022 . Succinct, sharp and potent. A pithy little two act play which is a powerful as it is brief. . #twelveangrymen #reginaldrose #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CkIfBw5hiyG/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#20 #twelveangrymen #reginaldrose #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl

[houl]

Flames by Robbie Arnott #19 of 2022 3.5 stars . An interesting concept, poorly handled. At first the idea of Magical Realism set in Tasmania intrigued me, and the change of voice for each chapter proved a novel approach allowing for a variety of styles, shifting from Hard Boiled Crime Fiction to Animal Fantasy to Lovecraftian Cosmic Horror. However, there were many chapters that felt tangential or unneeded, whose entire purpose was to communicate a single piece of information which dragged the narrative out unnecessarily. The opening story of the man and seal hunting tuna together was the highlight but felt like a different story altogether. The chapter told from the perspective of a member of the Country Womens Association was so poorly stylised it became parody, and the letters from the coffin maker were painful to get through. I’d be interested to see what Arnott is able to write once he refines this approach but this was lacking. . #flames #robbiearnott #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CjZ1r4RhVDt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#19 #flames #robbiearnott #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl

[houl]

Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman (@buehlmeister) #18 of 2022 First of your suggestions 5 heavenly stars . Awe inspiring in the most beautiful and terrifying way. A pious young girl, a fallen knight and a drunk priest traverse a plague ridden medieval France while devils slowly corrupt the lands and people around them. There’s some truly horrifying moments in this novel, written with visceral detail, and poignant imagery, with that looming fear of the plague captured perfectly and rendered that much more potent in the wake of the past few years. As the trio trudge toward their goal, there is the lingering but ever-present question of why God allows horrors and torment to be inflicted upon his faithful. . #betweentwofires #christopherbuehlman #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CjW8vtEh4M_/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#18 #betweentwofires #christopherbuehlman #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl

[houl]

Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake (@merlin.sheldrake) #17 of 2022 5 stars . A fascinating exploration of the deeply entwined connections created by fungi which has really forced me to reconsider what I understand of myself as an ‘individual’. Sheldrake offers a dearth of information about the ways in which we live with and within fungal networks, exploring the how fungi have evolved into the complex organisms they are, how they communicate with everything around them, how they can be used to forge paths into the future and so much more. He does so with knowledge, wry humour and deep insight. The way Sheldrake has immersed himself in the subject matter comes across so freely throughout the pages, yet in doing so, he hides his own work, seeming to speak about the works of others, yet rarely of his own in depth. This is my only complaint from an otherwise phenomenal novel. Go read it today. . #entangledlife #merlinsheldrake #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CjU5RrCB8Vk/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#17 #entangledlife #merlinsheldrake #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl

[houl]

Bunny by Mona Awad #16 of 2022 3 stars . I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but I didn’t enjoy this novel. It was a great combination of Mean Girls meets The Craft, and well written too, but still it felt too much. The self referential moments, the unstated mysteries, the purposefully cloying characters, all interesting in their own way, combined to create something that didn’t sit right, that tried too hard to be unique and ultimately failed to truly impress. . #bunny #monaawad #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CjTslcShunV/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#16 #bunny #monaawad #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl

[houl]

A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers #14 of 2022 3.5 stars . My first dabble into solarpunk, a sub genre of science fiction which explores a future where humanity has adopted a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to life. As such, it is a strangely optimistic little novel filled with beautiful greenery and serenity, in which a tea monk decides to leave their set path and explore the wilderness, both literally and metaphorically. Unfortunately, the current literary trend to create a series of novels as opposed to crafting a standalone story leaves this story feeling a little lacklustre, and the central voice of the narrator seems confused and immature. I’m hoping this becomes a little more solidified in later novels . #apsalmforthewildbuilt #beckychambers #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CgbIAIuBuOh/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#14 #apsalmforthewildbuilt #beckychambers #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl

[houl]

Tender is the Flesh by Agustin Bazterrica #13 of 2022 5 horrible stars . Confronting, disgusting, deeply uncomfortable yet strangely beautiful. The novel is set in a future where cannibalism has been legalised and follows Marcos, a conflicted worker at a “special meat” processing plant, who finds the inhumane treatment of the ‘heads’ of meat abhorrent, yet is unable to see the hypocrisy of his own actions. While it offers a dark reflection on the current state of the world, the novel is ultimately an experiment in the power of language and how words can be used to disguise and manipulate. Bazterrica, through Sarah Moses’ translation from Spanish, crafts moments of serene beauty to describe the most horrifying concepts. . #tenderistheflesh #agustinbazterrica #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CgQ-DbmBw1E/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#13 #tenderistheflesh #agustinbazterrica #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl

[houl]

Cactus by Nathaniel Kennon Perkins (@nkperkins) #12 of 2022 . A hot and dusty moment in time set to a soundtrack of underground punk, drowned in garbage and cheap coffee, and awash with homemade mescaline. The story is brief but glorious, wasting no time to explore the conflict of man and the nature of authority. @tridentboulder are yet to put out anything less than gold. . I made two covers because, after finishing the San Pedro version you see in the second picture, realised it was very similar to the original cover art, so made the Cholla version. Happy with both. . #cactus #chollacactus #sanpedrocactus #nathanielkennonperkins #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl (at Trident Booksellers and Cafe) https://www.instagram.com/p/CfLClabh81E/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#12 #cactus #chollacactus #sanpedrocactus #nathanielkennonperkins #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl

[houl]

Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy #11 of 2022 4 stars . A strange little novel, filled with the haunting beauty found in all of McCarthy’s novels, alongside the flawed and desperate characters he populates his twisted worlds with, yet strangely there’s something lacking. It’s easy to get lost in McCarthys writing, more so when the narrative structure jumps from moment to moment with patches of time unaccounted for, and that’s what lost me. . #outerdark #cormacmccarthy #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce-WCvABssB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#11 #outerdark #cormacmccarthy #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl

[houl]

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa #10 3 stars . There’s a strange serenity to this novel about an island where things slowly disappear, but ultimately that serenity never develops into anything tangible or rewarding. It’s certainly a unique story and writing style, and perhaps that’s what threw me, but ultimately I hoped for something more than was delivered. The metastory of the typist felt too forced, the relationships between characters were slightly off and the evolution of the narrative ultimately became too dreamlike and ethereal for me to truly appreciate. . #yokoogawa #thememorypolice #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl https://www.instagram.com/p/CekiCArhNe7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#10 #yokoogawa #thememorypolice #minimonotonebookclub #booksivereadin2022 #booksivedrawnin2022 #booksreillustrated #bookstagram #houlart #houl