Blog Archives
The Night of the Animals
The Night of the Animals, by J.J. Pascal, follows René Navarro through a series of winding, strange, and often grim encounters after his mother’s death. The story begins with a bitter family truce and moves through bars, dusty basements, cramped apartments, and funeral parlors as René becomes entangled with a man named Pascal, a theater troupe, and an elusive family “treasure.” The narrative jumps between present action and memories, mingling bleak humor, oddball side characters, and moments of quiet despair. Death hovers everywhere, sometimes literally, sometimes just the decay of lives gone stale, and yet there’s always a sense that René is searching for something to give all of it meaning.
I found the writing to be wonderfully vivid and strange, the sort that can make a chipped coffee mug or a hole in the wall feel like a portal. Pascal doesn’t shy away from disturbing images or awkward moments, and I liked that honesty. There’s a dark comic undercurrent that kept me turning pages, bits of absurdity dropped into the middle of grief or poverty. At times, the style felt almost claustrophobic, piling sensory detail on top of emotional weight until I felt just as trapped as the characters. That density could be exhausting, but it also fit the mood perfectly.
Beneath all the odd errands and shifting conversations, there’s a constant pull toward identity. How much of who we are is built from family history, and how much is just chance? The book plays with doubles, echoes, and repetitions, as if lives can overlap without ever quite touching. Some moments hit hard: the little observations about aging, fear, and small cruelties landed more heavily than the plot twists. Other times, I wished the story would move faster, but I can’t deny that the slower pace gave room for its unique textures to sink in.
I’d recommend The Night of the Animals to readers who enjoy literary fiction that leans into the strange and the melancholy. If you like stories where humor and sadness share the same breath, where objects hold memories, and where characters feel like they’ve been living long before the first page, this one will reward your patience. It’s not a light read, but it’s the sort that stays with you, gnawing at the edges of your thoughts.
Pages: 129 | ASIN : B0F4Z78QXP
The Departure Point
Good for the Soul follows a former prime minister forced out of seclusion and back into the spotlight and a troubled priest facing off against a criminal overlord. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
My first novel – Paths Not Yet Taken – was written as a standalone story, but the overwhelmingly positive response from my readers invariably included requests (and occasionally demands!) to learn more about the future of the main characters. Having decided to turn one book into a series, it made sense to develop the established plot and themes and to pick up on world events that has occurred in the intervening period.
No matter how much madness dominates our news channels and affects our daily lives, I am always hopeful that humanity’s ability to respond and to overcome trials and tribulations will eventually prevail. Good For The Soul gave me the opportunity to visualise how that might look, whilst having a laugh at the expense of politicians and the oligarchy at the same time.
Did you plan the tone and direction of the novel before writing, or did it come out organically as you were writing?
I had a very good idea of the tone of the novel. Life is a mix of the heart-rending, the heartwarming, tragedy, and humour and I hope I’ve reflected that throughout the book. In terms of direction? Well, I knew the departure point and where I wanted to arrive. Let’s just say the journey was as much an adventure for me as it is for the reader – and I loved every second of it!
What were some of the emotional and moral guidelines you followed when developing your characters?
Community and family are very important to many people. I remember vividly how the townsfolk of Warrington came together after the bombing in March 1993, which killed two young boys and injured 56 others who were just out shopping. People in other parts of the UK and Ireland no doubt had similar experiences and felt the same kind of togetherness in that period of violence. I wanted to show how divisive acts can bring people closer together. I also wanted to explore how far people would go in order to protect those they love; what they would sacrifice and what lines they would cross in order to achieve their goal.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
The next book should be published towards the end of this year. It covers the growth and development of the Path Finder movement, which starts to find its feet in Good For The Soul, and the threat it poses to the current world order. As with the first two books, there will be a significant amount of satirical humour, but this time it will be accompanied by illegal border crossings, half-crazy presidents, and the occasional tornado.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website | Threads | Amazon
Six months after assisting the UK’s missing prime minister and avoiding two assassination attempts on the same day, Simon Pope is on holiday with friends, trying to cheer up a man who finds retirement depressing. But Pope also has a secret mission, which requires him to remain unobtrusive. He must assess whether specific individuals in the small Irish town of Clonbrinny are in mortal danger from a criminal overlord.
Failing miserably to maintain the desired low profile, Pope and his group become embroiled in events outside their control and discover all is not as it seems.
Perceptions dissolve, revealing a far more dangerous reality.
Meanwhile, former prime minister Andrew Blackwell’s self-imposed media silence has made him more popular than ever. His Path Finder philosophy generates global intrigue and excitement, despite nobody knowing what it is – including him.
When a secret conference on Ireland’s west coast goes badly wrong, Blackwell must evade a media manhunt and return to London, relying on old friends and new acquaintances for help.
Subsequent events and a meeting of minds raise the tantalising prospect of an unlikely collaboration, creating the foundation of a movement that could transform the world.
Good For The Soul is the second book in the Path Finder series and follows on from the award-winning Paths Not Yet Taken.
Good For The Soul
Philip Rennett’s Good For The Soul is an ambitious, genre-blending novel that tosses political satire, spiritual conflict, and small-town Irish charm into a single, messy but compelling stew. At its core, the book follows Andrew Blackwell, a former UK prime minister, now a reluctant recluse, as he’s dragged back into the world of global influence through a secretive “Global Conclave.” Meanwhile, in the quiet Irish town of Clonbrinny, a troubled priest is caught in the moral chokehold of a criminal syndicate. It’s a story about power, guilt, reinvention, and the weird, awkward humanity that binds it all together.
What grabbed me first was how effortlessly Rennett shifts tone. One moment, you’re in a confessional booth listening to Margaret Doyle deliver an outrageously inappropriate dream confession about cassocks and spanking. Next, you’re in the thick of Blackwell’s emotional unraveling or sitting in a church watching Declan Kelly, a violent gangster, toy with religion like it’s a game of poker. These tonal shifts shouldn’t work. But they do, mainly because Rennett has a wicked sense of humor and a sharp ear for dialogue. Margaret’s appearances, especially in the “Confession” chapter, had me laughing out loud, while Father Aidan’s slow disintegration genuinely broke my heart.
What surprised me most was how Good For The Soul uses the setting almost like a character. Clonbrinny feels lived in, grimy, rain-soaked, and steeped in secrets. Peace Castle, where the elite gather to decide the world’s fate, is jaw-dropping in its opulence, but it feels hollow, too. There’s a beautiful contrast between those two worlds, and Rennett plays them against each other masterfully. When Blackwell stands before the Conclave in “The Opening Statement,” what he says feels honest, even raw, not just because of what he reveals, but because we’ve seen him wrestle with it. I didn’t expect to feel sympathy for a politician on the brink of a second act, but here I am.
The writing itself is tight and conversational, but it’s never dumbed down. I loved how Rennett injects intelligence without arrogance. He keeps the language accessible, even when the stakes are philosophical. There’s also a lot of heart under all the satire. One of my favorite moments was in “Help Me,” when Father Aidan, drunk and broken, finally whispers, “Help me.” That wrecked me.
Good For The Soul feels like a modern-day parable, soaked in Guinness, lit by lightning over crumbling churches, and filtered through the lens of people just trying to figure out what the hell matters anymore. I’d recommend it to anyone who likes their fiction smart, funny, and a little unhinged. Especially if you’re into layered plots, Irish settings, and characters that make you feel something, even when they’re being completely ridiculous.
Pages: 369 | ASIN : B0F44DQKCK
Alien View: Where Science and Technology Meet Human Behavior
Alien View: Where Science and Technology Meet Human Behavior, by Dawson, presents a thought-provoking narrative that delves into the disparity between ideal human actions and reality. The book employs a blend of humor and symbolism to illustrate this gap, suggesting that to a hypothetically superior alien intelligence, human endeavors might appear trivial, comparable to our perception of our canine companions.
Dawson’s approach is far from disheartening. He skillfully utilizes humor to dissect major contemporary issues, offering a fresh perspective by incorporating abstract concepts and extraterrestrial viewpoints. The book confronts the absurdities inherent in many of today’s crises, presenting them in a novel light, enriching the reading experience while effectively conveying the message that the world is facing rapidly escalating challenges. At the heart of this book is the notion that the intellectual gap between humans and these imagined aliens is as vast as that between humans and dogs. These aliens, depicted as beings of superior intelligence, perhaps due to their longevity or species differences, view human struggles and their often inadequate resolutions with a mix of disappointment and disdain.
The central theme of the book is intriguing. The portrayal of the aliens, envisioned as advanced life forms, sometimes echoes the familiar tones of an impassioned social media user, adding a uniquely human dimension to their character. The narrative creatively mirrors a modern-day Everyman allegory, engagingly bringing abstract concepts and beings into conversation with humans. This inventive storytelling approach lends a fresh perspective.
Alien View stands as an inventive and thought-provoking work that blends science, technology, and human behavior in a unique and engaging way. Its fresh take on the allegorical narrative style and its insightful exploration of complex themes offers readers a stimulating journey through contemporary issues. The book invites introspection and discussion, making it a valuable addition for those interested in a novel perspective on the human condition and our place in the universe.
Pages: 223 | ASIN : B0CPS7GF8X
LITERARY TITAN 