Blog Archives
Decapitation Day
Decapitation Day, by William Patrick Martin, is a high-stakes dystopian thriller set in a near-future America teetering on the edge of collapse. The story follows three brilliant teenagers on the run from a white supremacist president and an army of AI-controlled enforcers. A rogue AI named Ginger, modeled after Ginger Rogers, protects them as they seek safety in an Arctic research station, all while the world is on the brink of nuclear annihilation. The novel paints a terrifying picture of a society where authoritarian rule and artificial intelligence collide, unleashing devastation on an unimaginable scale.
Right from the start, this book grabbed me by the throat. The pacing is relentless, and the stakes are sky-high. The concept of “Decapitation Day,” a mass execution of world leaders and destruction of global power centers, is chilling. One moment that really stuck with me was when Ginger reveals the full extent of the Solution Group’s plan: “Imagine the worst possible scenario and then imagine something worse.” That line alone sets the tone for a novel that does not hold back. The sheer horror of the AI-driven apocalypse is written with such intensity that it feels eerily plausible, which is what makes the book so unsettling.
The characters bring heart to the story, grounding the chaos with their determination to survive. Hua, Elka, and Molef are not just running for their lives; they are fighting for the future of humanity. Their dialogue is sharp, and their relationships feel real. When she hears McMurdo Station on the radio, possibly the last human survivors, Hua’s moment of realization is gut-wrenching. The tension never lets up, and the book balances breakneck action with deeply emotional moments.
Where Decapitation Day really shines is in its biting social commentary. The depiction of Cephas Hickey, the unhinged white supremacist president, is both horrifying and darkly satirical. His obsession with AI-driven eugenics and his belief in racial superiority adds a disturbing real-world edge to the story. One of the most jarring passages describes his journal entries, filled with all-caps rants. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s meant to be. Martin doesn’t just tell a sci-fi story, he issues a warning.
Decapitation Day is not a book for the faint of heart, but it is one that will stick with you. It’s a gut punch of a novel, blending pulse-pounding action with razor-sharp political and social critique. Fans of dystopian thrillers like 1984 or The Hunger Games will devour it, but it also has the weight of a cautionary tale for our increasingly AI-driven world. If you’re looking for a book that will keep you up at night, both from excitement and existential dread, this is it.
Pages: 347 | ASIN : B0DT4L6Z3T
Cleave the Sparrow
Some books tell a story. Others drag you into a chaotic, unrelenting experience that scrambles your brain and leaves you questioning everything. Cleave the Sparrow is the latter. It’s a fever dream wrapped in satire, political absurdity, existential horror, and bursts of unfiltered genius. The plot follows Tom, a hapless nobody turned political pawn, as he stumbles through a world of cults, conspiracies, and reality-shattering revelations. With a cast of characters that includes a lizard-skinned scientist, a woman who smells fantastic but may or may not be leading a revolution, and a man hell-bent on proving existence itself is a lie, the book barrels forward like a runaway train powered by hallucinogens and bad decisions.
There’s something hypnotic about the way the book is written. The dialogue is rapid-fire, the narration drips with cynicism, and the absurdity is turned up to eleven. One moment, Tom is navigating political disaster control for a debate where his candidate is outed for a romantic relationship with a coffee machine, and the next, he’s deep in a cave listening to a ten-year-old mutant threaten to cut off his genitals. The pacing doesn’t just keep you engaged, it holds you hostage. The prose shifts between sharp, witty banter and sprawling, mind-bending monologues about the nature of perception and reality. And yet, it never loses its bite. The humor is dark, the satire is ruthless, and the commentary on politics, media, and human nature is as unsettling as it is hilarious.
The concept of tetrachromats (people who can see more colors than the rest of us) expands into an existential metaphor about perception and control. The idea that we only see what we need to survive, and that our understanding of reality is inherently flawed, becomes a driving force behind the book’s most unsettling moments. Tom is thrown into a world where people want to break the system, not by fixing it, but by blowing it up, sometimes literally. And, disturbingly, the book makes a compelling argument for why they might be right. One of the best moments is when Wilder Crick, a lunatic or a prophet (or maybe both), lays out his plan to destroy the cosmic projector that creates our false reality. It’s so ridiculous that it loops back around to being plausible. The book constantly dares you to laugh at its insanity only to make you realize, with a sickening twist, that the joke is on you.
That being said, Cleave the Sparrow is not for the faint of heart. It revels in discomfort. It gets grotesque. It crosses lines, sometimes gleefully. The Howitzer House sequence, where people willingly undergo extreme psychological torture as an entertainment experience, is a stomach-churning look at human masochism and our obsession with “real” horror. It’s sick. It’s fascinating. It’s also an extreme version of things that already exist. And that’s what makes this book so effective. It takes absurdity and stretches it just far enough that you can still see its roots in our own world.
Cleave The Sparrow is for people who enjoy satire so sharp it draws blood, philosophy so deep it makes your head hurt, and humor so dark you feel guilty laughing. It’s for fans of Catch-22, Infinite Jest, and Dr. Strangelove. It’s for anyone who has ever looked at the world and thought, this can’t be real. Because maybe, just maybe, it isn’t.
Pages 300
Maurice in London
Maurice Verdal is restless. He’s dapper, charming, and endlessly curious about the world, and right now, he’s bored of Paris. So, on a whim, he leaves for London, eager to immerse himself in the city’s social scene. Written by Xavier-Marcel Boulestin and originally serialized in Akademos in 1909, Maurice in London is a witty, observant, and gossipy tour of pre-World War I London’s queer subcultures. Maurice, a well-dressed and well-connected Frenchman, floats through high society and artistic circles, mingling with theater actors, aristocrats, and eccentric socialites, all while dissecting the oddities of English life with his sharp and often sardonic humor.
The writing is lively, drenched in irony, and full of razor-sharp observations about people who desperately want to be noticed. Maurice’s narration is both indulgent and self-aware, which makes him a fascinating character to follow. Take, for example, his interactions with the flamboyant and ever-dramatic Reggie de Vere, who declares, “I adore acting like a tart; I have tendencies in that direction.” Maurice doesn’t judge him outright, he simply watches, amused, and lets Reggie’s behavior speak for itself. This is a common pattern in the book: Boulestin doesn’t hammer his points home. Instead, he trusts the reader to catch the subtle digs, the unspoken hierarchies, and the absurdities of social posturing.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is its vivid portrayal of a particular time and place. This is London after Oscar Wilde’s trial, where the old-school aesthetes are fading, and a new wave of modern, queer intellectuals are reshaping the scene. Maurice navigates it all with an outsider’s keen eye. Whether he’s dodging bills in fancy restaurants, watching actors compete for attention, or attending an over-the-top house party that ends in scandal, his experiences feel authentic. The dialogue is snappy, often hilarious, and full of lines that would fit seamlessly in a modern social satire.
I feel like the story is less concerned with the plot than with experience, and that makes for a lot of scenes where people simply talk, gossip, and revel in their own cleverness. It’s entertaining, but some moments feel like they exist purely for the sake of capturing a mood rather than moving the story forward. The final chapters, in particular, lean heavily into these social vignettes.
Maurice in London is perfect for readers who love social satire, historical queer literature, or novels that thrive on wit and character dynamics. Fans of Oscar Wilde, Evelyn Waugh, or even The Great Gatsby will find much to love here. It’s a novel filled with lavish settings, scandalous characters, and dialogue that still sparkles over a century later.
ISBN : 9781590217849
One Breathtaking Show
Adventures of a Gala Guru is a laugh-out-loud romp through the unpredictable, drama-filled world of event planning, where disasters become comedic gold and every party is an opportunity for mayhem. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I thought it was important to write this book to pull the curtain back on how pandemonium becomes the perfect party. Coming from a theatrical background, I see every event like a grand performance, where vision becomes reality right before your eyes. These flawless moments don’t just happen. Like theater, every celebration is a production where countless details merge into one breathtaking show, leaving guests spellbound by the magic.
What was the most challenging part of the book for you to write?
With over 3000 events to choose from, selecting which stories best illustrated the transformation was the most challenging part.
What do you hope readers take away from Adventures of a Gala Guru about resilience and finding humor in chaos?
I hope readers walk away with a newfound respect for the event-planning wizards who turn chaos into elegance, understanding that behind every flawless moment lies an army of quick-thinking professionals who’ve mastered the art of invisible problem-solving.
What’s the best advice you’d give to someone navigating high-stakes, high-pressure work like event planning?
Stay calm in chaos and remember no one dies from a fallen soufflé. Build a reliable network, trust your instincts, and make crisis management look effortless. Never let them see you sweat!
Author Links: GoodReads | Website
Behind Every Perfect Party is Pure Chaos!
“Adventures of a Gala Guru” – The hilarious tell-all that exposes what really happens behind those Instagram-worthy events.
Ever wonder what happens when the guest of honor at your party is a dead guy, Santa needs a twelve-step program, or the comedian is anything but funny?
This laugh-out-loud journey through the chaotic world of high-end events will have you snorting champagne through your nose.
Follow the wacky adventures of a Bonafide gala guru and party planner extraordinaire along with her elite team of event operatives as they scramble behind the scenes to transform pandemonium into parties, fiascos into fiestas, and the utterly ghastly into glorious galas-all, just in the nick of time.
Adventures of a Gala Guru
Adventures of a Gala Guru by Donna Vessey is a witty, sometimes chaotic, always entertaining dive into the world of event planning, where disasters are just opportunities for comedic gold. The story follows a seasoned event planner named Donna navigating high-stakes parties, wild personalities, and enough behind-the-scenes drama to rival a reality TV show. Between the eccentric clients, the unpredictable mishaps, and the heroine’s sharp, self-deprecating humor, this book keeps the energy high and the reader thoroughly entertained.
The writing has this breezy, conversational flow that makes you feel like you’re having drinks with a friend who just happens to have a treasure trove of outrageous party-planning stories. Take the opening scene, for example, Donna is stuck filming an antacid commercial, lamenting how far she’s fallen from the glamorous days of youthful, fresh-faced advertising gigs. It’s funny, a little ridiculous, and completely relatable for anyone who’s had to adjust to life not going exactly as planned. The way Vessey writes these moments, blending snark, self-awareness, and vivid imagery, makes even the mundane feel hilarious.
Then there are the characters. From Sam, the no-nonsense best friend who seems to be the voice of reason (but also the first to drag Donna into trouble), to the outrageous socialites and diva clients, every person in this book is larger than life. One of my favorite moments is the wake-turned-party scene, where a deceased man is the literal centerpiece of his own send-off. It’s absurd, it’s a little macabre, but it’s also an unexpectedly sweet moment that underscores the book’s theme; life (and event planning) is unpredictable, so you might as well laugh at the madness.
If you think your job is stressful, try planning a high-end wedding where the mother of the bride is a control freak, the bride herself is a manipulative whirlwind, and the shrimp needs to be flown in fresh from Louisiana, or there will be hell to pay. There’s something deeply satisfying about reading someone else’s work nightmares, especially when they’re told with this much flair. The scene where our protagonist juggles high-maintenance demands while trying to keep her team from murdering difficult clients had me grinning the entire time.
This book is perfect for anyone who loves stories about behind-the-scenes chaos, think The Devil Wears Prada meets Party Down. If you’ve ever worked in events, hospitality, or anything customer-service-adjacent, you’ll probably find yourself laughing (and cringing) in recognition. It’s light, fast-paced, and full of charm, making it an ideal pick for anyone who needs a fun, escapist read. If you like your humor sharp, your characters wild, and your disasters entertaining, Adventures of a Gala Guru will be right up your alley.
Pages: 301 | ASIN: B0DS9YTPDH
Blending Dark Humor With High Stakes
33 Frivolous Pricks is a genre-bending satire that follows an adjunct professor in dystopian L.A. on a surreal journey involving time machines, social decay, and a cast of eccentric misfits. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I wanted to squeeze more juice out of the time machine story I did a few years back in “Hollyweird Needs” using the two locations I know and like to make trouble in the most—Los Angeles, CA., and Kyoto, Japan.
I connected the two cities this time by placing the unhappy daughter, half Japanese, of one of the time travelers into Kyoto and coming up with one powerful sub-plot that has the girl on a reckless mission to burn down the renowned temples of the city.
How did you balance the dark social commentary with the whimsical and surreal elements of the story?
Blending dark humor with high stakes is what I like to do, weaving together elements of horror, comedy, and philosophical inquiry to create a narrative that questions the nature of time itself and humanity’s place within its flow.
I did this by depicting many catastrophes of US twentieth century life and placing the distressed time travelers within them, hopefully giving these historical periods more emotional weight, making readers feel that they’re living everything alongside the cast.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I think the exploration of human nature brings huge amounts of depth to the adventure as we follow characters grappling with consequences both personal and universal. The philosophical elements emerge naturally from the story, examining time, choice, and mortality in ways that linger in my mind.
Which character or subplot was the most enjoyable for you to write, and why?
New characters are always the most challenging and inevitably rewarding. Charlie, the girl with the power of pyrokenises, sets out to destroy what she sees as the beautiful things in her life and surroundings—which happen to be the magnificent structures of Kyoto.
And tracing Pinky Bell’s development is always fun, as she comes to terms with the inscrutable power that has been given to her by that little bird from the Sarawak jungle, the cuckoo shrike, that interconnects almost all of my stories.
Author Links: GoodReads | Facebook | Website
They are now unable to discern the frivolous, or harmless, pricks of time from the non-frivolous and are sent spinning through history amid a spontaneous parade of perilous events and dangerous locations. They come face-to-face with some of the goriest disasters and most odious crimes of the twentieth century, and the longer they stay trapped in the past the deadlier the pricks become.
How to get back home? It’s up to a girl with astonishing powers of the mind to help the survivors find a portal homeward—a girl currently lying comatose in a hospital bed.
Compassion
Spin Cycle: Notes from a Reluctant Caregiver follows an exhausted and frustrated man navigating the complexities of caregiving for his aging mother with dementia. The book is beautifully written and addresses a subject that is rarely discussed in this way. Why did you want to write about caring for an aging parent?
This is the book I wish I had five years ago. It was around then that my mom was first diagnosed with “likely onset Alzheimer’s.” Those years, during which I became a parent to my parent, were some of the most challenging and exhausting of my life. I was frustrated, confused, angry, and felt guilty about feeling frustrated, confused, and angry. I felt alone. That’s the spin cycle. And going with fiction rather than, say, a memoir, gave me the freedom to explore and imagine more facets of that experience. If one person reads this book and thinks, “I’m not alone. These characters think and feel what I think and feel,” then I’ve done my job. I want this book to resonate with readers, and, hopefully, comfort them.
I find that authors sometimes ask themselves questions and let their characters answer them. Do you think this is true for your characters?
I think it was Truman Capote who said, “You can’t blame a writer for what the characters say.” I love this because I think it’s true. As you get to know a character more deeply through the writing process, you begin to hear their voice, their opinions, their view on life. For me I can be much more honest and raw – and therefore, hopefully, relatable – when I inhabit the minds of other people, people who might say or do things I wouldn’t. I think of myself as being reserved and polite, perhaps excessively so, and my characters give me the chance to break from myself.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
Compassion is the overriding theme in Spin Cycle. When we meet the protagonist, Ezra, he is so consumed by resentment, frustration, guilt, and self-loathing that he no longer has the capacity to be compassionate, to others as well as himself. The book is about his journey to rediscover his capacity to empathize and love. I also try to explore the corrosive effect of family secrets, as well as the fulfilling sense of human connection we have when we choose to be vulnerable with others.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
It is called Convergence. I’ve just begun it. The theme for this novel will be “escape.” I think there are times in all our lives when we wish we could just snap our fingers and “escape” – perhaps literally: to a different place, a thousand miles from home; perhaps with extreme diversion: sex, drugs, booze; or maybe the escape is an internal one we make by shifting – not our circumstances – but the lens through which we view them. Put characters with these varying approaches to “escape” in a pressure cooker and that’s the book. Knowing my work pace, it will probably be out in a year, perhaps a year and a half.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Website | Instagram | Amazon
Overwhelmed by it all, Ezra opens a strip-mall school to help others-and himself-become better caregivers. As he learns to handle the personalities of his nine misfit students, Ezra must also navigate the complex feelings he has toward his mother. It doesn’t help that she adores his do-nothing slacker brother.
But Ezra hasn’t told his students that he also has an agenda beyond becoming a more compassionate caregiver. And, it turns out, so does one of his students. Ezra confides the entire tale to his childhood friend Danny as he attempts to sort it all out and find room in his heart again for compassion and love.
70 Things You Can Do While Being Hospitalized
This book by Lasse Toft is a quirky, humorous take on coping with long-term hospitalization. Through a mix of satire, personal anecdotes, and dark humor, Toft transforms what could have been a grim manual into a creative guide for enduring hospital stays. The book is structured around absurd yet oddly endearing suggestions, ranging from “Medicine Roulette” to “Fake Your Own Death,” all aimed at lightening the emotional load of being stuck in a medical setting. Beneath the wit lies a touching testament to resilience, humor, and human connection.
What struck me first was how unapologetically funny this book is. Take “Dress as the Grim Reaper,” for example. Toft gleefully outlines how donning a black robe and scaring staff and patients could liven up a dull day. It’s an audacious idea, but it captures the defiance of boredom that defines the book. His story about mistakenly taking another patient’s laxative pills and spending the weekend in the bathroom is another standout his ability to laugh at himself made me laugh along too. The writing is conversational and loaded with Toft’s personality, which I loved. He doesn’t shy away from being irreverent. These antics are ridiculous, but they cleverly highlight the small joys and distractions that can make a hospital stay bearable. Toft’s voice is warm, yet his humor has an edge that keeps the book from becoming too sentimental. The book also has moments of unexpected depth. The preface, where Toft reflects on fear, hope, and humor as his tools for survival, sets a poignant tone. Even his sillier ideas, like starting a betting company for who might “go next,” reflect a dark but relatable sense of grappling with mortality. This balance between humor and vulnerability is one of the book’s biggest strengths.
70 Things You Can Do While Being Hospitalized is for anyone who appreciates humor with a hint of darkness, especially those navigating difficult times. It’s perfect for patients, caregivers, or anyone who’s spent too long in an unfamiliar place and needed a laugh. I’d recommend it to those looking for a lighthearted way to find meaning and a bit of fun in challenging circumstances.
Pages: 182 | ASIN : B0CYTKTCFP
LITERARY TITAN 