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Posts Tagged Books That Blew My Mind

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December 13, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

Books That Blew My Mind # 9: “Holidays on Ice” by David Sedaris

Holidays On Ice by David Sedaris I’m not really one for Christmas books. But there’s one favourite, one must, every year I read (and now re-read) David Sedaris’ story, The Santaland Diaries. It’s special to me for a couple of reasons – first of all it was my introduction to the world of Sedaris. I […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged “Holidays on Ice” by David Sedaris, Book, Books That Blew My Mind, Books That Blew My Mind # 9, Books That Blew My Mind # 9: “Holidays on Ice” by David Sedaris, Christmas, David Sedaris, Diaries, Elf, Essay, Essays, Holidays, Holidays on Ice, Macy's, Reading, Short Stories, Story, The Santaland Diaries, Xmas, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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September 10, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

Books That Blew My Mind # 8: “The Executioner’s Song” by Norman Mailer

The Executioner’s Song by Norman Mailer I loved Norman Mailer before I read him – because of his book, The Fight, and specifically his appearances in the great documentary, When We Were Kings. Of course I would go on to read The Fight – and it really is a work of genius, one of the […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged 1100 Pages, Blog, Book, Books, Books That Blew My Mind, Books That Blew My Mind # 8, Books That Blew My Mind # 8: “The Executioner's Song” by Norman Mailer, Death Penalty, Executioner's Song, Gary Gilmore, https://linktr.ee/Simonsweetman, Non-Fiction Novel, Norman Mailer, The Executioner's Song, Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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June 2, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

Books That Blew My Mind # 7: “You’re A Good Sport, Charlie Brown” by Charles M. Schulz

You’re A Good Sport, Charlie Brown by Charles M. Schulz The Arrow Book Club. We were so lucky. Mum would always let me buy something. Just one book. But every time. I realise only now what a huge privilege that was – and what a golden opportunity. Books were encouraged always, and I’m trying to […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Books, Books That Blew My Mind, Books That Blew My Mind # 7, Books That Blew My Mind # 7: “You’re A Good Spor Charlie Brown” by Charles M. Schulz, Charles M. Schulz, Charlie Brown, Peanuts, Snoopy, Want more? Check out my Substack You can also support Off The Tracks via PressPatron, You're A Good Sport, You're A Good Sport Charlie Brown ·

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March 3, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

Books That Blew My Mind # 6: “Wilson” by Daniel Clowes

Wilson by Daniel Clowes I guess my introduction to Daniel Clowes was the movie Ghost World – and then much later I read the collected strips of it when published as a single-volume graphic.  There was probably the movie Art School Confidential in there too before I ever got to the comics. But in the […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Art School Confidential, Book, Books, Books That Blew My Mind, Books That Blew My Mind # 6, Books That Blew My Mind # 6: “Wilson” by Daniel Clowes, Caricature, Cartoon, Comic, Daniel Clowes, David Boring, Drawing, Drawn and Quarterly, Eightball, Ghost World, Graphic Novel, Ice Haven, Like A Velvet Glove Cast In Iron, Wilson, Wilson by Daniel Clowes, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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January 29, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

Books That Blew My Mind # 4: “Faithfull” by Marianne Faithfull

Faithfull by Marianne Faithfull (w/ David Dalton) Was reminiscing about this just recently; recommending it to my sister-in-law, saying that it was one of the great rock’n’roll reads actually. It found me at a formative time, I was at the peak of my Stones fandom and I was newly interested in all the characters – […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged “Faithfull” by Marianne Faithfull, Autobiography, Books, Books That Blew My Mind, Books That Blew My Mind # 4, Books That Blew My Mind # 4: “Faithfull” by Marianne Faithfull, David Dalton, Faithfull, Marianne Faithfull, Memoir, The Rolling Stones, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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January 22, 2021 by Simon Sweetman

Books That Blew My Mind # 3: “Can’t and Won’t” by Lydia Davis

Can’t and Won’t by Lydia Davis I could have picked another book by Lydia Davis – I could have picked from a few and probably I should highlight Varieties of Disturbancesince that was my introduction to this incredible writer. But Can’t and Won’t – which I reviewed back when I read it in 2014 as […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged “Can’t and Won’t ” by Lydia Davis, Books, Books That Blew My Mind, Books That Blew My Mind # 3, Books That Blew My Mind # 3: “Can’t and Won’t ” by Lydia Davis, Can't and Won't, Can't and Won't: Stories, Cows, Lydia Davis, Novel, Poem, Short Stories, Story, Translation, Varieties of Disturbance, Writing ·

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December 28, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Books That Blew My Mind # 2: “Run With The Hunted” by Charles Bukowski

Run With The Hunted: A Charles Bukowski Reader by Charles Bukowski I couldn’t really write about Charles Bukowski for my Authors I Admire series because there’s not a lot to admire – beyond the fact that as a writer, not as a human being, he did the time behind the typewriter. But I can rave […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged A Charles Bukowski Reader, Author, Blog, Blogging, Books, Books That Blew My Mind, Books That Blew My Mind # 2, Books That Blew My Mind # 2: “Run With The Hunted” by Charles Bukowski, Buk, Bukowski, Charles, Charles Bukowski, Chinaski, Chuck, Novel, Novels, Poem, Poems, Poet, Poetry, Run With The Hunted, Run With The Hunted: A Charles Bukowski Reader, Writer, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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December 18, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Books That Blew My Mind # 1: “Is That It?” by Bob Geldof

Is That It?, by Bob Geldof I’m often asked what my favourite music bio is – or favourite “music book” – and the answer I usually want to give is this, Bob Geldof’s autobiography. Except it isn’t really about music – and it wasn’t really the book that lit the fuse for me. It was […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Autobiography, Biography, Bob Geldef, Book, Books That Blew My Mind, Books That Blew My Mind # 1, Books That Blew My Mind # 1: “Is That It?” by Bob Geldof, Boomtown Rats, Is That It?, Live Aid, Music Book, Pink Floyd The Wall, You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron ·

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December 17, 2020 by Simon Sweetman

Books That Blew My Mind: New Series

I love books. I’ve published two (and two e-books as well). I might publish more. And reading has been part of my life since I can remember. I read poetry and graphic novels, non-fiction – including bios and essays and memoir – and of course novels. There are no rules for me with reading – […]
Posted in Blog, Miscellany · Tagged Blog, Book, Books, Books That Blew My Mind, Books That Blew My Mind: New Series, New Series, Reading ·

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