PHOTO BOOK OF THE WEEK: Asleep at the Chateau by Jork Weismann

I just retrieved this book from the office called 'Asleep at the Chateau'. It's by Jork Weismann and it's a load of photographs of L.A. celeb-types (Bret Easton Ellis, Eva Longoria, Usher, etc) sleeping at the famous Chateau Marmont hotel in Hollywood. No one's actually sleeping though: they're all just posing with their eyes closed and trying desperately to look glamorous and cool: there's no mouths lolling open and no drool or anything like that. It's a bit dull and well fake but kind hypnotic and beautiful: a bit like Hollywood itself.



ART BOOK OF THE WEEK: David Shrigley - How Are You Feeling?: At the Centre of the Inside of the Human Mind's Brain

I'm still getting a kick out of David Shrigley's 'How Are You Feeling?: At the Centre of the Inside of the Human Mind's Brain' - the self help book of the year by a gazillion miles. 



NEW BOOK OF THE WEEK: Gwendoline Riley's Opposed Positions and Joe Stretch's The Adult

I have to pick two I'm afraid: Gwendoline Riley's Opposed Positions and Joe Stretch's The Adult. I've been waiting for a properly bollock-droppingly brilliant novel from a young British writer to come along for years, then these two came along at once in 2012. They're slightly different kettles of fish, but both works of proper, blow-most-of-your-contemporaries-out-of-the-water genius, and both about what it is do be young - or just a bit older than properly young - and English right now. Also they're both handsome hardbacks that are good for gift-giving this Christmas.  
 
LITERARY JOURNAL OF THE WEEK: Five Dials

Five Dials remains one of my favourite literary journals out: subscribing to it is a life-improving panacea. It's online at www.fivedials.com. I like The White Review too.  

ANTHOLOGY OF THE WEEK: The Paris Review Presents the Art of the Short Story

Object Lessons: The Paris Review Presents the Art of the Short Story is a new anthology of stories from the greatest literary magazine in the known world. I've got a terminal boner for this sort of thing.



RE-ISSUE OF THE WEEK: Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson

Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson got re-issued by Granta a couple of months ago. I completely worship that book: it's one of my absolute favourite things that's ever been written down.