Blame It On Bangkok By J. F. Gump

Bangkok is called the ‘City of Angels’ but actually ‘Bangkok’ translates to ‘village of wild plums’. The city known by westerners as ‘Bangkok is actually named ‘Krung Thep’ and that does translate to ‘city of angels’, ‘the great city’, ‘the eternal jewel city’. Bangkok was the capital until the late 1700′s when King Rama I moved the capital to Krung Thep.

Actually if the complete truth were told, ‘Krung Thep’ is just the shortened version of the name which is ‘Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit’. This has practically nothing to do with the book ‘Blame It On Bangkok‘ and forunately, J.F. Gump didn’t name this book ‘Blame it on Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Ayuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit’.

Blame It On Bangkok by J.F. Gump

A quote from a reviewer – This book has a series of stories that grip and hold your heart. It’s the best collection of short stories I’ve ever read. True, honest, warm and engaging… I only wished there were more because I didn’t want it to end. Thanks J. F. Gump, and keep ‘em coming!

The mission of Click My Lit is to present literature books that are self-published and/or under promoted.

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A diamond is a lump of coal that did real well under pressure. I love that line and I’m thrilled to find such a good place here to use it. The Ghost of Neil Diamond is a novel literature book by David Milnes. I’m not certain if the author was under pressure while being an expat in the Southeast Asia city of Hong Kong but Neil Diamond is certainly a diamond. (Would that make Neil Diamond’s ghost the ghost of a diamond? – I couldn’t stop my typing fingers.)

The Ghost of Neil Diamond by David Milnes

Let’s take a peek at what some reviewers have to say about this Southeast Asia literature book.

“An extraordinarily precise slice of life of parts of Hong Kong very few know about. Even the dodgy expats who live there. It tracks an English Neil Diamond impersonator, his jumped-up Chinese agent, his ordeals in the slummiest bars of Wanchai and Kowloon and a duelling Neil Diamond impersonator… The best literature from Hong Kong I have read since…”

“…traces Neil’s journey through the side-streets and lonely bars of Hong Kong with an appreciation for the city’s strange comedy, like a Wong Kar-wai film. This is not the glamorous Hong Kong – even the skyline and harbour become, in a wonderful inversion of an iconic scene, just some “cosmetic bottles round a filthy sink” – but it is a haunting one. And as we follow Neil’s mortifying attempts to make it as a Neil Diamond impersonator on the expat club scene, we meet a marvelous cast of supporting characters: the enigmatic travel agent-turned-impresario Elbert Chan, a black tennis coach and potential rival singer, and, most troubling of all, a seasoned Diamond impersonator from Los Angeles with no interest in sharing this potentially lucrative niche market…”

“Highly recommended, whether or not you are a Neil Diamond fan. David Milnes has created characters that will stay with you (and you’ll want them to!) long after the last strains of melody have faded out. Well-paced, very funny, with some superb descriptions of the seedy side of Hong Kong. You’ll find yourself rooting for Neil in some surprising circumstances. And the writing is some of the best I’ve read this year…”

The Ghost of Neil Diamond by David Milnes

Here at ClickMyLit, I’m doing my part to bring self-published and under-promoted literature books to your attention. So how about clicking some of my links?  Then I can quit my day job and run away to Southeast Asia and be an expat book promoter.

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Just the name of this Buddhism book by Thinley Norbu sets me quivering and the subject is near and dear to my heart. I have very good friends who are Vajrayana Buddhists and I personally find the teachings and ngondro practices enlightening and interesting.  A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar is a must read for those of you interested in Ngondro, Buddhists and Buddhism and people who wish to know more about Vajrayana.

A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar

Most reviewers have given A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar 5 stars and others Vajrayana Buddhists have given a minimum of 4 stars.

An Awesome Book – A Cascading Waterfall of Nectar

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To judge only from the reader reviews, you will either love this novel set in the Southeast Asian nightlife city of Pattaya, Thailand or you’ll hate it. The reader reviews are either superlative or horrible, with little in between.

Pattaya 24/7

Click My Lit reviewers have read Pattaya 24/7 and several others novels by Christopher G. Moore. The one common thing that certainly stands out proudly, is that Pattaya 24/7′s author does know the locale and he has a feel for the expat community in Southeast Asia. Pattaya 24/7 is one of Moore’s Vincent Calvino series and features many of the favorite expat from the other nightlife novels. One other thing about Pattaya 24/7 is assured: if you do enjoy the read, there are almost twenty more Southeast Asia novels by Christopher G. Moore that you can buy too.

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Blame It On Bangkok is a collection of tales of the Southeast Asian lifestyle and culture. The tales set in Southeast Asia are based on true events in Vietnam, Thailand and the US. The author indicates that he spent time with the US military in Vietnam and he gives personal insights into everyday life in Thailand and Bangkok that are in addition to the emotionally charged Southeast Asia stories.

Blame It On Bangkok

Click My Lit notes that many Westerners who spend time in Southeast Asia want to write about their experiences. The Southeast Asian cities of Bangkok and Pattaya have likely inspired more literary works than any other places. Thailand is a wonderful place steeped in culture and human drama. The actor David Carradine even chose Bangkok for his final location (whether or not that was of his intent). Those who have not visited Southeast Asia will want to read about it, or they can go and then write about their amazing Southeast Asian experience.

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