Tales from Absudria
I’m John – an Absurdist book blogger on a mission to share some of the greatest books with the world!
But what is an Absurdist, I hear you say? (Check out my Beginner’s Guide to Absurdism for the full picture!)
This outlook on life means that I place particular value in writing that demonstrates passion, thoughtfulness, and a steady dose of ironic wit.
However, I’m fairly genre-agnostic.
Middle-Earth may be my spiritual home, but I’ll read almost anything – YA, fantasy, classics, literary fiction, non-fiction, metafiction… (my review policy outlines what I will not accept).
When I’m not chatting with you lovely lot in the bookish community, I write words for a living as a content marketer. It’s dead fun!
Tales from Absurdia can be found at:
Website: talesfromabsurdia.com
Bluesky: @talesfromabsurdia.bsky.social
Instagram: @talesfromabsurdia
What made you decide to start blogging?
A couple of reasons. I’m a content marketer by trade, having gotten into marketing via a writing and editorial background.
Because of this, whilst my writing was pretty good, my digital marketing skills were – at the time – fairly rusty.
So, when I was furloughed in 2020, I launched Tales from Absurdia. This would help me marry my need to practice web design and digital marketing, with my love of reading, writing, and that innate need to find connection with people. That was especially important during the pandemic.
And I’m so glad I did. The book blogging world is a great place to be. I’ve learned a lot along the way too.
How long have you been blogging for?
Five years in April 2025!
Which other book bloggers do you admire?
I think Luke at LukeHarkness.com is great. He’s amiable, very down to earth, and honest with his reviews. I don’t know him too well, but he’s brill.
Likewise, I’ve always had a lot of time for Beth at Booksnest.co.uk. She’s more of a Bookstagrammer and BookTuber these days, but Beth produces some lovely book-related content, with some really high production value. I’ve been fortunate enough to host her on my blog before. She’s a terrific content creator and really passionate about her craft.
Also Krysta and Briana at PagesUnbound.com produce some of the most consistently brilliant book content in the blogosphere. They also write semi-regularly about Tolkien, which is how I discovered their work. I even contributed my own guest post on the subject of capital punishment in Tolkien’s writing.
Best event you’ve been to?
Getting my first press pass for Oxford Literary Festival was life-changing. It’s a wonderful event, and it really helped me get over my imposter syndrome.
I was invited by the press team, because my book festival calendar had generated a significant proportion of their web traffic.
Oxford is a beautiful setting, and the variety of speakers and venues is impressive. Highly recommend visiting.
How do you want your blog to develop in the future?
I’m constantly thinking about how the blog continues to develop. I have a lot of ideas as a result. It’s about finding that right path, however.
I’ve considered launching a podcast, and I may still do so, but the podcast space is very, very busy.
I’ve also considered niche-ing down into book festival and bookshop content. But I enjoy reviewing too much.
Another path is creating some resources on marketing for book bloggers, authors, indie publishers, and bookshops. Sam Missingham at The Empowered Author does a brilliant job of this already, mind.
In reality, it’ll probably involve a combination of all these things!
What are you reading right now?
Orbital, by Samantha Harvey. It’s beautiful and Samantha deserves all the plaudits she has gotten (not least that Booker Prize!)
What book have you re-read the most and why?
Historically, probably either The Lord of the Rings or Catcher in the Rye. Perhaps even The Fall by Albert Camus because existentialism in the second person is absolutely wild.
More recently, I have re-read Write it all Down by Cathy Rentzenbrink at least five times in the last 18 months. Wonderful book for would-be writers.
What’s your favourite book shop and why?
High Peak Bookstore and Café is delightful. It’s a long way from me, so I don’t visit often, but the coffee is incredible – as is the selection of books.
I particularly love the childrens’ section. It’s really calming, beautifully set out, and my kids loved it when I took them.
What’s your reading preference, physical, ebook, audio?
A combination of physical and audiobook. The latter, purely for convenience – I’m a parent, work full-time, and find audiobooks great for the drive to work and home.
Paperbacks trump everything for me. I can see the progress I’m making as I work through the book, it’s a nice conversation-starter with strangers, and I love the artwork of book covers.
I have a Kindle, and it’s great, but it really saps the soul of our the reading experience for me. As twee and rote an argument as it sounds, the physical sensation of reading a paperback is something else.
What book are you looking forward to in the near future?
Sunrise on the Reaping. I cannot get enough of The Hunger Games. I’ll probably take a day off to read it, ha!
What has been your most popular blog post?
The Complete UK Book Festival Calendar, by quite some way. It generates thousands of visitors a month, and has really helped festivals get in front of a receptive audience. I’m really proud of it.
https://talesfromabsurdia.com/the-complete-uk-book-festival-calendar/
Do you have a favourite book quote, if so what?
“Mourn the dead, and fight like hell for the living” from Salena Godden’s Mrs Death Misses Death
