'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' by Neil Gaiman

This story is short. I read it in a few hours, but yet it doesn't feel small. The story is as full as it needs to be. You aren't left feeling like there could have been more. It's a perfectly formed novel.
The narrator of the book (I'm sure he has a name, but I can't remember. Maybe it's never mentioned. Either way it doesn't really matter) starts the tale leaving a funeral and killing time before the wake, decides to take a drive and finds himself driving to the house in which he grew up in. But as he drives on past he realises that it isn't where he was driving at all. He was heading to the Hempstock farm at the end of the lane. Once there he sets out for the pond or 'ocean' as the little girl (Lettie) who used to live there called it, and remembers the first time he came to the farm. A lodger at his families house stole his Dad's car and committed suicide in it, setting in motion the strange events that would follow. We follow his narrative as he uncovers these repressed memories, seemingly for the first time. The Hempstocks are the classic three Wyrd witches, the old hag, the beautiful woman and the child used in old British folklore (and a million other people since including Shakespeare and Gaiman himself in previous novels) and they lead him by the hand (quite literally) as the suicide cracks the edge of reality letting in some otherworldly nasties.
I don't want to talk too much about it, as you should just read it for yourself as this is a beautiful book, sad and poignant. One that you will dive into like the ocean, finding the waters refreshing, deep, and dark.

'The Road to En-Dor' by E.H. Jones

Well it has been 100 years since the start of the Great War and with that anniversary comes a plethora of reissued and re-jacketed books, and this is one of them. But even so, how had I not heard of this escape before? Yes everyone knows of the ‘Great Escape’ –mainly due to the Steve McQueen movie. But this is so insane and weird that I can’t believe this escape story wasn’t the top pick for any movie producer.
Like many people, what made me pick this up was the fact that Neil Gaiman had written the introduction. “Huh! Why is Neil writing an introduction to a first world war escape story?” was definitely the first thought that entered my head. If you’re interested in exactly why Neil’s introduction was available to read on the Guardian’s website, you can read it here if you want to. As I’m sure he’ll convince you to read this book better than I.
Well anyway back to the book. Lieutenant E.H. Jones and Lieutenant C.W. Hill are the main protagonists. They’ve been captured and sent to the Yozgad prison camp in Turkey. Life as a POW is exceedingly dull, so they start ‘spooking’. Trying to talk to the dead using a OUIJA board quite unsuccessfully, Lt. Jones decides to fake the outcome and make messages appear to come out of nowhere. Although just a bit of fun, some of the other prisoners start to take it so seriously that Jones feels he can no longer admit his deceit without looking like a jerk. But as time goes on he pushes things further and further and also comes across Lt. Hill (who’s an amateur magician!) and together they push what could be expected even further!
It’s an amazing roller-coaster of a ride that involves them convincing the guards and commandant of their ‘powers’, and that there is a vast amount of buried treasure and the ‘ghost’ (through the ‘mediums’) could lead them to it!
Easily the most bizarre story you’ll ever hear about, and incredibly tense at times. It did make me wonder how anyone could put themselves through so much hardship. But then again I’ve never had to be in a Turkish POW camp!
You should really read this book, it’s outstanding!!!