Lad Lit Book Review: Ugly Americans by Ben Mezrich

If you want the quick review then imagine Wolf of Wall Street in Asia with more edge. If that has tantalized your taste buds then read on.

I first read Ugly Americans about 10 years ago when it first came out. I’d just discovered Ben Mezrich through Bringing Down The House and Busting Vegas, and had become a big fan. This book, whilst perhaps not one of Mezrich’s most well-known books, is one of my favourites.

In 1993 John Malcolm throws himself into the crazy world of stockbroking in Japan. He receives a baptism of fire as the first company he works for loses hundreds of millions in a deal set-up by one of the directors, forcing him out of a job. It's not long before he ends up at Barings Bank, working for infamous rogue trader Nick Leeson who made a $2bn gamble that sent Barings into receivership and Malcolm back to the job centre.

Malcolm ends up working back with the man who brought him to Asia in the first place, Dean Carney, and that is where the fun, fortune and fame start. Malcolm soon starts to rise up the financial ladder, making deals and trades that propel him to become a star in his own right to his fellow expat western traders, before being responsible for what was called "biggest deal in the history of the financial markets."

Millions are made, and then even more millions are made, but for me the real appeal in this book comes from the backdrop of the weird and wonderful fish bowl that is Tokyo. From the downright bizarre back-alley sex clubs and fetishes of local rich businessman, to the sinister side of Japan’s underbelly, namely the Yakuza.

Like all Mezrich books there is a love interest, the daughter of a Japanese mob boss, and through this relationship Malcolm find himself rubbing shoulders with men more cut-throat than those he works alongside on the trading floor.

It's an incredible journey and Mezrich excels once again in telling the story and bringing to life a world crafted from greed, power and unimaginable wealth, held together by danger and risk at every corner.

As the title says, this really is the true story of the Ivy League cowboys who raided the Asian markets for millions.

Characters from The Drought: Jack Chatham

The Drought: Jack Chatham

When you think of Jack Chatham, think of a cross between Danny Dyer and Jay from The Inbetweeners! Jack is a happy-go-lucky cheeky-chappy who always has something to say, and most of the time it will be totally un-PC!

He is the joker of the pack, full of banter and sarcasm. With his cockney accent, he comes across as a bit of a geezer and at five-foot-four he has been known to suffer from small-man-syndrome. But his devil-may-care attitude always keeps those around him entertained.

When it comes to girls, Jack is the guy in the group who doesn't seem to have any morals or a conscience. He is constantly playing away from his long-suffering girlfriend Anna (hence his nickname Jackie Cheatham), but his cheeky-chappy confident style makes him hard to dislike. He is a firm believer in chat-up lines and has a host of gems to choose from!

Ever wondered what it would be like if Family Guy sang Uptown Funk? Step forward Mikey Bolt...

Mikey Bolt, you sir are a frinkin' genius! If ever there was a reason why YouTube exists, it's not because we want to see some baby bite his kid brothers finger, it's because we want to know what it would sound like to hear Stewie Griffin sing Uptown Funk! That's right people, you heard me right. Don't believe me, just watch. (see what I did there...)

And it doesn't stop there. The LA impressionist has a whole arsenal of cartoon based voices to his repertoire which he uses with hilarious consequences. I mean, imagine Peter Griffin laying down the vocals to Pharrell William's 'Happy' track....

And his talents don't stop at cartoon characters doing songs, he does pranks as well...

And if you like what you have seen here, there is plenty more over at his YouTube channel so make sure you check it out!

Characters from The Drought: Rob Devlin

The Drought: Rob Devlin

Rob Devlin is one of those super-cool, good-looking, smooth-talking guys who girls fall over themselves to get to. He oozes charm and charisma, and can certainly turn on his sensitive side when he needs to, yet still manages to maintain his 'one of the lads' status with just as much ease.

Rob has been Dan's best friend ever since they used to play kiss chase with the girls in the school playground. With his sandy beach blonde boy-band style haircut and a good dress sense, it isn't hard to understand why Rob is s such a ladies man.

He works in a clothes shop, or a fashion boutique, as Rob likes to put it. Whilst his friends are more than happy to rock high street brands such as Top Man and River Island, Rob is always wearing the latest from Prada or Lanvin, and he is the one member of the group who you could call metrosexual. But even his usually solid advice is wasted on Dan!

Lad Lit Book Reviews: Seeing Other People by Mike Gayle

Mike Gayle is the reason I first ever got into lad lit and after reading this book about infidelity and friendship, tinged with heartbreak and sorrow with a touch of A Christmas Carol thrown into it, I soon remembered why.

When Joe Clarke wakes up with the hot office intern, panic sets in. He does the classic man thing – claiming he can’t remember what happened, but as some of us have learned the hard way, that rarely gets us out of trouble.

It’s not long before his wife Penny rumbles him and takes off with the kids. Joe vows to be a better man to win his family back, and help is going to come from the most unlikely of places, namely his recently deceased girlfriend. Yep, you read that right! Joe has his very own ghost of relationship past. It sounds strange, but it works.

As a reader you buy into what Joe is going through – the disappointment in himself, the regret of what he is has lost, the determination to get his family back. What Gayle does with his male lead characters is make them real. You feel the emotion as though you’re one of Joe’s mates that he is confiding in.

The real stars of the book are perhaps the other members of the Divorced Dads' Club, who rally around each other as they share their tales of woe. Men don’t share their true feelings at the best of times, but Gayle deals with this brilliantly as he intertwines their stories into the novel.

All in all, Gayle proves again why he is one of the best at writing about normal male blokes, and he does it in a style that makes you want to know ‘what happened next’ long after the final page has been turned.

The Office: Middle Earth - SNL take a bow son!

US comedy show Saturday Night Live has come up with an absolute corker with this mash-up of The Hobbit vs The Office! Actor Martin Freeman and the rest of the SNL cast should all take a bow for this piece of genius. That's enough words - all you have to do is just sit back, watch and laugh your little Hobbit feet off...

Characters from The Drought: Dan Hilles

The Drought: Dan Hilles

Dan Hilles is a pretty regular kind of guy - regular job, regular bunch of mates, regular male aversion to shopping. But when it comes to the opposite sex, Dan has lost his way somewhat and his recent sexual experiences are anything but regular!

Eight months ago Dan became single for the first time in three years after the traumatic and life threatening break-up with long-term girlfriend Stacey. He was ready and raring to take single life by the horns. But somewhere along the way, the rules had changed.

He hasn't just forgotten how to talk to women, he has suffered an extreme case of amnesia when it came to even being in the same vicinity of the fairer sex. Facing the possibility of being forced into a life of celibacy, Dan has turned to his friends for salvation and to help him overcome his drought, with disastrous and often hilarious consequences.