Litter Critter

We Have Moved

2011-11-22T08:48:00.001-08:00

Now here

The Scold's Bridle

2011-07-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

Minette Walters isn't someone whose novels I've read before, and generally when choosing something to read I stick to the same authors unless I'm stopping of at Smith's on the way through the station, in which case it's a case of grabbing the latest bestseller off the shelf.

But the other day, when I was procrastinating through my reading list (I'm supposed to be reading The Triumph of the Moon and Cycles of Time), I wandered into the charity shop around the corner from my house and picked up three novels for a pound. One of these was The Scold's Bridle by Minette Walters.

It's different from what I'm used to reading. Mary Higgins Clark and Tess Gerritsen, two of my favourite crime writers, create novels that are insanely gripping. I often come close to missing my stop on the train if I'm reading one, I rarely want to put it down, and when I get to the end there's that amazing feeling of finishing some kind of sprint. Mo Hayder and Karen Rose I like for the shock element they bring, and on occasion they genuinely make my skin crawl, which is one of those half-horrible, half-pleasant feelings.

Minette Walters didn't fit either of those descriptions, but she still writes a good novel. I kept forgetting I was reading it when I put it down. It wasn't particularly gripping, or especially horrifying. But it was satisfying. A proper novel, lots of interesting relationships between characters, a few twists and turns that I didn't see coming. And I definitely didn't guess the ending.

The Scold's Bridle centres around an old woman who, when she dies, leaves her entire fortune to the village doctor in a move that shocks everyone, not least her daughter and granddaughter who expected to inherit. Her death is originally ruled as suicide, but one policeman isn't convinced, and sets out to investigate. Of course, it's murder, but the murderer is quite a surprise.

Worth reading, especially if you haven't read any of her stuff before. I'm going to try and find some more of hers as well.

Room

2011-07-10T02:50:00.000-07:00

So when I was blogging about the stuff I read when I was on holiday, I forgot one: Room by Emma Donoghue. Which is a shame really, because it was pretty good and definitely outside of the kind of thing I usually read (crime fiction, psychology of religion or quantum physics).

Room tells the story of a young boy who has lived his entire life inside a small room and never seen the outside world. He lives there with his mother, who has been at the mercy of her abductor since he locked her up six years earlier. Together they hatch a plot to escape, but will they get out? And if they did, would the world outside be too daunting for a boy who's spent his whole life inside four walls?

It's pretty interesting and definitely should be read at some point.

The Mill on the Floss

2011-06-26T05:14:00.000-07:00

George Eliot's The Mill on the Floss was one of my favourite books when I was a child. I hadn't read it since I was about twelve, so I decided to take it on holiday with me and see whether I still liked it as much as I used to.

I did. It's a great book; I'm not often a huge fan of classical literature, but this one's worth looking past the flowery language. It follows the story of siblings Maggie and Tom as they're growing up and moving away from home; Tom doing his family proud by living up to all the roles they've decided he should play, whilst Maggie is a constant disappointment because she's not enough of a lady. She has an excellent heart but often acts impulsively and gets herself in trouble. The story is long and complex, tapping into the very base of human emotion and bringing out the best and worst parts, weaving them together in an unusually realistic manner.

I did wonder how many of my own views about life and relationships were shaped by this novel; Maggie's ideas about how to live her life are very Kierkegaardian in some respects; the sacrifice of self for the sake of something beyond one's own personal gain. Not necessarily for the greater society, as is often the case, but for something greater even than that.

Not sure if that made sense at all. Anyway, it's worth reading. Especially if you follow it up with Fear and Trembling by Kierkegaard.

The Snowman

2011-06-26T05:05:00.000-07:00

Jo Nesbo's selling point seems to be "The Next Stieg Larsson". I haven't read any of Larsson's novels, so this wasn't particularly something that drew me in, but his books have been popping up in front of me for so long now that I felt almost obliged to read them.

The Snowman follows the story of a serial killer who builds snowmen outside people's houses before killing them. Harry Hole, the policeman who's trying to solve the case, is quickly sucked in and chases the murderer through a variety of fast-paced twists and turns. Betrayal, trust and murder come together to form what is probably Nesbo's most famous book in the UK.

Honestly, though, I wasn't very impressed. It was OK, and there were lots of twists, and I wasn't sure who the killer had been, but ultimately I didn't care enough about the characters to be able to muster any excitement about the storyline. There are better crime fiction writers out there; stick to them.

An Equal Music

2011-06-26T04:57:00.000-07:00

I first read An Equal Music by Vikram Seth when I was about seventeen, and at the time I decided it was one of the best novels I'd ever read. I took it on holiday with me to revisit it and see whether I still liked it. It was good, but no longer groundbreakingly so; I've read so many great novels since leaving school that its effect has been somewhat diluted.

Michael is a musician who forms part of the Maggiore Quartet. They play together, travel together and perform together in the kind of relationship that's specific to artists and performers. Michael enjoys his life, teaching the violin to sometimes-unwilling students when he isn't practicing or performing, but he's constantly haunted by the spectre of Helen, his long-lost love. He left her years ago in Venice, during a period of great emotional strain, and when he finally realised what he was missing, it was too late to win her back. But he's never given up hope. Travelling through London on a bus one day, he sees Helen on the opposite bus and sets out to find her. Catching up with her proves surprisingly easy, and Michael decides to try to win her back. As is often the case in the face of sudden emotional excess, however, his priorities change and the rest of his world begins to unravel.

Certainly worth reading; my favourite book of Seth's.

Labyrinth

2011-06-26T04:50:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to read Labyrinth by Kate Mosse for ages; lots of people told me it was fantastic. I'm not generally a fan of Grail conspiracy theory novels, I find them quite annoying, but as they go, this one was pretty good.

It follows the story of two girls separated by centuries: Alais, who lives in the 1200s in Carcassona; and Alice, who lives in the modern world and is helping her friend on an archaeological dig. Alice stumbles across a hidden chamber in which two bodies are buried with a ring and a small case. A picture of a labyrinth carved into the rock captures Alice's attention, and she sets out to discover the history behind the people and the place. Along the way, she realises people are trying to stop her, and that she's dealing with some very dangerous issues. In the meantime, we follow Alais' quest to preserve her family traditions throughout the war that's gradually moving towards her city.

It's pretty long, but if you have time to spare and nothing else on your bookshelf, it's worth a read.

The Devil of Nanking

2011-06-26T04:29:00.000-07:00

A classic young-academic-becomes-obsessed story, The Devil of Nanking follows the story of Grey, who has spent most of her young adult life trying to track down the truth about what happened in Nanking during the second Sino-Japanese War. She finally locates a professor who can help her on her quest, but he wants something in return. Grey gives up hope of returning home in the near future and finds an apartment and a job as an Tokyo club hostess. Inevitably she ends up being drawn into a world she never imagined existed, and each dark twists takes her further into the path of danger.

The Treatment

2011-06-26T04:24:00.000-07:00

I love Mo Hayder. She writes books that are genuinely quite horrific and always very gripping. The Treatment is no exception. Police find a husband and wife tied up and severely dehydrated in their home. Their nine-year-old son is missing. A desperate hunt ensues, and eventually the child is uncovered, but along the way Jack Caffery, who is leading the investigation, begins to wonder whether there is a link between this and an old case that was dismissed many years ago. The clock is ticking as another family comes under the torturer's scrutiny, but what is actually going on? All the clues seem to point towards the fathers setting the whole thing up, but does this mean they're operating a network of wife- and child-torturers? Caffery works flat-out to bring the case to its dramatic conclusion.

The Love Verb

2011-06-26T04:17:00.000-07:00

Jane Green is the only chick lit author I consistently like. Occasionally I can bear reading a book by someone else who writes this genre of novel, but often I find them simpering and overly romantic. Jane Green has a sense of humour, which helps; she is also very skilled at capturing human emotions and relationships in a realistic way.

The Love Verb is about a vegan chef who hasn't been able to settle down. Her relationships, her jobs and her living arrangements are all very changeable, and her family despair every time she tells them she's dumped her boyfriend/quit her job/left her apartment. A new opportunity arises for her in the middle of the countryside, and unsurprisingly she dumps everything and moves to a place she's never been before to try her hand at... well, she's not quite sure. But she'll work it out. While she's there, her sister gets cancer and the whole family rallies round to support each other. It's a long and very emotional journey with a bittersweet ending.

Gravity

2011-06-22T22:46:00.000-07:00

Gravity was a bit of a change from Tess Gerritsen's normal style. She tends towards medical thrillers (and excellent ones at that), whilst this book focuses on a space mission aboard the ISS. Young researcher Emma heads off for her first mission, replacing a member of the previous team who's been taken ill. But then other teammates start to get sick, and strange things are happening to the mice on board...

Honestly, I didn't find this quite as gripping as the majority of her books, but it's still worth a read.

Call After Midnight

2011-06-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

Sarah Fontaine gets the call we all dread: "There's been an accident... it's your husband." It gets weird when she's told that he was in Belgium when it happened; as far as Sarah knew, her husband only ever went on business to London. Along with special agent Nick O'Hara, Sarah sets out to discover the truth behind her husband's disappearance, and in doing so uncovers a web of secrets that has repercussions for everyone involved.

Call After Midnight is classic Gerritsen: gripping, intense and thrilling.

Book Lover

2011-06-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

I'm normally not much of a chick lit person, but this one had such an appealing (and personally relevant) title that I decided to give it a go. I was pleasantly surprised, as well. Often I find women's fiction simpering and slushy, with far too much romance and not enough action for my liking. Yeah, I probably should have been born a bloke.

Book Lover is the story of Dora, who disappears on "book binges" when life gets tough, locking herself in her flat for days on end with a good book, bubble bath and a glass or six of wine. Personally, I think that sounds wonderful, but it worries the people around her who want her to settle down and live a more 'normal' existence. Naturally the only guy she runs into works in her local bookshop, and they strike up a romance. She finds herself getting more and more involved with his family, but isn't sure that the relationship itself is heading where she wants it to go...

Pretty good, an easy read but one that won't bore you.

Under The Knife

2011-06-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

I've just got back from holiday, during which I read about 15 books, so there will undoubtedly be quite a few blog posts popping up within the next week or so.

One of the first things I did when preparing for the holiday was to make sure I had enough Tess Gerritsen books in my stash. She's a must for any holiday; for any time at all, actually. I love her, I think she's the only modern crime fiction writer who comes close to Mary Higgins Clark in quality of suspense.

Under the Knife: a patient dies during a routine operation, and when Dr. Kate Chesne comes under scrutiny, it is discovered that the woman had previously had a heart attack and never should have undergone the operation in the first place. Chesne is bewildered and begins to doubt her own abilities as a doctor, but sets out to prove herself innocent. Gradually a web of deceit is uncovered, and as usual with Gerritsen, the twists are many and unexpected. Definitely worth a read.

Reach Out Reads

2011-05-15T01:50:00.000-07:00

Reach Out Reads is an initiative that sets out to help young people who are coping with issues that impact on their mental health. The project also features authors hosting live chats for young adults in which they can talk about their own experiences.

The website tied in with the series showcases real-life stories and lets young people know the facts about the things they and their friends are going through. The next author chat will be held around Open Wounds, a story about a boy trying to survive a tough upbringing in Queens, NY.

Check them out. What do you think?

The Underachiever's Manifesto

2011-04-03T23:46:00.000-07:00

My colleague gave this to me to read, probably because I have a reputation for being a bit of a workaholic. I say "a bit of a workaholic"; what I mean is that I regularly pull 18-hour days at the office even though I live two hours away. And when I get home, I work. And then I go to bed and dream about work. Yes, you could definitely say I'm addicted to my job.

So it's not surprising that sometimes people give me pointers towards not working so hard. Colleagues leave food on my desk so I remember to eat lunch, make me go for walks if they know I've been in the office for more than 10 hours, and generally look out for me because they're awesome.

The problem with The Underachiever's Manifesto, though, is that it's for people who are only achieving because they feel like they need to. I've met these people and I get where they're coming from, but it's not the same place as me. I don't work hard because I want my bosses to approve (though I'm pleased when they do). I know that ultimately it makes absolutely no difference to the vast majority of the people in the world whether my campaign delivers on time. I have quite a cynical view of my own existence: or rather, one that I would call realistic.

I work because I love to work. If I stopped loving my job, I'd stop working so hard. I'd probably find something else I loved and do that instead, but ultimately the main thing I enjoy doing in life is not socialising (stressful), or talking to people (tiring), or watching TV (boring). It's work. I love it. If I achieve something along the way, great. That's an added bonus. But, like many of the pilgrims I've interviewed for the research project, the point of my conscientiousness isn't in the result; not from my point of view, anyway. It's all about the journey.

Twilight, True Love And You

2011-04-03T23:35:00.000-07:00

As with very few other books I've read, Twilight, True Love And You presented a pleasant surprise. I expected (from the title and blurb about 'finding your true love') that it might be a bit sickening to someone who hated Twilight on sight, is completely cynical when it comes to romance and despaired of her teenage friends when they dreamed about weddings and beautiful lives with future husbands.

It isn't like that, though. It isn't a simpering, irritating tale of girls with no personality falling for lovely men. It's a down-to-earth, realistic foray into human relationships.

It talks about why Bella falls for Jacob and Edward - even if, like me, you haven't read Twilight, this will all make sense to you - and tells you how you can avoid the same pitfalls without sacrificing your chance at a relationship. The seven steps to finding your true love which Deacon advertises on the back cover are pieces of very sensible advice from a lady who evidently has her head screwed on.

If you're always falling for the simmering, dangerous type and ending up in trouble, it'll give you some pointers as to why you do it and how to avoid it. Likewise if you go for spineless types and end up feeling like their mother, you'll find some pretty good advice within the pages of this book.

Definitely recommended for young adults, especially those with imaginative ideas about romance.

Twilight, True Love and You

2011-03-27T11:43:00.001-07:00

Here's the trailer for a new book, written by Louise Deacon.

The book takes readers through Bella's journey as she tries to decide which way her heart will take her: Edward or Jacob? Can either such love really exist? How can you find it?

Deacon uncovers the seven steps to finding your own Edward or Jacob; it's the perfect book for anyone who loves vampires and werewolves, and wants to know how to find lasting love with a human.

You can buy the book here.

I'll also be reviewing the book at some point; for the moment, most of my description was stolen from here.

Inspirational Science Books

2011-03-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

My top three:

Shadows of the Mind

In my Top Five Books of All Time, and for a good reason: it's fantastic... (more)

The Fabric of Reality

One of those books that will take your world view, twist it into a tight cord, tie a javelin around it and hurl it far into the distance...(more)

The Large, the Small and the Human Mind

An excellent and accessible introduction to his own theories of quantum physics and its implications for the concept of mind... (more)

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of reading. I read on trains, in bed, in the bath, on buses... everywhere I can. Often it's crime fiction or history of religion, but sometimes I will branch out into something more scientific. Almost inevitably, I enjoy any books I read about science. Of course it depends on the kind of science - I find physics fascinating, but am less enthralled by biology or chemistry - but it's nice to have a bit of brain-stretching from time to time. Which is why I found the idea of the Google Science Fair really interesting. Kids from all over the world can compete to win a host of fantastic prizes. The competition has been running since January and will close on the 4th of April; it's being judged by Nobel laureates, tech visionaries and household names in science.

There's a load more info on the site, and you can watch the video below to get an idea of the thoughts behind the competition.

In the meantime, I'd be interested to hear which books you find the most inspirational, and why?

Words of Wisdom

2011-01-26T00:25:00.001-08:00

Books about quotes often fall into the trap of being a bit twee. Wise words from the ancients are recycled all the time, taken out of context, not thought about and bantered around as if you can boil down a whole philosophy into a couple of lines.

This is my usual rant about quotation books. Luckily, it doesn't apply to Gareth Southwell's Words of Wisdom. There were many, many things I loved about this book, so I'll start with arguably the most important: Southwell's analysis of the philosophies (and philosophers) he's quoting. It's evident that he's thought deeply about all the meanings, that he's read them in context, and that he's spent a lot of time studying philosophy. The descriptions are well thought out and not at all cloying.

Whenever I open a book, I also open my notebook and jot down any interesting passages I find. In a book about quotes, I expected these to be numerous, and they were. The surprising thing was that many of the most interesting quotes in the book were from Southwell's descriptions as well as from the philosophers he was paraphrasing. His sense of humour shone through and provided an easy-to-read but still in-depth analysis of philosophy from ancient to postmodern.

Which brings me to my next point: the number of modern and post-modern philosophers in the book. Often I find myself slightly irritated by the proliferation of quotes from Plato, Confucious and so on. Sure, they're fantastic, and they have a place in any book about philosophy, but there are a lot of people who have been around in the past 200-300 years whose views are also well worth sharing. Southwell devotes a significant part of the book to these guys, thus avoiding the trap of writing a fusty, outdated tome and instead showing the relevance of philosophy to life nowadays, which is especially important in an age in which philosophy seems to be viewed more and more as 'just people waffling on about their own empty opinions.'

Yet another thing I appreciated was the fact that Southwell doesn't only treat writers as 'valid' philosophers if they have a philosophy degree and lectured in it at some point. The inclusion of Helena Blavatsky and Aleister Crowley pleased me especially; controversial figures many people would shy away from, but still leading lights in the philosophy of spirituality.

All in all, a glowing review for a fantastic book. I think it would make an excellent introduction to philosophy, and also a great point of reference for anyone looking for inspiration. It took me about four times as long to read as most books do, because I kept having to stop to jot down ideas that had been inspired by the writing. Definitely worth a read.

Follow the author on Twitter here

Buy the book here

Sister

2011-01-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

A woman dies, the police rule it a suicide. Her sister won't believe she's killed herself and drives herself half-crazy trying to prove that she was murdered. Of course she's right; I'd say I'm sorry for giving it away, but the ending of the book is so obvious from the first few pages that there's really no way of spoiling it.

The book opens with the words "Dearest Tess". This immediately made me think I'd hate it. It was a bit saccharine and evidently Lupton is convinced she's the reincarnation of Jane Austen. Sadly, she's not as good a writer as Austen. Having said that, after the first few chapters I started getting into the story, which was quite enjoyable, if not the best thing I've read.

By the final couple of chapters, I'd decided to give it a good review, because I'd basically enjoyed it. And then I arrived at the ending, and I rethought my decision. It's one of those endings that's so clichéd you'd think no one would actually write it.

Don't bother reading it, there's far better stuff out there.

Bleed For Me

2011-01-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

When I finished this book, I handed it to my colleague and she said the same thing I did upon seeing it for the first time: "It looks really familiar. His name... I can't remember who he is, but he sounds like I know him."

I'm pretty sure I've read something of his before, but I could remember nothing about it. I finished Bleed For Me a few days ago, and now that I'm coming to writing the review, I can't remember it either. This leads me to think that, whilst Robotham's books are pretty good at the time of reading, they don't exactly stick in your head afterwards.

A young girl turns up at her best friend's house covered in blood. Her father is discovered dead in his bedroom, and accusations of sexual abuse are made by her disabled older sister. All of these things point to the girl's guilt, but her best friend's father, a psychologist, is not convinced and sets out to solve the mystery on his own.

It was pretty good, I enjoyed it. I wouldn't go out of my way to find it. My colleague didn't like it. So, a 50/50 review. Pretty average crime fiction.

Out

2011-01-04T04:21:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law did well on the Christmas present front this year. Not only did she buy me Persepolis, which made it to #1 on my 'top thirteen books of 2010' list, she also gave me Out by Natsuo Kirino, which was really, really good. ("Ooo look," I said to Husband when I unwrapped it, "there's a girl with a knife on the cover!")

A woman kills her abusive husband in a fit of rage, then enlists the help of her friends to dispose of the body. Cue in-depth description of butcheresque dismemberment. Of course, the local unsavoury characters get wind of the women's ability to take people apart and dispose of their bodies, and offer them a large sum of money to get rid of future evidence. The women accept, and the story unfolds in waves of nausea. In a good way. If you like reading gory details of people being chopped up, you'll like it, but it's more than just a book for the hardcore horror fan. It's actually very nicely written, and the relationships between the characters are played out subtly and realistically. I'd recommend it for anyone who isn't too faint of heart.

Top Thirteen Books of 2010

2010-12-31T04:20:00.000-08:00

2009 was an excellent year for books. I discovered The White Goddess and The Mathematical Experience, two books which would become some of my favourites of all time. My top list for last year was filled with wonder.

And then the other day I realised it was nearly the end of 2010, and that I'd need to do my 'top books of the year' list pretty quickly. I worried that I hadn't read anything ground-breaking enough, but actually, looking back through the year, I think I've read quite a lot of wonderful things. Here are my top thirteen:

13. Dark Places ~ Gillian Flynn

Anyone who has previously written a book called Sharp Objects must be great as far as crime fiction goes, right? Gillian Flynn was a new addition to my library this year, and one I was pleased to discover. Dark Places was a dark and gripping tale of Satanism (the media-blown-up kind, not the Satanic Bible kind), accusations of child molestation, axe-murdering, shooting, cows being slaughtered (not in the so-we-can-eat-them way), and a lot of very disturbed people. If you're into crime fiction, I recommend it.

12. Introduction to Historical Linguistics ~ Terry Crowley

Despite a glaring spelling error ('cogate' instead of 'cognate'), which I, in my sleep-addled brain-state, managed to replicate in a conference submission, Introduction to Historical Linguistics was an interesting, eclectic and accessible introduction to... well, historical linguistics. Ahem. Next!

11. Narziss & Goldmund ~ Hermann Hesse

Hesse has a way of drawing readers into a story and making them really care about the characters, without losing the philosophical nature of the writing. It's often easy to become bogged down in brainwaves when you're reading a book that makes you think as well as telling a story, but Hesse weaves beautiful tales and activates your grey matter all at the same time. I'd recommend anything he's written.

10. The Large, the Small and the Human Mind ~ Roger Penrose

Well, it wouldn't be a top books list without Penrose, would it? This book is more introductory than his others, and I read it after I'd read all the rest, which arguably is the wrong way round, but it was good. Very good. About as painless an introduction as you're going to get into quantum physics and the theories of consciousness that can spring from it.

9. A Life in Pieces ~ Richard Baer

A beautiful and empathic window into the life of someone with dissociative identity disorder, seen through the eyes of both her and her psychiatrist. Resembling The Flock in some ways, it begins with the woman's total lack of awareness of her alter egos, and takes the reader through the gradual realisation of the fractured nature of her consciousness. Beautifully written.

8. Have You Seen Her? ~ Karen Rose

I pretty much just picked a title at random, because 2010 has been Karen Rose's year on my bookshelf. Having exhausted Tess Gerritsen and Mary Higgins Clark, I needed to find another author whose books I could read obsessively, and Rose was it. The characters reappear in different novels, making it easy to pick up where you left off last time; the books can be read in any order without worrying about having missed parts of the story (the lack of which was my main criticism of James Patterson, whose books I also love).

Rose tackles difficult subjects and leaves you feeling raw. The twists are subtle and interesting; sometimes I worked out whodunnit before the end, sometimes I didn't; but it never mattered. Each book is so gripping that I could read them all the way through without really caring what's actually going to happen at the end. It's the relationships between characters that Rose does so well.

7. The Glass Bead Game ~ Hermann Hesse

Yes, Hesse makes it into the list a second time, because he is fantastic. One of my lecturers at uni recommended this book to me, and years later with uni behind me, I finally got around to reading it and understood why he'd loved it so much.

Any book that can bring back a flavour, a picture, a feeling to your mind months after you've finished it has to be something worth reading. Impressions, whether good or bad, are the mark of a writer who pulls in his audience and keeps them interested.

There are so many interpretations that could be given to this novel; I'm not even going to try to describe my own. I don't want to taint it for any future readers, I just want to say it's a book that should be read at some point in your life.

6. La Rêveuse d'Ostende ~ Eric Emmanuel Schmitt

You know sometimes, you pick up a book expecting it to be a novel, and actually it's a work of art? The kind of artwork that makes you stop in the middle of a gallery, take a step back, peer upwards and swallow a few times to keep yourself from crying? Yeah, that. Schmitt can write. His descriptions are beautiful, his characterisation is flawless. Read it.

5. How To Research ~ Blaxter, Hughes & Tight

An essential book for anyone who's interested in academia, marketing, statistics... any aspect of work that involves research, data gathering and statistical analysis. Somehow, possibly through the use of some kind of magic, they manage to make statistics sound interesting. It's easy to read, it doesn't make you feel stupid, there are extra notes and boxes for people who like to work more than they need to, and everything is laid out clearly and concisely.

4. The Surgeon ~ Tess Gerritsen

The best crime fiction book I've read all year, The Surgeon was moving, chilling, gripping, fascinating, exciting; so good I even read the sequel (still good, not as great as the first). It was everything you could possibly imagine a good crime novel to be. If you like thrilling crime fiction, you should read it. If you don't, read it anyway; it would be an excellent introduction to the genre.

...and the top three...

3. The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana ~ Umberto Eco

Eco pretty much gets into the top three just by being him. This year, I read Baudolino and this one. I have to say, Baudolino didn't do much for me. My in-laws, both classicists, loved it but didn't like this one so much. I found The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana to be beautiful in the way that only Eco's books are.

The depth of Eco's literary referencing is astonishing, and this book, like his others, is a work of literature that goes far beyond its story. The premise of the novel is interesting: a man wakes up with amnesia and can't remember anything about himself or his life, but can remember bits of the books he's read. The number of books you'd have to read just to be able to write the first couple of chapters of Queen Loana is impressive in itself, and Eco with his immense knowledge keeps up the literary ping-pong right until the book's finale. Yeah, Eco's books don't have endings. They have finales.

2. Gypsies Stop tHere & No Gypsies Served ~ Miriam Wakerly

This was a hard call. I love Eco, and I think he's one of the best authors of all time. But if I'm going on just how much I was impressed by a book, and how important it is to society at the moment, Wakerly's two novels have to take joint second place.

I started reading the first book pretty tentatively, worried in my prejudiced way that a self-published author wouldn't be able to fulfil my expectations. To say that I was pleasantly surprised would be a massive understatement. Gypsies Stop tHere gripped me from the first page and carried me all the way through to the end on a wave of 'I don't want to put this down'. And then I picked up No Gypsies Served and had the same feeling all the way through that one.

Really, really important books. Really, really beautifully written. I think they should be on every school's curriculum. As well as being given out free with the Daily Mail. That would be awesome.

And that, dear readers, is the only time you will ever see the words 'Daily Mail' and 'awesome' in the same sentence on one of my blogs.

AND FINALLY

NUMBER ONE

1. Persepolis ~ Marjane Satrapi

My sister-in-law bought this for me for Christmas. My husband advised her against it. He knows I'm a little bit strange. I like to put things in boxes in my mind. And in my mind's boxes, a book has writing in it. A novel has writing and no pictures. Persepolis has more pictures than writing. Husband knew I would probably be a little bit freaked out about the whole thing. She bought it anyway. She said she wanted to stretch my boundaries, or words to that effect.

And stretch them she did. Persepolis is wonderful. I'm not even sure how to describe it. It's incredibly moving. Simple. Beautiful. None of these words are quite saying what I mean. Sublime? Perhaps. Essentially, it's the simplicity of a child's style of story-telling coupled with the sophistication of a woman who has seen many things. It's the elegance of a well-written novel coupled with the creativity of a fantastic comic strip. It is everything you could ever want and more. For the first time in the world ever, I didn't want to get off the train to work just because the book was so damn awesome. I still haven't finished it. It's waiting for the journey home this evening. It's going to be a happy new year's eve.

Dark Places

2010-09-19T05:05:00.000-07:00

The other day at work, I wandered over to Lindsey's desk to borrow some reading material. We often act as mini-libraries to each other, both having similar taste in novels. There was a pile of three or four books there, and I picked out Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, murmuring something along the lines of: "Disturbed seven-year-old child? Family massacred? Hell yes!" Sometimes I worry about what crime fiction does to people's brains. Mostly I think it's a good outlet for the darker side of human nature.

Anyway. I brought the book home and read it. Seven-year-old Libby Day is in the house when her mother and two sisters are killed. She knows that her brother is also home, but he gets out alive, and everyone assumes he's the murderer, not least because of the allegations of Satan worship levelled at his friends.

Over two decades later, Libby goes along to the Kill Club, a bizarre gathering of people who are obsessed with true crime, and meets a group of enthusiasts who are certain that her brother Ben didn't kill her family. Of course, she spends the rest of the book trying to work out what happened.

It's dark. There's Satanism (the media-blown-up kind, not the Satanic Bible/Anton LaVey kind), there's accusations of child molestation, there's axe murdering, shooting, cows being slaughtered (not in the so-we-can-eat-them way), and a lot of very disturbed people. Somehow it manages to do all of this without being too chilling. Mo Hayder, who also writes along very dark themes, publishes books that literally make your skin crawl. Not so with Gillian Flynn, but that doesn't make it any less gripping.

Definitely recommended. I'm going to go and look for some of her other books to read.

Picture credit

Street Knowledge

2010-09-14T06:11:00.000-07:00

Street Knowledge is a new encyclopaedia containing work and exclusive interviews by leaders in urban talent, such as Irvine Walsh, Benjamin Zephaniah and Banksy. It includes a mini city guide for each of the featured cities, and showcases up-and-coming talent as well as the usual household names. An eclectic work, it draws from all sorts of disciplines - graffiti, writing, film, street art - to create an overall picture of urban landscapes across the world.

Gypsies Stop tHere & No Gypsies Served

2010-09-12T22:28:00.000-07:00

Just over a month ago, I heard that Miriam Wakerly was doing a book signing in my local Waterstone's. I'm not normally a Waterstone's person, preferring to haunt charity/second-hand bookshops and the virtual shelves of Amazon, but I went along to say hello, because I'd heard good things about her from Veshengro, and I'm always up for meeting people who are on my side of the Gypsy debate.

So off I trundled on a sunny Saturday afternoon, into my local Waterstone's to say hello. Miriam was lovely, and signed a couple of books for me, and I left the shop determined to read and review them as soon as possible. Then I headed off for a week of driving around the country and recording music with friends, and at some point in the course of the drive I opened the first book.

Now, I must admit I started reading the book pretty tentatively. Wakerly is a self-published author; a courageous thing, but one that can backfire; I've read so many self-published works that turn out to be completely dire as soon as you're beyond the title page.

To say that I was pleasantly surprised would be a major understatement. Gypsies Stop tHere gripped me from the first page and carried me all the way through to the end on a wave of 'I don't want to put this down'. And then I picked up the second book, No Gypsies Served, and had the same feeling all the way through that one.

The books follow Kay, who moves to a small country town after the tragic death of her husband and inadvertently ends up in the middle of a debate about whether Gypsies should be allowed to stop in the place they've always used. The fiery young Natalie originally introduces her to the debate, and the more research Kay does, the more she realises just how unfair life can be when you happen to be of Romany ethnicity. She meets lots of exciting people along the way - Dunstan the gardener, Lena the young Gypsy woman - and learns to stand up not only for herself, but also for victims of racial prejudice in her local community.

The characters' relationships are beautifully and sympathetically woven, without being cloying. The books walk that oh-so-delicate line when talking about an ethnicity (particularly Gypsies), between telling the truth and romanticising them. They walk the line well. There is no feeling that the Romany people are being parodied as mildly ridiculous, simple-minded weirdos who spend all day sitting in dark tents cackling at crystal balls. Instead, every character in the story is portrayed as equally human, equally normal, with the only differences being ethnicity and culture.

All of these strands pull together to create a couple of truly beautiful books. I'd recommend them as essential reading to anyone; I think they should be in every local library, preferably on the 'recommended' shelf, and that they should be compulsory reading for all schoolchildren. Perhaps then we'd see less of the prejudice towards Travellers, and more people with Miriam's admirably open-minded and warm-hearted approach to true humanity.

Storing Books

2010-07-27T02:11:00.000-07:00

Not sure where to put all your books? Line them up along the wall! I must admit, I do this, and it soon descends into crazy books-across-the-floor rather than nice neat piles, but if you're a better housewife than me (not difficult!) then you might be able to keep it looking pretty! Also, look how lovely the ceiling is!

Found here

Mindware

2010-07-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

Mindware by Andy Clark is a book I read for my MSc, which I will be starting in October. It was interesting, and I would recommend it, but it is challenging in places for someone who has very little (read 'no') knowledge of robotic systems. Having said that, I found the parts that focused on philosophy of mind and cognitive psychology very accessible, so perhaps I just need to brush up on my robotics skills.

First things first: this guy desperately needs a good proofreader. There were so many grammatical mistakes in the text that I found it quite painful to read at times; the spelling was also off, sometimes so badly that the meaning of an entire sentence was altered: 'proceeding' for 'preceding' was one example of a glaring error. I found this quite disappointing.

The book itself though, once I looked past the grammar and spelling (not an easy thing for a proofreader to do!), was pretty good. Not amazing, not fantastic, not the best book I've ever read; but a good, in-depth introduction that makes you think really hard without throwing you in over your head. The bits I had no prior knowledge of were very challenging, but I could understand them if I tried. Clark writes accessibly and isn't patronising, which is a difficult and delicate balance to achieve.

The conclusion was beautiful, the appendices were certainly also worth reading (although I almost felt that they should have been at the start of the book), and overall I'd recommend it to someone starting an advanced course in Philosophy of Cognitive Science.

Picture credit

Pretty Book Rooms

2010-07-06T14:08:00.000-07:00

Found here

Narziss and Goldmund

2010-06-30T20:48:00.000-07:00

Hermann Hesse is an excellent writer. The Glass Bead Game is a beautiful book; Steppenwolf is wonderful too; Narziss and Goldmund is no exception to the rule. A young boy is sent to a cloister to study. Whilst there, he meets a young monk who is teaching some of his classes. The two strike up a friendship - an unlikely one, because in many ways they are very different - but the monk, Narziss, notes the similarities between them and sets himself up as a kind of mentor to Goldmund.

Time goes on, and eventually Goldmund realises he needs more than just academic stimulation. He saddles up a horse and rides away across the fields, eventually living the life of a vagrant wanderer. He travels from place to place, sleeping with women, meeting companions, making friends; and eventually ends up in a small town, where he sees a carved image of the virgin Mary. He is moved to the core, and manages to befriend the carver and become his apprentice. After a couple of years of study, Goldmund is offered the chance to become a master carver, but instead leaves for more wandering. He meets a beautiful woman, who is married to a count, and is caught hiding in her wardrobe by her husband and sentenced to death. Narziss finds him, saves his life and takes him back to the cloister, where the two catch up on lost years and Goldmund becomes the resident carver. Gradually he comes to various realisations about life and death, and the conclusion of the book is a beautiful conversation between Narziss and a now very ill Goldmund.

As is usual with Hesse, the themes and possible interpretations are many. It's such a seminal book that it's worth leaving everything open: I think it's one of those works from which each person will draw something different. Certainly worth reading; easy to read, as well; highly recommended.

The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana

2010-06-29T00:24:00.000-07:00

I swear Umberto Eco has read every book in the world. The depth of his literary referencing is beyond amazing. The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana is, like all of Eco's books, truly beautiful: a work of fiction that goes far beyond its story.

It's based on an interesting premise: a man wakes up in hospital with amnesia. He can't remember who he is, or anything about his life: the only things he can remember are from the books he's read. But which ones, and why? He isn't sure. His wife sends him back to his childhood home, where he attempts to rediscover himself through the piles of comics, books and dusty pieces of paraphernalia that litter the old attic.

I'm not sure anyone else could have written this book: you'd need to have read so many just to be able to complete a chapter or two. Luckily, Eco is incredibly well-read and seems to speak rather a lot of languages, so it all hangs together in a portrait of perfection.

Eco is also the only person I've known to be able to describe defecation in a way that makes it sound really quite beautiful. I know it's not the nicest of subjects, but it's just another proof of his genius that he is able to take something so base, so generally disgusting, and make it into a beautiful and natural process. I was going to quote it, but I'll leave you to find it when you read the book. Because read it you must.

Picture credit

Top 200 Non-Fiction Books: Which have you read?

2010-06-24T02:59:00.000-07:00

Random House's Modern Library has just released two lists: a 'board's list' and a 'readers' list', each detailing the top 100 non-fiction books. Which have you read? The ones I've read are in bold.

The Board's List

THE EDUCATION OF HENRY ADAMS by Henry Adams
THE VARIETIES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE by William James
UP FROM SLAVERY by Booker T. Washington
A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN by Virginia Woolf
SILENT SPRING by Rachel Carson
SELECTED ESSAYS, 1917-1932 by T. S. Eliot
THE DOUBLE HELIX by James D. Watson
SPEAK, MEMORY by Vladimir Nabokov
THE AMERICAN LANGUAGE by H. L. Mencken
THE GENERAL THEORY OF EMPLOYMENT, INTEREST, AND MONEY by John Maynard Keynes
THE LIVES OF A CELL by Lewis Thomas
THE FRONTIER IN AMERICAN HISTORY by Frederick Jackson Turner
BLACK BOY by Richard Wright
ASPECTS OF THE NOVEL by E. M. Forster
THE CIVIL WAR by Shelby Foote
THE GUNS OF AUGUST by Barbara Tuchman
THE PROPER STUDY OF MANKIND by Isaiah Berlin
THE NATURE AND DESTINY OF MAN by Reinhold Niebuhr
NOTES OF A NATIVE SON by James Baldwin
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE B. TOKLAS by Gertrude Stein
THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE by William Strunk and E. B. White
AN AMERICAN DILEMMA by Gunnar Myrdal
PRINCIPIA MATHEMATICA by Alfred North Whitehead and Bertrand Russell
THE MISMEASURE OF MAN by Stephen Jay Gould
THE MIRROR AND THE LAMP by Meyer Howard Abrams
THE ART OF THE SOLUBLE by Peter B. Medawar
THE ANTS by Bert Hoelldobler and Edward O. Wilson
A THEORY OF JUSTICE by John Rawls
ART AND ILLUSION by Ernest H. Gombrich
THE MAKING OF THE ENGLISH WORKING CLASS by E. P. Thompson
THE SOULS OF BLACK FOLK by W.E.B. Du Bois
PRINCIPIA ETHICA by G. E. Moore
PHILOSOPHY AND CIVILIZATION by John Dewey
ON GROWTH AND FORM by D'Arcy Thompson
IDEAS AND OPINIONS by Albert Einstein
THE AGE OF JACKSON, Arthur Schlesinger by Jr.
THE MAKING OF THE ATOMIC BOMB by Richard Rhodes
BLACK LAMB and Grey Falcon by Rebecca West
AUTOBIOGRAPHIES by W. B. Yeats
SCIENCE AND CIVILIZATION IN CHINA by Joseph Needham
GOODBYE TO ALL THAT by Robert Graves
HOMAGE TO CATALONIA by George Orwell
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MARK TWAIN by Mark Twain
CHILDREN OF CRISIS by Robert Coles
A STUDY OF HISTORY by Arnold J. Toynbee
THE AFFLUENT SOCIETY by John Kenneth Galbraith
PRESENT AT THE CREATION by Dean Acheson
THE GREAT BRIDGE by David McCullough
PATRIOTIC GORE by Edmund Wilson
SAMUEL JOHNSON by Walter Jackson Bate
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X
THE RIGHT STUFF by Tom Wolfe
EMINENT VICTORIANS by Lytton Strachey
WORKING by Studs Terkel
DARKNESS VISIBLE by William Styron
THE LIBERAL IMAGINATION by Lionel Trilling
THE SECOND WORLD WAR by Winston Churchill
OUT OF AFRICA by Isak Dinesen
JEFFERSON AND HIS TIME by Dumas Malone
IN THE AMERICAN GRAIN by William Carlos Williams
CADILLAC DESERT by Marc Reisner
THE HOUSE OF MORGAN by Ron Chernow
THE SWEET SCIENCE by A. J. Liebling
THE OPEN SOCIETY AND ITS ENEMIES by Karl Popper
THE ART OF MEMORY by Frances A. Yates
RELIGION AND THE RISE OF CAPITALISM by R. H. Tawney
A PREFACE TO MORALS by Walter Lippmann
THE GATE OF HEAVENLY PEACE by Jonathan D. Spence
THE STRUCTURE OF SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTIONS by Thomas S. Kuhn
THE STRANGE CAREER OF JIM CROW by C. Vann Woodward
THE RISE OF THE WEST by William H. McNeill
THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS by Elaine Pagels
JAMES JOYCE by Richard Ellmann
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE by Cecil Woodham-Smith
THE GREAT WAR AND MODERN MEMORY by Paul Fussell
THE CITY IN HISTORY by Lewis Mumford
BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM by James M. McPherson
WHY WE CAN'T WAIT by Martin Luther King by Jr.
THE RISE OF THEODORE ROOSEVELT by Edmund Morris
STUDIES IN ICONOLOGY by Erwin Panofsky
THE FACE OF BATTLE by John Keegan
THE STRANGE DEATH OF LIBERAL ENGLAND by George Dangerfield
VERMEER by Lawrence Gowing
A BRIGHT SHINING LIE by Neil Sheehan
WEST WITH THE NIGHT by Beryl Markham
THIS BOY'S LIFE by Tobias Wolff
A MATHEMATICIAN'S APOLOGY by G. H. Hardy
SIX EASY PIECES by Richard P. Feynman
PILGRIM AT TINKER CREEK by Annie Dillard
THE GOLDEN BOUGH by James George Frazer
SHADOW AND ACT by Ralph Ellison
THE POWER BROKER by Robert A. Caro
THE AMERICAN POLITICAL TRADITION by Richard Hofstadter
THE CONTOURS OF AMERICAN HISTORY by William Appleman Williams
THE PROMISE OF AMERICAN LIFE by Herbert Croly
IN COLD BLOOD by Truman Capote
THE JOURNALIST AND THE MURDERER by Janet Malcolm
THE TAMING OF CHANCE by Ian Hacking
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS by Anne Lamott
MELBOURNE by Lord David Cecil

-------------------------------

The Readers' List

THE VIRTUE OF SELFISHNESS by AYN RAND
DIANETICS:THE MODERN SCIENCE OF MENTAL HEALTH by L. RON HUBBARD
OBJECTIVISM: THE PHILOSOPHY OF AYN RAND by LEONARD PEIKOFF
101 THINGS TO DO TIL THE REVOLUTION by CLAIRE WOLFE
THE GOD OF THE MACHINE by ISABEL PATERSON
AYN RAND: A SENSE OF LIFE by MICHAEL PAXTON
THE ULTIMATE RESOURCE by JULIAN SIMON
ECONOMICS IN ONE LESSON by HENRY HAZLITT
SEND IN THE WACO KILLERS by VIN SUPRYNOWICZ
MORE GUNS, LESS CRIME by JOHN R. LOTT
PSYCHIATRY: THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL by BRUCE WISEMAN
FINGERPRINTS OF THE GODS by G. HANCOCK
CLASSICAL INDIVIDUALISM: THE SUPREME IMPORTANCE OF EACH HUMAN BEING by TIBOR MACHAN
FREE TO CHOOSE by MILTON AND ROSE FRIEDMAN
AIN'T NOBODY'S BUSINESS IF YOU DO by PETER MCWILLIAMS
THE ROAD TO SERFDOM by F. A. HAYEK
FREEDOM IN CHAINS by JAMES BOVARD
AMERICA'S GREAT DEPRESSION by MURRAY N. ROTHBARD
THE ROOSEVELT MYTH by JOHN T. FLYNN
THE TRUE BELIEVER by ERIC HOFFER
VINDICATING THE FOUNDERS by THOMAS WEST
THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE by CARL L. BECKER
COGNITIVE THERAPY AND THE EMOTIONAL DISORDERS by AARON T. BECK
DEATH by GOVERNMENT by R. J. RUMMEL
A ROOM OF ONE'S OWN by VIRGINIA WOOLF
LONGITUDE by DAVA SOBEL
ORDINARILY SACRED by LYNDA SEXSON
SPEAK, MEMORY by VLADIMIR NABOKOV
THE ART OF MEMORY by FRANCES YATES
DUMBING US DOWN by JOHN TAYLOR GATTO
THE GOLDEN BOUGH by JAMES FRAZER
UNDAUNTED COURAGE: MERIWETHER LEWIS, THOMAS JEFFERSON, AND THE OPENING OF THE AMERICAN WEST by STEPHEN E. AMBROSE
A MODERN PROPHET by HAROLD KLEMP
THE FLUTE OF GOD by PAUL TWITCHELL
REAL PRESENCES by GEORGE STEINER
OUT OF AFRICA by ISAK DINESEN
WAYS OF SEEING by JOHN BERGER
THE SHADOW UNIVERSITY: THE BETRAYAL OF LIBERTY ON AMERICA'S CAMPUSES by ALAN CHARLES KORS
PROPERTY MATTERS: HOW PROPERTY RIGHTS ARE UNDER ASSAULT AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE by JAMES V. DE LONG
STORMING HEAVEN by JAY STEVENS
THE TEXAN by C. S. BARRIOS
HOMAGE TO CATALONIA by GEORGE ORWELL
THE VARIETIES OF RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE by WILLIAM JAMES
HOW TO LIE WITH STATISTICS by DARRELL HUFF
BUT IS IT TRUE? by AARON WILDAVSKY
A MATHEMATICIAN READS THE NEWSPAPER by JOHN ALLEN PAULOS
ANATOMY OF CRITICISM by NORTHROP FRYE
THE MAINSPRING OF HUMAN PROGRESS by HENRY GRADY WEAVER
MODERN TIMES by PAUL JOHNSON
MEN TO MATCH MY MOUNTAINS by IRVING STONE
THE EDUCATION OF HENRY ADAMS by HENRY ADAMS
THE GREAT BRIDGE by DAVID MCCULLOUGH
AMERICAN GAY by STEPHEN O. MURRAY
THE DOUBLE HELIX by JAMES D. WATSON
THE SENSE OF AN ENDING by FRANK KERMODE
THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS by ELAINE PAGELS
EROS THE BITTERSWEET by ANNE CARSON
THE WESTERN CANON by HAROLD BLOOM
THE WHITE GODDESS by ROBERT GRAVES (probably my favourite book of all time)
HEALING OUR WORLD by MARY RUWART
SILENT SPRING by RACHEL CARSON
PILGRIM AT TINKER CREEK by ANNIE DILLARD
SEXUAL PERSONAE by CAMILLE PAGLIA
THINK AND GROW RICH by NAPOLEON HILL
A LIFE OF ONE'S OWN by DAVID KELLEY
DOORS OF PERCEPTION by ALDOUS HUXLEY
THE DISCOVERY OF FREEDOM by ROSE WILDER LANE
MORE LIBERTY MEANS LESS GOVERNMENT by WALTER WILLIAMS
LIBERTARIANISM: A PRIMER by DAVID BOAZ
BEYOND LIBERAL AND CONSERVATIVE by WILLIAM MADDOX AND STUART LILIE
A CONFLICT OF VISIONS: IDEOLOGICAL ORIGINS OF POLITICAL STRUGGLES by THOMAS SOWELL
PARLIAMENT OF WHORES by P. J. O'ROURKE
SEPARATING SCHOOL AND STATE: HOW TO LIBERATE AMERICA'S FAMILIES by SHELDON RICHMAN
THE FUTURE AND ITS ENEMIES by VIRGINIA POSTREL
THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE by WILLIAM STRUNK AND E. B. WHITE
ORIENTALISM by EDWARD SAID
ECOTERROR by RON ARNOLD
WHY GOVERNMENT DOESN'T WORK by HARRY BROWNE
OUT OF THE CRISIS by W. EDWARDS DEMING
NOT OUT OF AFRICA by MARY LEFKOWITZ
THE END OF RACISM by DINESH D'SOUZA
BEHIND THE MASK by IAN BURUMA
IN A DARK WOOD by ALSTON CHASE
PRIVATE PARTS by HOWARD STERN
THE TELEPHONE BOOK by AVITAL RONELL
THE MINUTEMAN: RESTORING AN ARMY OF THE PEOPLE by GARY HART
WAKING AND DREAMING by JOSEPH HART
THE GREATEST STORY NEVER TOLD by LANA CANTRELL
RADICAL SON by DAVID HOROWITZ
UNDER THE SIGN OF SATURN by SUSAN SONTAG
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X by ALEX HALEY AND MALCOLM X
A FEELING FOR BOOKS by JANICE RADWAY
THE HERO OF A THOUSAND FACES by JOSEPH CAMPBELL
THE JOB by WILLIAM BURROUGHS
SILENT INTERVIEWS by SAMUEL R. DELANY
SLATS GROBNIK AND SOME OTHER FRIENDS by MIKE ROYKO
RISE OF THE UNMELTABLE ETHNICS by MICHAEL NOVACK
REVERSE ANGLE by JOHN SIMON
PLACING MOVIES by JONATHON ROSENBAUM
RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING by PATRICK J BUCHANAN

NOTES OF A NATIVE SON by James Baldwin
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF ALICE B. TOKLAS by Gertrude Stein
THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE by William Strunk and E. B. White
AN AMERICAN DILEMMA by Gunnar Myrdal

Let Me Call You Sweetheart

2010-06-24T01:11:00.000-07:00

Let Me Call You Sweetheart by Mary Higgins Clark is yet another example of the Queen of Suspense at her best. Kerry, whose daughter Robin has been in a car accident and needs plastic surgery on her face to mend her scars, bumps into two women in the surgeon's waiting room, both of whom look remarkably similar to each other and to a woman who was murdered a few years ago. The plot thickens as Kerry realises the investigation wasn't as thorough as it could have been, and of course she starts on her own investigation.

As is usually the case with MHC, I had my suspicions all the way through and they were totally wrong. Fantastic twist, wonderful novel, certainly worth reading.

Drawing Down the Moon

2010-06-22T08:03:00.000-07:00

When I first started reading Drawing Down the Moon, I thought I was going to hate it, because it immediately started referring to all witches as Wiccans, and vice versa. Luckily, the author soon discussed her reasons for this and the book ended up actually being pretty good. Sure, it quoted Isaac Bonewits, whose books really don’t do anything for me, a little too often, but overall it was a fair evaluation of a lot of the groups and literature surrounding modern Paganism. It also didn’t pretend to be about something it wasn’t, nor did it pretend to be an authoritative source.

An interesting book and one that will be useful to anyone studying the modern-day Pagan phenomenon, this is a useful but not entirely necessary read that should be taken with a pinch of salt but still read with an open mind.

Remember Me

2010-06-13T01:49:00.000-07:00

Mary Higgins Clark is often referred to as the Queen of Suspense, and for a very good reason: she's downright amazing.

Remember Me does not disappoint. One of Higgins Clark's most interesting literary habits is the interweaving of a couple of different storylines within the same book; ones which may or may not be relevant to each other. Remember Me is the story of Menley and Adam, whose son Bobby died two years previously. They head with their baby daughter Hannah to the Cape where Adam spent his childhood, intending to buy a summerhouse. But Menley is still having flashbacks about Bobby's death, and moving into Remember House only seems to make them worse. Adam turns to his friends, asking them to keep an eye on Menley, who understandably resents the intrusion.

Around the same time as the two move in, a young recently-married woman is drowned at sea, and her distraught husband finds himself the subject of investigation by a police officer with a hunch. Adam's best friend, Elaine, sticks up for the widower, and Adam agrees to defend him in court. Gradually Menley begins to resent Adam's friendship with Elaine, who is about to be married to a man whose 18-year-old stepdaughter is also Menley's babysitter. Menley and the girl become friends, and gradually the story is woven together in the way only Higgins Clark can do it: beautifully, gently, constantly building tension until the climax, which is a classic Higgins Clark ending. Definitely recommended.

Sex Slaves

2010-06-13T01:40:00.000-07:00

Sex Slaves: The Trafficking of Women in Asia is a well-written and informative book focusing on a difficult subject. Louise Brown has studied sex trafficking in various continents, but decided to focus on Asia for this book to highlight the strong links between desperate poverty and the enforced prostitution of women and children.

Sympathetically written, the book still manages to take on a no-nonsense tone; there isn't too much focus on the 'Oh how terrible'; more on the 'This is what happens and this is what needs to happen', which I liked. I often find it irritating when people spend lots of time sitting around talking about how awful something is but refusing to think about what they could possibly do to help. Brown is very honest in her reflections about her book; towards the end, she recounts conversations with Asian prostitutes who ask how her book is going to help them and their children. She knows it won't, she says, but by raising awareness she might be able to start (or add to) a process that will help future generations.

Open, honest, well-researched and worth reading.

A Crime So Monstrous

2010-06-11T00:55:00.000-07:00

Reading about human trafficking is never going to be a breeze. It's not an easy subject, it's not a nice subject, but it is (in my opinion, anyway) an important subject. To that end, I've been doing a bit of reading about it recently, beginning with A Crime So Monstrous: Face-To-Face With Modern-Day Slavery by E. Benjamin Skinner.

I was impressed. Skinner actually manages to write quite smoothly - even wittily - about something that needs to be handled delicately. He is respectful yet also treats the reader like a human being, laying out the historical and modern-day facts interspersed with personal anecdotes from his work with the trafficked, the traffickers and those who are working to end this phenomenon.

Essential reading for anyone who is interested in the history of human slavery, and in how it still occurs.

The Last Days of Socrates

2010-06-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

Well, it's written by Plato, so it's fantastic. I love reading Plato, I find his books relaxing somehow. The Last Days of Socrates documents the time just before Socrates is killed; and there are many interesting themes and discussions within, as can be expected from any Socratic text.

It's quite a short book and probably a good one for someone who's recently started out in philosophy, though if you're looking for a place to begin with Plato I'd recommend the Republic first.

It's difficult to review something so far above anything I could ever imagine writing, but it's certainly worth a read if you're even remotely interested in anything.

A Life In Pieces

2010-06-07T13:04:00.000-07:00

It has been far too long since my last book review. The main reason I don't post is because I read so much: at least a book a day, often two. Because I spend so much time reading, I rarely have the time to write about what I've read. This is something I need to rectify. Perhaps by creating more hours in the day.

The first book for today: A Life In Pieces by Richard Baer. A stunning and beautiful account of a woman's journey through dissociative identity disorder, with the help of her dedicated and excellent psychiatrist. It begins with the woman's total lack of awareness of her alter egos, and the gradual realisation that she is not one but many. Once she has become aware of who she is (or rather, of all the whos she is), she must work towards integrating all her personalities to form a whole self.

The book is wonderfully written, and is unusual in that often such accounts are written from the point of view of the patient, which of course works very well, but it was intriguing to see how the subject appears to the psychologist conducting the treatment. DID is a rare disorder, one with which very few psychologists have had to deal, and this only makes it all the more difficult and exciting for Dr. Baer.

A fantastic book, definitely worth reading if you're interested in psychology.

Ten Classic Philosophy Texts

2010-04-30T00:45:00.000-07:00

On Twitter this morning, I noticed SDMumford had tweeted about his ten classic philosophy texts to read before you die. His picks:

Plato - Republic
Descartes - Meditations
Locke - Essay Concerning Human Understanding
Hume - Treatise of Human Nature
Kant - Critique (which one? I'd go for one of the 'reasons'. Probably both).
Spinoza - Ethics
Aristotle - Metaphysics, Physics or Ethics?
Berkeley - New Theory of Vision
Mill - System of Logic

Hmm, that seems to be only nine. Unless you count Kant's critiques as two, which would make sense.

This got me thinking about my top ten philosophy books - or the ones I think everyone should read. Honestly, it sort of depends which stage of philosophy you're at, but assuming you haven't read any at all, I'd go for:

Russell - History of Western Philosophy
Plato - Republic
Descartes - Meditations
Aristotle - Metaphysics
Kant - both critiques
Kierkegaard - Fear and Trembling
Locke - Essay Concerning Human Understanding
Hobbes - Leviathan
Montaigne - Essays
Sartre - Being and Nothingness

What are yours?

The Neighbour

2010-04-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

Lisa Gardner isn't someone I come across often in my travels through the world of crime fiction, but perhaps that will change after reading The Neighbour, which really was an excellent book.

Sandra and Jason are married with a four-year-old child and a cat. They live in uber-normal suburbia and seem to lead a balanced, uneventful life. But is it too normal? Jason's world starts to unravel when Sandra suddenly goes missing. Sandra's world starts to unravel when she finds a suspicious image on Jason's computer. Their neighbour Aidan's world starts to unravel when Sandra disappears, and as a previously-convicted sex offender, the community turns against him. Ethan, a reclusive geek at the school where Sandra is a teacher, is sure he can save the day. His uncle Wayne is a forensic computer genius who works with the police, and Ethan is a little Wayne in the making. He starts his own investigation alongside that of the police, who are trying their hardest not to allow the whole situation to turn into more of a media circus than it is. Then, all of a sudden, Sandra's estranged father arrives. A respected judge, he tries to obtain custody of four-year-old Clarissa; but Sandra made Jason swear that he'd kill the man before allowing him to take her daughter. What is everyone to do?

The strands of this story are woven together in such a complex way that I was unsure whether they'd all be able to be drawn back together by the end of the book. But they are, and in a fantastic finale, the story reaches its conclusion. Recommended.

Presumed Guilty

2010-04-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

Tess Gerritsen does it again with Presumed Guilty, a wonderful novel of suspense and thought-provoking excitement.

Miranda has just ended her affair with Richard, who owns the local newspaper company. But Richard can't take it. He calls her constantly and says he's coming over, so Miranda goes out. When she gets back, his car is still there and so is he, lying naked on her bed. Naked... and dead. Miranda immediately becomes the top suspect in the investigation: a matter which isn't helped when a mysterious donor pays her bail and gets her back on the streets. She forms an unlikely partnership with her dead ex-lover's brother, and together they set out to solve the mystery. But will they get to the solution in time?

Gerritsen never ceases to amaze. The way she writes is so full of suspense that her books take me even less time to finish than most other books do; I read quickly, turn the pages desperately and don't put them down until I've finished. Go read.

The Chatto Book of the Devil

2010-04-13T05:52:00.000-07:00

The Chatto book of the Devil is a must-read for anyone who is interested in history, lore and speculation surrounding this archetypal figure. A mixture of fact, fiction and pure fantasy, it is both interesting and informative. I read it because of the research I'm currently doing into how the history of the word 'Devil' has influenced religious thought, and more specifically, relationships between different religions. It's far more than just an academic book, though: it's entertaining, too. If you're at all interested in Satan - or, for that matter, in gods - take a look.

Cut

2010-04-13T05:44:00.000-07:00

Cathy Glass - Cut:
When interviewed, I am often asked when and why I began fostering, all those years ago. This is the story of when and why; it is also the true story of Dawn. Dawn was the second child I fostered and nearly became the last. It is set at a time before The Children’s Acts, when there was no training for foster carers, no record keeping, no meetings, no background information on the child, little accountability, and no support. ‘Dump 'em and run’ seemed to be the philosophy of the social services at the time, and the more disturbed the child was, the faster and quicker the social services ran. Because of all the changes in fostering and social work practice, this story shouldn’t happen now, although doubtless there is a foster carer somewhere who can prove differently.

Cut is a heart-rending story of a girl who went through so much, and spent her teenage years misunderstood and desperate. She eventually fell into the home of Cathy Glass and her husband - first-time foster parents who had just had a baby son of their own - and immediately she began to wreak havoc; or so it seemed from the outside. Cathy's love and patience are astounding, and they shine through the pages to make this book a must-read for anyone who is considering adopting a teenager or older child. The admission within the first few pages that Cathy had assumed fostering would be 'easy' was astounding - but, like she says herself, there was little or no support for foster carers at that point, and she had no idea what to expect.

The Satanic Bible

2010-04-09T08:27:00.000-07:00

A necessary book for anyone who's interested in 'The Left-Hand Path', The Satanic Bible was actually far more balanced and far less controversial than I imagined it would be. It's very easy to imagine Satanism as a 'way-out' path, even if you're the kind of person who tries not to judge others' religions.

The Satanic Bible puts paid to that. Intelligent, interesting and well-written, it argues the point of Satanism in a way that makes it difficult to refute. The first half of the book in particular is very persuasive; many of the points put forward just... well... make sense. The second half of the book is more what I expected from the whole thing: a Satanic grimoire, with explanations of rituals, invocations and so on. Still, it certainly doesn't come across as being any more controversial than your average grimoire, and makes more sense than many of them.

Definitely recommended if you're curious, or if you're interested in looking at what an anti-religious religion might be like.

The Sinner

2010-04-08T03:02:00.000-07:00

I seem to be on a bit of a Tess Gerritsen roll at the moment. I picked up The Sinner in a bookshop on my way through the station, and of course, it didn't disappoint. Fast-paced, gripping and interesting, it was a rollercoaster ride of a book.

Two nuns are killed in the convent where they live. A woman is killed in an abandoned restaurant, her hands, feet and face severed. A man is shot in the chest and dies. And Dr. Maura Isles, the so-called 'Queen of the Dead' who examines bodies for the police, suddenly finds her ex-husband back in town and wanting to reconcile.

None of these events seem to be linked, but as Rizzoli and Isles battle their way through case after case, they are drawn into a web of intrigue, and each strand seems to lead them back to a village in India. What is going on? You'll have to read it to find out.

Broken

2010-04-07T00:44:00.000-07:00

I've recently been thinking about writing a paper on so-called 'misery memoirs'. It's not a term I like, but I think it's probably the easiest way to describe this type of book so that everyone knows what you're talking about. I find it interesting, courageous and quite astonishing that people can have the guts to spill such horrendous details of their lives onto paper and sell it. Quite what said paper might be about, I'm not sure. But it's certainly an interesting subject. For those who have been through similar experiences, I imagine it's useful to read that they are not alone, and that parts of their own experiences which they believed made them weird, or an outsider, or just downright insane, are actually quite normal in the structure of who they are.

I think misery memoirs have an important place in modern literature. Quite what that place is, I'm not sure; but a lot of them are best-sellers. Broken by Shy Keenan is one such book: a heart-rending journey through the life of a girl who was not only misunderstood but actively damaged by everyone from her closest family members to those in authority who were meant to be helping her. It's a book with a happy ending, because Keenan is incredibly strong. These days, she's working with Sara Payne to help survivors of child abuse. Worth a look if you like misery memoirs; if you don't, you'll probably find it too saddening to read.

The Surgeon

2010-04-06T00:41:00.000-07:00

Tess Gerritsen's novels appeared in my life not too long ago, when a colleague gave me a few books to read over the weekend. Among them was Keeping the Dead, whose cover read: 'As good as Kathy Reichs or your money back.' I thought this was a pretty impressive claim, as Kathy Reichs is fantastic, but surprisingly, Gerritsen didn't disappoint, and from that point on I've been hooked.

The Surgeon is probably the best book of hers I've read. In fact, it's one of the best crime fiction novels I've read in a long time. And I read a lot of crime fiction.

The way in which Gerristen manages to deal with sensitive themes in a way that is both ferocious and tender is really quite exceptional. The Surgeon features a man who preys on women who have been sexually assaulted; he has killed many, until he reaches Catherine, a doctor, who he fails to kill because she gets there first, shooting him to death in her apartment. Years later, Catherine is living a new life in a different state when the murders start up again. But how is that possible? Surely the Surgeon is dead? Or is he...?

It really is a wonderful book. Its sequel, The Apprentice, is unsurprisingly not quite as wonderful as The Surgeon, but still well worth a read. Go on. Buy them both. Gerritsen deserves it.

The Alphabet Crime Series

2010-03-23T03:48:00.000-07:00

I just wrote 'The Alphabet Pie Series' in the title field by mistake. I think perhaps a lunchbreak might be in order soon.

Anyway... continuing on my current trend of reading series of books, I've restarted on the Sue Grafton alphabet series: A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar, C is for Corpse. A colleague saw one sitting on my desk the other day and laughed; it's true, I probably would teach the alphabet in this way to any offspring I had. It makes it more exciting.

Still, alphabet-learning aside, the novels themselves are interesting and fast-paced. C is for Corpse had the bottom part of my spine tingling in the final chapter, though that might just have been all the running I've been doing recently.

Kinsey Millhone is a very likeable character; a sort of female John Rebus; good at her job, rubbish at relationships, dedicated to work. I read the first three books in order, then skipped forward to the next one I happened to have: G is for Gumshoe, which sounds slightly less threatening than Burglar or Corpse, but you never can tell with crime novels.

I'd definitely recommend the whole series for anyone who likes to develop a rapport with the people they're reading about.

The Wind on the Heath

2010-03-23T03:43:00.000-07:00

The Wind on the Heath: A Gypsy Anthology by John Sampson. I thought, when I bought it, that this might be a collection of Romany stories. Though some of those are included, it's mainly just a collection of bits of writing about Gypsies. Luckily, most of it is positive, which in the current climate of anti-Romani sentiment, is quite nice to read.

It's a soothing, lovely read that makes you think of wandering down country lanes in summer looking at the pretty trees and feeling the grass brush your bare legs. It's not much more than that, but there's something to be said for any collection of bits of beautiful writing.

Recommended as a break from the hideous, fume-filled world of Today.

The Women's Murder Club

2010-03-23T03:36:00.000-07:00

I've recently been going through a phase of finding as many books by one author as I can, and reading them voraciously and in order. This I've just done with James Patterson's Women's Murder Club. Lots of apostrophes in that sentence.

I've previously read the first five books in the series, and I bought 6th Target from my local overpriced station newsagent a few days ago. It was excellent. I love the Women's Murder Club. Loveable characters, and storylines that keep you on your toes.

Having searched in vain for number 7, I decided to cheat, skipped it and went on to 8th Confession instead; which was, of course, also wonderful. I like series where you end up caring about the characters. Good job, Mr. Patterson.

The Celts

2010-03-23T03:31:00.000-07:00

The Celts by Gerhard Heim. I don't know what to say. You know when you're really interested in a subject, but somehow the author seems to make it magically boring, even though it should be fascinating? Yeah. That.

There are countless books out there on the Celts, so don't read this one. It will make your eyes bleed just because your face wants something exciting to do.

No Time for Goodbye

2010-03-23T03:23:00.000-07:00

No Time for Goodbye by Linwood Barclay is an interesting novel, because you're really not sure what's happening most of the way through.

A stroppy teenager gets into an argument with her parents when her dad finds her out with her much older boyfriend and drags her home with a flea in her ear. The next morning, she wakes up to find the house empty and her family gone. Her brother hasn't appeared at school and her parents are nowhere to be seen. A police investigation is conducted, but nothing shows, so Cynthia is sent to live with her aunt.

Fast-forward to the future, and Cynthia is married with a child of her own. Is she going mad? Is she imagining people watching her? Is she holding firmly to a ridiculous belief that her family is still alive? Where are they? What happened all those years ago?

It's a relatively normal storyline - missing people, confused party left behind trying to work out what's gone on - but it's actually very well done. I had no idea until the very end what was going to happen (or rather, what had happened), but at the same time, I wasn't surprised. I think I'd say it felt about as comforting as a crime novel can be, and I mean that (strangely) as a compliment.

It's a good, quick read if you're looking for something not too taxing but not too brainless either.

Dead Run

2010-03-21T23:37:00.000-07:00

I do like PJ Tracy. The pseudonym of a mother-daughter team, Tracy's books are fast-paced nail-biters; the mark of an excellent crime novel. Dead Run forms part of the Monkeewrench series of books, focusing on a group of highly intelligent game developers who sometimes get themselves mixed up in places they shouldn't be.

This one is no exception. Off on a trip, three women - two Monkeewrench ladies and one FBI agent - find themselves in a small, quiet town. No problem here, except that it's altogether too quiet. Everything is silent and pristine, looking like people just downed tools and disappeared into thin air. As the women look for answers, they narrowly avoid being killed a number of times, and the story leads grippingly towards a fantastic finale. If you haven't yet sampled PJ Tracy, go for it now.

Lying Dead

2010-03-21T23:33:00.000-07:00

Lying Dead by Aline Templeton is truly awful. Written by someone who obviously has no understanding of the genre or of the minds of her readers, it's a plodding, annoying, boring book with a storyline that leaves you not particularly caring about any of the characters, with the possible exception of a border collie named Moss.

Don't bother reading it. I nearly didn't finish it, but I hate leaving things half-done.

The Last Child

2010-03-12T01:08:00.000-08:00

I don't always succumb to WH Smith's book offers when I wander past in the morning, but on Wednesday I did. Why? Because I knew I'd finish The Glass Bead Game on the train, and I wanted something to read afterwards: preferably something pretty unchallenging.

The Last Child by John Hart didn't disappoint on any level. I didn't want an amazingly beautiful work of literature - Hesse had just bowled me over with one of those - but I did want a good, interesting, fairly gripping crime novel. And Hart gave me that.

A young boy tormented by his sister's disappearance. A mother who spends her life so out of it she can barely stand. A stepfather who beats them both. A best friend with a shrivelled arm and a confused home life. A friendly policeman. Who would you trust? Themes of friendship, loyalty, betrayal and desperation are woven through this book to create a thrilling read.

There were twists. Many twists, none of them ridiculous, some of them not entirely surprising. There were bits where I wanted to be at the end now, and bits when I wanted to keep reading for a long time. Altogether, a very good work of crime fiction. Definitely recommended.

The Glass Bead Game

2010-03-12T01:03:00.000-08:00

The Glass Bead Game by Hermann Hesse. Wow. Just... wow. A beautiful work of literature. It doesn't matter whether you're interested in the philosophical elements of the book, it doesn't matter if you like the story, none of it matters except the artful composure of the book in its entirety. Arguably, of course, the reason the book is so beautiful is because of all the elements that join together to make it so, but at the end of the day, I can't imagine many people not enjoying it. It works on so many levels. For some, it's a novel; for others, a work of philosophy; for others, a poetical work of artistry that stretches far beyond that which we would normally place in the category of 'literature'. Can you tell I'm in the third group?

A really, really wonderful book. You must read it at some point. Not necessarily right now, but whenever you have the time and the inclination to savour and cherish it, the way it should be read.

The Large, the Small and the Human Mind

2010-03-10T01:14:00.001-08:00

The Large, the Small and the Human Mind by Roger Penrose is an excellent and accessible introduction to his own theories of quantum physics and its implications for the concept of mind. Drawing heavily on his other books, it also includes criticisms from Hawking and others, as well as Penrose's responses to their points.

Definitely recommended if you haven't read Penrose before; also recommended if you're not sure what the criticisms of his work might be. If you've read Shadows of the Mind and/or The Emperor's New Mind - especially the former - then the chances are that you'll already know a lot of the stuff in there. Having said that, it's still an excellent book. And being so small, it's not too daunting, even for those to whom quantum physics seems entirely alien.

Baudolino

2010-02-18T09:32:00.000-08:00

Eco shines as always with Baudolino: a beautiful book that overflows with character and presence. The philosophical nature of the story allows the reader to really let their mind take hold of the reins and ride into the sunrise with the protagonists. The descriptions of God given by a quiet and holy woman towards the end are heartbreaking in their poesy. Highly recommended.

Religion and the Decline of Magic

2010-02-17T01:26:00.001-08:00

Religion and the Decline of Magic by Keith Thomas. An epic book. A huge book. A work of literature that must have taken a hell of a long time to compile. The main thing I got from it was a bibliography; the number of works quoted was immense, and it was unusual (in a good way) to find an academic author who could recommend good books on such subjects as magic, witchcraft and astrology - about which there is a lot of rubbish floating around the literary realm.

Dry in places (now I'm sounding like a weather forecast: dry in places, slightly overcast, possibility of showers later on in the day... tangent. Sorry.), but so rigorously written that the depth of study far outweighs the fact that certain parts of it take a while to read. Charting the history of Christianity alongside ideas of witchcraft, sorcery, spirits and astrology, with a focus mainly on the Middle Ages in England, it is an excellent book and one that should be on the reading list for any student of comparative religions in the history of England.

One Hundred and Fifty Books: Which have you read?

2010-02-02T05:47:00.001-08:00

I recently stumbled across this post on Newsweek, giving their recommendations of 'books for our times', and thought it would be fun to see how many of them I've read. Then I found this post, which details their top 100 books, and thought: why not? The ones I've read are in bold. The ones I really, really like are in bold italics. The ones I haven't read, but which are on my list of things to read eventually, have an asterisk.

The Top 100:

War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

1984 - George Orwell

Ulysses - James Joyce

Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

The Sound and the Fury - William Faulkner

Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison

To The Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf

The Iliad - Homer

The Odyssey - Homer

Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

Divine Comedy - Dante Alighieri

Canterbury Tales - Geoffrey Chaucer

Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift

Middlemarch - George Eliot

Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe

The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell

One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald

Catch-22 - Joseph Heller*

Beloved - Toni Morrison

The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie*

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf

Native Son - Richard Wright

Democracy in America - Alexis de Tocqueville

On the Origin of Species - Charles Darwin

The Histories - Herodotus*

The Social Contract - Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Das Kapital - Karl Marx

The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli

Confessions - St. Augustine

Leviathan - Thomas Hobbes

The History of the Peloponnesian War - Thucydides

The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkein

Winnie-the-Pooh - A.A. Milne

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis

A Passage to India - E.M. Forster

On the Road - Jack Kerouac

To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

The Bible

A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess

Light in August - William Faulkner

The Souls of Black Folk - W.E.B. du Bois

Wide Sargasso Sea - Jean Rhys

Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

Paradise Lost - John Milton

Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

Hamlet - William Shakespeare

King Lear - William Shakespeare

Othello - William Shakespeare

Sonnets - William Shakespeare

Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain

Kim - Rudyard Kipling

Frankenstein - Mary Shelley

Song of Solomon - Toni Morrison

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey

For Whom the Bell Tolls - Ernest Hemingway

Slaughterhouse-Five - Kurt Vonnegut

Animal Farm - George Orwell

Lord of the Flies - William Golding

In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

The Golden Notebook - Doris Lessing

Remembrance of Things Past - Marcel Proust

The Big Sleep - Raymond Chandler

As I Lay Dying - William Faulkner

The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway

I, Claudius - Robert Graves

The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter - Carson McCullers

Sons and Lovers - D.H. Lawrence

All the King's Men - Robert Penn Warren

Go Tell It on the Mountain - James Baldwin

Charlotte's Web - E.B. White

Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

Night - Elie Wiesel

Rabbit, Run - John Updike

The Age of Innocence - Edith Wharton

Portnoy's Complaint - Philip Roth

An American Tragedy - Theodore Dreisner

The Day of the Locust - Nathanael West

Tropic of Cancer - Henry Miller

The Maltese Falcon - Dashiell Hammett

His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

Death Comes for the Archbishop - Willa Cather

The Interpretation of Dreams - Sigmund Freud

The Education of Henry Adams - Henry Adams

Quotations from Chairman Mau - Mau Zedong

The Varieties of Religious Experience - William James

Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

Silent Spring - Rachel Carson

The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money - John Maynard Keynes

Lord Jim - Joseph Conrad

Goodbye to All That - Robert Graves*

The Affluent Society - John Kenneth Galbraith

The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

The Autobiography of Malcolm X - Alex Haley & Malcolm X

Eminent Victorians - Lytton Strachey

The Color Purple - Alice Walker

The Second World War - Winston Churchill

The Fifty for Now:

The Way We Live Now - Anthony Trollope

The Looming Tower - Lawrence Wright

Prisoner of the State - Zhao Ziyang

The Big Switch - Nicholas Carr

The Bear - William Faulkner

Winchell - Neal Gabler

Random Family - Adrian Nicole LeBlanc

Night Draws Near - Anthony Shadid

Predictably Irrational - Dan Ariely

God: A Biography - Jack Miles

The Unsettling of America - Wendell Berry

A Good Man is Hard to Find - Flannery O'Connor

Underground - Haruki Murakami

Disrupting Class - Clayton Christensen

Air Guitar - Dave Hickey

Leaves of Grass - Walt Whitman

The Trouble With Physics - Lee Smolin

City: Rediscovering the Center - William H. Whyte

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? - Philip K. Dick

Benjamin Franklin - Edmund S. Morgan

The Mississippi Books - Mark Twain

Among the Thugs - Bill Buford

Brooklyn - Colm Tuibln

Bad Mother - Ayelet Waldman

Guests of the Ayatollah - Mark Bowden

Whittaker Chambers - Sam Tanenhaus

American Prometheus - Kai Bird & Martin J. Sherwin

The Lost - Daniel Mendelsohn

Gilead - Marilynne Robinson

Pictures at a Revolution - Mark Harris

Walking with the Wind - John Lewis

The Line of Beauty - Alan Hollinghurst

The Dark Is Rising - Susan Cooper

Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi

Underworld - Don DeLillo

Why Evolution Is True - Jerry A. Coyne

American Pastoral - Philip Roth

The Botany of Desire - Michael Pollan

The Regeneration Trilogy - Pat Barker

Senator Joe McCarthy - Richard H. Rovere

Year of Wonders - Geraldine Brooks

The Elegance of the Hedgehog - Muriel Barbery

Gone Tomorrow - Lee Child

American Journeys - Don Watson

Cotton Comes to Harlem - Chester Himes

The New Biographical Dictionary of Film - David Thomson

Does the fact that I've read a lot of the top 100, but only one of the relevant-to-now 50, mean I'm living in the past, or just that I prefer the classics?

The Torso in the Town

2010-01-10T22:09:00.001-08:00

You know those books that really aren't very good, but somehow keep you reading anyway? The Torso in the Town is one of those. A bit of an obvious mystery novel, it has a reasonable plotline with some fairly well-developed characters, but the style of writing is... clunky. It sort of tentatively pokes at the idea of actual writing in the same way in which the people of England are currently traversing their pavements: with uncertainty and trepidation. The feeling of utter despair that shot through me when I realised the book was one in a series was also not a very good omen. Bearable, somehow gripping, but ultimately not really worth it.

Top thirteen books of 2009

2009-12-28T02:50:00.000-08:00

My top 13 books for this year; none of which were published this year, all of which I read this year, some of which I read for the second time this year.

13. Broken ~ Karin Fossum

I picked this book up in the little bookshop at the end of my road, as part of a 3-for-£2 deal. This tends to be my source of fiction when I need something to rest my brain in between reading heavy academic tomes. Broken, when I opened the first page, looked like it might not be the break I needed. It was written in that linguistically interesting way that makes you realise as soon as you've passed the first line that the author has put their heart and soul into the writing. You know the kind. Much as I'm all for excellent authorship, what I was looking for at the time was a little light reading. I decided to give it a go, and it turned out to be perfect. Incredibly well-written - even more so when you consider that the English version is a translation - with a story that grips the reader, pulling them gently through the pages up to the climax. Definitely recommended.

12. Aula Lucis - Thomas Vaughan

Written in 1651, Aula Lucis is a work on alchemy. Unlike the vast majority of "old alchemical texts" out there, this one is interesting and has a ring of sense about it. Definitely worth reading if you're looking for anything alchemical, it would also be of interest to the reader of general literature and mythology. A number of themes run throughout the short book, which may be easier to find in its later edition among the collected works of A.E. Waite.

11. The Book of Black Magic - A.E. Waite

Speaking of Waite, his Book of Black Magic also makes it into my top thirteen. Why? Because, like Aula Lucis, this book is slightly different from the majority of magical texts. For those who wish to skip straight to the 'how-to' section, there is a grimoire at the end; but for those who are interested in the philosophy of magic, the development of the idea of 'black' and 'white' magic, and the history of the two, the first part of the book will be invaluable. Whilst I would hesitate to suggest that Waite's work is infallible, particularly considering the level of rivalry within the magical community in general, it is certainly worth reading for any would-be student of magic.

10. The Myth of Sisyphus - Albert Camus

Surprisingly something I had not read before, The Myth of Sisyphus encompasses so much of philosophy that reading it seems almost essential. It's short, it's concise, it's easy to read. It concerns itself largely with the idea of the absurd; a subject which of course fascinates me, but will be of interest to anyone who has ever sat back, looked at the world and thought: "They're all mad."

9. Sophist - Plato

Another large gap in my reading that was filled in 2009, Sophist is a work of Plato and therefore intrinsically valuable to the student of philosophy. Here, Plato furthers his conception of the Forms, discusses the puzzles of Parmenides, and generally gets the grey matter going. Go. Read. Enjoy.

8. Where Are the Children? - Mary Higgins Clark

The Queen of Suspense had to be in there, didn't she? Higgins Clark is one of my favourite authors to whom I turn for solace when my brain is imploding from too much philosophy, physics and thought. Where Are the Children? was the first of her books I ever read, and is also the one I have read the most times. It has all the best components of an excellent work of crime fiction - mystery, desperation, fear, intrigue - woven together to form a beautiful and ultimately satisfying work that leaves the reader with that slightly hair-raising feeling. Crime fiction perfection.

7. The Rise and Fall of the Knights Templar - Gordon Napier

This book is on here for one reason: it's realistic. Taking the myths concerned with the Knights Templar and gradually dispelling them to reveal the truth, this book is a must-read for anyone studying the history of this order of soldiers. Also recommended if you know someone who has read too much Dan Brown. There are parts that will make your eyes widen, but more because of the sheer audacity of the Catholic Church throughout history than the mysterious rituals associated with a shrouded temple order. A refreshing break: back to reality.

6. Leviathan - Thomas Hobbes

Another pre-2009 gap in my reading, Leviathan was an excellent work of political philosophy; an area of reading which I rarely visit. Truly one of those books that can survive through the centuries, it raises important questions for today's politics and sheds light on a great mind. It might take a while to read - it's certainly not small - but it's well worth it.

5. On the Road - Jack Kerouac

Husband gave me this book before we were married, and it has taken me

until late this year to actually get around to reading it. Kerouac's writing style is truly amazing; not many could get away with no paragraph breaks; but On the Road is a work of art before it is a work of literature, and the creative value of the text teamed with its truthful tales shines through. It's one of Husband's favourite books; it's one that I appreciate for its beauty. Read it.

4. Accidentally Engaged - Mary Carter

Let me get one thing straight before I start talking about this book: I hate chick lit. Loathe it. Cannot stand it. Picked up a chick lit book a few months ago and couldn't read beyond the first page for fear of driving myself to tear the room apart with my bare hands. But Accidentally Engaged isn't really chick lit, it's just lit. And good lit, too. A psychic woman accidentally ends up getting engaged to a man she neither likes nor knows, for reasons that are as alien to her as they seem to be to him. Thoughts of fate, control, life and hilarity entwine to create a genuinely great book that will have you in stitches throughout. It made me make embarrassing snorting noises on the train, and that in itself is a recommendation.

3. The Fabric of Reality - David Deutsch

I kept having to stop and remind myself to breathe during this one. It will take your world view, turn it upside-down, shake it around, throw in some bright colours, paint the ceiling, make the ceiling into the floor, place you on your head, gently return you to the right way up, and then inform you that you were right all along. A strange work of physics and philosophy, The Fabric of Reality lacks something in the philosophy department but more than makes up for it overall. It will terrify, it will grip, it will upend. Read it only after stocking up on a large supply of tea and biscuits, and a huge comfy chair: you're going to need them.

2. The Mathematical Experience - Philip J. Davis & Reuben Hersh

The only book I have ever read that really outlines the beauty of mathematics, The Mathematical Experience was recommended by Marcus du Sautoy on one of his programmes, and I picked it up a little while later expecting something interesting but relatively dry. Oh no. Ohhhhh no. It is beautiful. Not only does it take you through the normal bits: philosophy of mathematics, history of mathematics, life stories of some mathematicians, how ideas were born; it takes you right to the bare bones of the subject. For example, reading an account of how Pythagoras actually arrived at his famous theorem was simply amazing. Taking you far beyond the basic mathematics and deep into the minds of those who founded the discipline, this book will make you want to become a mathematician; or at the very least, you'll see mathematics in everything for weeks afterwards.

1. The White Goddess - Robert Graves

Since I was seventeen years old, my favourite book has been Fear and Trembling by Soren Kierkegaard. A fantastic philosophical tome, I thought nothing could ever overthrow its place as Number One Favourite Book In The World Ever. But that was before I read The White Goddess. I had heard whispers about it here and there - people saying I'd like it, but they say that about everything - and then, when we got married, Friend gave it to us as a wedding gift.

There is so much to say about this book that I can't possibly cover it all here and have no idea where to begin. Its subtitle calls it 'A Historical Grammar of Poetic Myth'; and that it is. Written by a poet-historian who devoted his life to reading, writing and considering, it scrutinises myths and legends in ways only grammarians could, taking them in their historical contexts and drawing parallels not only with the rest of the literature of the time but also with the world around them. Graves seems to be able to get inside the minds of the writers of old, watching them draw their inspiration from the trees, the country, the world; and allowing us to see what they saw through his own eyes.

On top of this is the personal aspect: Graves speaks about his struggle with his life's work; how he felt unable to call himself a 'poet' without losing respect from others, and how he therefore devoted himself largely to being a historian and author of more popular texts, neglecting the poetry he so loved for the sake of society. The happiness he feels at finally being able to release a work both of and about poetry shines through the text, making it a glorious and beautiful work of literary genius.

Girl Missing

2009-12-24T01:39:00.000-08:00

Girl Missing by Tess Gerritsen was, I must admit, not one of my favourite books of hers. I picked it up yesterday evening on my way to the train and finished it at home last night. It was apparently her first crime novel, once she'd broken away from the world of romance, and it shows; but as a debut novel in the field of crime fiction, it's pretty good. Definitely worth reading if you're looking for something light to keep you amused on a train journey, but it won't shatter your life.

The Encyclopedia of Palmistry

2009-12-24T01:34:00.000-08:00

The Encyclopedia of Palmistry by Edward Campbell was surprisingly balanced in its approach. Usually, when reading anything to do with divination, the majority of the book will focus on the author's opinion, and the remainder on bashing everyone else's views. This one, however, was a comprehensive guide to the history of palmistry, its methods and applications today, and potential developments in the future. I'd recommend it for anyone who is interested in palmistry, from an academic or practical viewpoint.

The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Writing Systems

2009-12-22T01:31:00.001-08:00

I'm not sure whether encyclopedias are supposed to be read like any other book, but that's what I did with The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Writing Systems, and it was well worth it. An interesting and informative read, with notes on the origins of scripts and explanations of how language arrived at the place it finds itself today. If you're at all interested in language and writing, this is one of those things you must read.

The Birthing House

2009-12-22T01:27:00.000-08:00

A strange book that didn't seem to know where it was going or why it was heading there, The Birthing House by Christopher Ransom was, to put it bluntly, a bit rubbish. It seemed to be striving at being one of those interesting stories about madness, sanity and reality with an exciting twist in the tail, but it failed drastically and it ended up just being an uninteresting and quite confusing semi-ghost story. Don't bother reading it, it'll only tire your eyes.

The Fabric of Reality

2009-12-22T01:22:00.000-08:00

One of those books that will take your world view, twist it into a tight cord, tie a javelin around it and hurl it far into the distance, David Deutsch's work The Fabric of Reality is an astonishing explanation of his endeavours to examine the possibility of a theory of everything. Whilst its chapters on philosophy lack depth somewhat, the overall message of the book is fantastic. It repeats itself in places, but this seems to be for the benefit of the readers, most of whom will not be adepts at both physics and epistemology.

Absolutely worth reading. No one should allow this book to slip away.

Alpha Beta

2009-12-22T01:20:00.000-08:00

John Man's Alpha Beta is an interesting book, but one that I could have skipped without missing too much. More of a work of opinion or detection than a serious academic tome, it is nonetheless intriguing in places and entertaining throughout.

Folklore of the Welsh Border

2009-12-22T01:17:00.000-08:00

Folklore of the Welsh Border by Jacqueline Simpson does what it says on the tin: it takes the reader through the folk tales and legends of the borderlands of Wales, with reference to other texts and the stories of those who live there. An interesting book, worth reading if you want an introduction to folklore, it highlights the similarities between folk tales of different places.

The Robotic Tales

2009-12-11T07:28:00.000-08:00

The Robotic Tales by Natalie Igharo is, in a word, astonishing. The author was thirteen years old when she wrote it, and it's a self-published work, but it's far, far better than the majority of self-published books people send me for review. A few months ago, a friend-of-a-friend sent me three books he'd self-published, and none of them even came close to being as good as Igharo's work.

The story is gripping, the characterisation is fantastic, the depth of knowledge is excellent. The story takes place years into the future, when robots live alongside humans in peace... until Klikko the rebel robot comes along. Klikko instigates an uprising of robots who wish to kill all humans, and begins a war that threatens the future of the human race. The only people who are able to stop him are a group of child agents hired by the mysterious spy agency F. - but will they manage to do it in time? You'll have to read the book to find out...

Legends of the Celts

2009-12-11T07:21:00.000-08:00

Husband didn't seem to like this book, he said it wasn't in-depth enough. I would agree that Legends of the Celts is not the weightiest book in the world, but for an overview of the main Celtic legends, I would say it's pretty good. Frank Delaney is an engaging author who takes us through the history of Celtic legends without spending too much time delving into the depths; so you'll either like it or you won't, depending on your preferred style of reading.

Beasts!

2009-12-11T07:16:00.000-08:00

Informative and fun, the illustrations in Beasts! sum it up far better than I ever could, so I'll leave you with a few of them:

The People of the Sea: Celtic Tales of the Sea-Folk

2009-12-11T07:13:00.000-08:00

I spent a large portion of my childhood in Scotland, and used to listen to an old man named Tam as he told me stories about the Selkies who live around its coasts. The People of the Sea is a collection of these legends compiled by David Thomson, whose love of folklore and of seal people shines through to make a truly charming tome that is a must-read for anyone with any interest in the folklore of Great Britain.

Weeds in the Garden of Words: Further Observations on the Tangled History of the English Language

2009-12-11T07:06:00.000-08:00

Oh, Lynne Truss would have a heart attack about this book, and she's one of my favourite grammarians. Weeds in the Garden of Words is, to say the least, controversial. Kate Burridge, whilst being aware of the grammatical horror stories currently running rife in the English language, seems to be applauding them rather than recoiling in horror. There were certain paragraphs I agreed with; there is, after all, a point at which the pedant becomes the fool; but I'm not sure I agree with her laissez-faire belief that the English language is changing and that we should embrace all the changes and run with them. Staunch defenders of English, read this book and unite!

Tell No One

2009-12-11T06:57:00.000-08:00

When David's wife seems to be back from the dead eight years after he witnessed her murder, he knows something must be wrong. But is it wrong with his head, or with the world? Questions of sanity and reality come together in Tell No One by Harlan Coben. An interesting book, and a good one.

The Rosetta Stone: The Story of the Decoding of Hieroglyphics

2009-12-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

The Rosetta Stone is a perfect book for those just starting out in the world of historical linguistics. Telling the story of the stone's discovery, the arguments that ensued concerning its ownership, and the decoding of the hieroglyphs by warring researchers, it takes the reader on a fascinating journey from Ancient Egypt to modern England. Definitely worth reading.

Heavy Words Lightly Thrown: The Reason Behind the Rhyme

2009-12-11T06:46:00.000-08:00

Heavy Words Lightly Thrown by Chris Roberts was one of those books that had so much potential. It should have been a gripping marathon through the country of the rhyme, telling me things I hadn't known before. It wasn't, though. It was a book of rhymes, with vague and very well-known explanations of their origins. Also not very well-researched; it was evident in certain places that the writer had just plonked an opinion onto the page with no real back-up. Disappointing; don't bother with it. You can find far better books on the same theme.

The Bone Collector

2009-12-08T15:51:00.000-08:00

A definitely creepy book - particularly when describing methods of torture - The Bone Collector by Jeffrey Deaver will send shivers down the spine and leave you wanting for more. It has everything: a man who can't move, an ex-detective brought out of retirement by that one case he can't resist, a feisty woman with a hidden soft side; and, of course, a really psychotic killer. A perfect combination that works incredibly well.

The Little Book of Egyptian Hieroglyphs

2009-12-08T15:47:00.000-08:00

There is not much to be said about The Little Book of Egyptian Hieroglyphs by Roy & Lesley Adkins, except that it is exactly what it claims to be. A little book that can fit easily in pockets, handbags, laptop cases; a basic introduction to Egyptian hieroglyphs. That's pretty much all, but it's definitely worth looking at if you're just starting out in the fascinating world of Egyptology.

Die For Me

2009-12-08T15:42:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows that someone who is absolutely devoted to their work is probably at least a little bit unhinged. This is often seen as a good thing - a kind of artistic charm, when people are so 'in the zone' that they forget to eat, sleep, shave; when they end up with that confused professor look. But sometimes obsession can go very, very wrong...

Die For Me by Karen Rose is a crime novel, and so, inevitably, people are being killed and we don't know why or by whom. At the same time, a gaming company has hired a promising new designer whose death scenes are more frighteningly realistic than any they have had before. See where this is going?

It was an alright book, but working out who the killer was will be incredibly easy for anyone who has ever read anything - so easy, in fact, that I thought I might have got it wrong just because no storyline could possibly be that obvious. But it was. Read this book if you find it, but only if there's nothing else on your shelf.

Skin

2009-12-08T15:37:00.000-08:00

After reading Pig Island a while ago, I must admit that Skin by Mo Hayder disappointed me slightly. I was expecting, if not more gore, at least more shock factor. There were parts in Pig Island where the hair on the back of my neck threatened to leap off; it was a truly chilling work of crime fiction.

But then came Skin, which seemed from the posters stuck around stations on my commuting line to be promising something at least as harrowing as Pig Island, if not more so. Yet the promise: 'This killer wants something you have. Skin.', whilst not being actively misleading, does infer a level of chill which seemed to me to be lacking. Having said that, perhaps it's a good thing it's not there; or perhaps it is there and I was just expecting even more. Either way, it's certainly worth reading.

After Babel: Aspects of Language and Translation

2009-12-08T15:33:00.000-08:00

After Babel by George Steiner was a ground-breaking book of its time, and continues to be essential reading for anyone studying the history of language. Emphasising just how pivotal translation is for the furtherance of society, Steiner takes us on a journey through various cultures, seeming to show simultaneously both that translation is vital and that to translate 'properly' is impossible.

An interesting and seminal work, well worth a read.

Wicca

2009-12-08T15:27:00.000-08:00

The Wicca series by Cate Tiernan is an interesting collection of books for teenagers. Dealing with the subject of witchcraft, it examines normal teenage feelings and frustrations with a tender empathy that surpasses the norm. Despite not generally being a fan of teen fiction - particularly not of 'I want to be a teen witch books - there is a level of charm to Tiernan's work that makes each book compelling and leaves a reader desperate for more.

Highly surprising, fantastically readable and totally unputdownable, the Wicca books have absorbed me enough to make me miss my train more than once.

Hide

2009-12-08T15:24:00.001-08:00

An interesting book which delves deep into the depths of the psychotic psyche, Hide by Lisa Gardner ticks all the boxes of a good work of crime fiction. A woman who has spent her whole life on the run for reasons she has never understood opens the newspaper one morning to find herself declared dead. Confused, she goes to the police hoping for an explanation, and in doing so unravels a huge secret that has been buried underground for decades.

Definitely worth reading if you happen to stumble across it.

The World Guide to Gnomes, Fairies, Elves and Other Little People

2009-12-08T04:00:00.000-08:00

Thomas Keightley's World Guide to Gnomes, Fairies, Elves and Other Little People is one of those fantastic books that sits at the borderline between fiction and non-fiction. Mixing mythology with methodology, Keightley takes us through folk tales from around the world and explains their origins, development and meanings. A fantastic introduction, a great read and a versatile tome that will be loved by adults and children alike.

Night's Black Agents: Witches, Wizards and the Dead in the Ancient World

2009-12-08T03:26:00.000-08:00

Night's Black Agents by Daniel Ogden is a step-by-step introduction to the supernatural beings of Ancient Greece and Rome: their classification, identification and interactions. Despite being quite drily written, the book abounds with fascinating facts and is a must-read for anyone interested in this period of history.

Hidden World

2009-12-08T03:22:00.000-08:00

Hidden World by Graham Masterton had so much promise. A girl has concussion, starts hearing voices coming from the wallpaper in her bedroom: is she going mad, or is something more sinister afoot?

And yet... and yet. The book is dull; the story is unrealistic (which is admittedly normal with fantasy fiction, but unrealistic even within the bounds of its own covers); it is allegedly 'adult fiction', but is written about children in a way that adults and children alike will find intensely boring. Definitely not recommended.

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale

2009-12-07T03:48:00.000-08:00

Tithe by Holly Black was an interesting book, and like the ones by Melissa Marr, some research had definitely gone into it. Having said that, I didn't enjoy it as much as the Wicked Lovely series. Kay, who has always been an outsider - a rockstar for a mother, travelling around different schools, wearing crazy clothes - gradually discovers that there is a reason for her inability to relate to other people. She is dragged into the dangerous world of Faerie and has to work out for herself who she can trust; learning difficult lessons and losing old friends along the way. Definitely worth reading if you happen upon it.

Art on Books

2009-12-07T03:45:00.000-08:00

What do you think? Exciting, edgy, fun; or a waste of books?

Ink Exchange

2009-12-07T03:34:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I decided to finally read some books by Melissa Marr, who I've been following on Twitter for a while. Wicked Lovely, as I've previously blogged, was pretty damn good; and Ink Exchange didn't disappoint either. Probably the reason why the books are so readable for someone who isn't really into teen fiction is due to the amount of research that evidently goes into them; it's not just a case of 'girl-meets-boy-and-something-about-fairies', it's a case of a quote at the beginning of the chapter which sets the scene, and a case of true evidence of both thought and hard work.

Definitely recommended.

Wicked Lovely

2009-11-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

I follow Melissa Marr on Twitter, mainly because a few weeks ago Neil Gaiman said everyone should, and the world should obey him. Once I'd been following her for a little while, I decided that her tweets were interesting enough to merit a trip to the library to read some of her books. I picked up two: Wicked Lovely and Ink Exchange, and although they are books for teenagers, which is something I no longer am, I thought they were pretty damn cool. I haven't bought into this whole vampire obsession, nor did I buy into the Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings ones, but Melissa Marr deserves some recognition. For one thing, she can actually write. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. For another thing, she's done some research; read some Real Books About Stuff. I like her a lot. Give her books a go, even if you're a non-teen.

And while you're at it, watch this video about what you want to be when you grow up. I'm not sure 'a fairy' counts as a genuine answer, though it really should...

Broken Skin: Stuart MacBride

2009-11-07T00:23:00.001-08:00

I thought Broken Skin would be more gory, more disturbing and less of a 'just-good-crime-novel' than it actually was. Perhaps that's because I'd just read Pig Island, which is truly sickening in places.

A series of rapes happens in Aberdeen, and the number one suspect is a local football hero; but is he guilty, or is PC Watson just desperate to nail him for something he hasn't done? Dealing with themes of vengeance and loyalty, the book makes an interesting read and is definitely recommendable.

A Likeness In Stone

2009-11-01T21:29:00.000-08:00

The main problem with A Likeness In Stone is that we are led to believe that we know what happened right at the start of the book, and the fact that the story isn't particularly gripping means that the twist at the end isn't very exciting. The body of a young girl, murdered years earlier, is found by divers inside the wardrobe of a submerged house. The policeman who worked the case is still alive, and is desperate to prove himself right after years of being unable to convict anyone. Eventually we discover what happened, but by the time I got to the end of the book I'd stopped caring.

It was alright; read it if you have nothing better to do.

Pig Island

2009-11-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

Pig Island by Mo Hayder is probably best described using one word: sickening. Definitely not for the squeamish, this book charts the experiences of a journalist who travels to a remote island off the coast of Scotland to investigate claims that its inhabitants have been practising Satanism. Along the way, as is often the case in crime novels, lots of people die and he meets a girl; but this is chilling in a way that very few books can get away with. Read it just for the novelty value, but not during dinner.

Sanity, Madness and the Family

2009-11-01T21:23:00.000-08:00

Sanity, Madness and the Family is R.D. Laing's book of case studies that go towards proving his hypothesis that madness when put into the context of its surroundings may not seem quite so mad at all. Personally, I quite like his method of working, and every case study given is convincing of the validity of his theory. Even if Laingian psychology isn't your thing, it's a short book and the case studies make an interesting read.

Brave New World

2009-11-01T21:18:00.000-08:00

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley: again, one of those books everyone is just supposed to read at some point in life. More political commentary, this time on the theme of a Utopian World State. Like any form of Utopia, however, it's not quite as perfect as it seems; babies are born in laboratories and deliberately conditioned; there is no such thing as family; sex is open to everyone, with everyone. Bernard Marx, a scientist and would-be revolutionary, is unhappy with the state of affairs and sets about quietly trying to change things. But will he succeed?

Definitely worth a read.

Island

2009-11-01T21:13:00.001-08:00

Island by Aldous Huxley was, I thought, better than Brave New World. More of a commentary on political systems than a novel, it tells the story of the people of the island of Pala; a Utopian community in which everyone is happy and commercialisation has no place. At the same time, Huxley manages to paint a realistic picture of a community, which ultimately of course means that there is no happy ending.

A very good book though, and one that should probably be read in all schools alongside Plato's Republic.

On The Road

2009-11-01T21:08:00.000-08:00

On The Road by Jack Kerouac. When Husband and I first got together, he bought me a copy and informed me that it was his Bible and I had to read it. It took me a few years, but I finally got around to it. The lack of paragraphs, the beat lexicon and the strange punctuation put me off for a long time, but eventually it got to the point where I could make no more excuses. And it was fantastic.

Kerouac is an excellent writer with an all too rare ability to draw the reader in and make them care. Largely this springs from his own blatant enthusiasm about his subject: in this case, being on the road; but the way he writes holds a charm and a potency that are unusual in an age of people who write for money.

Definitely worth a read. One of those books that shouldn't be missed.