Thanks to Giles for recommending A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. It's a cracking read and I finished it in three sittings. Pretty harrowing at times, it is about the life of a child growing up within the civil war in Sierra Leone. His childhood village life is shattered as the war approaches and Ishmael is forced to run before being brain washed and converted into a child soldier. He grows up quickly amidst all the violence and atrocities which occurred in the civil war.
The book is well written and really worth reading.
Just starting on another GB recommendation - This thing of Darkness by Harry Thompson - A very exciting start, lets hope the rest of the 500 pages are as good!
Regards
Tim
Sunday, 27 March 2011
Sunday, 5 December 2010
How Cultured are you (according to the Beeb)?
Just finished 'The Other Hand' by Chris Cleave. Good recommendation Helen - really enjoyed (if that is the right word!) it. Afraid that I can't tell the rest of you what it's about cos the cover and back page of the book tell me that if I do I'll be condemned to eternal damnation. However - a good, and easy, read about a fascinating subject which will challenge pre-conceptions and wow you with its raw beauty...
Just off to start 'The Cloudspotter's Guide' by a bloke with a double-barrelled name which I can't remember. Watch this space...
In the meantime, the Beeb's 'Big Read' has been going since 2003 and the link below takes you to their top 100 books of all time... Stuart, you are definitely going to disagree with many, but it is an interesting list and I for one was surprised at how many I have actually read.
Monday, 22 November 2010
I wash my hands....
Book recommending is, in its nature, an evil act. I will have no part of it.
Here is what happens: A friend you love will recommend you a book. They will say how breathtaking it is, what a roller-coaster ride, how tragic, how hilarious, or worst of all, how true. It will, inevitably, be awful. You suddenly feel revolted by that friend, realising that their heart is naught but worms and snakes. You will never really like them again, really.
I never, ever, ever recommend books. However, I’m on a train this morning with nothing else to do, so I will. I’m nothing if not a hypocrite.
Now, this is a very easy game. The best novel ever written is The Brothers Karamazov, by Dostoevsky (get the one translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky, it’s the only good English translation). If you read it you’ll never have to bother reading another novel ever again, saving money and valuable space in luggage. Simples. If you die without reading it, you actually haven’t lived.
Now, here are the other 5 best books:
The Little World of Don Camillo (Giovanni Guareschi) - the most charming book in the world.
The Good Soldier Svejk (Jaroslav Hasek) - the funniest book in the world.
The Idiot (Dostoevsky) - the most sublime book in the world.
Complete Father Brown (GK Chesterton) - the most surprising book in the world.
The Complete Plays of Bernard Shaw - the most entertaining book in the world.
There it is.
sx
Here is what happens: A friend you love will recommend you a book. They will say how breathtaking it is, what a roller-coaster ride, how tragic, how hilarious, or worst of all, how true. It will, inevitably, be awful. You suddenly feel revolted by that friend, realising that their heart is naught but worms and snakes. You will never really like them again, really.
I never, ever, ever recommend books. However, I’m on a train this morning with nothing else to do, so I will. I’m nothing if not a hypocrite.
Now, this is a very easy game. The best novel ever written is The Brothers Karamazov, by Dostoevsky (get the one translated by Pevear and Volokhonsky, it’s the only good English translation). If you read it you’ll never have to bother reading another novel ever again, saving money and valuable space in luggage. Simples. If you die without reading it, you actually haven’t lived.
Now, here are the other 5 best books:
The Little World of Don Camillo (Giovanni Guareschi) - the most charming book in the world.
The Good Soldier Svejk (Jaroslav Hasek) - the funniest book in the world.
The Idiot (Dostoevsky) - the most sublime book in the world.
Complete Father Brown (GK Chesterton) - the most surprising book in the world.
The Complete Plays of Bernard Shaw - the most entertaining book in the world.
There it is.
sx
Sunday, 21 November 2010
Other Book Pals Welcome
P.S. please feel free to recommend this Blog to your friends. Internet philistine that I am, I am only guessing, but I think that at the moment I am the only one who can add members to the account so if you want friends to join you'll have to send me their details.
Aye aye,
GB
Aye aye,
GB
Welcome
Friends, here is the first attempt to put into practice a concept that I and a few of you have already discussed - that of a book recommendation club. For those of you who knew about this idea, I hope this blog site resembles what you had in mind! For those of you to whom this comes as a surprise, I really hope you want to join in and I look forward to some hearty recommendations, reviews and book chat.
SJ - I intend, with you as my cohort, to make sure everybody has read 'This Thing of Darkness' by Harry Thompson. Helen, one day I will persuade you to read a cheerful book, but keep those apocalyptical and sad recommendations coming. One thing I think we'll all agree on from the outset tho', is that Shantaram is an epic read! Over to us all to make sure that no good book escapes tnhe rest of us...
Aye aye,
GB
SJ - I intend, with you as my cohort, to make sure everybody has read 'This Thing of Darkness' by Harry Thompson. Helen, one day I will persuade you to read a cheerful book, but keep those apocalyptical and sad recommendations coming. One thing I think we'll all agree on from the outset tho', is that Shantaram is an epic read! Over to us all to make sure that no good book escapes tnhe rest of us...
Aye aye,
GB
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