Welshman's books - 2008

[Welshman]

Ben Elton – The First Casualty

Andrea Levy – Fruit of the lemon

Andrea Levy – Small Island

R.F. Deldefield - Cheap Day Return

Paul Coelho – The Alchemist

Carole Shields – Collected Stories

David Guterson – Snow falling in Cedars

Roddy Doyle – A star called Henry

Sebastian Faulks – Birdsong

Sebastian Faulks – On Green Dolphin Street

Sebastian Faulks - The Girl at the Lion d'Or

Sebastian Faulks – Charlotte Grey

Kazuo Ishiguro – Remains of the Day

Kazuo Ishiguro – Never let me go

Melvyn Bragg – The soldier’s return

Melvyn Bragg – A son of war

Melvyn Bragg – Crossing the lines

Robert James Waller – The bridges of Madison county

Anne Enright – The Gathering

Dan Brown – Da Vinci Code

Iris Murdoch – The sea, The sea

Bernice Reubens – Yesterday in the back lane

Seamus Heaney – New Selected Poems (1966 – 1987)

Wilfred Owen – The poems of Wilfred Owen

Siegfried Sasssoon – Selected Poems

Vincent MacDowell - Michael Collins and the Irish Republican Brotherhood

Jonathon Buckley – So he takes the dog

 

Not a definitive list, I am sure there were more.

Edited May 24, 2008 by Welshman

[Welshman]

Currently reading:

 

Tim Lott - Rumour of a Hurricane

 

Maybe it's the fact it is set in the Thatcher era that I find fascinating, but I am thoroughly enjoying this book. The key charcter 'Charlie' feels very real and reminds me of many people I have known. Equally his portrayal of working-class culture is unpretentious and uncritical, allowing the reader to bond with a lot of the characters.

 

He provides an unusual eloquence to his narrative which sometimes is almost heartstoppingly artisitic - 'Bright blue chunky-twist pile fabric, like a massed gathering of worms, covering the toilet seat.'

 

Unless there are some major changes to his writing style I can see Lott entering the Welshman Hall of Approved Writers.

[Welshman]

Well I finished 'Hurricane' and all I can say is that it was breathtaking! What a hugely powerful book and one I am still recalling from reading. This is a MUST read.

[happyanddandy]

So glad you enjoyed it. Myself and OH read it and now OH is now reading another Tim Lott book, his autobiography

[Welshman]

I can understand that. I have been tempted to seek out another Lott, but finally decided against on the basis I cannot imagine him being able to equal that kind of standard. However I will return.

 

In the meantime I am trying to work out what to read next. Options are Peter Carey, Tony Parsons or Nick Hornby. After the emotional roller-coaster of 'Hurricane' I think I will probably opt for Hornby - I need the laughs

[happyanddandy]

Wouls that be 'Slam'?

[Welshman]

No, this is 'A long way down'. I made the mistake a few hours earlier of reading some of teh critical reviews of the book on the web. It doesn't receive many kind words although the chapter I read seemed passable.

 

I've never read any Hornby before, so I was rather hoping it would be quite good. Time will tell I guess. I've also picked up A.L. Kennedy's 'Day', although again I may have problems here as I have never really enjoyed Kennedy's work in the past. I've found a lot of it pretentious and a little abstract for my taste.

[happyanddandy]

'A Long Way Down' is not among his best. But you may well like it of course. His earlier ones are better.

[Welshman]

The transition to a new book is always painful for me, particularly as I always seem to have a stack of books left to read. The move onward was not made easier by the fact that Lott's book was so remarkable and I was left with a 'how do you folow that' state of mind.

 

At first I tried Nick Hornby but the negative feedback on this book has influenced me greatly and after a few pages I couldn't get into it. Then I moved onto Tony Parson's 'The Family Way' but again it lacked a certain something. From this I moved to A.L. Kennedy, more because I feel I ought to read 'Day', rather than due to any desire on my part.

 

Needless to say all of them were opened and all of them put down again in a disgruntled heap. Then I remembered. Last week I had bought a Brian Moore - that was bound to fill the bill. I first read 'Lies of Silence' about 10 years ago and as with everything he has written I was spellbound. Needless to say this is my current book - and one I will stick with to the end.

[Welshman]

Oh dear! Twenty four hours on and I've finished the Moore book. It was actually a re-read as I first encountered it about 14 years ago. I confess it didn't stay in my long term memory, so when I started it yesterday it was largely like picking it up for the first time.

 

The plot is substantially around a manager of a major hotel in Belfast during the time of the Troubles. Late one night the IRA enter his home and hold his wife hostage while he is forced to drive his car (now filled with explosives) back to the hotel. He follows their wishes, but at teh last minute sounds the alarm.

 

To explain much more about the story would be to spoil the plot. The ending is largely redictable from about page 80, but this in no way interferes with what is a thoroughly good read.

 

A good read, but certainly not one of Moore's best offerings.

 

I am really going to have to slow down on my reading, otherwise I will have to average 4 books a week just to stay level with my TBR pile. maybe I should find some multipage saga to keep me absorbed.

 

In the meantime I have to decide on where to go from here and have decided it is time for a wee giggle. I have found Melvyn Bragg's first novel - For want of a nail. Initial imressions are that it is a blend between a Cumbrian Delderfield and How Green was my Valley.

 

I shall keep you posted.