Kylie Posted March 7, 2009 Author Share Posted March 7, 2009 (edited) I saw some interesting titles in the Popular Penguins range in a bookshop today that I'm going to put on my wishlist. I thought I'd list them here along with some blurbs (taken from the above website) and check if anyone else has read them and, if so, what did you think? They're all non-fiction. I'll put the fiction books in another post. Crimes Against Humanity by Geoffrey Robertson Geoffrey Robertson's Crimes Against Humanity is a superb and highly influential account of the history of the human rights movement up to the present day. From the French Revolution and the Nuremberg trials to 9/11 and the invasion of Iraq, Robertson traces the developing concept of human rights and shows how far we still have to go. His inspiring narrative is both a masterly history and a clarion call to the global justice movement. Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World by Niall Ferguson Niall Ferguson's Empire is one of the most successful and controversial history books of recent years. Brilliantly re-telling the story of Britain's imperial past, it shows how a gang of buccaneers and gold-diggers from a rainy island in the North Atlantic came to build the most powerful empire in all history, how it ended, and how - for better or worse - it made our world what it is today. How Language Works by David Crystal David Crystal's How Language Works is a fascinating tour through the world of language from one of today's most renowned experts. It ranges over everything from how children learn to read to what makes words rude or polite, from eyebrow flashes to whistling languages. Unlocking the secrets of communication in an accessible, entertaining way, this exhilarating book sheds light on the endless mysteries of the language we speak, write and read every day. The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker Steven Pinker's The Language Instinct propelled him to worldwide fame in 1994. His groundbreaking book's premise - that language is instinctual rather than acquired - so shook the foundations of biological science that the reverberations are still being felt today. Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue is a hymn to the English language. In examining how a second-rate, mongrel tongue came to be the undisputed language of the globe. Bryson explores English from America to Australia and looks at, among other things, swearing, spelling, spoonerisms and Scrabble. No self-respecting English speaker should open his mouth without reading it. Usage & Abusage by Eric Partridge Usage and Abusage is Penguin's classic linguistic reference book that not only tells you how to use English correctly, but is also a declaration of war on its misuse. Covering grammatical problems, words that are commonly abused and confused, matters of style, as well as providing advice on how to communicate clearly and elegantly, it is the perfect reader for every writer. Kingdom of Fear by Hunter S Thompson Hunter S. Thompson's Kingdom of Fear is the wild and outrageous autobiography from the world's most notorious journalist. It's an unrestrained and uncensored account of fast living, hard drinking, sharp writing and unimaginable drug taking; of road trips, girls, guns, bikes and being accused of trying to kill Jack Nicholson. Kingdom of Fear is both personal and political; an explosive life story and a no-holds-barred assassination of contemporary America. Edited March 7, 2009 by Kylie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 7, 2009 Author Share Posted March 7, 2009 And here are the fiction books I'm interested in buying: Delta of Venus by Anais Nin Anais Nin's Delta of Venus is a stunning collection of sexual encounters from the queen of literary erotica. From Mathilde's lust-filled Peruvian opium den to the Hungarian baron driven insane by his insatiable desire, the passions and obsessions of this dazzling cast of characters are vivid and unforgettable. Delta of Venus is a deep and sensual world that evokes the very essence of sexuality. Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer Jonathan Safran Foer's Everything is Illuminated won the Guardian First Book Award in 2002. It tells the story of a young man who goes to the Ukraine in search of the woman who saved his grandfather from the Nazis. He is aided in his quest by a blind old man, a randy guide dog and a very, very bad translator. It is funny, moving and gripping and we guarantee you won't have read anything quite like it before. My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals is a charming and comic autobiographical novel. Fleeing the gloomy British climate, the Durrell clan move to Corfu carrying the bare essentials of life: acne cures for Margo; revolvers for Leslie; books for Larry and a jam jar full of caterpillars for Gerry. Recounted with warmth and humour, it is a heart-warming portrait of an eccentric family surrounded by a wonderful cast of friends and fauna. Tales of the Unexpected by Roald Dahl Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected is a delightfully dark collection of sixteen stories, each with a startling end. Among the unforgettable characters lurk the homicidal wife and her deadly leg of lamb, a conniving and lecherous wine connoisseur and the one-eyed brain at the mercy of his vengeful spouse. Tales of the Unexpected is an astonishing assortment of twisted treats from the master storyteller. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell This is a fantastic book - I highly recommend it - I loved it! Durrell's writing is very poetical, I really should dig out some more of his works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seiichi Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Usage & Abusage by Eric Partridge Usage and Abusage is Penguin's classic linguistic reference book that not only tells you how to use English correctly, but is also a declaration of war on its misuse. Covering grammatical problems, words that are commonly abused and confused, matters of style, as well as providing advice on how to communicate clearly and elegantly, it is the perfect reader for every writer. This is a great book to have on the shelf which you can dip into now and again. I don't really read my copy much but it's old and slightly worn, which gives people the impression that I consult it often...not that I'm complaining. It goes well sitting next to The Elements of Style by Strunk & White. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 8, 2009 Author Share Posted March 8, 2009 Thanks for your thoughts, Janet and Seiichi. In the bookshop, I opened My Family and Other Animals to a random page (something I don't usually do with books) and read a small section. I was immediately attracted to it and the style of writing seems enjoyable, so I think I'll definitely be getting it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 11, 2009 Author Share Posted March 11, 2009 I picked up My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell today. I (only just) resisted a few of the other books in the above lists, but it's only a matter of time before I cave in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 12, 2009 Author Share Posted March 12, 2009 Seeing as I lost my book, The Grapes of Wrath, recently, I've moved on and have started reading All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. Pretty good so far, although I've not read much yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 (edited) I'm still reading (and enjoying) All Quiet on the Western Front, and last week I started and finished Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, which was wonderful. I attended a bookfair on the weekend and came home with a haul of 66 books. I'll post a list of them all shortly (a couple are duplicates that I forgot I already had). Edited March 23, 2009 by Kylie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 (edited) Here are the books I bought at the bookfair. This lot should keep me going for a while! Kingsley Amis: Lucky Jim Margaret Atwood: The Robber Bride Margaret Atwood: Surfacing Jean-Dominique Bauby: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly Christopher Brookmyre: The Sacred Art of Stealing John Brunner: The Crucible of Time John Brunner: The Shift Key Anthony Burgess: Language Made Plain James M Cain: The Postman Always Rings Twice Italo Calvino: If On a Winter's Night a Traveller Peter Carey: True History of the Kelly Gang Isobelle Carmody: The Gathering Arthur C Clarke: The Ghost from the Grand Banks JM Coetzee: Disgrace Brett Easton Ellis: Less Than Zero Jeffrey Eugenides: Middlesex Jasper Fforde: First Among Sequels Jasper Fforde: Lost in a Good Book (replacement copy) Jonathan Safran Foer: Everything is Illuminated Ursula Le Guin: The Left Hand of Darkness Harry Harrison: Stars and Stripes trilogy Harry Harrison: The Technicolour Time Machine Michael Heyward: The Ern Malley Affair Nick Hornby: High Fidelity Shirley Hughes: Here Comes Charlie Moon John Irving: The World According to Garp Kazuo Ishiguro: When We Were Orphans Stephen King: Needful Things Milan Kundera: The Unbearable Lightness of Being Erik Larson: The Devil in the White City Stanislaw Lem: The Futurological Congress Ira Levin: Rosemary's Baby Ira Levin: This Perfect Day David Malouf: An Imaginary Life David Malouf: Remembering Babylon Ian McEwan: The Innocent China Mieville: The Scar (duplicate - oops) George Mikes: How to be an Alien AA Milne: The House at Pooh Corner Haruki Murakami: Dance Dance Dance Haruki Murakami: South of the Border, West of the Sun Flann O'Brien: The Hard Life Flannery O'Connor: A Good Man is Hard to Find Ruth Park: Poor Man's Orange Dorothy Parker: The Penguin Dorothy Parker Eric Partridge: Usage and Abusage Thomas Pynchon: The Crying of Lot 49 Philip Roth: The Human Stain Jed Rubenfeld: The Interpretation of Murder JD Salinger: For Esme - with Love and Squalor David Sedaris: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim Dion H Skinner: Coin and Banknote Guide Dodie Smith: I Capture the Castle Alexander McCall Smith: The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Alexander McCall Smith: The Kalahari Typing School for Men Alexander McCall Smith: The Full Cupboard of Life Sue Townsend: The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole (duplicate - oops) Sue Townsend: True Confessions of Adrian Mole Kurt Vonnegut: Player Piano Kurt Vonnegut: Welcome to the Monkey House HG Wells: The Island of Dr Moreau HG Wells: The Sleeper Awakes TH White: The Once and Future King John Wyndham: Web Edited March 23, 2009 by Kylie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanC_84 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 How the hell did you transport those books? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 We went several times over 3 days and walked away with a couple of Coles bags filled to the brim each day. Then by car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanC_84 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 We went several times over 3 days and walked away with a couple of Coles bags filled to the brim each day. Then by car Haha, that is absolutely crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 WOW. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bethany725 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Wow!! Congrats on all the book purchases.. you should be quite busy now! Your "purchased" list for the year just got shot to hell and back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Butter Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 That's more books than I'd be able to read in my lifetime, Kylie! What are you trying to do - rescue the Australian economy single-handed?? Read the Peter Carey a few years ago - truly excellent book, probably one of the best I've ever read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charm Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Whoa Kylie, good haul! Totally worth all the effort too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 66, that's just wicked You get a whole year's worth of books in one weekend! I'm so jealous, I'd love to have me some book fairs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucybird Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Wow Kylie that really is a lot of books, some great ones on there as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
~Andrea~ Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Oh you naughty thing Still looks like you have some great reads there. I really enjoyed High Fidelity - very easy to read and humorous. That's a very eclectic mix of books actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 Thanks for the comments everyone. Yes, Roland, I'm trying to do my bit for the economy! I finished reading All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. I thought it was simply brilliant and it almost reduced me to tears a few times. A very powerful war novel which jumps straight onto my 'favourites' list. 10/10 Now, I'm back to Scott Westerfeld's Uglies series. I'm up to the second book, Pretties, and it's going just as well as Uglies so far. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted March 30, 2009 Share Posted March 30, 2009 Wow, blimey - all those books! I thought All Quiet... was excellent too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted April 8, 2009 Author Share Posted April 8, 2009 I finished reading Northern Songs by Brian Southall today. It was a really interesting and informative look at an aspect of The Beatles I've never known much about before (probably the only aspect I didn't know anything about!) And that's the song-publishing side of things. I never understood how The Beatles came to lose the copyrights of their songs and it's a terrible shame how it all happened. I found some parts of the book a little confusing; there are lots of numbers and percentages thrown around that didn't really help clear things up (along the lines of 'Paul received 50% of the 75% that came from overseas while such-and-such took 50% of the UK earnings and John took 33 1/3%' ) Still, and despite the innumerable typos throughout the book (which, as a former proof-reader, really, really annoyed me), I found it quite enjoyable and enlightening. 8/10 Next, I'm moving on to Specials by Scott Westerfeld, the third book after Uglies and Pretties, which were both great young adult reads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted April 15, 2009 Author Share Posted April 15, 2009 I finished Specials by Scott Westerfeld today. I thought it was an excellent ending to the trilogy, and I'd highly recommend reading them. I look forward to reading his other works. Now I'm on to my next PG Wodehouse, Carry On, Jeeves. This is a collection of Jeeves and Wooster stories about the beginning of their partnership. It should be interesting because the other Jeeves and Woosters that I've read were when they'd already been together for a long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted April 21, 2009 Author Share Posted April 21, 2009 I finished Carry On, Jeeves by PG Wodehouse this morning. Another terrific read, and I was suprised (and pleased) to see one of the stories being told from Jeeves' point of view. Now I'm finally on to my second Terry Pratchett: The Light Fantastic. Yesterday, I bought Empire by Niall Ferguson. I've been interested in the British Empire for a while (East India Company and all that) but have never known much about it. Hopefully this book will fill the (considerable) gaps in my knowledge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted April 27, 2009 Author Share Posted April 27, 2009 On Friday I bought: Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson Kingdom of Fear by Hunter S Thompson On Saturday I went back to the same bookshop, and to a bookfair and bought 11 more books. Details to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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