I am Legend - Richard Matheson

I've seen and enjoyed the Will Smith movie so thought this would be a good book to try out.  And it was, event though the film was more "inspired by" than "based on" if you get my meaning.

Basic premise, world falling apart due to mystery illness that turns people into vampires / zombies.  One man survives hunkered down in his house and mourning his wife and child while drinking himself into oblivion on a nightly basis.

There have been numerous books and films like this but I think I'm correct in saying that this was one of the first and one of the first to approach it from the humanity wiped out by virus format.

I probably prefer a few other post apocalyptic novels such as Day of the Triffids or The Road but this one certainly bears comparison and is recommended.

The Space Merchants - Pohl and Kornbluth

What a great book.  Published in the early fifties this book encapsulates several key themes of the time...increasing consumerism, the rise of communism, the nascent environmental movement, space travel....all in about 200 pages.

The basic premise is that in the world of the book advertising agencies have become all powerful and because of their ability to control consumer behaviour effectively run the country and indeed the world.  Bored of this world and its limited opportunities they are turning their attention to a mission to Venus, a whole world of possibilities and markets to exploit.  Set this against an backdrop of a police state in thrall to the advertising agencies and throw in a terrorist group who are seeking to overthrow the current world order and you've got all the ingredients for a great book.

Parts of the book reminded me of the Count of Monte Cristo, which is no bad thing, others seem to have been the inspiration for Total Recall.

I really enjoyed this one.

Liars Poker - Michael Lewis

This book tells the story of bond trading on Wall St and in London in the 80's.  One of the biggest cash bonanzas in history.  The book gives a real feel for the adrenalin, egos, machismo and pressure on the trading floor while giving some genuine context and insight into the economic and political changes that made it all possible.

Reading it from this remove it also makes for a wonderfully insightful "How we got into the mess we're currently in" book and one I would thoroughly recommend for anyone trying to get their heads around credit default swaps, hedge funds and city excess.

Michael Lewis is a good author, able to get the story behind the story.  In many ways his almost journalistic style bears comparison with Tom Wolfe and Hunter S Thompson for his ability to see beyond a direct narrative of the action and give the reader a wider understanding of the whats, whys and hows of the situation.

Worth a read

The Rum Diary - Hunter S Thompson

Ok, so I admit it. one of the main reasons I read this book is because the film was coming out.  I've read several of The Good Doctors other less filmable books and thoroughly enjoyed them and I didn't like the idea of a non booky person recommending this one to me.  I even went so far as to buy the non film cover pictured above even though it cost a few quid more than the film cover one.

As I mentioned, I've read several other books by this author and I'm a huge fan.  Some people only see the drink and drugs and crazy language and dismiss his writing as a cheap trick.  They are wrong. He is one of the most insightful and intelligent journalists / writers of the last century and never shirks from a challenge or a story.

This book is a worthy part of his canon and I really enjoyed it.  At first I thought it was a little more straight laced than some of his other books....but I soon realised that I just hadn't seen it coming.  The good doctor is still in there taking you on a roller-coaster of a journey.  and most enjoyable a ride it was too.

The only problem....the book involves alot of rum.  the new film stars Johnny Depp.  I kept thinking of captain Jack Sparrow when I was reading it.  damn my limited and derivative imagination.

Pop 1280 - Jim Thompson

Jim Thompson writes some of the most sinister characters you're likely to encounter; and all in a friendly sounding deep south drawl.  That he's not better known is a real shame and one which is not hard to remedy.  his books are enjoyable, accessible and well worth the time to read them (which isn't long as they're not too long either).

Both this and the better known The Killer Inside Me are great reads and worth looking up

The Man who broke into Auschwitz - Denis Avey

This book is well worth a read.  It tells the story of one mans experience in the Second World War, from fighting in the deserts of North Africa, to be torpedoed while on board a prison transport and onto his incarceration in some of the worst places the Nazis could create.  Such was the spirit of Denis Avey that not only did he survive all of this but he still fought the war as best he could - in he head.  He challenged authority and the brutal system he found himself in.

The story in the title of the book is remarkable, aware of what was going on in the Jewish concentration camps he agreed to swap places with an inmate on a couple of occasions.  He knew he couldn't do anything about it and knew he was risking his life but felt it was essential to bear witness to what was taking place.

A fascinating book.  A remarkable man.

A visit from the Goon Squad - Jennifer Egan

Another book practically coated in glowing reviews and once again I'm left feeling like I've been oversold before I've started reading the book (I should probably avoid the 3 for 2 table if this is a problem for me to be honest).

Let me first say that this is a good book.  The story, such as it is, is centred on a group of characters who are loosely related by their connections to one another across continents and life times.  How they interact with one another is the chief fascination of the book and it works a treat.  You find yourself turning the pages and trying to spot previous and upcoming characters.

The author has beautifully evoked various times in recent history by using the music of the time as an anchoring point and it works really well.

a good book and one that I'll recommend

Serious Men - Manu Jospeh

This book is one of those books that is covered in rave reviews..."outstanding" "a work of genius" "staggering".  You know the sort.  It certainly helps to sell books but it can often then lead the reader to have high expectations when starting the book rather than setting out to enjoy a book based on its merits.  This book may suffer from this problem but remains a compelling and entertaining read.  The characters are vividly brought to life and are easy for the reader to imagine and associate with.

The story itself is interesting enough but the real star here is the sidelong look at Indian society and culture.  This is something that I know nothing about so have no choice but to take the book as an accurate representation of a society undergoing huge changes as the Indian economy booms.  With the new rich living alongside a huge number of people who feel left behind by the new prosperity.  There definitely seems to be a comparison to be made with history here.

A good book and well worth a read but hyped up a bit too much on the cover.

John dies at the end - David Wong

Whoops, forgot to write this review when I finished this book a few weeks ago.

First let me say that this book starts with a couple of major disadvantages when it comes to me writing a review of it.  Firstly, its a product of the modern world.  Which is to say that the author clearly loves films.  Nothing wrong with that, but I dislike books that are written with the author thinking about the movie adaptation.  Probably a little bit snobbish of me but I feel it undermines the value of books in general when an author does this.  However, in this case I don't think that was what was going on.  I think the author had a story to tell and likes films....so its easy to picture this being made into a film.  And indeed that is happening right at the moment.

Secondly, and more importantly, I'm a wuss.  I will not watch horror films or read horror stories.  This is a bit of a horror story.  Small problem for me then.

But I managed to put my snobbery and wussery aside and get on with the book.  And by and large I did get on with the book.  It clips along at a good pace and is generally entertaining while it does so.

I wont try to explain the book....because I'm not sure I could.  But suffice to say its definitely worth a read.  In fact if you're a fan of horror in film or literature then I'd recommend this one heartily.

Earth Abides - George R Stewart

I'm a big fan of novels set in dystopian worlds so was looking forward to this book.  The story is set in a world where a particularly nasty virus has wiped out most of humanity.  The handful of survivors are forced to carve an existence in what is left of the world.

The book follows one of these survivors, Ish, as he first seeks to come to terms with what has happened and then sets about forging his new life in the post apocalyptic world.

I wont go into a lot of detail about the book itself, read it to find out.  But will say that I think the author has created a compelling and believable scenario....a little hard to believe at times but I was more than happy to suspend my disbelief in these moments.  When I'd finished the book I felt a genuine sense of loss for the characters....and that's always a good test for me as to whether a book has really grabbed my attention or not.  A really good book.

A race for Madmen: A History of the Tour de France - Chris Sidwells

The Tour de France is one of those annual sporting occasions that totally grips the world.  Like Wimbledon, The US Open at Augusta or the Superbowl.  The difference with the TDF is that it could only have been created in France.  The whole race is a product of the country that it tours every year and I for one, love it.

This excellent book by Chris Sidwell chronicles the race from its beginnings as a marketing tool for a cycling magazine through to the multi national sporting jamboree we know today.  He takes in some of the key racers and duels that have been fought over the years.

I would have liked a few more anecdotal stories from the riders themselves, but there are plenty of other books for that.  This book does exactly what it says it will do and is engaging throughout.  A good read for any fan of cycling or the TDF.

Surface detail - Iain M Banks

I'm a bit of a closet sci fi geek and for me Iain M Banks (in particular the culture novels) is up there with the the best of the genre.

The richly populated universe he has created along with his fertile imagination has created a vast array of stories with a hugely diverse range of characters.  the novels have been endlessly inventive and this one doesn't disappoint.

Once again I got lost in the universe of the culture and its cast of minds, ships, agents, aliens and pan human entities.  Once again the story had me turning pages in a way few other authors can.

A good read and for the uninitiated an author definitely worth discovering.

Tinker tailor soldier spy - John le Carre

Another classic.  And another happy reader.

This is the first Le Carre I've read (minor lie, half read the tailor of panama years ago but perhaps I was a little young for it at the time and didn't finish it) and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I wont go into the plot of the book as so many people have read it and the recent film adaptation should mop up the remainder.  But suffice to say the book is a real treat and one not to be missed.

Mother tongue: The story of the English language - Bill Bryson

I've read a few of Bill Bryson books before and always found them gently amusing, informing and irreverent.  So I was looking forward to his look at the English language.  Unfortunately the book wasn't quite what I was hoping for, to be fair to the author I think it was one of his earlier books so perhaps I was expecting a style that he hadn't yet developed from this book.

Having said that this is excellently researched and it would be churlish not to point out that its incredibly informative.  There are glimpses of the sense of humour so apparent in his later books just not as much as I was expecting / hoping for.

All in all I did enjoy the book and had I not begun the book with my own set of preconceptions then I imagine I would have enjoyed it a good deal more....so in the end that's the lesson of this one.  Judge a book on its merits and not you own set of preconceived ideas.....if only someone could come up with a pithy saying about how to judge a book.

First a disclosure...I've been reading Terry Pratchett's discworld novels for over 20 years. I own every single one and am a massive fan of his work.

Now that I've got that out of the way I can write a balanced and nuanced review of the book.  He's on form with this book.  The book is described as 'for younger readers' which I think does a disservice to older readers.  The book is full of his fantastic word play and use of language as well as the normal range of colourful characters.

As a fan I was never going to dislike this book but I thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish and would recommend it to anyone....as long as they'd read all of the other books so far.  After all why should someone miss out on all those wonderful stories.

Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand

Okay,  this one's a biggie.  1160 pages of Ayn Rands political and philosophical views

I decided to read this book as I had often read and heard that Ayn Rand was the poster girl for US Republicans and conservatives around the world....no thy enemy and all that.

First let me begin by saying that while I don't agree with all of the authors views I have to say she makes her point eloquently (and at some length).  However, I do think that her views may have been misread if current political leaders say they follow her advice (bailing out the banks being the very definition of helping an incompetent industry at the expense of others).

But back to the book.  Apart from a couple of points (notably the near 100 page speech by one character) the book doesn't drag.  In fact for a relatively serious book in large parts the story moves rapidly and with great purpose.

You also have to bear in mind when the book was written.  The main female protagonist while an impressive business woman is a sucker for any successful man, hardly the kind of role model that I imagine Rand would create today.

Overall I enjoyed the book and have actually taken a few points away from it....relating to people taking responsibility for their own actions and their own success or failure.  I'm planning on reading another of her books The Fountainhead in due course....thankfully that ones a little shorter so shouldn't have any 100 page speeches.

A classic and well worth reading.

Any Human Heart - William Boyd

The first book I've read from this author but it definitely wont be the last.  I was without a book to read on the return journey from France and my Dad lent me this.  I've already thanked him.

A hugely ambitious book telling the story of Logan Mountstuart throughout his life (in the form of his personal diaries).  As he lives through all of the 20th Century Logan meets many of the centuries most enigmatic and important characters from Picasso in Paris and Hemingway in the Spanish Civil War through to Edward the future royal abdicator.

A sometimes prickly character and almost constant philanderer, Logan Mountstuart is a tremendous central character.  I thoroughly enjoyed his life and following his progress through everything life through at him.

I'll be exploring William Boyds back catalogue with interest.

Flowers for Algernon - Daniel Keyes

A recommendation from a friend and a book with a similar idea to Poul Andersons Brain Wave.  In this novel it's a mouse (the titular Algernon) and a man (Charlie) who undergo surgery to raise their IQ's

The author uses the journals of Charlie as the central method of telling the story.  As his IQ increases the language, spelling and grammar used is a neat way of showing his increasing intelligence and his demise towards the end of the novel.

Charlie is a hard character to warm to as for large parts of the book he's hard to understand depending on which end of the intellect scale he's at.  But nevertheless his essential character shines through and his desire to improve himself has to go down as representing the human condition.  Is the book intended to shine a light on man's efforts to improve himself, maybe maybe not but it is a great book.  As other reviews I've read have pointed out it successfully avoids becoming overly sentimental or cheesy and keeps the reader involved from start to finish.

The Blind Side: Evolution of a game - Michael Lewis

Another book from Michael Lewis (Moneyball) this time looking at the changes in American football through the story of Michael Oher.  Once a homeless unloved boy and now a multi millionaire NFL player thanks in part to his rare physical attributes (he's huge, and quick) and the generosity of a wealthy christian family that took him in.

The book isn't quite as enjoyable as Moneyball, it lacks that books feeling of David taking on Goliath by thinking harder and working smarter.  Sure Michael Oher had none of the chances in life that many children take for granted, but as soon as he was taken in by the family it wasn't him taking on the world.....it was that wealthy, white, influential christian family taking on society.  In other words is was the establishment looking after its own.

There can be no doubting that this family changed this boys life.  But had he not been a future athlete (something which was apparent very early on) would the family have helped him as much.  If he were a short fat kid would he have even been noticed in his plight.  How many other children don't get taken in by a family with a private jet?

Maybe I'm being a touch cynical though.  As I did enjoy the book and think that once again Michael Lewis has found a fascinating angle on a very public story.

The Forever War - Joe Haldeman

I really enjoyed this book.  Its a fantastic blend of convincing science (the time elapsing while travelling faster than light) and thought provoking war book.  The author freely admits that this book is basically about the Vietnam war, he'd fought in Vietnam so what other war could he write about?

The lead character is convincing as are the future worlds the author creates (except possibly the final one which didn't quite do it for me).  As a fan of future dystopian novels I was always going to like the visions of the earth in the future ravaged by the economic deprivations of a war.

This is that rare sort of book that when you're finished reading you really wish the author had written another couple of hundred pages.  I'll definitely be recommending it to friends.

Brain Wave - Poul Anderson

Like much good sci fi this book poses an interesting 'what if' question.  What if IQ's on Earth suddenly increased 3 or 4 fold for both man and animals.  How would the world change, how would we change and how would society alter to accomodate these changes?

Poul Anderson gives his answers to these questions in a thought provoking and enjoyable book.  He skips around the world with small set piece stories from various cultures illustrating the changes but always comes back to his central characters based at a scientific institute in New York.  The book is a real product of its time with references to commies and reds litering the book but this gives it a fantastic feel of americana and nostalgia that really adds to the story.  Above all this reads like a good sci fi story set in another era.

I've enjoyed other Poul Anderson work in the past and will definitely keep an eye out for other books.

The Girl who kick the hornets nest - Stieg Larsson

So the final book of the millennium trilogy.  Well it picks up right where the second one left off and if anything this books is the one that feels most like one part of a serial.  Where the other two books could sort of stand alone this one really relies on the reader having knowledge of the first two.  Not that that prevents you from enjoying another adventure with Blomquist and Salander.  Once again the story goes along at a high tempo and keeps you turning the pages from start to finish.

But there is a but.  I probably enjoyed this book the least out of the trilogy.  It feels like a filler wrapping up some plot lines from the first two books before the author could get going on the next set of mysteries and investigations.  Of course that fourth book will never arrive so this book instead stands as the final book in a trilogy.  Whether I enjoyed this book less (and I only mean slightly less) is down to this 'in betweeness' of the book or because I was aware that it wasn't supposed to be the final book but would be.....I don't know.

In any case I've thoroughly enjoyed reading these books and like millions of fans worldwide am genuinely sad that we'll never know how the story would have played out.

Moneyball - Michael Lewis

This book tells the story of a revolution in baseball thinking from the point of view of one major league baseball team - The Oakland A's.  The new thinking in question is looking at players based on the difference they make to the teams chance of winning as opposed to the received wisdom on how good they are.  What this meant in practise was that a team with access to the right statistics could unearth players that no other team was interested in and consequently assemble a winning team far cheaper than their competitors.

So far so similar to a thousand other stories of sporting or business success.  But the author makes this book a fantastic read from start to finish with a good mix of anecdotal stories about individual players or games through to hard and detailed facts and a really good lay mans explanation of what they mean.  A really good book and I'll definitely be exploring some more of the authors work.

The Girl who played with Fire - Stieg Larsson

The second in the Millennium trilogy carries on in the same vein as the first book.  More detective novel fun with more details of the enigmatic heroine given away.  There's not much to say other than that the book is as enjoyable as the first one and really leaves the story hanging for the third book.

Native Son - Richard Wright

This is quite simply a great book.  It reminded me in parts of To Kill a Mockingbird and in other parts of Of Mice and Men.  The author powerfully evokes both the feeling of depression era America and the sense of resentment and envy created by the racist sensibilities contained in American society at the time.

The protagonist is clearly guilty of the central crime of the novel and yet the author had portrayed his plight so powerfully that I found myself on his side for most of the book.

Overall I'm genuinely surprised that this book isn't better known than it is.  I've already recommended it to one friend and will carry on doing so.

First Light - Geoffrey Wellum

A memoir of a Second World War fighter pilot that makes for an enjoyable and at times emotional read.  The author joined the RAF straight out of school as soon as he was allowed to and soon found himself qualifying as a fighter pilot right as Britain found itself plunged into war.  Without a pause for reflection he was thrust into active service and the Battle of Britain.

When reading the book you can't help but feel huge admiration for the author and his colleagues.  What they went through and achieved is one of the great stories of human endeavour and sacrifice and there is no need for me to repeat here Churchill's famous words.

Anyone with a passing interest in flying or the Second World War would do well to read this book.

The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo - Stieg Larsson

Having seen the millennium books being read by countless commuters on my way to work I thought it was about time for me to see what all the fuss is about.  And I can see why they are so popular.  Translated from the original Swedish, this book makes for a compelling page turner that keeps you guessing all the way through.  The main characters are engaging and the story moves along at a fantastic pace, there is barely a wasted moment in the book.

As I'm writing this post I'm already halfway through the second book of the trilogy and already feeling disappointed that there is only three books to read.  The author had planned more but sadly died before he completed them.  I like thousands of other readers will never get to find out how everything works out for the lead characters.  Enjoyable and highly recommended, I'll be passing this book on to other people to enjoy.

The Gulag Archipelago - Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

Well this one took me a little while to read but it was definitely worth the effort.  In Gulag Archipelago Solzhenitsyn has undertaken to demonstrate the full extent of Soviet Russia's prison system, and that appears to be no mean feat.  He guides readers through the system from arrest on trumped up charges, through to sadistic torture and biased trials before the journey to camp begins.  Its not an easy read given the harrowing nature of much of the subject matter yet its a measure of the writers skill that he maintains a dry sense of humour throughout.

The Soviet Gulag system is without a doubt one of the worst crimes against humanity ever committed and even in a century marred by two World Wars and their associated atrocities this stands out.  That it is so little known has to be down to the secrecy of the Soviet state.  But this book plays its part in shining a light onto this dark corner of human history.

This book is both important and informative but because the author tells the human stories behind the system rather than dwelling on numbers and statistics (which may have been hard to come by) it is compelling throughout.

There is further sections of the book still to read as it was published in several parts, and I'll be back to read them before too long.

Shantaram - Gregory David Roberts

First up, let me say that I did really enjoy this book.  But I did find the repeated attempts at philosophising and spirituality could get in the way of the story.  The main character while engrossing wasn't someone who I came to empathise with.  I put this down to his dubious morals as there were several characters in the book who I did warm to son it can't be down to the author's writing style.  Notably his ever cheerful friend from the slum Prabaker and the degenerate and mischievous Didier.

Much has been written about how true this book is, its presented as an account of the authors life.  But to be honest, with a tale as broad and enjoyable as this I don't really mind if it isn't 100% true.  As far as I can tell its based on the authors own experiences, if he's then used some artistic license to make the book how he wanted it to be that's fine with me.

I've never visited India but this book really makes me want to.  The author clearly has a huge amount of affection for the place.  He spends a good amount of time describing the food and the character of the Indian people in glowing terms.

I'd definitely recommend this book to friends (and have done so) but would caveat the recommendation with a warning about the philosophy.  All in all a good read.