Recommended reading
"Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested." - Francis Bacon
This page will be more-or-less frequently updated with reviews of my favorite books and poetry collections, if you have a book, poet or author that you'd like to recommend, please e-mail me at the address given on the main page.
Note: all images of books, unless otherwise stated, link to more reviews and info on amazon.co.uk
Currently Reading...
Prose / Poetry
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Prose
The Life of Pi 
By Yann Martel
The Life of Pi tells the story of the boy Piscine Patel and his oceanic adventures on a life boat with a zebra, a hyena and a fully grown bengal tiger called Richard Parker.
This is a spellbounding and rather surreal story of adventure and philosophy. The novel is particularly absorbing because it is able to question such complex ideas concerning identity and belief and still be able to maintain a gripping storyline. Beware that it may take a bit of getting into.
Far from your run-of-the-mill castaway adventure story!
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Death and the Penguin 
By Andrey Kurkov
Set in the Ukrain just after the the collapse of the Soviet Union, Death and the Penguin tells of the story of an author named Victor and his depressed penguin, Misha. In their struggle to make a living, Victor gets a job writing obituaries for a city newspaper, all seems to go well at first... until the unexplained letters and parcels start arriving, and the requests for obituaries just keep coming and Victor finds himself wrapped up in something far more sinister...
This book's oddly gentle storyline and dark humour will leave you both content and wanting to know more. I found myself getting very attatched to Victor, Misha and a host of other wonerfully eccentric characters.
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The Alchemist 
By Paulo Coelho
Far more than the 'modern fable' it is often summarised to be, the Alchemist tells the magical story Santiago, an Andalucian shepherd boy inspired by a dream to go in search for treasure. During his adventures in which he travels as far as the great pyramids of Egypt, he meets a range of advisors in the forms of old men, intellectuals and farmers, all of whom not only help Santiago in his quest but also in gaining an understanding of his identity and the meaning of his life.
Paulo Coelho writes with such insight and wisdom into the human condition, and words it so simply and beautifully that his books become intensely thought-provoking and will linger in the mind for weeks, months or even years to come.
See also: Manual of the Warrior of Light
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The Master and Margarita 
By Mikhail Bulgakov
I've been absolutely immersing myself in Russian literature lately, so here's another...
The Devil has decided to put in a personal appearance in Moscow, accompanied by a gigantic black cat, a naked girl and two demons, and are intent on wreaking havoc upon the inhabitants of Moscow. But what of the mysterious man who calls himself 'The Master' and his devoted Margarita? And what will become of the stricken Pontius Pilate??
As surreal as the blurb suggests, this incredible political satire will leave you reeling, plunging you head first into the whirlpool of Bulgakov's twist on Soviet Russia and coming out again with a new and rather convoluted grasp on reality... or maybe it's just me - nonetheless, it's a must!!
Note: I recommend the above translation by Michael Glenny, as some of the other editions are too full of footnotes and make rather clunky reading.
See also: Heart of a Dog
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Catch-22 
By Joseph Heller
You think that madness is bad but sanity, as it turns out, is even worse.
The most remarkable thing about this novel...
To be completed...
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Poetry
Strictly Private 
Edited by Roger McGough
An anthlogy of poetry from an unusual mix of both lesser-known and famous modern poets, that cover a wide range of topics and ideas.
This anthology is particularly effective as each poem, though different, appear to be linked in the most unexpected ways to the next. I found myself reading the whole anthology through in one go from cover to cover, and have returned to it regularly since.
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Glad to Wear Glasses 
By John Hegley
Glad to Wear Glasses is a collection of the brilliantly comic poetry of John Hegley.
There seems to be three main themes in Hegley's poetry: childhood, dogs - and glasses, yet somehow, he never fails in bringing a new perspective (or lense?) to these themes, and each new poem is as much a pleasure to read as the last - great to read out loud!
To read and hear some poems by John Hegley, click here.
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Currently reading...
What I'm reading at the moment - I'll try to keep this up to date, but.
1421 - The year China discovered the world 
By Gavin Menzies
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