Listmania!
Recommended Books part I
Stuart: A Life BackwardsStuart: A Life Backwards by Alexander Masters
Buy new: £4.84 / Used from: £0.01
An incredibly touching and revealing true story about Stuart, a "chaotic homeless" person.
Crime and Punishment (Penguin Popular Classics)Crime and Punishment (Penguin Popular Classics) by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Buy new: £2.00 / Used from: £0.01
The brilliance of this book is Dostoyevsky's ability to take the reader into the mind of Raskolnikov and his paranoia. Not an easy read but ulitmately worthwhile.
Chronicle of a Death ForetoldChronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Buy used from: £3.73
Marquez brilliantly captures the colour and vibrancy of South Amercia. This book is my favourite Marquez novel because of the way it is told without any apparent regard for chronology.
A Heart So WhiteA Heart So White by Javier Marias
Buy new: £5.99 / Used from: £5.99
Marias manages to capture and convey exact thought patterns with unnerving accuracy
Bright Lights Big City # (Vintage Contemporaries (Paperback))Bright Lights Big City # (Vintage Contemporaries (Paperback)) by Jay McInerney
Buy used from: £1.83
Possibly the greatest ever opening for a book? This very funny book captures the madness of New York in the 80's.
The Buddha of SuburbiaThe Buddha of Suburbia by Hanif Kureishi
Buy used from: £0.01
Excellently written and funny.
HannibalHannibal by Ross Leckie
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £0.01
Although the start is slow, Leckie manages to capture the essence of a man who revolutionised military thinking and was close to bringing Rome down, before suffering a crisis of conscience.
Are You Experienced?Are You Experienced? by William Sutcliffe
Buy new: £5.70 / Used from: £0.01
A great read, very funny.
Bad InfluenceBad Influence by William Sutcliffe
Buy used from: £0.01
Sutcliffe shows he is an excellent writer by taking the reader into the mind of a ten year old boy.
The Grapes of WrathThe Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Buy new: £5.39 / Used from: £1.77
A classic, although the dialogue may be attacked for being less than believable, Steinbeck beatifully paints a picture of despair and lost hope.
Train to PakistanTrain to Pakistan by Khushwant Singh
Buy used from: £4.50
This story about a border village caught up in the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 and the impact it has on the villagers, is briliant.
The Trial (Vintage Classics)The Trial (Vintage Classics) by Franz Kafka
Buy new: £4.79 / Used from: £2.69
Kafka at his very frustratingly best. With a disturbing ending to top it all off.
Lord of the FliesLord of the Flies by William Golding
Buy new: £3.99 / Used from: £1.19
Rightly regarded as a classic. The story of the boys deserted on the island and their social interaction, shows the power of the group over the individual.
To Kill a MockingbirdTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Buy new: £4.30 / Used from: £1.99
A book which should be read by everyone.
BlindnessBlindness by Jose Saramago
Buy new: £5.96 / Used from: £2.54
Somehow this book draws you into its absurd premise and is strangely fascinating. Alhtough the ending is somewhat weak.
Nineteen Eighty-FourNineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
Buy used from: £0.53
Superb. Simply superb. Orwell manages to make the bleak greyness in which the characters live come to life. Very powerful in its message to society and control of the state.
Animal Farm: A Fairy StoryAnimal Farm: A Fairy Story by George Orwell
Buy used from: £0.01
The story is excellent, even without the underlying political tones.
Junky (Penguin Modern Classics)Junky (Penguin Modern Classics) by William S Burroughs
Buy used from: £23.10
Brutally honest, this book of an unrepentant herione junky gives the reader a first hand account of the life forces that drive the junky - the need, at any cost, to get the next fix.
Catch-22Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
Buy new: £5.42 / Used from: £2.17
Heller makes you laugh and cry in this story of ordinary soldiers in the second world war.
The Bluest EyeThe Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Buy new: £5.04 / Used from: £2.50
The things we are subjected to affect our lives in very direct and real ways. This book serves as a stark reminder of that. Morrison is a special writer.
On the Road (Penguin Modern Classics)On the Road (Penguin Modern Classics) by Jack Kerouac
Buy new: £4.49 / Used from: £2.00
You never know what will happen next in this tale of travels across the US. I loved it.
I Know Why the Caged Bird SingsI Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Buy new: £6.34 / Used from: £0.01
Some interesting segments in this book especially how spirit and perseverance cannot be crushed.
Brave New WorldBrave New World by Aldous Huxley
Buy used from: £3.74
Huxley paints a strange and frightning picture of the future, which is surreal.
Another Day of Life (Penguin Modern Classics)Another Day of Life (Penguin Modern Classics) by Ryszard Kapuscinski
Buy new: £5.98 / Used from: £3.25
Written like the author is living in some dream like status. Kapuscinski is a fascinating person.
The Moor's Last SighThe Moor's Last Sigh by Salman Rushdie
Buy new: £5.99 / Used from: £0.01
Rushdie is the writers version of Van Gogh. The man is a genius. Whilst some may find his work frustrating to read, I greatly admire the skill he uses to weave intricate story strands together