Listmania!
My Year In Books
Rubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman RepublicRubicon: The Triumph and Tragedy of the Roman Republic by Tom Holland
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £0.01
One of the best books i've ever read. Certainly makes the subject far clearer than Cicero, Suetonius et al. Could have done with it when i did my Ancient History exams a few years ago.
Kingdom of Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-crossed Child in the Final Days of the American CenturyKingdom of Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century by Hunter S. Thompson
Buy new: £6.99 / Used from: £3.80
Can't recommend this highly enough. Delve into the mind of the nuttiest writer around, (and one of the coolest living Americans). Hilariously funny in parts, vehemently poisonous in others.
The Odyssey (Oxford World's Classics)The Odyssey (Oxford World's Classics) by Homer
Buy used from: £0.98
One of the greatest and most famous stories ever conceived. Always worth a re-read.
In Cold Blood : A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences (Penguin Modern Classics)In Cold Blood : A True Account of a Multiple Murder and Its Consequences (Penguin Modern Classics) by Truman Capote
Buy new: £6.74 / Used from: £3.88
I adored this book. Was new to Capote's writing, will be reading lots more now.
She (Oxford World's Classics)She (Oxford World's Classics) by H. Rider Haggard
Buy used from: £3.45
Possibly the oddest book i've read this year. Very good, but did Haggard have issues with women or something!!!
Manon Lescaut (Oxford World's Classics)Manon Lescaut (Oxford World's Classics) by Abbé Prévost
Buy used from: £3.50
More French controversy. Passionate and tragic in a way these French authors excelled at.
The Elgin Marbles (Introductory Guides)The Elgin Marbles (Introductory Guides) by B.F. Cook
Buy used from: £0.04
Gives a clearer view of what the Parthenon would have actually looked like, from the one-time 'Keeper of the Elgin Marbles' at the British Museum.
The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy: And Other StoriesThe Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy: And Other Stories by Tim Burton
Buy new: £5.59 / Used from: £0.01
An utterly gorgeous little book of weird stories and wired drawings.
Viggo Mortensen: Sign LanguageViggo Mortensen: Sign Language by Kevin Power
Buy used from: £33.59
Every home should have this. Some stunning photography. Get this and Recent Forgeries. A true poetic soul.
The Lord of the Rings - illustrated hardbackThe Lord of the Rings - illustrated hardback by J.R.R. Tolkien
Buy used from: £48.99
Nope, still can't get enough of this book! The annual read goes on.......
The Kid Stays in the Picture: A Hollywood LifeThe Kid Stays in the Picture: A Hollywood Life by Robert Evans
Buy used from: £2.68
Surprisingly well-written insight into Hollywood by a central character. Veers into arrogance, but the humour and stories make you forgive him for that.
Hellblazer: Highwater (Hellblazer)Hellblazer: Highwater (Hellblazer) by Brian Azzarello
Buy used from: £14.97
I love the Hellblazer series, and John Constantine is one of literature's finest creations. This is one of the best i've read in the series.
The Dharma Bums (Penguin Modern Classics)The Dharma Bums (Penguin Modern Classics) by Jack Kerouac
Buy new: £6.69 / Used from: £4.00
A supreme writer. This is one of his best, written in his own inimitable jazz-poetic style.
Cold MountainCold Mountain by Charles Frazier
Buy new: £5.59 / Used from: £0.01
Wanted to see what all the fuss was about, was pleasantly surprised, very intense and tragic, but well-written.
The War ZoneThe War Zone by Alexander Stuart
Buy used from: £1.49
Possibly the heaviest book i've ever read. Very hard-going, an amazing story.
Nana (Oxford World's Classics)Nana (Oxford World's Classics) by Émile Zola
Buy new: £6.74 / Used from: £2.20
Tragic, sexy French story of human existence in troubled times. Controversial in it's day, still quite racy now. Nana the book and character are fantastic.
Neil Gaiman's 1602Neil Gaiman's 1602 by Neil Gaiman
Buy new: £9.09 / Used from: £0.68
Another Neil Gaiman masterpiece. See familiar charcters in very unfamiliar surroundings. Great story.
Hades' Daughter (The Troy game)Hades' Daughter (The Troy game) by Sara Douglass
Buy used from: £3.00
I loved her Axis, Wayfarer and Crucible trilogies. This is the first of her Troy Game series, and i have to say, it's my least favourite of her books. Axis tril. remains her best work.
Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla v. 5 (Dark Tower)Dark Tower: Wolves of the Calla v. 5 (Dark Tower) by Stephen King
Buy new: £17.50 / Used from: £2.49
King's best work for years, and his life-long work at that. The Dark Tower up next for me.
L'Assommoir (Oxford World's Classics)L'Assommoir (Oxford World's Classics) by Émile Zola
Buy used from: £7.14
Another from Emile Zola. A sad study of 'drinking culture' in the Parisian underclass. Main character is Nana's mum Gervaise, who's life is heart-breaking.
Possessed: The Rise and Fall of "Prince"Possessed: The Rise and Fall of "Prince" by Alex Hahn
Buy used from: £16.44
mmm Prince! Great study of the great man, not afraid to point out his faults either. Pics come in handy too.
The Big Sleep and Other Novels (Penguin Modern Classics)The Big Sleep and Other Novels (Penguin Modern Classics) by Raymond Chandler
Buy new: £8.44 / Used from: £4.83
Why have i never got round to reading this before. I missed out, it's excellent. Another great literary character.
Catullus: A Poet in the Rome of Julius CaesarCatullus: A Poet in the Rome of Julius Caesar by Aubrey Burl
Buy new: £11.21 / Used from: £4.04
'But ours is one brief day of life/Before the long last, everlasting night.'
Alexander: Child of a Dream v. 1 (Alexander Trilogy)Alexander: Child of a Dream v. 1 (Alexander Trilogy) by Valerio Massimo Manfredi
Buy new: £5.99 / Used from: £0.01
The first of another historical trilogy. All three are very good, and fairly accurate historically, though somewhat romanticised.
The Da Vinci CodeThe Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Buy new: £5.49 / Used from: £0.01
Hmm, not that impressed. Some interesting 'facts', but spoilt by trashy dialogue and a rubbish ending that was obvious from about halfway through the book.