I can't think how we managed in the days before we had all possible information at our fingertips before the internet. I've been surfing the bookshops and book award sites and the list has grown pretty quickly and without too much pain. Plenty of the latest and best "litfic", but also crime and mystery novels and a generous helping of science-fiction and fantasy. And many more titles still to be added when I can get my brain in gear for the next onslaught.
Along the way I've found some links you might enjoy.
If you like mystery the website of the Barry Award has some excellent short fiction.
Science-fiction fans might be interested in this post about why British sci-fi is sweeping the board at the Hugo's this year.
(And on the subject of science-fiction, drop by Zafar's blog for his account of the "Writing Sc-Fi" session at the Singapore Writer's Festival. There's plenty to shudder about!)
I know that a lot of people find it difficult to find a way into fiction and long for some easy-reads that don't insult their intelligence. This list of highly-readable British fiction is an excellent starting point. I'm ordering many of these titles so you'll even know where to find them!
One of the ten things you didn't know about me - (See, I'm getting ready for the day I get interviewed for that column in the NST!)- I nearly became a librarian when I left school. I had the place at college, but decided at the last moment to became a teacher, as the course looked more interesting. I never regretted teaching, but perhaps in a parallel universe, somewhere ....
Been looking at too many sci-fi books!
13 comments:
erm, where's the horror? the horror! the horror!!!
Hey! I was hoping to see you at the authors' hi-tea. why weren't you there? (Oh I should've arranged a date with you beforehand) teeheehee...
Visitor - Got exhausted before I got to the horror yesterday. It's coming, fear not. Would you like to suggest some recent titles by British writers that should be in there?
Yvonne - I did drop by but I snuck in at the end for a curry puff and missed you.
But I did meet my favourite self-help guru - Billy Lim, from whom I learned it's fine to fail.
i'm afraid i've been so out of touch with the scene that i don't know any current names. :(
How about Shakespear? :-Þ
For horror, Yvonne? He's certainly got some pretty disturbing bits (putting out eyes and such) and some ghosts here and there.
Just joking. Shakespeare got already plenty plenty. There's a good basic collection and I'm adding new stuff onto it. Why not come and see?
Hi, where is the list of books that you prepared? Where can we see it?
Thanks for including my blog in your discussion. Aren't you coming to the Singapore Writers Festival even for a day?
Sharon, thanks so very much for the new books you are getting for you-know-where. Guess I'll be saying more Hail Marys soon.
Sharon
Look forward to reading about ten things we don't know about Sharon Bakar.
Rgds
Zafar - the list is long long and you'd bored if I posted it. I'm basically looking for books that have been at least longlisted for British awards or come highly recommended from sources I trust. And then of course, folks have dropped by here to tell me of their favourites which I shall make sure get onto the shelves. (Leon, keep telling me what's good, please!!!)
I went for a big book buy at the Times warehouse sale today and came back with a 3 big bags of bargains including a hardback copy of de Bernieres' Birds without Wings for just RM20!
Zafar, I wanted to come down to the Singapore Writer's festival but got hung up on deadlines and got lazy and started making excuses to myself and am kicking myself. I am sorry. would have loved to have met you. Will meet you one of these days. Will come to Singapore one of these days.
Lydia -#2 thing you didn't know about me. I eat termites. I can give you the recipe. (I don't think you will want to know #3 onwards ..)
Hi, yes, it would have been great to see you here. Never mind. Let me know whenever you are coming to Singapore.
Yesterday's was an interesting session. I had a nice chat with Scottish writer Suhayl Saadi. Yet to blog about this event. Will do.
Meanwhile do check www.kitaab.org and tell me what you think of it. There is an interesting link to Ruchir Joshi's article in The Telegraph.
I was at the Times warehouse sales yesterday, 30th, in the afternoon. I must have missed another copy of de Bernieres' Birds without Wings. But I did manage to get a hardcopy of Helen Fielding's Olivia Joules, a trade paperback of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, and the rest paperbacks of Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections, Rose Tremain's The Colour, Margaret Forster's The Seduction of Mrs Pendlebury and Ian McEwan's Enduring Love.
I was at Kino today and these books are displayed under Booker Long List:
The Sea by John Banville
(Picador)
Arthur & George by Julian Barnes
(Jonathan Cape)
A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry
(Faber & Faber)
All For Love by Dan Jacobson
(Hamish Hamilton)
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka
(Viking)
Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel
(Fourth Estate)
The Accidental by Ali Smith
(Hamish Hamilton)
If you haven't got them for BC lib yet, they all have 20% off with any 2nd book.
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