General Fiction West Indian Literature

Science Fiction/Fantasy Classics

For Young Readers Non-Fiction

I  grew up with books all around me. That's not something I was particularly aware of at the time, but I started noticing at some point that nobody else's house had as many books or bookshelves as ours did. All I knew was that I enjoyed reading - ever since I first learned. Unfortunately, studies stopped me - I think it was around the time I got fed up of English Lit as an O Level subject. Then A Levels came around, and I never had time to start back until I finished my first degree, and moved to England.      It was then that I discovered Book Shops! There is such a wide range of books available in the UK - especially when compared to Trinidad - that you can literally spend hours browsing and reading, and end up spending way too much money! So when I had the chance to work part time in a bookshop while I worked on my MSc degree, I took it with both hands.      Thus began one of the most enjoyable periods of my career so far. I suppose I was fortunate in that the people I worked with were excellent company - people like Karen, Bob and Gail were some of the best co-workers you could find, and David was an excellent manager. And on the whole, the company was a very good employer - I was able to learn a lot about the business of bookselling, and even about publishing, and I was reasonably well paid - at least compared to other part time jobs. In the end, I was promoted and at times I was the most senior member of staff in the shop, and one of the most knowledgeable about the business and the company's systems.      All of this basically meant that I was exposed to an even wider range of books than I had before - and I made use of it! Below I've listed a few of my favourite books, with short reviews by me, which I strongly recommend you check out. For the moment I'm not going to tell you where to go to get them, as I might just be in a position to provide them myself in the future!

Watch this SPACE!!

General Fiction

Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett. A big book with a bit of everything in it. Set in the middle ages, it's the story of a skilled stonemason who's ambition is to build a cathedral. The story takes in his marriage to a witch and a life-long feud with members of the "noble" class. Descriptions of the construction are amazing. Despite its size, it's really a light read, and you'll want it to go on and on.

Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernières. Varying from very funny to very sad and set during the Second World War, the story concerns a relationship between an Italian Captain and a Greek peasant. Descriptions of the politics, and in particular of "Il Duce," and of village life on the Greek islands, are hilarious.

The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell. First in a 3 part series on the legend of Arthur, all told from an original perspective - that of one of his greatest warriors, his friend Derfel. If you like historical fantasy , or even historical novels, I recommend this strongly, along with the second and third parts of the Warlord Chronicles - Enemy of God and Excalibur.

West Indian
The Dragon Can't Dance by Earl Lovelace One of my all-time favourites, a story of Carnival and unrest in Trinidad. The writing is almost lyrical - you can hear the calypso coming through the pages! It made me really homesick while I was in the UK.

SF/Fantasy

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. A classic story, written for children, but best enjoyed by childish adults with a sense of humour. I figure the inspiration for the hobbits must have been a Trini, though an Irishman or a Welshman might have done too. Whichever it was, they could talk! The story is an epic adventure, whose spirit is captured by the alternative title "There and Back Again."

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. An epic story, continuing some time after the end of The Hobbit, but more dramatic. The scope of Tolkien's creation is apparent from the appendices - he's invented a whole history of Middle Earth, and this book contains only a small fragment of it.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. Hilarious - a stab at all things modern, set in some of the most improbable locations imaginable. Did you know humans are only the third most intelligent species on earth? This is only the beginning of a "trilogy" of four books - including The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, the Universe and Everything and So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish.

Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay. Strongly recommended to me by Gail at the bookshop, this lived up to all of her descriptions. A really good story of war, politics and relationships, set in a fantasy world with two moons, wizards, and blue, smoky wine. A Middle Ages, somewhat Italian setting add to the overall effect.

Classics
	Les Misérables by Victor Hugo. A very long story, and a very heavy book, but well worth the effort, as it contains a brilliant tale of the life-long chase of an escaped convict by an obsessed policeman. Jean Valjean and Inspector Javert are both very believable characters, despite being almost farcically good (Valjean) and bad (Javert).

For Young Readers
Moonfleet by J. Meade Falkner. One of the best adventure stories I've read. A teenaged boy joins a band of smugglers in 19th century England, and risks life and limb in the pursuit of riches. Unfortunately Moonfleet is out of print at the moment, but you can read it on-line by clicking here.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. A classic fantasy - the best of the 7-book Chronicles of Narnia. Four children pass through a wardrobe into an alternative world called Narnia, and there meet all sorts of people and creatures - most notably the lion Alsan

Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome. A classic adventure story - a group of children on a camping trip at a lake find their very own deserted island, complete with pirates!

Non-Fiction
	Sleepers by Lorenzo Carcaterra. The truth in this story has been questioned, but it remains a page-turning thriller. A really scary story, about a really hard time had in a New York juvenile prison. But in fact, this is a story of long-lasting friendship.

The Diversity of Life by Edward O. Wilson. The biologist in me likes this one. It's an easy-to-read introduction to the science of ecology, and provides an excellent layman's explanation of the need for, and theory behind, conservation of biodiversity.

Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby. The hilarious story of a man's obsession with Arsenal Football Club. Ever wondered how English football fans can be so passionate? Well here's a self-confessed one.

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