2018 and the books I read...

At the start of 2018, as is tradition for many of us, I made a couple of resolutions. One of them was to read more books, these are the books I read and a brief, unqualified literary critique on each of them.

Keep the Aspidistra Flying (1936) - George Orwell

This was my first experience reading Orwell, his better known novels Nineteen Eighty-Four and Animal Farm are books I'm aware of, but never read. Keep the Aspidistra Flying pre-dates both those titles and, to put it bluntly, is a bloody good book!

Its a story about Gordon Comstock an aspiring poet and his personal battle with money, employment and peoples perception of him, especially women. Comstock's self imposed 'war on money' is a theme throughout and nearly 100 years after the book was published, will still resonate with people in todays society.

There's no question that Orwell is a brilliant writer, his ability to describe the mundane and create visual imagery with words is genius. His characters became real, what happened to them and how it affected their relationships mattered, and the story, whilst not one of great excitement or action, was something I felt a part of.

A Man Called Ove (2013) - Fredrik Backman

A Man Called One is a novel by Swedish author Fredrick Backman, about, well, a man, called Ove, surprisingly.

Ove is a classic example of a grumpy senior citizen, weathered and bitter, viciously principled, unaccepting of the modern world and modern people. Ove's story is one of sadness and loss, but following an incident with his new neighbours, develops into a heartwarming story about an old man, an unwanted cat and a fight for what is right.

This book made me think about the older members of our society, people we see and judge, but never really know. We all stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us, but sometimes those people are still with us when we cast them aside and dismiss their ability to contribute to modern society. I loved this book, it made me laugh, it made me think and, I'm not ashamed to say, it made me cry, I urge anyone to try reading the last chapter without shedding a tear.

Breaking News (2017) - Jeremy Thompson

Jeremy Thompson is a renowned news personality, ending his career as the face of the early evening news on Sky, his autobiography is a journey through his 40 year career and the stories that shaped it.

Reading about many of the major news stories of the last 4 decades through the eyes of someone who was so close to them was incredibly insightful and gave me an alternative perspective. We tune in to daily news programs and read newspaper articles that inform us of the events that are happening all over the world, but we rarely stop to appreciate the work involved and the sacrifices people make to deliver that information. Throughout the book Jeremy describes his personal experience covering each story, the people affected, the colleagues he worked with and the impact each story had on him personally. From the Yorkshire ripper case, through to Donald Trumps inauguration, if it was a big news, Jeremy was there.

As someone that knows Jeremy personally, his wife Lynn is my Mum's best friend and godmother to my sister, you may argue I was always likely to be a little biased, but I made a conscious effort to read this book objectively. Knowing the author didn't have a bearing on my enjoyment of it, it was a brilliant account of how each news story evolved and the part Jeremy and his team played in telling those stories.

I Am Pilgrim (2014) - Terry Hayes

I Am Pilgrim is a fictional spy novel detailing one mans plot to cause 'mass destruction' and another mans quest to stop him.

Thrilling from the first chapter to the last, the two main characters stories evolve separate to each other before converging in a gripping finale. I found myself empathising with the books villain and admiring his intelligence, in spite of the heinous act he is plotting throughout, something I believe requires great skill from an author, allowing you to feel something for the 'bad guy'. Yes, you might say this is a story we've all read before, but the way I Am Pilgrim is written makes you feel involved, the characters are both flawed and brilliant, very interesting and highly skilled, but also human.

I read this book on holiday and didn't want to put it down, it's definitely a page turner. I can certainly see this story translating to the big screen or a Netflix series, I just hope if that is the case, it retains it's intimate qualities and doesn't become too overly Hollywood'd.

Fever Pitch (1992) - Nick Hornby

Fever Pitch is an autobiographical look at Nick Hornby's life and his obsession with Arsenal Football Club.

Chronicled using the dates of specific matches, predominately Arsenal matches, Hornby describes his love affair with Arsenal, how it started as a child attending his first game, how it evolved, why it was so important to him, the highs, the lows, how it impacted all aspects of his life, right through to the time of writing when he was in his thirties. As someone who loves football and who's mood can be affected by the performance and results of my team, Leeds United, I could relate to a lot of the feelings and experiences Hornby describes throughout. Whilst not as avid a fan as Hornby, and certainly not as affected by Leeds as he appears to be by Arsenal, I love his honesty and the way the book seems to develop into an acceptance that, like it or not, Arsenal football club is more than just a football team to him, its a mainstay, that in some ways defines him and his life.

I urge anyone that doesn't understand how and why football can have the effect it does on people, those that believe 'it's just a game' and the results don't really matter, to read this book. In doing so I hope it provides an example of someone who's life is consumed by football and their team, so much so that they're able to associate key life events to specific football matches. That's not just someone who 'likes football', that's someone who's obsessed, and reading Fever Pitch will help you understand why.

The next chapter...

In 2019, I plan on continuing to read, aiming to finish one book per month. With the amount of instant entertainment available to us nowadays, it's easy to forget how enjoyable reading a book can be and the sense of achievement we gain from finishing a book. I use it as a small break from the stresses and pressures of daily life and every lunch time, lock my laptop, make some lunch and spend half an hour getting lost in whatever book I'm reading at the time. It's helped me and I'm glad I decided to make a conscious effort to read more.