Books

The Booker Shortlist was announced last night and emhowl was quick off the mark to comment that I had correctly predicted 5/6. This was more than most people, but only because I felt that the judges would want a range of books and so that’s what I put together, whilst also thinking of which books I had most enjoyed. So we have a set of books which readers are being encouraged to have a go at reading before the winner is announced in the middle of October. 

I am not going to say much about them, or recommend any, as everyone should make up their mind whether to try any of them. There is a lot of information about each one on the Booker website, including details of why each book  was chosen. Anyone interested could read through this, choose one they think they might try and then go and support your local bookshop and buy one (several are in paperback now).

Why should you do so? Well, the judges say: ‘These six books speak powerfully about important things. Set in different places at different times, they are about events that in some measure happen everywhere and concern us all. In every one the author uses language, not only to tell us what happens, but to create a world which we outsiders can enter and inhabit.’ 

I say: Of course they are not ‘easy’ books, some of them are quite a challenge, but they are all accessible and certainly worthwhile. They are the kind of books that you will be thinking about long after you’ve read them. 

Anyway that’s me the reading evangelist! Perhaps someone will one day persuade me that gardening is great and worthwhile!