Top 5 Books for April 2010
So Much for That by Lionel Shriver
With all the hype over Obama’s healthcare reforms I was curious to find our more about the situation and in the process, I came across this book. If you ever want to discover just how scary it is to become ill in the states, then Shriver is the man to guide you through it. Almost every character in this novel has a genuine affliction or an attention seeking disorder and in their insurance fuelled quest for treatment, they all have to stick with the thankless jobs that pay the medical bills. Primary character Shep is a prime example, facing humiliation on a daily basis because his contract helps cover his cancer afflicted wife. Life savings are depleted to pay for the surgeons that get results but aren’t on the insurer’s approved list and all in all, it’s pretty dismal. It’s not a light read but it is a book that does make you appreciate the NHS.
So Much for That by Lionel Shriver is published by Harper Collins (paperback; £15). It is also available through amazon.com and all good booksellers.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
The film adaptation is everywhere at the moment and as much as I like to shrug off trends, this one proved impossible. Therefore before I subjected myself to two and a half hours of sub titles, I decided to read the book. In all honestly I found it rather shocking and a tad confusing. It’s unclear whether our tattooed detective is avenging women who been wronged or if he’s merely a fictional device, facilitating the oh‐so‐graphic descriptions of brutality, abuse and various other acts that I won’t repeat. I don’t know about the film but the book should come with an 18+ rating. A good deal of the nastiness is left to develop in your imagination so if you don’t want to kept awake into the wee early hours, then give this one a miss. I for one won’t be subjecting myself to the big screen version.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson is published by MacLehose Press (paperback; £8.99). It is also available through amazon.com and all good booksellers.
Katy Carter Wants a Hero by Ruth Saberton
For something light and fluffy that’ll leave a sickeningly sweet taste in your mouth, give Katy Carter Wants a Hero a go. It’s a Bridget Jones‐esque misdemeanour through and through but it’s also amusing and easy to read. Your character Katy is a ditz who can’t cook and possesses little or no self discipline. Somehow she manages to bag a decent fiance and an investment banker at that, but still Katy’s mind wanders. Determined to be a wife any man can be proud of, she embarks on several air head but amusing endeavours in a quest to become a famous author. She also learns a lot about herself en route and ends up with the man of her dreams … and that’s about it.
Katy Carter Wants a Hero by Ruth Saberton is published by Orion (paperback; £6.99). It is also available through amazon.com and all good booksellers.
One Day by David Nicholls
I saw a woman on the London Underground cry when she finished this book, then when the person sitting next to her asked what was wrong she replied: “he was such a self involved bastard, but he really cared about her at the same time.” I wasted no time getting my paws on a copy and discovered that ‘he’ was a character called Dextor and ‘she’ Emma. The two met at university and have what they think is a glorious, one night fling. The plot then unfolds over the next 20 years and the pair keep in touch, albeit as friends. On the 20 subsequent anniversaries of their first meeting you’ll see Emma settle for a job she hates before becoming a teacher and Dexter falling into the deepest, darkest depths of small time TV presenting. It’s deliciously lucid and makes you think twice about looking the gift horse of opportunity in the mouth, without coming across as didactic.
One Day by David Nicholls is published by Hodder & Stoughton (paperback; £6.99). It is also available through amazon.com and all good booksellers.
The Lost City of Z: A Legendary British Explorer's Deadly Quest to Uncover the Secrets of the Amazon by David Grann
This badger will suit all the budding, backpacking adventurers out there. This book details the final expedition of British explorer, Colonel Percy Harrison Fawcett. The Colonel never returned from this trip and so Grann decided to retrace his steps in an attempt to find him. Hacking his way through what’s left of the Amazon Rain Forest Grann explores the legends, the cannibals, the pigmies and every other strerotype, along with a few tales that you won’t have come across before. This book is incredibly well written, you won’t find a better insight into Fawcett’s life as a spy and an officer, and the conclusion will knock your socks off. I never saw it coming.
The Lost City of Z: A Legendary British Explorer's Deadly Quest to Uncover the Secrets of the Amazon by David Grann is published by Simon & Schuster Ltd
(hardback; £16.99). It is also available through amazon.com and all good booksellers.
‐ Rob Savage
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