Top 5 Books for June 2009
- Over The Hill and Around the Bend by Richard Guise
Attention backpackers who love a good bike ride - you’re going to like this read. In short Mr Guise is a rather intrepid traveller who one day took out a map of Wales, laid it on his kitchen table and mapped out the country’s four compass points using jam jars and string. This may well sound like a stupendously British thing to do but from this came the un-put-down-able tale of Richard, his bike Tetley and their 567 mile journey across one of the most beautiful (and green) countries in the world. I haven’t read anything like this when it comes to doing justice to the stunning surrounds of Cardigan Bay, and if you like a scattering of random celebs then keep an eye peeled for a cameo by Led Zepplelin’s Robert Plant - on day twelve! In my head he was too much of a rock star to drive around in a Rolls but hey . . .
Over The Hill and Around the Bend by Richard Guise is published by Summersdale (paperback; £7.99). It is also available through amazon.co.uk and all good booksellers.
- Sardinia from Lonely Planet
Those clever kids over at Lonely Planet realised that even though their Italy guide covered Sardina, one chapter just wasn’t enough when it came to recommending all the amazing things to be seen and done on this spectacular little island. That’s why the Indie traveller publishing powerhouse gave birth to this and with a pleasantly unexpected twist, the highlights of the island are brought to you by real life travellers - who hail from every age range and walk of life – not just Lonely Planet authors! Four year old Simone Griffin is this guide’s authority on the yummy food section while born and bred Italian, Luca Antonelli espouses the beauty of the Spiaggia della Piscinas sand dunes on the south west coast. The chunk of text that picks up the gong as my personal favourite, has to be the background to Cala Gnome. With a history littered with aristocrats, fascists and the beautiful Grotta del Bue Marino, who could resist a cheeky little excursion?
Sardinia from Lonely Planet is published by Lonely Planet (paperback; £13.99). It is also available through lonelyplanet.co.uk and all good booksellers.
- Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
This is the best book I’ve read in a long while – especially when it comes down to cutting out the surround sound on long journeys. It’s a tale of love eeking out an meagre existence in the harshest of circumstances, set against a backdrop of Japan in the sixties, mental disorder, profound sexual encounters and the long term, collateral damage caused by suicide. It sounds intense I know but the character attachment, expertly cultivated by Murakami, will have you gasping, jumping, crying and laughing along with the plot. That’s if you’re carbon based or reading it with a Gin hang over. Your main man goes by the name of Toru Watanabe and it’s from his perspective that you experience the flashback of a lifetime - upon hearing a cover of the Beatles tune – Norwegian Wood. The two loves of Toru’s life Naoko and Midori both shape Toru in ways that he won’t realise until the end of the read, which by the way is deliciously ambiguous.
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami is published by Vintage Books (paperback; £7.99). It is also available through amazon.co.uk and all good booksellers.
- Goats From A Small Island by Anna Nicholas
No one is more of an authority on life in Mallorca than Ms Nicholas and this title (her third to come out of the sunny Spanish isle) proves that down to a T. In this update on a life split between hedonistic PR of London and family goings on in Mallorca, you guys get to see a bizarre mix of what it’s like to work with Bulgarian Transvestite couturier, ancient goats, designers at war and scorpion infestations. Think yummy mummy but with teeth. There’s even a taste of shared bathroom politics in Mayfair, the ancient goat honouring Puck Fair of Ireland and her neurotic BBC buddy Ed. It’s not out until July but if you fancy a travel title that’s set apart from the usual guidebooks, and the semi fictional drug taking in Thailand titles, then this is the badger for you!
Goats From A Small Island by Anna Nicholas is published by Summersdale (paperback; £7.99). It is also available through amazon.co.uk and all good booksellers.
- The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
Murakami gets another mention in the top five simply because he’s such a darn good writer. This novel, like Norwegian Wood, also casts a man by the name of Toru as the main character, but this is a very different Toru. This Toru is a barely noticeable, unemployed fellow who is pulled into an incredibly bizarre chain of events, kicked off by his cat running off. I won’t spoil much more by going into said event chain but I will share this – if you find passive people irritating then you’re going to hate Toru. He’s pretty much a caricature of what it is to be walked all over and then some. His wife Kumiko on the other hand is a highly strung, money making, mortgage guaranteeing power house in the relationship and she really doesn’t appear to need her husband whatsoever. Throw in a celebrity brother, a teenage girl pen pal and a missing cat finding medium, and you have the makings of a wonderfully rich read. Bizarre but beautiful.
The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami is published by Vintage Books (paperback; £7.99). It is also available through amazon.co.uk and all good booksellers.
- Rob Savage
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