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You are here: Backpacker Resources > Travel Books > Top 5 Books for October 2011

Top 5 Books for October 2011

1. The UK's County Tops, 82 Walks to Reach the Top of 91 Historic Counties by Jonny Muir
   

   Courtesy of publisher Cicerone, you can read an extract from this brand new book in this very e-zine. This chunk of the book focuses on a spectacular peak in Cornwall offering spectacular views over the south-west of England. It’s jam packed with handy tips, expected hiking times, interesting back stories, convenient stop off points and the all important descent. There’s also a reference in this particular extract to the legendary Beast of Bodmin, but you can real all about that yourself.

   The UK's County Tops by Jonny Muir is published by Cicerone (paperback; £14.99). It is also available through amazon.com and all good booksellers.

2. The Fry Chronicles – An Autobiography by Stephen Fry
   

   This is the second autobiography from Steven Fry and with good reason. It’s been thirteen-years since the last one and as we all know, Mr Fry accomplishes rather a lot in his day to day life. In just over a decade he’s taken his intellectually rightful spot as a multi-award-winning actor and comedian, but also as an author, TV presenter and movie director. With the 2010 Special Recognition gong from the National Television Awards under his belt, there’s plenty to read about in this fascinating and heart-string-pulling publication. No one writes quite like Steven Fry.

   The Fry Chronicles is published by Michael Joseph (hardback; £20). It is also available through amazon.com and all good booksellers.

3. Dark Matter - A Ghost Story by Michelle Paver
   

   The setting is London, the year is 1937 and the atmosphere is one of anxiety, and dread as war with Germany looms. In this context we are introduced to twenty-eight year-old Jack. Jack isn’t financially fortunate and without a family to fall back on, he’s desperate to make a change before it’s too late. This change is kick started when Jack wins a position on an Arctic expedition - taking him away from London on a ship bound for Norway. Nothing however is that simple. After crossing the Barents Sea the crew eventually reach Gruhuken - the remote bay that will become home for the next 12-months. After the brief Arctic summer draws to a close and darkness envelops all, something shifts. One at a time, Jack’s colleagues are forced to leave and with the sea set to freeze, Jack is left without escape, and seemingly alone.

   Dark Matter - A Ghost Story by Michelle Paver is published by Orion (paperback; £12.99). It is also available through amazon.com and all good booksellers.

4. No & Me by Delphine de Vigan
   

   No & Me shares with the world the lives of two teenagers who couldn’t be more different. The story begins with Lou – a gifted girl who lives in a home broken by sadness. Lou unwittingly finds a solution to her parents’ heartbreak through a school project profiling the homeless. It’s through this project that Lou meets No, a girl from the streets with nowhere to go. After a great deal of persuasion Lou convinces her parents to invite No into their home – an act of kindness that forces everyone to face the pain of the past. The consequences however aren’t one-hundred per cent positive. This is an incredible account of homelessness and belonging, and it will make you cry.

   No & Me by Delphine de Vigan is published by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC (paperback; £7.99). It is also available through amazon.com and all good booksellers.

5. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carre
   

   It’s in every cinema right now so there really is no better time to re-visit this classic spy tale. The great thing about Le Carre’s plot is the lack of James Bond-esque action and the generous servings of pure intelligence, wit, and suspense. We follow George Smiley – a senior MI6 figure tasked with finding a Soviet mole within the agency during the depths of the Cold War. Recently ousted from MI6 after a Coup d’Etat, Smiley is in the perfect, independent position to infiltrate both sides, and expose the traitor. Best of all, the ending is a perfectly concealed and wholly satisfactory twist that’ll have you speed reading until the very end.

   Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carre is published by Sceptre (paperback; £7.99). It is also available through amazon.com and all good booksellers.

- Robert Savage