Category: Other

Categories
Other

An Evening with Bernard Cornwell

Photo by Nathusius, Flickr

Earlier this week I was lucky enough to attend a rare live appearance from Bernard Cornwell. The event was organised by Foyles and took place in Westminster, Central London – right next to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. The talk took place in a beautiful, old room packed with oil paintings and so the atmosphere was fantastic before the authors even arrived.

Bernard Cornwell is the most popular writer of historical fiction in the UK. He has written more than 40 books, selling over 5 million copies worldwide. I had always been intrigued by his books, but hadn’t read any until I decided to go and see him talk. I had mixed feelings about my first Cornwell book, but I’ll save those for my review next week.

Bernard Cornwell was sharing the stage with Richard Kemp, a former British commander of troops in Afganistan (and author of Attack State Red). Together they talked about the role of the soldier in both fiction and non-fiction. Both were fantastic public speakers and I had an entertaining evening listening to their anecdotes.


Bernard Cornwell talked almost exclusively about his new book, The Fort. Set in Massachusetts during the War of Independence it describes the Penobscot Expedition in which a less than thousand British infantry managed to successfully stand up to a fleet of more than 40 vessels.

.

.

The audience consisted mainly of people twice my age and of the opposite sex. I presume that the talk of war put off many women and I have to admit that there were several moments when it was too much for me. You definitely have to have certain qualities to become a soldier and I don’t have any of them! Both authors described how the best soldiers in history were recruited from bar fights – they were the “scum of the Earth”, “larger louts who were given pride and discipline”. It was interesting to hear them talk, but I think it just confirmed my suspicions that military history isn’t for me.

A few Bernard Cornwell facts revealed that evening

  • He wanted to give The Fort the title Captivate, Kill or Destroy but the publishers insisted on the boring title.
  • The stupidest thing he ever did was kill off Hatesville (don’t ask me who he is – I have no idea!)
  • He hates the word “task” and wishes people would stick to using the word “job”.
  • His favourite author of military fact is Antony Beevor
  • His favourite military fiction book is Matterhorn by Karl Marlantes

The most amusing question of the night came from a man near the front who asked how often Bernard Cornwell is confused with Bill Bryson – I noted that he sidestepped the question!

I was most struck by how knowledgeable Bernard Cornwell is. He has a detailed knowledge of the history surrounding all his books and a clear enthusiasm for his subjects. Talking about war may not have been to my taste, but he managed to hold my attention throughout and make me laugh on several occasions. I will definitely go and hear him talk again if given the opportunity – especially if he talks about some of his other historical fiction titles.

Have you read any of Bernard Cornwell’s books?

If so, which did you enjoy the most?

Categories
Other Recommended books

The Best Books for 4-Year-Old Boys

This month my oldest son is 5-years-old. To celebrate I thought I’d share the books he has most enjoyed in the last year.

Adam owns almost as many books as me and he also gets books from the library, so in the past year we have probably read several hundred picture books together. Most go straight back on the shelves, but a few are memorable and come out over-and-over again. Here are the books we have most enjoyed reading in the last year:


The Gruffalo Jigsaw Book by Julia Donaldson

The Gruffalo is the best children’s story I’ve found and the The Gruffalo DVD will entertain your whole family. I think this jigsaw version is the most beautiful edition, although I prefer it if they don’t attempt to do the jigsaws!


Where’s Wally? The Solid Gold Collection by Martin Handford

Some four-year-olds get frustrated by these books as I think they are aimed at older children, but my son loves spending time examining the beautifully illustrated pages and gets enormous satisfaction whenever he finds Wally. I think it is a great way to teach patience – if you can get them to sit still enough to find their first Wally!

Man on the Moon by Simon Bartram

A lovely story about a man who works on the moon. He doesn’t believe in aliens, but children love spotting the tiny space creatures hiding on each page!


Thomas and the Blackout

There are lots of different Thomas books available (you’ll probably find yourself reading the entire series anyway!) and so I thought I’d highlight this lesser known book. Thomas and the Blackout features special plastic pages which can only be viewed using Harold’s searchlight. Children love moving his light to reveal the pictures on each page.

Where’s the Dragon? by Richard Hook

This book is beautifully illustrated, with dragons hiding in the scenery of each page. Children love the way that the grandfather fails to notice the dragons all around him!


The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss

First published in 1957 it is easy to see why this book has stood the test of time. The simple words are great for those just starting to read, whilst the funny story will appeal to everyone. Fantastic!


What Do People Do All Day? by Richard Scarry

Each page of this book is packed with detailed illustrations of various workplaces. Children spend ages studying the pictures and then ask great questions about the numerous jobs adults do. A great discussion starter.


The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr

A classic book that young children find very entertaining. I did get a few questions about how a tiger could drink all the water in the taps, but it is probably best not to mention that!


Aliens Love Underpants! by Claire Freedman

I’m afraid that boys love talking about bottoms, but this means that they love this slightly naughty book. It is a very funny story which includes every kind of underwear you can imagine!


Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs by Giles Andreae

Pirates and dinosaurs combine with vibrant illustrations to grab the attention of little boys. The whole series is good, but I think this one is the best.

Harry and the Dinosaurs Collection by Ian Whybrow

Boys seem to have a fascination with dinosaurs and this is the best series I’ve found – it even taught me a few dinosaur names!


Stinky! by Ian Whybrow

This is such a lovely story. It is all about how a smelly warthog finally found a friend. The rhyming makes it easy to read and children find it very funny.


Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt

A wonderful book that encourages children to try new things. The rest of the series is great too.


Q Pootle 5 in Space by Nick Butterworth

A book in which dangerous aliens are persuaded to be blown up like balloons which then fart off into space –  the sort of thing young boys find very funny!


Fidgety Fish by Ruth Galloway

A sweet story about an inquisitive little fish. Great for learning about all the different sea creatures too!


Calm Down Boris! by Sam Lloyd

A book and a hand puppet in one. What’s not to love?!

Winnie the Witch by Valerie Thomas

A children’s classic that you shouldn’t miss out on. The whole series is great, but the original is the best. A fantastic story which is beautifully illustrated. Wonderful!


The Story of the Little Mole – Plop-up Edition by Werner Holzwarth

I’m afraid that young boys often have an obsession with poo. If you’d like to encourage this (or want to an amusing present!) then this book is perfect! It compares the shape and size of various animal poo, leading to interesting?! inspections of any poo you might find when you’re out and about.

Usborne Phonics Readers – 12 book box set by Phil Roxbee Cox

This is a fantastic set of books for children who are just starting to read. They get enormous satisfaction from reading their first words and children who can’t quite manage the words can still enjoy looking for the Usborne duck on each page. If you decide to only buy one book then I recommend Ted’s Shed – it is the easiest to read and I think it has the cutest story.


Harvey the Carpenter by Lars Klinting

A fantastic series of books that teach children all about different jobs. If you’re child is a fan of DIY then this is for you!

Cat’s Cake by Richard Fowler
Cat bakes a cake, but all the other animals keep adding their favourite food to the mixture, resulting in a disgusting cake that only goat will eat! Children find this one really funny and it helps to teach them about which foods do taste nice together.


The Puffin Book of Fantastic First Poems

Lots of silly rhymes and poems to entertain young children. I guarantee they will be repeating them to you after a few days.

Mr. Men: My Complete Collection by Roger Hargreaves

Four-year-olds are just old enough to begin appreciating the Mr. Men stories. Some of the more complex ideas go over their heads, but I think it is worth investing in this classic series now, before they become too old – you wouldn’t want to miss out on reading these wonderful stories to your children.

Can you recommend any other books I’ve missed?

Which of these does your 4-year-old enjoy most?

Categories
Booker Prize Other

Howard Jacobson wins the 2010 Man Booker Prize

Howard Jacobson has just won the 2010 Booker Prize for The Finkler Question. This is the second year running that my least favourite book from the short list has won. I just didn’t find The Finkler Question funny and couldn’t even bring myself to finish it.

The Finkler Question – Howard Jacobson (DNF)

Next year I highly recommend that you all place bets on my least favourite book from the short list – you’ll probably have a very high chance of winning lots of money!

Categories
Booker Prize Other

Who will win the 2010 Booker Prize?

Having attempted to read the Booker short list I should be in a good position to predict who will win, but unfortunately that isn’t the case. I think the field is wide open this year and I wouldn’t be surprised to see any of the books scoop the prize. Unlike previous years there is no clear winner, with each book appealing to a very different reading taste.

The six books are:

My reviews:

Room – Emma Donoghue

The Long Song – Andrea Levy stars4

C – Tom McCarthy

In a Strange Room – Damon Galgut

Parrot and Olivier in America – Peter Carey (DNF)

The Finkler Question – Howard Jacobson (DNF)

Who will win the 2010 Booker Prize?

In trying to predict the winner I think the most important thing is to look at the reading tastes of each of the judges.

The five judges for the 2010 Booker Prize are:

  • Chair: Andrew Motion (former Poet Laureate)
  • Rosie Blau (Literary Editor of the Financial Times)
  • Deborah Bull (Creative Director of the Royal Opera House)
  • Tom Sutcliffe (journalist, broadcaster and author)
  • Frances Wilson (biographer and critic)

The judges are being quite quiet about their favourite Bookers, but I spotted Andrew Motion admitting that Jacobson was  “laugh-aloud funny” and Rosie Blau describing C as “a novel blazing with energy and, for all its postmodern ambitions, a rich, old-fashioned yarn”

Frances Wilson’s favourite book is Persuasion, but I’m not sure that helps us to decide which of the short list she’ll enjoy the most. If I had to guess then I’d say this would point towards her favouring the more conventional narratives of The Long Song or Room, but it is hard to say from that one tiny clue!

Tom Sutcliffe wrote that “literary merit (and literary pleasure) really lies….not in the plotlines but the lines of writing themselves” so I suspect that he will favour Peter Carey’s lyrical prose.

That just leaves Deborah Bull who is surprisingly quiet on the Internet about the type of books she likes.

All this detective work has yielded little of value, but I am convinced that for such a varied short list to have been produced each of the judges must have a very different taste in books. This means that it is unlikely they will be able to reach a unanimous decision about who should win the Booker Prize. They have already admitted that they used a points system to determine who should make the long list and I suspect they will have to use this system to generate a winner. I think this will favour C and The Long Song, as they are more likely to appear higher on every-one’s list, unlike books the others which seem to create a love:hate divide among readers.

There has been speculation that the Faber influence could lead Carey to victory, but I’m sure the judges will only be looking at the merits of each book.

If I had to place a bet then I’d put my money on C, but I was amused by this article that thinks it should miss out on the Booker Prize due to a lack of gardening knowledge!

The simple answer is that I have no idea who will win the Booker Prize. All the books have their own merits and each has its group of supporters. I’m just happy that in reading the long list I have been introduced to many wonderful new books.

I look forward to seeing who will be revealed as the 2010 Booker winner tonight.

Who do you think will win?

Categories
Other

The Winners are….

The winners of my Hand Me Down World giveaway are:

  • 3 – Orphistic
  • 44 – Angela G
  • 50 – Karen
  • 17 – Jen
  • 24 – Lori L
  • 15 – Rhonda
  • 40 – Olbo
  •  9 – Care
  • 49 – Greyz
  • 19 – Annabel

All winners were chosen using random.org and have been notified by email.

Congratulations to those who won and commiserations to those who weren’t lucky this time.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Categories
Other

Win a copy of Hand Me Down World by Lloyd Jones

Hand Me Down World is the new book from Lloyd Jones, the best–selling author of Mister Pip. It will be released in the UK on the 11th November, but I have
10 limited edition copies to give away to readers of my blog.

These special books each have a unique identifier which enables you to log onto the Hand Me Down World Website. The idea is that each lucky recipient of the book will read it, leave their thoughts on the website and then hand it onto someone else. The journey of each book will be mapped and so the globe will hopefully become criss-crossed with the paths that copies of this book have made.

If you’d like to know a bit more about Hand Me Down World then I highly recommend that you watch this short video in which Lloyd Jones explains the plot and how he came to write it.

For a chance to read this book before its publication, please leave a comment below before 11am GMT on Friday 8th October.

This giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY!!

Winners will be chosen at random and revealed on this blog shortly after the closing date.

Good Luck!