I set this newsletter up to give an account of a writer’s journey from first draft to publication. Since ‘The Poster’ was published in March, I’ve been topping up with accounts of the publicity and sales (such as they are), trying to give an account of the reality of writing from my perspective.
I am attending the Pen to Print annual awards on July 18th (The Poster is nominated for the Book of the Year) and shall give an update after that. I will then take a hiatus to get down to write.
Thanks to all of you who have read or commented on these posts, especially those who have bought ‘The Poster’, read it and enjoyed it.
The book recommendations seem to be the most popular of all the posts I write, so here goes another one. These are the best books I have read since my last recommendations at Easter.
Top 4 books
An excellent narrative about creating a national story that doesn't rely on outdated notions of Empire and innate English superiority. Lucas, the ex-leader of the Green Party, dives deep into English stories and literature to illustrate how varied and rebellious our past has been. Robin Hood gets a big part!
The other books I recommend are all older. I have had the misfortune to borrow a couple of recent ‘literary’ novels from the library that came with rave reviews. Whilst being well-written, nothing happened in them!
I have to be careful whose reviews I read, and from whom I receive a recommendation (I’ve boycotted one local bookstore whose owner has never read a Steinbeck novel but the shelves are packed with ‘Romantasy’…).
Thanks to the old Master Bather, Scott Bradfield, for recommending great classics on his YouTube channel.
Two of my three other top books. Both American authors
The Death of Grass: Christopher Priest. Dystopian SF novel about a band of law-abiding ordinary people who resort to violence to make their way to a haven in the North of England. Written 60 years before the Covid pandemic, it is prescient.
East of Eden: John Steinbeck. A wonderful, deep and long book that I couldn't put down. It details the drama and lives of two American families in the late 19th/ early 20th century. The characters are fascinating and well-drawn, including a horrible woman who has no redeeming features.
Gods Go Begging: Alfredo Vea. This book blends wonderful writing with action, drama and great dialogue. Too often I read 'literary' novels in which nothing happens or 'popular' books with mediocre writing. This is a rare exception. Highly recommended
The Full List
(Numbering starts from where I left off at Easter, books read this year).
25. The Death of Grass: Christopher Priest. Dystopian SF novel about a band of law-abiding ordinary people who resort to violence to make their way to a haven in the North of England. Written 60 years before the Covid pandemic, it is prescient.
26. East of Eden: John Steinbeck. A wonderful, deep and long book that I couldn't put down. It details the drama and lives of two American families in the late 19th/ early 20th century. The characters are fascinating and well-drawn, including a horrible woman who has no redeeming features.
27. Dune Messiah: Frank Herbert. A sequel that pales to ordinariness compared to Dune. I wondered what it added as the plot is outlined in advance by Paul's visions.
28. Erasure: Percival Everett. I read this after watching, 'American Fiction.' Both are good. The writing is excellent in this original novel which feels fresh even though it was written in 2001.
29. Modern Short Stories: Ed Jim Hunter. A collection from 1964 of varied stories including two from poets Dylan Thomas and Walter De La Mare. I liked the editor's notes and introductions.
30. The Trees: Percival Everett. A humorous crime novel about retribution for lynchings in Mississippi. Great lead characters and a punchy style.
31. Gods Go Begging: Alfredo Vea. This book blends wonderful writing with action, drama and great dialogue. Too often I read 'literary' novels in which nothing happens or 'popular' books with mediocre writing. This is a rare exception. Highly recommended
32. Is This Anything?: Jerry Seinfeld. After a couple of 'heavy' novels, I welcomed this lighter touch. It lists a series of Seinfeld's sketches from the 1970s to the Covid pandemic. Laugh out loud in many places.
33. True Grit: Charles Portis. Well-written novel in what appears to be an authentic Southern voice first-person account of a manhunt from Arkansas to the Oklahoma territory. Like Shane, the description of the fighting and fighters is that of a young person caught up in events they can't quite fathom.
34. Kohima: Arthur Swinson. Description of the horrific battle by a staff Captain who was there. Light on the personal account from the ground, heavy on the overview.
35. White Noise: Don DeLillo. A drifting novel about a man and his wife's thoughts about death and mortality. I couldn't get into it and thought it was laboured and pretentious in parts.
36. The House of Broken Bricks: Fiona Williams. A cookery and gardening book masquerading as a novel. I only borrowed it because it was set on the Somerset Levels.
37. Blind Man With a Pistol: Chester Williams. A rich, descriptive and violent novel about a series of hot nights in Harlem that lead to protests and riots. Quite disjointed in parts and Grave Digger and Coffin Ed take more of a back seat than usual.
38. The Demolished Man: Alfred Best. A good, classic SF novel, about a man in the future who has tried to disguise a murder from the ESP police.
39. Land of the Living: Georgina Harding. Another literary novel where each sentence is well-written but the whole lacks narrative drive or interest.
40. Another England: Caroline Lucas. Excellent narrative about creating a national story that doesn't rely on outdated notions of Empire and innate English superiority. Lucas, the ex-leader of the Green Party, dives deep into English stories and literature to illustrate how varied and rebellious our past has been.
41. Crazy Like a Fox: S.J. Perelman. Very witty series of essays written in the 1930s and 1940s. Perelman's use of English is masterful and reminded me of P.G. Wodehouse at his best.
42. What Not?: Rose Macaulay. A funny and well-written novel about a post-WWI England where citizens are categorised according to how brainy they are. The dark overtones are lightened by a touch of romance and some Wodehousian type country farce.
43. To a God Unknown: John Steinbeck. A poetic, short Western about a man trying to create a home in the Californian countryside and fighting against the elements. Beautifully written.
44. Our Man in Havana: Graham Greene. Funny novel about a vacuum cleaner salesman who gets recruited by MI6. Just the right side of farce.
45. Travels With My Aunt: Graham Greene. Another funny novel, written in the late 1960s but with a feel of earlier in the century. A middle-aged man gets his cosy retirement disrupted by his 'aunt.' Good novel but the last two pages are rushed and the ending is a bit weird.
46. Guy Burgess: Tom Driberg. Bizarre biography that is in complete denial about Burgess's role as a Soviet spy. Written in 1956, this has not stood the test of time!
47. A Word Child: Iris Murdoch. My first Iris Murdoch book, and not my usual type of read. I dimly remember the 1970s- and Murcoch encapsulates the mundanity, dreariness and yet pretentious aspirations through her descriptions of the meals alone. Her dialogue is sharp, funny and with a surprising amount of deaths that would put George RR Martin to shame.
48. Why Do I Write?: E. Bowen, G. Green, V.S. Pritchett. A short collection of letters that is interesting and thought-provoking. Published in 1948 and the war and rationing are big factors in the writers' thoughts.
Other recommendations?
If you have any suggestions, please leave a comment. Thank you.