My 'To Read' Pile.
Goodreads.com has a 'Reading Challenge' where members set themselves a target of books to read each year. For 2011, part way through the year, I set myself a target of 15 books, which I just about managed. I'm not sure if it included things I'd read on the Kindle app for my iPod Touch, but nevermind. I wasn't particularly concerned by meeting my self-imposed target, I was more interested in finding out how many books I read during the year. This year I've gone with a target of 20.
Compared to a lot of people I'm not a prolific reader, and looking at last year's total of roughly 15 for the year, it looks like I average one and a half each month. I received a few books for Christmas, plus I have a few around the house that I didn't get around to, so this should be a good start.
The above is a photo of my current 'To Read' pile. Or at least it's a collection of the books I am looking forward to reading, there are bound to be some unread titles at home but for whatever reason I haven't felt inclined to start them.
The pile is not in any particular order, but the one on top I am about three quarters of the way through. To give you a brief breakdown of each book in the pile:
The Prow Beast by Robert Low
This is the fourth book in the Oathsworn series by historical fiction writer Robert Low. I'm a massive fan of Vikings and Norse mythology, so Low's tales of sea voyages and the bloody trevails of a band of warriors is right up my street. His style is full of the bloody, dirty, filthy type of narrative you'd expect from authentic early medieval historical fiction. Low is also a historical re-enactor, so his books are dripping with authentic touches from the period, perfect for a history geek like me.
The Dead Women of Juarez by Sam Hawken
I don't know much about this, I picked it up from Waterstones on a whim as they had a sale and this was half price. Admittedly it was the cool cover and title that drew me in, but the story is about a series of deaths in Juarez in Mexico, a troubled border town. A quick flick through of the text while in the shop was enough to convince me it was worth the £4 I paid for it. I might follow up with a better review once I've read it.
Worth Dying For by Lee Child
I bought this cheap from Tesco, having never read any Lee Child books before. I got it with the idea of reading something that was fast paced and economical in terms of prose. I'm currently attempting to write a crime thriller myself, so I thought I'd see if I can pick up tips from one of the masters.
The Orchard Keeper, Suttree, and Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy
The three Cormac McCarthy books complete my McCarthy library. As far as I know, I have all of the novels he's written, and these will round off my reading of his books. I regard McCarthy as a god among writers. His style is really distinctive and I've often read passages that have made me stop reading and go 'wow' – so good they almost make me want to stop writing myself as I could never get anywhere near this good.
The English Rebel by David Horspool
This is the only non-fiction book in the pile, and might well be the only one I read this year. I saw David Horspool talking about his book at a Q&A session co-hosted by Bernard Cornwell and thought it looked really interesting, but only just around to getting a copy. It's basically a round-up of all the rabble-rousing, trouble-making English rebels from the last 1,000 years, and should make for a fascinating read.
Like I mentioned before, there are a few other books on the shelves that should get a mention here, but these (I'm hoping) should be among the highlights. Stephen King, and I'm sure plenty of others, have often said that a good reader makes a good writer. Someone who has read extensively across a range of titles should be better informed when they themselves attempt to write something. I can see how this would be true, so hopefully some of it will rub off on me.
If you've read any of these titles, let me know what you think, and if you have recommendations for books, I'd be interested in that too.
