The pile of books you can see to the left is testament to the reading crusade I went on over the past couple of months.

They are (from the top)
Stalking The Angel (Robert Crais, Orion), Bono on Bono (Michka Assayas, Hodder), The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling (Lawrence Block, No Exit Press), The Screwtape Letters (CS Lewis, Harper Collins), Hush Money (Robert B Parker, No Exit Press), Sunset Express (Robert Crais, Orion), The Forgotten Man (Robert Crais, Orion), The Five People You Meet in Heaven (Mitch Albom, Time Warner), Belfast Confidential (Colin Bateman, Headline), Redeeming Creatures (David Williamson,), This is for Real (George Bates, Ambassador), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Mark Haddon, Vintage), Home from the Vinyl Café (Stuart McLean, Granta) Not included in the photo are Hostage (Robert Crais, Orion) and Long Way Down (Nick Hornby, Penguin)


My A-level English Lit buddy ("I think Shakespeare’s a lot like Tarantino") has created a list of his films of 2006 (perhaps a little prematurely) so I thought I would create a similar list of my books of 2006. Now very few of these titles actually came out this year but they are all titles I have read in the last eight or nine months.


History as it should be award
1066 and All That – WC Sellar & RJ Yeatman
If events didn’t happen as they suggest in this book they should have. Hugely amusing and informative (even if it is mostly lies) This should be on the GCSE syllabus.

Knowledge that you don’t even know you don’t know of the year award.
March Hares and Monkeys Uncles – Harry Oliver
This really opened my eyes – I thought I knew all about where language came from until I read this. You want to know where a particular phrase came from and you’ll find it here.

Chance to suck up to university tutor/novelist award.
The Garden of Eden All Over Again – Jude Collins
I only bought it because I used to be taught by the author and he gave me a good evaluation. Having said that I really got into it and found the Irish landscape recognisable and realistic – which can’t often be said.

Only overrated because it was rated so highly 2006
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Mark Hamil
You’ve all heard of this story. Its wonderful, its original. Hamil gave a disturbingly recognisable portrayal of a kid with asperger’s. I really enjoyed it. But it wasn’t as great as the hype suggested.

Addictive movie script novels 2006.
The Elvis Cole Series – Robert Crais
I wrote an entire rant about these before. Read it here.

American private investigator novel of the year
Hush Money – Robert B Parker
You thought my Crais addiction would have me giving him this award as well? Parker shows Crais how it should be done. However this book has also been nominated for the ridiculously short chapters and weird line spacing book of the year – Do people really have such short attention spans that they can’t read more than three pages at a time?

Surreal mix of traditional myth and period drama in one award.
Villa Incognito – Tom Robbins
I got confused after page two but then really got into it. A refreshingly original way of presenting ancient myth – Much better than the rest of the story.

Sentimental if flawed view of the afterlife award
The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
Lovely tale. Easy to read and a real feel good story.

The blatant plug award
Redeeming Creatures – David Williamson
Trying not to be biased – I found this little piece of inspiration writing very easy to read. Witty, interesting and challenging. Buy it. Now. It may just change the way you view life.

The ‘end it now’ award for a series that needs a conclusion.
Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction – Sue Townsend
Reasonably enjoyable romp through current affairs. I just think it will date quickly and Sue isn’t finding it as easy to find the voice of an adult male.


And finally


My book of 2006 (so far)
The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling - Lawrence Block
This is my favourite book I’ve read this year (so far.) It made me long to be rich enough to fund a film version starring Kevin Spacey. Here we have a thief with a difference solving a crime with a difference. Witty, intelligent, fast paced – and with a climax Agatha Christie would have been proud of.


If you have read any of these I’d love to hear whether you agree or disagree with what I have to say about them. Please comment with some recommendations of your own. And don’t forget to add your views to Dave’s film post.