Binge Recommendations - Day 6 - Wordy Stuff

Of course, you don’t have to just stare slack-jawed at the glowing screen. I know, I know, it’s fun and super easy and I’ve just spent the last five days telling you about things to watch. There are other options though. You could always crack open that massive stack of books that you've got lying around and been meaning to get around to. Look, if you’re not going to do it when the entire world is confined to quarters, when are you going to do it?

If you haven't already got a stack of books lined up then there are plenty of authors out there who’ve written more than a few books (or some nicely thick books) to keep you going. Here are a couple of options.

N.K. Jemisin
I’ve mentioned her before but I really liked the trilogy of hers that I read so I’m mentioning her again. Said trilogy was The Broken Earth (The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, The Stone Sky) and is a pleasingly genre-mixing combination of fantasy and sci fi. What sets it apart from a lot of other fantasy style novels is that it is told from a female perspective rather than a male one (which tends to be the default for a lot of fantasy literature). I’ve got another trilogy of hers and a book of short stories to get through so will be making inroads on those at some point during this whole “don't go outside, outside bad” thing.

Jon Ronson
Time to mix up and add something factual into the mix. Ronson is a journalist in a similar vein to Louis Theroux who likes to investigate some of the stranger or lesser explored aspects of society. (He also co-wrote the screenplay for the film Frank based on his own experiences of touring with comedy character Frank Sidebottom.) While his books tackle serious subjects, there is always a strong bein of humour laced throughout. Key books include:- Them, in which he speaks to various extremists and conspiracy theorists; The Psychopath Test, in which he explores the theory that top business people share similar characteristics to psychopaths (as well as investigating how we classify aberrant mental behaviour in general); and So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed, in which he takes a look at the modern phenomenon of public shaming / cancel culture.

Terry Pratchett
I mean, you must know who Terry Pratchett is by now. I’ve been reading Terry Pratchett books for over thirty years and I still love them. Sadly, Sir Terry is no longer with us but, fortunately, he was ridiculously prolific while he was here so there are more than enough Pratchett books to keep you going. Where to start? The obsessive in me would say start with the first Discworld book, obviously, but he’s still working out what the whole concept is in the first one. Mort is a good starting place but then I would go back and start from the first one and work your way as the world develops as he goes along and it’s fascinating to see the changes to the world as it progresses.

Many independent bookshops are still offering delivery services so you can support a business which may struggling during this unusual time while still remaining safely indoors.

There are plenty more I could recommend depending on what you’re looking for. Looking for good character work? Rachel Cusk’s trilogy of Outline / Transit / Kudos is very good. Looking for stuff that's weird and hard to quantify? China Mieville and Jeff Vandermeer are the ones for you. Looking for something funny in a Sue Townsend /Adrian Mole kind of a way? Nina Stibbe and Brian Bilston will fit that mold. Maybe I’ll come back round to this and do a follow up…