Saturday 8 February 2014

BOOK REPORT

Long time no read! The New Year is here and after last years 52 for 52 weeks worth of record reads, we're one book behind come February. Still it's not bad going since we've been travelling the States and also reading many magazines and blog posts between flights. Back to the spine here's the longreads to start 2014.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD: Harper Lee's classic comes at the right time. With the '12 Years A Slave' books film adaptation about to take over the Oscars the world once again is waking up to the historical and present day issue of racial inequality that need more focus and compassion. This Pulitzer Prize winning read by Lee deals with this, race and the observation of this authors neighbourhood. Despite these harrowing issues that where loosely inspired by actual goings-on around Harper's way this book has great warmth and humor to it. Reading it after tracking it down I was wrong in thinking it wouldn't make the "nicest" Christmas present for my mum. Everyone needs to sit up and take read to this classic of American literature.

WE CAN REMEMBER IT FOR YOU FOR WHOLESALE (TOTAL RECALL): If you follow this blog, you'll for sure know by now we love both baragin books and Phillip K. Dick. So it's no surprises like Radiohead that we scooped up this £1 collection of the legends short stories like a paranoid android. The orginal title of this book inspired both the Arnold Scwarzenegegr master movie 'Total Recall' and the Colin Farrell fantastic reboot of the same name but slightly differing story. A different story altogether here too and one that doesn't break 20 pages finds itself inbetween other short stories featuring androids, even beavers, but sadly no electric sheep in this one. Still, how did did we get two films out of 20 pages you ask? Well just like the 'Blade Runner's, 'Minority Reports', 'Scanner Darkly's' and 'Adjustment Bureau's' he's also influenced there's a wealth of short stories here and ideas that could be used for many more films and decades to come from the original, truly original science fiction master who was well ahead of his futuristic time.

THE OLD MAN & THE SEA: The perfect short-story, coffee table read that could change your afternoon and life from the perfect writer. 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' Ernest Hemingway's farwell to writing is one of his brightest and best. Read in Corbin, Kentucky's coffee house 'You & Me, Coffee & Tea' (they provided the books, and yes I'm providing the plug for the best coffee shop with bands and board games too) this was for sure one of the most enjoyable and best reads ever. From it's picture perfect tales of one man and his companions, whether a young friend, fish or the sea herself this goes from being the sweetest and sincerest stories to one epic one of struggle and survival in a finale thats more tense and thrilling then 'Jaws'. We're going to need a bigger bookshelf. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

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