Recent Reads

'Skippy Dies' by Paul Murphy is undoubtedly the best book I have read in recent months, if not this year. Set in a fictional Irish boarding school, it is a tragic tale of teenage love, but also containing some marvellously funny moments. Anyone who has worked in a school will also appreciate the caricatures of teachers.

'The Stars in the Bright Sky' by Alan Warner was another humorous read and although it featured the same characters as his earlier novel 'The Sopranos', it was not a direct sequel. Although it seemed to lack a clear plot, the book conveyed the uncertainty and confusion of the somewhat self imposed scenario that the characters found themselves in. It's conclusion was most unexpected, courtesy of a brilliant twist that firmly placed the novel into the context of the real world, especially after some larger than life and perhaps unrealistic moments.

Completing a triumvirate of novels that never made the Booker Prize shortlist was 'The Betrayal' by Helen Dunmore. It accurately portrayed the terror of Stalinist Russia. The fear was implied for large parts of the novel and I think this showed the authors talent in that she never had to revert to shock tactics to convey this atmosphere.

From last years Booker Longlist, I recently read 'Brooklyn by Colm Toibin. It was a nice read and a simple story. Perhaps a bit short but on the other hand, very well written.

For work I read 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' by Ken Kesey. I had recommended it to a sixth year pupil without having read it myself so I felt I should and duly read it in a few days. As it happened, it wasn't fit for her purposes, even though it was agreat read. The theme of mental illness was slightly different to that in the other books she was reading.

As a result of work I also read the 'Chaos Walking Trilogy' by Patrick Ness. A friend gave me the supplement from The Guardian listing the best children's books ever. I duly recommended the trilogy to a pupil and started reading them myself. They are the best books for young people that I have read since Pullman's 'His Dark Materials trilogy'.

Currently I am reading a book by Dennis Lehane, one of the The Wire's screenwriters, called 'Sacred'. It is standard fare crime fiction but good for those moments at lunch or break.

Another friend has also given me a novel by John Burnside called 'Glister', saying that I will enjoy it because it is dark. It's nice when other people know your tastes.

After that it will be 'The Rules of Attraction' by Bret Easton Ellis. I have always enjoyed his books and my motivation again comes from a pupil who is studying this book and others for her dissertation.

Once I get through all of those, it will time for a long awaited book called 'Demon Theory' by Stephen Graham Jones. I have been interested in this book for a long time, stumbling upon it through my reading of Craig Clevenger and Chuck Palahniuk. It's essentially a horror story but it's selling point was it's heavy debt to popular culture and other masters of horror. It has footnotes which sounds a bit unheard of for a novel. I have been on the lookout for it for ages but finally got a copy on ebay through an Oxfam bookshop. All proceeds to charity which it's nice isn't it?