What to buy for whom - it's that time of year again, the booksellers' forum on Drive. With three Sydney booksellers - David Gaunt, from Gleebooks, Jon Page, from Pages and Pages
and Meredith Drake, from Big W.
1. A classic book to buy a young person just off to University or a first job.
David Gaunt: “The Shipping News” by Annie Proulx
A fresh, accessible and memorable novel that will show a young reader a world and characters almost certainly new to them. A slow burn of a story for someone with the luxury of time to burn!
Jon Page: “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood
Sadly there couldn’t have been a better time than 2017 to adapt this classic novel into a TV series and it deserved every award it has won. A true classic novel is one that can stand the test of time and for a book originally written in 1986 to be as poignant as ever in 2017 is testament to the skill and vision of Margaret Atwood as a writer. As our world becomes more and more like the Gilead of the novel I can think of no better time for a young person to read this novel before setting out into the real world. A great companion novel would be Naomi Alderman’s The Power which is a flipside of The Handmaid’s Tale where women in society suddenly become the more powerful gender.
Meredith Drake: “1984” by George Orwell
I very much second Jon’s selection for this category. The Handmaid’s Tale is a fabulous book, dark and compelling and I read it in my first year of university. However, as Jon got in first, I’m going to go with 1984. I’ve seen a real surge in sales for 1984 this year, it’s clear that this classic novel continues to resonate with us - in this day and age perhaps more than ever.
2. A fine, and just published, literary work for your brainiac 40-something Aunt, who always seems to have read everything.
David Gaunt: “Manhattan Beach” by Jennifer Egan
Brilliantly constructed historical fiction from the Pulitzer Prize winning novelist. Engrossing history (Depression New York through to end of WW2), rich in character development and a cracking good story.
Jon Page: “I Am, I Am, I Am” by Maggie O’Farrell
I defy anyone not to read this book in one sitting! This is one of the most compelling memoirs I have ever read. Novelist Maggie O’Farrell recounts seventeen brushes with death she has had throughout her life. From childhood illness to complications in childbirth to an encounter with a killer this is a memoir like no other by an amazing writer.
Meredith Drake: “Tin Man”by Sarah Winman
So I’ve cheated a bit on this category, but I loved this book. It’s not a just published work, but it is recently published (August) and the chance that you’ve picked it up, unless you’re a Sarah Winman fan, is small. This is only a little novel, but it packs a punch. Sarah’s style is so beautiful. Short sentences that contain worlds of meaning. This is a book about relationships, about love and loss and grief. And it starts with one mother’s belief that boys and men are capable of beautiful things. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
3. A real page turner for your brother in law to take on a beach holiday
David Gaunt: “Clear to the Horizon” by Dave Warner
Warner's been described as the best Australian crime writer you've never heard of and this book's further proof. Taking the real life events of 1980s Perth, the action shifts to present day Broome, setting of Warner's terrific previous book, "Before it Breaks"
Jon Page: “Since We Fell” by Dennis Lehane
This is undoubtedly the thriller of this year. Rachel hasn’t left her apartment in two years. Her career as a journalist has hit rock bottom. Then she meets her husband who sweeps her off her feet and helps her to reconnect with the outside world. But as she ventures out from her apartment more and more she begins to doubt her husband. Is he leading a double life or has Rachel finally snapped? A page-turner that will take your breath away.
Meredith Drake:“No Middle Name: The Complete Collected Short Stories” by Lee Child
Lee Child writes a great short story and this collection is perfect for Jack Reacher fans, but also for anyone that likes a really nicely constructed short story. For the fans this covers Reacher from childhood to the drifter we know and love. But the collection works just as well for someone looking for a nice dip-in dip-out read over the holidays. This was the thriller I enjoyed most this year - though I haven’t got to Don Winslow’s The Force yet...
4. A lively read for a not-too-keen on books 17-year-old boy
David Gaunt: “The Bumper Book of Things That Nobody Knows” by William Hartson
1001 Mysteries of Life, the Universe and Everything. Bite-sized chunks of knowledge in a sly, witty style
Jon Page: “Artemis” by Andy Weir
Who didn’t love Andy Weir’s Robinson Crusoe-esque debut The Martian? Now he returns with a crime novel set on The Moon. Once again Andy Weir puts the SCIENCE into Science Fiction. Brilliantly creating the first city on the moon: Artemis, population 2000. As with The Martian Weir talks you through the science of how and why Artemis exists making everything sound plausible and authentic to this scientific layman’s ears. Andy Weir then adds a crime caper of epic proportions. A page-turner that will have you equally fascinated and laughing out loud.
Meredith Drake: “The Book of Dust Volume 1: La Belle Sauvage” by Philip Pullman
I’m a huge Philip Pullman fan, in fact I was very tempted to suggest The Northern Lights as my classic book this year, but I wanted to save Philip Pullman for our 17-year-old boy. I approached this book with trepidation - I’d loved His Dark Materials so much - and it was with great relief that I really enjoyed this re-visit to Pullman’s Oxford. This book is so easy to read - the prose just flows. It’s satisfyingly full of Pullman’s distrust of organised religion and authority and it hints at the big questions His Dark Materials explores. The main character, Malcolm Polstead, is a treat - curious, adventurous and brave - and his journey to protect Lyra Belacqua sweeps you along, just as La Belle Sauvage, Malcolm’s canoe, is swept along down the Thames.
5. A gift for old Uncle Dennis who thinks fiction is a bit of a waste of time, on account of the fact that it's all made up
David Gaunt: “The Harbour” by Scott Bevan
A very rewarding labour of love, the result of years of Bevan's kayaking around Sydney's wondrous harbour. Not so much a book about the water, but the land, the people, the history and culture of the many points of landing he makes in his explorations
Jon Page: “1947” by Elisabeth Asbrink
This is an amazing history book that looks at a pivotal year that still has ramifications in today's world. Elisabeth Asbrink takes the year 1947 and takes us through the major events that have shaped our world today. Asbrink presents these events as they unfold, piece by piece, day by day, over the course of a year. She doesn't analyse each event just presents them in their context and with a writing style rarely seen in history books. As each event accumulates throughout the 12 months of the year the impact each small decision and event has vibrates through time to today's world. A fascinating look and how today’s world was forged by a truly skillful writer.
Meredith Drake: “Burke & Wills” by Peter Fitzsimons
I think the combination of Peter Fitzsimons narrative style with a tale we all think we know - the disastrous Burke & Wills expedition - is a match made in heaven and will suit the Uncle Dennis’ among us very well. Peter Fitzsimons has a real knack for hunting out the little-known and human details of a story to bring it to life and that’s exactly what he’s done with Burke & Wills this year. I’m not much of a non-fiction reader, but I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed this book.
6. A good kid's book
David Gaunt: “The Wolf, the Duck and the Mouse” by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Enchantingly illustrated by Jon Klassen to match Mac Barnett's imaginative storyline, this tale of a mouse swallowed by a wolf will delight readers of 3+
Jon Page: “The Wizards of Once” by Cressida Cowell
In a time before Vikings and dragons there was magic. There were wizards who wielded it and warriors who fought against it. And there were witches who were just plain wicked and evil. The warriors, brandishing iron weapons which are impervious to magic, swore to rid the land of all magic and in their quest to do so have driven the witches into extinction and the wizards deep into the dark woods where they hold out against them. The wizards and warriors are sworn enemies.
Into this land we are introduced to two outcasts. Xar is the son of the Wizard king. He is twelve years old but his magic hasn’t come in yet. Impatient to wait he sets off into the woods to try and catch an extinct witch to try and steal her magic for himself. Meanwhile a warrior princess, Wish, has also set off into the woods. She has found a magical object. One which is banned by her tribe and Queen mother but she is excited to learn more about it. These two characters, foes from opposing tribes, are about to meet and the adventures are only just beginning!
Meredith Drake: “The 91 Storey Treehouse” by Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton
This is the latest installment, or 13 storey’s, in the very well-loved Treehouse series. I’ve sold a lot of this series over the past few years, but it is only now, now that I have a 6-going-on-7-year-old that I can really appreciate how these very silly tales captivate the imagination. Kids adore them, and for very good reasons - they are funny and irreverent with just enough of a comforting framework. If you have a 6, 7 or 8 year-old who hasn’t tried them yet, particularly if they are not a great reader - look no further!
7. The single book from this year that had the most impact on the booksellers themselves
David Gaunt: “Lincoln in the Bardo” by George Saunders
Don't be intimidated by the multitude of narrators or amazing atmosphere. This is an accessible, brilliant, deeply intelligent and compassionate novel, deserving of all the acclaim and prizes that have come its way. Saunders is a helluva good writer
Jon Page: “American War” by Omar El Akkad
This amazing book took me completely by surprise. What makes this novel so profound is Omar El Akkad’s ability to tell a deeply personal story about a huge, cataclysmic event that works on so many different levels and has so many different layers that as a reader you get completely lost in the time and history the novel creates. This novel is a warning and a requiem and my book of the year.
Meredith Drake: “Nevermoor #1: The Trials of Morrigan Crow” by Jessica Townsend
This is the book that built and built for the booksellers this year. The publisher assured us it was special - but then they always say that - so when the proofs were released and the enjoyment of the book - and the comparisons to Harry Potter - seemed universal, it was clear we had something special on our hands. My niece Mary, who’s 10, said she loved it. She liked the magic and the adventure and the the fact that she never knew what was going to happen next.
Happy Christmas from us all at ABC Radio Sydney Drive.