An update from Kerry Bossons, Reading and Learning Service Manager
The Man Booker Prize longlist has just been announced for this year. We are working with Waterstones on a project called the Toon Man Booker which aims to get people in the North East talking about the national Man Booker Prize nominations and deciding on their favourite. There will be voting boxes around the City as well as the chance to vote online. Each Man Booker nominee will be championed by local library staff, booksellers and reading groups leading to a gala evening on the 18 October where we will reveal our winner on the same night as the national prize. Look out for more information in the September e-newsletter.
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View the Man Booker longlist.
The second World Book Night will take place in April next year but readers are already being invited to submit their top ten nominations via the World Book Night website. The first World Book Night this year saw 20,000 volunteers give away 1 million specially printed books.
Nominate your top 10 titles. But hurry, as you only have until the end of August.
I made my own list and found it hard to limit myself to ten so in the end chose the ones that were ‘unputdownable’ and stayed with me after I’d finished the book. My top ten (in no particular order are):
‘My Family and Other Animals’ – Gerald Durrell
Pure escapism, I love the way he describes growing up on Corfu, the wildlife he encounter and his eccentric family.
‘The Sacred Art of Stealing’ – Christopher Brookmyre
Christopher Brookmyre id one of my favourite authors and I chose this one for the brilliant heist at the centre of the book.
‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ – Thomas Hardy
Any novel with exploding sheep gets my nomination; this is also a favourite as it shows that quiet determination wins in the end.
‘World War Z’ – Max Brooks
A novel which tells the story of a zombie apocalypse from many different viewpoints, this was so I engrossing I managed to read it in the middle of a play park in the school holidays.
‘Alice in Sunderland’ – Bryan Thomas
This graphic novel veers off on different tangents and manages to cover the history of Sunderland (yes I know, get over it!), Lewis Carroll and Alice in Wonderland as well as featuring Sid James and Tintin (not together).
‘The Name of the Rose’ – Umberto Eco
*spoiler alert* This is a cautionary tale all those who lick their fingers before turning pages, you know who you are…
‘The Tent, the Bucket and Me’ – Emma Kennedy
This book made me laugh and cry as it reminded me so much of my childhood holiday experiences, the title says it all.
‘The Assassin’s Apprentice’ – Robin Hobb
This is the first in a series featuring Fitz who is trained as an assassin; it is fantasy and is strong on ‘Games of Thrones’ style skulduggery and intrigue rather than runes and ale quaffing.
‘Little Brother’ – Cory Doctorow
Although written for teenagers, this novel tells a tale of teenagers caught in the aftermath of a terrorist attack and how technology is used to watch us all.
‘Angela Carter’s Book of Fairy Tales’ – Angela Carter
These are fairy tales as you’ve never seen them before, wilder and more disturbing than the ones you are familiar with.
Kerry Bossons
Reading and Learning Service Manager
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