How I Paid For College – Mark Acito
Recommended by:: Jonathan Whiting
Star Rating:: ****
Quick Review::
Ferris Bueller Meets Adrian mole in a hilarious novel set in the 80's. Meet Edward Zanni, a teenager in New Jersey, USA whose aspirations to study at the prestigious Julliard School in NYC are quashed when his father refuses to pay his tuition fees. Thus ensues the subtitle of the book
" A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship, and Musical Theater"
Edward and his merry band of friends go on a mission to get his entry to musical theater by any means possible!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, a cracking debut by author Acito. It is exactly my kind of humour and my style of writing. An easy, laid back read full of sex, theft and friendship :)
I heartily recommend it to you.
Nineteen Eighty-four – George Orwell
Top 100 Book:: Number 8
Star Rating:: ****
Quick Review::
Wow! What a book! Incredibly scary and as has been mentioned in numerous reviews an eerie look at our own world.
This story follows Winston Smith works for the ministry of truth in London. Posters of Big Brother cover the streets and every move anyone makes is captured there is no free speech, no free thinking. For those with independant thought.... there lies Room 101.
A truly fascinating book from George Orwell. Thoroughly enjoyable to read with twists and turns at every chapter. A brutal book with no holding back and no happy endings. Just a gruesome look at a world under totalitarian control.
Worth a read!
To Kill A Mockingbird – Harper Lee
To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Top 100 Book:: Number 5
Star Rating:: *****
Quick Review::
To kill a Mockingbird is one of those books that almost everyone has heard of! It is one of those books that a lot of kids read in school (unfortunately I was not one of those) and is still a top seller 50 years after it was written.
To kill a mockingbird is a semi-autobiographical novel written through the eyes of Scout Finch a young girl growing up in a fictional town in Alabama. I absolutely love the fact that Lee chose to write the book through the eyes of Scout, the innocence makes the book just so much more appealing to read. Covering so many touchy subjects Lee manages to make the book so playful and pure through the eyes of a child.
The main plot of the book focuses on Scout’s father Atticus Finch, a very well respected lawyer in the town he is handed the case of a black man accused of raping a white girl. In a time where prejudice was rife across the US the Finch family have to deal with the racial reactions to Atticus being given the case. Written with warmth and humour this beautifully written book explores love, hate, friendship, family and race in the deep south of America.
This is a truly moving book, I found myself getting very emotional throughout the book, I could relate to Scout’s innocence about race and prejudice and the struggles her father faced trying to give his children a normal upbringing. A truly magnificent book that is very much worthy of its top 100 status. If you haven’t read this yet I recommend that you do before you read anything else.
Notes from a small island – Bill Bryson
Top 100 Book: Number 74
Star Rating:: ****
Quick Review::
Bill Bryson arrived in Britain back in 1973, got a job, got married and had some kids. Eventually the time came when he decided to head back to his native country the USA but before doing that he embarked on one epic tour of the wonder that is Britain. Starting at Dover and ending in Scotland Bryson recounts many memories, meet many friends and tells many tall tales about the adventures he has had in this wonderful land I call home!
Now this book is one of my favourite styles, a diary style (as if you didn’t know that by now) In fact I would link this book very closely to Dave Gorman’s America unchained which I reviewed earlier on. Bill Bryson goes on a journey around Britain recounting many tales he himself has had in various locations throughout. Full of plenty of humour and plenty of opinion this is certainly not a politically correct book, but hilariously funny!
I really enjoyed reading this book, I have to admit at the beginning I was getting a little irritated with his style of writing, very aggressive, very impatient and quite rude but as the book progressed I began to warm to Bryson’s unique style and found myself laughing along to his encounters with the British public.
I can completely recommend this book not only as a worthy top 100 but as a book you yourself should read, it is a very easy read and very relaxing, brilliant if you are looking to chill out and get away from the stresses of the day!
Do pick it up and have a read, I have kept hold of my copy!
The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro
Top 100 Book: Number 84
Star Rating:: ***1/2
Quick Review::
One of Kazuo Ishiguro’s most famous works, The Remains of The Day is an interesting novel about Stevens, a very creditable English butler reliving his life through this book in order to clarify its meaning to himself.
The book begins with Stevens taking a holiday from his current employer and during his travels he tells the tales of his past with focus on particular characters including the lovely Miss Kenton with whom he was never able to declare his affections towards.
I won’t go too much more into the story but this gives you a general picture of the storyline and the plot it doesn’t stray much from the line. So where do I sit... well it isn’t my kind of thing! I can understand completely why it is in the top 100, it is totally different from any other book I have ever read, but it just didn’t grip me, I found myself getting too excited as the end was approaching and I could move onto something else.
This is now a very famous movie starring Anthony Hopkins and I haven’t yet got round to watching this film. From what I have heard it is pretty good! So my low down, I would give this book a read so you can say “done that” but I wouldn’t go out of your way to make it your life priority there are plenty of better books in the sea in my opinion!
Memoirs of A Geisha – Arthur Golden
Top 100 Book: Number 39
Star Rating:: *****
Quick Review:: I thought that this was an absolutely amazing book! Full of so much emotion and cultural references it drew me completely from page 1. Memoirs of a Geisha follows the story of young Chiyo-chan an orphaned young girl from a fishing village and her sister Satsu as they are thrust into the world of Geishas. The book follows young Chiyo-Chan as she grows into a young teenager, the struggles she faces in the Nitta okiya and her transformation into a beautiful Geisha.
Arthur Golden develops the characters beautifully and you build real connections to the characters in the book, in particular Chiyo . The narrative is descriptive and slow. Although the book covers most of her life it doesn’t feel rushed in any way and has a wonderful flow to it. I couldn’t put it down when I started it and managed to finish it in one sitting. Thoroughly recommended as a poignant insight into an art that is slipping away into history.
The Magicians – Lev Grossman
The Magicians - Lev Grossman
Top 100 Book: Not a top 100 book
Star Rating:: ***1/2
Quick Review:: To all my friends I have constantly described this book as a dark Harry Potter meets Narnia and from scouring the web it appears others have supported my view. The Magicians tells the story of young Quentin Coldwater who stumbles across the magical school of Brakebills (your Hogwarts) unintentionally when he turns up for his Princeton interview to find his examiner dead and a mysterious envelope bearing his name.
Everything changes once Quentin immerses himself in the life of a true magician love, death, pain, laughter, lust and hard work lay before him and the book concerns itself with his tales at Brakebills and his life after it.
My opinion, I am on the fence on this one! There were elements I loved, and elements I loathed, I felt that the author tried to cover too many storylines with this one, not that it was difficult to follow, I think I found some areas rushed and rather shallow. It may have served better as two books or a trilogy covering Quentin’s Brakebill days and his life after.
The Wind In The Willows – Kenneth Grahame
Wind In The Willows - Kenneth Grahame
Top 100 Book: Number 30
Star Rating:: **** 1/2
Quick Review::
Written in 1908, The Wind In The Willows is a "Cutesy" tale of friendship, respect and companionship between wildlife animals, focusing on the lives of Moley, Ratty, Badger and Mr Toad. It's known as a childrens book but I feel us adults can learn a lot from this book. It has a lot of underlying morals which are put across in a very gentle way. We follow the mischevious Mr Toad, The river bank loving Ratty, The home loving Mole and the father, authoritive figure of Badger. There is no real storyline as such it is more a collection of their adventures along the river bank and in the countryside of Pastoral England. A very enjoyable book to read.
The Phantom Of The Opera – Gaston Leroux
Phantom Of The Opera - Gaston Leroux
Top 100 Book: I thought it was number 100, but I got the wrong book! So not in the Top 100
Star Rating:: ****
Quick Review::
The Paris Opera House, early 1900's is mysteriously "haunted" by O.G, the Opera Ghost.
This novel written in a detective Style follows the story of the Christine Daae and her twisted love triangle with the Opera Ghost and Raoul.
Its a pretty gritty novel with love, murder, jealousy, rage, mystery and horror. It's interesting to know that this is based on true facts and the author spent a lot of time investigating the Paris Opera House!
Detailed Review:: *SLIGHT PLOT SPOILERS*
The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night- Time – Mark Haddon
The Curious Incident of The Dog in The Night- Time - Mark Haddon
Top 100 Book:: Number 59
Star Rating: **** 1/2
Quick Review::
Meet Christopher Boone, a 15 year old boy living in Swindon with Asperger’s syndrome. One day he discovers the neighbour’s dog Wellington has been murdered with a garden fork and he makes it his mission to discover the murderer.
Described as a murder mystery novel with a difference Christopher opens a can of worms that will transform his life, and affect all of those around him. An award winning novel by Mark Haddon that is a real pleasure to read.
Detailed Review:: *SLIGHT PLOT SPOILERS*