Five Books to Consider (I)
Like it says in the title. (The Bus 4.45)
Welcome aboard The Bus!
The Stop
Today’s Stop is a selection of five suggested books. They’re all fiction - and span a variety of genres and styles - but each holds a special place in my reading journey. Let me know what you think about the suggestions - but, more importantly, let me know what you’d put in a list of five!
Airships, Barry Hannah (1978)
This is my favourite collection of Hannah’s short stories - and a great introduction to this master of the form. It’s Southern gothic at its best, with bizarre characters and events juxtaposed against everyday, ordinary life.
And Then There Were None, Agatha Christie (1939)
A couple of weeks ago my family had the chance of seeing a theatrical production of this story - and I was reminded why it’s my favourite of her books. Ten strangers are invited to a remote island and suddenly start getting murdered one-by-one, all in ways connected to a nursery rhyme. It’s gripping, very clever and - most importantly - fun.
Gain, Richard Powers (1998)
Powers’s sixth novel interweaves two stories: the history of an American company’s growth from its start in the early 1800s as a soap and candle-making firm into an international pharmaceuticals and pesticides producer in the 1990s, and that of Laura Bodey - a young woman who lives near the company’s headquarters and develops ovarian cancer, unquestionably the result of expose to chemical waste. If this sounds bleak - it is. But don’t let this put you off the novel. In typical Powers fashion, it’s brilliantly told and absolutely gripping. One of my favourite novels - and the ending has stayed with me to this day.
‘Salem’s Lot, Stephen King (1975)
King’s second published novel is also one of his best. When writer Ben Mears returns to his childhood hometown, he discovers the townsfolk are becoming vampires - and it has something to do with the new owner of the long-abandoned Marsten House. It’s truly scary - and for horror fans, worth a read.
The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester (1956)
I haven’t been into science fiction for years, but when I read a blurb about this classic in The Guardian I thought I’d give it a try - and I wasn’t disappointed. The plot is convoluted and odd, but at its heart is a tautly told revenge story who’s antihero - Gully Foyle - discovers numerous truths about himself and the nature of the universe.
The Detour
Today’s Detour is to a very short (2:27) interview with the Colorado-based Young Adult author Lauren Myracle about book banning in light of the state’s ‘Freedom to Read’ bill. Thought-provoking throughout.1
The Recommendation
Today’s Recommendation is ‘Salem’s Lot (1979). Directed by Tobe Hooper (of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre fame) and starring David Soul and James Mason, the film is a two-part television mini-series adaptation of King’s novel. As it was on television, the horror tropes of blood and gore were toned down, but the creepy atmosphere was amplified - and there are some genuinely scary moments.
The Sounds
Today’s playlist is a selection of five tracks that have been languishing in my ‘To Use’ playlist for the past couple of years. It’s a blend of nostalgia and new, but all are great: ‘Orange Crush’ (R.E.M., 1988), ‘Rosa Parks’ (Outkast, 1998), ‘Gone Daddy Gone’ (Violent Femmes, 1983), ‘i' (Kendrick Lamar, 2015) and ‘It’s Not the Same Anymore’ (Rex Orange County, 2019). Enjoy!
The Thought
Today’s Thought is from Lauren Myracle:
‘I don’t set out to offend people … but I don’t set out to tell a sanitised version of the truth.’
If you have a thought on this Thought - or any part of today’s issue - please leave a comment below:
And that’s the end of this Stop - I hope you enjoyed the diversion!
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Until the next Stop …
Lauren was a childhood friend of mine, though I haven’t seen or talked to her in probably 40 years. Nevertheless, I still remember countless evenings playing flashlight tag and kick-the-can, roller skating and running through the forest playing an elaborate game of ‘chase’ - and there is a vivid memory of climbing to the top of some very tall pine trees in her dad’s yard stuck in there, too. It was great to see her interviewed!
Now my list of “to read” is even longer. If I started now and never slept, I still wouldn’t finish the list before I died. Unless I lived to 120 and my dry eye syndrome was magically cured. Not to complain, but that, along with the attention span of a flea, are the main reasons my book reading has dwindled considerably.
So short stories are often my jam now. Here’s 5 collections I love.
George Saunders - Civilwarland in Bad Decline
Alan Heathcock - Volt
Kurt Vonnegut - Welcome to the Monkey House
Alice Munro - The Lives of Girls and Women
Mary Gaitskill - Bad Behavior
"The Deep South might be wretched, but it can howl."
B. Hannah, Captain Maximus