My world book night

Well as many of you know I work as a support worker with people with learning disabilities and last night was my night shift  ,so my world book night start last night when I gave two colleagues books, which they have both started today ,which I love so we’ll all be talking books this week at work . Then  this morning I gave another colleague a book and some one I support that loves books .My choice is the wonderful Swedish vampire novel Let the right one in by John Ajvide Lindqvist translated by Ebba Segerberg ,this book has twice been made into films already one in Swedish with same title and the an american version called let me in I ve seen both and brought Amanda the swedish version for her birthday so we can talk about the book which she is going to read .this book worked for me as a translation but also from one of my favourite publishers Quercus ,I read it before I blog which is a shame and just have had chance to reread it before tonight due to IFFP reading  .So after that I nipped home and got a few hours sleep but excitement about handing the book meant it was only a few hours and I awoke to see twitter a blaze  with  world book night tweets and to see it trending which is great news as books rarely trend on twitter .I had a coffee, woke fully dressed walked mr Winston , then caught a bus to the main office for the company I work I decided to choose and  leave a number of books on the side for people as they pop in and out. As  our bases where we work are spread all over Chesterfield .I  had despatched a couple with my darling wife Amanda on Saturday when she went to visit her family for the week as my father in law was having a major operation so I sent him so he can read as he recovers  and my sister-in-law  one she like to read to my nephew  but not many books her self  .Then I ve left a couple in the village I live with people I meet today .I came home for a few hours and read , then went to the event in Chesterfield for world book night at our Waterstones it was a books swap I took four books I had read and returned with three more from the swap I had a nice chin wag with the Waterstones staff and my fellow book swappers ,much recommending of books brought and books read recently ,there is a quiz to try to answer before friday if I have time .So I return home with a couple of books left for a couple of friends and the younger non book reading brother of myself .

So how has your world book night been ?

World book night top 100 lets make it a fresh list !!!

Beside the sea world book night

This years world book night giveaways are to be decided by us the public by choosing our  top ten books .I looked at the current top 100 and have to agree with Meike from Peirene it is a bit bland and from the perspective of winstonsdad the translation choices which there are at this moment ten book are what I would call the ones people think they should read or put in a list even if they’ve not read to look good (sorry needs to be said) .I love Murakami and Marquez but some diffeernt book here would be great open peoples eyes.Well Meike has suggest if we could all choose Beside the sea by Veronique Olmi  it is a lovely french gem and is one of my all time favourite reads any way ,at moment 35 votes will get it in the top 100 I ve vote so 34 would do it come on lets help the nymph and the lovely ladies of Peirene make the list ,all of us bloggers and tweeters know how much effort this publisher puts into social media and interaction with its readers more than any major publisher does .So put your hand up and say yes I want the small guy to win for once because we all love the underdogs in this country lets for once get them there  ,Meike has written a blog post about this too here ,thanks stu .I will be put up for giving away this time as I was too shy to volunteer last year .

My top ten –

Beside the sea by Veronique Olmi – reason a french gem touching and it will make you gasp if you’ve not read it !

Rings of saturn  by W G Sebald reason started my love of translation and it is a book that can be reread and still make you think .

Don Quixote by Miguel Cervantes – reason the first novel it has all in it that has followed since a true master piece .

Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges reason he was a genius flash fiction avant grade fiction all look at this as a starting point

If on a winters night a traveller by Italo Calvino reason I love it and I know many people hate it but who can’t love a book that talks to you ?

My century by Gunter grass  – reason  short interlocking pieces covering the 20thcentury from the German master not his best but it is a good insight into Germany .

Cities of red night by William S Burroughs  – reason he was a one off writer this book has all a young guy could want from a book and men shou,ld read more !

The last brother by Nathacha Appananah – reason a unheard corner of post ww2 history jewish refugees stuck on a tropical island told touchingly through two young boys tale .

Goodbye to all that by Robert Graves – reason  my favourite memoir war is bad and read this you know it is ,a poets eye goes to war .

Walden by Henry David Thoreau – reason if more people had read this would the world be the way it is the simple life as he spent time in nature thinking whilst living in a wooden hut .

What are your choices ?