Books Babylon

Aside from shoes, one of the greatest fashion assets is a good book. Not only does it make you look semi-intelligent to tote these words of wisdom with you, the book cover can sometimes be matched to your outfit of the day!

This post is actually prompted by my good friend M who recently emailed with some of the great books she has been reading:

"A Long Way Down" by Nick Hornby
"A Spot of Bother" by Mark Haddon
"Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak" by by Jean Hatzfeld, Susan Sontag, and Linda Coverdale

I must add that upon her recommendation, I read "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini which I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED.

I have read so much since pursuing my life of leisure that I felt it might be a good idea to share some of the titles I have enjoyed over the last few months.

If you haven't read the Babylon books yet, head down to Borders and part with some of your well earned cash. These insightful little gems show the down and dirty side of three areas of our world - airline crew, hotels and the fashion world. Addictive and hard to put down, these books will have you thinking twice about being rude to air stewards or purchasing that Gucci bag in the black snake skin.





For all those teachers out there, this was a journey book which I happened to find perusing the shelves at Power Books. As the blurb tells us....."This is the comic story of one man's painfully slow metamorphosis into a teacher at an everyday comprehensive and his encounters with other remarkable teachers and pupils along the way. The good, the bad, the violent, the victimised and the clinically insane....."



It was the title of the next book, sitting on my husband's bedside table that captured my attention next. Emergency Sex? Did we need this for a healthy relationship? Was he turning into a freak? It's actually about three young civilians working for the UN and their experiences in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia, Somalia, Haiti and Liberia. A bloody good read!



I picked up the following two books in a WH Smith in an airport - sometimes my best finds. Perhaps I am feeling more open to the world when I am about to board a plane? The first won the Orange Prize 2004 - it explores a point in England's past when the first Jamaicans arrived. The themes of the great British Empire, prejudice, love and war are covered - written with real passion, a little anger and some good dry English humour too.



There are more of the 'Merde' books which I have yet to read. This was a hell of a laugh with an Englishman living in France and his experiences with girlfriends and opening an English tearoom in Paris. I plan to buy the others as it made me laugh out loud!



Of course, my reading would not be complete without a little rough house and rugby thrown in. When England actually won the Rugby World Cup in 2003, I felt that a lot of it came from the influence of Martin Johnson as captain. There is a hell of alot of rugby, rugby politics and rugby experiences in this book - perhaps not for everyone. However, it was interesting for me because Martin Johnson actually played for the NZ Under 21's when he did a small stint playing in Aotearoa. Plus, he has good taste and ended up marrying a Kiwi!



For a bit of fun try "The Rise and Fall of a Yummy Mummy" by Polly Williams - a woman's struggle to fit back into her pre-baby self.

History buffs will love "What If? Military Historians Imagine What Might Have Been" which is edited by Robert Cowley. It explores major military points in history and what have have happened if they hadn't turned out the way they did. If the Persian Empire had conquered Greece? If the Mongols had conquered Europe? If Cortes had never conquered Mexico? Hitler's Desert Storm? Interesting stuff.

At the moment, sitting waiting to be devoured on a quiet afternoon:

"Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood" by Koren Zailckas
"The Sunday Night Book Club" which are various short stories
"Confessions of an Economic Hit Man" by John Perkins

What have you been reading? Do post and let me know what's on your shelves at the moment.....