Here’s my highly personal selection of what’s on on at 99p or thereabouts during September:
Literary Fiction
A Manual for Cleaning Women – Lucia Berlin – cult short story writer recently rediscovered, in the Carver/Ford/Munro/Oates vein
Empire Falls – Richard Russo – not sure I am up for 800 pages but it won the Pulitzer…doesn’t help I confuse him with SF writer Richard Paul Russo.
What a Carve Up! Jonathan Coe – justly celebrated dissection of Thatcherite England, which Coe keeps returning to with diminishing returns
Milkman – Anna Burns – breaking my 99p rule for this, recent Booker winner is £2.49 and one of the best novels written over the last 20 years. For the first 30 pages you wonder what is going on and how you can read on, for the next 200 it has you by the short and curlies.
Classics
Very slim pickings.
The Master and Margarita – Bulgakov – lots of his at 99p. I find this one quite hard going, but really enjoyed Heart of a Dog.
Non Fiction
The Pigeon Tunnel – Le Carre – his autobiography
A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush – Eric Newby – classic travel writing
Wishful Drinking – Carrie Fisher – more sharp tales from Hollywood
Scifi
The Reality Dysfunction – Peter f Hamilton – in a very weak month this is the stand-out. The first doorstep in Hamilton’s hard scifi/horror epic that throbs with pulpy energy. Still the best thing he has written.
The Ghost Brigades – John Scalzi – vol 2 of this lauded military scifi series, vol 1 was on offer a few months ago and have not got round to reading, so guess I should do.
Detective/Thriller
Strong month.
The Children of Men – PD James – wonderful novel, never more pertinent
The Franchise Affair – Josephine Tey – looking forward to this, never read any Tey.
The Other Side of Silence – Bernie Gunther 11 – Philip Kerr – moderate reviews for this late entry in the Bernie Gunther series, I have two still to read from earlier on, so may give this a miss.
Cover Her Face – PD James – first in the Dalgleish series. Lots of them in the monthly offer, but I’ll read this first and see what I think.
Can’t help but feel publishers are slightly dialling down the goodies from April, May, June…still, better for my bank account they are.
Thanks for doing this every month.
Empire Falls is one of my favourite books. An epic tale about small town America. Although I cannot remember that it was 800 pages.
The Ghost Brigades is the second in Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series – which is a modern riff on Heinlein in the vein of Starship Troopers (the book NOT the movie). Personally I think his recent Collapsing Empire series is better, but GB is enjoyable enough that I am looking for the 3rd in the series to become cheap. (yes, I am stingy, but I have a pile of about 30 books to read on Kindle so I can wait).
A short walk in the Hindu Kush is super. Doesn’t make me want to do it though.
‘The Ascent of Rum Doodle’ by W E Bowman is in the kindle monthly deal list too, but for £1.99
“Quite hard going”??? It’s the best novel ever written and impossible to put down, IM(and just about everybody else’s)O. Try again if you didn’t finish, buy it immediately anyone who hasn’t read it!
I’ve tried twice and not got on with it…
I think the point is proved. Clearly a great novel, but not for everyone.
Perhaps the translation into English isn’t very good? I’ve honestly never met a Swede who didn’t love it! Or perhaps we are more like the Russians than you guys are…
I’ve read two of the English translations (and scarily there are at least eight) and neither of them felt bad. I think that you need to abandon yourself to it and go with the flow, or learn Russian!
I’d classify at as a great book but not a totally straightforward or easy read.
a few more recommendations from me, if anyone’s interested
A Boy And His Dog At The End Of The World by CA Fletcher, as reviewed by someone of exquisite taste here: https://theafterword.co.uk/a-boy-and-his-dog-at-the-end-of-the-world/
Half A King by Joe Abercrombie – first volume of a Vikingesque saga from one of Britain’s best fantasy writers. He tried something different from his First Law books with this one, and it’s not quite as good, but still very readable and well worth 99p
The Rise And Fall Of DODO by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland. Think there are a few Stephenson fans around here. This is a bit more lighthearted than some of his other books, but maintains his trademark length, so probably comes in at about 0.00000000000027p per page. Can you afford not to?
Tombland by CJ Sansom – another long un. The latest Shardlake novel, maybe not a great jumping on point for new readers but a good deal for fans who haven’t picked up on this one yet.
Paul Tremblay – A Head Full Of Ghosts. A frankly unreasonable £1.79, but this is a good possession story from one of the best of the new breed of horror writers.
What look like some good history titles – Viking Britain by Thomas Williams, and two by Dan Jones, The Crusaders and The Templars. Problem is, I find non-fiction (non-narrative non-fiction at any rate, things like the Eric Newby above are fine) difficult to get to grips with on the Kindle. I like to flip back to check things or look at maps, and it’s much more difficult doing that on the device than it is rifling through a paperback. Might just be me, though.
I bailed on Stephenson after Cryptonomicon. Have Readme on the shelves but will I ever get round to it?
Reamde is probably his worst book, I’m afraid. I love Cryptonomicon though, so if that forced you to bail then perhaps NS just isn’t for you (but maybe try Anathem just to be sure).
Reamde is his attempt at an airport blockbuster I feel. You can notice the set pieces for if it was adapted as a movie or miniseries. I rather enjoyed it.
Anathem is superb, but not for the uncommitted.
About to start Seven Eves which I’ve had for ages but I’m reluctant to read such long books now.
A few more for consideration.
Deeplight by Frances Hardinge. A YA fantasy novel. Very well written and a joy to read.
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry. Absolutely superb. Highly recommended.
Anna Karenina by Tolstoy. It’s Anna Karenina by Tolstoy what more do you need to know?
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons. Something narsty in the woodshed.
The Way Of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry. Victorian set medical crime novel.
Ambrose Parry is the pseudonym of the husband and wife writing partnership of Chris Brookmyre & Dr. Marisa Haetzman. A thoroughly enjoyable book.
Mick Herron’s Spook Street (Slough House #4) is currently 99p.
Not quite a kindle bargain, but Prince’s concert film Sign O’ the Times is £1.99 on Itunes. Not sure if this is permanent.
80s as anything.