Sunday, June 09, 2013

TEN RANDOM (BUT MUCH LOVED) BOOKS SELECTED FROM MY BOOKSHELF

Recently the lovely folk at Foyles bookshop in London asked me to write something for their website.  It seemed like a welcome opportunity to browse my bookshelves and write about individual books that caught my eye.  As I did so, I realized - not for the first time - that my affection for the titles in question was often tied up with the specific copy of the book that I owned.  I could recall the circumstances under which I had bought it, or the reasons why I had gone looking for that book in the first place.  Each copy was a marker, a little milestone on my progress through life, and while the titles themselves are replaceable, those particular copies can never be replaced.  

Whatever the merits of ebooks, they simply don't allow the reader that degree of emotional investment in a beloved object.  If you're curious, you can read more here: http://www.foyles.co.uk/john-connolly

3 comments:

Kent Morgan said...

I read your list with interest and have a couple of points to make. If it's the American TPO you have, that's the actual first of The Sportswriter, not the signed hardcover. That book probably would make my list, but for some reason I have never read the sequel that is gathering dust in my collection. I'm going to get around to Ford's latest, Canada, in the near future as it's set next door in Saskatchewan. James Lee Burke has been a favourite of mine since I came across his third novel, Lay Down My Sword and Shield, in a department store basement for 99 cents. I like most of the Dave Robicheaux books and your pick is one of the best. As for Kinky, he's another guy I bought and read right from the beginning, but when his books stopped having any plot at all I stopped buying. I do have a couple of his CDs that I pull out on occasion.

Anonymous said...

Hey, I know this probably isn't the place to ask questions, but I don't have twitter. I just finished reading The Book of Lost Things and I couldn't help but notice the blatant christian morals that your book contained. I was wondering if this was your intent? As I was reading it there were multiple parts where I was stunned with your ability to express certain Christ like characteristics and I couldn't help but get the feeling that your "Rumpelstiltskin" was modeled more so after Satan than Rumpelstiltskin himself. Anyways I was just curious about your goal in writing your book with such outstanding morals and Christ like wisdom.

Unknown said...

I am so relieved that it's not just me that thinks each book on my bookshelves is a little part of my life.... E-readers are not for me, they don't smell like books. My books hold the memory of me reading them. My kindle is in a drawer somewhere, long dumped in favour of paper and holding the page in anticipation of each turn.

Love your work by the way, always waiting for the next one.

Em