Addicted to Books - January 09
There are three books featuring characters that made very entertaining company recently, between recording sessions. Considering all the books were gifts from friends, I'd say that's a high batting average.
Whoever said books were passports to other lives (it may have been Sylvia Plath) was absolutely right. Books are cheaper than holidays and a chance to get off the monorail of daily concerns.
I eat books! Perhaps there ought to be an organisation called Authors Anonymous, where writers confess overindulgence in the imaginary life. It's much like songwriters - "Hi I'm Steve, I'm on my fiftieth album... I need help... I'm an addict".
As I said at the start, there are three books you might find interesting: The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga, Mr Pip by Lloyd Jones and Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth. I don't want to give away too much about these, but I can't resist a brief word on them. The White Tiger is a very dark tale set in modern India. Mr. Pip, an island in the sun against a backdrop of political revolution. Call the Midwife is a true story of London's East End in the 1950s. Believe me, I found all these books equally fascinating and each rang true in its own special way... If any theme links all of these books it's the idea of individuals who suffer and rise above poverty and repression.
...To boldly go and seek out new bookworms... or do I mean wormholes?
Captain Hackett, Stardate 21.01.09
