Moonwalking with Einstein by Joshua Foer is a brilliantly readable book full of history, anecdotes and do-able methods of memorising lists and poetry. I even remembered the author's name without having to look it up! It's all to do with loci and imagining a journey or walk round a familiar environment, (like Sherlock’s Memory Palace) placing the objects you need to remember there and then retracing that journey in your mind. The more bizarre the scene where you left an object that you need to remember, the better it sticks in your mind! When you’ve read some of the examples in the book, you'll understand why I had to imagine Brad Pitt standing behind a jar of pickled garlic bathing in cottage cheese on the driveway of my childhood home!!
Three Cups of Tea - about keen US climber Greg Mortenson’s adventures building schools on the slopes on the Himalayas is fabulously inspiring. It preceded Malala Yousafzai’s valiant attempts to similarly encourage the education of girls and young women in this region for which she almost lost her life.
Reading Jane Austen in Baghdad by Bee Rowlatt and May Witwit - humorous and frightening by turns, this is a compilation of emails between a BBC World Service researcher and a university lecturer in Baghdad who she initially contacts to arrange an interview during the 'Troubles'. Their friendship and May's tenacity in ploughing through bureaucracy to head to the UK are inspirational.
Whatever You Love by Louise Doughty - gripping thriller that deals with grief and anger. I found it hard to empathise with with the central character in some parts and very easy in others. Original.
Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls - heartbreakingly matter-of-fact about death. Bawled my eyes out . And now it's being made into a film so I can do so again!
About Time: Growing Old Disgracefully by Irma Kurtz - inspiring anecdotes contributed by friends and reflective pieces of her own.
The People's King by Susan Williams - because of the film The King's Speech. Love the romance behind this true story.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson etc - of course. Complex, thrilling, original.
Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby - Great relateable characters. Some quotes: "He flicked through the index file of his relationships, much of which consisted of blank cards kept at the back."
The Road Taken by Michael Buerk - incredible recall, storytelling skills, vocabulary, as you'd expect.
blueeyedboy by Joanne Harris - dark, spooky, with the genius idea to have a collaborative blog and iTunes playlist to chime with the story. But I don't like the central character enough to stay with him. Put it down when I was halfway through and plan to return when I'm feeling more morose!
