And I was just amazed to rediscover just how extraordinary her writing is. So I don't know. It's wide open, doesn't have to be released this year. And as long as it's something you can recommend wholeheartedly it's book week on Swell, so it would be really fabulous to hear loads of good ideas and share them with us. Whoever's going to listen in. Thanks for that. Bye
Deborah Pardes
@DBPardes · 1:32
I like how quirky is and how nerdy he is and how he reminds me of the grandfather that I also meet of him, that's his grandfather and the time that his grandfather is his age. And it's dear. It's a deer book
Shahnaz Ahmed
@bookishpodcast · 3:54
Well, not any, but I think first one, a man called UVA just fell in love with UVA, and he is more known now for actually Bear Town, which surprises me because I know him from Uber, but anything with Frederick Pakman. Pakman wrote the book Anxious People, which did not come first in Goodreads 2020. Choice of words. It got beaten out by Matt Hague's Midnight Library by five votes, literally five votes
Welcome, Annie. It is a delight to hear another international voice with international perspectives. So welcome. This is not typically my bread and butter, but a book I did read that may fit into what you're describing is called called A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towels. I may have butchered that. Sorry. It's about a 32 year old man who was account, but he was deemed an unrepentant aristocrat and sentenced to house arrest in a hotel for the foreseeable future
Annie Holmes
@AnnieH · 1:25
And Christina, very intriguing when you recommended a gentleman in Moscow, so I will look into that one as well. And I thought I could also recommend if people are interested a book I mentioned on my previous and only other Swell Cast, which is called Pereira Maintains, which is a wonderful book. Anyway, I hope a few other people will jump on and we can all share ideas and I'll definitely get back to you about any of these titles that that I choose or manage to get to read
Annie Holmes
@AnnieH · 0:23
A quick PS another title I've had recommended is Hurricane Season by Fernando Fernando Melchior. I wondered if any of you had read that a couple of people I've have mentioned it and I've seen reviews here and there and it sounds good. So it's going on my list and I'd be interested to hear your thoughts
Georgie Dee
@GeorgieDee · 2:03
Hi, Annie. Welcome to Swell. I'm a little bit behind with reading Long story as to why that's happening. But one book that really stands out for me, which is the last books that I read. It was published in 99, so perhaps it's too old, and perhaps you've already read it. But as a person who has traveled and lived in other countries, it really stood out for me. It's by the author of Cloud Atlas and his name is David Mitchell
Georgie Dee
@GeorgieDee · 0:54
Annie, I just realized, having read out the description that I found on the Net, I didn't really talk about what I really liked about this novel. Besides the really interesting characters was the mention of the spiritual, not spiritual spirit, Ghosty, superstitious Asian beliefs, themes, kind of urban myths that I grew up with in Hong Kong
Shahnaz Ahmed
@bookishpodcast · 2:51
Oh, yes. I have not read A Gentleman in Moscow, but I have heard from so many people that it is absolutely brilliantly written prose. People have said that it's probably the best pros they've ever read in their lives
I think I read on Goodreads some of the background of how he developed some of those things, what he was going through in his life at the time. Anyway, he talked about some of his favorite books or recent favorites, and at the very top of the list was a Gentleman in Moscow. And I was like, if he recommends it, I'm all over it just because I was so blown away
Annie Holmes
@AnnieH · 1:50
Thanks so much for all these thoughts. And Georgie, great to meet you here. I want to agree about Ghostwritten. I read it some time ago and really loved it. I love the sort of Russian doll structure he uses there and in Cloud Atlas, and I love some of his other books as well. I'm probably older than quite a lot of you. So I have had more reading years. Let's just say that I find him quite a variable writer