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About a Boy
About a Boy by Nick Hornby Published: 1998 I’ve read several of Nick Hornby’s books, but until now I’d somehow managed to miss two of his most famous – About a Boy and High Fidelity. I didn’t skip them out of some hipster need to stay obscure, it’s just that all of the copies I’d stumbled across had the movie tie-in covers. I wouldn’t consider myself a book snob – I actually enjoyed The Da Vinci Code when I read it – but I’m definitely a cover snob. I’m fine with novels being adapted to screen. I’m even fine with, and often in favour of, screenwriters changing parts of the…
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The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain Published: 1876 Narrated by: Patrick Fraley Apart from an abridged version of his Mediterranean travel memoir, I hadn’t read anything by Mark Twain before this. He wasn’t part of the curriculum in my high school, which is a bit of a shame as it would be a great novel to encourage kids to read. Although my book is intended mainly for the entertainment of boys and girls, I hope it will not be shunned by men and women on that account, for part of my plan has been to try to pleasantly remind adults of what they once were themselves, and of…
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The Hobbit
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Published: 1937 With the movie coming out, I figured I should give The Hobbit another read. It’s my favourite book, more for sentimental reasons than technical, and this is my fourth or fifth time through it. The book has its flaws, but I find them easy to overlook. Some of my earliest memories are of my dad reading this to me as a child. I remember lying in bed every night excited to get back to the adventure. He’d even do the voices and terrify me with Gollum’s riddles. I found out recently that my mom used to stand and listen to him read from…
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Moab is My Washpot
Moab is My Washpot (audio) by Stephen Fry Published: 1997 Narrated by: Stephen Fry I’ve read a few articles here and there of Stephen Fry’s, but this is the first of his actual books, fiction or non-fiction, that I’ve read. Even so, I knew I was going to love it going in, as I’m already a huge fan of his. I’ve spent countless hours watching his comedy, documentaries, and interviews, and I can easily spend an evening listening to him give his opinions on any topic. He uses language in a way that can elevate fart jokes to fine art. This is his autobiography, covering the first twenty years of…