Decades: Compiling The Ultimate Library With Eve Smith

Welcome back to the Decades Library, my ongoing quest to assemble a collection of the very best reading recommendations.

Back in January 2021 I pondered the question: If I had a brand new library and was faced with empty shelves, which unmissable books should I put into my new Library to ensure only the very best books were available for the readers. This was far too great a challenge to undertake on my own so I have been inviting guests to join me and asking them to nominate five of their favourite books which they believe should be added to my library shelves. My guests have included authors, publishers, journalists and bloggers – all booklovers and the variety of titles they have suggested has been astonishing.

Why is my Library called the Decades Library? Although I said my guests are asked to nominate five of their favourite books I haven’t quite made it as straightforward as that. I ask my guests to follow two rules when making their selections:

1 – Choose Any Five Books
2 – You Can Only Choose One Book Per Decades From Five Consecutive Decades

The oldest book to feature (so far) was Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland which was first published in 1865. The most recent release was published in 2022 – Sinead Crowley’s The Belladonna Maze. There have been many, many titles published in between these two which have also found their way to the Library shelves. I hope to be able to add many more too.

And now that we have been reminded of the rules and the ultimate aim of my Decades Library it is time for me to hand over to my guest: Eve Smith.

Eve Smith writes speculative thrillers, mainly about the things that scare her. She attributes her love of all things dark and dystopian to a childhood watching Tales of the Unexpected and Edgar Allen Poe double bills.

Longlisted for the Not the Booker Prize and described by Waterstones as “an exciting new voice in crime fiction”, Eve’s debut novel, The Waiting Rooms, set in the aftermath of an antibiotic resistance crisis, was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize First Novel Award and was selected as a Guardian Book of the Month. It was followed by Off-Target, about a world where genetic engineering of children is routine. Her latest thriller, One, is set in a near-future Britain ravaged by the climate crisis where a one-child policy is ruthlessly enforced. Eve’s previous job at an environmental charity took her to research projects across Asia, Africa and the Americas, and she has an ongoing passion for wild creatures, wild science and far-flung places.

You can order One and purchase Eve’s other books from all good retailers or directly from Orenda Books: https://orendabooks.co.uk/product/one www.evesmithauthor.com Twitter @evecsmith Instagram, Facebook and TikTok: evesmithauthor

DECADES

The Shining, Stephen King 1977

This has to go down as one of the most frightening books I’ve read. Then I watched the Stanley Kubrick film adaptation which really did (and still does) scare the pants off me. I put it to the test with my daughters last year, and despite all the CGI and technical wizardry they’re accustomed to, they still said it was the most terrifying thing they had ever watched. Now they just need to read the book…

The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood 1985

I remember watching the original film of The Handmaid’s Tale with my sister. We’d never seen anything like it. I rushed out and bought the book and then proceeded to read everything by Margaret Atwood that I could get my hands on. I love the way she dramatises important issues in thrilling alternative worlds that feel chillingly plausible. Her work has been a major inspiration to me.

The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver 1998

I read The Poisonwood Bible with a local book club. The novel is about a missionary family who settle in the Belgian Congo. I don’t know how many times I cried, but it has to be one of my all-time favourites. Such a powerful story about family and motherhood, and the tragedies we unwittingly let loose on those we love most, despite our best intentions.

Under the Skin, Michel Faber 2000

Under the Skin is probably one of the most surprising books I have read. I mustn’t give any spoilers, but it almost changes genres part-way through. A tantalising mystery intrigues from the first page with tight, atmospheric writing and beautiful descriptions of the Scottish countryside. I thought it was brilliant.

Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel 2014

Station Eleven is a stunning speculative novel that conveys a haunting vision of a post-pandemic world that we never could have imagined might become our reality. Beautifully written, with lyrical prose sweeping across continents, you are drawn into each character’s plight as they attempt to navigate the crisis.

Five terrific reads to welcome Decades back. Another week where i have not read all five of the books recommended so I add two to my ever growing wishlist. Huge thanks to Eve for bringing back the Decades Library with these top reading recommendations. Don’t miss out on One – Eve’s new book – which releases in July from Orenda Books and can be ordered here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/one/eve-smith/9781914585746 or at your favourite independent bookstore.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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July 11

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Lesley Kelly

Welcome to the Decades It’s my ongoing challenge to assemble a Library of nothing but the very best books as selected by booklovers. This challenge began in January 2021 and each week a new guest curator joins me and they add some of their favourite reads to the Library shelves.

Choosing five favourite books seemed far too straightforward a challenge though so I decided to throw in a random element to the selection process. This random element is why my Library is a Decades Library. When making their selections my guests are asked to follow just two rules:

1 – Select Any Five Books

2 – You May Only Select One Book Per Decade From Five Consecutive Decades

The rules are often flexed and I am often cursed as my guests turn to Google to find that elusive fifth book which was published in decade which allows them to complete the challenge of finding five books from a fifty year publication span. The winner at the end of this challenge are the readers who will have a Library full of highly recommended reads.

This week it is my pleasure to welcome Lesley Kelly to Grab This Book. You may spot a bit of a theme running through some of Lesley’s selected titles but if you have already discovered the fantastic Health Of Strangers series you will understand why that theme is there.

DECADES

I spent the years 2016-2020 writing the Health of Strangers crime series, set in Edinburgh against the background of a (fictional) killer pandemic. In a daring act of plagiarism, Real Life took this idea and ran with it. I’m currently working on Book 5 in the series, having had more than a little inspiration on everything viral over the past two years; we’ll soon know if the world has an appetite for any more plague literature! There’s info on the books here: https://www.lesleykelly.co.uk/

Here are my choices, more than a little influenced by recent events…

Noah’s Castle, John Rowe Townsend, 1975

I grew up in the 70s and 80s, worrying about the threat of nuclear war, fuel shortages, and rampaging inflation. Thank God times have changed. These troubles were obviously playing on the minds of the nation’s young adult authors, which resulted in some very dark teenage novels. This book, along with Z for Zachariah by Robert C O’Brien, was my absolute favourite piece of youth-orientated apocalyptic writing. I re-read it recently and it has definitely stood the test of time.

A is for Alibi, Sue Grafton, 1982

This series could not be more 1980s if it had backcombed hair and was wearing a neon pink ra ra skirt. I love the Californian setting, and Kinsey Millhone is as kickass a heroine as anyone could wish for. However, Ms Grafton had it easy as a crime writer – no mobile phones to get Kinsey out of her scrapes!

What a Carve Up!, Jonathan Coe, 1994

There’s no easy way to sum up this book. It’s a satire, it references the film of the same name, it has a country house, a failing novelist given a mysterious task, and an aristocratic family whose siblings just happen to be a tabloid journalist, a politician, a farmer, an art gallery owner, an investment banker, and an arms dealer. Told you it was satirical. Anyway, it’s hilarious, so go read it.

The Cutting Room, Louise Welsh, 2002

This was the book that really opened my eyes to the variety of crime writing that exists beyond the police procedural. This book has everything: a compelling (anti) hero in Rilke, an intriguing setting in the world of Glasgow auctioneers, a plot that draws you right in, and a smattering of very dark humour. Oh, and it’s beautifully written too.

Station Eleven, Emily St. John Mandel, 2014

And we’re back with the apocalypse… in this case a flu pandemic which kills most of the world’s population. The book focuses on several individuals who were in some way connected to a performance of King Lear on the night that the pandemic starts and charts their progress over the years. Much of the action revolves around the Travelling Symphony, which moves around the United States entertaining the survivors. For a book with such a dark theme, it is surprisingly hopeful. Given the events of the past couple of years, this is surely a must for the Decades Library!

My thanks to Lesley for five terrific selections. I know there’s a lot of love for Kinsey out there and I am delighted that The Cutting Room has found its way into the Library. All five books are officially included in the Decades Library and I can’t wait to see what may follow next.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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August 8

Station 11 – Emily St. John Mandel

Before I started writing this post I jumped onto Twitter to check I had copied down the author’s name correctly. My search pulled nothing but fabulous reviews for Station 11. It is easy to see why, the book looks amazing with a striking cover and a monochrome meets shocking pink colour scheme. It will cry out to you from the shelf.

The premise is an instant draw too (and worryingly topical). The people of Earth have fallen foul of a virus that has wiped out the majority of humankind. The survivors are now living in a world devoid of all the comforts we take for granted and with the breakdown of society everyone fears for their life in a lawless wilderness. For those with a knowledge of video games I kept picturing Bethesda’s Fallout 3 as I read through Station 11.

Emily St. John Mandel created a post apocalypse world that I wanted to read about. She uses a travelling theatre company as the main focus in her post virus world. The troop travels back and forward over a familiar route, they find safety in numbers, have rules to keep them safe and are welcomed in towns and settlements as they bring the only entertainment that some see from year to year. The descriptive narrative is exquisite and the reader gets a real sense of how tough the survivors are finding life. I particularly enjoyed the scenes where older characters would recall events and items from before the Event and try to explain forgotten things to a younger generation.

The central character to the novel is an actor. During the course of Station 11 we learn of his rise from anonymity to stardom then we see him start to fade. The book opens with his death (on stage) which occurs just before the virus begins its deadly journey around the globe. The characters in Station 11 weave in and out of the story but many have crossed paths with the actor in some way and their subsequent interactions are engaging plotlines.

And here is my problem with Station 11. The key character dies before the virus wipes out almost everyone on Earth. Therefore a significant part of the book is set pre-apocalypse and does not feature the amazing ravaged world that Emily St. John Mandel creates.

So plus points: Beautiful book, great premise, the sections after the virus are compelling. The Museum of Civilisation.

But…I wanted more of the survivors and less of the actor. It was not the book I was expecting and I just could not get past that – I grudged the pre-virus sections as the post viral world was more interesting to me. I can see why there is such love for this book but it was not for me.

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