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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October 9

One – Peter Schmeichel

‘Why me? How could a boy from a Copenhagen tower block say I want to be a champion with Manchester United and Denmark and make it happen?’

Peter Schmeichel is a giant of football, who won more Premier League titles (five) than any player in his position and captained Manchester United in the incomparable, last-gasp Treble-clinching win over Bayern Munich in the 1999 Champions League final. ‘I don’t believe a better goalkeeper played the game,’ Sir Alex Ferguson said. One: My Autobiography is Schmeichel’s story.

In it, he takes us inside the remarkable, winning environment of a club that transformed football during the 1990s, and on to the pitch on that crazy, breathless night in Barcelona in 1999. From Ferguson’s unique gifts to Eric Cantona’s unique personality, he delivers a close-up and insightful portrait of United’s golden era.

However, One: My Autobiography goes way beyond the pitch.

Schmeichel has an incredible family story to tell, starting with his father, Antoni, a brilliant Polish jazz musician who battled demons and for years kept a momentous secret from those around him. And he explores what he has been able to pass on to his own son, Kasper – himself a Premier League-winning goalkeeper and number one in the Danish national side.

Peter’s life after football, seldom straightforward, is described with astonishing candour. One: My Autobiography is about football, origins, journeys and legacy.

My thanks to Sofia Saghir at Midas PR for the opportunity to join this leg of the #CheltLitFest blog tour and for selecting a terrific book to showcase.

I loves that the opening line of the blurb to One sees Peter Schmeichel asking the question “Why me?” Well natural talent and a fantastic work ethic would appear to be big contributors to the success he enjoyed during an outstanding playing career. Peter is appearing at the Cheltenham Literature Festival (on Sunday 10th October) and after reading One I would love to be in the audience to hear him speak. This book is crammed with entertaining, funny and inciteful anecdotes which you can only imagine are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to storys which could have been told.

I don’t read biographies on a regular basis but when I do pick up a new book to dig into someone’s life I tend to cateogorise them into one of two reading experiences. First there is the biography about someone I feel I know something about. This is where Peter Schmeichal and One would sit. I watched much of Peter’s playing career as I have been a football fan for virtually all my (nearly 50) years and I saw the growth of a young Manchester United team who rose to win the biggest competitions they entered. Schmeichel was at the heart of that success and a UK household name. I recognised many of the events he writes about so putting those stories into the context I remember was a wonderful trip back down memory lane.

The other type of biography is that where I know the person but they are something of an enigma. I recently read Dr Heather Martin’s utterly absorbing biography of Lee Child and would classify that into this category. I knew Child through his writing but knew nothing about the guy behind the name. So where One told stories around events I knew, The Reacher Guy told a whole new story about someone I really didn’t know.

Back to One. Before the football became all consuming in Peter’s life he also gives the reader a background on his own family. Danish legend Schmeichel first travelled under a Polish passport, his father was Polish and left the East to a new life in Denmark with Peter’s Danish mother. The Polish Government put pressure on Peter’s father to spy for them while he was in a Western country!

When his playing career was just getting underway Schmeichel tells of the frustration he experienced while trying to get a move to Manchester United. His admiration and respect for his old boss shines through as does the strong squad ethic which was built up over those years. Seeing behind the scenes of those wonderful days is a treat for a football fan. Reading One I did feel Schmeichel was giving us insights into how footballers conducted themselves, their friendships beyond the pitch and the amazing support network they put in place for each other. We feel we know these players as they are in our newspapers and magazines, on the news and Match of the Day and always on our football pitches when we pass through the gates of the stadium but there is so much more we don’t get to see.

One is a hugely enjoyable read, accessible in manageable chapters, clearly told and warm and engaging for a reader. As Christmas looms this should be on the gift list for football fans and indeed for anyone who wants to read about a player who strives for success and the self disipline needed to achieve those personal goals.

Peter Schmeichel is appearing at the Cheltenham Literature Festival on Sunday 10 October at 10am. Tickets and more information on the event can be found here: https://www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature/whats-on/2021/l061-peter-schmeichel/

One is published by Hodder & Stoughton and is available in Hardback, Digital and Audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0915T6GCN/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

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