Decades on a Tuesday? What on earth is happening? Well sometimes (hardly ever) the stars align and I can get some time to do a sneaky extra guest spot.  In this case the stars which aligned were: I have a few days off work, I have had some Decades guests waiting in the wings for far longer than I would have liked (a flurry of replies does this), it is pouring and the dog is already walked.

Welcome again to my Decades Library. I am trying to assemble a library which has nothing but the best books on the shelves. I invite a guest to join me and I ask them to nominate five of their favourite books which they feel I should include in my Decades Library.  Why do I call it a Decades Library? Well there are two simple rules which govern the selection of books my guests can choose:

1 – Nominate Any Five Books
2 – They May Only Pick One Book Per Decade From Five Consecutive Decades

My guest this week has a day job which I would love (it involves books) and was very much put on the spot when I rocked up on his doorstep asking if he would like to take on my Decades Challenge. To my delight Russell not only agreed to make his selections but he also picked my own favourite book which FINALLY makes it into my Library.

Russell Brown is the author of three novels: The Playground, War of the Wolves (book 1 of the Demon Gatekeeper Trilogy) and Chasing the Beast. Born in Sheffield during the Dark Ages, long before there were such things as smart phones and the internet, he now lives in Scotland, spending his time writing, avoiding doing any real work and digging holes.

You can follow Russell on Twitter @brown_author and Facebook @russellbrownauthor

Copies of his books can be purchased at all good book shops (real and online) or via the publisher’s website https://www.blkdogpublishing.com/

You can find him on Goodreads too: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16357816.Russell_Brown

DECADES

1960s
Dune – Frank Herbert

I first read Dune as part of a project while a uni. I can’t remember what the project was, but the book left a big impression. I remember getting lost in the world of Arrakis and the tale of Paul Atreides and his journey on the desert plant. Despite being written over half a century ago the book remains fresh, covering big issues we can all relate to like climate change, poverty, equality, and greed. Not to mention everyone’s favourites: love and revenge.

1970s
Falling Angel – William Hjortsberg

I’m a huge horror fan and Falling Angel is one of the best horror novels I’ve read. It’s a dark, suspense-filled roller coaster ride of a story, exposing the reader to the darkness that lives in all our souls. Harry Angel is an anti-hero, but you don’t realise this until well into the story and long after you’ve invested in his character. At the same time this book manages to be a true crime, New York detective story – based partly in the American deep south and a journey into the occult – go figure. Oh, and watch out for Louis Cyphre.

1980s
IT – Stephen King

I was given a copy of IT as a Christmas present from my brother when I was 16. I can still remember that amazing new book smell even now. I’m a big King fan and this is one of his best. Like all his novels it considers a vast swath of issues from friendship and family to bullying and racism. But it’s the undertow that gets you. Those hidden stories King loves to reveal bit by bit. Here it’s the idea of that hidden evil, often ignored and sometimes encouraged by adults, that lurks in every town. Agatha Christie’s wonderful Miss Marple, once said, ‘In an English village, you turn over a stone and have no idea what will crawl out.’ It’s the same here only this time the evil has a name – Pennywise the Clown.

1990s
Chocolat – Joanne Harris

In my opinion Joanne Harris is one of the best writers this country has ever produced and she’s from Yorkshire too, the lucky soul. I salivate every time I read Chocolat. The descriptions of food and drink and particularly chocolate, in the novel, are amazing. I swear I can smell the steaming cups of hot chocolate Vianne makes in her chocolaterie when I’m reading the book. I fully recommend reading this on a full stomach. But it’s not just a story about food, Harris’s characters are full of life and the little French town of Lansquenet sous-Tannes is as real as any you could ever visit. Like all good stories there’s a little twist or two as well. One of them is under the surface from the very beginning. Read the book and see if you notice it. I didn’t until I watched the film!

2000s
The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins

I love books that take a well-trodden path and find a new way to walk down it. The Hunger Games is definitely one of those. At first it seems like yet another teenage dystopian fantasy story. But look closer and you’ll fine it’s much more than that. Imagine a world where we must subject our children to the possibility of a gruesome death, just to survive? And that’s the starting point! Those familiar subjects are there again, family, friendship, loyalty, and love. But they are set against a backcloth of dictatorship, cruelty, suppression, and death. Oh, let’s not forget greed, that’s there too. You’re automatically drawn to comparisons with Nazi Germany, but these issues are unfortunately alive and kicking today, as we’ve seen recently in Syria and Iraq. The central character, Katniss Everdeen, is a hard-nosed survivor who you route for from the very beginning. But there’s subtlety in her too and she slowly falls for her companion and rival Peeta Mellark. It’s one of those rare books that you can’t put down until you reach the end. Or the second book of the series in this case.

After 13 months of Decades it is hard to believe that Chocolat and The Hunger Games are only just making their debut. Five cracking selections and my sincere thanks to Russell for his patience and his wonderful choices.

DECADES WILL RETURN