The Book List
Best books . . . chosen by Alex James
Alex James is a farmer, a journalist, and the bassist for the band Blur. His memoir, Bit of a Blur, was recently published by Little, Brown.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson (Dover, $3). Stevenson created the two best villains in literature: Mr. Hyde and Long John Silver—both irresistible, but terrible. The best fiends are those you can’t spot immediately. This is a cracking story, and Stevenson wrote the first draft in just three days.
The Complete Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales (Gramercy, $15). I’ve rediscovered these stories while reading them to my son. Andersen’s genius is his ability to write odd endings; sometimes you can’t tell if they’re happy or sad. Although the stories are only about three pages long, they conjure up huge worlds full of color.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome (Penguin, $4). A charming and funny novel about three men and a dog, boating on the Thames. It has no grand premise, it’s just three blokes pissing around. Although it seems whimsical, it is, in fact, about the epic struggle of everyday life—of trying to have friends and to do something you want to do.
Vile Bodies by Evelyn Waugh (Back Bay, $15). This portrait of the 1920s celebrity scene shows nothing’s changed. The insider view of glamour reveals how tawdry and precarious it all is. It shows the chaos and madness of being a socialite and is both funny and tragic.
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote (Vintage, $13). You can outgrow books, but this has stayed with me as the ideal love story. It’s a brilliant picture of unrequited love, which is the most powerful and perfect kind.
On the Shores of the Unknown by Joseph Silk (Cambridge, $40). I’m reading this book about the beginning and end of the universe at the moment, and it’s channeling me into cosmic ecstasy. It says, roughly, that nobody has any idea where we come from, who we are, or where we’re going.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Are 'judge shopping' rules a blow to Republicans?
Today's Big Question How the abortion pill case got to the Supreme Court
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Climate change is driving Indian women to choose sterilization
under the radar Faced with losing their jobs, they are making a life-altering decision
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
'A great culture will be lost if the EV brigade gets its way'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
Keith O'Brien's 6 must-read books about significant moments in sports history
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Laura Hillenbrand, Jonathan Eig and more
By The Week US Published
-
Lauren Oyler's favorite collection of essays that will leave you deep in thought
Feature The author recommends works by Elif Batuman, Mark Greif, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Rebecca Serle's 6 favorite books about interpersonal relationships
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by J.D. Salinger, Dolly Alderton, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Cristina Henríquez's 6 popular books with historical themes
Feature The novelist recommends works by Min Jin Lee, Kurt Vonnegut, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Mark Greaney's 6 favorite suspenseful books about espionage
Feature The author recommends works by Tom Clancy, John le Carré, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Hisham Matar's 6 favorite books that are part of a collection
Feature The Pulitzer Prize-winning author recommends works by Jean Rhys, Michael Ondaatje, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Yangsze Choo's 6 favorite works about love and human connection
Feature The best-selling author recommends works by Cho Nam-Joo, Hiro Arikawa and more
By The Week US Published
-
Kwame Alexander's 6 must-read books about the art of poetry
Feature The poet recommends works by E.E. Cummings, Clint Smith and more
By The Week US Published