Funniest book of the year
this is going to hurt - adam kay
2019 was in book terms a barrel of laughs with many books raising more than the odd smile. To read three very funny books though was an absolute joy.
Peter Crouch making fun of himself and other footballers was glorious, Eleanor is the next Bridgette Jones but there is something about medicine and comedy and nothing was ever going to beat the funniest book I have read in years. Like a great stand up comic Adam knew exactly where the line of decency was...and how to cross it for maximum comic effect.
Peter Crouch making fun of himself and other footballers was glorious, Eleanor is the next Bridgette Jones but there is something about medicine and comedy and nothing was ever going to beat the funniest book I have read in years. Like a great stand up comic Adam knew exactly where the line of decency was...and how to cross it for maximum comic effect.
runners up
How to be a footballer - peter crouch
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eleanor oliphant is completely fine -
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sports book of the year
a boy in the water - tom gregory
I like almost every sport and have read a wide range of books over the years but even I was a bit unsure about picking up a book about a boy swimming the English Channel. Not only was it a captivating, heartfelt story which in the age of health and safety will never be repeated but it was chatty, funny and nostalgic in the spirit of Peter Kay's "Carshare". A total joy which i'll always remember.
Back from the Brink is a tale of success, excess and personal demons while The Boy in the Shed's writing is subtle and textured and a tale of never giving up. Both worthy runners up.
Back from the Brink is a tale of success, excess and personal demons while The Boy in the Shed's writing is subtle and textured and a tale of never giving up. Both worthy runners up.
runners up
back from the brink - paul mcgrath
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the boy on the shed -
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story of the year
becoming - michelle obama (Audio book)
This is usually an award dominated by fiction but I love great biographies and the biggest of the last couple of years by far is Michelle Obama's "Becoming". Selling out the O2 in London may never be done again by an author. I wanted something uplifting to listen to during the long and very wet night sleeping out in Reading Abbey ruins in aid of amazing homeless charity Launchpad and it was better than I could of hoped despite all the great reviews. From the poor streets of Chicago to 8 years in the White House it is an amazing journey told with candid honesty. Read by Michelle herself just added to its brilliance and the crack in her voice when talking about the death of her father brought a tear to my eyE. A book for everyone who wants the world to be a better, fairer place.
runners up
the cut out girl - bart van es
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wolf hall - hilary mantel
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best contribution to knowledge
the age of surveillance capitalism - shoshana zuboff
Deciding on a winner has been so tough I almost gave in like the Booker judges and awarded two, but copping out like that spoils the fun! So after very nearly giving it to The Uninhabitable Earth for its searing first half and for it being the most important issue facing humanity EVER, I changed my mind. I am not sure any book has increased my understanding of the world in 500 pages and it is crafted with such passion and infectious enthusiasm that I agree with the critics that this is a seminal book about our internet age.
runners up
the secret barrister
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the uninhabitable earth - david wallace-wells
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the best part of ordinary
the salt path - raynor winn
This award is very special I think it is so important to stop and appreciate how amazing ordinary life is. To remember what is actually important even when, or maybe especially when life feels shit. Sometimes I wish you could judge a book by its cover. The Salt Path takes us to a place of a couple not so older than me facing homelessness and incurable illness two of the greatest fears. It should be a tragedy but instead it is an uplifting story of finding solace and connecting with each other and the coastal path. It is one of those stories that makes you want to turn over last thing at night and tell your partner that you love them, to go explore and appreciate that life is a journey and the bumps can be hard but staying true to yourself can bring amazing rewards.
runners up
poverty safari - darren mcgarvey
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no barriers - erik weihenmayer
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book of the year
wolf hall - hilary mantel
What an amazing year of books 2019 was. There were sooo many great books that I can recommend without question. Milkman didn't make it on any of the awards and yet the insight into Northen Ireland, the bravery of the writing meant that I thougbt it deserved the Booker Prize and all the book sales. There was also somehow no space for Margaret Atwood's The Handsmaid Tale whose sequel won this years Booker Prize and is already on my list to read for 2021.
Wolf Hall though has to be read to be believed. From the opening page to the last it effortlessly captivates, no sentence is wasted and the story flows so consistently throughout. It is a total joy, a timeless classic that can be read by anyone, anytime.
Wolf Hall though has to be read to be believed. From the opening page to the last it effortlessly captivates, no sentence is wasted and the story flows so consistently throughout. It is a total joy, a timeless classic that can be read by anyone, anytime.
runners up
this is going to hurt - adam kay
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becoming - michelle obama
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