David Goodman on not being able to get through Ulysses, how Iain Banks inspired him, and the books of his childhood.
The first book I remember reading:
If we’re talking children’s books, it’s probably Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, which I read dozens of times with my parents. But the first prose book was probably The Hobbit, although I had to have a few attempts to get past the spiders of Mirkwood, since they were pretty scary.
A book I recommend to everyone:
Ten Low by Stark Holborn (and their sequels) a lot – they are extremely atmospheric and exciting books set on a distant desert moon and got me out of a big reading slump a few years ago.
The best book I have read in this year:
All The Colours Of The Dark a month or so ago because I was interviewing Chris Whitaker in Edinburgh for his paperback tour and it absolutely lived up to the hype. Intense, immersive and chock-full of some of the most gleaming prose I’ve read in years.
The book I am most looking forward to:
David McCloskey’s next book The Persian – it’s a new cast of characters from his first three books, but he’ll be bringing his trademark verisimilitude as an ex-CIA analyst who specialised in the Middle East during his intelligence career.
A book I didn’t finish:
It’s a shameful thing to admit for an English Literature graduate, but I couldn’t get through Ulysses by James Joyce – never finished it at university and it took me three house moves before I finally admitted I should probably donate my copy.
An author that has inspired me:
Iain Banks, for several reasons. We’re from a similar part of the world, for starters, and I was astonished that someone who lived in rainy North Queensferry, just across the estuary from where I grew up, could write such an incredible range of work. Plus I loved the way he switched genres and was able to write both compelling literary fiction and mind-blowing speculative work, while still having a recognisable voice as an author throughout.
The book I am reading now:
The Hiroshima Men by Iain MacGregor as I’m interviewing him for his launch tour. It’s a fascinating and multi-layered look at the key players and dynamics that led to the first atomic bombing. It’s a tough read in places, but it’s a great example of well-written narrative history.
A Reluctant Spy by David Goodman (Headline Books) is out now. It has been shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize and the winner will be revealed on the opening day of the Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival in Stirling on Friday 12 September.
Read more of The Good Books here.
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