Interview with Brian O'Connell, author of The Personals
I had the pleasure of speaking with Brian O'Connell, author of The Personals, about some of his favourite books this week. Brian was kind enough to answer the questions below to share with you all. Before jumping into the interview, please do check out Brian's new book The Personals:
Review From Book Depository: The Personals reveals how classified ads are not just a few commercial lines of text in print or online - they can be a treasure trove of fascinating human stories; stories of love, loss, loneliness, redemption and hope.
(All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing)
The Personals: The human stories behind the small ads
Buy On:
Book Depository €12.47
Waterstones £12.99
Amazon UK £9.35
Amazon US $14.99
Q. Do you have a favourite smart thinking book (and why that book)?
There are a lot of books over the years which have changed the way I think or deepen my understanding of issues. One book that stands out though is Christopher Hitchens Hitch-22. While not perfect or without criticism in some of his opinions, when viewed as a whole his body of work in this book is really impressive. It's a memoir, but is utterly candid and captures a lot of what made him stand out - the fact he could be both infuriating and engaging at the same time! Not many people can pull that off!
Hitch 22: A Memoir
Review From Book Depository: In this long-awaited and candid memoir, Hitchens re-traces the footsteps of his life to date, from his childhood in Portsmouth, with his adoring, tragic mother and reserved Naval officer father; to his life in Washington DC, the base from which from he would launch fierce attacks on tyranny of all kinds. Along the way, he recalls the girls, boys and booze; the friendships and the feuds; the grand struggles and lost causes; and the mistakes and misgivings that have characterised his life.
Buy On:
Book Depository €12.19 Waterstones £12.99 Amazon UK £9.11 Amazon US $18.67(All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing)
Q. What's the most recent smart thinking book you've read?
Because I have been writing this past year I haven't had as much time to read as I would like. But as part of the research for my book, The Personals, I read a book by HG Cocks called Classified - The Secret History of the Personals Column. It was a fascinating insight into the hidden history of those who use the classified ads from the 18th century onwards in their search for love.
Classified: The Secret History of the Personal Column
Review From Book Depository: From the 'sporty' girls and 'artistic' boys of the Edwardian era to the 'lonely' soldiers of the Great War, the marriage bureaux of the fifties, and on to the internet dating sites of today, Classified tells the story of those who used personal ads to search for love, friendship, marriage and adventure.
Buy On:
Book Depository €9.87 Waterstones £8.99 Amazon UK £8.99 Amazon US $12.11(All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing)
Q. Do you have a favourite childhood book?
The one that stands out is by Enid Blyton called The Children of Cherry Tree Farm. I'm reading it to my 5 year old at the moment and it's a thrill to see him getting the same delight from it that I did.
The Cherry Tree Farm Story Collection
Review From Book Depository: Enid Blyton's timeless collection of farm stories, perfect for holidays or rainy days, and an ideal gift for anyone who loved the stories during their own childhood to pass on to the next generation of readers. This collections brings together some of Enid Blyton's earliest and most imaginative stories - The Children of Cherry Tree Farm (1940) and two further stories about the same children, The Children of Willow Farm (1942) and More Adventures at Willow Farm (1943).
Buy On:
Book Depository €9.55 Waterstones £8.99 Amazon UK £6.47 Amazon US $15.53(All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing)
Q. Do you prefer reading on paper, Kindle or listening to an audiobook?
I'm old fashioned, and because I'm in front of a screen for a lot of the day I like to read on paper.
Q. Do you have a favourite bookshop (and why that shop)?
If I can name two - in Cork I love Waterstones on Patrick Street because I began buying books there when in university and now I'm buying my children their books there so the shops contains all sorts of memories for me. The other shop I love is the Ennis Book Shop because they have such a strong commitment to local writers.
Many thanks to Brian for taking the time to answer my questions and please don't forget to look into his great new book The Personals.
Daryl
Image Copyrights: HarperCollins Publishers (The Personals), Atlantic Books (Hitch-22), Cornerstone (Classified), Hachette Children's Group (The Cherry Tree Farm Story Collection)
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