Something weird in your neighbourhood? You better call Tigerman. Or possibly just Nick Harkaway

What is the connection between Twitter, the CIA, Graham Greene, crowdsourced space elevators and superheroes with secret identities?

The answer is author Nick Harkaway, who was a guest in Abingdon on Wednesday, and who took us on a prodigiously entertaining journey between how all these links led up to his latest book ‘Tigerman’.

The evening felt like being taken on rollercoaster of thoughts and ideas, but then so does reading his books.

‘Tigerman’ is an impressively intelligent novel of big thinking, search for purpose, international shenaningans, multiple identities, fatherhood and explosive action.

It is the story of burnt-out soldier Lester Ferris, sent to the ends of the earth and the island of Mancreu, who may possibly oversee the end of the world.

Nick was a screenwriter for ten years before becoming a novelist – and the restriction of screenwriting led almost directly to the delight of him being able to give full reign to his imagination in writing in a medium where nothing is impossible to film or to find a budget for.

Perhaps no surprise then that his first two books were packed full of breakneck plotting, shadow worlds, ninjas, mechanical bees and near-planetary destruction. He doesn't so much push the boundaries of genre, he kind of bends them to his will, moving between science fiction and literary fiction. In doing so, his novel ‘Angelmaker’ won him the Kitschies Red Tentacle award (which goes to books that "elevate the tone" of genre fiction) –  for the most intelligent, progressive and entertaining speculative novel of the year.

‘Tigerman’ is placed more firmly in reality, which, in a way, makes it more frightening. Set in a post-colonial world and an island on the verge of environmental collapse, Mancreu has become home to all the worst things in the world: the notorious, the powerful, the criminal – the natural home of everything from drug barons to extraordinary rendition and torture.

International forces agree that the best solution for Mancreu is obliteration, but when Lester teams up with a small local boy it becomes as much a novel about the need to humanise and our responsibilities to the next generation, as it does about power and the price of eternal vigilance.

It's a joyous rollercoaster for the reader, but - as Nick tells it - probably way more fun to write. ‘Tigerman’ is a seriously impressive novel. A sincere 'thank you' to Nick for making our evening just as seriously impressive - and a great deal of fun. As one of our audience said '"I fell like my brain has been given a massage - and I mean that in a good way".

During the evening we managed a big discussion about the joys - and horrors - of social media, particularly Twitter. Via plenty of commentary on technology - and his book 'The Blind Giant' - Nick explained his accessibility online, and his love of the micro-blogging world (the power of now - 'hey, let's crowdsource a space elevator'). We talked about power, its ludicrousness, and how Nick's experience of firing a handgun for the first time led him to think 'this is too easy to be this powerful and dangerous'. As we had a father's day theme, we touched very briefly on his famous father (and we were secretly delighted at how many of the audience didn't know) and ended up on a nice discussion about how he does a nice line in romance - and love - which runs subtly through all his writing.

This was our first event in the newly refurbished Crown and Thistle in Abingdon, and a huge thank you to them for looking after us brilliantly - we will definitely be doing more events here. It was a sublime venue for such a thrilling rollercoaster of an evening.

Buy Dad A Real Book - the Mostly Books Father's Day Collection 2014

Sunday June 15 is indeed Father's Day, and once again we're suggesting you 'Buy Dad A Real Book'. Get him to switch off the gadgets, drop off the grid and rediscover the joy of reading.

(And if Dad is one of those people who needs solid research to provide motivation, you can point him to recent findings that show reading makes you smarter and reduces stress. So there.)

So today we unveil our 2014 Father's Day Collection, the fourth year we've done this, and when there are so many great books being published, it’s a hideous job trying to whittle it down to just a dozen books.

Who said bookselling was easy, eh?

Some of our favourite titles of the year already – such as ‘The Martian’ and Mick Herron’s ‘Dead Lions’ haven’t made the list below, because I think we’ve already pressed these books into everyone’s hands already – but here is our collection for 2014.

And what better book to start with than one that has a (sort-of) father-son relationship at its heart?

'Tigerman' by Nick Harkaway is the story of Lester Ferris, fragile army sergeant put in charge of winding down British interests in the colonial territory of Mancreu. The island is under UN control, because of a menacing industrial toxic legacy deemed to pose a global threat – in short, it’s scheduled for termination, an extreme form of ‘deep cleaning’ which means evacuation - and abandonment. Lester develops a strong bond with a mysterious street-kid, steeped in Internet jargon and comic-book philosophy, and – in the absence of any identifiable family – he fosters dreams of adoption, of becoming the father the boy doesn’t seem to have. But when dark forces threaten the boy, and the island threatens to go postal in the face of its imminent demise, Lester must - reluctantly, inevitably - take an heroic path, and the way he does this is unexpected, brilliantly realised and utterly thrilling.

Exploring the machinations of power, the possibilities (good and ill) of technology and the real responsibilities and challenges of parenthood - this is intellectual entertainment of the highest order.

(And we have signed first editions in the shop after our excellent event on June 11)

A genuine colossus next, and Stephen King’s long-time-coming sequel to The Shining. In ‘Dr Sleep’ (just out in paperback) Danny Torrance has grown up to be a drunk, using his addiction to alcohol to block his supernatural abilities. But then his life starts to change again when he is contacted by Abra, a young girl who has a very strong "shining". Enter the True Knot, a travelling band of vampire-like people who prolong their lives by feeding on "steam", a kind of life essence possessed by those who have the shining.

This is a fitting sequel to King’s original, with the master keeping you enthralled right to the very end. Julia’s verdict on this: ‘Unputdownable’.

If word-play is Dad’s thing, then we suggest Michael Rosen’s ‘Alphabetical’ – a sort of social history of the alphabet. Ever wondered about letters and the alphabet? Where they came from, where we came up with the spellings and 'rules'? (Q must always be seen next to U?). Why does ‘X’ mark the spot when it can be replaced by Z?

Everything and anything about letters can be found in this clever and funny book, written with the humour and word-play of one of our most talented authors and poets. A perfect gift for a wordsmith.

You could argue we are living in a golden age of nature writing at the moment, and for the second year running we include a gem of a book from Robert Macfarlane - 'Holloway'. In July 2005, Macfarlane and the late Roger Deakin walked the landscape of Southern Dorset, the ‘Hollow Ways’ where centuries of horses hooves, rain, footfall and wheel rubbing have carved out these sunken paths.

Macfarlane revisits his walk with artist Stanley Donwood and writer Dan Richards, and this book – with its haunting sketches – is both beautiful and poignant as Macfarlane revisits the earlier journey with his good friend.

In 1664, horticulturalist and diarist John Evelyn published 'Sylva', the first comprehensive study of British trees, and the first book ever published by the Royal Society, four years after the granting of its royal charter.

To celebrate its 'Sesquarcentennial' (that's a 350th anniversary in case you were wondering) Dr. Gabriel Hemery (forest scientist and author) and Sarah Simblet (tutor at The Ruskin School of Art and a lecturer at the National Gallery) have created 'The New Sylva', a sumptuously illustrated collection which seeks to explain and describe our most important trees, and what they really mean to us culturally, environmentally and economically.

If Dad likes the odd film (particularly a science fiction film) then Imogen recommends ‘Outer Limits’ by Howard Hughes. From ‘Star Trek’ To ‘Forbidden Planet’, ‘The Matrix’ to ‘Moon’, this is the ultimate film guide for any science-fiction fan.

The perfect excuse to dig out a ‘classic’ film that you either missed, or feel deserves being watched again, or just because you enjoy experiencing aliens taking over the world. A top gift for Father’s Day...

Of course, if we did fend off those aliens, and had to rebuild society from scratch, how might we do it? Start with securing food, or finding weapons? Forging metals or building houses? In ‘The Knowledge’, Lewis Dartnell gets back-to-basics in this readable, enjoyable well thought-through look at how we might rebuild civilization (in a world where plenty of people start freaking out if their Internet fails). 

Described by Nature as the “Ultimate do-it-yourself guide to rebooting human civilization", Dad will be in a position to lead in the event of an asteroid strike, viral pandemic...or zombie apocalypse.

Food will be a big deal after any civilization collapse, and I think I’d want Tom Kerridge on my team to feed everyone. Tom is the only chef in Britain to gain two Michelin stars working on a pub, and ‘Tom Kerridge’s Proper Pub Food’ collects together his best recipes to recreate that authentic – but high quality – gastopub experience.

If Dad likes to trash, (I mean, experiment in) the kitchen occasionally to wow the family, this book is packed with great ideas.

Action-packed, fast-moving thrillers don’t come much more satisfying than ‘I Am Pilgrim’, the debut novel by legendary screenwriter Terry Hayes (whose writing credits include the Mad Max movies and Dead Calm). ‘Pilgrim’ is the codename of Scott Murdoch, adopted son of a wealthy American couple, and member of the above-top-secret ‘The Department’ – which polices the actions of other US spies. Having anonymously written the ultimate book on forensic examination, he may have unwittingly allowed ‘the perfect murder’ to take place – and the NYPD need his help to solve it. But soon there are bigger, world-threatening activities taking place as a terrorist, known only as ‘The Saracen’, plans a frighteningly plausible attack on the United States.

If you like your techno-thrillers weighty (in every sense), fast-paced, densely plotted, and nerve-shreddingly plausible – this is the real deal.

‘One Summer’ by Bill Bryson was one of our favourite books of last year, and it’s just out in paperback. Bryson is an American writer that we Brits have adopted (and he us). ‘One Summer’ is another fabulously entertaining adventure, this time examining his native America through the lens of the iconic Summer of 1927 when America truly stepped out of the shadows of ‘old Europe’ to take its place amongst the world’s great nations.

It’s a heady concoction of the birth of talking pictures, a biblical flood, Henry Ford, Al Capone, Babe Ruth, Charles Lindbergh – and work starting on Mount Rushmore. All are given the Bryson treatment – it’s witty, energetic and full of surprises.

In 1982, Simon Parkes (aged 23) paid £1 for a derelict building in Brixton, and over the next fifteen years turned it into Britain's most iconic music venue. Together with musician and author JS Rafaeli, he has written the definitive history of the venue in ‘Live At The Brixton Academy’.

This is everything you want from a memoir (the excess, the risks, the triumphs and disasters) but it’s also a riotous trip through 30 years of British music. Honestly, we think this is the best music book to have come out for years – if Dad has a secret gig-filled past, he’s going to love this book...

This was in last year’s collection, but John Le Carre’s latest book ‘A Delicate Truth’ is now out in paperback – and it’s a cracker. Operation Wildlife, a top-secret mission to the rock of Gibraltar, involving CIA, special forces, and a cast of spooks familiar to his regular readers goes horribly wrong. Three years later and one of the soldiers involved reveals that the government has buried the truth. Once the cat is out of the bag, the tempo and tone becomes progressively relentless and angry.

This is a tale of service and loyalty alongside deception and cover-up. A classic Le Carre novel that has you longing for the truth to be declared.

That's your twelve. But let's make it a round Baker's. Because if there is one book that captures the essence of a) being a Dad, b) thinking you have no time to read, c) the absurdities of modern working life, and d) the transformative, life-affirming and utterly amazing things that can happen when you rediscover reading, it is Andy Miller's heartwarming, irreverent and very funny memoir 'The Year of Reading Dangerously'.

One Dad, fifty books, a life transformed. Books can change (and save) your life - Andy Miller has the proof!

(Want more ideas? Come and ask us in the shop, or pop us an email for a recommendation. Takes a look how our recommends differered in 2013, 2012 and 2011. And we can thoroughly recommend heading over to ReadItDaddy for more Dad-powered inspiration to boot...)

Tigers, Rats and Reading Dangerously - the BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub

The bookclub on Monday was unashamedly about Father's Day and the inevitable approach of THE SUMMER. There was also a book about the ownership of cheese, which was as subversive a children's picture book as you will ever read, by the brilliant Alexis Deacon and Viviane Schwarz...

We talked about Andy Miller's riotously funny zero-tolerance approach to 'not having read the classics' in 'The Year of Reading Dangerously', Tom Moore's 'Gironimo' and duking it our with Suggs' book to be crowned 'finest music memoir of the year' is 'Live At The Brixton Academy' by Simon Parkes.

There is also a fine interview with Nick Harkaway ahead of our event with him on Wednesday June 11.

There was a few naughty moment and a lot more sniggering than usual (I have to say) during this particular show, and you can listen to it here until Monday June 16.

Fast forward to about 1 hour 8 minutes to listen to the show in its entirety - Nick Harkaway's interview is at 1 hour 35 minutes...

Tigerman: An Evening with Nick Harkaway

On Wednesday, June 11 at 7pm we are delighted to welcome author Nick Harkaway (author of Angelmaker and The Blind Giant) to a special evening event at The Crown and Thistle, Abingdon to talk about his new latest novel Tigerman.

We think it's going to be a fabulous evening, and you should definitely come along, and Mark is going to explain exactly why:

"As an indie bookseller, there are plenty of authors you discover, enjoy and recommend. But then there are those authors where readers rush back into the shop thanking you for helping them make a marvellous discovery. You want everyone to discover these authors, and tell their friends. These are the authors that remind you why you chose the path of being an indie bookseller in the first place, that caused your mother to weep, your bank manager to sorrowfully shake his head. The authors that get you up in the morning despite the tiredness and bad dreams (particularly that one of Jeff Bezos emerging from the sea off Toyko).

"Nick Harkaway is one of those authors. And I'm delighted he's coming to Abingdon for what promises to be a fantastic book event. And the fact that it's taking place in Abingdon's newest, most splendid venue where they serve good beer is an added bonus."

Nick will be in conversation with Mark, talking about his new novel Tigerman. Tickets cost £4, the entire ticket is redeemable against a purchase of Tigerman on the night, there will be a dedicated real-ale bar, you'll have a chance to meet Nick and get your book signed. It's four days before Father's Day, which is a fabulous excuse to be at The Crown and Thistle on a school night.

Here's a bit more stuff about the author:

Nick Harkaway is the author of two previous novels and a non-fiction book about technology and how it affects us. Tigerman is his third novel. He won the Oxfam Emerging Writer prize at the Hay Festival in 2012 for Angelmaker and The Blind Giant, and Angelmaker was recently awarded the Red Tentacle at the Kitschies (awarded for the most intelligent, progressive and entertaining novel); and was also shortlisted for the Clarke Award and the LA Times Book Prize.

This is what it says on his publisher's page:

He is a skier, a geek, a father and a husband, a failed martial artist (across a wide range of pugilistic disciplines), and wants to be like a cross between Stewart Brand and Jorge Luis Borges when he grows up. He is mildly noted for sartorial bravery and for his outrageous eyebrows.

He writes and commentates a lot about what technology means for us as humans (which are collected in his book 'The Blind Giant') and these themes permeate his novels, which feature ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, often up against powerful, unaccountable, shadowy organisations, sometimes involving kick-ass 90 year old female superspies...and ninjas.

'Tigerman' is the story of Lester Ferris, exhausted soldier, considered a safe pair of hands to wind down British interests in the post-colonial territory of Mancreu, with a frightening toxic industrial legacy, now under UN-control, ahead of its being wiped from the face of the Earth. But when Lester develops a strong bond with a mysterious street-kid, steeped in Internet jargon and comic-book ideas, and when dark forces threaten the boy, Lester must - reluctantly, inevitably - take a heroic path, and the way he does this is both unexpected and utterly thrilling.

Exploring the machinations of power, the possibilities (good and ill) of technology and the real responsibilities and challenges of parenthood - this is intellectual entertainment of the highest order.

So. Just to recap. Wednesday, June 11 at 7pm (for a 7.15pm start to let you get some drinks in). Nick Harkaway. The Crown and Thistle. Father's Day shennanigans. A fabulous evening. Be there. Tell your friends. Tweet them. Reserve your tickets here. Thank you.

Holding Out for a Hero: Tigerman, Pilgrim and Jin-Sung Jang - the BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub

When we are collecting together reviews of books, we often try to find a common theme (you can write catchier titles for your blog posts, if nothing else). And sometimes trying to find a theme between books is a fool's errand: hey, they're just different, get over it.

But for this Monday's BBC Radio Oxford Afternoon Bookclub the theme was easy: heroism. Six different books, all of them about featuring (and in one case, written by) heroes, young and old, classic and anti-.

You can listen to the programme until 19 May 2014 here - fast-forward to approximately 1 hour and 9 minutes (although, if you want to grab your hairbrush and air guitar, start the show a few minutes earlier, and rock out to Boston's 'More Than A Feeling'. to get you in the mood).

We're reviewing Terry Hayes' 'I Am Pilgrim', Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's sublime 'Americanah', the explosive expose of the North Korea leadership in 'Dear Leader' by Jin-Sung Jang, Holly Goldberg-Sloan's quirky yet powerful 'Counting by 7s' and European publishing sensation 'The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair' by Joel Dicker.

I'm also raving about my favourite book of the year so far, 'Tigerman' by Nick Harkaway. Nick is coming to Abingdon on June 11 for an event with Mostly Books which we are officially announcing tomorrow, but in the meantime, listen to what I have to say about this blisteringly original contemporary novel at about 1 hour and 41 minutes...

(And if this link has expired, take a look at our reviews of 'I Am Pilgrim' and Joel Dicker's novel on our 3-4-Friday spot a couple of week's ago.)

What's wrong with Peace, Love and Potatoes? Ten picks for (quirky and different) Valentine's Day Reading

If, like us, you think a book would make the perfect Valentine’s Day gift, then check out our list of favourite slushy (and a few not-so-slushy) reads.

You can’t go wrong with poetry as a gift and how could you go wrong with a poet who can find inspiration in anything from a Dalek to a potato? ‘Peace, Love & Potatoes’ is by John Hegley, surely Britain’s favourite comic comedian and a true original. The grandmother's loving albeit critical appraisal of a young grandchild's drawings is a comedy classic, and of course we have very fond memories of when John performed in our garden a couple of years ago...

One of Nicki’s favourite uplifting reads has been ‘The Cleaner of Chartres’ by Salley Vickers, a contemporary story about a cleaner who arrives unexpectedly in a French town and the lives she touches.

Mild Agnes has a secret past and when she falls foul of the town’s worst gossip, the life she had fought so long to leave behind her starts to catch up. Themes such as faith and love produce a heartwarming story about good intentions gone wrong and second chances. A lovely indulgent read.

'Fish Change Direction in Cold Weather' by Pierre Szalowski is a feelgood read that one of our booksellers, Bailey, says she will read again and again.

When a young boy’s parents break up he looks to the skies to

help. That night a terrible ice storm occurs in Canada causing chaos as power fails and supplies become scarce. ‘Fish Change Direction in Cold Weather’ captures a community in times of trouble and tests the theory that we do not determine the path of our lives, it is the people that cross our paths that do.

If something a little more nostalgic is just the thing ‘The Misinterpretation of Tara Jupp’ by Eva Rice is a swinging tale of a naive vicar’s daughter who gets on the giddy path of stardom.

Set in fifties Britain, rock'n' roll is sweeping away the old, even in the depths of Cornwall where sisters Tara and Lucy live, part of a big family in a rambling parsonage. But when both girls are given a chance to try their luck in London will it be Tara with the voice or beautiful Lucy who have the world at their feet?  A fabulously nostalgic feelgood novel.

If you prefer lyrical writing to happy endings ‘Orkney’ by Amy Sackville is the love story about a literature professor who can’t quite believe he has captured the heart of his beautiful student. Set on their honeymoon, he can’t shake the feelings that he simply won’t be able to keep her.

A blend of storytelling that bleeds into fantasy it’s a small gift of a novel (and a beautiful cover too).

The true-life love story told in ‘Three Things You Need to Know About Rockets‘ by Jessica Fox is full of fun moments in this fish-out-of-water memoir about a 26-year-old Californian who craves a change of scene to mend a broken heart.

When she finds herself in a town of just 1000 people on the west coast of Scotland it’s a cue to revel in gorgeous scenery, old castles and fresh air where pool parties with bikini-clad actresses are about as likely as traffic jams and smog.

She surprises the locals with her jogging, dislike of BBC radio and her request for 'matzo meal' at the Co-op. Will she be able to survive the culture shock or the Wigtown version of a bikini wax? Will the locals survive her introducing a talent show into their local literary festival? Will she be able to make sense of her dour Scottish host? And will it just be the scenery she falls in love with? A dreamy tale of unexpected adventures in the unlikeliest of places.

John O’Farrell is a master of comic writing and in his latest ‘The Man Who Forgot His Wife’ he turns his attentions to romance.

Losing his memory is a great starting point for Vaughan to re-evaluate his life as he can’t remember any of it. What could have ended up as a series of run-of-the-mill vignettes about blokes and relationships is actually a very romantic read. It’s a tribute to John O’Farrell’s skills as one of our finest comic writers, pulling off a genuinely laugh-out-loud funny book that nevertheless has real emotional depth about issues of men, middle age, and how marriages need to be worked at.

Julia has an unusual Valentine's recommend this year - involving, er, zombies. 'Warm Bodies' by Isaac Marion was a word-of-mouth hit when published in 2011, and made it onto the big screen just last week. Obviously, you need to be up for reading about zombies in the first place (i.e. undead creatures roaming around, general mayhem, eating people, etc.) but this story takes that premise and gives it an almighty (and very endearing) twist that serves to emphasise the important things that make us human. I won't go into the gory details here, but when 'R' (a zombie) kills Perry (a human) he starts to develop feelings for a girl Perry loved called Julia, saves her from being eaten by his fellow zombies and things start to change...

And for another brilliantly original twist on the romance novel - this time for teens - take a look at 'Neptune's Tears' by Susan Waggoner. Shortlisted for this year's Romantic Novel of the Year - Young Adult Romance Novel (part of the RoNAs), this takes a cracking romantic tale, placed smack-bang in the middle of a 23rd century dystopian future. And it really works.

‘Angelmaker’ by Nick Harkaway doesn’t have many romantic moments, but as we said at the start, not everyone wants a slushy read for Valentine’s Day. It is, however, a cracking technothriller, jumping between our time and world war two, which plays with ideas of technology, time, consciousness and what it means to be human.

There's also a very nasty baddy who is attempting immortality - and a kick-ass, nonagenarian superspy called Edie who may have accidentally triggered a 1950s doomsday machine. It was one of Mark's favourites from 2012 - and it has a huge chunk of good old-fashioned romance woven into the frenetic and gripping denouement... 

And this year we are delighted to be offering once again our tie-in treat with Fabulous Flowers. If you spend £25 on books this Valentine’s Day we will present you with a simply divine, finest long-stemmed red rose to give to the person of your choosing.

As ever, if you want recommendations we would be delighted to help – send us an email if you’ll find it difficult to come in yourself – or send us a tweet - and we’ll do our very best to come up with a top read for you.