Book Chat

Wokingham Borough Council Library colleagues recommend some of the books they have enjoyed recently. Titles are available to borrow or reserve at https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/search-renew-and-reserve-items/

Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found by Cheryl Strayed

Wild is the author’s real-life account of how, following the death of her mother and subsequent break up of her marriage, she realised that she needed to make a drastic change to the way she was living her life.  She decides to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, alone, to try to find her way back to the person she wants to be.

This is a searingly honest memoir, not just of Cheryl’s life on the Trail with all of its glory and hardship, but of how her life led her to the decision to hike at all.  She reflects in detail on her unconventional upbringing, the harrowing death of her mother and the path of self-destruction that she embarked upon as a result.  It is not an easy read and at times is utterly heart-breaking, particularly as the grief that Cheryl feels carries so clearly throughout the book, but it’s a reminder that we don’t perhaps always make the best decisions in life but ultimately they lead us to who we are now.

Should We Stay or Should We Go by Lionel Shriver

Should We Stay or Should We Go is the story of Cyril and Kay, a GP and nurse respectively, who decide that they do not want to age to the point of infirmity.  Their decision is driven by witnessing the agonising and slow decline of Kay’s father.  Comfortably still in their fifties, they make a pact that they will end their lives, together, when they reach the age of 80.  Having made their pact, they put it out of their minds and enjoy their lives.  Until they turn eighty.

The format of this book is very interesting.  Shriver explores a wide range of possible outcomes of Cyril and Kay’s pact, and each chapter deals with a different scenario.  These range wildly from fairly predictable to some very interesting and unforeseen results!  One thing that they all have in common is Shriver’s dark – and sometimes controversial – way of looking at the world, but there is so much humour too.  Interestingly it’s one of the few novels I’ve read recently where the pandemic is tackled head on and is an integral part of the plot.  Definitely a book that will make you think deeply about what life really means and just how much, or little, control we really have over our destinies.

Hungry: A Memoir of Wanting More by Grace Dent

From a very early age, Grace Dent was hungry.  Family life growing up in a small town in Carlisle revolved around mealtimes, where the most food was beige and was never more exotic than ‘sketty’ eaten in front of the TV.  Grace yearned for more – not just food but to go somewhere bigger and better.  Grace takes us on the journey with her, from school dinners to fine dining as one of the country’s best known food critics.

This is a wonderfully honest account of what it was like to grow up in a family where money was scarce and mealtimes were quite possibly the highlight of the day.  It’s a fascinating social history, covering everything from the advent of large supermarkets and the internet to restaurants where they serve on anything and everything except plates.  Grace is self-deprecating and honest almost to a fault but so warm and funny it’s impossible not to like her.  This is not just her story, it’s the story of anyone who grew up when Findus crispy pancakes were the height of sophistication and eating at Wimpy was an evening out.

This Lovely City by Louise Hare

This is a debut novel set just after the end of the second World War when Lawrie, a talented jazz musician, arrives in London on the Empire Windrush. He has hopes of a brand new life but finds prejudice and intolerance everywhere he goes. Things take a devastating turn when Lawrie is implicated in the murder of a baby when he was merely an innocent bystander. This story recreates the atmosphere of post war London in a compelling way and also explores the racism that the Windrush generation had to endure.

Trio by William Boyd

It’s 1968, the momentous year that saw the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. A film is being shot in Brighton where we meet the trio of main characters whose lives become intertwined. They are Talbot Kydd, a film producer who is covertly gay, Elfrida Wing who is an alcoholic novelist with writer’s block and Anny Vikland, a drug dependent Hollywood starlet who is having an affair with her co star while also trying to escape the attentions of her ex-husband who is a convicted terrorist on the run. There is plenty of hilarious action as the novel unfolds. The period detail is great and gives a real sense of the times. It’s a really enjoyable read, with food for thought too.

Snow by John Banville

The novel opens with the discovery of the murder of a parish priest, Father Tom at Ballyglass House in County Wexford in 1957. Detective Inspector Strafford is called in from Dublin to investigate. This atmospheric story takes place around Christmas and contains evocative descriptions of snow, ice and the Winter cold. The Inspector faces obstruction on all sides but is determined to continue his investigations. There is an element of literary comedy with some of the conventions of crime fiction being sent up, but this story also has a serious side, focussing on the corrupt power of the catholic church in Ireland. As a crime writer John Banville is also known as Benjamin Black but for this novel, he has chosen to use his own name.

Book Chat -chilling tales for Autumn evenings

Here are some recommendations for chilling reading on those darker evenings. All books can be borrowed or reserved from Wokingham Libraries. Where indicated the titles are available on our digital App Libby, for details please go to https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/e-books/

A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins

Laura has spent most of her life being judged. She’s seen as hot-tempered, troubled, a loner. Some even call her dangerous. Miriam knows that just because Laura is witnessed leaving the scene of a horrific murder with blood on her clothes, that doesn’t mean she’s a killer. Bitter experience has taught her how easy it is to get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Carla is reeling from the brutal murder of her nephew. She trusts no one: good people are capable of terrible deeds. But how far will she go to find peace? Innocent or guilty, everyone is damaged. Some are damaged enough to kill – look what’s been started.

Mrs England by Stacey Halls

West Yorkshire, 1904. When newly graduated nurse Ruby May takes a position looking after the children of Charles and Lilian England, a wealthy couple from a powerful dynasty of mill owners, she hopes it will be the fresh start she needs. But as she adapts to life at the isolated Hardcastle House, it becomes clear there’s something not quite right about the beautiful, mysterious Mrs England. Ostracised by the servants and feeling increasingly uneasy, Ruby is forced to confront her own demons in order to prevent history from repeating itself. After all, there’s no such thing as the perfect family – and she should know. Simmering with slow-burning menace, ‘Mrs England’ is a portrait of an Edwardian marriage, weaving an enthralling story of men and women, power and control, courage, truth and the very darkest deception.

This is available as an ebook

We have always lived in the Castle By Shirley Jackson

Living in the Blackwood family home with only her sister Constance and her Uncle Julian for company, Merricat just wants to preserve their delicate way of life. But ever since Constance was acquitted of murdering the rest of the family, the world isn’t leaving the Blackwoods alone. And when Cousin Charles arrives, armed with overtures of friendship and a desperate need to get into the safe, Merricat must do everything in her power to protect the remaining family.

This is available as an ebook

Carrie by Stephen King

Carrie has the gift of telekinesis. To be invited to prom night by Tommy is a dream – the first step to social acceptance. But events take a turn on that night as Carrie is forced to exercise her terrible gift on the town that mocks and loathes her. This is  Stephen King’s debut novel about an outcast teenager with a frightening power which put him on the map and set him on his journey as a household name. Carrie White is no ordinary girl. Carrie White has the gift of telekinesis. To be invited to Prom Night by Tommy Ross is a dream come true for Carrie – the first step towards social acceptance by her high school colleagues. But events will take a decidedly macabre turn on that horrifying and endless night as she is forced to exercise her terrible gift on the town that mocks and loathes her . . .

The Haunting Season by Bridget Collins and others

Winter, with its unsettling blend of the cosy and the sinister, has long been a popular time for gathering by the bright flame of a candle, or the warm crackling of a fire, and swapping stories of ghosts and strange happenings. Now eight bestselling, award-winning authors – master storytellers of the sinister and the macabre – bring this time-honoured tradition to vivid life in a spellbinding collection of new and original haunted tales. From a bustling Covent Garden Christmas market to the frosty moors of Yorkshire, from a country estate with a dreadful secret, to a London mansion where a beautiful girl lies frozen in death, these are stories to make your hair stand on end, send shivers down your spine and to serve as your indispensable companion to the long nights of winter.

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

Everyone’s in danger. Anyone could be next.

An imposing, isolated hotel, high up in the Swiss Alps, is the last place Elin Warner wants to be. But she’s taken time off from her job as a detective, so when she receives an invitation out of the blue to celebrate her estranged brother’s recent engagement, she has no choice but to accept.

Arriving in the midst of a threatening storm, Elin immediately feels on edge. Though it’s beautiful, something about the hotel, recently converted 

from an abandoned sanatorium, makes her nervous – as does her brother, Isaac.

And when they wake the following morning to discover his fiancee Laure has vanished without a trace, Elin’s unease grows. With the storm cutting off access to and from the hotel, the longer Laure stays missing, the more the remaining guests start to panic.

But no-one has realized yet that another woman has gone missing. And she’s the only one who could have warned them just how much danger they’re all in . . .

The Haunting of Alma Fielding by Kate Summerscale

London, 1938. In the suburbs of the city, an ordinary young housewife has become the eye in a storm of chaos. In Alma Fielding’s modest home, china flies off the shelves, eggs fly through the air; stolen jewellery appears on her fingers, white mice crawl out of her handbag, beetles appear from under her gloves; in the middle of a car journey, a terrapin materialises on her lap. Nandor Fodor – a Jewish-Hungarian refugee and chief ghost hunter for the International Institute for Psychical Research – reads of the case, and hastens to the scene of the haunting. But when Fodor starts his scrupulous investigation, he discovers that the case is even stranger than it seems. By unravelling Alma’s peculiar history, he finds a different and darker type of haunting: trauma, alienation, loss – and the foreshadowing of a nation’s worst fears.

Witch Hunt- Syd Moore

A chilling, haunting ghost story that delves into the dark past of the 16th century Essex witch trials.

Sadie Asquith has been fascinated by the dark past of Essex’s witch hunts for as long as she can remember. And for good reason: between 1560 and 1680, over 500 women were tried for witchcraft in the county of Essex. But as she researches a book on the subject, Sadie experiences strange, ghostly visions. She hears noises at night, a sobbing sound that follows her, and black moths appear from nowhere. It’s as if, by digging up the truth about the witch hunts, she has opened an unearthly connection to the women treated so cruelly and killed centuries before.

And something else in the modern world is after her too: Sadie is sure she’s being followed, her flat is burgled and she finds clues that reveal her own past isn’t all that she believed. Can she find peace for the witches of Essex’s history and can she find a safe path for herself?

Book Chat

Library colleagues share some favourites from their reading lists. These books are available to borrow from our libraries or where indicated via our ebooks service at https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/e-books

The comfort book by Matt Haig

My library reservation came at just the right time where I’ve needed some words of wisdom, the comfort of a hug and a reminder that in the darkest times hope comes from the most unexpected places.

The comfort book is a collection of philosophy, memoir and self-reflection that builds on the wisdom of philosophers and survivors through the ages.

This book celebrates the messy miracle of simply being alive. It is truly beautiful. Enjoyed every second reading, learning of peoples amazing stories (somewhere really moved me) making notes and playlists.

“It is a strange paradox, that many of the clearest, most comforting life lessons are learned while we are at our lowest”

This is also available as an ebook.

The Dry by Jane Harper

I’ve been listening to this novel and enjoying the twists and turns of this Australian thriller set in the drought blighted outback. The book starts with a gruesome murder where farmer Luke Hadler has apparently killed his family and also turned the gun on himself. But thing are not as they seem as federal agent Aaron Falk discovers as he returns to an area he left twenty years previously under a cloud, he too has secrets from his own past to face up to. This is a very atmospheric novel and perfectly conjures up small town life in the terrible heat of Australia.

This is also available as an eaudio book

Waiting for the Miracle by Anna McPartlin

Anna McPartlin’s latest novel Waiting for the Miracle makes for compulsive reading. Set in Ireland in 2010 and 1976, we hear the stories of four women who have fertility problems and other issues besides. In the earlier time period we also read about the story of Catherine who becomes pregnant while still at school and is shipped off against her will to a convent for unmarried mothers. The teenager is treated with cruelty and contempt by the nuns, and her baby is forcibly taken from her. Eventually she escapes but the experience leaves her with terrible mental scars. The author links the stories of the women from the different decades together with great skill, pathos and humour.

The Significant Others of Odie May by Claire Dyer

Odie May has popped out to the local shop to buy a bottle of her married lover Michael’s favourite wine to celebrate him leaving his wife when she is murdered by a woman in a lime green coat. Odie’s story does not end there as she wakes up in a celestial waiting room and is interviewed by the mysterious Carl Draper, her Initial Contact who invites her to relive events in her past life and relationships with her significant others. She is now forced to reappraise her life and the way she has treated others and to consider the person she might have been if she had made different choices.

This is a thoroughly intriguing and enjoyable read and is great on human relationships, once I had started it I couldn’t put it down!

Nomadland by Jessica Bruder

Nomadland is a brilliant account of the lives of older Americans who have abandoned a settled life through economic necessity and are forced to follow low paid seasonal work across the country. It depicts the madness of the American economy but also pays tribute to the resilience of its people who are determined to survive in almost hopeless situations. It is the inspiration for the film Nomadland starring Frances McDormand, winner of the Best Picture Oscar & the BAFTA for Best Film

This also available as an ebook.

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare

I’ve recently finished The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Dare, it’s quite a different read. Adunni is a Nigerian girl of 14 who is born into into a Nigerian rural village. Despite being “sold” into marriage with a much older man, Adunni is determined to speak up for herself. We follow her desperate journey as she escapes from the village and journeys to Lagos where yet more challenges await. Whatever happens to her she finds her “louding voice” and holds fast to her determination to continue her education, an inspiration to other girls in a similar situation. Definitely recommended, it is a very life affirming, positive read despite some dark episodes.

Hungry: a memoir of wanting more by Grace Dent

You may know Grace Dent from Masterchef where she is an occasional judge and she is also a well known food writer and restaurant critic for the Guardian. Hungry is the memoir of her life so far and her relationship with food, often hilarious and frequently poignant and thought provoking. Grace’s memoir of “wanting more” starts in Carlisle as she describes the every day food she relished as a child through her university career and then her attempts to climb the corporate media ladder in London in the nineties with all the “foodie” experience that went with that. She is then recalled to Carlisle to help support her her Mother who is suffering from cancer and her Father who has started to develop dementia. It is a celebration of food, modern life and family in our times and is a really engrossing and entertaining read.

Book Chat

Library colleagues share some favourites from their Summer reading lists. These books are available to borrow from our libraries or where indicated via our ebooks service at https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/e-books

My dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

This book was high up on my TBR list so was absolutely thrilled when this arrived in the library.

Vanessa Wye was fifteen years old when she first had sex with her English teacher. Now she is thirty-two and in the midst of allegations against powerful men in 2017, the teacher, Jacob Strane, has been accused of sexual abuse by another former student. Forced to rethink her past and revisit everything that happened, Vanessa has to redefine the great love story of her life-her sexual awakening-as rape. Dealing with the possibility that she may be a victim, and just one of many.

This is an uncomfortable, powerful and moving novel. One that is important and all should read. book has the power to change and shape the conversation around girls, women, abuse and victimhood.

Boy Queen by George Lester

Don’t be a drag just be a queen

Robin’s life is falling apart right in front of him. While his friends are preparing to head off to university, Robin is looking at a pile of rejection letters from drama schools up and down the country, facing a future without the people he loves the most. Everything seems like its ending.

Unsure of what to do next and whether he has the talent to follow his dreams, he and his best friends go to their local drag show. Robin realises there and then that there is a new path for him. Maybe a more sequined, glittered path.

With a boyfriend who won’t acknowledge him, a mother whose anxieties rubs off on Robin, and a best friend who is dying to cover him in glitter make up, there’s only one thing for Robin to do: bring it to the runway.

I loved this debut from George Lester.  Boy Queen is packed full of heart, humour, glamour, fun and so much joy.  A coming of age and coming into your own, with loveable main characters, wonderful friendships that feel so real. As well as celebrating the joy of being queer it also confronts homophobia and telling an honest relatable story about figuring out what is next. Loved this book so much that I created a Spotify playlist based on the songs that are played at Entity the club they love and other fabulous songs that celebrate Pride.

I am not your baby mother by Candice Brathwaite

When Candice fell pregnant and stepped into the whelm of motherhood, she found her experience bore little resemblance to the glossy magazine photos, always finding herself wondering where all the black mothers.

Candice started blogging about motherhood 2016 after making the simple but powerful observation that the way motherhood is portrayed in the British media is mis representing our society in a large scale.

This book is so important with what it addresses. It is thought-provoking, and this shows us the realities of what it means to be a black mother in Britain. It explores the stages in between pregnancy, to when you wave your child off at the school gate, all while facing the continual battle of white privilege, racial micro-aggression and unconscious bias at every stage.

This book is a must read for all. Candice’s refreshing sense of humour, heart and candid exploration, allows mothers like herself to be seen and heard. Candice is brilliant, and her work continues to inspire, spread black girl joy and more and more people who read her work, they too will be enlightened and educated.

The Crossing by Manjeet Mann

I fell in love with Manjeet’s writing when I read her debut YA novel ‘Run Rebel’, and I couldn’t wait to be transported into another world with her writing again.

Manjeet is an actress, playwright, screenwriter. She is also the founder of ‘Run The World’- an organisation that works with women and girls from marginalised backgrounds and helps to empower them through sport and storytelling.

The Crossing is where you meet Natalie and Sammy. Natalie has just lost her mother and her family are struggling financially, her brother is apart of a far-right gang, all whilst hearing of refugee’s desperation in the news. Her only escape is swimming. While Sammy was forced to flee his home and family in Eritrea for the chance of a new lie in Europe. Every step is into the unknown and unwelcoming territory.

This book, like Run Rebel is written in verse and I love how verse novels grab you with so few words, but really packs a punch. Its so powerful. These two teenagers come with very different experiences of the refugee crisis. Both perspectives are heart-breaking, captivating and leave you with much to think about. Despite our divisions, we are all connected and deserve to live, love, thrive and grow into our future.

Whilst this book is a work of fiction, unfortunately elements of Sammy’s journey is not. The Crossing is about loss, but also about hope, belonging, safety and acceptance. Its safe to say that I loved this book and Manjeet’s words and stories continue to inspire, move and sweep into my heart.

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

A winner of the Women’s Prize for fiction, Hamnet is the imagined story of Shakespeare’s family and his children living in Stratford Upon Avon in Elizabethan times. The novel begins by telling of the young life of Shakespeare and his courtship and marriage to Agnes who we know better as Anne Hathaway, an eccentric and other worldly woman who lives outside the norms of society. As the story progresses Shakespeare leaves his wife and young family, Susanna and twins Judith and Hamnet to pursue his career as playwright and theatre director in London. While he is away tragedy strikes when the twins are both struck down by the plague. This is a very vividly imagined account of what life might have been like for Shakespeare’s family. O’Farrell’s descriptions are intensely detailed and you almost feel that you are there and present in the scenes she describes. Highly recommended.

From Spare Oom to War Drobe: Travels in Narnia with my nine year-old self by Katherine Langrish

If you ever tried to get into Narnia through the back of a wardrobe when you were a child this book could be for you! Children and young people’s author Katherine Langrish has made the journey back through the books that enthralled her as a child in company with her nine year old self resulting in the publication of her book From Spare Oom to War Drobe. She is not uncritical of the writing, inevitably things strike her differently as an adult and there are aspects of the books that do not sit comfortably with twenty first century readers. However she manages to convey the absolute joy she felt and still feels about the seven Narnian tales. Langrish has conducted a great deal of research into the works that influenced C.S. Lewis as a writer, from Platonic theory and Greek myths to fairy tales, legends and medieval romances. It’s an extremely readable book and I can highly recommend it.

Book Chat

Try reading something different this Summer!

Library staff who are avid readers have recommended these titles for you. Where indicated they are available in our digital library at https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/e-books/

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune

Linus is an average guy working for a government organisation that surveys orphanages which house magical children to ensure they are well cared for, at least that is what Linus believes. When he is assigned a classified job, he travels to an island to an orphanage that houses six children. These children are one of a kind, viewed by non-magical folk as terrifying. It is Linus’s job to ensure these children are well cared for and are not causing trouble. The longer Linus stays at the orphanage the more he questions the government’s mission and wonders what it is the children really need. This was a slow, but beautiful read.  There is plot, but it is not at a fast pace.  The story revolves around the characters and how they grow throughout the story. It is a tale of overcoming hate, being true to yourself and finding the joy in life. It is a found family story and what a wonderful family it is! This is a hug in a book.

Exit West by Moshin Hamid

This is a story about a woman, Nadia and a man, Saeed who meet in their country on the brink of civil war.  They embark on a love affair, against the backdrop of their country’s unrest.  When war breaks out, their lives change to a world of bombs and checkpoints with no end in sight.

Rumours and whisperings begin of doorways appearing out of nowhere transporting people far away, away from war.  When tragedy strikes Nadia and Saeed have no choice and make the decision to leave through a doorway, despite them being guarded by militants and costing a lot of money. What happens after is a journey of uncertainty, loss and pain through a variety of countries.  It is an impactful read about the plight of refugees and migrants.  It is well-written and the fantastical element of the doors is woven very well into the narrative.

The Offing by Benjamin Myers

The Offing by Benjamin Myers, is set during the Summer after the end of the second world war. Sixteen year old Robert Appleyard leaves the mining village where he grew up in the north-east and starts walking south. He meets and stays with an older woman, Dulcie who lives in a ramshackle cottage near Robin Hood’s Bay. The book traces the story of their friendship and Dulcie’s previous life and relationship with another woman before the war. It also traces Robert’s progress from boyhood to adulthood. It’s a short but beautifully written, a lovely read with some beautiful descriptions of the natural scene. This is available as an ebook.

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke is a really intriguing, different read. Piranesi lives almost alone in another world, part classical building and part labyrinth, filled by thousands of statues and partly filled with sea water. He catalogues everything he finds there and the only person he has contact with is the Other who appears periodically and claims to be his friend. When Piranesi discovers that other people are arriving from a different world, he must find out who they are and what they want and decide if they are a threat to his existence. This is a great fantasy novel, very well written and thought provoking-it’s also on the short list for the Women’s Prize this year.

The Watermelon Boys by Ruqaya Izzidien

The Watermelon Boys by Ruqaya Izzidien is set mainly in Iraq during the first world war and afterwards. It tells the story of Ahmad who join the British forces to fight to expel the Turks, only to find that the British intend to impose their own rule on the country in the most ruthless manner. He crosses paths with a Welsh soldier, Carwyn, who fought at Gallipoli but has little sympathy with the British policy in the region. It illuminated a period in history that I knew very little about and it is also a really human story of how ordinary people and families can be affected and traumatised by the brutalities of war. The author, who has Welsh and Iraqi ancestry recently took part in our Authors Online session and gave us a fascinating interview about how she came to write the book.

The Madness of Grief: A Memoir of Love and Loss by The Reverend Richard Coles

Shortly before Christmas 2019, the Reverend Richard Coles lost his partner, David, suddenly.  David was just 42 but had been battling ill-health for some time.  The Reverend Coles finds himself negotiating a difficult new path, dealing with death from a very personal, rather than professional, perspective.  In his memoir he recounts both David’s death and the immediate aftermath as he tries to forge a new path in life whilst dealing with the practicalities of losing someone, dealing with as he calls it, ‘sadmin’.

Reverend Coles writes so movingly and openly about the loss of his partner, and the loss of the future that they had planned together.  It is an honest account too, as he reflects not just on the good times they shared but also the challenges that their relationship faced and the sometimes less than sympathetic reaction he received to the news of David’s death.

Together by Luke Adam Hawker

Was so thrilled when my reservation finally arrived for this book, after hearing so many wonderful things about it. A beautiful book to connect us after such a challenging time. This book hit me in the gut and gave me all the feels. It took all the words out that I would love to say, but I would not be able to do so eloquently. Just a beautiful, honest and hopeful book full of heart and warmth. It is a hug in a book that was so comforting, and a promise that even the darkest and strangest of days, there is always good days ahead. The words and illustrations marry beautifully together.

As an unprecedented storm arrives it brings huge and sudden change. We follow a man and his dog through all the uncertainty that it brings in their lives. Through their eyes we see the difficulties of being a parent, the everchanging emotions, and the realisation that by coming together we can move through difficult times with new perspective, hope and appreciation of what matters most in life.

If you enjoyed ‘The boy, the mole, the fox and the horse’, you will most definitely fall in love with this book.

The dark lady by Akala

Akala’s debut YA novel and first in a magical series set in Shakespearian London is both lyrical and magical, packed full of power that defines Akala.

Meet Henry. He is an orphan, thief, outcast, and a boy with extraordinary gifts. Living in Elizabethan London, henry lives with his cousins Mary and Matthew in the slums after being abandoned by his mother who could be anywhere. Haunted by the dreams of the mysterious dark lady, Henry must navigate his newfound gifts, his power over words and language, all while trying to navigate the racial and societal prejudices threatening to erase him.

I loved this book and the characters that we meet. the dark lady is a refreshingly unique blend of fantasy and history that was both realistic and otherworldly. The glossary at the back of the book which contained all the terms that Akala had used to mimic the language used in those times, was brilliant. Love when books contain maps/images and glossaries, makes it feel like such a unique experience and you are there with the characters.

I am excited to learn more about the magic and history of the characters. The hints we have had so far have been tantalising, and to learn more about world of the dark lady with Henry.

Akala founded The Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company, which is a music theatre company that explores the social, cultural and linguistic parallels between the world of Shakespeare and modern-day Hip-Hop artists. You can really see his passion for words, poetry and music through this book, it jumps off the page. I love when people make art accessible, fun and educational, and Akala does all of that and beyond.

Book Chat

Library staff recommend some books they have enjoyed recently. These books are available to borrow from our libraries or where indicated via our ebooks service at https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/e-book

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes

Usually when you read Greek mythology retellings, the stories revolve around the men and the gods.  It is not the case in this book.  This book tells the story of the women who were affected by the Trojan War as it was their war too. It begins as Troy is in smoky ruins and has fallen to the Greeks.

It is a cleverly crafted plot as each chapter focuses on a different side of the story, from the Trojan women whose fates now lie in the hands of the Greeks, to the Amazon princess who fought Achilles on their behalf, to Penelope awaiting the return of Odysseus, to the three goddesses whose feud started it all, these are the stories of the women whose lives, loves, and rivalries were forever altered by this long and tragic war.  Some women get a whole chapter about their story and other women’s stories are woven around these chapters as they await their fate.

Even though there are many characters, each story is unique and is easy to follow and comes together in a cohesive conclusion.  The women in this book are incredible; the ordeals they had to bear but also the friendship and comradery between them, how they care and help each other makes the book a compelling and fascinating read.  It is a book to be savoured and is a must read for anyone who has read the tale of the Trojan Horse and would like to find out more of what happens afterwards.

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

“Might I have a bit of Earth? “To plant seeds in—to make things grow—to see them come alive.”

Mary Lennox is a spoilt child living with her parents in India.  After her parents die to an illness, Mary is sent to her Uncle’s house in the middle of the Yorkshire moors, where everyone speaks in a different dialect and it is winter and very cold.  Mary soon learns to look after herself with the help of a friendly maid, a scornful gardener and a robin.  The house is not built for children so all Mary can do is go outdoors every day and explore the gardens and the moor.  By doing so, she becomes healthier, stronger, makes new friends and develops a love for nature and wildlife.  But the house is very mysterious; ghostly cries glide through the corridors, rooms are not open for exploration, her Uncle does not want to see her and the secret garden is locked and the key buried.

This is a beautiful story, a perfect read for Springtime.  There are vivid descriptions of the garden, flowers, and wildlife, and the mysterious house.  It is a sweet story and the character development throughout the narrative is wonderful to read ending in a heart-warming conclusion.

This is available as an ebook.

My darling from the lions- Rachel Long

Rachel Long’s debut collection of poems, “My darling from the lions” is an important new presence in poetry. Each poem has a vivid story to tell. Themes touching on race, religion, gender, sexual experiences and trauma. Stories that are emotionally insightful, politically conscious, funny and outrageous.

I loved Rachel’s refreshing powerful commitment to each individual poem, which left me wanting to turn the page with intrigue as to what I will learn next. I can’t wait to read many more collections from Long. Her voice is so important in this current climate that people are waking up to finally.

White bird- R.J Palacio

Many have read and fell in love with R J Palacio’s ‘Wonder’ Julian is best known as Auggie Pullman’s classroom bully. ‘White bird’ reveals a new side to Julian’s story, as Julian discovers the moving and powerful tale of his grandmother, who was hidden from the Nazis as a young Jewish girl in occupied France during the Second World War. This graphic novel’s illustrations and words marry beautifully. An unforgettable story about strength, courage and power of kindness, empathy and love to change people’s hearts. Incredibly moving and full of hope.

The girl who became a tree: A story told in poems by Joseph Coelho

Daphne is deeply sad. She feels a deep painful loss of her father and seeks solace both in the security of her local library and the escape her phone screen provides by blocking out the word around her. As Daphne tries to make sense of what has happened she recalls memories of shared times and stories past, and in facing the darkness she finds a way back from fear and confusion, to feel connected once more.

This imaginative story told in poems weaves together the ancient legend of Daphne, who was turned into a tree to avoid the attentions of the god Apollo, and a totally modern tale mixing real-life and fantasy. I really enjoyed how unique and beautifully moving this was.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

This is the fabulous story of the famous Hollywood actress, Evelyn Hugo.  Evelyn Hugo is famous for her films, her glamous lifestyle and of course, her seven husbands.

Through the eyes of journalist, Monique Grant, who is commissioned, by Evelyn, to write a book based on Evelyn Hugo’s life, we learn that Evelyn’s life was not as glamourous as it looked on the outside.  Evelyn is a very complex character, we learn of her heart-break, love and Hollywood in the middle of the twentieth century.

Evelyn is not the most likeable character but that makes her so compelling.  Her choices in life as a woman in a power-hungry male career might not be seen as the best choices but that is what makes her feel so human.  Reading the story you start to feel as if Evelyn is actually a real actress, not a fiction character.

The story seems as it might be monotonous with her falling in love and marrying seven times but it is not at all. Each marriage was for different reasons, not just love.  The story is interspersed with newspaper cuttings from history.  There are also elements of LGBT history within the book of events that are not mentioned in history books.  It is fascinating read and you will not be able to put it down

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Welcome to the country of Ravka, a divided, war-torn country.  Long ago a powerful Grisha, a human who can manipulate matter, divided the country by creating the Shadow Fold.  The Shadow Fold is an area of complete darkness where deadly creatures live.

Meet Alina Starkov, she is an orphan, who works as a cartographer for the Ravkan army.  Herself and her best friend, Mal, are being sent on a Sandskiff that cross the Shadow Fold.  On the skiff things go terribly wrong, the skiff is attacked and does not reach the other side.  When Mal is attacked Alina does everything she can for him, including revealing a dormant Grisha power than she did not know she had.

Revealing this power changes the course of Alina’s life as it is an unique power that humans have been waiting for, one which could bring peace to her war-torn country and potentially remove the Shadow Fold forever.  She is whisked off to the Grisha city to learn how to train as a Grisha leaving behind the only family she has ever known and attracting the attention of one of the most powerful Grisha in the country, The Darkling.

This is a fantastic book, a great start of an amazing series.  If you like a good fantasy setting and a unique magic system, you will enjoy this series.  The world-building is very immersive and the book comes with the map.  The series does not just stop with the trilogy, there are two further companion series built around the Grisha.  If you would like to get lost in a new fantasy world, pick up this book.

Make sure you watch the Netflix show – it is fantastic!

Book Chat

Library staff recommend some books they have enjoyed recently. These books are available to borrow from our libraries or where indicated via our ebooks service at https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/e-books/

Ghosts by Dolly Alderton

Nina Dean thirties have not been the liberating, uncomplicated experience she had been sold. Her friendships are fading, ex partners are moving on, her mum is having a midlife crisis and her beloved dad is vanishing into dementia. After two years on her own she feels ready to date. She then meets Max via Linx, a romantic who promises her everything on the first date. Things seem to be looking up, but will he fade away like time.

This book is so relatable, laugh out loud funny, poignant, moving and so wise. Dolly’s writing is so beautifully observant and she manages to make the mundane so wonderful. Dolly Alderton is a dream. This is available as an ebook

Somebody give this heart a pen by Sophia Thakur

A compelling collection of poems that explores the emotions and experiences of growing u as a mixed-raced woman, trying to make sense of a lonely and complicated world.  Sophia Thakur debut book holds a powerful collection of poems exploring issues of identity, difference, perseverance, relationships, fear, loss and joy. I really enjoyed this collection, it was emotive, powerful and one that will resonate with a lot of people no matter their background. This is available as an eaudio book

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

Zélie is maji, meaning she would have magical powers but magic was taken away from her when the maji were killed by the ruthless King, including her mother.  We join Zélie on the day when her life changes.  Zélie and her family are scrambling to pay the higher taxes that the King has imposed.  To save her family, she and her brother travel to Lagos to sell a rare fish their father caught.  Whilst bartering, Zélie ends up saving a rogue princess who carries the secret of how to bring back magic.

The author weaves West African mythology into her fantasy world, which is very reflective of real life issues in our world today.  It is a really creative world with immersive world building and magic systems.  There are different types of maji with different abilities and powers.  It is a fast paced book, which jumps straight into the action.  A great fantasy story with powerful female characters, loved it. This is available as an ebook

We Are All Birds of Uganda- Hafsa Zayyan

Sameer is a high flying lawyer in London but when he he is called back home to Leicester after an unexpected tragedy he is faced with family conflict- does he take a job with his firm in Singapore or does he take his place in the family business as tradition requires of him.  The story then follows Sameer to Kampala where he tries to pick up the threads of what happened to his family during the 1970s. His story is intertwined with that of his grandfather, Hasan, a Ugandan Asian who was expelled from Uganda during the brutal regime of Idi Amin. The story is very readable and shines a light on a dark period in history and the legacy of colonialism. This book is currently on order.

Book Chat

Library staff recommend some books they have enjoyed recently. These books are available to borrow from our libraries or where indicated via our ebooks service at https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/libraries/library-services/e-books/

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

Lydia and her young son Luca are the only survivors of a terrible attack on her extended family by a Mexican drugs cartel.  Lydia understands immediately that there is nowhere safe left in Mexico and their only chance of survival is to flee north to the safety of the United States.  She and Luca embark on a shocking and perilous journey that sees them leave everything that they have ever known and loved in the hope of a safer future.

This is an absolute rollercoaster of a novel.  The opening pages are brutal and shocking but set the scene for the difficult journey that Lydia and Luca face as they attempt to evade the drugs cartel relentlessly pursuing them.  Their ever-present threat is maintained throughout the novel and this results in a book that’s hard to put down.  Lydia and Luca are accompanied on their journey by other travellers fleeing a host of horrendous situations.  They all share a common belief that a safer life awaits if only they can reach the United States, but at what cost?  This book is tremendously important for highlighting the plight migrants face, and its characters will stay with you for a long time afterwards.

Once Upon a Tyne: Our Story Celebrating 30 Years Together on Telly by Andy Milligan, Anthony McPartlin and Declan Donnelly.

You might have heard of these two before, Ant and Dec.  You either grew up watching them on Byker Grove in the early nineties or have seen them every Saturday for their show, Saturday Night Takeaway.  These two have now been on our TVs for thirty years.

This is book is a written conversation by the two of them and even in book form they will make you smile and laugh out loud.  Told in chapters of their TV shows, starting from when they met Byker Grove, all the way through their pop songs to Pop Idol, they take you through their careers spanning thirty years.  It is full of behind the scenes photographs and stories that will make you laugh until you cry.  It is a feel-good, genuinely funny and down to earth story of two best friends and their antics.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama shares her story and it makes a captivating insight into her life but also the life of a First Lady of America.  Becoming begins as Michelle is moving out of the White House to her new home after being the First Lady for eight years, making way for the next presidential family.  From here she reflects on her past in three parts, her life before meeting Barack, her life after she met Barack and her life in the White House.

She is very honest in the book and does not hold anything back.  She is outspoken, warm, human, funny, feminist and a powerful advocate for the poor.  Michelle helped make history, not only was she the first African American first lady, but she was very active in that role and changed people’s lives for the better.  She had a set of goals that she wanted to achieve as First Lady and she definitely made the most of her time in the White House. There is so much to learn from and about this amazing woman.  By the end of Becoming, you will feel like you know Michelle incredibly well and feel inspired to make a difference. This is available in our digital library.

The Golden Rule by Amanda Craig

Hannah tries to escape the poverty of her working class background in Cornwall by going to university. While studying in Durham she meets her future husband Jake who is handsome and personable. It’s only after she becomes pregnant that she discovers that Jake is abusive and has no intention of helping to support her and her child once they have split up. Almost at her wits end and penniless she boards a train for Cornwall to attend her Mother’s funeral. On the train she meets a mysterious woman called Jinni and falls into conversation with her and it seems that she too has an abusive husband. The women make a pact to murder each other’s husbands. Once Hannah reaches Cornwall she attempts track down Jinni’s husband but when she finds him things are not as they seem and we are left to ponder who is the real victim.

This is a really engaging read and a page turner. There are shades of Rebecca, Jane Eyre and Beauty and the Beast in this story which is part love story and part thriller. It also raising questions about abuse within marriage and examines the difficulties of modern life and the problems of poverty too.

Book Chat

Library staff who are avid readers have recommended these titles for you. Where indicated they are available in our libraries at https://wokingham.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/MSGTRN/WPAC/HOME

Colin Grant- Homecoming

Homecoming is a remarkable oral history of black post-war British life, which draws on over  a hundred first-hand interviews, archival recordings and memoirs by the women and men who came from Britain from the West Indies between the late 1940s and he early 1960’s.  In their own words, we witness the transition from the optimism of the first post-war arrivals to the race riots of the late 1950’s. There are stories of hope and regret, triumphs and challenges, filled with humour, anger and wisdom. Together, they reveal a rich tapestry of Caribbean British lives.  Homecoming is an essential portrait of a generation, which brilliantly portrays a vital and much misunderstood chapter of our history.

In Library stock

All on the board: Inspirational quotes from TFL underground duo

Transport for London employees and dynamic masked duo, All on the board, made it their mission to spread love and happiness to the faces of London commuters through writing creative messages, quotes and poems on the underground’s service information boards.

The masked duo have a grown a community of 750,000+ online followers and a have plethora of celebrity supporters. Through their thoughtful words, they marked special occasions, celebrated artists, legends, heroes, and raised awareness of mental health and hidden illnesses with love, positivity and humour.

I myself have commuted into London excitedly on my way to see my favourite artist or band and you are hoping that there will be a special notice made by All on the board celebrating the event with their words making a poem out of titles of the artists, bands songs and lyrics.

Chris Riddell- Poems to save the world with

In poems to save the world with, Chris Riddell has selected and illustrated his favourite classic and modern poems to help uplift and inspire us through the world that we are living in right now.  These poems speak of hope, happiness, rebellion and the world during a pandemic with all that it has dealt us, providing comfort and the sense you are not on your in in your thoughts. This beautiful collection makes for a lovely gift for those you love, one to keep and treasure.

In library stock

Sofie Hagen-Happy fat: Taking up space in a wolrd that wants to shrink you

Comedian and fat activist Sofie Hagen shares how she removed fatphobic influences from her daily life and found self-acceptance in a world where judgement and discrimination are rife. From shame and sex to airplane seats, love and getting stuck in public toilets. Sofie provides practical tips for readers drawing from wisdom for other fat liberation champions along the way. This book is part memoir, part social commentary. Happy fat is full of Sofie’s humour along whilst packed with passion when looking at taking up space in a culture that is desperate to reduce. This book explains so eloquently what it means to be fat, the shame you experience on the daily and the joy of learning to love yourself and see through the lies that are fed to us by the beauty industries that tell us that we need to change ourselves.

In library stock

Home body by Rupi Kaur

Rupi Kaur continues to move me with her deeply intimate, raw and honest words. Home body is a collection of poems, conversations with oneself- reminding herself and readers to fill up on love, acceptance, community, family and embrace change. Nature and nurture, light and dark, the messy and complicated. Poetry is an act of self-love, reading and reflecting on the words is the kindness that I needed. Vulnerability is so powerful and Rupi Kaur’s voice is so important and one that continues to inspire me. “Everything I need already exists in me, there’s no need to look anywhere else.”

In library stock

The sky is mine by Amy Beashel

Trapped under the weight of expectation and censored by shame, Izzy feels invisible. Her best friend Grace and her mum Steph have always been there to protect her, but with her mother under the control of her stepfather and best friend Grace, blissfully unaware whilst in a new relationship, Izzy’s safety grows uncertain.

Jacob Mansfield has been threatening to spread photos of her around college, and at home witnessing her mother conceal the truth of her stepdad’s control, feeling unsafe in her own home whenever her stepdad enters the room. Whilst this is all going on around her, Izzy is also dealing with the quiet grief of her best friend Grace abandoning her, for her new relationship. Not having anyone to talk to about what is going on in her life leaves Grace feeling on her own.

The sky is mine is a powerful exploration of rape culture, coercive behaviour, domestic abuse, and a moving story of women learning to love themselves enough to demand to be heard.

This is available in library stock and as a digital book

Join us for Book Chat Live on Tuesday March 16 at 2pm!

Wokingham Libraries Book Chat

Join Wokingham Borough Libraries online on Tuesday March 16 at 2pm for an interactive Book Chat. Members of library staff  will be talking about books

Suitable for adults, do bring along any books that you would like to suggest and tell us what you have been reading!

Sessions will be run on Microsoft Teams and an invite will be sent to you the day before the session.

To sign up just email libraries@wokingham.gov.uk