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What We’ve Been Reading Recently
April 14, 2022 | Blog > News > What We’ve Been Reading Recently
More recommendations this month from staff and volunteers at The Bookery – a great mixed bag of fiction, non-fiction and children’s books to tempt you with!
The Dance Tree
Kiran Millwood Hargrave
The Dance Tree is a skilfully written work of historical fiction set in Strasbourg 1518, which opens with pregnant Lisbet and her husband Henne anticipating the arrival of his sister Nethe back into their lives after a spell of penance in a nunnery for an unknown sin. Based on true events, this is the tale of the intertwining friendships of Lisbet, Ida and Nethe, women living in a time of poverty, misogyny, religious oppression, extreme weather, and the dancing plague. A brilliant and compelling read.
(Dee)
The Weekend
Charlotte Wood
Three women in their 70s get together to clear out the summer house of their friend who has died. Sounds morbid and depressing but it’s exactly the opposite: there are laughs but also revelations and there is life in these women yet! There’s a real twist at the end that changes the book from just a good story to a brilliant one.
(Cathie)
Actress
Anne Enright
A tale about motherhood, mothers and daughters, and the corrosive nature of fame. Katherine is a famous actress whose fame and the nature of her job eat away at her to such an extent that neither she nor her daughter are sure who she really is. Anne Enright is very good at conveying the slipperiness of it all. It also looks at the trauma of sexual assault and rape – and the cost to both women of loving someone who is public property.
(Rhi)
The Last Firefox
Lee Newbery
Charlie desperately wants to be a good big brother if his two Dad’s are successful again in adopting a child but doubts he is up to the task. The school bullies, who are a constant thorn in his side, have undermined his confidence. When he rescues Cadno, his natural instinct to protect the frightened fox cub helps lick his own inner flame of courage into life. A great cast of characters, a seriously cute fox cub and a deliciously evil villain make this a perfect choice for readers of 8 plus.
(Nicola)
The Big Goodbye
Sam Wasson
Sam Wasson revisits one of the most pivotal moments in American film history – the making of 1974’s Chinatown, which starred Jack Nicholson and was directed by Roman Polanski. Widely regarded as a turning point in both the style and method of filmmaking in America, behind the scenes of this ground-breaking motion picture is a story of betrayal, deceit and passion from which none of the protagonists come away unscathed. A truly compelling insight into one of the most fascinating periods of Hollywood’s history.
(Cliff)
When Our Worlds Collided
Danielle Jawando
The worlds of three 16 year olds, Chantelle, Jackson and Marc, collide when they witness a the stabbing of14 year-old Shaq outside of a busy shopping centre in Moss Side, Manchester. These teenagers, from very different walks of life, are unexpectedly brought together when they’re the only ones who stop to help and they find themselves increasingly turning to each other for friendship and support. A powerful coming-of-age story about chance encounters, injustice and how the choices that we make can completely change our future. The second YA novel from the critically acclaimed Danielle Jawando. Outstanding.
(Dee)
Shadowlands
Matthew Green
Shadowlands is an exploration of places in Britain which have disappeared – by plague, economic change and development and, most dramatically, by flood. Green writes vividly giving the historical context and an understanding of how each place became a ‘shadowland’. His powers of description and evocative prose create a real sense of what were once real, living communities. A fascinating book full of insight and learning.
(Andrew)
