Have you ever wondered what books and DVDs the BGS librarians are
taking out of your library? This blog post is your answer: a compilation of our
top picks from the last academic year. These are the books and DVDs we have
been raving about and if you are thinking of trying something new, read on and
see if you agree or are inspired to try any of them.
Ms Johns’ choice is The Lie
Tree - Frances Hardinge
‘Nature and the elements come alive in this classic Gothic thriller and murder mystery. In the wake of Darwin’s Origin of the Species,
nineteenth century natural sciences and religion come into crisis. Faith’s
father, both a palaeontologist and a Reverend, moves his family to a remote
island where they come face to face with a web of lies and the mortal perils it
breeds: hysteria, underhand scheming and murderous competition but what are the
forces they meet that are beyond their comprehension?’
Mrs Godden’s choice is White Rabbit, Red Wolf – Tom Pollock
‘This is ‘Curious Incident of the dog in the night-time’ but with
gruesome murders and untrustworthy spies. Who is telling the truth and who is
weaving lies? Who can be trusted? With his mother in hospital with a stab wound
and his sister missing, maths prodigy Pete has to negotiate a way through to
survive without succumbing to his severe panic attacks.’
Ms Frude’s choice is Children
of Blood and Bone – Tomi Adeyemi
‘This is the first in an epic, young adult fantasy series that is
set in a West African inspired world. A ruthless king has outlawed magic and
killed many of those who could practice it. Despite his best efforts the king
has not successfully wiped out magic. There are those in hiding who can
practice magic and look to topple the king. The novel is narrated by three
characters: Zélie, Amari, and Inan. The main protagonist and focus is Zélie who
is fighting against the erasure of her identity. It is an immersive and
addictive read, ending with a dramatic cliff hanger. The next book is due out
later this year.’
Mrs Osafo’s choice is On the Come Up – Angie Thomas
‘This tells the story of Bri, a talented aspiring rapper whose
poverty frustrates her ambition. The plot charts her rise to fame and the
violence and lost friendships that are its unintended consequences. In spite of
this, On the Come Up is joyous, funny and captures Bri’s exuberant voice
beautifully.’
Our favourite
non-fiction book:
Ms Johns’ choice is
Sleeping
With the Lights On: The Unsettling Story of Horror by Darryl Jones
‘Horror tropes have crept from ancient myth into every nook and
cranny of popular culture, from the Bible to computer games. This book looks at
why our psyches are predisposed to creating monsters and seeking the thrill of
the uncanny. If you have ever enjoyed Dystopia, Science Fiction, Gothic or just
plain old Zombie or Vampire trash, this book is a must read.’
Mrs Godden’s choice is Seven Signs of Life – Aoife Abbey
‘Grief. Anger. Joy. Fear. Distraction. Disgust. Hope. Doctors are
very often told not to feel emotions or get involved but Aoife proves in this
memoir of the life of an intensive care doctor that actually you need all of
these in order to be a compassionate and good medic.’
Ms Frude’s choice is How to Own the Room – Vic Groskop
‘Public speaking can be terrifying. Even for the most confident
people, owning a room can be a challenge. This book looks at how to channel and
use the nervous energy and anxiety that most people get when public speaking.
It gives practical advice about what to do when you are speaking and suddenly
you have forgotten what you were going to say. There are tips and tricks for how
to deal with those moments when you are made to feel small, especially if you
are a woman. This book tells you how to stand up and own a room.’
Mrs Osafo’s choice is Becoming
– Michelle Obama
‘This is a graceful, warm and witty account of an incredible life,
written by a highly intelligent woman. Michelle Obama is extraordinarily candid
about many episodes in her life, including her relationship with her husband
Barack and shows how, in spite of her soft power and accomplishments, her
pragmatism and down-to-earth attitude make her very similar to the rest of us.’
Moving onto our
favourite series:
Ms John’s choice is Liccle Bit (South Crongton Series) – Alex
Wheatle
‘Life is confusing and unnerving for Lemar (AKA Liccle Bit) who
sees the dramas and disappointments of the Crongton estate unravel around him
every day. In his search for a little excitement of his own he finds himself
dangerously close to the violence of inner city gang culture and despite a less
than perfect start to life he battles with his conscience to stay out of
trouble. This series is funny, endearing and easy to read, the language
reflects the tongue-in-cheek poetry of modern slang mixed with patois and has a
rhythm that will make you want to read on. The most recent addition to the
Crongton saga is Home Girl which can be read as a stand-alone book and is one
of my favourites of the lot.’
Mrs Godden’s choice is Muse
(Strange the Dreamer series) – Laini Taylor
‘The ‘Strange the Dreamer’ duology is a fantasy adventure, an epic
love story and a daring quest that takes you in directions you were not
expecting. Since he was five years old, Lazlo Strange has been obsessed with
the mythic lost city of Weep. When he unexpectedly gets the opportunity to
search for it, what he finds is nothing like he imagined. Who is the blue skinned goddess that haunts
his dreams and what did the ‘godslayer’ kill all those years ago? The first
book ends on a cliff-hanger but the second book more than answers any questions
you have as a reader and takes the story to another level.’
Ms Frude’s choice is
Gentleman’s
Guide to Vice and Virtue (Montague Series) – Mackenzie Lee
‘Monty is a young and hedonistic aristocrat in the 18th Century.
With pressure from his family to become more respectable and responsible he
leaves home to go to Europe for a final spree of debauchery. With a tutor, his
sister, and his best friend he heads across the channel determined to have fun
on his journey across the major European cities. However, Monty’s behaviour
catches up with him and derails the trip. With the trip becoming fraught with
danger Monty starts to realise that he has developed feelings for his best
friend, Percy.’
Mrs Osafo’s choice is Lethal
White (Cormorant Strike series) – Robert Galbraith
‘The fourth instalment in the series is set on the eve of the
London 2012 Olympics, featuring blackmail and intrigue in the Palace of
Westminster and a Tory politician with a dark secret which may involve a
murder. Rowling’s undeniable gift for storytelling is on full display with dense
characterisation, emotional punch and a twisty plot.’
Finally our
favourite DVDs from the year:
Ms Johns’ choice is The Meg DVD
‘There is so much absurdity here, beside the impossibly giant
sharks there is everything you want from a B-movie/spoof style film: ridiculous
characters, even more ridiculous dialogue and off the scale CGI moments. So
much fun. If this movie ever needed an emoji it would not merely be the
laughing crying one but the falling over laughing crying one.’
Mrs Godden’s choice is Mary
Queen of Scots DVD
‘How does one govern in the 16th century as a woman when you are
surrounded by men who want to take over? These men are courtiers who accept
that you are Queen and therefore above them but struggle with the fact that you
are a woman and therefore very much below them. Two different Queens react in
two different ways and the results are explosive!’
Ms Frude’s chloice is Spiderman
– into the Spiderverse DVD
Miles Morales is a regular teenager. He’s just started a new
school, he’s interested in art and graffiti, and his bedroom is a mess.
However, after an incident with spider at a metro station he has started to
develop superhuman abilities. He goes back to the station to search for the
spider that bit him but ends up seeing Wilson Fisk kill the original Spiderman,
Peter Parker. Miles is then faced with multiple universes colliding and five
other Spider-people in New York city. This film uses lots of different
animation styles to make it visually engaging. It is a fast paced and
emotionally charged film which deservedly won the Best Animated Feature at the
91st Oscars.
Mrs Osafo’s choice is The
Hate U Give DVD
‘We first meet Starr when her parents are telling her how not to
get killed during interactions with the police. Seven years later, she attends
a predominantly white private high school where she takes care not to reinforce
negative black stereotypes. Starr runs into her childhood friend Khalil at a
party and on the way home, they are pulled over by the police and Khalil is
fatally shot. Starr is not only traumatised by Khalil’s death but also has to
decide whether to testify about the shooting, thus revealing her identity.’
“Like Thomas’s original novel, which was banned by schools in
Texas, The Hate U Give is likely to anger some. You suspect though, that it
will stir many more. This is mass-market entertainment with a radical bent, a
loudspeaker blast of a teen movie”
(Gwilym Mumford The Guardian)
We hope you have found some inspiration from our varied choices and look forward to hearing about your best picks.
The Library Team
Ms Johns, Mrs Godden, Ms Frude & Mrs Osafo