A reasonably eclectic mix, I think you'll agree, with adult fiction, non-fiction, YA, Social, Historical and Dystopian fiction in one fell swoop. We hope there is something here you can enjoy too!
The Giver of
Stars
by Jojo Moyes
An
easy, fascinating and multi-layered read.
On the one hand it is a love story set in rural Kentucky during the
Depression. On the other, it describes the profound power of words to alter
people’s lives and improve their situation. The main characters are female
librarians who deliver books by horseback to rural communities in the mountains
of Kentucky. The recipients mostly have the rudiments of a basic education (if
at all) and are trapped in a cycle of deprivation & poverty. Part and
parcel of this story is the social history of Baileyville, a small remote town
and its reliance on coal mining and the unscrupulous practices of the company
bosses. Amongst all this is a male
dominated, proud society who are suspicious of a group of women trying to put
ideas in the heads of their wives and children. Would appeal to age 15+ Mrs
Story
Who am I again?
By Lenny Henry
This
is the memoir of comedian, Lenny Henry, from birth in a large chaotic Jamaican
family trying to integrate into the Dudley suburbs through to the early 1980s
when he was in the midst of fame in Tiswas
on TV. Lenny’s voice comes over as warm and thoughtful, a person who feels he
has had many really good mentors along his career path. Despite some obvious
mistakes like the Black and White Minstrel Show, he credits a lot of his
journey to people along the way taking pity on him and teaching him the craft
of stand-up and impressionism. As one of the only black comedians around in the
1970s he deals honestly with racism but doesn’t seem really bitter about it and
is able to see the good side of people where maybe others wouldn’t. I can’t
wait for his next book as hopefully it will cover the years that I first saw
him on TV. There is also a great final chapter entirely devoted to advice for
aspiring young comics which is really practical and user friendly. Mrs Godden
Clean by Juno Dawson
Lexi
is used to having everything her own way.
A teenager neglected to the spoils of being rich and famous she falls
into numbing her boredom and confusion with drugs and alcohol. When she winds
up in an exclusive rehabilitation centre for the stars she realises the hard
way that without the crutch of oblivion she will have to face her demons. A
story of the demeaning nature of addiction and the journey young people often
have to take to learn their worth without it. Clean is equally funny and heartrending with an inspired
protagonist whose foul mouthed cynicism will have you caught up in her pacey,
Prada bedecked world. Age 15+ Ms Johns
Birthday by Meredith
Russo
A
typical YA romance with a make-over. Birthday
is a dual-narrative, Trans coming-of-age story between two best friends
growing up in the American South. The story tackles some subjects that are
often difficult to address as a teenager such as self-harm, depression, grief,
transphobia, homophobia and suicide. I binge-read this book in two evenings! It
is easy and swiftly paced, set on the protagonists’ shared birthday every year
from the ages of 13 to 18. It is an unflinchingly honest portrayal of the
trials of both bereavement and of coming-out so I recommend it to age 13+ Ms
Johns
Dream Country by Shannon Gibney
A
fascinating and heart-breaking look at the inter-generational trauma that can be
wrought on one family by colonialism, war and slavery. The book bounces between
various characters, places and time frames that make up the lineage of one
Liberian-American family from 1827 – 2018. The research done for this book is
extensive and the author immerses the reader in the experiences of each
character seamlessly despite their lives often being worlds apart. We learn a
huge amount about the complex relationship between Liberia and America and what
it has done to individuals and communities over this almost 200 year period.
Recommended for anyone interested in African history, identity and heritage.
Age 14+ Ms Johns 
Five Days of Fog by
Anna Freeman
Set
in the great smog of 1952 amongst the thieving gangs of London. We feel the
fear, excitement, exhilaration, love and sadness of the contrasting family
members that make up the infamous female gang, The Cutters. The reader is party
to all the little secrets that can be concealed by five days of fog in the big
city that was said to be so thick that cars crashed, chemicals poisoned and
people coughed up dirt. Gripping and witty historical fiction that is not
afraid to get its hands dirty, would appeal to fans of Peaky Blinders. Age 12+
The Slynx by Tatyana
Tolstaya
The
Blast happened 200 years ago and with it the end of civilisation as we know it.
Benedikt is ok, he has a job and a home and, most importantly, knows how to
make a good mousetrap. In this world, rabbits are toxic, most humanoids have developed
monstrous mutations and mice are the only form of sustenance. Benedikt is translating
the books from the Old World for the current ruler Fyodor Kuzmich…who is claiming
the works as his own. The people are suspicious but Freethinking is a death
sentence, so they know to keep their mouths shut or suffer horrible
consequences. This is a witty and disturbingly apt dystopian analogy for our times.
Written by the daughter of Tolstoy, expect political satire and literary genius
in equal measure. Age 12+