The inspiration for this month’s book reviews and recommendations was a rather guilty admission for a Librarian: apart from the Harry Potter books, I have never completed a series. I know, may Santa, bring me coal for Christmases evermore. So, I thought there is simply no excuse this coming holiday, I will finally get round to reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy. If we have the opportunity, staying home and staying safe could translate, loosely, into cosying up indoors and escaping into another world through an engaging series of books (?). On the back of this idea we compiled a list of all the series that we have in the Library. This covers a breadth of genres from High Fantasy and Space Opera to Romance and High School Comedies and there are around 200 to choose from. So here we have it, get some well-deserved rest and relaxation and read a series for the Christmas holidays 2020…
Rotherweird
by Andrew Caldecott.
A town in England independent from any government and with one rule in place - nobody is ever allowed to study the town or its history. Enter keen new history teacher, Oblong, and a sinister outsider, Slickstone, who somehow manages to buy up the manor and starts digging for information. At the same time you get a parallel story set in Elizabethan England where 12 gifted children are banished by their queen to this town of Rotherweird. What they get up to and the implications for the modern day are far reaching. Part historical, part science fiction, part mystery, part horror and part magic. I loved this first book in the trilogy and went on to read both the other books which is unusual for me. I only do this if I really like the storyline and I’m so glad I did. Age 14 +
Mrs Godden
We
hardly need a review for these books, if we haven’t already read them then
we’ve almost certainly watched the movies. However, I cannot recommend them
enough, especially starting them at Christmas or if you need cheering up. I put
off reading them for twenty years being intolerant to the hype and was
not particularly into Fantasy books but was so glad that I eventually gave in. If
you want to be transported to an atmospheric world that is full of eccentric possibilities,
where you are weaved in and out of scenarios that are heart breaking one moment
and uproarious the next, where you meet new and bizarre characters at every
turn and are always left wanting more than these will keep you occupied throughout
the holidays and beyond. Each new moment to sit down with these stories is
strangely familiar, warm and gratifying. Age 11+
Ms Johns
