What did you read this summer?

 Do you think books can still be gripping if you know the central plot in advance? This is what I decided to find out when I read these two books this summer!

 

My top two books of the Summer Holidays

Unlike most summer holidays, this year I read a couple of nonfiction books and they ended up as being my favourite books of the holidays. I would thoroughly recommend both of them even if nonfiction is not your preferred genre.

Happy Summer Reading Everyone!

Our Top Picks of 2019

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.

Summer Reading

As the days get longer, the exam season comes to an end, and the summer holidays get ever closer it is the perfect time to get some books out of the Library. Whether you fancy a crack at some classic fiction, want something gripping and complex, or even a book that feeds your curiosity, the Library has something for everyone.

My Five Best Stand-alone Books of the Summer

Book series are all very good but sometimes all you want to read is a stand alone book: one that is a complete story in itself. These are my top picks from the summer!

Mrs Godden's series recommendations for the Autumn Term

Fancy a new series or trilogy for the Autumn Term? Over the summer holiday I read several really good books from a variety of different series in a range of genres and subjects. Hopefully you will find something to whet your appetite in one of the books below.

Mrs O’s Summer Reading

I felt very pleased with myself this summer, having managed to read six books. However, Mrs G totally trumped me by reading fourteen! Nonetheless, here’s a review of each one I read.

Brit(ish) by Afua Hirsch

A heartfelt, personal and provocative examination of the mixed race author’s experience of growing up in Britain. I found this book intriguing as the author’s mother and my father both come from Ghana - though unlike the author, I grew up there. She has a strong voice and some of what she has to say is uncomfortable to read, but it needs to be said. This book is a really valuable contribution to the conversation about race and identity currently taking place in the UK.

Year 7 Library Activity: Scott's House!

And....last, but not least:

We have come to the end of another year and another set of Year 7 Library Activities!

Well done to Scott’s House who finished off the Summer term last week with some high scoring rounds in the final quiz! Here is team 'Ululating Llamas' walking away with the prize with an impressive 37 out of a possible 40 points!:

Graphic Fiction for Summer Reading

Colour, design, drama!

We have a broad spectrum of new titles from the world of Graphic Fiction in the Library this month: some classic, some controversial, some contemplative...and others just plain silly! 

The designs are all completely different. We have the 1980s neon superhero, sepia, shadows and noir, disney-style animation, sci-fi chrome and mechanics, edgy anime influenced hipster art, cartoons, realism and manga, phew! 

Whatever your taste, you are bound to be entertained. 

If you have never tried it, add one to your summer reading selection and see what you think.

Alone by Chaboute

There is a secret in the Lighthouse....this book is an existential comedy with cinematic suspense. Unputdownable from start to finish.

Spring Time: Newly Designed Fiction Collections!

"The Medium is the Message"...? 

A phrase originally coined by Marshall McLuhan in his book, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man in 1964, the suggestion is that the medium embeds itself in any message that it is created to convey: thus, the medium influences how the message is perceived.

In our case, the Library is looking at the power of the book cover to deliver the story within to the reader.

We have four new collections of books with beautifully designed covers that may well demonstrate this theory, what do you think...? 

Penguin Drop Caps Collection:

This series celebrates typography and the ancient art of the 'drop cap'. 

A drop cap is an ornate design for the first initial of a passage or chapter that is deemed particularly significant in a manuscript. 'Dropped' into the beginning of a paragraph, they are intended to stand out, draw in the reader and signify the plot ahead.

New Year, New Read!

New Year, New Reads!

Welcome back to the Library, we hope you all had a great Summer break! What have you been reading over the holidays? Come and tell us what you enjoyed and what you didn’t and why! For inspiration, the Librarians have listed their own favourite Summer reads:

Summer Blockbuster Reviews - Jason Bourne and Suicide Squad

Summer is traditionally the season for blockbuster films and our resident student film buff has reviewed a couple for us. Thanks Noah!

Extreme Reading and Summer Reading

Summer is upon us, which means the Extreme Reading competition is back! Take a picture of yourself reading in an unusual (but safe place) and email it to us at library@bgs.bristol.sch.uk by 31^st August for your chance to win a £15 iTunes voucher. Categories are Junior School pupils, Years 7-9, Years 10-U6 and Staff

Follow us on Twitter @BGSLibrarian and use #ExtremeReading to see where Hermione, the library mascot has been doing her Extreme Reading.