Books We Love
Books We Love;
Normal People, The See-Through House & more…
A round up of our most recent recommendations for grownups…
Fiction
Normal People by Sally Rooney
In case anyone is tempted to watch the amazing TV series instead of reading the book, this is just a reminder that it would be foolish to deprive yourself of the written word…
Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins
Having been struggling to concentrate on reading during lockdown, it was a huge relief to discover this serious new talent in the world of psychological thrillers. Dee (nanny to the Master of an Oxford college and his glamorous wife) is a complex and intriguing character who keeps you guessing all the time. The setting, amongst Oxford’s spires and sharp egos, is deliciously vivid. It had me from the first page.
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
If you’re looking for a light-hearted, easy novel to read then this is it. Keiko is in her late 30s and works part-time in the generic convenience store of the title. She is happy with her life and doesn’t understand why her family and friends are so appalled at how she spends her days. Slightly bonkers but nevertheless great fun!
Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley
Whilst this is, in the words of Roddy Doyle “genuinely disturbing”, it is also a complete page turner. Something malevolent seems to reside within Starve Acre where Richard Willoughby and his wife Juliette have sought to create the perfect country idyll in which to raise a family. Instead they are dealing with unforeseen grief, each choosing to travel their own separate road to healing.
Non-fiction
The See-Through House by Shelley Klein
Shelley Klein tells the story of her designer father’s life through the rooms in his beloved High Sunderland, the house created for the family by Peter Womersley. A stunning modernist building incorporating huge glazed walls & open plan living (hence the nomenclature of the title), which very much divided the Border residents when built in the late 50s.
Bernat Klein’s fabrics were bright and colourful, perfect for the swinging sixties and were used in many haute couture collections from Chanel to Dior and Balenciaga. All were inspired by nature and the colours of the border land surrounding his home.
Shelley’s love for both her father and the see-through house shine through this engaging memoir.
The Roasting Tin Around the World by Rukmini Iyer
I can’t be the only one struggling to find inspiration for easy dinners with less washing up at the end! This new addition to the hugely popular Roasting Tin series, is perfect for these times of lockdown – travel the world from your kitchen with minimal fuss and mess.
Mastermind of Dunkirk and D Day by Brian Izzard
A Borders man we should be very proud of, this is the first major biography of Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay in fifty years. Ramsay masterminded the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk in 1940.
No Picnic on Mount Kenya by Felize Benuzzi
You can always rely on Maclehose Press to discover forgotten classics – this extraordinary book tells of three men who broke out of a POW camp in order to climb Mount Kenya, only to break back in again. Irresistibly readable.