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I loved this book. The title, 'Birnam Wood' refers to the wood that 'moves' and brings about Macbeth's downfall in Shakespeare's play. Eleanor Catton's clever and compelling novel focuses on a group of environmental activists in New Zealand calling themselves Birnam Wood; they travel around the city borrowing/stealing plots of land to grow food, which they eat, sell and give away to the poor. This novel, like Macbeth, is both a thriller and a tragedy; unlike Shakespeare's play it blends illicit vegetable growing (which sounds comic, but isn't in this book!), hi-tech drone surveillance, a sinister billionaire and a group of young activists who are either naïve or egotists or both. The novel ends unexpectedly ... I won't say more. This would make a great film or TV series.

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Really enjoyed this book about life in Jazz Age London. Lots of good characters and a mystery to solve too. A fun escapist read and a real page-turner with an unpredictable plot which made it even more enjoyable.

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This is the first book of Ann Patchett’s that I have read and I would recommend it. A man crashes a christening party and kisses another man’s wife, leading to the coming together of two families. I’ll drop it in the book exchange if anyone is interested in reading it.

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I've just finished reading Rumer Godden's The Black Narcissus and really enjoyed it. I'd only read Rumer Godden's children's books before, but this story is a dark account of a group of British nuns who try to set up a convent in the foothills of the Himalayas. The culture clash leads to serious misunderstandings and the mountains seem to have an almost supernatural effect on the nuns, who struggle (not always successfully) to maintain their vows and beliefs. It was first published in the 1930s, but seems timeless in its depiction of a group of women trying to find their way in unfamiliar territory. There is a recent TV adaptation of the book that I'm now keen to watch.

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𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦  by Matt Haig

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Hey, wanna know a secret to stay alive? Read "Reasons to Stay Alive" by Matt Haig, it's like a mental health guidebook, but with more humor and less boring jargon. Plus, it's cheaper than therapy😅
Ok, all kidding aside ,it is a powerful and inspiring memoir that offers a raw and honest perspective on mental illness, and provides practical insights and strategies for overcoming depression and anxiety.

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A book I picked up while trawling some independent booksellers while on holiday. The cover was the first thing to grab me. It's a story set in an alternate Gothic version of Britain. It's a bit like if Charles Dickens wrote Stranger Things. Lots of grime, street urchins, and sharp social commentary, but with a pinch of magic and darkness. The streets are dominated by the 'Living Mud', which seeps into the city of Mordew and creates its own living things within its squelching brine. Horrible, but incredible±

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This novel was published in 2009 and is set in 1950s rural Ireland. It's a haunting story of two young people, Ellie and Florian, who fall in love one summer. Ellie, however, is married to an older farmer, a steady and reliable widower, while Florian's parents have recently died, all of which complicates what could have been for them an idyllic summer. If you enjoy a novel which evokes emotional complexity, the long days of summer and the carefully evoked atmosphere of a small Irish community in the 1950s, then this is a good one to read. Although it's sad, it's also rich and reverberates long after you stop reading. I discovered William Trevor's work a few years ago and every novel I've read by him is a gem.

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When I read Hardy, I often feel ‘this was written especially for me’. Do you love stories about suicides being buried at a crossroads on the moors, or people drowning on their wedding day? I do! I’m also looking forward to re-reading ‘The Withered Arm’ for the first time since GCSE in 1990s. I vaguely recall it’s about betrayed milkmaids & someone cursed with a withered arm. 10/10 this is what all literature should be about.

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This book offers a selection of the diaries of an 'ordinary' woman born in 1909. She wrote her diaries as part of the Mass Observation project of the 1930s - http://www.massobs.org.uk/moo - an attempt to record everyday life in the UK in the face of the threat of fascism. Jean continued writing until her death in 1986, however. I thought the diaries would be interesting to dip into now and again but  once I started reading, I couldn't stop. Jean may be 'ordinary', but she's a heroine dedicated to honesty, an acute observer and a born writer who keeps you constantly in suspense - will she lose her virginity? will she cope with loneliness? will she go to prison for accidentally leaving a light on one night during WWII? will she abandon writing her diary (no, Jean, please no!)? will she find a frock that suits her? will her little bookshop pay? will she manage to feed her many cats when times are hard?  Cats Protection own the copyright of her diaries (Jean was an active member of this worthwhile cat charity), so buying a copy helps a good cause, as well as keeping you enthralled over the holiday season.

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This is a huge amount of fun. I read it over Christmas and was completely absorbed. The set up is very Golden Age Detection: small village, everyone is in everyone else's business, incomers are viewed with suspicion. We know from the outset that there is going to be a murder but who, why and the culprit remain a mystery.
It's told mostly in email and WhatsApp exchanges, and you really need to be able to flick back and forth to check back on previous information, so get the paperback, not the Kindle edition. It's also very, very funny. I recommend!

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The author explores race and masculinity in this beautiful love story about two young artist in london. It is an incredibly vulnerable and well written piece of literature, Nelson is truly gifted.

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I’ve just finished The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. Twin sisters, Stella and Desiree, run away from their home, a small black community, and then Stella runs again, leaving her life behind her to pass as a white woman. I don’t want to give anything away but it’s worth a read.

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Some of you might have seen that we often recommend books on Instagram for #whattoreadwednesday. Would anyone have any recommendations for a Halloween special? It doesn't have to be 'scary' in the traditional sense. Open to all/any suggestions.
Thank you.
Emma Admin Assistant.

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I can’t believe none of you told me how queer this book is. Come on, people! You’ve really let me down…
Yes it is as slow as everyone says. But the tedium is weirdly compelling and immersive. It’s an experience.
They’ve finally got out to sea, but Captain Ahab STILL hasn’t appeared. I’ve a feeling I’m about to fall in love, though, if he’s as awful as I’ve heard…

Alex

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My favourite opening line of any novel;

last night I dreamt I went to Manderly again

My favourite genre is the gothic/supernatural; frequently mixed with romance. I adored Jane Eyre, Dracula, Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights, among many  more and I noticed this novel was frequently listed as a great gothic romance.

Long story short ‘Rebecca’ follows girl who marries a rich widower much older than her. She comes to live at his Manderly manor and she discovers the legacy of her husbands deceased wife and begins to live in her shadow.

I find the novel so eerie and great at building suspense; I remember when she first comes to his manor she notices the road leading towards it being jagged and wild and I think she mentions the roses being intimidating.

I find the age difference in the couple so interesting it appeared to me that she was young and impressionable with the desire to impress her new husband and appear mature, whereas, he seemed to enjoy her naivety.

My biggest pet peeve in literature is when characters are unrealistically morally good and always do the ‘right thing’ I find it monotonous and predictable; DuMaurier does a great job of demonstrating that the protagonist is a young girl and generally a good person but hides the secret crime of her husband (I won’t spoil this part) seemingly because she loves him so much and seeks his validation.

Apologies for spoiling a little bit of the novel if you wanted to go into it blind. I could write till I drop on why Rebecca is my favourite read of 2021 and perhaps of all time, I defiantly recommend this.

(also I think there is a 2020 movie based on the novel on netflix)

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Alex Tankard reading THE NAKED CIVIL SERVANT by Quentin Crisp

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Alex Tankard reading THE NAKED CIVIL SERVANT by Quentin Crisp

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My parents watched the TV adaptation of this memoir before I was born, and honestly that explains a lot. So far he’s running around 1930s London in lipstick and mascara and being terrible at every job he’s ever had. So much respect for that.

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I've just finished reading this fascinating book, taken up largely because I've been developing a growing obsession with the concept of North in relation to my research on the Brontes. Over the summer my focus has turned to ice, snow and bleak treeless landscapes. Davidson's leisurely discussion of 'northness' (if there is such a word), which ranges from the literature and art of the Ancient World to myths and fairytales to Victorian ghost stories and W.H. Auden's journey to Iceland, and contemporary snow sculptures, including ice hotels, has fired(!) my imagination. Now, I'm finding it difficult to read anything which lacks snow! Consequently, I'm reading aloud to my family one of our all-time favourites, Moominland Midwinter by the Finnish author Tove Jansson. I am longing for winter!

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What if the world ends while you’re on a family vacation far from home? What if animals and strangers turn up looking for refuge from a catastrophe you can’t understand, as your TV, phone, internet and all the trappings of your modern life have died? What if these strangers belong in your idyll more than you do, but even their foothold is tenuous? This novel deconstructs contemporary American marital, familial, work and social relationships long before catastrophe even arrives – bleak and brilliant.

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I finished The Guest List within about 48 hours of picking it up - absolutely loved it. The book follows a wedding party on an Irish island. From the blurb I wasn't expecting much more than a stereotypical supermarket thriller, but instead it was full of suspense and plot twists, definitely recommend for a quick and exciting read.

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So not quite as ‘academic’ as a lot of the books on this list but HEAR ME OUT. My mum and sister had been talking about this for weeks and I wanted to see what the hype was all about. I was reluctant because I’m admittedly a bit of a book snob and haven’t seen this anywhere but OMG.
It’s a sort of thriller? I picked it up and didn’t put it down again until I’d finished the last page. I read it in one sitting. It was easy to read, kept me guessing until the end and was just a really nice break from what I’d normally pick up.
I loved it so much I now don’t know what to read, so am searching for recommendations to fill the void.
Read this RN!!!!!!

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The Wood: Life and Times of Cockshutt Wood by John Lewis-Stempell

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The Wood: Life and Times of Cockshutt Wood by John Lewis-Stempell

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I finished 'The Wood: Life and Times of Cockshutt Wood" a couple of days ago and I miss reading it already! Absolutely brilliant book, though I am partial to a little bit of non-fiction nature writing. The novel follows John, who managed Cockshutt Wood for four years. He records his final year working there and how the woodland, wildlife, and foliage changed throughout the months.

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I’ve had this on my shelf for quite some time and was inspired to finally read it having recently read Donoghue’s latest novel. I have to say I didn’t enjoy this anywhere near as much as The Pull of the Stars but the historical aspects were interesting.

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First published in 1959, the critics comments on the back cover include the following, 'funny and macabre', and 'startling and original'.  The characters, all in their seventies and eighties, receive anonymous phone calls, always with the same message, 'Remember you must die,' the caller then hangs up.  As the characters try to establish who is making the nuisance calls a complex web of secrets and deceptions is revealed.  This novel does not inspire enthusiasm for old age!

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I’ve just read and very much enjoyed The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue, a novel set in a maternity ward of a Dublin hospital during the Spanish flu pandemic. There’s a bit of “hospital detail” and I found myself reading those parts a bit quicker (if I was watching such scenes on TV I would definitely have had my eyes closed).

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The blurb on the eye-peeling cover describes Skintown (2017) as ‘Vinny’s drink- and drug-fuelled odyssey through fighting, fishing, rioting, romance, reconciliation and acid house’. ‘Skintown’ is Enniskillen, in the Northern Irish border county of Fermanagh, where most of the action takes place against the backdrop of the 1994 ceasefire. McMenamin avoids the tragic and thriller modes of so much Troubles fiction, which is given a kind of wise-cracking Trainspotting treatment as Vinny hatches a not-so-cunning plan to get out of town. Highlights include impressively immersive riot and rave scenes, and an ending that is as surprising as it is inevitable. ‘Vinny’s Soundtrack’, printed as an appendix, angles for a film adaptation and deserves a listen. Skintown is perhaps the most innovative Troubles narrative I’ve read since Anna Burns’s Booker-winning Milkman (2018) – a quite different, brilliant book, which I’ll definitely read again. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to McMenamin’s second novel, The Sunken Road (2021).

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I have been steadily working through this recent collection of Bowen's short stories as part of the Elizabeth Bowen Society Reading Group.  In chronological order I have reached the end of the 1920s.   They are an intriguing compilation of scenarios and I often find myself totally bemused by them.  The last one in this section features Mrs Moysey, who ends up looking after her nephews children, a very unlikely person for this role, who feeds them almost entirely on chocolate.  My favourite so far is 'The Parrot', about an escapee parrot who seems very aware of the 'wild-goose-chase' he is leading.  For me,  her representation of space is very angular, the verticals and horizontals seem very pronounced, characters seem to move and observe in straight lines.  Despite this I would still recommend dipping into this collection.

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With the end of marking in sight, I have started to read The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. I am only around 30 pages in but I’m intrigued about this library that exists between life and death, allowing Nora to undo the regrets she has about her life.

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I am half way through this dystopian novel.  The central protagonist and narrator Kathy, through her memories recalls her experiences growing up in a 'boarding school' type environment where the children are being prepared for their life as 'donors'.  The second half draws on her life after leaving the school, aged sixteen.  The book is a sensitively drawn representation of growing up with the added complexity of being different.  The BBC Radio 3 Free Thinker Noreen Masud also mentions this book in her essay 'In Praise of Flatness', a very thought provoking piece on literature and landscape.

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I'm currently reading Zadie Smith's On Beauty, and highly recommend. This chapter epigraph from Elaine Scarry really resonated: 'To misstate, or even merely understate, the relation of the universities to beauty is one kind of error that can be made. A university is among the precious things that can be destroyed'.

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I'm currently reading Zadie Smith's On Beauty, and highly recommend. This chapter epigraph from Elaine Scarry really resonated: 'To misstate, or even merely understate, the relation of the universities to beauty is one kind of error that can be made. A university is among the precious things that can be destroyed'.

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The Homemaker by Dorothy Cranfield Fisher

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The Homemaker by Dorothy Cranfield Fisher

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I finished this last night in a big breathless burst because I couldn't wait to make sure that everything worked out OK! Its focus is on the domestic sphere and essentially who's 'best' suited to it, and it must have been quite radical in its day (published in 1924). And yet it has this freshness, both because of its focus on societal issues still not quite resolved, and also because children are given a voice alongside the adults. A beautifully humane depiction of family life.

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I've been scouring Top 100 novels of all time / 20 Century etc. to fill in gaps in my literary experiences, so I've rather rashly perhaps started this monster. About 30 pages in so far (another 970 odd to go...). Can anybody who knows, advise me whether it is worth continuing? It's the kind of thing I expect that should not be approached piecemeal but in big chunks of solitary concentration (hard to come by). Reminding at the moment of Catch-22 which I absolutely adore and is a work of genius. Shall I disappear down the Gravity's Rainbow rabbit-hole? Answers on a postcard ..... or below please! x

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This novel by Rebecca West was first published in 1956, and is a semi-autobiographical account of West's childhood as one of four siblings in an eccentric and dysfunctional household. I found it compelling and certainly a contender for the award of 'The Strangest Novel I've Ever Read'. Rebecca West was born in 1892 and became a suffragette, lifelong feminist activist, novelist, journalist, and traveller. The Edwardian family depicted in The Fountain Overflows encounter a poltergeist, get involved with a murderess and the political world of the day, and endure considerable poverty because their Irish-born father is addicted to gambling. Their Scottish mother was a professional musician, and she trains two of her daughters to follow in her footsteps. Music becomes the measure of reality and perception for the girls. All is presented from one daughter's point of view. Strangely haunting, this novel also offers one of the most powerful evocations of South London I've ever read.

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I have just finished re-reading Zola's The Belly of Paris. The book follows Florent who has escaped political imprisonment. He reunites with his butcher brother and sister-in-law, who live within the market halls of Paris. Chapters are full of wonderful descriptions of some of the incredible and (not so incredible) food items on offer during the mid-nineteenth century. Seeking refuge as a fish inspector, Zola uses Florent and food to explore the Socialist movement and experience of the lower classes.

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The non-fiction I'm currently reading is Black and British: A Forgotten History by David Olusoga. I'm about half-way through - currently p.283 - it provides a detailed history of the relationship between the British Isles, the slave-trade and the transition from abolitionist movements to racism in Britain.

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I just finished reading Sergei Dovlatov's The Suitcase, a semi-fictional story of the (very mundane) contents of the suitcase Dovlatov took with him as he left the Soviet Union. The chapters, each tied to one of the 8 objects, function like little short stories, presenting funny, self-deprecating, and sometimes quite pathetic moments in our narrator's life. It's nostalgic, hilarious, and weirdly British for something so Russian.

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I’ve just finished Elizabeth von Arnim’s The Enchanted April (1922), which follows four Englishwomen, initially strangers, who club together to hire a villa in Italy for a month, seeking rest and escape, and find their lives and their relationships with each other and with those they have left at home transformed. It is gentle, charming, and witty, and makes me want to go to Italy right now (but then everything does).

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I read The Haunting of Hill House after watching the Netflix series (from behind a cushion). Watching the film Shirley, starring Elisabeth Moss, made me want to read more, so I’m now reading We Have Always
Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson.

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I have started listening to Librivox recordings of public domain works because of screen-reading related eyestrain.

Obviously they are all at least 75 years old, so I've been dipping into golden age science fiction and, in contrast, sentimental classic children's fiction. It's a real treat just to lie down with my eyes closed and let someone read me a story.

I hadn't anticipated just how ironic and action-packed Kingsley's opening chapters would be. I'm already rooting for Tom and raging at the unfairness of society.

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The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey

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The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey

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I've just started reading this. The combination of a story set in the Caribbean with a serving of magical realism was enough for me to want to know more. Oh yes, and there's a mermaid (but don't let that put you off!)

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The People: The rise and fall of the working class 1910- 2010 by Selina Todd

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The People: The rise and fall of the working class 1910- 2010 by Selina Todd

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Had this book for several years after it got glowing reviews but only recently found the time and inclination to pick it up. It's a fascinating and very readable potted history of everyday working class life based around anecdotal evidence from interviewees who took part in sociological research and the author's own socio-economic historical expertise. She makes fascinating connections between, for instance, the availability of consumer goods and more disposable income in the 1960s with an increasing cultural awareness and the strengthening of the trade union movement. This is followed by the slow demise of working class solidarity in the 70s and 80s with the rise of individualistic Thatcherism and the inexorable increasing disconnect between the Labour Party and its traditional supporters. She uses pools winner Viv Nicholson (immortalised in the film 'Spend Spend Spend') as a symbol of the British class system and a warning to those who get ideas above their station to stay in their place, something which Nicholson ultimately is very happy to do to avoid the snobbery she encountered when mixing with those with more dosh. I started reading half way through to get stuck into the post-war years and once I got into more recent history (i.e. stuff I can remember from experience!) it's a sobering reminder of how we got into the state we are today, when all the writing was on the wall in 1980s and 1990s with the betrayal of the labour movement by various forces and the increasing power and influence of the right-wing media. I think I might read a more uplifting novel next!

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Raynor Winn’s account of walking the South West Coast Path with her husband, Moth, after they have been made homeless and he has been diagnosed as terminally ill. To quote a review: ‘A tale of triumph: of hope over despair; of love over everything.’ I can’t remember a recent book that moved me so much.

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I have just finished reading In Love with George Eliot by Kathy O'Shaughnessy. A really fun read. A fictionalised re-telling of Eliot's later life was interspersed with a modern-day story of an academic who was writing a novel about Eliot. Especially liked the fact that a doctor of Eliot's prescribed her a pint of champagne a day!!

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Next on my reading list is Magpie Lane by Lucy Atkins. Received in the post from a lovely colleague with the hope of being able to return it in person once restrictions are lifted. (Jo)

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My two favourite things combined - eating and London history.
This is from the Penguin Great Food series, a collection of short books for when your brain is so utterly frazzled from studying all day you don't have the ability to tackle anything more than 100 pages long.

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Just started reading Adam Grant's 3 book series. Very powerful and thought provoking!

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I’ve just finished The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley featuring a clockwork octopus (as a “character” not a co-author). (Jo)

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I'm currently reading Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles because I love retellings and, back in the day, I did Latin and Classics A Levels and it's bringing back a lot of memories.  It very much captures the style of epic poetry. I never studied The Iliad, but I did study The Aeneid and The Odyssey so there are lots of familiar characters here. Also a lovely LGBTQ love story. And, as you can see, the cover matches most of the decor in my house!

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I started reading it from curiosity, as my mother's family are Corrigans, but it's very enjoyable (if you like wheelchair-using Irish conmen)! The blurb reads 'With Corrigan Caroline Blackwood takes a long, hard look at our dearly beloved notions of saints and sinners, victims and villains, patrimony and present pleasure--and winks.'

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I’m reading this classic by Alice Walker after one of my first years mentioned it in class. It is one of those books I’ve been meaning to read for years and I’m so glad I finally am because I absolutely love it! (Eileen)

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I've just started re-reading House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. I've lost count of how many times I've gone back to it, but get something different from it every time. I was introduced to it as an undergraduate while learning about multimodality. The text is laid out in an unusual way. I recommend it if you're looking for something a bit different!

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I’m reading All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. A slow start, but sustained by beautiful prose. The very short sections are interesting, but I’m glad they are dated, as I might find the non-lateral plot a little disconcerting. Enjoyable so far.

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As spring feels nearer and nearer every single day, I've been reading Katherine May's quite brilliant WINTERING. May looks at winter as a season AND as a state of mind, and argues that it's a natural and necessary stage of every year. It's the perfect pandemic read. (Emma R.)

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I’m reading True Life Stories of the Most Notorious Pirates (1724) - the author is thought to be probably Defoe. I love the way the pirates behave outrageously when they’re asked to repent on the gallows, yelling that they’re only sorry they ‘had not done more Mischief’ while they had the chance, and that their captors deserve to be hanged too. When you consider how brutal *legal* society was, you can see their perspective... (Alex)