Gwendoline Riley - First Love #BaileysPrize @readingagency

Well I have to confess to being flummoxed with this book. It is beautifully written but I did not get it. None of the characters were appealing. Nothing very much happened and we were left with huge questions and holes in the plot. Why did she marry Edwyn? Why has she stayed married to him? Why is she so nasty to her mother? Why why why and to be honest I didn't care. Please explain what am I missing?

Linda Grant - Dark Circle #BaileysPrize @readingagency

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Loved the feisty Jewish twins diagnosed with TB. This is 1949 and the new NHS sees them arriving at a former Sanitorium for the wealthy (the poor died). The book reveals the appalling hardships and peculiar cures and practices that went on at the hospital, where until the advent of the NHS Doctor's could and did do what they liked. The Sanitarium is home to an eclectic host of characters. This would make a brilliant Reading Group book as there is so much to discuss. Fantastic story and thought provoking. Quirky and different in places, their continental holiday post Sanitorium is a scream. Then you have the children's ward. Definitely a contender for the prize.

Ayobami Adebayo - Stay with me #BaileysPrize

 This is an amazingly assured debut novel. Set in Nigeria with the backdrop of all the political and social upheavals,. it is non the less a story about a marriage. It is also about obsession the absolute desire to have a child and then the desperate need to keep that child alive.
Ayobami Adebayo takes you on a journey with an incredible sense of place and then draws in your emotions as you feel the pain of Yejide.

She is also a master storyteller. Just when you think you have a handle on what is happening then wow it all changes. OK you settle to the new reality and then she does it again and again. I cannot say too much as it would contain spoilers.
This will make a fantastic reading group book and is unmissable for anyone who likes fantastic writing, with twists and turns that will have you open mouthed.

Bailey's Prize Ambassador #BaileysPrize

So thrilled to be a Libraries Ambassador for the Baileys Prize!

Adrian J Walker - The End of the World Running Club

A realistic end of the world scenario and taut, empathic writing, this is a fantastic thriller and reading group choice. I read this book in twenty-four hours I just could not put it down. It remains with you afterwards as you contemplate how you would have reacted in just such a situation. Why do I think it will make a great reading group choice? Because I just cannot wait to discuss it with other people. I can see huge questions and opinions being challenged. I loved having a tarnished hero, who thought he was rubbish; the rag bag assortment of wingmen who accompanied and cajoled him on his 500 mile run to meet his family; the set scenes when they encountered other groups and interacted with them. It all adds up to a deep experience, that reverberates within you and stays buzzing. I can see this as a TV series. Brilliant

S J Bolton - Awakening

I read this novel with one of our Westbourne Reading Groups. My goodness Sharon Bolton can write tension and suspense. If you like excellent writing and scarey intelligent stories this is for you. Our heroine is Clara a Veterinary Surgeon. Like many of Sharon's strong female leads, she has her own problems and vulnerabilities, having been disfigured as a child. She has chosen to bury herself, in the countryside and work with animals who do not judge, When a man dies from a suspicious snake bite she is called in to give her opinion. There then begins a terrifying search for a clever killer, linking his killings to an ancient ritual. This book is truly creepy. The snakes are horrible but fascinating at the same time. I loved it. It has some great themes and makes a good reading group read.

It is great that we have Sharon coming t6o Westbourne Library to give a talk on Fear, Folklore and Forensics. See you there?

Kate Rhodes event

Come and meet the wonderful Kate Rhodes who will be talking about her new book River of Souls the fourth book in the Alice Quentin, forensic psychologist series.
This is a fast paced thriller with a very dark heart, based around the River Thames, a politicians daughter, an elderly priest and ancient Roman artifacts. Absolutely brilliant and an excellent choice for a reading group!