Lucy Clare
Lucy joined in September of last year and has spent five wonderful months with us but will be leaving to go travelling in Costa Rica next week. Lucy has also just been accepted into Exeter University to study Spanish & Classics starting in September.
Lucy's choices are below.
Francis Spufford
Cahokia Jazz
Hardback £20.00
In his most recent book, Francis Spufford brings to life an alternate history of 1920s America where, at first glance, a city called Cahokia is thriving. However, this apparent peace quickly disintegrates when Barrow begins investigating a troubling death as a member of the Cahokia PD. This is an enthralling and unpredictable read which had me invested from the beginning - I didn’t want it to end!
Make it stand out
George Orwell
Homage to Catalonia
Paperback £8.99
This particular memoir of Orwell’s details his experience fighting on the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War. It provides an eye-opening account of the less frequently covered brutalities of the Civil War, namely acts committed within the Republican cohort and is perfectly balanced politically and personally, easily making it a readable but informative piece of work.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Half of a Yellow Sun
Paperback £9.99
This novel set largely during the Biafran War follows the intersecting lives of 3 people: Olanna, the wife of an intellectual, Ugwu, her houseboy, and Richard, her sister’s partner. Adichie depicts the heartbreaking impact of war on lower and upper-class citizens alike, as well as the strength of family ties. It is an intimate and incredibly real piece of writing in which everyday struggles are exacerbated by war and leaves you emotionally invested throughout.
Robert Harris
Imperium
Parperback £9.99
The first in a trilogy, Imperium is a deeply interesting fictional exploration into Rome and its important historical figures post-80 BC through the eyes of Cicero’s slave Tiro. It follows Cicero’s rise to political power and provides a convincing picture of the treachery and scheming that commonly surrounded Roman politics. Harris creates the perfect combination of history and tense storytelling in which factual information is never lacking but neither is a sense of intrigue.
Tracy Sierra
Nightwatching
Hardback £14.99 (published 8th February)
Fantastically gripping from beginning to end, this is a book I wish I could re-read for the first time. Suspense was wonderfully mastered during this thriller in which a single mother’s house is broken into, and not by your run-of-the-mill intruder. Flashes between past and present were beautifully crafted without slowing down the pace and all the while increasing interest. For anyone who enjoys feeling just a little bit scared, I couldn’t recommend this more!