Quietly, gently there’s a tap on the shoulder and a soft whisper in the ear ‘Hello, I’m July …’
Quietly, gently there’s a tap on the shoulder and a soft whisper in the ear ‘Hello, I’m July – I hope you don’t mind, but the door was ajar and so I thought I would just tiptoe in to let you know I was here’. The solstice has come and gone, the relief of exams done, the increasing excitement of holidays soon to come, and here we are, July has arrived – Summer is here.
Moonlight, Summer Moonlight by Emily Jane Brontë
’Tis moonlight, summer moonlight,
All soft and still and fair;
The solemn hour of midnight
Breathes sweet thoughts everywhere,
But most where trees are sending
Their breezy boughs on high,
Or stooping low are lending
A shelter from the sky.
And there in those wild bowers
A lovely form is laid;
Green grass and dew-steeped flowers
Wave gently round her head.
Be prepared for a rollercoaster ride with our fiction pick of the week The Centre by Ayesha Manazir Siddiqi: Anisa Ellahi spends her days writing subtitles for Bollywood films in her London flat, all the while longing to be a translator of ‘great works of literature’. Her boyfriend Adam’s extraordinary aptitude for languages only makes her feel worse, but when Adam learns to speak Urdu practically overnight, Anisa forces him to reveal his secret. Adam tells Anisa about the Centre, an elite, invite-only programme that guarantees total fluency in any language in just ten days. A remarkable debut which questions authenticity, and definitely worth a read.
If you’re looking for a remarkable tale fully set in reality then look no further than Michael Finkel’s The Art Thief: Carrying out more than 200 heists over nearly ten years – in museums and cathedrals all over Europe – Breitwieser, along with his girlfriend who worked as his lookout, stole more than 300 objects, until it all fell apart in spectacular fashion. A story that bounces from strange to shocking to completely unbelievable, Finkel is the master of journalistic storytelling.
For non-fiction this week we have two fantastic local history books from historian Mark Davies. Mark Davies is an Oxford local historian, guide, public speaker, and writer. Since deciding to live in a canalboat in central Oxford in 1992, he has become the expert on all things Alice, and all things quintessentially Oxfordian. His two books Alice in Waterland and Stories of Oxford Castle are perfect for anyone wanting to learn more about Oxford, and more about the authors who wrote about this wonderful city.
Other new non-fiction includes Rental Person Who Does Nothing by Shoji Morimoto – a hilariously odd memoir about a man who people can rent out to do…well, nothing! This book delves into Japanese culture and the human condition, questioning the purpose of life and what it means to be alone. We also have Witchcraft: A History in Thirteen Trials by Marion Gibson, which analyses the history of witch trials, making it clear that women are still on trial even today.
If you’re after some dark, twisted, creepy and unsettling gothic horror to keep you awake at night then I highly recommend The Bleeding by Johana Gustawsson and Everything the Darkness Eats by Eric LeRocca. Whereas, if you’re seeking something more reflective, then we also have Reproduction by Louisa Hall and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin.
Lastly, for children, we have a story that I have personally read and laughed-out-loud at: Whose Dog is This? by Andrew Sanders and Aysha Awwad. It’s the story of a boy called Albert who wakes up one morning to find a dog in his living room, the only problem? He doesn’t own a dog! Lastly, we have the wonderful Katherine Rundell, who’s teamed up with Sara Ogilvie, to produce a freespirited tale of an adventure to save a menagerie of animals.
As always, if there’s a book you can’t find, call us and we will try our best to source a copy for you.
The full newsletter with links to books can be found HERE
