Reflections of the times in which we live
A stroll through the morning newspapers, an opportunity to catch up with what’s what in the world (all appears to be doom and gloom) and an interesting reader’s letter caught my eye. It was in response to a previous article in the same paper which appeared to dismiss the value of contemporary fiction – that the best writing is to be found in the past. The vast well from which novels can be drawn is deep, the ‘classics’ are many and there are plenty of these great works to choose from, many of which don’t date from an entertainment point of view. Publishing has always had its bandwagons – browse the novels in a supermarket (generally only the bestsellers) and you’ll be struck by how similar that cohort is – similar plots, characters and locations and even the covers can be a bit ‘samey’. But dive into a good bookshop and things start to look a little different, all those classics, once novels of their time are there, but added to by a lively dose of contemporary works too, reflections of the times in which we live. Authors of contemporary fiction are laying down a record of what they see – weaving stories from the threads of the lives and circumstances about them. We live in interesting times – it’ll be fascinating in a few years’ time to reflect on the ‘classics’ which came out of them.
Blackberry Picking by Seamus Heaney
Late August, given heavy rain and sun
For a full week, the blackberries would ripen.
At first, just one, a glossy purple clot
Among others, red, green, hard as a knot.
You ate that first one and its flesh was sweet
Like thickened wine: summer’s blood was in it
Leaving stains upon the tongue and lust for
Picking. Then red ones inked up and thathunger
Sent us out with milk cans, pea tins, jam-pots
Where briars scratched and wet grass bleached our boots.
Round hayfields, cornfields and potato-drills
We trekked and picked until the cans were full
Until the tinkling bottom had been covered
With green ones, and on top big dark blobs burned
Like a plate of eyes. Our hands were peppered
With thorn pricks, our palms sticky as Bluebeard’s.
We hoarded the fresh berries in the byre.
But when the bath was filled we found a fur,
A rat-grey fungus, glutting on our cache.
The juice was stinking too. Once off the bush
The fruit fermented, the sweet flesh would turn sour.
I always felt like crying. It wasn’t fair
That all the lovely canfuls smelt of rot.
Each year I hoped they’d keep, knew they would not.
This week’s outstanding fiction pick of the week is Wife by Charlotte Mendelson: Zoe Stamper, junior researcher in Ancient Greek Tragedy, meets fellow academic Dr Penny Cartwright at a faculty flute recital. Dr Cartwright seems impossibly glamorous to Zoe, who is, after all, several rungs down the academic pecking order – and a nervous ingénue as far as Penny’s sophisticated circle is concerned. But Penny leaves Zoe a cryptic note, and a passionate affair ensues. This tumultuous drama brings us along on the highs and lows of their relationship as they struggle in and out of love. Our top children’s pick of the week goes to Hilary McKay’s Rosa by Starlight, which is a highly-illustrated fiction for children aged 9+. Rosa finds herself alone in the city of Venice, with only the stars looking down upon her…and a mysterious big, black cat called Balthazar. Be prepared to be dazzled in this magical world.
Other new fiction includes, I’ll Look For You, Everywhere by Cameron Capello – a summer romance that combined the tension of Magnolia Parks with the sun-kissed setting of The Summer I Turned Pretty. Another poignant love story is Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell, this is the tale of Shiloh and Cary, two best friends who everyone always thought were destined to be together…everyone apart from them. Look in the Mirror is Catherine Steadman’s new thriller: when Nina’s father dies, she inherits a gleaming dream vacation home in a balmy tropical paradise – one she had no idea existed. The house is extraordinary: state-of-the-art, all glass and marble. How did her sensible father ever have enough money for this? Desperate to uncover why he hid such a big secret, she decides to visit, and it only gets weirder from there. New in fantasy we have Long Live Evil by Sarah Rees Brennan – dying, Rae takes a second chance at living by entering a bargain that allows her to live in the world of her favourite fantasy series. The only downside? She’s fallen in love with the villain.
In non-fiction, Donna Leon’s memoir, Wandering Through Life, is now in paperback. In a series of vignettes, Donna accounts her unusual life, and her love affair with Italy. Francesca Huntingdon’s A Recipe for Every Day of the Year is a collection of recipes to inspire all year round – from show-stoppers and crowd-pleasers to simple one bowl wonders, this will kick start your love for cooking. How Migration Really Works by Hein de Haas is a simple, myth-busting look at current migration: such as, climate change will not lead to mass migration; immigration mainly benefits the wealthy, not workers; and border restrictions have paradoxically produced more migration. Lastly, for the football superfans, xGenius by James Tippett takes a look at xG (Expected Goals). This looks at the interplay between analysis, tactics, and decision-making that makes players, coaches and football teams so successful.
Whilst, for children, Koku Akanbi: The King of Lost Souls by Maria Motunrayo Adebisi is book 2 in this series for ages 9+: Koku Akanbi’s newfound ghostly powers have been wreaking havoc, landing him in detention and a whole heap of trouble. Having to find a way back to Olori – his family’s homeland – is tough enough, but he is soon sent on a dangerous quest to find the three most powerful objects in the world! Also for ages 9+ we have A. F. Harrold’s The Worlds We Leave Behind, when Tommo makes a deal with an old woman in the woods to make all the people who have wronged him disappear, he wakes up in a world that looks starkly different to the one he left behind.
As always, if there’s something you need help with, or a book you need ordering, please call or email us!
From Amber
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