I set every tree in my June time,
And now they obscure the sky.
The picture of one racing brother helping his stricken sibling (and fellow competitor) across the finish line may not be an iconic image, but it is a beautiful image. Not only that, but Alistair Brownlee forsook his winning position and even nudged his brother across the line ahead of himself. That level of selflessness and the attributes behind those characteristics are not celebrated nearly enough. But perhaps also unusual is that the protagonists are naturally competitive – theirs was not a team sport, it was all about the individual and the personal quest. After all, the runner who passed both Brownlee brothers on the finish straight didn’t think twice as he raced through the drama to clinch the winner’s medal. Buried deep at the back of our stockroom were a few signed copies of Alistair’s 2021 book ‘Relentless’, perhaps buried within its pages is a clue to how the superbly competitive sportsman can also be a superbly thoughtful human being.
At Day-Close in November by Thomas Hardy
The ten hours’ light is abating,
And a late bird wings across,
Where the pines, like waltzers waiting,
Give their black heads a toss.
Beech leaves, that yellow the noon-time,
Float past like specks in the eye;
I set every tree in my June time,
And now they obscure the sky.
And the children who ramble through here
Conceive that there never has been
A time when no tall trees grew here,
That none will in time be seen.
Next Thursday is Coles Book Club with Rachel Blackmore for the thoroughly enjoyable read ‘Costanza’. Although there is no Book Club the following month in December, we are looking forward to our event with journalist and author Henry Porter at Bicester Library on Thursday 5th December – tickets are free, just give the library a call to reserve your seat.
A little closer to Christmas and for the smaller readers amongst us, The Mill Arts Centre will be visiting Bicester with a stage performance of ‘Little Robin Red Vest’ – perfect for getting into the spirit of the season. Details of all our events are shown at the bottom of this Newsletter – nice stuff happens in this town, it’s good to be a Bicestrian!
This week’s top fiction pick is the much-anticipated The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami, written mostly in 2020, and Murakami notes that these circumstances “might be significant. Or maybe not.” In this quiet, slow-burn of a novel, a young man and his girlfriend are unsettled by the distance between them. When he finds her in the walled city, she can’t remember the loving memories they share, so he takes a job as a dream reader in her workplace. Murakami’s signature reflective style shines through in this escapist read. Our non-fiction pick is a little more frivolous: Sylvia Plath’s Tomato Soup Cake is a quirky collection of recipes taken from the letters and diaries of some of our most beloved authors. In this little cookbook, Agatha Christie provides the soup starter, Joan Didion’s Mexican chicken takes centre stage, George Orwell whips up a cake, and Daphne Du Maurier washes it down with sloe gin!
In crime fiction, Argylle, the book that inspired the film starring a very fluffy cat, is now out in paperback. This spy thriller follows Frances Coffey, a CIA spymaster, and her protegee, Argylle, in the fight against a Russian magnate’s disastrous plans. Argylle’s past haunts him, but Coffey thinks that’s exactly what makes him the man for this death-defying job. In sci-fi/fantasy, Rebecca Yarros’ fantasy romance sequel in the Empyrean series, Iron Flame, has been released in paperback with a new chapter from Xaden’s perspective, andMelissa Caruso’s The Last Hour Between Worlds is an atmospheric mystery where a city plunges through dangerous new layers of reality with each chime of a clock.
Over in non-fiction, Tim Burton: Designing Worlds is the official catalogue for the otherworldly exhibition at the Design Museum; Lonely Planet have collected the best travel tips for every country in The World; and this year’s Cold War Steve Annual charts twelve months of apocalyptic politics in bold, satirical artworks. In wellness, Kim Suhyun’s blend of self-help and memoir is an illustrated guide to self-compassion in I Decided to Live as Me, while Chair Pilates and Yoga is a thoughtful manual to movement for those with limited mobility.
For 9-12 year olds, Alex T. Smith’s Murder! By Narwhal! is a hilarious whodunnit with suspicious characters and page-turning twists: when the tyrannical Sir Ignatious Gristle is murdered at the family estate, his granddaughter takes matters into her own hands, with the help of her trusted tortoise! Finally, for children 5+, Sausage Dog Santa follows Stanley the sausage dog on a mission to deliver gifts to all his furry friends. But who will grant his Christmas wish of becoming friends with grumpy cat Cleo?
As always, if you have any questions, or you want anything ordering in, do let us know!
From Sophie
The full newsletter with linkd to books – including this week’s Signed Editions – can be found HERE
