We Recommend... Holiday Reading
FICTION:
Midsummer Nights - Jeanette Winterson (ed.) Out now.
A specially commissioned collection of comedies, tragedies and tales of love won or lost, written to celebrate Glyndebourne. It includes stories by Kate Atkinson, Antonia Fraser, Alexander McCall Smith, Colm Toibin, Joanna Trollope and many more.
One Day by David Nicholls. Out now.
A romantic comedy from the writer of Starter for Ten. Friends Felix and Emma first meet at University, from then on we visit their lives on the same day every year. This clever plot device leaves the reader desperate to know what happens next. Very witty with eminently believable characters, this is a great holiday read.
Jezebel by Irene Nemirovsky. Published 1st July.
The elegant Gladys Eysenach is on trial for killing her younger lover. As the witnesses take the stand, Gladys relives fragments of her past: her childhood, her marriage, her turbulent relationship with her daughter, and then the final irrevocable act.
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier. Out now.
Chevalier is an expert at bringing to life people in history that have been overlooked. In her compelling new novel two women in Nineteenth Century Dorset discover fossilized creatures on the coast - in doing so they find friendship, rivalry and resistance to their ideas.
Lustrum by Robert Harris. Published 8th July
Second in the Cicero trilogy this latest page-turner from West Berkshire author Robert Harris, will not disappoint fans who appreciate his ability to evoke the period and keep readers utterly enthralled.
Mr Rosenblum’s List: Or Friendly Guidance for the Aspiring Englishman by Natasha Solomons. Published 8th July
A charming novel about a Jewish refugee who moves to the country and tries to build a golf course, despite never having played. It adeptly explores issues of identity and home whilst being touching and comic.
A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz. Out now.
This is deliciously sprawling without ever dragging and is full of questions about the self and society, but is never cliched or preachy. The characters are complex, sometimes unloveable, but always fascinating - destined to become cult fiction.
Truth to Tell by Mavis Cheek. Out now.
The sparkling new novel from Aldbourne author, Mavis Cheek. Nina Porter tries to live her life according to the truth, but while her husband is away on a business trip, she finds herself in Venice with a handsome Italian who wants to show her the city. Suddenly it seems as though honesty may not always be the best policy.
NON-FICTION:
Holding Court by Christopher Gorringe. Out now.
In ‘Holding Court’, he charts the unique journey of one of the country’s most venerable establishments, where decisions are still made through a committee system dating back to 1868, into the modern era. For anyone who has ever been captivated by McEnroe v Borg, soaked up the atmosphere in Aorangi Park, or been intrigued by what goes on behind the scenes at SW19, ‘Holding Court’ is a must-read.
Adventures on the High Teas by Stuart Maconie. Out now.
Stuart Maconie packed his sandwiches and thermos to try to find ‘Middle England’. Is Middle England about tradition and decency or closed minds and bigotry? Is it maypoles and evensong, or flooded market towns and binge drinkers in the park? And is Slough really as bad as Ricky Gervais and John Betjeman make out? Filled with amusing anecdotes, and tit-bits of history - I really enjoyed this book.
Blue Skies and Black Olives: A Survivor’s Tale of Housebuilding and Peacock Chasing in Greece by John Humphrys. Out now.
On impulse John Humphrys decided to buy a semi-derelict cottage in the Peloponnese. This hilarious book chronicles his endeavours to restore the house in a country that is beautiful and intriguing, but, at times, infuriating too.
The Elephant Whisperer: Learning About Life, Loyalty and Freedom from a Remarkable Herd of Elephants by Lawrence Anthony. Out now
When South African conservationist Lawrence Anthony was asked to accept a herd of rogue elephants on his reserve at Thula Thula, his commonsense told him to refuse. As Lawrence battled to create a bond with the elephants and save them from execution, he came to realise that they had a lot to teach him about love, loyalty and freedom. Set against the background of life on the reserve, with unforgettable characters and exotic wildlife, this is a delightful book that will appeal to animal lovers everywhere.
Up and Down Stairs: The History of the Country House Servant by Jeremy Musson. Out now.
Country houses were reliant on an intricate hierarchy of servants, each of whom provided an essential skill. Up and Down Stairs brings to life this hierarchy and shows how large numbers of people lived together under strict segregation and how sometimes this segregation was broken, as with the famous marriage of a squire to his dairymaid at Uppark. Jeremy Musson captures the voices of the servants who ran these vast houses, and made them work.
For Better For Worse, For Richer For Poorer by Damian and Siobhan Horner. Out now.
Damian Horner is scared that fifteen years in advertising have turned him into a bastard. As he approaches his fortieth birthday, he wants to see if he can be a good husband and a good father before it’s too late. Siobhan, his wife, wonders
if marriage and kids mean she’s now trapped in a world of suburban domesticity. Damian and Siobhan decide to throw their lives in the air and escape to the French canals, taking with them their son Noah who is two years old and can barely talk, and their daughter India who is one and cannot walk. Told in two voices, we hear both sides of their story and get the whole truth as Damian and Siobhan describe coming to terms with themselves and their life on board an old fishing boat in France with no space, no fridge, no charts, no deadlines and no flushing toilet.
