Sound Reads

Books are brilliant!! 

And summer is a great time to escape into a different world or travel to a different dimension from the comfort of home or the garden or the park! 

But what to read? 

And the grass needs cutting, the kitchen floor needs a good clean so what is a reader to do?? 

Listen to a podcast of course! 

There are lots of literary podcasts available to inspire your next choice of book, including author interviews, actual stories and dramatisations, discussion and reviews by fellow book lovers and maybe a quirky few that may lead you in an unexpected but welcome new direction! 

Plug in your headphones, (earbuds, phone speaker system)  and have a listen to the suggestions below (click the pic) or choose your favourite podcast app and do a search for ‘books’ or ‘summer reads’ and head off on a journey of discovery!!

    

 

If you have other suggestions or comments, we do like to hear from you; 

find us on Twitter and Facebook and we'll share any gems that we find.

Reading for Pleasure - November 2015 "Shamed"

Shamed by Sarbjit Kaur Athwal

This is both an easy and difficult book to read.  Easy because its a page turner and you just have to know what happens next. Difficult because of the subject matter - family, religion, faith and murder. Or honour killing...... And that is the origin of the title, shame or honour but who is to judge? Or maybe that should be.....who IS the judge?
From the foreword by the investigating officer DCI Clive Driscoll 2013 - in 1998 a young English girl left her home- and never returned...
That  girl was a married woman who went on 'holiday' with her mother-in-law or 'mum' and was never seen again, dead or alive.  The book is written by her sister-in-law who witnessed events but was powerless at the time to change them.  However after repeated attempts over a number of years she finally made her voice heard to the right person at the right time. And justice was done, people went to prison but a life is still lost and remains a loss to her family of origin and  her children
The bravery of Sarbjit for speaking out not only in court but within her community and facing the years to come when the murderers are released is beyond question. I don't know if l could do it..... Please read this book

Reading for Pleasure - November 2015 "The Girl on the Train"

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

In 2015 this book became the fastest selling adult hard back book ever. It is a psychological thriller which begins with the musings of a commuter, Rachel, who travels into London every day by train and sees people playing out their lives as the train speeds past their houses. She becomes obsessed by a couple she sees most days, who she decides have a perfect relationship. Throughout the novel we learn more about Rachel and about the other characters in the book and people who at first seem ordinary are revealed to have secrets which threaten their emotional health and even their lives. The Girl on the Train has deservedly been one of the literary successes of 2015. Don’t miss out.

Reading for Pleasure - November 2015 "The Rosie Project"

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

On first glance, The Rosie Project looks like it is to be typical chic-lit about finding love.  However, it is refreshingly quirky and told from the male perspective, albeit a slightly awkward male, in the form of Don Tillman.

Don Tillman is a 39 year old geneticist, living on a rigid schedule who “never drinks coffee after 3.48pm” and is “very comfortable with repetition”.  Graeme Simsion hints at Don having Asperger’s syndrome, but this is left for the reader to decide.  It certainly makes for an endearing and amusing protagonist, who is often blind to things we see as the reader, but has his own warmth and charm.

The Rosie Project is an entertaining, funny read, which makes you want to get behind the underdog.  Don, reminiscent of Adrian Mole, is brilliantly brought to life and my only slight criticism is that the female characters are not quite as well developed.  However, it is certainly a book to lighten your mood and makes you want to keep reading and rooting for Don…

Reading for Pleasure - November 2015 "Next of Kin"

“Next of Kin” by John Boyne

How firm are your principles? Are they unshakeable in the face of extreme pressure or are some things worth more than principles? How far would you go to save your own skin, or those of the ones you love? In this novel John Boyne intertwines the stories of his characters with real historical events to create a web of deceit and power play in 1930’s Britain. The plot is ingenious and the characters believable, this is a book to be engrossed in now that the nights are drawing in. John Boyne has written a number of novels for adults and teens as well as short stories.

If you haven’t read any of his books yet, why not?