2008 has been designated as the National Year of Reading and where better to celebrate this than at your local library? Visit us and you can expect a warm welcome and access to a wonderful choice of items – books, the internet, DVDs, games… browse the web pages to find out more about your library service.
Themes
Each month will have a theme – visit your nearest library for a display of books to borrow.
- April - Read all about it
- May – Mind and body
- June – Reading escapes
- July – Rhythm and rhyme
- August – Read the game
- September – You are what you read
- October – Word of mouth
- November – Screen reads
- December – Write the future
Read anything and everything, anywhere and everywhere.
April Read All About It One (84kb)- April Read All About It Two (76kb)
Celebrate the links between reading and health in May with these books to help you change your life:
- May Mind and Body Children (40kb)
- May Mind and Body Adult (40kb)
Books to help you change your life
- Barasi, Mary: Nutrition at a Glance
- Bean, Anita: Food for fitness
- Blake, ND: Vitamins and Minerals Demystified
- Clarke, Jane: Yummy Baby
- Cook Yourself Thin
- Eisenberg, Arlene: What to expect: the toddler years
- Emerson, Richard: Read the label
- Fennell, Melanie, J.V: Overcoming low self esteem
- Ford, Gina: The new contented little baby book
- Freedman, Rory: Skinny Bitch
- Greenberger, Dennis; Mind Over Mood
- Hark, Lisa: Nutrition for Life
- Hodgkinson, Tom: How to be Free
- Holford, Patrick: Food is better medicine than drugs
- Kellow, Juliette: Miracle Food for Kids
- Marshall, Andrew G: I love you but I’m not in love with you
- McKenna, Paul: I can make you rich
- The Mindful Way Through Depression
- Noakes, Manny: The CSIRO total wellbeing diet
- Pallardy, Pierre; Gut Instinct
- Scanlon, Gisele: The goddess guide
- Seymour, John: The new complete book of self sufficiency
- Sharma,Robin S: The monk who sold his Ferrari
- Smith, Jon: The bloke’s guide to pregnancy
- Tolle, Eckhart: The power of now
- Van Straten, Michael: Super Duper Juice
- Van der Post, Lucia: Things I wish my Mother had told me
- Wan, Gok: How to look good naked
- Wood, Kate: Raw Living
- Woodall, Trinny and Constantine, Susannah:Trinny and Susannah-the body shape bible
The holiday season is upon us so escape with a holiday read or look at how reading helps us escape into different worlds.
- Ammaniti, Niccol. I’ll steal you away
In swampy Ischiano Scalo, where the adults are all losers and the children dream of escape, meek little Pietro is tested to destruction by the school psychopath, and is betrayed by his parents, his favourite teacher and, in his most self-fulfilling act, himself. - Astley, Judy. All Inclusive
For the last few years, Beth and Ned have gone to the same Caribbean island to the same luxury spa hotel, leaving their problems safely behind. Except this year Ned is having a holiday fling with one of Beth’s friends and Beth insisted on bringing their 16-year-old daughter who’s been ill and needs some rest and sunshine. - Billington, Rachel. One Summer
K, a middle-aged painter, has returned from a hermit-like existence in Chile to attend the wedding of a girl he once loved to the point of obsession. - De Bernieres, Louis. – A partisan’s daughter
A Partisan’s Daughter features the relationship between Chris, an unhappily married, middle-aged Englishman and Roza, a young Serbian woman who has recently moved to London. - Colgan, Jenny. – Operation sunshine
Frances needs a good holiday. So when her employers – two high-powered plastic surgeons – invite her to attend a conference with them in the south of France, she can’t believe her luck. It’s certainly the holiday of a lifetime – but not quite in the way Frances imagined! - Gayle, Mike. Wish you were here
After ten years together, Charlie Mansell has been dumped by his live-in girlfriend, Sarah. All he wants to do is wallow in misery, but mates Andy and Tom have a better idea, a week of sun and souvlaki in Malia, party capital of the Greek Islands. But Charlie and his mates aren’t 18 any more, or even under 30…. - Hamid, Mohsin. – The reluctant fundamentalist
At a cafe table in Lahore, a Pakistani man converses with a stranger. As dusk deepens to dark, he begins the tale that has brought him to this fateful meeting. - Hickman, Katie. – The aviary gate
Elizabeth Stavely sits in the Bodleian Library with trembling hands. Before her is a fragment of parchment which provides the clue she has been looking for to a story that has been untold for 400 years: a tale of intrigue, forbidden love and dangerous secrets in the Sultan’s harem. - Royen, Heleen Van. – Escape
Julia is 36 years old. At first sight, she has it all, but actually she feels miserable. So, for the first time in her life, she does something completely irresponsible: she leaves her family behind and heads off into the sun. When she finally meets someone, she is forced to reconcile with her past. - Scott, Phillip. – Gay resort murder shock
The ineptly intrepid sleuthing team from One dead diva returns, this time working at a gay resort off the coast of Queensland. Marc, a 50-ish opera queen and his young dancer friend Paul are working for Marc’s friend Newton Heath, until Newton is suddenly murdered! - Tolkien, J. R. R. – The children of Hurin
Painstakingly restored from Tolkien’s manuscripts and presented for the first time as a fully continuous and stand-alone story, the epic tale of The children of Hurin will reunite fans of The hobbit and The lord of the rings with elves and men, dragons and dwarves, eagles and orcs, and the rich landscape and characters unique to Tolkien.
Celebrate poetry and lyrics. Sing a long with a nursery rhyme CD. Make your children giggle with a funny poem… For the tiny ones, don’t forget the Bounce and Rhyme sessions in our libraries. Conatct your local library for details. For the pop music fan try our CDs – The Kooks, Girls Aloud, Rihanna, Scouting for Girls…
Children
- Andreae, Giles. More pants
You can never have enough pants, as this exuberant celebration of lots and lots more pants proves! Giles Andreae's brilliant rhyming text and Nick Sharratt's hilarious, vibrant illustrations will delight children and adults alike. Featuring amongst others, a hippo, a limousine and a dinosaur in pants, plus a rather embarrassed farty pants, this lively picture book is guaranteed to make you giggle! - Ardley, Neil. Young person’s guide to music
With its combination of book and compact disc, this book provides an interactive guide to the instruments of the orchestra. - Bevan, Clare. More fairy poems
In this gorgeous collection of fairy poems you can find out all about fairy fashion, join in with the Lily-pad Prance and learn the fairy alphabet and how to do a spell to mend broken wings. - Fireman Sam sing-along book
Presents five songs about Fireman Sam, to be sung to the tune of well known nursery rhymes, with a sound button that plays the tune of the last one. (Postman Pat and Thomas the Tank Engine editions also available). - Foster, John. Fiendishly funny poems
Meet Gerry Gerbil, Pterence Pterodactyl, Mixed up Auntie, Spotty Joe and a host of other clowns as they guide the reader through this collection of potty poetry. - Gliori, Debi. The Dorling Kindersley Book of Nursery Rhymes
A collection of nursery rhymes, with accompanying CD - I am the music man
Recounts the musical instruments that the Music Man can play. Peer through the die-cut windows in each page of this interactive book to find out who is playing what.
Anyone can be the Music Man in this joyful adaptation of the classic nursery song, and everyone can join in making music together! - Meadows, Daisy. Melodie the music fairy
Melodie the Music Fairy can't hit the high notes without her magic party bag of tunes. But a tinkling piano and some clashing cymbals might help Rachel and Kirsty to rescue it. - Owen, Gareth. Can we have our ball back, please?
A collection of football poems written by Gareth Owen, who has a lifelong love of football. All the joy, sorrow, and sheer fun of being a player and a fan can be found in this funny collection. - Rosen, Michael. You wait til I’m older than you!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! GET OFF, GET OFF, GET OFF, GET OFF!
Well, what would you say if you found a spider in the toilet? You'll find lots of other things in this book too - poems about invisible ink, waterproof torches (or not), school rules, bedroom rules, rules that parents decide to break. You'll also hear about shopping with Eddie, creepy-crawlies in Australia, and walking into Wales with your trousers down! - Wind the bobbin
Presents the rhyme ‘wind the bobbin’ with accompanying British Sign Language symbols.
Adults
- Adcock, Fleur. Poems, 1960-2000
Conversational in style and shrewdly laconic, this collection of Fleur Adcock's poetry offers psychological insights into the deceptions of love, personal relationships and family life. - Angelou, Maya. And still I rise
Maya Angelou's poetry - lyrical and dramatic, exuberant and playful - speaks of love, longing, partings; of Saturday night partying, and the smells and sounds of Southern cities; of freedom and shattered dreams. - Betjeman, John. Best of Betjeman
In addition to Sir John's poetry, this selection includes prose that reveals him as architectural critic, social historian, conservationist, short-story writer, railway enthusiast, country lover, humorist, eccentric and Christian. Also included is a version of Metro-Land, a television film for which he wrote the script and narrated. - Cohen, Leonard. Stranger music : selected poems and songs
A collection of the song lyrics and poetry of the Canadian novelist and poet showcases the clarity, passion, and timeless quality of his literary work. - Cope, Wendy. Making cocoa for Kingsley Amis
Most of Cope's poems confirm popular notions of what poetry should be--rhyming, accessible and direct. - Duffy, Carol Ann. Selected poems
Contains poetry chosen by Carol Ann Duffy from her first four acclaimed volumes, Standing female nude, Selling Manhattan, The other country, and Mean time, as well as six poems from the later The world’s wife. - Dylan, Bob. Lyrics, 1962-2002
Bob Dylan is a musical and political icon. From his early days of protest songs, his songs have spoken to generations and had a huge influence on other artists. He has also been regarded by writers and critics as a poet in his own right. This is a collection of his lyrics, from 1962 to 2002. - Hughes, Ted. Crow : from the life and songs of the Crow
Crow was Ted Hughes's fourth book of poems for adults and a pivotal moment in his writing career. In it, he found both a structure and a persona that gave his vision a new power and coherence. - Maxwell, Glyn. The breakage
A poetry collection which encompasses subjects as diverse as World War I and the author's trip up the Amazon, as well as love poems and tributes to other poets, notably Edward Thomas, Robert Frost and Joseph Brodsky. - McGough, Roger. Selected poems
One of Britain’s most popular poets, Roger McGough has written many books for both children and adults. This book includes a selection of some of his finest and best loved verse, featuring new and previously unpublished poems. - Walcott, Derek. Collected poems, 1948-1984
A collection of poems by contemporary poet, Derek Walcott, whose subject is the panorama of life, landscape, culture and politics of the West Indies.
With the Beijing Olympics on their way, cricket and, before you know it, the start of the football why not complement the TV action with a little armchair reading? For those of you who were looking forward to England’s victory in Euro 2008 – console yourself with a footballer’s biography.
A ‘lucky dip’ of books related to sport. We have loads more – ask the staff
- Bell, John. Bowls : skills, techniques, tactics
A step-by-step guide to bowls that provides sound, practical advice to help a person become a better bowler, this work is aimed at all those interested in bowls, whether just taking up the sport, or those at more advanced levels who wish to learn new techniques. - Botham, Ian. Botham’s century : my 100 great cricketing characters
Botham’s century contains 100 portraits of cricketing characters whom Ian Botham has come across in his eventful career and who have influenced the game for good in his time. Top players, umpires, coaches, pop stars and writers are included. - Dallaglio, Lawrence. It’s in the blood: my life
No one better embodies the charisma of English rugby's greatest era than Lawrence Dallaglio. He is a Premiership, World Cup and Grand Slam winner. He captained his country. He pushed Wasps to the summit of European rugby, winning one Heineken Cup and three consecutive English Premiership titles. This is his story. - Fletcher, Keith. Ashes to ashes : the rise, fall and rise of English cricket
A frank assessment of the past, present and future of the game from the only man to have captained and coached the England team, Fletcher offers fresh insights into some of the great cricketing controversies, as well as addressing some of the main issues in the game today. - Folley, Malcolm. Borg versus McEnroe
The Wimbledon men’s singles final of 1980 is arguably the greatest game ever played at the All England Club. Published to mark the 25th anniversary of the match, Malcolm Folley’s book tells the story of the great rivalry between two very different players as they headed toward their climactic showdown. - Lynam, Desmond. I should have been at work
One of the most sought-after celebrity titles of recent years, Des Lynam's autobiography gives a frank and opinionated insight into the man behind the myth. - Mills, Alan. Lifting the covers : my autobiography
The sight of Alan Mills, walkie-talkie in hand, peeping out from the side of Centre Court as the rain starts to fall, is familiar to tennis fans. In the 21 years that Alan Mills has refereed at Wimbledon, he has become synonymous with the tournament as strawberries and cream. Now, in the year he retires, he looks back over his career. - Murphy, Sam. Running well : run smarter, run faster, avoid injury – and enjoy it more
Running well shows runners how to minimise the risks of injury and other problems by showing the difference between training and straining, avoiding overtraining, varying speed and distance, keeping the running muscles strong and supple, and honing technique. - Sansom, Kenny. To cap it all: my story
Kenny Sansom enjoyed a glittering football career with Crystal Palace, Arsenal and England. However, away from the pitch, Kenny struggled with addictions to alcohol and gambling. In this book, he tells the story of both these sides of his life. - Vergeer, Koen. Formula 1 fanatic
Koen Vergeer here provides a feast of recognition and nostalgia. For those who know nothing about Formula 1, it explains the mystery of an obsession. - Walker, Murray. Murray Walker : unless I’m very much mistaken
Murray Walker is acknowledged worldwide as the voice of motor racing – and the man responsible for introducing millions of viewers to the previously inaccessible world of Formula 1. Here he tells the story of his incident-packed life.
Drift off into the world of sport without actually getting off the sofa…..Try some of these fiction titles and exercise the brain!
- Anshaw, Carol. Aquamarine
Imagine how different your life might be if you had taken another path at a crucial turning point in the past. Jesse's choices have variously brought her to marry, divorce or remain single, to love men or women. But Jesse is still haunted by the moment when she lost the gold medal for the hundred-meter freestyle at the 1968 Olympics to a fatally seductive Australian swimmer named Marty Finch. - Chalice, Clare and ‘Fabulous’. The beautiful game: meet the WAGs
Welcome to the world of wives and girlfriends, as you go behind the scenes and experience the rucks, romances and rules of the mega-glamorous minefield that is the world of football. 'Fabulous' is the pseudonym of an ex-WAG. We're just not telling you which one.... - Collins, Philip. The men from the boys
Adam and Kevin were childhood best friends, but once grown up their paths diverged. Kevin, once the leader of the pair, a failed footballer and Adam, complete with a new set of well-heeled friends, lands a high-flying job in London. But when Adam and Kevin lose the people that mean most to them, back in their home town again, they are forced to confront what their roots really are and what means success to them. - Gunesekera, Romesh. The match
'The Match' is a heart-warming, funny family saga, stretching from the 70s to the present-day and moving from Asia to Europe. It is a story about fathers and sons, of finding home and coming home, of cricket, growing up and falling in love. - Hornby, Nick. Fever pitch
The bitter-sweet autobiography which vividly accounts the elation and utter despair of a love affair with a particular football team. It captures the truth and absurdities of the obsessed Arsenal fan's mind, and whether you are interested in football or not, this is a sophisticated study of masculinity, class, identity, growing up, loyalty, depression and joy. - Jacobson, Howard. The mighty Walzer
From the beginning, Oliver Walzer is a natural - at ping-pong; at sex he is not a natural. Without even a bat (he plays with the Collins Classic edition of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde) he can chop, flick, half-volley like a champion. At sex, with tuition from fellow members of the Akiva Social Club Table Tennis team and stalwarts of the Kardoma coffee bar, his game improves. - King, John. The football factory
A collection of linked stories, "The Football Factory" centres on Vince Matthews, a seasoned Chelsea hooligan who represents a disaffected society operating by appalling rules. - Knox, Malcolm. Adult book
Filtered through the lens of two areas of masculinity - cricket and pornography - 'Adult Book' is at once a poignant story of a family's grief, an artfully constructed thriller and a provocative dissection of men and their private passions. - Peace, David. The Damned United
A novel that shifts between and across 12 years in the life of a football genius. A fictionalised account of Brian Clough’s time at Leeds United. - Ravden, Matthew. Bloke miles
You know about air miles, but I'll bet you've never heard of 'bloke' miles? Rob, Brian and Donald have come to an agreement with their wives: they can earn points by helping them, which then can be redeemed against 'blokeish' activities of their choice. - Storey, David. This sporting life
Rugby League football in an industrial northern city is a life of grime, mud, sweat and intrigue. The story follows the fortunes of the hero Arthur Machin, from the day of his inclusion in the local team to the match when he first feels age creeping up on him. - Williams, John. Cardiff dead
Cardiff 1999 and the city is booming. But Charlie Unger has been lying dead in his flat for a week. An evocative picture of new Wales from developers' boardrooms to prostitutes' pubs; from boxing gyms to surfing beaches.
September – You are what you read
Reading is the perfect way to make sense of your own roots and culture as well as offering the ideal opportunity to step into someone else’s shoes – to understand what makes another person or indeed a particular community tick . . .
Fiction
- Ali, Monica. Brick Lane
In this tale of two Muslim sisters Monica Ali explores how they live out their own personal tragedies. One lives in a tower block in London's East End whilst the other lives in a Bangladeshi village. (Adult) - Cassidy, Cathy. Sundae girl
Jude's family are crazy, quirky, bizarre ...her mum brings her nothing but trouble and her dad thinks he's Elvis! All she wants is a hassle-free life - but it's not easy when she's chasing a trail of broken promises. (Children) - Kelley, Anne. The bower bird
The story of Gussie continues; a precocious young girl diagnosed with a rare heart condition. Despite this, she is determined to live life to the fullest, experiencing typical adolescent problems such as love and parent troubles. While never complaining, she offers a direct and honest insight about herself and the world around her. (Adult and young adult) - Laird, Elizabeth. Oranges in no man’s land
Since her father left Lebanon to find work and her mother tragically died in a shell attack, tenyear-old Ayesha has been living in the bombravaged city of Beirut with her granny and her two younger brothers. The city has been torn in half by civil war and a desolate, dangerous no man's land divides the two sides. Only militiamen and tanks dare enter this deadly zone, but when Granny falls desperately ill Ayesha sets off on a terrifying journey to reach a doctor living in enemy territory. (Children) - Peters, J. Keeping you a secret
Why fall in love if you have to keep it a secret? With a steady boyfriend, the position of Student Council President and a chance to go to an Ivy League college, high school life is just fine for Holland Jaeger. That is until Cece Goddard comes to school...Cece and Holland develop undeniable feelings for one another, but how will others react to their burgeoning relationship? (Young adult) - Roth, Philip. The human stain
For his entire adult life, Silk has been covering up the fact that he is a black man. Young Silk rejects both the racism that bars him from Woolworth's counter and the Negro solidarity of Howard University. Silk's contradictions power a great Philip Roth novel. (Adult) - Smith, Zadie. White teeth
Epic in scale and intimate in approach, the story travels through Jamaica, Turkey, Bangladesh and India but ends up in a scrubby North London borough, home of the book's two unlikely heroes: prevaricating Archie Jones and intemperate Samad Iqbal. (Adult) - St Aubyn, Edward. Mother’s milk
An up-to-the-minute dissection of the mores of child-rearing, marriage, adultery, and assisted suicide, 'Mother's Milk' is a complex family portrait that examines the shifting allegiances between mothers, sons and husbands. (Adult) - Zusak, Markus. The book thief
1939 - Nazi Germany - The country is holding its breath. Death has never been busier. Liesel, a nine-year-old girl, is living with a foster family on Himmel Street. Her parents have been taken away to a concentration camp. Liesel steals books. This is her story and the story of the inhabitants of her street when the bombs begin to fall. (Everyone)
Non-Fiction
- Bryson, Bill. Notes from a small island
Bryson, who moved to England from the USA seventeen years ago and settled in North Yorkshire with his family, turns an affectionate but ironic eye on his adopted country. - Fox, Kate. Watching the English: the hidden rules of English behaviour
Watching the English . . . will make you laugh out loud and cringe simultaneously. It is a wonderful read for both the English and those who look at us and wonder why we do what we do. - Maconie, Stuart. Pies and prejudice: in search of the North
A Northerner in exile, Stuart Maconie goes on a journey in search of the North, attempting to discover where the cliches end and the truth begins. On the way he encounters an exotic cast of chippy Scousers, pie-eating woollybacks, topless Geordies, mad-for-it Mancs, Yorkshire nationalists and brothers in southern exile. - Marr, Andrew. History of modern Britain
A History of Modern Britain tells the story of how the great political visions came to be defeated by consumerism, celebrity and selfgratification - and, every time, the British people turn out to be stroppier and harder to herd than before. - Mount, Ferdinand Mind the gap: the new class divide in Britain
Through acute observation and vivid illustration, drawing on every aspect of life from soap operas, speech patterns and gardening to education and the distribution of wealth, he demolishes the illusion that we live in a classless society and shows how the worst-off in Britain today are more culturally deprived than their parents or grandparents. - Sykes, Brian. Blood of the isles
Blood of the Isles reveals the nature of our genetic make-up as never before and what this says about our attitudes to ourselves, each other, and to our past. It is a gripping story that will fascinate and surprise with its conclusions. - Vincent, Norah. Self made man
Norah Vincent's witty and compulsively readable memoir tells how she dated women, joined a bowling league, visited strip bars, retreated to a monastery, got a job in sales and even infiltrated a men's therapy group. Norah did not predict how crucial the relationships Ned forged would be and how the burden of being an impostor would became almost too much to bear. The result is a constantly surprising and humane account of what it is to be a man - and a woman - in the modern world. - Waddell, Dan. Who do you think you are
Light in tone, sometimes funny, often moving, and aimed at absolutely everyone, this book combines statistics with very real emotions as people discover the heroes and villains in their family's past. Rather than a dry 'how to' guide though, this book is inclusive, non-patronising and lively, and emphasises the human and emotional side to this popular pastime.
Celebrate storytelling, reading out loud, reading together, and live literature. Here’s some titles to get you talking. Spread the word - tell your friends about books you’ve enjoyed.
Fiction
- Barker, Nicola. Darkmans
If history is just a sick joke, then who exactly is telling it and why? Could it be John Scogin, Edward IV’s court jester, whose favourite past-time was to burn people alive? Or is it Andrew Boarde, Henry VIII’s physician, who kindly wrote Scogin’s biography? This is a modern tale about two familiar subjects: love and jealousy. - Hustvedt, Siri. The sorrows of an American
After their father’s funeral, Erik and Inga Davidsen find a cryptic letter from an unknown woman among his papers, dating from his adolescence in rural Minnesota during the Depression. Returning to his psychiatric practice in New York, Erik sets about reading his father’s memoir, hoping to discover the man he never fully understood. At the same time, another woman enters Erik’s lonely, divorced life - a beautiful Jamaican who moves into his garden flat with her small daughter. As Erik gets drawn into the cat-and-mouse tactics of someone who appears to be stalking her, he finds out that his sister Inga is also being threatened, by a journalist in possession of a wounding secret from her past. A multi-layered novel that probes the mysteries of the heart and mind, THE SORROWS OF AN AMERICAN is compulsive, thought-provoking and profoundly affecting a novel that resonates long beyond the last page. - Jewell, Lisa. 31 Dream Street
In a rambling north London house, failed poet Toby Dobbs has created a refuge for people who need one. But when a quiet tragedy and an unwelcome letter interrupt Toby’s sedate existence, he needs his housemates to find some direction in their lives – and fast! - Meek, James. We are now beginning our descent
The message was short. 'I want to see you now. I want you to come to me, it doesn't matter how late it is, and tell me exactly what you want from me.' Like the world around him, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, Adam Kellas' life is showing distinct signs of cracking apart. Against his better judgement, Kellas - divorced, unstable, spurned by his lover and by the world of letters - accepts a war assignment from his newspaper. It is the beginning of a journey which takes him from the mountains of Afghanistan to the elegant dinner tables of north London, the marshlands of the American South and, ultimately, to the darkest realms of the human imagination. Only the memory of the beautiful, elusive Astrid, a fellow reporter in Afghanistan, offers him the possibility of hope. With all the explosive drama of "The People's Act of Love", James Meek's new novel spans continents and cultures. It is a timeless tale of folly and the pursuit of love, set against the incendiary politics of our time. - Morrall, Clare. The language of others
The wise and warm story of a woman whose complicated relationship with the outside world illuminates the question of what it is to be ‘normal’. - Self, Will. The butt
Tom Brodzinski flicks the butt of his cigarette off the balcony of his holiday apartment, which then lands on Reggie Lincoln’s head, badly burning him. The local authorities regard Tom’s action as assault: he must make reparations by carrying the appropriate goods and chattels deep into the arid heart of this strange island continent.
Non-Fiction
- MacIntyre, Ben. Agent Zigzag : the true wartime story of Eddie Chapman
Eddie Chapman: rogue, criminal, confidence trickster, hero to both sides and betrayer of all. At the start of World War II, Chapman was recruited by the German Secret Service. He was a highly prized Nazi agent. He was also a secret spy for Britain, alias Agent Zigzag. This book presents his story. - Lee, Hermione. Edith Wharton
This masterly new biography of Edith Wharton paints a portrait of a fiercely modern author, writing of sex, love, money and war - a woman of strong convictions and conflicting ambitions and desires. Delving into every aspect of her extraordinary life story, the book shows in fascinating detail how she worked and what lies at the heart of her magnificent and elegant works. - Clapton, Eric. Eric Clapton : the autobiography
Eric Clapton is the legendary musician who defined rock in the 1960s and continues to astonish and delight a wide spectrum of music lovers. Here, for the first time, he tells the story of his personal and professional journeys. - Hill, Rosemary. God’s architect : Pugin and the building of romantic Britain
Pugin was one of Britain's greatest architects and his short career one of the most dramatic in architectural history. At 15 Pugin was working for King George IV at Windsor Castle, by the time he was 21 he had been shipwrecked, bankrupted and widowed. Nineteen years later he died, insane and disillusioned, having changed the face and the mind of British architecture. - Chandrasekaran, Rajiv. Imperial life in the emerald city
From inside a surreal bubble of pure Americana known as the Green Zone, the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority attempted to rule Iraq following the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. Drawing on interviews and internal documents, Rajiv Chandrasekaran tells the memorable story of this ill-prepared attempt to build American democracy in a war-torn Middle Eastern country. "Imperial Life in the Emerald City" is American reportage at its best. - Coward, Noel. The letters of Noel Coward
With virtually all the letters in this volume previously unpublished - this is a revealing new insight into the private life of a legendary figure. Coward's multi-faceted talent as an actor, writer, composer, producer and even as a war-time spy(!), brought him into close contact with the great, the good and the merely ambitious. - Nicholl, Charles. The lodger : Shakespeare on Silver Street
In 1612, Shakespeare gave evidence at the Court of Requests in Westminster - it is the only occasion his spoken words are recorded. The case seems routine - a dispute over an unpaid marriage-dowry - but it opens up an unexpected window into the dramatist's famously obscure life-story. - Figes, Orlando. The whisperers : private life in Stalin’s Russia
Drawing on a huge range of sources - letters, memoirs, conversations - Orlando Figes tells the story of how Russians tried to endure life under Stalin, brilliantly conveying the reality of their terrible choices.
Explore the diversity of reading and writing; scripts, television and films.
What one person writes, others read and technology is bringing reading and writing closer together. The year ends with a celebration of all forms of writing.
Any item in Bracknell Forest libraries can be requested free. Library staff are happy to help you chose something to read.
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