69a Bagley Wood Road - Friends of Kennington Library



FOKL Coffee Mornings ‘Best Reads’ of 2019Chosen by Kennington Library Readers and FriendsWe present a shortlist of our ‘best reads’ of 2019.We hope you enjoy these books as much as we have!KeLib = the books available on Kennington Library shelves.OCC = books which may be reserved through Oxfordshire County Council’s libraries catalogue. The reservation fee is ?1.25 per book for adults, FREE for under 18s.** = books which are not available from the library service Reviewed by Alison The Potter’s Hand by A.N.Wilson. Historical fiction re Josiah Wedgwood’s work in developing his business in the Stoke-on-Trent area. Excellent read! And so interesting. OCCThe Cut-Out Girl by Bart van Es. Unusual biography telling the true story of a young Dutch Jewish girl in World War ll. OCCReviewed by Pamela ?Islander: A Journey Around Our Archipelago by Patrick Barkham. Nature, geology, history etc. etc. etc!! KeLibThe Hare With Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal. Jewish family history investigated through a collection of Japanese netsuke. OCCReviewed by Elizabeth A Life of My Own by Claire Tomalin. I have read several of her biographies so was interested in her autobiography. It is full of joy and sadness, and a family caught up in the stresses of the time. OCCNatives: Race And Class In The Ruins of Empire by Akala. Opened my eyes and enabled me to see things very differently to how I had seen/understood them in earlier years. OCCReviewed by DilysFlight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver. Fascinating study of woman who left school early as she was pregnant, discovering what she could be. KeLibExposure by Helen Dunmore. Fascinating story which completely turns a family upside down after husband is asked to collect a folder from the Admiralty where he works. KeLibReviewed by MaryThe Caper Court series by Caro Fraser. A well written series of eight, set in a barristers’ chambers, where the lives of fascinating characters interact and evolve. OCCMary Ann Sate, Imbecile by Alice Jolly. An unusually written account of a tiny, disadvantaged Victorian servant, from her childhood onward, and her tenacious ability to survive her employers. Nominated for several prestigious awards. OCCReviewed by Gillian The Words In My Hand by Guinevere Glasford-Brown. ‘An incredible read’. Novel set in 17C Amsterdam. Re-imagined story of a Dutch maid. OCCReviewed by Pat Educated by Tara Westover. A memoir. How not to bring up your family. KeLibAfter The Crash by Michel Bussi. A real page-turner. OCCReviewed by Laila The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemantine Wamariya. Story of war and what comes after. A girl displaced by war in Rwanda, migrated through seven African countries and reached USA as a refugee. OCCNotes From An Exhibition by Patrick Gale. Thought provoking. Artistic compulsion and marriage impact on family. OCCReviewed by Brian Parade’s End by Ford Madox Ford. An amazing account of the effects of World War ll on an upper class family. More than 800 pages. OCCThe Kingmaker Quartet series by Toby Clements. Brilliantly created world of the Wars of the Roses. OCCReviewed by Margaret Neapolitan Quartet by Elena Ferrante. The first novel, My Brilliant Friend is in the library. A compelling read. OCCA Nest of Vipers by Andrea Camilleri. Writer of the Inspector Montalbano stories – very funny. A light read. OCCReviewed by Halcyon The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Some may have read this many years ago but well worth re-reading. It is beautifully written and as relevant today as it was then. OCCWhen Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr. Wonderful autobiography told for children. The author of The Tiger Who Came to Tea died this year. OCCRobert Harris. Have enjoyed all I have read having just discovered him.Reviewed by Zita The House by the Lake by Thomas Harding. Non-fiction. Thomas dug with great detail into the story of his ancestors’ holiday home by a lake in Berlin. It was fascinating to discover how all his family had escaped from the Nazis. OCCSeven Dead by J. Jefferson Farjeon.1930s mystery incorporating the big house, a resourceful heroine, a yachtsman and Boulogne. KeLibReviewed by John World Light by Halldór Laxness. An epic story about the Icelandic people containing fantasy poetry and their everyday life. **Courtney’s War by Wilbur Smith. A very exciting adventure story. OCCReviewed by LindaThe White Lioness: Kurt Wallander by Henning Mankell and other Wallander books. Suspenseful, thrilling and dramatic with political overtones. OCCThe Bertie Project by Alexander McCall Smith, plus others in the series. Amusing, intriguing, philosophical, and thought provoking. KeLibReviewed by Sally Agent Running in the Field by John le Carré. Tale for the times. Brexit, conspiracy, Russian agents. Not afraid to express his own views. OCCA Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier. Enjoyable read set in 1930s Winchester and around the cathedral embroiderers. Violet is determined to love her life. OCCReviewed by Maggi: Suite Francaise by Irène Némirovsky. A true story of a woman who lived during the war and died in the gas chambers. Her daughter finished the book after her death. OCC Chickens, Mules and Two Old Fools by Victoria Twead. A light hearted story of a couple retiring to Spain.**Reviewed by Sylvia A Very Important Tea Pot by Steve Sheppard. A spoof spy thriller - a hoot - set in the UK and Australia with strong female characters. **Learning German (badly) by Tim Luscombe. A memoir. Tim is a playwright who lives with his partner in Berlin. The Brexit referendum sends him into panic. Should he take German citizenship? **Reviewed by CarolineThe Accidental Further Adventures Of The Hundred Year Old Man by Jonas Jonasson.(Sequal) including Trump, Kim Jong-Un, Putin. Near the knuckle and humorous. OCCThree Men in a Float by Dan Kieran and Ian Vines. Travels via a 1958 milk float, the 600 miles from Lowestoft to Lands End to visit the grave of Jerome K. Jerome. Colourful language at times. OCC ................
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