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Revision as of 11:28, 14 September 2015
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== September's News from Bookbag Towers ==
Well, they say summer is the silly season but so much has been happening since we last wrote! And so much of what has been happening has tied into the world of books in our thoughts. MPs, given a free vote, [http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mps-overwhelmingly-reject-plans-to-legalise-assisted-dying-for-people-with-terminal-illnesses-10496918.html rejected) ] an assisted dying bill. And that made us remember beloved Terry Pratchett, who so strongly [http://www.theguardian.com/society/2010/feb/02/terry-pratchett-assisted-suicide-tribunal supported] the idea. We miss you, Terry.
We use the word "tragic" a great deal. Perhaps too much. Perhaps we've diluted its meaning. But that meaning sharpened again when we all saw photos of a tiny boy on a beach. Uncomfortable and painful that photo certainly was. Perhaps it was even exploitative to show it. But that photo was a game-changer; a catalyst for a change in opinion. And it inspired YA author Patrick Ness to start a [http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=PatrickNess fundraiser] for Save the Children in which he promised to match the donations of his followers up to £10,000. He got there in a couple of hours. Hours. Not days or weeks. Hours. And then other authors - too many to mention here - made their own matching pledges. And within a week, the author and reader community had raised £670.It was something to behold. As was Patrick himself, live-tweeting and completely overcome. If we didn't love you too much before all this Patrick, we certainly do now.
'''Golden Hour'''
Our blast from the past this month is [[Rape of the Fair Country byAlexander by Alexander Cordell]]. First written in the 1960s, it is an unflinching look at the plight of the workers in the coal and iron industries in South Wales in the first half of the nineteenth century. It has compelling writing and a genuinely gripping story. The research to write the book must have been extensive, but Cordell makes it seem effortless: momentous events viewed through the lens of a very human and likeable family. And the good news is that Victor Gollancz have just put out an audiobook version, narrated by one of our favourites, Matt Addis. We recommend both the book generally and this audio narration. Check it out!
'''Books of the Month'''
And on to to the new...
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In fiction, Luke recommends [[Where my Heart Used to Beat bySebastian by Sebastian Faulks]].In the early 1980’s, on a small island off the South of France, a Doctor named Robert Hendricks confronts his life – memories of wars, work, loves, and losses. As his history is explored and questioned by his host, Hendricks recalls days in Scottish universities, Italian trenches, mental asylums and windswept beaches. Links to the past are uncovered, and the raw wounds they expose take Hendricks on a search for sanity and raises the question – is life comprised of events themselves, or the way in which an individual chooses to remember them? This is a journey through age, war, love, and the human mind. It's staggeringly beautiful, haunting, moving, and yet more proof of Faulks immense talent.
In non-fiction, John thinks you should take a look at [[Frost: That Was The Life That Was: The Authorised Biography by Neil Hegarty]]. Sir David Frost was a towering presence in the world of television for around half a century. From the days when he stormed the barricades of cosy light entertainment at the start of the swinging sixties, to his major political interviews and his position as one of the founding fathers of TV-am, he was a cornerstone of the industry. Without him, the history of broadcasting during that period would surely have been very different. This is a painstakingly-researched biography of the renowned broadcaster, covering his professional and personal life in detail, undertaken with the full cooperation of his family. Sensitively written, with considerable insight, this is an extremely well-rounded portrait of a remarkable career.
