A couple of weeks ago, we announced a new initiative for the College - setting up a small library from scratch. I am pleased to be able to update you on the tremendous progress that has been made.
After posting a request for donations of second hand books on the “Next Door” app, I was inundated with offers of help. What a testament to the power of community! After a couple of weekends of collecting books from generous donors from my local area, I am very happy to be able to let you know that we now have four bookcases worth of fantastic books. There are now books of all genres, including history, sport, biography, thrillers, romance, travel and science fiction. There genuinely is something for everyone, including plenty of choice for our younger readers in the GCSE years.
Due to lockdown, we have a limited number of students onsite, but our staff have already got into the spirit and made their own picks. So, over the half term, our staff will be reading:
Allan, the Principal, will be reading “Us” by David Nicholls. This book has been described by Amazon as “bringing to bear all the wit and intelligence that graced ONE DAY in this brilliant, bittersweet novel about love and family, husbands and wives, parents and children”.
James, our Head of GCSE, is preparing to be gripped by “Havana Bay” by Martin Cruz Smith. In this exciting-sounding thriller, former Inspector for the Moscow Militsiya, Arkady Renko, is summoned to Cuba to identify a liquefying corpse, dragged from the oily waters of Havana Bay. Renko finds himself in a decaying country, the final recess of Communism - a place where Russia is despised, exotic rituals take precedence and unexpected danger meets bewildering contradictions.
On a lighter note, Carol, our Office Manager, is looking forward to getting lost in “the Jane Austin Book Club” by Karen Joy Fowler. In this romantic read, Six people - five women and a man - meet once a month in California's Central Valley to discuss Jane Austen's novels. They are ordinary people,but each of them is wounded in different ways, they are all mixed up about their lives and relationships. Over the six months they meet, marriages are tested, affairs begin,and, under the guiding eye of Jane Austen, a couple of them even fall in love.
As for me, I have borrowed the Lonely Planet “Cities Book”, which features beautiful photographs and interesting information about 200 of the world’s greatest cities. In a time of lockdown, I am really excited at poring over the photographs and getting lost in different cultures.
Perhaps our students may be inspired to pick up one of these books when they are back in college but, if not, then I have no doubt whatsoever that there will be something to tempt them on our bookshelves.
We are also very much look forward to having more students back in College to get involved in our new initiative too!