Our library volunteers review their summer reads

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When our wonderful historic library closes for the summer holidays, what do our library volunteers like to read? Let’s find out below.

Summer at the GI Library has been about more than keeping the shelves in order. While some of our volunteers have been helping with library maintenance over the holiday, they have also found time to do what libraries are all about- enjoy a good book.

In this summer reading round-up, our volunteers share some of the books they have been enjoying, from historical fiction and crime novels to travel writing and memorable family sagas. There are recommendations to suit all kinds of readers, including several books that are available to borrow from the GI Library. So, whether you’re looking for your next holiday read or simply inspiration for your next visit to the library, read on to discover what our volunteers have been reading this summer.

Carol L

I’ve been reading The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See, which was recommended to me by Viv, another volunteer at the library.

The book is set on the Korean peninsula of Jeju. It is based around a community of female sea divers, known as haenyo, and focuses on the friendship of two girls from very different backgrounds and how this changes over time. The narrative is split between Korea’s complex past (from Japanese occupation, though the Second World War to the Korean War) and the present day. It is beautifully written and thought provoking.

This book provides a fascinating and accessible insight into a culture I knew nothing about and taught me a lot about Korea’s history. The story also poses questions about how the past shapes us and how difficult it can be to let go and move on, both as individuals and nations. I’ll definitely look out for more books written by Lisa See.

I also reread Atonement by Ian McEwan. I was prompted to reread because of the weather we’ve had over the summer – the first part of the novel evokes a prolonged period of hot weather and the fractiousness in can cause incredibly well. The whole book was just as good as I remembered. It is incredibly moving and engaging.

Carol W

Reading over the summer has been good as it has been too hot to garden and too hot to go walking.

I have read 2 books and am halfway through a third.

First book was Drayton and Mackenzie by Alexander Starrit.

This is a new book at the GI and would appeal to males or females.  It is about male friendship but covers many issues about management consultancy and the financial crisis.  The two men have a close friendship.  I chose it to try to understand the economic turmoil of this time but through a novel with a very light touch.  It shows the human side of work.  I really enjoyed it and would recommend it.  I did occasionally have to ask my husband to explain certain financial issues!

My second book was The House at Sea’s End by Elly Griffiths.  This is not my normal choice of book, but my Book Group asked us to read one or two books of crime fiction over the summer.

It was called a Dr Ruth Galloway novel.  This book was an easy read, quite light weight but still well written.  This would be a good holiday read as it bowls along at a good pace until the denouement which was quite complex!  I would recommend it as an easy, gentle read in spite of dead bodies!  There are many more Elly Griffiths novels in the GI library so plenty of holiday reading.

My third choice was another crime novel, Fatherland by Robert Harris.  This was a crime novel in quite a different category.  Very well written and takes some concentration but quite a page turner.  I have read other books by Robert Harris and have never been disappointed.  He uses a background of historical fact and weaves a story around it.  There are several of his books in the GI Library.

Rob

I have been reading “Why the Dutch are Different,” by Ben Coates

He describes how he was stranded at Schiphol airport by a storm, on his way back to Heathrow after an extended holiday in the Caribbean, and then never left.

Part travelogue and part historical, he describes his voyage of discovery around the Netherlands (one should not say Holland, which is only part of that country.) He tells of religious tolerance and intolerance, relating to catholic and protestant in the past but more recently with Islam. He enters into drunken carnival and political marches.

I learnt that William of Orange was so-called because his German family had inherited Orange in the south of France. He probably spoke French rather than Dutch.

The English consider the Dutch to have good green credentials because so many cycle everywhere. The truth is rather different. Most Dutch consider nature must be controlled otherwise the sea would take over their land. For this reason, one rarely sees a wild garden.

Tom

I’ve been reading and enjoying the many Elly Griffiths novels in the GI Library for some time, and having grown up in the county, especially appreciate the North Norfolk setting. Although they are firmly in the crime fiction category, the focus on forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway and her relationships both with the environment and with other characters adds to the sense of realism. Not demanding reading, but relaxing, which is what we want on these hot summer days!

Viv

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (a doctor by profession) will remain a memorable read. It is a long, fairly slow paced, saga set in Ethiopia and America about doctors and patients, exile and home but primarily about the fates of identical twins, orphaned at birth by the death of their mother and the disappearance of their father. I cared about all the characters and enjoyed the elegant quality of the writing so much. Cutting For Stone is available for loan from the GI library.

Another very memorable saga in the GI Library is A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. So good I’ve read it twice!

Please check our catalogue for books by other great story tellers or come into our library on Thursday or Saturday (10:00 -16:00) to browse the shelves. We also have a fine non-fiction collection and many biographies.