Lockdown Reading recommendations this spring

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Here are some book recommendations extracted from our contributors’ responses to our lockdown reading questions – just click on the title to read what they said about the book:

 

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim

Call for the Dead by John le Carré

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton

For Esmé, with Love and Squalor by J.D. Salinger

 

Other Minds: the octopus and the evolution of intelligent life by Peter Godfrey-Smith

The Missing Lynx by Ross Barnet

Dr James Barry: a woman ahead of her time by Michael Du Preez and Jeremy Dronfield

 

Acts and Omissions by Catherine Fox

Red Plenty by Francis Spufford

Music to Eat Cake By Lev Parikian

Jews Don’t Count by David Baddiel

The Vinyl Detective by Andrew Cartmel

 

Bookworm by Lucy Mangan

Conclave by Robert Harris

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

Persuasion by Jane Austen

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

 

Swan Song – Kelleigh Greenberg-Jephcott

The Salt Path – Raynor Winn

Mudlarking – Lara Maiklem

Girl, Woman, Other – Bernardine Evaristo

Let It Go – Dame Stephanie Shirley and Richard Askwith

 

 

Chesterton Mill

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Teenage me had a paper round and I used to deliver papers to a converted mill in the mid-1990s. It was the office building of an educational publisher called Pearson Publishing. Their order was all the daily papers plus a large amount of trade press. I used to have to do that drop-off first, then go back to the newsagent and collect the other papers. The mill is down a badly-lit private road and on dark winter mornings felt slightly eerie. But what was simply a nuisance to me at the time is actually an interesting place.

The mill itself dates from around 1850. Back then, the mill was surrounded by open fields (very difficult to imagine now). It was run by the miller William French and his family – hence the name of a nearby road, French’s Road. There was an orchard and smallholding on site, and other family members ran a bakery and general store on nearby Searle Street. By 1868, the family had installed a steam engine to enable work to take place more easily. The sails were removed in 1912. The mill was run by several generations of the French family for more than a hundred years, until 1955. William French is buried in the nearby Histon Road Cemetery.

Chesterton Mill is a Grade II listed building, due to its specific architectural and historical interest – it is the last smock mill in Cambridge. In 1986, the mill was converted to commercial use, which is how it is used to this day.

Caroline Mead was born and grew up in Cambridge, and works as a copywriter for the RSPB. Covid-permitting, she also enjoys choral singing, flute playing, bellydancing, ballet, running, walking, and discovering little-known parts of Cambridge. She has BAs from the Open University and the University of Birmingham, and an MA in Sociology from the University of York. She is also a qualified massage therapist.

With plenty of time on my hands, I have found it easier to read more demanding literature

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Contributor: Kathryn Jennings

Have you read more or less during lockdown, or much the same as usual?

I have found more time to read during lockdown and enjoyed reading whilst relaxing in my garden over the summer months. I usually just read during my commute on the train under normal circumstances. 

Has lockdown affected your choice of reading material?

Yes. I have read more classic literature books during lockdown. With plenty of time on my hands, I have found it easier to read more demanding literature. I have also continued to read a good amount of historical fiction.

Have you switched from your normal genre? eg started reading poetry, short stories, non fiction, drama?

No.

Have you been using reading in a different way – for example for comfort, raising your spirits, escapism, distraction?

As I have been unable to do my usual hobbies, such as church bell ringing, I have read more instead as an alternative way to provide a break from day-to-day stresses. I also completed Couch to 5K over the summer, which has benefitted my mental as well as physical health during a challenging time.

Have you been finding it harder to concentrate during lockdown?

I haven’t experienced much difference in my concentration levels during lockdown. I have made a point of taking regular exercise, however, which has improved my ability to focus whilst working from home. I am also fortunate to have a room I can use to work in without distraction. In fact, I found it possible to complete an online course through FutureLearn on the history of the book during the first lockdown, something I probably would not otherwise have done. 

Have you started books and been unable to finish them?

No.

Where do you get inspiration for titles? 

Suggestions usually come from family, friends and colleagues. Working as a library professional creates plenty of opportunities to talk about books and receive recommendations from others. I also enjoy browsing bookshops to discover the latest releases and reading reviews on the website Goodreads. 

Where are you sourcing your books/audiobooks from?

I would usually borrow books through Cambridge University Library or my local public library, but with access to libraries much restricted I have been purchasing more books online than usual. 

Have you embarked on reading all the books you already own but have never read?

I don’t have a pile of unread books, but I have purchased titles that have been on my list of books I want to read for some time. I finally got round to reading Jamaica Inn and couldn’t put it down!

Have you been listening to audiobooks rather than reading? If so, does listening add something to your experience of the book that you wouldn’t get by reading it yourself?

I prefer reading physical books than listening to audiobooks, as I find I absorb more details of the storyline. However, I have listened to more podcasts during lockdown. One I have particularly enjoyed is You’re Dead to Me, a history podcast on BBC Sounds. 

Have you been reading books about pandemics? eg The Plague by Albert Camus, Journal of the Plague Year by Daniel Defoe, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Roses of Eyam by Don Taylor etc?

No, although Love in the Time of Cholera is on my to-read list!

Can you recommend up to 5 books/audiobooks that you have enjoyed during lockdown?

Jamaica Inn (Daphne Du Maurier) – well-written, mysterious and atmospheric. This is my favourite lockdown read. 

Mythos (Stephen Fry) – a witty and entertaining retelling of Greek Mythology. Great for building knowledge of the Greek Myths. This was recommended by a family member. 

An Officer and a Spy (Robert Harris) – a gripping spy thriller, set in France and based on the Dreyfus Affair. I bought this online after reading the reviews on Goodreads. I would recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction.