Grace

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Contributor: Rosalind Esche

At the beginning of lockdown in the spring of 2020 I thought I would make use of the extra time at home to catch up on my ever growing, and increasingly daunting, ‘to be read’ pile, which in my imagination had assumed an accusatory air, with each new tome added increasing my sense of failure. However, I found myself unable to pick up a book, my concentration was in shreds, my motivation non existent. This ‘reader’s block’ lasted for several months, during which I turned to the uplifting and life affirming drama series Life on Mars, which became my lifeline, as it did for so many others. And it was a tv drama which finally kickstarted me into reading again – the ITV adaptation of Peter James’s Roy Grace novel Dead Simple, starring John Simm as Detective Superintendent Grace. I enjoyed the dramatisation so much I decided to read the book, and that was it – I was hooked, and have been powering through the Roy Grace series ever since.

I like the cumulative effect of binge reading these books, I feel immersed in Detective Superintendent Roy Grace’s world, his thought processes, his working methods, his relationships and his city, Brighton. I am completely absorbed by the authenticity for which Peter James is known and respected. I am learning things about police investigation methods I didn’t know I even wanted to know! Have I always been a closet police procedural nerd without realising it? Or have these compelling books turned me into one? I don’t know, but I’m so glad I discovered this series.

The author steadily builds an atmosphere of deep concentration, absolute dedication and quiet reflection, creating an aura of resolute professionalism around his Detective Superintendent Roy Grace as he takes control of a major crime investigation. Grace exudes calm authority, and is liked and respected by his team of trusted officers, which expands into a cast of dozens as an investigation gains momentum and the field of enquiry grows ever wider. 

However, Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, consummate professional that he is, is also capable of pursuing his own lines of enquiry outside the normal investigative framework when he thinks it will help solve a case. And that can lead him into some most unusual territory. Grace uses the paranormal if he thinks it will help his investigation (openly admitting that sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t), consulting mediums and pendulum dowsers. James has said that the police do this more than we might think, simply viewing them as another resource in the pursuit of information, which intrigued me.

In the first Grace book, Dead Simple, the detective faces a hostile QC who tries to undermine his authority in court by ridiculing his use of a medium during the course of an investigation (which led to a conviction). The silk taunts Grace with his line of questioning:

‘”So you regularly turn to the dark arts in your work as a senior police officer, do you Detective Superintendent Grace?” An audible snigger rippled round the courtroom. “I wouldn’t call it the dark arts,” Grace said. “I would call it an alternative resource. The police have a duty to use everything at their disposal in trying to solve crimes.” “So would it be fair to say you are a man of the occult? A believer in the supernatural?” the silk asked.’

In one of my favourite moments of the book, Peter James supplies his beleagured Detective Superintendent with an inspired response to his interrogator:

‘”What is the first thing this court required me to do when I entered the witness stand?” he asked. Before the silk could respond, Grace answered for him. “To swear on the Holy Bible.” He paused for it to sink in. “God is a supernatural being – the supreme supernatural being. In a court that accepts witnesses taking an oath to a supernatural being, it would be strange if I and everyone else in this room did not believe in the supernatural.”’

The silk sits down.

There is another reason for Grace consulting mediums and the paranormal, but that will have to wait …

I know I have books that I will never open, and on a few occasions I’ve bought them just because they are beautiful to look at!

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Contributor: Alison Bruce

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

I don’t think I have read more, but on balance the books are slightly changed and I think I have read more audiobooks, a similar amount of physical books but less e-books.

Has lockdown affected your choice of reading material?

No, I still choose crime.

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

I have at times used audiobooks as company in the middle of the night, but apart from that, I have just picked the books that look like an interesting mystery.

Have you been finding it harder to concentrate during lockdown?

I have had an unusual lockdown in that I have started a new job and moved house and got divorced all in the space of a few months, all of that while trying to write a book has made it difficult to concentrate at times, but I can’t really blame any of it on lockdown or Covid.

Have you started books and been unable to finish them?

Yes, now that you have asked I have to admit that I think I have given up on more books than usual.

Where do you get inspiration for the titles of your books?

I find that book titles either come when I am writing the synopsis and can visualise the complete book, or when I’m in the middle of writing it. I don’t think titles are necessarily hard to come up with, but that doesn’t mean that they are the best they can be. I often have some ideas, but discussing them with other people can either lead to a better idea, or a better version of the current one.

Where are you sourcing your books from?

I ordered some books from my local bookshop (Toppings of Ely) who were taking telephone orders, and went to collect them. I donated some books to the local drop off point. Other books I ordered from Amazon, and my audio books always come from Audible.com.

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

No, I know I have books that I will never open, and on a few occasions I’ve bought them just because they are beautiful to look at!

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 really enjoy audiobooks, I enjoy listening to them while I am walking or on a long car journey, I also enjoy listening to them if I can’t sleep in the middle of the night. I spend a lot of time working on the computer and to be able to rest my eyes is important too. There are times when the narrator improves the experience, but there are also times when a narrator can ruin a book.

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, I haven’t read anything about pandemics!

Can you recommend any books/audiobooks that you have enjoyed during lockdown?

This may sound like a surprising recommendation, but “the Science of Storytelling“ by Will Storr is absolutely fantastic and I would recommend it to anybody who reads, or to anyone who is interested in what makes people tick – it’s fascinating and not just for would-be writers. Another one to look out for is “The Russian Doll“ by Marina Palmer. It isn’t due out until the autumn, but I had the opportunity to read it and really enjoyed it.

Alison Bruce
Alison Bruce has long been one of the most
adroit crime fiction practitioners in the UK.
Barry Forshaw, Financial Times
Alison Bruce is the author of nine crime novels and two non-fiction titles. Her first novel, Cambridge Blue (2008), was described by Publishers Weekly as an ‘assured debut’ and introduced both detective DC Gary Goodhew, and her trademark Cambridge setting. She went on to write six further novels in the DC Goodhew series before writing the psychological thriller I Did It for Us (2018). Her latest novel, The Moment Before Impact, is described by Ian Rankin as ‘tense, twisty, terrific’.
The other books in the DC Goodhew series are The Siren (2010), The Calling (2011), The Silence (2012), The Backs (2013), The Promise (2016) and Cambridge Black (2017). Other works include two true crime books and a selection of short stories. Her work has attracted both critical acclaim and a loyal readership. In 2013 and 2016 Alison was short-listed for the Crime Writers’ Association Dagger in the Library Award.
Alison was awarded a first in BSc (Hons) in Crime and Investigation at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge which included subject areas such as: crime scene investigation, policing practice, major investigations, mass fatality incidents, fire investigation, forensic pathology and forensic anthropology. This included practical skills such as: lifting fingermarks, bone identification, testing for bodily fluids and recovering trace evidence.
Alison is currently working on the UK’s largest policing professionalism contract which is delivering policing degrees to the Metropolitan Police and to 7 police forces including Cambridgeshire.
Alison never underestimates her readers and aims to challenge them with expertly crafted plots, vivid characters and the kind of realism which will put them in the front row of an investigation.

 

For many years I’ve read fairly randomly; nearing the end of a novel I’d decide what was the logical successor and then illogically read something entirely different.

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Contributor: Ian Dawson

I favour reading fiction, with occasional biographies, usually about writers or composers.

I enjoy detective stories, but during my working life gave these up mainly for more serious fare as I had less time to read. My preference was for the country house style of story, Michael Innes being a favourite, enjoying his slightly tongue in cheek approach to the genre. Since retirement, detectives have returned to the menu.

For many years I’ve read fairly randomly; nearing the end of a novel I’d decide what was the logical successor and then illogically read something entirely different.

 I’m a sucker for an ‘ology and find I have to read them back to back as the memory goes. I’m not very good at remembering the names of characters (or people) anyway.

I’m interested in other cultures and so read a lot in translation. For about the last five years I’ve been following a ‘Daunt Books’ themed system whereby I concentrate on books from or about a specific country/region.

So far I’ve covered India, America, Spanish/Portuguese speaking countries, Scotland, France, Germany/Austria, the Middle East, England (of course) and am now on my second French period.

This has included twelve Maigrets read in two batches of six. I’m going through the Penguin set but have got less than halfway through them. I like to read novels in date of publication, wanting to see how characters develop and not wanting to miss out on references to previous books, but this is irrelevant with Simenon as he seems to jump about through time. Maigret has already retired twice up to now and I expect more retirements to come.

I love Maigret. He’s such a great character, makes me laugh, and the writing is so spare, meaning that the books are quite short.  Simenon’s other novels are also very good, although fewer are in translation, and this time I’ve also read Pedigree a semi-autobiographical novel about his early life in Liege from his birth in 1903 to Armistice Day. Significantly his younger brother, who died, and was his mother’s favourite, is not in there. Having read the book I want to go to Liege, the topography is so specific, but doubt I will. I was prompted to buy the standard Simenon biography (as yet unread) where the 500 pages of Simenon’s life in Pedigree are summarised in ten.

I don’t usually read historical novels but have read/started two novel sequences. Unfortunately I get what little historical knowledge I have from novels.

 The first is by Maurice Druon, The Accursed Kings (Les Rois Maudits) and is about the fate of a series of 13th century French Kings, damned by the Grand Master of the Templars as he died at the stake, during a purge. I first saw it as a marvellous French b&w TV series back in the 1960s in the early days of BBC2 and it’s since been done again with Depardieu as the GM (alas not available with subtitles). The latest publication has an intro by George R R Martin who describes it as the original Game of Thrones. Disturbingly fans are said to include Putin and Sarkozy! I’ve now read all seven volumes.

The second, which I’ve only just started, is by Robert Merle, The Fortunes of France and is about the Huguenots. Only four have been translated so far and there are thirteen in the sequence so I don’t think I’ll ever get to the end. Too early to make a judgement, but I will continue.

An author I was introduced to as a teenager was Marcel Aymé. He’s more than slightly surreal and his novels include The Green Mare, a tale of rural licentiousness and Beau Image, which is about a man whose face changes to a more handsome version, and the consequences. I’ve got two book series of guides to literature in translation, the Babel Guides and the Travellers Literary Companions and neither mention Aymé, which I presume  is due to the non-availability of translations at the time of their publication. Anyway he’s sufficiently well thought of in France to have a Parisian square named for him, including a fun sculpture based upon one of his stories, The Man who walked through Walls.

I’ve also read two more detectives, the first in Fred Vargas’s two sequences, The Three Evangelists and The Chalk Circle Man. Quirky and well worth further exploration. A friend tells me that a lot of her novels are written in slang. Unfortunately they’ve not been translated in sequence.  I had a minor quibble. In both books ‘tooth comb’ was used as a verb by the Scottish translator who is an academic. Possibly it is now recognised as a verb, but I doubt it as a noun. A thought – perhaps the use of a tooth comb explains the Scottish pronunciation of their Rs. Does it numb the tongue?

Most disappointing was Patrick Modiano’s Occupation Trilogy. These are three short early novels about French collaboration in WW2 Paris. A great subject but I wasn’t impressed. Perhaps later novels are better and more worthy of the Nobel prize.

Finally two sets of French short stories from Oxford World Classics and Folio, some duplicated with some very obscure authors. Most interesting was one by Balzac which refers to Sterne’s Uncle Toby. Intriguing to see how Eng Lit penetrated to France.

What next among my many unread books? The Claudine novels of Colette, a third biography of same, Dumas, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, lives of Poulenc and Ravel, a graphic novel version of Proust? I think it will be Little by Edward Carey, supposedly based upon the life of Madame Tussaud.

And where next?  Does it seem odd to think of England, possibly Dickens, after a year in lockdown? 

It is very easy to put down an electronic book and forget you have it.  A physical book sits by your chair, or by your bed and is a reminder to carry on reading.

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Contributor: Margaret Kilner

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

Well, it rather depends on what you define as “usual.”  Before I retired, about a year prior to Lockdown, most of my reading was done on the train during my commute.  I probably didn’t read much during that first summer of leisure, but when winter set in, I borrowed copious amounts of light fiction from my local library and was keen to make sure I always had a supply of new reading material.  Of course, when Lockdown started, this source was no longer available and I eventually drifted on to doing jigsaws instead.  At the beginning of the second lockdown (or was it the third?) I discovered library e-borrowing and became an avid reader again for a while.  But then, somehow, I drifted away from that; perhaps because of a decision to start re-reading some of my own books as a way of avoiding the iPad before going to bed.

Has lockdown affected your choice of reading material?

I would say not.  I tend to be a very ‘low-brow’ reader these days, preferring a light and easy-read story that will entertain me.  This is not to say I haven’t read classics in the past: I am quite partial to Dickens and have worked my way through various books by Jane Austen and the like, but I never got on with Thomas Hardy and have since decided it is because his long descriptive passages leave me cold, as I can’t picture what he is describing.  A couple of years ago, I discovered to my amazement that most people can see pictures in their mind.  I can’t and perhaps this is why poetry leaves me cold too?

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

I don’t think this has changed.  Reading for me is something to pick up in spare time for its entertainment value.

Have you been finding it harder to concentrate during lockdown?

I do find it harder to concentrate on one thing these days, but not sure this has anything to do with Lockdown.  I think I would tend more to blame our digital society, social media and the tendency to flip between activities too easily in the constant search for something ‘better’ and ‘more entertaining.’  I think this is partly why I have made the effort to go back to reading real books last thing at night.

Have you started books and been unable to finish them?

It is very easy to put down an electronic book and forget you have it.  A physical book sits by your chair, or by your bed and is a reminder to carry on reading.  If an e-book doesn’t immediately grip (and some books can take 100 pages before you suddenly find yourself hooked on the story) then it is too easy not to return to it.  So, not “unable” exactly, but more a kind of oversight.  Probably there are only 2 or 3 physical books that I have ever given up on because I’ve disliked them.

Where do you get inspiration for titles? 

I browse.  When I was a very young girl, my mother told me to read the first page of a book before borrowing it from the library: the idea being that this would tell you if you were going to like it.  A habit that I have carried through life and I finish most books, so who is to say she was wrong?

Where are you sourcing your books from?

My own bookshelves and the local library.  I almost never buy fiction these days (just a few selected authors) and reserve most of my purchasing for non-fiction.  These generally are more for reference and the pleasure of owning them: I don’t often sit down and read non-fiction from cover to cover.

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

When I bought fiction in quantity, it always got read straight away and I don’t think I own any novels that I have never read.  Many have been read more than once.  For non-fiction, see above.

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’m not really a fan of audio books.  Maybe, again, this is something to do with not being able to picture things?

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.

Can you recommend any books/audiobooks that you have enjoyed during lockdown?

The book that I most recently sat down and devoured was Julie Welch’s “Out on your feet,” sub-titled “The hallucinatory world of hundred mile walking.”  I enjoy a good, long walk, but 20+ miles in one go is quite enough for me.  The idea of 100 miles as a single effort was somehow morbidly fascinating to read, but not something I shall ever attempt!

I have steered away from pandemic themes …

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Contributor: Gordon Bunting

I read quite a lot in normal times and so I think my reading consumption has not much changed in terms of quantity, nor have I switched to non-traditional formats. I have however taken the opportunity to finish some books long started and to make very serious inroads into that pile of books still waiting to be read. Genre has not much changed, no sudden need for spiritual consolation or self-help, romantic fiction or sporting biographies. I have steered away from pandemic themes but escapism has not really featured any more than usual among my choices. I would say I have a fairly catholic taste when it comes to books both fiction and non-fiction. My reading selection starts from a number of sources: suggestions from friends, serendipity, familiar authors or interesting themes. Reviews and media references often send me in search of a book too.

Five Books:

“The Mystery of Angelina Frood” by R. Austin Freeman

 Written in the late 1920s, this book is an example of crime fiction written in a style not uncommon then but now largely extinct. Bursting with moral judgement, social class and the mores of the era, very precisely crafted and set in the Medway Towns.

“Olive Kitteridge” by Elizabeth Strout

 The book that introduced me to the exceptional talent of Elizabeth Strout. Set around the difficult personality of the protagonist in a small town in Maine.

“The City and the City” by China Miéville

 Miéville’s books can be off-putting but this one is simply a good read with a twist.

“Precious Bane” by Mary Webb

 An old Virago Modern Classic found a while back in a charity book sale and waiting to be read. Set in early 19th century rural Shropshire and a real gem.

“Oil, Power and War: A Dark History” (“Or noir”) by Matthieu Auzanneau

 A great brick of a book, designed to teach you more about the rise and subsequent development of the oil industry than you ever realised you had yet to learn. It is a tale of criminality, corruption, greed and dishonesty from start to finish, not lacking in shock value. A very well researched and presented treasure trove, it merits every minute vested in its reading.

Gordon Bunting is a retired teacher living in Paris.

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

 

 

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. 

I have a “forever book shelf” and re-read these

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

I’ve read about the same as usual during Lockdown-about an hour a day, more if it’s a gripping book.

Has lockdown affected your choice of reading material?

No, I generally like the same kinds of books.

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

No, I like “the classics”, American literature, Irish literature and a few contemporary “best seller” type books. Like interiors magazines as well. Read the Gazette and the Guardian most weeks, also Yorkshire Post.

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

Always read for escapism or information.

Have you been finding it harder to concentrate during lockdown?

Not really found it harder to concentrate (allowing for old age!).

Have you started books and been unable to finish them?

I try to make careful choices and not start books I am not going to like, so it rarely happens that I can’t finish a book.

Where do you get inspiration for titles? 

Quite a few books are given or lent to me. I don’t ever visit bookshops, all the books I buy are off Amazon, including their second hand books. I usually like or am interested in Amazon’s suggestions for me and spend time following up Amazon reviews. Am also influenced by book reviews in newspapers and on social media.

Where are you sourcing your books/audiobooks from?

I get books off Amazon and get given or lent quite a few books.

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

I have a “forever book shelf” and re-read these. But I don’t keep books long term- if a book doesn’t make it onto the forever shelf then it’s quickly given to someone else or off to the charity shop.

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?

Can’t get on with audiobooks at all. But occasionally record the stories on Radio Four Extra and listen to these while sewing.

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?

I’m currently reading Journal of the Plague Year. I’ve read all the others listed some years ago, as I’ve always been interested in plagues. (I got married in Eyam).

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

The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gower

The Foundling by Stacey Halls

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne

Charms for the Easy Life by Kaye Gibbons

I like the feeling of holding a book in my hand rather than a tablet or phone

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Contributor: Sue

Yes, I have read more than usual but I have always read a lot. In the first lockdown I read more old fashioned science fiction – John Wyndham and On the Beach by Nevil Shute. A bit of a comparison with a modern day apocalyptic experience.  I was spending a lot of money ordering books, mainly on Amazon, which I did not want to do. I now get books from the mobile library. I had the experience of the librarian choosing the books – I have found some new authors from that.

I then started reading big stories, The Storm Sisters series by Lucinda Riley, for distraction.

Our WI book club has been great. People just talk about books they enjoyed.  I have liked The Salt  Path by Raynor Winn, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman – older people having interesting lives and drawing on their experiences.

I’m now moving on to biographies – still a story but of someone’s real life.

I’ve also enjoyed dipping a toe into poetry – the distillation of words and meaning has been satisfying.

I have also started reading books by black authors whose experience of life has been different from mine. When No One  is Watching by Alyssa Cole was a surprise.

I like the feeling of holding a book in my hand rather than a tablet or phone so I haven’t gone down the line of audio books yet.

Interesting times!

As we headed into lockdown I was like a possessed woman, making sure that I had enough books

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Contributor: Katharine Dicks

I definitely read slightly more than usual at the beginning of lockdown but I think it is back to usual amounts now. As we headed into lockdown I was like a possessed woman, making sure that I had enough books. I usually have a list of books that I want to read and every now and again I will try and get a few from public libraries (I don’t very often buy books) but in the week before lockdown I borrowed a few from the University Library here in Cambridge (Enchanted April and a couple of German books) and went to several branch libraries to get copies, including Milton Rd and Arbury on the last Friday afternoon. I ended up with two large piles of books which I had to store in the dining room rather than my usual bedside table pile. And I was pleased that I was managing to read a book a week which is good for me.

My choice of reading material has not changed. I still select books that I want to read from reviews I hear or read or based on authors I have enjoyed in the past. I think in the early days of lockdown I did use my reading as a way to ensure that I got some “me” time, peace and quiet away from the rest of the household, an excuse to go and shut myself away for a while.

I know many people have spoken about finding it hard to read/concentrate during lockdown but this has not been my experience and I have not sought out pandemic books.

We have many books in our house that I would like to reread but I never seem to get round to it as there are always new books that I want to read.

I was able to start getting reading group books again from my local public library from August and at that time reservations were free so I was able to replenish my personal stock of books. Currently, public libraries are charging for reservations and I am not able to order specific books that I want to read without incurring a charge so just the other day I ordered online secondhand copies of some obscure books on my list which are not available from local libraries (The Fit by Philip Hensher, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, Dear Evelyn by Kathy Page, Gabriel’s Angel by M Radcliffe, As it is in Heaven by Niall Williams) along with new books that we want to keep (What a Carve Up by Jonathan Coe – one of my favourite books and inspired to reread after seeing the online theatre version last year – and Graham Swift new ones).

I enjoyed Enchanted April and several crime novels by Belinda Bauer. One of my standout books was With the End in Mind by Kathryn Mannix, a palliative care doctor writing about death and attitudes towards it. Sounds grim but I found her writing to be beautiful.

Another factor in me being able to read more than usual is probably the whole menopause sleep thing which means that I was sometimes the only one awake around midnight!