One of the things we’ve learned over the last year is that for many people, books have been a great way to get through lockdown.

Having a few good reads around makes a massive difference to mental wellbeing:books are a great way to escape and a great way of helping us put things in perspective.

There are lots of great new books coming out in Spring and beyond. Here is the Little Apple’s guide to what is fresh...

York Press:

FICTION
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (Bloomsbury paperback 8.99)

We may all be doing our meetings on zoom these days but book groups are keeping going. Such a Fun Age is a great choice at the moment. In the light of all last year’s Black Lives matter events, it brings up some very interesting questions not only about race but also money and privilege. In 21st century America, the racism that the characters experience is not a surprise to them but it might seem shocking to the reader. The book is clever and deft in its handling of the issues. It is also very funny in places. An enjoyable read and a great book to discuss.

 

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare (Hodder paperback 8.99)

When Adunni finds out she is to become the third wife of the taxi driver Morufu instead of following her dream (and her mother’s dying wish) to finish school and become a teacher she is devasted. Adunni has an indomitable spirit though and this is not a book about giving up. Hope is something we all need right now and this is a book that is bursting with ebullient faith in the human capacity for survival.

 

We Begin At The End by Chris Whitaker (Zaffre paperback 8.99)

This is a beautifully written crime novel, a slow-burner that reels the reader in. Vincent King returns to his home town after 30 years in prison, setting off a chain of incidents that impacts on many lives. The characters are wonderful: 13 year old Duchess Daisy Radley, the self-confessed outlaw who has been dealt a very bad hand, is unforgettable with her withering putdowns, but also hugely sympathetic. The small-town cop with a big heart, divided loyalties and health issues (called Walk) is another fine character, flaws and all. This book is just a cut above other crime novels, right up there with Don Winslow – there is no higher praise!

Empty Nest by Carol Ann Duffy (Pan Macmillan hardback 14.99)

In the eponymous poem of this collection, Duffy comments “I knew mothering, but not this other thing” as she pines for her child who has now left home. The collection brings together a marvellous array of poets, some modern some not, who have all got something to say on the subject of family and all its glorious webs of relationships. From C. Day Lewis to Jackie Kay, the poets share their feelings of loss and separation, of the joys and pains of parenthood. In a year when some of us have rediscovered the great solace poetry can bring, this is a fantastic new collection.

 

CHILDREN

York Press:

Dog Gone by Rob Biddulph (Harper Collins paperback 6.99) (AGE 3+)

Rob Biddulph is a great illustrator and has been keeping kids entertained all year with his “Draw with Rob” books and Youtube videos. So it is no surprise his new book is packed with his trademark humour and warmth. It is set in a park where a little dog finds he has strayed from his pet human. An entertaining cast of animals are on hand to help (or not). Adventure and peril ensue!

 

Olga We’re Out Of Here by Elise Gravel (Walker books paperback 6.99) (AGE 6+)

There are so many appealing things in this book. It has a part-comic book format, very much in the vein of Tom Gates and Diary of a Wimpy kid. Olga echoes what many of us think: “Earth itself is fine. It’s all the humans who live on it that I’d like to avoid”. So the research begins as Olga plans an escape from the planet. Olga has a scientific bent and enjoys making notes, observations and doing research. She finds out about the many women who have already been to space. But the main drive of the story follows a quest to find outs what’s wrong when hjerb strange pet Meh seems sick.

 

Another Twist in the Tale by Catherine Bruton (Nosy Crow paperback 7.99) (AGE 9+)

If home-schooling has brought up the Victorians as a topic, you will be very familiar with workhouses and the perils of the late 19th century. This is an energetic and clever Dickens-inspired tale of “the other Twist”. Twill is a foundling taken in by a devoted caring maid, the brilliantly- named Baggage Jones. The fates conspire to wrench Twill from her loving home and send her on an adventure where she encounters the Artful Dodger. Our feisty heroine has many a scrap and a scrape and joins a gang of other girls who are surviving on their own. It all wraps up nicely for an extremely satisfying read.

 

NON-FICTION

York Press:

Botanical Curses and Poisons: The Shadow-lives of Plants by Fez Inkwight (Liminal 11, 12.99)

An A-Z of poisonous plants (from Apple to Yew) that is in fact the telling of each plant’s story through the ages.

 

Rewild Yourself By Simon Barnes (Simon and Schuster paperback 8.99)

Barnes shows us how to and re-connect with nature in a way that is both easy a joy. He’s the sort of companion on a nature walk we could all do with.

During lockdown the Little Apple is offering an online click and collect service - and is also taking phone orders. Visit littleapplebookshop.co.uk or call 01904 676103.