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August has always seemed a strange month. Schools are out. Offices and factories run to different hours. Programmes of clubs, meetings and events take a break. There's nothing on TV.

Everything stops and everyone heads for the beach (or the airport).

We know that this year is different, but perhaps this month some things aren't all that different.

There are still festivals aplenty, for example. OK, so it's not hugely appealing to look at screens when the sun is shining, but the online programmes are a tremendous free resource and particularly, perhaps, in encouraging children in their reading activity over the summer.

So if we're feeling adventurous, why not pitch a tent in the garden or hand out the ice creams and log on to the online Edinburgh International Book Festival here. Or the Lavenham Children's Festival Bookworm Bonanza on demand throughout August here. There are readings, interviews and activities, and most children's authors also have impressive websites of their own with a multitude of inventive and interactive sessions.

The libraries have launched their annual summer reading scheme, too, so while children cannot gather in the colourful book stacks in real life, they can log their reading habit online.

And if you're looking for a challenge, why not join with the book group in reading the Booker Prize Longlist. We'll be meeting online to share our thoughts in early September so take a look at the 13 titles in contention here and see which six you think should make this year's shortlist.

We're forecast a hot and sunny week ahead, so I hope we'll all be able to find a quiet, shady spot in which to lose ourselves in a good book.

The past few months have been something of wonder for many - sunny days, the extraordinary quiet, the birdsong and gardening, the solitude and stillness.

Whatever our circumstances during this time, though, the halting of normal life has given cause to stop, to pause, and perhaps to read a little more or a little differently than normal.

I met a newly retired publisher this week who revealed that for the first time in his life, he had put aside manuscripts and taken a look at his bookshelves, and discovered Trollope - "marvellous!" he said.

Libraries meanwhile, unable to offer their regular reservation and browsing service, provided bundles of books personally selected for users based on their preferences and previous loan history. What were the surprises there?

For me, I enjoyed the freedom of knowing that there had been a lull in publishing - new books couldn't be released as bookshops and distributors had limited reach to potential readers - so I had time to 'get ahead', or at least catch up, with my reading.

But that's stopped now!

It's great to see bookshops open again, and customers rushing through the doors. It's wonderful to have daily deliveries of new books from the wholesaler. And it's good to experience the passion and energy of publicists eager to shout as loud and as long as they can about the latest book on their list.

And it means that we are experiencing a deluge of wonderful books. Titles which were held back during the lockdown are being released, so the usually quiet month of August is busy with new exciting titles and September is going to be even busier. You can see the titles that I suggest you 'Look out for' here. And there'll be more added in the next few days.

In addition to this glut of fabulous new books, last week the Longlist for this year's Booker Prize was released. There are 13 titles, including eight debut novels, and these will be filtered down to a shortlist of six on 15 September.

In the past few years, members of the Browsers Book Group have risen to the challenge of reading, between them, all 13 titles. We then report back and collectively choose our own shortlist and seeing how closely it matches that of the judges. It's proved an interesting and enjoyable exercise.

I'm pleased to say that members of the new Zoom book group have been very enthusiastic in taking on this task.

I'll be reporting back on our progress in a few weeks' time, but if you'd like to be involved or to sit in on the discussion in September, reply to this email and I'll let you know more.

Some of the positive outcomes of these difficult times have been the little kindnesses shown, the friendships forged and the communities built.

I'm sure we all have examples of moments, gifts or gestures which have stirred our emotions and built our sense of hope and good will.

In my street, when one of us has been baking, we've offered each other portions of pudding or slices of cake. We've shared shopping deliveries, and I've been treated to surprise drops of flour, eggs (and chocolate) on my doorstep. There have also been book deliveries, of course, and book swaps - I know of one street nearby where they have a box at the end of a drive for leaving or picking up your next read. 

We've all found, I'm sure, different ways in which we can make someone's day a bit better, and have been moved and delighted when we've been on the receiving end, reassured that we've been in somebody's thoughts.

So I'd like to say a huge thank you to the people who've been in touch with me lately about this newsletter.

When my original purpose of writing was clearly redundant, with all the author visits I'd organised having to be cancelled, I was reluctant to drop all contact but didn't want to be an intrusion!

I've been thrilled, then, to learn from many of you that my messages and recommendations have proved helpful. It's certainly been a good discipline for me each week, and getting such positive feedback proved a great comfort when life had changed so radically. Thank you!

For the time being, though, we are all having to make do with Zoom for our author talks and discussions.

Take a look at the Virtual Primadonna festival here. Originally planned to take place in a field in Pettaugh, Suffolk next weekend, now you can hear from authors such as Kit de Waal, Stella Duffy, Dorothy Koomson, and many more, via your screen of choice, and it's free.

And tomorrow evening I hope you'll join me for this month's book group discussion. We'll be talking about Benjamin Myer's 'The Offing' from 8pm, with general chat from 7.45pm. Please reply to this email so that I can send you the log in details. 

I'm afraid I'll have to continue with the Zoom book group for the foreseeable future. If you are in or near Woodbridge, do continue to buy your copy from Browsers Bookshop. But I am on the look out for other options as I know many people find Zoom quite challenging, so please keep reading!

We have a few more days to get used to wearing a face mask before their mandatory use in shops at the weekend.

While we all recognise we must do what we can to prevent infection, 'the new normal' continues to prove a challenge.

People are difficult to recognise when half their face is obscured and eyes don't seem to smile so readily when we are deprived of other facial clues.

We may need to find different ways to communicate our emotions, and to anunciate more clearly, in these coming weeks, so what of actors who are far more familiar with putting on a mask of another sort, each time they adopt a new role?

David and Jessica Oyelowo were interviewed in their home in Los Angeles today for Holy Trinity Brompton church in London.

You may know David for his extraordinary roles as Dr Martin Luther King in 'Selma', and leading roles in 'Lincoln', 'The Butler' and 'A United Kingdom', as well as 'Spooks' and the BBC's 'Les Miserables'. His wife, Jessica is also a successful tv and film actress, and grew up in Woodbridge.

They were speaking about their marriage, their acting roles, their careers and their strong Christian faith, but also the power of storytelling in challenging attitudes, particularly regarding racism.

It's a fascinating, entertaining, challenging and inspiring conversation. Do look it up here - you'll find their two-part interview starts first at 8 minutes and then 32 minutes into the programme. You can also view 'Selma' on BBC iplayer here.

So what mask will you choose to wear, and where will you get it? Medical or building supplies were running low early in lockdown, so those nifty with a sewing machine were making snazzy designs from fabric stashes, wanting only thanks or a donation to charity for their trouble. Of course now the fashion houses have brought out their ranges, and the purchase price has become not inconsiderable.

There have been various business opportunities during this testing time, so a short book on entrepreneurship - 'Anything You Want' by Derek Sivers - is my recommended title this week!

Whether our jobs are safe or have come to a sudden end, many of us have had time to reflect during lockdown, so if you are thinking on life taking a different path, whether or not that means starting a business, this book is well worth a read.

It's been widely acknowledged that the media as a whole hasn't excelled itself in our current national crisis but, if we seek to look beyond headlines and soundbites, there are many more sources of serious, considered, long-form journalism on offer.

Through Zoom in the past few weeks, too, I've been able to attend a number of inspiring and informative panel discussions and talks highlighting the work of journalists at their frontline. The first female editor of the Financial Times, the war correspondent Christina Lamb talking about her new book 'Our Bodies, Their Battlefield', and this week there is a talk by the parents of Kim Wall, the journalist who was murdered when she sought to interview the eccentric owner of a submarine in Denmark.

These events have been organised by Women in Journalism, which this past week hosted a panel discussion with health correspondents. Five women from various different media outlets - BBC's Newsnight, Financial Times, Guardian, New Scientist, and a freelance reporter - all joined to share their experience and their perspective.

It was very enlightening and thought-provoking in many ways. It was both worrying (the inadequate release of accurate information) and also encouraging (that there were informed, experienced, committed and passionate communicators, desperate to do a good job and to deliver clear and accurate information to their audience).

While Women in Journalism is a membership organisation, its online events are accessible for a fee of £10. The session about Kim Wall takes place on Tuesday evening to highlight the publication of a book telling Kim's story. You can find out more about it here.

I've been reading the work of another journalist this week. Debora Mackenzie spent the first few weeks of lockdown writing about how the current pandemic did not come as a surprise to her as she has been reporting on infectious disease for many years. Her book was rushed through to publication and she spoke about it a couple of weeks ago on Radio Four. You can listen again to the programme again here.

I was impressed by how she spoke, and was interested, though dismayed, at what she had to say, and I have been immersed in the book she has written - 'Covid 19: The pandemic that never should have happened. And how to stop the next one.' It's very easy to read and, although the message is bleak, her ability to communicate difficult and sometimes complicated information in an engaging and accessible manner is energising and inspiring.

Being only too aware that we cannot meet in person for author talks, I hope you might like an extra feature I've included this week - an exclusive conversation with the novelist Meg Rosoff!

Meg spoke to me about the launch of her new book, and about her writing generally. You can scroll down for details of her novel 'The Great Godden' (available from your local independent bookshop!) and you can get a flavour of our conversation here, or listen to all that Meg had to share here. I hope you'll enjoy it and please do get in touch to let me know what you think!