News

Nothing seems to go to plan these days, does it? Just as we turn the pages of our diaries and register that it's the start of a new term, a new academic year, a new season, we're told that many schools will have to stay shut because they are unsafe.

Whether we're a pupil, parent, teacher or merely a member of the community this is more shocking news in unsettling times. 

For many of us a good book provides us with a necessary and welcome escape from the daily reality. It also sometimes helps renew and equip us for dealing with the challenges we're confronting.

So how have we found reading the Booker Prize longlist of titles this summer? These books have been selected because they 'best reflect what is going on in the world and do it beautifully,' according to one of the judges, Esi Edugyan.

We're meeting tomorrow evening to debate whether the books we've read meet that description and how we have responded to them.

In all our past meetings, there have been some surprise discoveries and it has always been an enlightening and entertaining discussion.

If you'd like to come along to listen in, please let me know by replying before noon tomorrow. If you can't make it, I'll endeavour to provide a short report in next week's newsletter! 

Thank you for reading.

It's been rather shocking to learn about the loss, damage and theft of artefacts at the British Museum this week, revealed as having taken place over a period of years. And of course it's receiving international attention, not least by the media in Greece.

The campaign for restoring ancient, important and valuable exhibits to their place of origin may certainly gain momentum. The argument that these items were in a safer, more secure location in Britain no longer rings true. 

We will be able to explore the situation in detail in a few weeks' time as Victoria Hislop's wonderful new novel takes the provenance and ownership of ancient Greek relics as the core of its story.

Called 'The Figurine' it boasts the usual powerful storytelling, characterisation and scene-setting of Victoria's other novels and so much more!

Should ancient treasures remain in the ground as originally intended? Should they be held by those who have discovered them? Should they be displayed for education and enjoyment? How should they be redistributed if in the wrong hands?

Click here for details of Victoria's visit to Woodbridge in a few weeks' time and book early to make the most of a very special 'early bird' ticket price!

But whether you're in Greece or Suffolk this bank holiday, I hope you'll find time to read. It's our Booker Challenge in a few days' time and I'm receiving encouraging reports from our team on their allocated titles from this year's Longlist. We're meeting on Monday 4 September at 7.30pm and if you would like to come along to listen to the discussion, please let me know. 

Thank you for reading.

It's been quite a time. 

But thank you for so many messages of sadness and regret at last week's news, while also urging me forwards with words of encouragement and support. It has meant a great deal.

As things locally have rather overwhelmed me in the past few days, I don't have any book news to share here but there are a selection of book reviews as usual, below, and details of the author event with Victoria Hislop. (I'm still waiting on the possibility of another lovely event and hope that there might be details of that next week.)

Do please consider buying your books through my moreaboutbooks page here if any of my recommendations prove interesting. As I've mentioned, I receive a tiny commission for every sale, and every little helps!

For now, I'll wish you a sunny and happy week and normal service will resume next time.

Thank you for reading.

This week I have to share the sad news that Browsers Bookshop in Woodbridge has closed.

Many of us will have considered the bookshop as the anchor, the hub of the town for so many years and this comes as quite a blow.

For me, it's been a part of my life for some 20 years. I joined thinking it would be a nice part-time job for a few months, supplementing my freelance writing and helping me to accommodate some changes in my life, but I loved it so much I could never step away!

It was the most perfect bookshop. 

I was employed by its creator Martin Grindley. He seemed a hard taskmaster but he ran a tight ship and he had a wonderful vision, which was very much ahead of its time.

As a result, in Woodbridge, we had one of the first dedicated children's bookshops, Young Browsers, with Browsers Bookshop and Cafe serving the best coffee and the most delicious cakes when such a concept was almost unheard of. The fantastic selection of books was displayed on bespoke shelves and furniture, with wooden floors, and the lighting made the covers glisten and glow. 

When Martin Whitaker took over the shop in 2008, I was able to introduce evening events in this beautiful space. First it was a monthly book group and then the author events started to take off, many much bigger than the bookshop could accommodate, so I moved to venues throughout the town. I was also engaged as the director of the town's children's book festival.

Though I only worked a few hours in the bookshop in recent times, I'm going to miss seeing familiar faces and chatting about books. 

So what of the future for me? I will continue to host author visits, now as Catherine Larner Events, bringing both big names and debut writers to the town. I hope these will be of interest and you will support where you can. Take a look below for details about Victoria Hislop coming to the Riverside Cinema in the autumn and there will be other events announced soon.

The book group meetings will continue in September with the Booker Challenge and our discussion for 'The Half Life of Valery K' at the end of the month. 

And I will continue sending these weekly e-newsletters.

They began as I wanted to keep you informed of the events I was organising but during lockdown they proved a great way for us all to keep in touch and share our reading recommendations.

I've been so touched and encouraged by your comments over the past few years. As a freelance writer you don't always hear from your readers so it's been incredibly gratifying to get such kind and positive feedback. 

It does take time to put together these emails, though, and while I still hope that you will support your independent bookshops wherever you can, perhaps I can make a plea that you support me too?!

If one of my recommendations proves interesting, it would be lovely if you could buy it from bookshop.org, through my portal of moreaboutbooks.com? I receive a tiny commission for every sale, and a further small commission is passed on to the UK's independent bookshops. You might like to bookmark this link for easy reference!

Alternatively, you can 'tip' me via Kofi here.

And if you know anyone who might be interested in receiving these newsletters, please do send them the link here, too.

Thank you for your support and I look forward to seeing you again soon wherever we meet to talk about books!

It's that time of year again - the Booker Prize longlist has been announced!

As in previous years, book group members have agreed to each take a title, to read it and champion it (or otherwise) in a special meeting.

From our appraisal we draft our own shortlist of six, and even dare to pick a winner, and then wait with interest to see if we correspond with the judges' decisions announced a few weeks later.

As you might expect, coming together to talk about the books is good fun and very enlightening. Often the most surprising titles are given enthusiastic and thrilling recommendations by members of our group, thereby encouraging us all to try new authors, stories and genres.

We've allocated readers for this year's shortlisted books and will be gathering on Monday 4 September to compare notes. If you want to read along, contribute your views about a particular book or books, or would just like to sit in on the meeting, please let me know.

While we don't have our usual book group meeting in August because of the Bank Holiday, there are plenty of other ways to think about books and reading this month.

Tomorrow night there's a film to watch in Woodbridge at the Riverside Cinema. 'Hello, Bookstore' is a fly-on-the-wall documentary of an American bookshop, meeting the owner before, during and after the pandemic as he endeavours to deliver books to his community come what may.

And in a couple of weeks it will be the FolkEast Festival at Glemham. In addition to the music programme, authors will be talking about their new books. Saskia Sarginson and Kate Sawyer will be there, and I'm interviewing the marvellous Margaret Meyer about 'The Witching Tide' on Friday morning. On Saturday Polly Crosby and Sarah Hardy will be talking to me about their wonderfully evocative historical novels, both set in Suffolk. Perhaps I'll see you there?

Thank you for reading.