Book(s) of the Week

Welcome back! We hope you've all have a great summer, with plenty of time to relax (and read). In our first post of the term, we're featuring several books of the week, all of them kindly recommended by members of 5B.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
Recommended by Edouard Traissac

This book is about a world where people can only think out loud, and there are only men. There are no more children as they have all grown up. One day, the main character, Todd, and his dog (who can also only think out loud) walk into a place which is completely quiet, something that should be impossible. The story is about Todd trying to hide this from the rest of his town. 

This is a classic of dystopian science fiction. It is a good book for anyone who likes a main character discovering the truth bit by bit with lots of tension. I normally read more fantasy books and I thought that this was a good introduction to dystopia. The writer's style really helps build the anticipation and makes the story an interesting read. However, I think the book could be improved by using the themes from the beginning more: in the beginning everyone knows everyone's thoughts but in the end this sort of disappears. I would recommend this to someone who likes a more action based book, with a faster pace.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Recommended by Oscar Hunter

This novel is set in Cornwall in a grand country house called Manderley. The story is told in flashback, and the genre is gothic with romance and crime and a hint of mystery. The narrator meets a wealthy man in Monte-Carlo, whose late wife was Rebecca, and they later get married. In the flashback, they then decide to live in Manderley. The narrator begins and continues to feel as though Rebecca, though dead, is trying to win back the husband's love, even more so with the housekeeper saying how much Maxim, the husband, had loved Rebecca. The narrator feels obsessed with Rebecca and insecure about their marriage as tension builds. 

I would say the book is for people who enjoy suspense and possible outcomes. I enjoyed reading the book because it was engaging once you got into it. I liked the way the author built tension between the narrator and Maxim's marriage, as if Rebecca has an aura in between them. I also liked how there were a lot of changes in the style of the book, especially in the ending, which is sudden and in an instant, whereas earlier in the novel, it was quite slow with the suspense building. I would definitely recommend Rebecca to keen readers who enjoy fiction and also people who like to read novels that create an eerie suspense.  

No Spin by Shane Warne
Recommended by Krishan Sornalingam

This is the autobiography of a cricketer who has now passed away called Shane Warne. He speaks about how in his young years he suffered from some mental issues and was struggling in life with a drinking problem. He then goes on to tell us how he transformed his life into becoming one of the greatest sportsmen of all time. 

This is a non-fiction book, mainly for cricket fans but also a great book for people who do not follow the sport. I really enjoyed it, and as a sports fan myself, I found it very interesting to learn about how Warne's love for cricket started and the lengths he had to go to to make his dream come true.  I would definitely recommend it, particularly to sports fans or anyone who enjoys autobiographies.

We were Liars by E. Lockhart
Recommended by Felix Twining

This is a shocking story of a very wealthy family called the Sinclairs who hid their true selves behind their ‘perfect image.’ 

The genre mixes fiction and horror. I enjoyed the plot twists the most, and the poetic style which is different than the usual prose long sentences. I found that it was quite short and that if you are looking for a longer read you may want to choose a different book, but I would recommend it to lovers of horror and thrillers.

Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall
Recommended by Harry Chong

Prisoners Of Geography is a non-fiction book which explores how geography shapes politics. The author believes that geography affects how a country operates and how geography often acts as a constraint for countries. It explores different regions/countries, including Russia, China, the USA, Western Europe, Africa, The Middle East, India and Pakistan, Korea and Japan, Latin America and the Arctic. It covers different geographical features such as rivers and mountains and how they can also affect a country.

This is a good book for people who enjoy politics and/or geography. I found understanding how geography can create natural borders fascinating, such as how Tibet acts as a natural border between China and India. It really surprised me how much geography affects politics. It controls countries more than politics does. The book is quite easy to read. Marshall makes complex politics easy to digest. As well as this there are diagrams of every region so you can better understand each section. 

Finally I enjoyed how Marshall uses storytelling to help you better understand each region, although a slight weakness is that he gives such a broad overview of international politics that you don't really get any in depth knowledge of each region. As well as this it wasn't released recently so it doesn't discuss some more recent events. I would definitely recommend this book to anybody who enjoys geography and politcs as well as current events. You have to enjoy non-fiction however the book is quite short at 300 pages so it is an easy and quick read.

The Trial by Franz Kafka
Recommended by Kaysan Lakha

A man called Joseph K is suddenly arrested and must defend his innocence against a charge he can get no information about. This book was great: the storyline itself is so imaginative and yet it feels extremely real. It is written in a way that allows the reader to fully immerse themselves in the storyline. Kafka makes it extremely easy to understand the timeline of events. 

Everything is chronological which allows the reader to gain a better understanding, although the names were a bit confusing as they were all extremely similar (it was originally written in German). I would definitely recommend it, specifically to 14-16 year olds who enjoy imaginative but realistic fiction.

Many thanks for 5B for their excellent suggestions: hopefully they've given you some fresh ideas for what to read this term. If you'd like to recommend a book, feel free to write a review and email it to any member of the English Dept - we'd be happy to publish your post on the blog.