From our total bookworm to one who listens to books, Team HC share what reads we are enlightening and entertaining ourselves with. History and relationships appear to be popular choices!
Sue – I prefer to listen to books, so my current track is The Uncaged Sky: My 804 days in Iranian prison by Kylie Moore-Gilbert. It tells the harrowingly true story of Kylie’s arrest at Tehran airport by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards and wrongful conviction of espionage. Kylie spent months in solitary confinement, then prison and was subject to relentless interrogation and physical and psychological depravation. There are moments of terror and humour but above all great empathy and lessons on what it is to be human.
Kendi – I’m a total bookworm and have read a surprising number of five-star novels so far this year. The most recent was A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, about a Russian count who finds himself under lifelong house arrest in a glamorous hotel following the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. The story is charming but not shallow – full of interesting characters and glorious depictions of the real-life Hotel Metropol, and at the same time an exploration of the indomitability of human spirit. It’s funny, very clever, exquisitely written and definitely worth a read. You will want to visit the hotel when you’re done.
Alex – I’m reading The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue. After listening to an interview with the author, and seeing it recommended a few times on social, it jumped to the top of my ‘to read’ list. It’s about two friends in their twenties living in Cork, Ireland and their relationships, particularly with her English professor and his wife. I’m about halfway through, and it’s funny writing and stories throughout have me hooked!
Shereen – I’m re-reading Beauty and the Mustache by one of my favourite authors, Penny Reid. It’s about a young woman who returns home to care for her terminally ill mother and ends up falling in love with an unsuspecting member from her mother’s poetry club. She has six hilarious ‘hillbilly’ brothers, and while the story is tastefully sad, it’s incredibly well written, moving and funny. You can’t help falling in love with the characters and indulging in the whole series.
Karen – I have just finished reading a historical novel, simply called Horse by Geraldine Brooks. It weaves a tale of three times linked by an exceptional thoroughbred called Lexington, while giving a detailed human picture of each era. It examines slavery, racism and its legacy in modern day America. A rich and thought-provoking tale.