Desert Island Reads - Cassandra Clare

 

If you knew you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could take 5 books (not including the Works of Shakespeare and the religious text of your choice), 1 CD and 1 luxury item, what would you take? This is the question we ask in our new column, based on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. Each week a member of staff, a student or a person of interest will put forward their choices.

Friday 29th of June 

Cassandra Clare,  author of the Mortal Instruments and Infernal Devices series has responded with her selections. Keep an eye out for the Mortal Instruments film, which is coming out next year.

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

2. The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

3. The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien

4. The Two Towers by J.R. R. Tolkien

5. The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien

Also a CD of the Goldberg Variations and an ipod that never runs out of batteries as a luxury! 

We have all of Cassandra's books in the library. You can find out more about them from her website: http://www.cassandraclare.com/

If you would like your choices to be posted in this column you can email them to me at lsaint-smith@gch.org.uk

Desert Island Reads - Catherine Macphail

 

 

If you knew you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could take 5 books (not including the Works of Shakespeare and the religious text of your choice), 1 CD and 1 luxury item, what would you take? This is the question we ask in our new column, based on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. Each week a member of staff, a student or a person of interest will put forward their choices.

Monday 25th of June 

Catherine Macphail, popular author of Another Me, Roxy's Baby and Worse Than Boys has given us her choices. If you have any questions about Catherine's books you can contact her via her website: http://www.catherinemacphail.co.uk/, she promises to always answer back.

 

Had a really hard think about this, so hard. So many books! But here goes:

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Couldn't do without my Mr. Darcy

2. Salem's Lot by Stephen King -  because I love vampires

3. A biography of Houdini - He's one of my heroes and he could escape from anything, so it would maybe help me to escape from the island. If it was big enough I could use it as a boat!

4. Pears Encyclopedia - I still have the one I got for my 10th birthday, still read it. It has history, all the Greek myths and legends, a general knowledge section, a cookery section, a geography section. you name it!

5. The Complete Works of Agatha Christie in one volume - I love murder mysteries. Is that cheating? If not I'll take And Then There was One.

 

The CD I would choose, Queen's Greatest Hits.

 

 

 

And the luxury? Pencils and paper.

 

We have all of Catherine's books in the library.

 

If you would like your choices to be posted in this column you can email them to me at lsaint-smith@gch.org.uk

British Library Trip

Our blog update for this week was slightly delayed because the library took some year 9 pupils to the "Writing Britain" exhibition at the British Library on Friday. We had a fantastic time, we did a brilliant workshop that encouraged us to discover the parts of the exhibition that meant the most to us personally.
Prior to going to the library we had a group discussion about places that meant a lot to us, and some people had a go at writing about them. This theme continued in the objects that the girls liked best in the exhibition.
We were excited to see original manuscripts of Harry Potter, Cider With Rosie and Jane Eyre. Mrs Saint-Smith was thrilled to see Persuasion written in Jane Austen's own hand, and everyone loved Stephen Walter's map of Liverpool.

For more information see: http://www.bl.uk/whatson/exhibitions/writingbritain/index.html

Desert Island Reads - Robert Muchamore

 

 

If you knew you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could take 5 books (not including the Works of Shakespeare and the religious text of your choice), 1 CD and 1 luxury item, what would you take? This is the question we ask in our new column, based on Radio 4's Desert Island Discs. Each week a member of staff, a student or a person of interest will put forward their choices.

Friday 15th of June 

 

 

 

Robert Muchamore, the most popular male author in the GCH library, creator of the Cherub and Henderson's Boys series, has given us his choices. 

   

 

1. Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman - The Hunger Games is a pretty amazing book. But this dystopian fantasy is about ten times better.

2. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote - This is a fictionalised retelling of some murders that took place in the USA in the 1960s. It’s so well written that I get kind of jealous that my writing will never be this good!

3. Asterix In Britain by Goscinny and Uderzo - Happy childhood memories. I was a huge Asterix fan as a kid and I can still remember every word and every joke!

4. Catch 22 by Joseph Heller - I must have read this surreal book about WW2 bomber pilots five or six times and it still makes me laugh every time.

5. Soldier Bear by Geoffrey Morgan & W A Lasocki - This book is based on a true story about a bear that served with the Polish Army during WW2. It’s the first story I can remember my mum reading me, when I was about five years old. Sadly the book is now out of print, but I still have my battered old copy.

 Robert Muchamore's website can be found here: http://www.muchamore.com/

Luxury

An iPad (with solar powered charger!) so I can while away endless hours playing Angry Birds and Retro Racer.

 

CD

I suppose I could cheat by making a compliation, but if it was just one album it would have to be Abba Gold. I could strut my stuff to all those cheesy Abba hits, and nobody would ever be able to see me and laugh.

 

We have all his works in the library, and have already ordered the next Cherub book Guardian Angel, which comes out in August.

 

If you would like your choices to be posted in this column you can email them to me at lsaint-smith@gch.org.uk

Review of the Week - Heart Shaped Bruise by Tanya Byrne

Heart Shaped Bruise is a book by Tanya Byrne and it is her first book, a very good first book in my opinion; it was gripping and exciting the whole way through and I never wanted to put it down!

It is the diary of a girl called Emily Koll who is in the Psychiatric unit of Archway Young Offenders Institution after doing something terrible. Throughout the whole diary, Emily slowly tells us her story and bit by bit, we start to see how she ended up in the Psychiatric unit, and why. We learn about how her life fell apart after her Dad is stabbed and she discovers the second life of her father, the life of a feared gangster, and how she coped with the whole world calling her 'Crazy Koll'  The book leads us to feel sorry for Emily Koll, a girl who has done something that seems unforgivable and raises questions about identity, forgiveness and revenge.

Heart Shaped Bruise is a carefully written and well thought out book, that is expertly crafted so that an elaborate picture of Emily Koll's life, thoughts and feelings are created slowly but not so that it becomes boring.  I love this book is because of the clever way it has been put together and the fact that it makes you connect with the 'baddie' which is not usually what happens when reading a book.

One thing which I did not like about the novel was the way it ended, as it didn't feel like the book was finished, but felt like there should have been a few more chapters. However, although I didn't like this, some people might like the way Heart Shaped Bruise ended as it left the reader to decide what would happen and let the reader use their imagination.

In conclusion, I thought the Heart Shaped Bruise is a very well written book which helps people to think about things in a different way and instead of giving everything to you on a plate, lets you work things out for yourself, put the puzzle pieces together independently.

By Amana 9H

Gatz

The Great Gatsby

Teaching or studying A-Level English next year? Interested in spending 8 hours watching a play? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then Gatz may be for you. An uncut production of The Great Gatsby, Gatz has had rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. It is on now at the Noel Coward Theatre -  http://www.gatzlondon.com/

Desert Island Reads - Mrs McMellan

 

If you knew you were to be stranded on a desert island and you could take 5 books (not including the Works of Shakespeare and the religious text of your choice), 1 CD and 1 luxury item, what would you take? This is the question we ask in our new column, based on Radio 4's Desert Island Disks. Each week a member of staff, a student or a person of interest will put forward their choices.

Friday 1st of June 

 

Mrs McMellan, leader of the Debating Team, English teacher extraordinaire and all-round wonderful human being, has sent in her choices.

   

1. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen

2. Armadale by Wilkie Collins

3. Bleak House by Charles Dickens  

4. Spies by Michael Frayn

5. Setting the World on Fire by Angus Wilson

There were other serious contenders - even in a flash decision moment - as I would welcome Fielding, Thackeray, Trollope, Spark et al but feel I'll think about those without the text. Those selected have made a strong impact on first reading and I would really enjoy re-reading these stories. It is impossible to imagine that any further wonderfully dramatic event could possibly occur after the prologue to Armadale. I loved the local setting of the Angus Wilson, and the sadness/structure of Dickens and Frayn. It is a joy to read Jane.

CD: The Marriage of Figaro

Luxury: A never-ending supply of clean underwear.

If you would like your choices to be posted in this column you can email them to me at lsaint-smith@gch.org.uk