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ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2020 has been postponed due to Coronavirus concerns. A new date will be arranged in due course.
Book recommendations
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By: Sarah on 02/07/2020 Today I am going to recommend not a single book but lots! During lockdown a few people have mentioned they have been enjoying reading poetry so I thought I would recommend going to the library website and accessing either BorrowBox or RBDigital (some examples in the picture) and searching under Poetry or Poems and seeing what turns up. There are e-audio and e-books available to download, with collections for children, teenagers and adults. One that I have reserved is an e-audio version of “Shakespeare’s sonnets retold” by James Anthony and read by Stephen Fry and Paapa Essiedu, with one reading the sonnet in its original form and one reading the modern retelling. What poems will you choose?  By: Andrea Levy on 26/06/2020 Today’s book is Small Island by Andrea Levy. This book covers the lives of four main characters, Gilbert and Hortense from Jamaica and Queenie and Bernard in London. Gilbert travels to London after the war, on the Windrush and his new wife Hortense comes to join him. They find digs in a small bedsit in Queenie and Bernard’s house, and it is not quite up to Hortense’s expectations, nor are many aspects of life in London. They experience the hostile attitudes of 50s London as they try to make a new life for themselves. The characters are by turns appealing and infuriating and there is a wonderful vein of humour throughout the book. The National Theatre production of Small Island was streamed on line last week.  By: Sarah on 18/06/2020 Here is Caroline's book recommendation - “Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine” by Gail Honeyman. Eleanor lives a predictable life wearing the same clothes, eating the same food and drinking a bottle of vodka every weekend. Outspoken and unusual, she admits to being “completely fine” until a chance accident leads to major changes to Eleanor’s life. Eleanor is a character that remains with you long after the book has finished. The book is available as an ebook via Cardiff Libraries’ BorrowBox and RBDigital.  By: Sarah on 18/06/2020 If you are a member of Cardiff Libraries you can borrow eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines 24 hours a day, and access a range of other electronic resources from home and within the Hubs and Libraries. If you are not a library member find out how to join Cardiff Libraries. eBooks and eAudiobooksBrowse, borrow and reserve your eBooks and eAudiobooks from:
The first time you use the services, you will be prompted to download and install Adobe Digital EditionsExternal link opens in a new window External link opens in a new window if this software is not already on your PC or Mac. Adobe Digital Editions software offers an easy and engaging way to view and manage your eBooks, including transferring them to portable devices.
BorrowBoxeBooks and eAudiobooks are available to use on your portable device, tablet or phone using the BorrowBox app which can be downloaded from the Apple App storeExternal link opens in a new window External link opens in a new window or Google Play storeExternal link opens in a new window External link opens in a new window
Alternatively, you can download BorrowBoxExternal link opens in a new window External link opens in a new window directly to your PC or Laptop and eBooks/eAudiobooks can be transferred to an MP3 player or eReader.
You can view what eAudiobooks are available prior to signing in, although you will need to sign in using your library card number and PIN (if you do not know your PIN, contact your local library).
RBdigitalAccess eBooks and eAudiobooks on your portable device using the RBdigital app. Download the app via the Apple App storeExternal link opens in a new window External link opens in a new window, Google Play storeLink opens in a new window Link opens in a new window or from the RBdigital websiteExternal link opens in a new window External link opens in a new window
For eBooks you will need Adobe Digital EditionsExternal link opens in a new window
By: Sarah on 11/06/2020 Here is Caroline's book recommendation: This week I have gone for a classic, which I am rereading at the moment. It is The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte. This book is not as well known as the books by Charlotte and Emily Bronte, but I think it deserves to be better known. It tells the story of a woman, Helen Huntingdon, who escapes an unhappy marriage and makes a bid for freedom. Written at a time when attitudes to women were still very oppressive, Helen stands up for herself and attempts to make a new life for her and her son. The book is available as an e-audio book through both BorrowBox and RBDigital via Cardiff libraries’ website.  By: Caroline on 29/05/2020 This week’s book is a brilliant historical novel. Hilary Mantel’s “The mirror and the light”. This is the third part of her Thomas Cromwell trilogy which started with “Wolf Hall”. This book takes the story forward from Henry VIII’s marriage to Jane Seymour until Thomas Cromwell’s death. The details of the appearance, sounds, smells and tastes of the age are brought vividly to life. Although it would be possible to read this as a single novel it would be better to read the trilogy in order. All parts can be downloaded as ebooks or e-audio books from RB Digital or BorrowBox with your library card, although there may be a waiting list.  By: Judith on 29/05/2020 I really enjoyed this book by young author Barney Norris. Here are individual reflections (appropriate for now) from five different people in Salisbury: Five Rivers Met on a Wooded Plain by Barney Norris. 'There exists in all of us a song waiting to be sung which is as heart-stopping and vertiginous as the peak of the cathedral. That is the meaning of this quiet city, where the spire soars into the blue, where rivers and stories weave into one another, where lives intertwine.' One quiet evening in Salisbury, the peace is shattered by a serious car crash. At that moment, five lives collide – a flower seller, a schoolboy, an army wife, a security guard, a widower – all facing their own personal disasters. As one of those lives hangs in the balance, the stories of all five unwind, drawn together by connection and coincidence into a web of love, grief, disenchantment and hope that perfectly represents the joys and tragedies of small town life.  By: Sarah on 09/05/2020 This week I have picked one of my favourite books, “I heard the owl call my name” by Margaret Craven. Set in British Columbia in a time of change, when the old tribal customs of Kingcome bay were being forgotten and the youngsters were leaving the village. A young priest, Mark, is sent by his bishop to his “most difficult parish” to learn about life, death, belonging and love. A beautifully written story that can be read and reread.
It is available as an ebook to download from RB digital via your library card and PIN.
By: Caroline on 30/04/2020 In our book group we recently read Michelle Obama’s book “Becoming”, which I really enjoyed. She tells of her life growing up on the south side of Chicago, with hard working and loving parents. She succeeds in school and college and goes on to work as a lawyer, where she meets her future husband. The success of his career and their move to the White House is not always easy. Her modest and natural style come through the telling of this absorbing autobiography.
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