What Pupils and Staff Are Reading this Summer : 3

As we approach the end of the summer term, PGS pupils and staff reveal what they are planning to read over this summer holiday. 

Ellie Jeynes

Over the summer I am hoping to find the time to read a variety of books now our exams are over. First on my list is the Sunday Times bestseller “Where the Crawdads Sing” which I received as a Birthday present. I have heard really good reviews about it so I am excited to start it. Second on my list is “ The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennet which has also been highly acclaimed especially by Bernadine Evaristo who is the author of “Girl, Woman, Other” which I really enjoyed. As I start to consider my history coursework I will be reading “ Vietnam, A History” by Stanley Karnow and “Vietnam: An Epic History of a Tragic war” by Max Hastings to gain some background knowledge before starting my essay. Finally I would also like to read “Healing is the New High” which is Vex King’s second book as I found his first publication, “Good Vibes, Good Life” extremely insightful and very thought provoking

James Robinson (JFR)

I've recently finished reading 'An Instance of the Fingerpost' by Iain Pears, an historical whodunnit based in 17th Century Oxford, teeming with all kinds of shady characters, famous faces, murderous deeds and labyrinthine conspiracies. It's a long book, and one which demonstrates the author's considerable knowledge of real events which form the backdrop, but the novel wears this background context lightly and uses our preconceptions of Oxford humorously, as well as making effortless and ironic connections between now and then. I found myself disappearing pleasurably into a both familiar and completely unfamiliar world, driven on by simply wanting to get to the heart of the mystery; the structure of the novel assists greatly with this, taking the form of four consecutive narrators who each contribute a different perspective, sometimes unreliable, biased or simply insane, as well as appearing in each others' narratives as characters. It's not a unique device, but it works very well here, and creates the main quest of the book - what is the inescapable truth, arrived at by the unquestionable facts which cannot be interpreted or questioned, the final conclusion that Francis Bacon termed 'the instance of the fingerpost'? I'd definitely recommend you read the book and find out.

Becky Cleary

Over the summer, I'll be reading "Pandora's Jar: Women in the Greek Myths" by Natalie Haynes, as well as several other books on Greek mythology, both for enjoyment but also to aid my English coursework, which is about the presentation of women in Greek mythology. Alongside this, I am very much looking forward to reading a book on the philosophy of law, as I find it fascinating, and will further my reading for my application to study law at university. I will also (bear with me on this) be reading some old children's books, particularly those written by authors such as Enid Blyton, as I hope to continue my CAW project from year 12 and write a children's book that is longer than the first, and I think that reading those books will give me some inspiration and guidance on the style of writing that I have not seen for a while! The last on my list is "Russia: A 1000-year chronicle of the Wild East" by Martin Sixsmith, which will help me to gain a broad understanding of the period that I am studying for the next section of my history course.

Alex Casillas-Cross (ASCC)

Summer evenings with a book, what a treat! Can’t wait. I have just finished Michelle Obama, Becoming, which is a hard act to follow but hope that the suggestion of “In Her Words” by Ruth Baden Ginsberg lives up to this recommendation! I have hopes to read Homeland/ Patria by Fernando Aramburo which is about families in a small Basque town and how their lives are affected by the terrorist threat from ETA and Travellers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd which provides everyday stories of life in Nazi Germany. However it is likely I will end of up reading more of HerStory to my children to inspire them about women that made a difference in History and of course Paddington Bear!