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NEWS FROM CCB LIBRARY FEBRUARY 2021 • ISSUE 1 • VOLUME 2
INSIDE THIS EDITION * Spotlight on... Reader’s Block * Suggested Reads * Brainteaser * Click and Deliver *
SPOTLIGHT ON... READER’S BLOCK Lockdown should have been a librarian’s dream – all that extra time at home just waiting to be used to wade through the piles of unread books littering the house?! Brilliant. Except for one thing… reader’s block. If you’ve been finding it harder than usual to concentrate on your reading, you’re not alone. Here are a few tried and tested tips that might just help you get started again. My go to top tip is to read an old favourite. For me, that’s usually something light and funny. You already know the story, so your brain isn’t having to put too much effort into read – you can just enjoy the flow and (hopefully!) remember why you enjoyed reading to begin with. Sometimes, you may just be bored of reading the same kind of things, so trying a new genre might help. Try swapping crime fiction for adventure fiction, for example, or make a complete change to non-fiction. It’s the content that matters more than the format, so why not listen to an audiobook while you tidy your room or exercise (see last week’s newsletter)? Don’t forget about magazines or newspapers, or for something more visual, try a graphic novel. Give yourself time: make an appointment to read! Between home learning, all the content on streaming services, getting daily exercise, the day can fill up pretty quickly. So schedule 20 minutes of time that you can read for – this might be before bed, first thing in the morning, or during a break over lunch. Get yourself comfy – whether it’s in bed, on the sofa or a nook under the stairs, find a spot where you can unplug your devices and settle down to read. There’s nothing wrong with snacking while you read – you’ll usually find me reading with a cup of tea and some Maltesers*. Don’t be hard on yourself! If it’s just not working and you’re not enjoying what you’re reading, put it to one side and try something else. You can always come back to it later. There’s nothing more likely to prolong a bout of reader’s block than forcing yourself to read something you don’t want to. Ask the library for suggestions – if you don’t know where to start, we’re always happy to suggest a few good titles that you might enjoy! *other chocolate available!
BOOK BREAK • NEWS FROM CCB LIBRARY
SUGGESTED READS Here are a few books that have broken spells of reader’s block for me over the last year: The Mystery of Henri Pick is a gentle mystery, revolving around a rejected manuscript that suddenly becomes a bestseller after being discovered in a library in the south of France. But who was Henri Pick, and how could he have written such a masterpiece?! A Place Called Perfect is an adventure story, full of bravery and friendship, and just a little bit unsettling. Violet moves to a town where nothing is quite as it seems... something weird is going on, and it’s up to Violet to find out what! Part art-heist, part love story, The Improbablity of Love is the story of a forgotten masterpiece that’s accidentally uncovered in a junk shop, sparking a battle between various characters desperate to get their hands on it. Funny, sad and thoroughly enjoyable.
Fans of Percy Jackson will love Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, which weaves West African mythology and African-American folklore into an exciting fantasy adventure that takes place after Tristan accidentally opens a chasm to another world. Sports broadcaster Andrew Cotter‘s dogs Olive and Mabel became internet sensations during Lockdown one, and this biography is pure escapism. It’s full of dogs, mountains, and humour - I couldn’t put it down.
FEBRUARY 2021
BRAINTEASER Just for fun… A supplier sells boxes of dog biscuits in a range of sizes – 16, 17, 23, 24, 39, and 40 lbs, and will not split boxes. How would you order exactly 100lbs of biscuits? Answer in the next edition! Answer to last weeks’ puzzle: Twist. This is the second word in the title of a Dickens novel. The others are first words: Bleak House, Great Expectations, Hard Times, Little Dorrit, Oliver Twist. (Puzzle taken from The GCHQ Puzzle Book II.)
CLICK AND DELIVER Request specific books, or receive a mystery book, for half term by filling out this form. Full details are available at this Firefly task.
Enjoy the break from online learning over half term. If you read something you‘d like to recommend, please do send me a mini review! Until then, take care.
Miss S cskipper185
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