Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021

Monday, 4th January 2021

Surely it’s going to be a brighter year…
Many of us will be grateful that 2020 is finally over. It’s been a very trying year for all of us and now that the seasonal festivities are over, we are about to see what 2021 will bring. A rocky start perhaps but with a few promises of better things to come? Let’s hope so.

And we do already have some things to look forward to – especially in the book world.  

New books for 2021
Cassandra Clare has started a new series of books featuring the predecessors of her Mortal Instruments’ Shadowhunters. Book 2 of The Last Hours series, Chain of Iron will be published in March. Set in Edwardian London, we follow Cordelia Carstairs, her fiance James and her best friend Lucie as they attempt to catch a killer.

Author of One of Us is Lying and One of Us is Next, Karen McManus has written a new book, You’ll Be the Death of Me which is a murder mystery about three friends truanting from school and getting caught up in a crime that they can’t solve without exposing a few secrets of their own.

This is Not the Jess Show by Anna Carey is published at the start of February and is supposed to be a cross between Black Mirror and Dawson’s Creek – so teenage angst with a bit of a twist.

Also in February, the publication date for the paperback version of the very popular and highly regarded The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (the LRC will finally be purchasing a copy of our own for our staff and students).

Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas is a prequel to The Hate U Give, and follows Starr’s father Maverick Carter in his teenage years as a gang member. With his father in prison, Maverick sells drugs to support his family. When Maverick finds out he’s about to become a father himself, he struggles to finish school and leave the gang and drug dealing life behind. Maverick must fight against all the odds that are stacked against him to leave his old life and make something of himself.

Book Review 
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Rating: 5/5

This book has been described as an epic Irish tale – and although I’m normally put off by such descriptions – I decided that this year I would give this book a read and I’m so glad I did. We are transported along with Catherine Goggin as she is forced to leave her small Irish town aged 16 and pregnant. She arrives in Dublin to give birth and the baby is given over to what she hopes will be a better life. Cyril is adopted by Mr and Mrs Avery, a wealthy couple, but he is kept at arm’s length and always reminded he is not a true Avery. The story unfolds as we journey with Cyril and his quest for happiness. This book is so beautifully written – although there are some heart-breaking moments there is humour too and I still think of Cyril and Catherine months later.

– Deborah 

We love…

News surfaced last summer that a TV adaptation of an LRC favourite was underway. Adam Kay’s This is Going to Hurt had been commissioned starring Ben Whishaw and is expected to be shown this year. 2021 is certainly looking better already.

And if you’d like recommendations of YA books for a YA audience (as we do), then look no further than the Hot Key Ambassadors – teenage bloggers and reviewers chosen by Hot Key Books to promote and highlight their YA literature – who have selected their books of 2020 in a blog post here.

Students

Book Loans
Books can be loaned from the LRC. Just pop us an email or fill in the Click & Collect form and we will sort out the book for you.

Worried about fines? No problem. All loans have been renewed and fines waived while the LRC was closed. Books can now be returned to the College. Please contact the LRC to find out about current procedures.

Access our virtual library online
You can search for e-books on the library catalogue or directly through our e-book providers.. Click on the Shibboleth login if requested and select Brooklands College. If you have any problems please do not hesitate to contact us at library@brooklands.ac.uk.

Heritage Online | Proquest | VleBooks

The LRC is still available for book borrowing. Although our shelves are currently not available for browsing we can help find materials for you. Contact us with an area you are interested in or your assignment title and we can suggest some resources for you.

LRC website 
The LRC website contains links to our resources, our online catalogue and is full of information about LRC use, plus there are book reviews, links to our displays and other items of interest. It is only available to College members (sorry) and can be found through links on the LRC Google Classroom, and on the staff and student intranets.

LRC Google Classroom page
Tutors have been invited to join the Classroom and will be passing the joining code on to their students. It’s full of links to resources, and helpful advice and tips.

Please contact us at library@brooklands.ac.uk if you need support with e-books, e-resources or anything else.

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