On the first Wednesday of every month, GWL team members and volunteers share what we’ve read recently at our Book Picnic. In the current climate, our Book Picnic takes place remotely, giving all of us some valuable social interaction and providing us with many excellent book suggestions…
Travelers in the Third Reich by Julia Boyd
This book was recommended by Anna, who is reading it for a history group, and finds it to be “absolutely phenomenal.” It contains first-hand accounts from people visiting Germany between 1919 and 1945, during the rise of fascism. With a multitude of different voices in essays and diary entries (children, poets, journalists, politicians, musicians, athletes, and more), it provides fascinating insight into real observations from the time.
The Coven by Lizzie Fry
Recommended by Elaine, this thriller is a contemporary take on a dystopian, patriarchal world in which witchcraft is real. The government seeks to eradicate or imprison witches, claiming it is for both their safety and the safety of the general public. In Exeter, teenager Chloe Su discovers that she is the most powerful witch anyone has ever seen, initiating a global hunt to assassinate her. With complex world-building, it’s an interesting and vivid mix of both dystopian fiction and fantasy.
Terminal Boredom by Izumi Suzuki
Recommended by Ren, who has not yet finished it, this collection of seven science fiction stories is the first English-language publication of the work of prolific Japanese writer Izumi Suzuki. The stories were written between 1978 and the authors death in 1986, but are shockingly prescient and darkly playful, covering society, gender, imperialism, technological dependency, counterculture, and anti-establishmentarianism.
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World by Elif Shafak
Highly recommended by Pauline, this book first made an appearance at our May 2021 book picnic, and can be read about here.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Recommended by Gaby, who found it “absolutely brilliant”, this book first made an appearance at our December 2020 book picnic, and can be read about here.
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