Friends of Goring Library

In 1861 the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a new owner in New Orleans and separated from his wife and daughter forever. He flees to nearby Jackson’s Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father who recently returned to town. So begins a dangerous and transcendent journey along the Mississippi River, towards the elusive promise of the free states and beyond. 

This beautifully written book kept me up all night. It didn't matter that I hadn't read Mark Twain’s classic. I loved the period detail and the black slave viewpoint from within a cruelly enforced white settler culture.
Highly recommended

​This is a book about The Barnes family and they are in trouble. Until recently they ran the biggest business in town, now they’re teetering on the brink of bankruptcy – and that’s just the start of their problems. Dickie and Imelda’s marriage is hanging by a thread; straight-A student Cass is careening off the rails; PJ is hopelessly in debt to the school bully.
It is a gritty, heart-warming snapshot of a normal, if complicated, family and all the consequences of being flawed and human in our society. A true representation of life, full of emotional turmoil, lies, unwise decisions, buried deep feelings and truths, addiction, guilt and mental breakdown. It is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The writing from each perspective was intricate and well thought out. Everything interlinked at the end leaving you to consider what the ending would be long after the novel ends.

The story is set within an Oxford College. DI Ryan Wilkins and DI Ray Wilkins are a sort of new take on Morse and Lewis, but with the non-Oxford grad (Ryan) as the brains of the outfit. Ryan is a great character who says what we would all like to say in certain situations. By far the most appealing aspect of the book is the developing relationship between Ryan and Raymond, and together they make a good team.

Mason explores the two sides of Oxford: privileged and elitist vs deprived and marginalised. All in all a refreshing take on the police procedural crime novel. Simon recently joined the Friends for an evening in the Five Little Pigs in Wallingford to discuss his latest novel.

Set in 1843 on a remote Scottish island, the book really brings the setting alive. It not only captures the isolation of its sole occupant, Ivar, but also portrays the brutal weather and unforgiving landscape in such detail that it takes you right into the story.

The story itself is a simple one with church minister, John, arriving on the island under instruction to evict Ivar. Instead, a connection forms between the two men as they learn each other's languages and settle into a routine companionship during John's time on the island. We also get glimpses of John's wife Mary's life back home before and during her husband's absence. This is a beautiful, poignant novella that is almost perfect. Highly recommended.

Imagine you could hold a baby hare and bottle-feed it. Imagine that it lived under your roof and lolloped around your bedroom at night, drumming on the duvet cover when it wanted your attention. Imagine that, over two years later, it still ran in from the fields when you called it and slept in your house for hours on end and gave birth to leverets in your study.

For political advisor and speechwriter Chloe Dalton, who spent lockdown deep in the English countryside, far away from her usual busy London life, this became her unexpected reality.

Raising Hare chronicles their journey together, while also taking a deep dive into the lives and nature of hares, and the way they have been viewed historically in art, literature, and folklore.

The book describes first-hand the joy at this extraordinary relationship between human and animal, which serves as a reminder that the best things, and most beautiful experiences, arise when we least expect them.

A team of astronauts in the International Space Station collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments and test the limits of the human body. But mostly they observe. Together they watch their silent blue planet, circling it sixteen times,

This is undoubtedly brilliant, using in-depth scientific research to create poetic prose. It just feels distanced, like the astronauts – this is definitely a ‘marmite’ book but I loved the dreamy, ethereal quality that the author created in such a short space of time.

When failed writer June Hayward witnesses her rival Athena Liu die in a freak accident, she sees her opportunity… and takes it. So what if it means stealing Athena’s final manuscript? So what if it means ‘borrowing’ her identity?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is very well written and captivating from start to finish. The story took unexpected turns as it followed the lonely lead character through her rise and fall. She is incredibly unlikeable, and while I tend to struggle with these types of protagonists, I was mesmerised by what was going on in her head. The plot is interesting and compelling but it is the social commentary that makes it so memorable.
It is very ‘of its time’ and deals with cultural appropriation, stereotyping, casual racism and discrimination. It’s an excellent read and one which I will reflect upon for a long time.

The Household is about Charles Dickens' home for fallen women and inspired by real figures from history. Urania Cottage is in the countryside outside London, but the house and its location are top secret. Its residents are unknown to one another, despite all being prostitutes, petty thieves or destitute. Urania Cottage offers a second chance at life – but will they take it or throw the opportunity away?

Meanwhile, a few miles away in a Piccadilly mansion, millionairess Angela Burdett-Coutts, one of the benefactors of Urania Cottage, makes a discovery that leaves her cold – her stalker of 10 years has been released from prison. As the women's worlds collide in ways they could never have expected, they will discover that freedom always comes at a price.

This is an immersive, historical novel that sheds light on a fascinating and unknown period of Dickens' life. 

A mother disappears from a busy festival on a warm spring night and her baby lies alone in the pram, her mother’s possessions surrounding her, waiting for a return which never comes. Jane Harper, renowned for atmospheric thrillers set against the backdrop of the Australian landscape, delivers another gripping masterpiece with ‘Exiles.’

The characters are complex and multifaceted, each harbouring their own demons and motivations. The pace of the novel is impeccable - it is a masterfully crafted thriller that combines a compelling mystery with rich character development and a vivid sense of place. ‘Exiles’ solidifies Jane Harper's place as a preeminent voice in contemporary crime fiction.

Marnie is stuck working alone in her London flat, stuck battling the long afternoons and a life that often feels like it's passing her by.

Michael is coming undone - reeling from his wife's departure, increasingly reclusive, taking himself on long, solitary walks across the moors and fells.

When a persistent mutual friend and some very English weather conspire to bring them together, Marnie and Michael suddenly find themselves alone on the most epic of walks and on the precipice of a new friendship.

David Nicholls delivers every time. He knows how to stir the emotions. I love that his women characters are always funnier and cannier than his male characters. His endings are always poignant and bittersweet and resonate so much more than happily ever afters.

In the shadow of an ancient wood, guests gather for the opening weekend of The Manor hotel – and a luxurious summer feast.
But as the candles are lit, tensions spark. Old animosities re-ignite. This isn’t a celebration, but a deadly reunion.

Another Lucy Foley page turner that I devoured as quickly as I could turn the pages.
Set on an ultra-exclusive holiday retreat for the richest people in the country, owned by the well-connected and super -ambitious Francesca, where a catalogue of earthly and unearthly disasters unfold over opening weekend, Midsummer. The story is told in a series of flashbacks and flash-forwards and through a mixture of characters. I was completely engrossed in this eerie tale of folklore and privilege. Lucy Foley's best yet.

Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water follows a family in southern India that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning - and in Kerala, water is everywhere.

It is a wonderful book from beginning to end and is one of the best stories I have ever read. Occasionally a book comes along that takes your breath away, moves you, stays with you. Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts would be one. This is another. It’s truly something very special.

Aside from the fact that they are brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek seem to have little in common.
Peter is a Dublin lawyer in his thirties - successful, competent and apparently unassailable. But in the wake of their father's death, he's medicating himself to sleep and struggling to manage his relationships with two very different women - his enduring first love Sylvia, and Naomi, a college student for whom life is one long joke.
Ivan is a twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player. He has always seen himself as socially awkward, a loner, the antithesis of his glib elder brother. Now, in the early weeks of his bereavement, Ivan meets Margaret, an older woman emerging from her own turbulent past, and their lives become rapidly and intensely intertwined.

This is a beautifully written book with characters that capture the heart of the reader. 

It explores complex relationships between siblings parents, lovers and friends. It is Sally Rooney at her finest.

Redhead by the Side of the Road is a quiet and introspective novel that delves into the life of Micah Mortimer, a seemingly ordinary man with a penchant for routine and order.

Set against the backdrop of Baltimore, the story unfolds as Micah's carefully constructed world is disrupted by the arrival of unexpected visitors.

Tyler's masterful storytelling captures the nuances of human relationships, offering a poignant exploration of love, forgiveness, and the complexities of understanding oneself and others. With her characteristic wit and insight, Tyler crafts a compelling narrative that invites readers to reflect on the subtleties of everyday life and the potential for unexpected connections.

Redhead by the Side of the Road is a beautifully written novel that celebrates the ordinary moments that shape

our lives.