Patsy yearns to escape the beautiful but impoverished Jamaican town where she was raised for a new life in New York and the chance to start afresh. Above all, she hopes to be reunited with her oldest friend, Cicely, and to rekindle their young love.
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child -- not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power -- the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
After Betty Ramdin's abusive husband dies, she invites a colleague, Mr. Chetan, to move in with her and her son, Solo, as their lodger. Over time, these three form an unconventional family, loving each other deeply and depending upon one another. Then, one a fateful night, Solo overhears Betty confiding in Mr. Chetan and learns a secret that plunges him into torment. Ultimately sends him running to live a lonely life in New York City, devastating Betty in the process. Yet, both Solo and Betty are buoyed by the continuing love and friendship of Mr. Chetan, until his own burdensome secret is uncovered with heart breaking consequences. In vibrant, addictive Trinidadian prose, Love After Love questions who and how we love, the obligations of family, and the consequences of choices made in desperation.
Charlie Mackesy offers inspiration and hope in uncertain times in this beautiful book, following the tale of a curious boy, a greedy mole, a wary fox and a wise horse who find themselves together in sometimes difficult terrain, sharing their greatest fears and biggest discoveries about vulnerability, kindness, hope, friendship and love.
Mark Renton is an unrepentant drug abuser, doing his level best to elude the claims and responsibilities Life throws up to him. His pals - Spud, Sick Boy, Tommy and Begbie - are devoted to much the same heroically seedy existence. Both harrowing and hilarious, Trainspotting charts the disintegration of this unlikely gang, as their appetites for intoxication and mayhem lead them unerringly into the worst kinds of trouble.
“Without this child, we shall all die.”
Lyra Belacqua and her animal daemon live half-wild and carefree among scholars of Jordan College, Oxford.
The destiny that awaits her will take her to the frozen lands of the Arctic, where witch-clans reign and ice-bears fight.
Her extraordinary journey will have immeasurable consequences far beyond her own world…
After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi, a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan - and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger.
Library Services continues to develop its collection of general interest (fiction and non-fiction) books called Reading for Pleasure and Wellbeing. The collections can be found in both the Aldgate and Holloway Road libraries and can be borrowed for three weeks.
The purpose of the Reading for Pleasure and Wellbeing collection is to encourage you to pick up a book and read simply for enjoyment and inspiration.
Most books in this collection have been donated by staff and we have supplemented these additions by using Library Services funds in some instances.
We have created some themed lists based on the Reading for Pleasure collection and our main library holdings (be aware that the latter may have different loan periods).
Reading in your own time can help to enhance your vocabulary and writing style, and studies have shown a relationship between reading and improved academic performance.
There is a growing body of evidence which illustrates the importance of reading for pleasure for both educational purposes as well as personal development including mental wellbeing.
Reading is pleasurable, can be good for mental wellbeing and reduces stress. Liverpool Health Inequalities Research Institute research has proven that reading helps to treat mental health issues.
A 2016 report conducted by the University of Liverpool has shown that as a result of reading:
Patsy by 
The Song of Achilles by 
Black Artists in British Art by 
Back to Black by 
Women's Legal Landmarks by 
Rescue the Perishing by 
This Monk Wears Heels by 
Girl, Woman, Other by 
Monica by 
The Tempest by April 2024
William Shakespeare wrote 39 plays throughout the course of his life. Many works of Shakespeare continue to be performed in theatres and studied in classrooms to this day. They are regarded by audiences and academics to be some of the greatest plays ever written in the English language.
Romeo and Juliet by 
Twelfth Night by 
Lift Your Vibe by 
Storyland: a New Mythology of Britain by 
This Book Kills by 
Dava Shastri's last day: a novel by 
The girl on the train by 
The complete robot by 
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Love after love by 
Wild Light by 
Different, Not Less by 