Hey friends! We're all feeling apprehensive about the weeks and months ahead. I'm hoping to escape into books, and will be tweeting about one of my favourites every day. Please share your own recommendations!
#lockdownlibrary
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 1: "My Family and Other Animals", by Gerald Durrell.
My favourite book of all time. The book that inspired me to study environmental science. That captures the magic and richness of the natural world like no other. That still makes me cry with laughter.
#lockdownlibrary
My favourite book of all time. The book that inspired me to study environmental science. That captures the magic and richness of the natural world like no other. That still makes me cry with laughter.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 2: "The Garden of Evening Mists" by Tan Twan Eng.
No-one could possibly resist a novel that begins, "On a mountain above the clouds once lived a man who had been the gardener of the Emperor of Japan."
#lockdownlibrary
No-one could possibly resist a novel that begins, "On a mountain above the clouds once lived a man who had been the gardener of the Emperor of Japan."
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 3: "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
The book that checked my privilege. I cringed even as I laughed. An "old-fashioned love story" (says the author) that explores how identity, inequality & immigration play out in the salon & over the dinner table.
#lockdownlibrary
The book that checked my privilege. I cringed even as I laughed. An "old-fashioned love story" (says the author) that explores how identity, inequality & immigration play out in the salon & over the dinner table.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 4: "The Luminaries" by Eleanor Catton.
If you're feeling trapped inside right now, this is the book for you. An exquisitely written mystery set in New Zealand during the gold rush, it's rich in intriguing characters, rugged landscapes & historical detail.
#lockdownlibrary
If you're feeling trapped inside right now, this is the book for you. An exquisitely written mystery set in New Zealand during the gold rush, it's rich in intriguing characters, rugged landscapes & historical detail.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 5: "This Is Going To Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor" by Adam Kay.
An honest, hilarious, heartbreaking account of the UK health system before Covid-19 struck.
While you're here, sign up for #NHSVolunteerResponder: goodsamapp.org/NHS
#lockdownlibrary
An honest, hilarious, heartbreaking account of the UK health system before Covid-19 struck.
While you're here, sign up for #NHSVolunteerResponder: goodsamapp.org/NHS
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 6: The "His Dark Materials" trilogy, by Philipp Pullman.
My daemon is definitely a monkey. What's yours?
#lockdownlibrary
My daemon is definitely a monkey. What's yours?
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 7: "Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World" by Mark Kurlansky.
Economies have depended on it. Wars have been fought over it. Identities have been shaped by it. This captivating requiem underscores the irreversibility of ecological collapse.
#lockdownlibrary
Economies have depended on it. Wars have been fought over it. Identities have been shaped by it. This captivating requiem underscores the irreversibility of ecological collapse.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 8: "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng.
I adored this book about suburban intrigue and motherly love. Ng's exploration of individualism, family and community resonate even more in this new age of socially distancing.
#lockdownlibrary
I adored this book about suburban intrigue and motherly love. Ng's exploration of individualism, family and community resonate even more in this new age of socially distancing.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 9: "The History of Bees" by Maja Lunde.
Yep, another story about the relationships between nature and humanity, and between children and parents.
I think this list reveals too much about me. 😬
#lockdownlibrary
Yep, another story about the relationships between nature and humanity, and between children and parents.
I think this list reveals too much about me. 😬
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 11: "Citizen Clem" by John Bew.
From pandemics to climate change, successfully addressing systemic crises will demand a new social contract. Attlee offers inspiration, delivering a better life for millions while decrying hatred and violence.
#lockdownlibrary
From pandemics to climate change, successfully addressing systemic crises will demand a new social contract. Attlee offers inspiration, delivering a better life for millions while decrying hatred and violence.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 12: "The Ibis Trilogy" by Amitav Ghosh.
In this extraordinary journey through India, China, Mauritius and Singapore, Ghosh shows how the opium wars shaped the modern world. I love the way he plays with language to create a sense of place and personality.
#lockdownlibrary
In this extraordinary journey through India, China, Mauritius and Singapore, Ghosh shows how the opium wars shaped the modern world. I love the way he plays with language to create a sense of place and personality.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 13: "Anne of Green Gables" by L. M. Montgomery.
I ❤️ Anne Shirley. And I still use the term "kindred spirit" far too frequently (but there are so many of them in the world!).
#lockdownlibrary
I ❤️ Anne Shirley. And I still use the term "kindred spirit" far too frequently (but there are so many of them in the world!).
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 14: "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
Cook. Dancer. Singer. Sex worker. Journalist. Activist. Actress. Film director. Professor. Poet.
What a life. What an autobiography.
#lockdownlibrary
Cook. Dancer. Singer. Sex worker. Journalist. Activist. Actress. Film director. Professor. Poet.
What a life. What an autobiography.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 15: "Bridget Jones Diary: The Edge of Reason" by Helen Fielding.
I read this on a plane, and laughed so hard that the kid sitting across the aisle watched me instead of a movie.
(ALSO -- nuts that Bridget worked in PR and owned a flat in London Bridge 🤷♀️)
#lockdownlibrary
I read this on a plane, and laughed so hard that the kid sitting across the aisle watched me instead of a movie.
(ALSO -- nuts that Bridget worked in PR and owned a flat in London Bridge 🤷♀️)
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 16: "The Gene: An Intimate History" by Siddhartha Mukherjee.
Which two groups of people are the most genetically distinct? Is your sexuality encoded in your genes? What is the genetic link between genius and illness? A vivid scientific and personal history.
#lockdownlibrary
Which two groups of people are the most genetically distinct? Is your sexuality encoded in your genes? What is the genetic link between genius and illness? A vivid scientific and personal history.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 17: "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley.
I've seen infinite variations of the "During self-isolation, Newton invented calculus" tweet. 🙄
If you're looking for a healthier role model, Shelley used her (rain-induced) lockdown to invent sci-fi. She was 19.
#lockdownlibrary
I've seen infinite variations of the "During self-isolation, Newton invented calculus" tweet. 🙄
If you're looking for a healthier role model, Shelley used her (rain-induced) lockdown to invent sci-fi. She was 19.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 18: "Down Under" by Bill Bryson.
Our boring prime ministers. Our irksome flies. Our ancient landscapes. Our toxic wildlife. Our coffee snobbery. Our safe and sun-drenched cities.
My go-to whenever I'm homesick. 🇦🇺
#lockdownlibrary
Our boring prime ministers. Our irksome flies. Our ancient landscapes. Our toxic wildlife. Our coffee snobbery. Our safe and sun-drenched cities.
My go-to whenever I'm homesick. 🇦🇺
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 19: "Realm of the Elderlings" by Robin Hobb.
Is it cheating to include five trilogies?! No-one cares. The world has gone crazy anyway. Might as well escape your living room into this beautifully crafted fantasy world. Just take it one trilogy at a time!
#lockdownlibrary
Is it cheating to include five trilogies?! No-one cares. The world has gone crazy anyway. Might as well escape your living room into this beautifully crafted fantasy world. Just take it one trilogy at a time!
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 20: "The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead.
If you're dubious about my recommendations so far, let me note quietly that this was Obama's top pick in 2016.
Gosh, I miss 2016.
#lockdownlibrary
If you're dubious about my recommendations so far, let me note quietly that this was Obama's top pick in 2016.
Gosh, I miss 2016.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 21: "The Invention of Nature" by Andrea Wulf.
Alexander von Humboldt inspired Bolívar, Darwin, Goethe, Jefferson & Thoreau. His views now seem so self-evident we've largely forgotten the man behind them.
A joyous biography of an extraordinary scientist.
#lockdownlibrary
Alexander von Humboldt inspired Bolívar, Darwin, Goethe, Jefferson & Thoreau. His views now seem so self-evident we've largely forgotten the man behind them.
A joyous biography of an extraordinary scientist.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 22: "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot.
Covid-19 has cast the awful nexus of medicine, class and race into stark relief. This biography illuminates these ancient inequalities, contrasting scientific progress with moral stagnation.
#lockdownlibrary
Covid-19 has cast the awful nexus of medicine, class and race into stark relief. This biography illuminates these ancient inequalities, contrasting scientific progress with moral stagnation.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 23: "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen.
I have new sympathy for Kitty and Lydia, and their wild excitement about officers, sea-bathing and balls. New people! New places! Socially sanctioned collective exercise!
#lockdownlibrary
I have new sympathy for Kitty and Lydia, and their wild excitement about officers, sea-bathing and balls. New people! New places! Socially sanctioned collective exercise!
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 24: "Rule Britannia" by Daphne du Maurier.
I stumbled across this gem in Cornwall in 2017. A break with Europe? Check. Resentment against London elites? Check. Economic crisis? Check. Du Maurier's last novel now feels mockingly prescient.
#lockdownlibrary
I stumbled across this gem in Cornwall in 2017. A break with Europe? Check. Resentment against London elites? Check. Economic crisis? Check. Du Maurier's last novel now feels mockingly prescient.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 25: "The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August" by Claire North.
Tangled threads of friendship and rivalry, character and circumstance, science and destiny wind through this gripping novel about a man who is reborn again and again.
#lockdownlibrary
Tangled threads of friendship and rivalry, character and circumstance, science and destiny wind through this gripping novel about a man who is reborn again and again.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 26: "Flight Behavior" by Barbara Kingsolver.
I think this is the best example of cli-fi going, but I suspect @leobarasi will disagree.
#lockdownlibrary
I think this is the best example of cli-fi going, but I suspect @leobarasi will disagree.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 27: "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro.
When I first read this, I thought the premise implausible. No-one could accept such a fate so passively. No society could tolerate such inequality so thoughtlessly.
Now I know better, the book is even more chilling.
#lockdownlibrary
When I first read this, I thought the premise implausible. No-one could accept such a fate so passively. No society could tolerate such inequality so thoughtlessly.
Now I know better, the book is even more chilling.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 28: "Indonesia Etc" by Elizabeth Pisani.
I've spent a lot of time waiting for ferries, inventing distant husbands and inspecting mysterious stews in Indonesia, but Pisani's anecdotes are funnier, bolder and more informative than any of my own.
#lockdownlibrary
I've spent a lot of time waiting for ferries, inventing distant husbands and inspecting mysterious stews in Indonesia, but Pisani's anecdotes are funnier, bolder and more informative than any of my own.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 29: "Called To Account" by Margaret Hodge.
How can public finances handle the huge costs of Covid-19? This outstanding book focuses on tax and spending over the last decade, but will resonate now as we collectively reconsider what is fair and what we value.
#lockdownlibrary
How can public finances handle the huge costs of Covid-19? This outstanding book focuses on tax and spending over the last decade, but will resonate now as we collectively reconsider what is fair and what we value.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 30: "The Giver" by Lois Lowry.
I loved my dystopian novels from an early age, which was fortunate since *gestures at the entire world*.
#lockdownlibrary
I loved my dystopian novels from an early age, which was fortunate since *gestures at the entire world*.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 31: "The Constant Gardener" by John le Carré.
As governments around the world weigh public health and economic growth, le Carré captures the parasitic relationships and profound inequalities that inform their decisions.
𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗵 a thrilling read.
#lockdownlibrary
As governments around the world weigh public health and economic growth, le Carré captures the parasitic relationships and profound inequalities that inform their decisions.
𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗵 a thrilling read.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 32: "Cooked" by Michael Pollan.
As a lifelong vegetarian, I know that my favourite Pollan should be "An Omnivore's Dilemma". But in an unexpected twist, it turns out that I enjoy cooking even more than I enjoy the moral high ground.
#lockdownlibrary
As a lifelong vegetarian, I know that my favourite Pollan should be "An Omnivore's Dilemma". But in an unexpected twist, it turns out that I enjoy cooking even more than I enjoy the moral high ground.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 33: "Playing the Enemy" by John Carlin.
One of my favourite memories is my family celebrating - emotional, exhilirated - the final of the 1995 World Cup. Only when I read this book (over a decade later) did I grasp the significance of that last drop goal.
#lockdownlibrary
One of my favourite memories is my family celebrating - emotional, exhilirated - the final of the 1995 World Cup. Only when I read this book (over a decade later) did I grasp the significance of that last drop goal.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 34: "Life After Life" by Kate Atkinson.
A novel of great scope and sensitivity. Re-reading it now, I finally appreciate that the most consistent and significant event in Ursula's many lives is the Spanish flu.
#lockdownlibrary
A novel of great scope and sensitivity. Re-reading it now, I finally appreciate that the most consistent and significant event in Ursula's many lives is the Spanish flu.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 35: "The Overstory" by Richard Powers.
Love for trees pours through this book—the grace of them, their supple experimentation, the constant variety and surprise of these slow, deliberate creatures with their elaborate vocabularies and shared intentions.
#lockdownlibrary
Love for trees pours through this book—the grace of them, their supple experimentation, the constant variety and surprise of these slow, deliberate creatures with their elaborate vocabularies and shared intentions.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 36: "The Price of Salt" by Patricia Highsmith.
I already thought this book was perfect and then - Cate Blanchett.
#lockdownlibrary
I already thought this book was perfect and then - Cate Blanchett.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 37: "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" by JK Rowling.
The fifth book is the best book. This is the hill I'm willing to die on.
#lockdownlibrary
The fifth book is the best book. This is the hill I'm willing to die on.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 38: "Almost French" by Sarah Turnbull.
I laughed out loud at Turnbull's tales of stumbling through dinner parties, fashion shows and French bureacracy - but I love this book mostly for its bittersweet account of no longer wholly belonging to any one place.
#lockdownlibrary
I laughed out loud at Turnbull's tales of stumbling through dinner parties, fashion shows and French bureacracy - but I love this book mostly for its bittersweet account of no longer wholly belonging to any one place.
#lockdownlibrary
DAY 39: "With The End In Mind" by Kathryn Mannix.
This book helped me to support someone I loved very much in her final days. I will always be grateful for the generosity, compassion and wisdom in these pages.
#lockdownlibrary
This book helped me to support someone I loved very much in her final days. I will always be grateful for the generosity, compassion and wisdom in these pages.
#lockdownlibrary
