Welcome back to Book Break.
In this video, I'm going to try and help you find the book you read right now.
So I recently took requests on Instagram. You guys sent in your overly specific things
you're looking for in a book, and I have tried my hardest to match you up with the perfect
book. And we are planning to do this again, so do leave a comment below letting me know
exactly what you're looking for, what's the book you need right now, and I will try and
match you all up.
So booksinscotland asked for a book that would help her achieve her goals, and I think the
perfect book for this has to be The Kindness Method by Shahroo Izadi, which is such a lovely
book, because it's all about being kind to yourself, setting achievable goals, and working
there step by step. And I've actually used this method to take up different habits, I
think it's a really lovely approach.
Shahroo Izadi encourages you to make these mind maps, and she talks you through how to
make them, which are all about boosting your self esteem and realising the things that
you're already good at, and then also working out the things you want, and getting that
motivation to go for your goals.
I've found that once you've gone through this whole method, you feel so good about yourself
that the actual reaching your goals part comes easily.
Next, hereshereads requested a book by a Maori author, and I've actually got two answers
for this one because I just couldn't pick between them. So the first is a novel called
The Bone People by Keri Hulme, and she was inspired to write this because of her own
part-Maori ancestry, and the book then went on to win the Booker prize in 1984.
And The Bone People is about an artist living in New Zealand called Kerewin Holmes, who
is part European and part Maori. And one night she meets this strange, mercurial child called
Simon, who doesn't speak, and his Maori foster father Joe who rescued him from the water.
So this book is part mystery, part love story, and also in a big part, it's an exploration
of the different European and Maori New Zealand identities.
But then I've also got a nonfiction book I think you might be interested in, which is
Tikanga Maori by Hirini Moko Mead, and the subtitle of this one is Living by Maori Values.
So if you're interested in learning more about Maori people and culture, this book is essentially
a guide to the Maori way of doing things, that's essentially what Tikanga translates
as, is 'way of doing things', from the past all the way up to the present.
splatter.books asked for a sci-fi book with space and aliens, and if that's what you're
looking for, there is basically no better place to start than with Adrian Tchaikovsky.
So this is the book Children of Time, there is a sequel that came out last year, Children
of Ruin, and in this book, Earth is dying, and humans have to set out to find a terraformed
planet where they can live. But when they get there, they find it's already inhabited
by a strange new species. So it's basically a battle between these two rival species,
out in outer space. Is that what you were looking for?
booksfoodandadventure wanted an upcoming release set in Scotland by a Scottish author. So I
have got here The Young Team by Graeme Armstrong. This is the proof, I'll put the real cover
up on the screen now. And this is a novel based on the author's own experiences growing
up of youth culture and gang violence in Scotland.
So the book starts with a 14 year old called Azzy, getting involved with a gang, or young
team, and the book then charts the next few years of his rise and fall and redemption.
And Graeme Armstrong actually started writing this book about a week into going sober, so
going through drug withdrawal, and basically channeled all of that energy into this book.
kateblundel asked for a book like Little Women, a fun read with family at the heart of it.
And there are so many really good books about family, but what I've tried to capture here
is what I love about Little Women, which is that very real portrayal of a family. They
love each other so much, but they don't always like each other. And I thought the recent
film adaptation did a really good job of that, how the sisters are always talking over each
other, and through all of the arguments and disagreements, you can just feel the love
they have for each other radiating through the screen or off the page when you're reading
the book.
So, to capture all of that, I've gone for The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown.
So this book is about the Andreas family, which is made up of three sisters, each named
after Shakespearean women, because their father is a Shakespeare professor and the whole family
is obsessed with reading. Anyway, when their mother gets ill, the sisters return to their
childhood home, and are each horrified to discover that the others are there. But the
book is about the power of books, and of sisterhood, and of home, and the places we decide to call
home. So I think that ticks all the boxes!
ailin_g wanted to read about a character who has to travel to discover their family origins,
and she wanted it to span countries and continents. So again, I've got two options here, because
they were both just too good not to mention.
The first is the most literal interpretation of what you've asked for, and that is The
Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley, and this is a series, so if you like this one, you're
set for a while.
So in this book, a family of sisters return to their childhood home in Geneva, after the
death of their beloved adoptive father. And then each sister is handed a clue to their
true heritage. So in this first book we follow one of the sisters, Maia. Her clue leads her
to a crumbling mansion in Brazil.
But I also have a second recommendation based on this, which is a slightly different twist
on this format, and that is Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.
So this one starts with two half-sisters, living in 18th century Ghana, but living very
different lives. One of them is sold into slavery, and one of them becomes a slave trader's
wife.
And then each chapter we go down a generation, and see just quite how differently the two
strands of this same family turn out, all the way up until we meet their present-day
descendants, who are wondering where their family comes from.
So it's slightly different, it's not about following one person travelling, but it does
span countries and continents, and it's all about family origins, and it's absolutely
brilliant.
Now heatherju wanted to read a book like The Familiars. So The Familiars by Stacey Halls
is about a young woman in the 1600s, who recruits a midwife to help her get pregnant, but that
midwife is then arrested and accused of witchcraft. And so, with my recommendation, I have tried
to capture the historical element, the superstition, the theme of female persecution, and the plot
of women sticking up for each other and fighting to overturn an injustice.
And so, I think the perfect next book for you is The Sin Eater by Megan Campisi. So
this one is set in the 16th century, and is about a young girl called May, who is arrested
for stealing a loaf of bread, and sentenced to become a sin eater.
And this is a real historical thing, so a sin eater was somebody who, after someone
else had died, the way that they could get into heaven was having a sin eater ritually
eat different foods that represented different sins. And then the sin eater took on the burden
of those sins, and the original person was then free to get into heaven.
But then one day, a deer heart is placed on the coffin of a royal governess who had never
confessed to that particular and terrible sin that that food represents, and so the
sin eater refuses to eat it, and is tortured and killed. And so it falls to May to avenge
the death of the sin eater by working out who placed the deer heart on the coffin and
why.
And then heatherju and jaidepoppy both asked for a book like The Seven Husbands of Evelyn
Hugo. And again I've got two answers here.
So The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid is about a young journalist who
is recruited to write the autobiography of this very reclusive, very famous film star,
and she can't work out why she's been specifically chosen. And then we get to go back and learn
about this film star's life, the seven husbands that she's particularly famous for having,
but also the real love of her life who was a woman.
So, one of the next books that you should read after that is The Thirteenth Tale by
Diane Setterfield. This has a very similar set-up, in that it's about a young woman who
is recruited to write the biography of this reclusive author, whose books she's never
even read, so she can't work out why she's been chosen. And we then get to hear this
weird, and rather haunting story, of these wild twins, growing up in a manor, and there
are just so many twists and turns, as we work out how this story is connected to both of
the women in the present day.
And then my other recommendation for Evelyn Hugo fans is The Confession by Jessie Burton.
So in this one, we have two timelines. In the present day we have Rose, who is determined
to track down what happened to her mother, who disappeared when she was a baby. And all
she knows is that the last person to have seen her mother was the reclusive novelist
Connie Holden. And so Rose tricks her way into getting a job for Connie to try and find
out more.
And then our other timeline is in the 80s, we see a younger Connie and her lover Elise
move to LA to help work on the film adaptation of one of Connie's books. So if you loved
the Hollywood setting of Evelyn Hugo, as well as the love story between two women, this
is the perfect next read for you.
OK, then jodie_reads_books wanted to read a historical fiction with magical realism
set in the 1800s, but said she'd already read The Binding, Things in Jars, and The Essex
Serpent. So this one took quite a bit of research, but I think I've managed to track down your
perfect next read, and that is Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke.
So this book is set in an alternative 1800s, where England used to be filled with these
wonderful, powerful magicians, but have slowly lost their powers. Except for two. Jonathan
Strange and Mr Norrell, who have managed to regain the old magic, but have very different
ideas of how it should be used.
So it's quite an epic story, involving wars and kings and this just really wonderfully
thought out vision of a different historical England.
robertpisani wanted to read a book like Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran
Foer. I absolutely love that book, so good choice. And a book that I felt was quite reminiscent
of it was The History of Love by Nicole Krauss.
So this one's about a 14-year-old girl called Alma, who is worried about her mother being
lonely. Her mother is coping with the death of her husband, and has thrown herself into
her work as a translator, this time translating a manuscript that was mysteriously sent to
her. And so Alma sets out to try and track down this mysterious client, who she thinks
might help her mother through her loneliness.
And then across New York, we meet the main character in our parallel timeline, Leo Gursky,
who is an old man who spends his days dreaming about his long lost love back in Poland, who
inspired him to write a book, a book that he has no idea even survived.
So this is a really moving book, with so many puzzle pieces that come together in a really
lovely way. I think you'll find it's definitely got everything that was so great about Extremely
Loud and Incredibly Close.
And then finally, readingwithwine wanted to read a historical fiction with more truth
than fiction. So I had to consult Will from the digital team on that one, he's our history
expert, and he said that Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel is very historically accurate.
So this one is set in Tudor England, when Henry VIII is looking to divorce his wife
and marry Anne Boleyn. And into all of that drama steps Thomas Cromwell, the very ambitious
man who is ready to take the King's side to further his career, but at what cost.
And then I've also got a bonus answer for this one, because it definitely is a very
fictional story, but The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton, Will said is really fun if you're
into history, because at the end it's got all this real historical stuff, like conversions
of the salaries and household costs into modern money. So he said that that's really fun and
interesting to read about if you're looking for some true historical facts there.
So I would love to know, everyone who sent in their requests, how you get on with these
books, did I do a good job of finding your next perfect read. And anyone else, please
do leave a comment below letting us know what is the book you need right now, and we will
try our best to find it for you.
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See you next time.