Reading group blog

Rochdale Readers, the children's reading group that meets at the Wheatsheaf Library, have created their own blog. The blog's an opportunity for the group to let people know what they're doing; share reading ideas; and post small pieces of creative writing.

Rochdale Readers meets at the Wheatsheaf Library about once a month on a Saturday. The group's open to children over the age of six.

Readers Recommend

I've just updated the "Readers Recommend" page of our Web Catalogue to include a few titles that were nominated in some informal feedback sessions a couple of months ago, plus a couple of recent entries in this blog.

There are a few lists on this page:

• The "Readers Recommend" list is pretty much what it says on the tin.
• "Readers' Group Choice" are titles nominated by reading groups in our libraries. We're about due another canvass to update these. The Home Library Readers' Circle is a group of customers of our Doorstep Library Service which delivers books to housebound people; Sharon encourages them to share opinions and suggestions (you'll see a few of them in this blog).
• "A change of format" is just a selection of alternative format versions of "Readers Recommend" titles. Some are in large print, some are in audio versions of one sort or another. the original aim of this was to make sure that we had something listed for people who can't use — or don't want — the "normal book" version of a title. I'm havering a bit on this and wonder if it might not be better to just incorporate them in the main list, same as I have with the Richard & Judy Summer Reads. I'm open to feedback on this.
• "Readers' Polls" is made up of the results of various national polls I've bumped into at one time or another. I thought it might be interesting to see how similar or different these may be to local results.

I hope this is useful. If you have any ideas/comments I'd be pleased to hear them!

— Steven

The House on Lonely Street by Lyn Andrews

More reviews from the Home Library Reading Circle.

"This book is worth reading. Very sad but with a happy ending."
M.P.

"Very good insight into life before the First World War. Such poverty is unthinkable, but a good story. Well worth reading."
V.T.

"Enjoyed the story. A good tale."
D.H.

"A very good read. I enjoyed it immensely. So different to modern tales. The poverty made it seem more interesting, and the determination to get away from it played a part. I loved it."
I.J.

The Prayer of the Night Shepherd by Phil Rickman

More reviews from the Home Library Reading Circle.

"A mystery with intermingling stories and complex characters. Once you sort the characters out you really want to know what happens to them."
Mrs. T.

"After working through the religion and one country to another, I did stop to wonder how the author got away with so much coincidental claptrap. Merrily Watkins seems to have a smoking problem and has lost her sense of humour."
Mrs. J.

"Didn't hold my interest as there were too many complicated characters. Wasn't what I call a 'good read.'"
Mrs. F.

"Good yarn but long drawn out. Far too many characters so it was difficult to really make anyone the main one. You need half a page of new chapter before discovering whose mind you were supposed to understand."
Eileen

Views from the Home Library Reading Circle

Sharon, who runs the Doorstep Library Service (formerly the Housebound Library Service) has set up the Home Library Reading Circle as a way for her customers to give her feedback on the books, tapes and CDs they've been borrowing. It's also an opportunity for them to share opinions with each other. We'll be including some of their reviews every so often in this blog.

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The Road to Nab End by William Woodruff

"The story starts when the author was born in 1916 in Blackburn. It is about the cotton mills and is a very good read. As a local, you can relate to lots of the happenings. Very good."
Vera

"It was good to read a book about the North of England. It brought back a lot of happy memories. A good read."
Alan

"I agree with the other readers. 'Happy Memories' Easy to pick up and read."
B.

"A very interesting read. Difficult to put down. Full of memories, facts and family history. Well written, absorbing, easy to follow. A credit to the writer, truly gifted, who kept his eyes and ears open."
Sylvia

"Very realistic story of how things were. Reminded me of things my mother used to tell me when she was young."
Mrs. T.