Secret Book Swap | No.2 - December 2024

Books We Swapped:

• After the Funeral and Other Stories – Tessa Hadley. A captivating collection of short stories exploring the complexities of family, loss, and unexpected revelations. Perfect for those who enjoy thought-provoking, character-driven narratives.

• The Diary of a Bookseller – Shaun Bythell. A witty and charming look behind the scenes of an independent bookstore, filled with hilarious anecdotes and a touch of literary insight. Perfect for book lovers who enjoy quirky, offbeat stories about life in the literary world.

• A Woman of No Importance - Sonia Purnell. The remarkable true story of Virginia Hall, an American spy during World War II whose courage and ingenuity helped change the course of history. Perfect for readers who love powerful, real-life tales of resilience and bravery.

• Dangerous Liaisons – Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. A scandalous and gripping tale of deceit, manipulation, and seduction set in the opulent world of 18th-century French aristocracy. Perfect for fans of dark romance and psychological intrigue.

• The Magic – Rhonda Byrne. A transformative journey into the power of gratitude, offering practical tools to unlock abundance and happiness in everyday life. Perfect for readers seeking positivity and a fresh perspective on the law of attraction.

• Tall Tales and Wee Stories – Billy Connolly. A hilarious and heartwarming collection of stories from the legendary Billy Connolly, filled with wit, humor, and unforgettable anecdotes. Perfect for those who love laugh-out-loud tales with a touch of Scottish charm.

Guest Author

Michelle Hogg

We were delighted to welcome Michelle along, not only did she join in with our secret swap but she shared her story of becoming a writer and even gave us a reading from her latest book, ‘Finding Life’s Meaning in Your Mum Pants’ which had us all in tears of laughter.

Michelle describes this book as ‘fiction mixed with reality, a humorous take on parenthood, following the main character as they go through life as a single parent whilst trying to find their own life purpose.” She has also written and published two humorous rhyming story books for children and has visited with local schools to do live reading sessions and creative worksheets. In lockdown, Michelle linked up virtually to a classroom to read with the children, they sent over their own versions of her story and what the characters had gone on to do next.

Michelle’s writing purpose relates to healing and starting again after trauma and through her work she aims to uplift others through the power of storytelling.

Book Themed Parlour Game

An Author by Any Other Name….

I printed out sets of names, one the author’s real name and the other their pseudonym.Sometimes it was the pseudonym we were most familiar with, other times it was their “real” name.

The group had to match the pairs together. Some were definitely easier that others but as always, it’s just a bit of fun and it was interesting learning the varied reasons why they had used these names.

Here are the two sets of names I used - - answers at the bottom of this post

Set 2

• A Lady

• Dr Seuss

• Ellis Bell

• George Elliot

• Lewis Carrol

• Mary Westmacott

• Richard Bachman

• Robert Galbraith

• Stan Lee

Set 1

• Agatha Christie

• Charles Lutwidge Dodgson

• Emily Bronte

• Jane Austen

• J K Rowling

• Mary Ann Evans

• Stanley Morton Liebel

• Stephen King

• Theodor Seuss Geisel

AI Poetry - What type of reader are you?

As an additional conversation starter I also shared a poem I had created with AI to take a fun look at the different reader archtypes recently talked about on TikTok. It was a fun interlude and it was amazing how quickly we each identified ourselves (I’m a Book Bear for sure!)

Banned Book Reading

Note: I had been following events around book “bans” in the US for some time, the week of our first book swap was also the time that the Taliban brought in a ban for women to meet and talk together. Whilst our Book Swap should not be a privilege it was clear that it really is and so we decided to acknowledge that by sharing an extract from a banned or somehow restricted book in our group.

Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale

PEN America tracks book bans and fights censorship in public schools and libraries across the US and report that in the 2023-2024 school year, they counted more than 10,000 book bans in public schools. They go on to share that “it is the books that have long fought for a place on the shelf that are being targeted. Books by authors of color, by LGBTQ+ authors, by women. Books about racism, sexuality, gender, history.”

One of the books currently removed from shelves is the Handmaid’s Tale, and If you’ve not read the book yourself you may still have seen the hugely successful TV series based on Margaret Atwood’s aclaimed novel.

I chose this book to read from following an excellent piece by Atwood in The Atlantic intitled ‘Go Ahead and Ban My Book - To those who seek to stop young people from reading The Handmaid’s Tale: Good luck with that. It’ll only make them want to read it more.’

I thoroughly recommend a read of this article as it gives great insight into the complex issues surrounding book bans and censorship. Atwood reflects on the banning of her own book in Virginia schools and the broader implications for freedom of expression. She explores the historical context of censorship and the irony that such attempts often only fuel curiosity, especially among younger readers. With references to media influence and modern platforms like BookTok, Read it here.

Book Game Answers:

• Stephen King / Richard Bachman

• Agatha Christie / Mary Westmacott

• J K Rowling / Robert Galbraith

• Emily Bronte / Ellis Bell

• Mary Ann Evans / George Elliot

• Charles Lutwidge Dodgson / Lewis Carrol

• Theodor Seuss Geisel / Dr Seuss

• Jane Austen / A Lady

• Stanley Morton Liebel / Stan Lee

Join us at future secret book swaps: