Each week we bring you a sample of the books we’re reading, the films we’re watching, the television shows we’re hooked on, or the music we’re loving.

Tye Cattanach is reading The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas

Lockdowns always seem to result in me struggling to stay engaged with any book and this past one was no different. I picked up and put down no less than 12 titles (one I even got halfway through before abandoning all hope) before finally finding just the right book to break the spell. In this case it was The Mad Women’s Ball by Victoria Mas.

I was utterly spellbound from the very first page right to the last. This slim little book feels so much larger than its 224 pages. I was transported to Paris 1885, to the Salpêtrière asylum, essentially a dumping ground for women who are considered mad, hysterical, difficult or merely inconvenient. Very little reason needs to be given by the fathers, husbands, brothers or uncles who wish to rid themselves of a challenging woman by signing her up for a life at Salpêtrière. What enthralled me, as much as the women’s stories themselves, was the fascinating premise that once a year a grand ball is held at the hospital. For the Parisian elite, the Mad Women’s Ball is the highlight of the social season and for the women themselves, it is a rare moment of hope. I dare not say much more lest I risk sharing a spoiler but I have to say this book had me utterly transfixed and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

I must also make special mention of a stunning new picture book that arrived this week - Kafka and the Doll by Larissa Theule and illustrated by Rebecca Green. Based on a purported to be true story about Kafka consoling a small girl in a park who had lost her doll, this beautiful picture book made me teary. By the authors admission, the story has been embellished and changed for the purpose of the narrative, but I found myself desperately wanting it to be true. Absolutely gorgeous and a must for Kafka fans young and old.

Mike Shuttleworth is reading Letters to Comondo by Edmund de Waal

Although we can’t go to Paris right now, in Letters to Camondo by Edmund De Waal (author of The Hare With Amber Eyes) brings the great city and the past unforgettably near.

Moïse Camondo recreated the world of Louis XV with an unparalleled collection of eighteenth-century French art, furniture and fine crafts. These treasures and the mansion built to house them were to pass to his son Nissim – but the son died in World War I. Nissim gave his life for France; Moïse, who died in 1935, gave to France his house and all its finest things. That collection remains unchanged since 1936, and is open to the public today. As he explores all this author Edmund De Waal’s voice is intimate and personal, searching and deeply sympathetic.

As the 1930s wound down, life for Jewish people in Paris became a nightmare: first Nazi Occupation, then arrests – and then deportation aided by the French. De Waal documents the betrayal of the Camondo family members with an almost cold fury. As a reader it is impossible to not be deeply moved and angry. People in the highest levels of society knew the Camondo family – and they looked away. De Waal’s book is a loving and creative act of memory. I have to thank the customer who urged me to read this brief, brilliant and humane book and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Lucie Dess is reading One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

This week I finally read my most anticipated release for 2021, One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, author of THE cutest book ever - Red, White and Royal Blue.

August has just arrived in New York and is on the subway – covered in her spilled coffee – when she meets gorgeous, sexy, mysterious Jane. She assumes she’ll never see her again. After all, New York is a huge city. But then Jane is on the Subway the next day, and the next, and soon she’s the best part of August’s day. There’s just one small problem, Jane is displaced from the 1970s and stuck on the Q line.

This was such a beautiful read about first love and found family. Not only is it fluffy and lovely, but it also explores the history of LGBTQIA+ rights and touches on some other serious issues. This is the perfect read for Pride Month! But have your tissues ready.