The Jenny McCann Bear Bookshop Column in OUTSIDELEFT

I can see through the bookshop window that summer is really here. This month for my Outsideleft column I've added some highly recommended and much talked about summer reads and also a few of the many events we are hosting throughout the month.

New events are added the whole time so please drop into the shop to keep up with what is happening.

FERRAN BURKE
Stand Up
Written by local poet Steven Camden, this is a great read for anyone who went to secondary school in the 90s (or anyone who is at secondary school now!) Written in verse form, this is a book that requires no effort at all to read, but has plenty of emotional impact. A truly relatable and unique novel that you can sit and consume in a single sitting.

Order from the Bear Bookshop at Bookshop here⇒

ABI DARE
The Girl with the Louding Voice
(Vintage Press)
This was our book group choice for May and was a unanimous success. Adunni. The book’s heroine experiences some truly harrowing life experiences, and if described to you the circumstances of the book it would all sound terribly depressing-but her resilience, hope and optimism turned some very serious subject matter into a truly uplifting read.
Order from the Bear Bookshop at Bookshop here⇒

Stand Up BENJAMIN MYERS
Cuddy
(Vintage Press)
Dream-like, poetic and spiritual this is a book our customers have been raving about this month. A re-telling of the story of St Cuthbert, unofficial patron saint of the North of England. This is a book that will make you want to reflect, think deeply and submerge yourself deeply into its pages. Experimental in structure and style it’s unique and atmospheric. One to read if you want to forget the world around you for an afternoon.
Order from the Bear Bookshop online here⇒

KERRY HADLEY-PRYCE
God’s Country
(Salt)
Another Black Country based author, Kerry Hadley-Price was one of the authors at the Quiet Night Out event and her book God’s Country sold out almost immediately! The central character, Guy, returns to the Black Country for the funeral of his identical twin brother and as he does so, the reasons behind his departure are revealed. A chilling and compelling read that will remain with you long after you have closed the final page.

Order from Bear Books at Bookshop online here⇒

BARBARA KINGSOLVER
Demon Copperhead
(Bloomsbury)

This re-telling of David Copperfield by Barbara Kingsolver has been getting rave reviews. The plot is fast-paced and drags you into the book like a current into a stream. Through a series of adverse life experiences, this is a strong narrative of social injustice and the cruelties of life. If you are looking for something to read that is absorbing and dramatic, this would be a perfect choice.

Order from Bear Books at Bookshop online here⇒