【推荐1】Four books about kings and queens

From Queen Cleopatra to King Charles Ⅲ, read up on these famous rulers.

King Charles Ⅲ by Andrea Mills

Illustrated by Jennie Poh (DK)

Celebrate the coronation (加冕) of King Charles I with this illustrated book, which tells the story of the King’s life. Beginning with his childhood, it includes lots of fascinating facts and will get you to know about what being King might really be like.

Queens: 3,000 Years of the Most Powerful Women in History by Victoria Crossman (Scholastic)

Be inspired by stories of women rulers from across the centuries. Full of brilliant illustrations, this book features lots of queens, including Cleopatra, Queen Nanny of Jamaica and Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ. It gives lots of rich details of their lives — pets, homes, clothes and much more.

Arthur: The Always King by Kevin Crossley-Holland

Illustrated by Chris Riddell (Walker Books)

Discover the stories of one of the most famous rulers, in the collected legends (传说) of King Arthur. These old tales of kings, queens, warriors, wizards, monsters and magic have been retold, with lots of beautiful artwork from brilliant illustrator Chris Riddell.

The Queen’s Wardrobe by Julia Golding

Illustrated by Kate Hindley (Macmillan Children’s)

This lovely book tells the story of Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ by exploring her clothes and jewellery. It introduces us to splendid gowns (长袍), her wedding dress, the Crown Jewels and her trusty shoes. It’s an unusual and fun way to learn about our former queen’s life.

【推荐2】The Free Books Campaign was set up in July 2020 by Sofia Akel, a race equality researcher, when she decided to launch a fundraiser to get as many books as possible by authors of color to people that can’t afford them across the UK and Ireland. So far over 1, 700 books have been sent by the Campaign to people who can’t afford them, and it has even caught the attention of the footballer Marcus Rashford who donated 400 copies of his children’s book You Are a Champion.

Some of the beneficiaries of the campaign include children from working class backgrounds who have not been exposed to literature from Black or Brown authors at school or at home. “I’ve had emails from parents who weren’t aware of just how many amazing authors of color there are, and who have said how much their child lit up seeing a book that reflected them,” Sofia says.

Explaining the need for the campaign, Sofia says: “Sadly, reading has become a luxury in today’s world. If you’re working two jobs just to put food on the table, having that time to sit down and read can be difficult. So, there is an element of celebration when it comes to even just finding the time to read. On top of that, the typical adult hardback book might cost you upwards of £ 15, which could put food on the table for a week if you were counting every penny.”

This is where the campaign hopes to step in. It operates on a trust basis, whereby the campaign doesn’t exist to police people’s financial circumstances. “No one has to prove that they’ve not got money — even if some people volunteer personal information, we never ask for it. Everyone deserves to read books that they love,” Sofia adds.

【推荐3】Settling down with a great novel enables you to consider ideas that might have never crossed your mind had you not chosen it in the first place.    1    If you have the urge and are curious about how to start a book club, it’s easier than you might think.

First, find members. Reach out to your existing reading-loving friends and post a notice in your local library or bookstore. If you’re open to a more digital-friendly approach, put the word out about your new club via Twitter or Facebook.    2    

Then set group guidelines. To guarantee your new group is all on the same page, take time to discuss what you want to get out of regular club gatherings before your first official meeting. Will your time together be spent largely focusing on the novel at hand?    3     While enjoying stimulating non-book conversation over coffee and snacks is in no way ill-advised, not everyone who signs up for a book club is willing to reject their novel for a cup.

    4    Books that work really well are the ones that help you reflect on self. They have lots of entry points for people so they probably have a good setting. Also, there’s great character development. Select something with the criteria, and you can please all kinds of readers.

As far as how often you meet, that schedule is up to your members to determine what’s realistic-plus how long it will take to complete the book. As for location, meeting up at your home is always an option.    5    Meeting at a public space like a bar can ease the pressure of entertaining.