Good Read
Lauren Molyneux curls up with a good book to review the latest best sellers
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse
Charlie Mackesy
TOP TIP: You need to read this book, and the world needs more writers like Charlie Mackesy.
“What’s your best discovery?” asked the mole.
“That I’m enough as I am,” said the boy.
In a time when newspapers are reporting more frequently on depression and suicide, and with the recent resurgence of the #BeKind movement on social media, this book is invaluable and should be forced into the hands of everyone between the ages of six and 106.
A shy boy encounters a cake-loving mole and together they set off on an adventure. Along the way, they meet an intimidating fox and a wise old horse and the group decide that, despite their differences, instead of experiencing life alone, it’s easier to face it as a team.
This simple yet effective tale of unlikely friends facing adversary and tackling life head-on, together, introduces larger concepts of self-worth, self-doubt, depression, strength, bravery, love, and friendship as a whole. Coupling beautiful illustrations with a unique presentation of script, this short book shares its story and wisdom in the plainest language. Breaking down big ideas and big emotions into simple, quotable snippets, Charlie Mackesy delivers some very important messages in the most approachable way.
The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse takes readers on a wonderfully enlightening journey, telling its story with a sense of optimism and sharing insights and ways of thinking that should be common sense to us all but are still somehow incredibly reflective and thought-provoking. Messages like ‘Nothing beats kindness’, ‘Asking for help isn’t giving up’, and ‘I’m enough as I am’ are at the heart of this tale, which, upon completion, left me emotional but with a more positive outlook on life and a more positive view of myself.
The War of the Worlds
H G Wells
TOP TIP: H G Wells’ classic is a classic for a reason.
It was October 1938 when the people listening to the US radio drama series The Mercury Theatre on the Air were sent into panic at the announcement of an alien invasion, not knowing at the time that what they were listening to was not a radio news broadcast but was in fact Howard Koch’s adaptation of H G Wells’ The War of the Worlds.
Since then, the novel has been brought to life across many forms of media, one of the most well-known being Jeff Wayne’s musical version, which was released as an LP in 1978. For many, this particular classic will have been encountered and experienced in one of its non-literary forms. The title has a reputation which precedes it, so how does the original text, written in 1898, stand up against the rest?
H G Wells is regarded as one of the best science fiction writers of all time, and when reading The War of the Worlds, it’s clear to see why. Wells shares this terrifying tale in exquisite prose, bringing his vision to life with remarkable description and an impeccable attention to detail. As a staple piece of science fiction, the novel interprets anxieties surrounding the overthrow of mankind which were permeating society at the time and transforms them into indestructible machines from Mars, triggering themes of survival, a return to man’s origins and the redemption of humanity.
With talk of climate damage regularly in the news, this classic makes for an interesting read, bringing with it themes which are still relevant in the 21st century.
