A real privilege to work as librarian

For those of you who read my column or know me, it will come as no real surprise to you that I love my job. I tell anyone and everyone how privileged and blessed I feel to have my role at The Gonville Café Library.
Every day brings something new and interesting into my life as both a librarian and an actively participating member in our community of Wanganui.
Here are a few examples of events above a normal day at The Gonville Café Library we have had in the past two weeks:
¦ Hosted a "Pink Breakfast" as a fundraiser for the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation, raising close to $300.
¦ We held a Pot Luck Dinner for the three Book Clubs of The Wanganui District Library, with Birthright Wanganui coming along to talk about the wonderful work they do in our community and receiving a koha from our members to further support their work.
¦ Two of our Book Clubs have had their monthly get together.
¦ Our fabulous Gonville Knitting Group continues to meet every Wednesday and work on The Birthright Project.
No wonder I relish my role and seeing how we can further serve our community.
On a personal note, I am very humbled by my recent nomination for Pride of New Zealand - Community Spirit Award. The Gonville Knitting Group are the true champions in my eyes, I am one of many. Thank you to those who have taken the time to pass on your congratulations. There are some amazing nominees in our community doing some fantastic work. Congratulations to you all.
I decided to bring back a popular little double act I did last year... He said... She said... Book Review.
Enjoy!
Book Review
Disclaimer - Renee Knight
He said ...
This is a change of role for me. Being married to the Inked Librarian, who has a gift for matchmaking people with great books, usually means that she passes me a great read, and then becomes intolerable beside me in bed, asking, "which bit are you up to? ... are you enjoying it? ... oooh, it gets good soon! ..." But this time, I read the book first, recommended by another Gonville librarian who enjoys the same genres as me so needless to say, I'm really looking forward to reading bits over her shoulder, and reversing the roles ...
From page two I was hooked; I had to discover what terrible secret this book was trying to expose. I was kept guessing until at least half way through the book, and as a reader who likes to form early theories, then read on to prove myself right (or wrong in the case of a good twist in the plot), it was a new experience for me. Not a bad experience - quite the opposite. I couldn't put it down until I had some idea in which direction it was heading ... and that was very late in the book, but the gradual reveal was so expertly handled by this debut author that I was showing signs of stress as I zoomed through the chapters. Not a good book choice if you're looking to wind down before early lights out.
By the second half of the novel the pace had slowed, and was more conducive to "snacking" a chapter or two here and there. The plot was still by no means predictable though, and as the story moves on, the characters gain a lot more depth, as well as develop a lot more psychoses.
The author makes great use of two different narrators, alternating chapters yet jumping time zones effortlessly. She also makes the story quite believable by giving the characters such realistic flaws, making you ponder whether you too would be capable of such amoral behaviour if you were pushed far enough. I certainly felt some level of empathy for the psychopathic twists in personality of the characters. Maybe the Inked Librarian won't feel quite so comfortable lying beside me now ...
His rating: 4 ½ stars
She said ...
Note to self: I must remember to always read the book before my husband, he becomes intolerable and won't give anything away, which I find SO frustrating, which delights him even further!
Disclaimer introduces us to Catherine Ravenscroft, a successful documentary filmmaker, happily married, but who has a strained relationship with her 25 year-old son Nicholas. Her life is turned upside down when she finds a book in her new house - she does not remember buying it, or how it ended up in her possession but, on reading it, she realises that it is about her, taking her back to a time and a secret she has kept buried for years. Hauntingly the standard disclaimer "Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.." is crossed out in red - someone is sending her a message that they know her secret.... And so the story unfolds.
Masterfully and beautifully written and given the complexities within the plot, Knight manages to both keep the integrity of the characters in check and maintain a tight psychological thriller all in one.
Disclaimer quietly stole any of my spare time and attention. Throughout the pages I felt I was held hostage, desperate to know the dark secret and how it was possibly going to play out. I wasn't disappointed, the ending was so powerful it still resonates with me, long after that final page was read. A stunning literary debut and I, for one, can't wait for her next piece of work.
Her rating: 4 ½ stars
A copy of this book is available at the Wanganui District Library for loan.
Carpe Librum and keep warm!