One of The Directory readers suggested we create a Book Club which we agree is a brilliant idea. Below is a list of books Directory readers have read recently and recommend. Please do send us your recommendations and we will add them. 

To find more recommendations visit Part 1 of The Directory Book Club HERE.

The Get-ahead Christmas Cook by Jane Lovett

Jane Lovett brings us the ultimate stress-busting guide for the Christmas period with failsafe recipes that can be prepared and often made ahead, alongside hints, tips and menus for the big day and beyond.

Sally from White Coco says... "Jane’s cookery books are simply the best, and her recipes will undoubtedly become the most used in your kitchen. Fresh off the press, she’ll be here to chat and sign copies."

"There is no-one whose recipies I trust more" says India Knight.

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Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin

This best selling novel is full of French charm and memorable characters and is difficult to put down. It is the story of a cemetery caretaker, who is coming to terms with the loss of her daughter, which combines gentle humour with her search for happiness.  

Jane Garvey and Fi Glover's book club pick.

“An appealing indulgence in nature, food and drink, and, above all, friendships.” The Guardian

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Mama Still Got It by Louise Boyce

As one of the biggest parenting stars on social media, mother-of-three Louise Boyce knows a thing or two about navigating the craziness of family life.

Louise Boyce shares her expertise in Mama Still Got It, a hurtling gallop through the ‘real’ parenting calendar. From drop-kicking the kids through the school gates in September, to the perils of using a public loo with your toddler, this book covers all the highs and lows of modern motherhood.

So put the kids to bed (for five minutes at least), grab a glass of wine, and settle in for the ride.

Mama may be tired, but she’s still got it!

'I adore how honest this is - Louise finds the funniest moments in the smallest everyday occurrences. I loved it.' Fearne Cotton

'Utterly heartfelt and blimmin' hilarious - Louise has created that perfect cocktail of laughter and tears. It's like a bosomy maternal hug in a book.' Anna Whitehouse

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When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman

Spanning four decades, from 1968 onwards, this is the story of a fabulous but flawed family and the slew of ordinary and extraordinary incidents that shape their everyday lives. It is a story about childhood and growing up, loss of innocence, eccentricity, familial ties and friendships, love and life. Stripped down to its bare bones, it’s about the unbreakable bond between a brother and sister.

This, her debut novel won Sarah Winman various awards including New Writer of the Year in the Galaxy National Book Awards and it was one of the books chosen by Richard & Judy in their 2011 Summer Book Club.

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Sofia Petrovna by Lydia Chukovskaya

Sofia Petrovna was written in the Soviet Union and is one of the few surviving accounts of the Great Purge written during the purge era. It was composed secretly in a school notebook in lilac ink during the winter of 1939-40.

It describes two years in the life of a widow with a son she adores and a job in a publishing house she likes and it shows the horror of Stalin’s Purges unfolding against this background of ordinariness. 

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Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang

Published in 2023 this book was described as a satire of racial diversity in the publishing industry as well as a metafiction about social media, particularly Twitter. This chilling and hilariously sharp novel is Kuang's first venture into literary fiction and it has been recommended to us by a former Thomas's pupil.

...White lies. Dark humour. Deadly consequences… Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she claims to be; she didn’t write the book she says she did, and she is most certainly not Asian American.

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Honeybees and Distant Thunder by Riku Anda 

Featured in the Financial Times's best summer books list in 2023.

It is set In a small coastal town just a stone's throw from Tokyo, where a prestigious piano competition is underway. Over the course of two feverish weeks, three friends will experience some of the most joyous - and painful - moments of their lives.

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The History of Love by Nicole Krauss 

Recommended to us by an English Literature student The History of Love was Shortlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction 2006.

Fourteen-year-old Alma Singer is trying to find a cure for her mother's loneliness. Believing she might discover it in an old book her mother is lovingly translating, she sets out in search for its author.

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