Page 12 - link magazine

AT YOUR LIBRARY
12
A New Year with new staff, new books and exhibitions

By West Swindon Librarian Linda Black
We extend our warmest
NEW BOOKS
wishes to our customers 4. COOKSON, CATHERINE:
for 1989 and start the New FOR JANUARY BILL BAILEY'S DAUGHTER
Year by introducing a new 1. WEST, MORRIS: MASTER- (Bantam)
face to you. You might al- CLASS (Hutchinson) Continues where 'Bill Bailey' and
ready have spotted some- First class writing combining a 'Bill Bailey's Lot' left off! - noth-
one new giving you a help- morality tale, art world thriller ing if not predictable!
ing hand as Tracey Ha- and murder who dunnit.
STERN, RICHARD MARTIN:
yden joined our team at 5.
GASKIN, CATHERINE: THE TSUNAMI -A DEADLYOCEAN
the beginning of Decem- 2.
ber and is already making CHARMED CIRCLE (Collins) WAVE (Secker & Warburg)
herself known to our regu- Our blockbuster recommenda- Followers of disaster movies
lar readers. Tracey is our tion for the month! The theme should love this one! Very much
first full-time assistant to revolves around a charmed circle in the tradition of The Towering
beSwindonbornand bred of characters - a group who ap- Inferno'. The novel explores what
and is looking forward to pear to have everything - talent, might happen if a wave several
working with the West fame, beauty, money, power. miles high were to hit a densely
Swindon Community. Naturally, tragedy strikes as we populated area. Describing a
January is always an ex- are transported from the Battle of group of ordinarypeople trapped
ceptionally busy time for Linda Black and Tracey Haydon Britain to the Scottish Highlands in a disastrous situation has
the library as with the Christmas aging to see so much skill and in between zipping over to Hol- always been Richard Martin
frivolities at an end people get talent in the children. The exhibi- lywood! Stern's forte.
down to the serious business of tion runs through until February
reading again. I hope this year to 4th. 3. STRAUB, PETER: KOKO 6. BARLING TOM: SMOKE
continue to provide book news During the month of January (Viking) DRAGON (Severn)
and general interest information the library will be accommodat- A first thriller from one of the For our male readers - gang war-
and certainly we have a packed ing a 'British Food and Farming' great masters of the horror genre. fare, drugs, muscles and raw
exhibition programme for 1989. exhibition provided by Chippen- Peter Straub demonstrates his energy bythe author of 'God is an
W.A.T.A. '89 (Wiltshire Art ham Technical College. An over- skills as a powerful writer ex- Executioner'.
Teachers Association) kicks off all image of farming will be given ploring the horrors of war. From
on January 7th providing a taste with Wiltshire produced foods the killing fields of Vietnam to 7. FREEMAN, CYNTHIA: THE
of what youngsters in Wiltshire's specifically mentioned and infor- the brothels of Singapore and LAST PRINCESS (Collins)
schools have been up to during mation will be provided from Bangkok, the novel moves at a A traditional love story - love at
1988. The calibre of art work is such bodies as the N.F.U. and the rapid pace generating excitement first sight with a price to pay and
always first rate and it is encour- County Landowners Association. on every page. all that!

As Armenia tries to return to normality after the devastating earthquake which killed between 8. DOHERTY, KEVIN: ALONG
25,000 and 50,000 people and left many more grieving and homeless, Isobel Manook, wife of DAY'S DYING (Sedgwick &
BoghosAwanes Manook(Dischekenian), pictured below, from Yarmouth Close, Toothlll, tries to Jackson)
answer the question A Soviet spy thriller in the tradi-
Who are the Armenians? tion of Ludlum and Deighton. It
takes the reader right to the heart
Since our marriage 11 years ago professional life. They are noted of contemporary Russia and the
I have consistantly had difficulty for their humour in spite of their conspiracies that surround Gor-
in explaining that my husband is tragic history and are also noted bachev's leadership. This is the
Armenian. Alas, as result of the to be excellent cooks and famous first novel to deal with the darker
earthquake in early December for their hospitality. side of Gorbachev's programme
there are few folk that could not Often they are easily of perestoika.
now at least point out Armenia recognsable by the IAN ending
on a map, but still little is known of their surname (ours is DIS- 9.
RENDALL, RUTH: THE SEC-
about these ancient people. CHEKENIAN) which means 'son OND WEXFORD OMNIBUS
Ancient Armenia spread over of' and how many people know (Hutchinson)
Eastern Turkey into Iran, Iraq and that singers Cher, Charles Comprises of 'No More Dying
the Soviet Union. The Armenian Aznavour(ian) or Gary Then', 'A Guilty Thing Surprised'
culture has been sustained by the Kasparov(ian), the Russian chess and 'Murder Being Once Done'.
religion they embraced around master, are Armenian? Ms. Rendell as always a master of
300AD as the first Christian State. My husband has an aunt and her craft.
In the course of quarter of a uncle who still live in Soviet
century between 1895 and 1920 Armenia but fortunately in Yere- 10. STEWART, MARY: THOR-
the Armenian race lost one and a van the capital which escaped NEY HOLD (Hodder &
half million people by the gun or the earthquake. Stoughton)
the bayonet, by deliberate starva- Armenians despite, or maybe Along with one other Arme- Sorry, we already have a waiting
tion and by privation and pesti- because of, their many hardships nian family who live in Wanbor- list for this beautifully written
lance. About a third of all Arme- have maintained a strong culture, ough we have been heavily in- twentieth century love story.
nians in the world died a grue- keeping their language and Chris- volved in Aid Armenia fundrais- Extremely evocative in its por-
some, painful death. tian religion alive. Today apart ing and have been staggered and trayal of the English countryside.
My husband's grandfather was from the three million in Soviet humbled by the generosity of I'm sure it will delight many.
such a victim of the young Turk Armenia, there are at least an- Swindon folk. Editor's Note: Linda Black's Top
Government and his widow plus other three million spread virtu- We would like to take this
10 Is very popular and there are
six children began the long trek ally over all the world. opportunity to say a very heart-
waiting lists for her recommenda-
from what is now Turkey to Iraq, They are reputed to consis- ful thank you to those who gave
tions. The only thing to do is book
arriving two years later with two tantly exhibit a high intelligence so generously to help the rescue
your books by refering to your
children still alive. and are successful in business and and rebuilding work.
back-copies of The Link.
I