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Kala by Colin Walsh I read Kala on the glowing recommendation of Marianne and it didn't disappoint! It's a literary thriller, a coming-of-age narrative, and a brooding noir, as well as an absolute masterclass in characterisation. There's beautiful, thoughtful prose, but also an investigation into the underbelly of society in the small, fictional, Irish town of Kinlough. Following the Mush, Helen and Joe, childhood friends, are confronted with the discovery of the body of their friend who went missing twenty years previously. Going back and forth in time from the present to that fateful summer so long ago, the secrets...

As half term has arrived, we thought we'd read outside our normal parameters and dive into some children's reads for a change. We all loved reading as youngsters and couldn't wait to spend a few hours with some of the books we have on our office bookshelves, to see if we could appreciate them just as much as adults. Spoiler: we were not disappointed! The Lonely Beast by Chris Judge The 'Beast' series by Chris Judge is a personal favourite of mine. Every book is always funny and well written. It's very enjoyable for both the reader and the child being read to! It's...

Do you ever think about the spooky, creepy or downright strange books you read as a young child? The ones that kept you up, with your blanket and torch, tentatively turning the pages out of intrigue and fear? Children's literature is rife with the weird and wonderful, the heroes memorable and the baddies unforgettable!  Here at Willoughby HQ, we've been recalling the scary or spooky books that we loved reading most, ranging wildly from Roald Dahl and the Goosebumps series to the books we were checking out of our school library, but that definitely felt too old and scary to...

Ad       “You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” C.S. Lewis   There are two essential things you must know about The Willoughby Book Club: We love reading and we love a hot drink. We believe it is one of life’s most wonderful pleasures to be in the company of a well-thumbed novel and a tasty, homemade brew. The combination of a book and a cup of tea, coffee, or hot chocolate is one of life’s finest rituals. Reading as an activity is a lovely way of...