BOOK CLUB

BOOK OF THE WEEK with Linda Jennings. Play, Dr Amanda Gummer, ISBN 9780091955144  (Vermilion) BD6.200 for Gulf Weekly Book Club members

NEWLY published last week, all three books featured this week have a family theme about them!
Bahrain is a wonderful country for families and play is a fantastic way to promote family cohesion, enhance child development, reduce stress and encourage parents and children to enjoy their family life.

So here is a book all about it: Play is a practical and inspiring book for all parents who want to support their child’s development in a fun and pressure-free way. Written by a child development expert and play psychologist, it’s packed with activities and insights to help parents support their child through the critical first five years of life.

Find out why babies love peekaboo and how to promote attachment through laughter; what toys to buy and what games to play at each developmental stage and why; how to use musical play to lay the foundations for learning languages and maths; ways to manage sibling rivalry, tantrums, ADHD and fussiness through games; and activities to increase mobility, creativity, confidence, cognitive and social skills.

Giving the confidence back to parents, and showing them that the tools they need are already at their fingertips, Play is for every parent who wants a playful and stress-free solution to helping their child to reach their full potential.

Read it now in paperback
Too Close to Home, Susan Lewis, ISBN 9780099586470 (Arrow) BD4 for Gulf Weekly Book Club members
SAD, happy, mysterious, heart-breaking – who knows what family life holds in store for us: Jenna and Jack Moore have moved their family to Wales for a fresh start. For vivacious, happy-go-lucky 15-year-old Paige the future is full of promise.

But suddenly everything changes. Paige becomes more and more withdrawn. The closeness she once shared with her mother a distant memory.

It then becomes clear that Jack has secrets too. Preoccupied with her younger children, her husband’s fidelity and their fledgling publishing company, Jenna doesn’t realise the extent of her eldest daughter’s unhappiness until the unthinkable happens.

Renowned for tackling difficult issues which can dramatically affect family life, Susan Lewis has once again written a gripping contemporary tale, this time about cyber bullying.

My favourite read of the week
A Story for Issy Bradley, Carys Bray, ISBN 9780099591870 (Windmill Books) BD4.500 for Gulf Weekly Book Club members

THIS book, shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and long-listed for the Desmond Elliott Prize 2015, is a wonderful debut novel which received stupendous reviews when it was published in hardback.

How does a family cope with tragedy? This is a deeply religious family. Ian Bradley, the father, was brought up in a Mormon family, living near Liverpool, and has risen to be a highly-respected bishop in their local Mormon community. His wife Claire converted when they met, but isn’t quite as dedicated to the religion, and often resents his devotion to the community at the expense of his family, i.e. their two sons and two daughters.

In lots of ways, they’re a normal family: Zippy is 16 and in love for the first time; Al is 13 and dreams of playing for Liverpool.

But in some ways, they’re a bit different too: Seven-year-old Jacob believes in miracles. So does his dad.
But these days their mum doesn’t believe in anything, not even getting out of bed.

How does life go on, now that Issy is gone?
A deeply moving book about grief, doubt and faith, this novel exemplifies everything there is about being part of a family.