SUMMER BOOK REVIEWS Young or old we all like a good read, whether loungingby the pool on holiday or just before bedtime. James & Louise Ashmore who own Read bookshop in the heart of Holmfifirth have two crackers for you to try this summer... SALTWATER by Jessica Andrews Review by James Ashmore This astonishing debut novel from Jessica Andrews breaks new ground at the turn of every page. Its multiple time-strand narrative cleverly jigsaws the story into numbered sections that a reader needs to piece together to construct the fifinal image. And, boy, is the reader rewarded for their efforts. Lucy, born and raised in Sunderland to a working-class family, wins a place at university in London, a world away from her roots. After initially embracing a lifestyle she’d imagined from afar, things begin to fall apart and Lucy’s time in London, stretched by the need to work long hours and her own expectations for student living, unravels. She retreats to her grandfather’s cottage in Ireland to seek out an identity she expected to construct in the city, but instead fifinds in the wilds of the countryside. Andrews’s skill here is to drip-feed this narrative to us through her beautiful prose, prose suffused with the poetry she also writes. Listen to this, as Lucy addresses the unnamed boyfriend she begins to see in Ireland: “There is a smell in your skin that scares me. Sweet. Sour. A smell that thrills me and makes me sick. I note the gentle ooze of your hips over your jeans, the molten, gorgeous spill of you. The world is full of eyes on fifire in ways I could not see until now.” This is a passionate voice from an author unafraid to play with language, to experiment with rhythm. You could turn to any page in the book and discover something special. Indeed, you could also turn to any page and see her fast-paced reminiscences, her acutely observed monologues from the point of view of a teenage Lucy as she and her friends, bubbling with all the potential of kids that age, record all they see. The cultural references that pepper their discussions (MSN Messenger, Oasis, MySpace,The Arctic Monkeys.........) are chronological signposts for the readeras much as they are descriptive detail, guiding you through Andrew’s astounding novel. For a debut novel, this is as accomplished as it gets. Andrews has taken the mould and smashed it. She deserves real success with this book; Iurge you to read it. PAPER PLANES by Jim Helmore and Richard Jones Review by Louise Ashmore There have been some beautiful children’s picture books released this year which explore our emotions, from dealing with loss, self-belief and being brave. However, the book “PaperPlanes” has really caught our eye. Paper Planes is about two children, Ben and Mia, who are inseparable. They do everything together and havea wonderful friendship.They spend their days making paper planes and seeing how far they will flfly.Their dream is to make a paper plane that will flfly over their lake. Unfortunately, Ben’s parents make the decision to move away and the children are devastated; they can’t imagine their lives without each other.They are one and the same. As time passes, both children are sadThey feel incomplete and miss each other terribly.They each make their own paper plane to flfly towards each other.Their love and friendship are stronger than the distance between them and the two are reunited. Books can be a great prompt for discussing sensitive topics with young children and this is a perfect starting point. Head down to Read. in Holmfifirth to see many more books like this and discover something new. For mail orderenquiries, email read. holmfifirth@gmail.com www. SADDLEWORTH.co.uk lifestyle Around