YC Reading

This International Women's Day, we've chosen five excellent books written by women, focusing on specifically feminist themes and in keeping with the official theme for 2016's IWD - Pledge for Parity.   A global day which focuses on celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, it also encourages everyone, of any and all genders, to pledge to help achieve gender parity and therefore true equality. Here in the Yeovil College Learning Resource Centre and Quiet Study Area, we've also prepared displays and resources to encourage and inspire our college community to further action and achievement. Here are our Top Five reads for International Women's Day 2016 - all available to borrow from the Learning Centre today. 1) "I Am Malala" by Malala Yousafzai (Quick Reads edition) This incredibly captivating and moving autobiography from a  truly inspirational young women is an absolute must read for International Women...

( Possible spoilers and triggers ahead) Emma Donoghue's innovative novel, "Room" is introduced with a quotation from the Greek myth of Perseus and Danae. Danae was a young woman imprisoned in a brass tomb deep below the ground, impregnated by Zeus then cast out to sea shut in a wooden box with her baby. The quote focuses on the purity and innocence of youth, amid horrors that the mother cannot escape nor ignore - indeed is compelled to bear, witness and ultimately survive. That, ultimately, is what Room is about - told from the perspective of five year old Jack, whose entire life has been lived in one sealed room with his mother. Cleverly written and structured, the novel slowly unfolds its secrets at a compelling pace and depth, as both Jack, and the reader, come to realize the truth and urgency of the situation. From the first paragraph, you're hooked.  Unsettling discord appears from the mention of" going to sleep in Wardrobe", and the reader...

We love reading. There, we said it. We're totally, enthusiastically, passionately, tremendously in love with reading. As a library and learning centre, that probably doesn't come as much of a shock. It's really what we do, along with enjoying biscuits and puntastic jokes.  We also know that not everyone feels the same about reading. Some might never have enjoyed it, or have found it difficult or uninteresting. Others might feel they have no time, or simply feel guilty for seemingly "wasting time" reading for pleasure. For some, it's intimidating, especially if you struggle with reading or find a huge book daunting.  And that's totally why the Quick Reads initiative from The Reading Agency is Quite Remarkable. Each year, they enlist the most popular, brilliant authors and storytellers to write a shorter read for those of us who lack time or confidence to tackle some huge doorstep of a novel. They cover all kinds of genres, from romance to action ...

This winter, the Learning Centre at Yeovil College is delighted to introduce our new, modestly sized but carefully chosen, graphic novel and manga collection, available to borrow for all Yeovil College students and staff, and our external borrowers. Based on feedback from both staff and students, and demonstrating our continued commitment and enthusiasm for promoting literacy, English skills and reading, we decided to choose a selection of the best, the newest and most interesting graphic and manga novels. These range from the stalwart superheroes of the DC and Marvel universes to alternative takes on the genre, spectacular prequels and re-tellings of fictional favourites and collections of the bestselling and most exciting manga series. We hope that these novels and stories will capture hearts and imaginations, and help encourage those who are not confident or interested in reading to try something different, that is both visually stimulating and good to embed and develop integral...

'Tis the season to be jolly... except sometimes, it can all be rather overwhelming. With all the stresses and strains of the holiday season, not to mention that sometimes the gulf between what we believe we should be feeling and what we actually feel can be quite large. And so, rather than picking our favourite Christmas books, instead here are our recommended reads to cheer and console. Based on our popular Good Moods display, our Learning Centre team at Yeovil College picked the books, both fiction and non-fiction, that they turn to when in need of story-based solace...  Karen: “I have spent the summer reading all of the Diane Chamberlain books. There are definitely better authors to pick from, but I like her books because they are easy to read and have lots of twists to keep the reader interested. This American author always focuses on the family in her stories and they often involve children, love and a bit of a mystery. Try the ‘Keeper of the Light Trilogy’. Star...

We read fiction for many reasons. We may read to escape, or to immerse ourselves in an imaginary world. We can explore and experience emotions, situations and places through the mindset and words of another. We may be challenged to think, or to consider things differently. And we read to learn. The pursuit of knowledge through reading is fundamental to its importance and centrality in our society. It’s yet another reason why literacy has been so vital, and the role of libraries in advocating and encouraging literacy remains a key aspect of our ethos.  A fiction book which seeks to fulfill all of these needs simultaneously aims high. You could say that this multifaceted identity is what allows us to call these aspiring books, “literary fiction.” Despite the contentious label, any book which manages to deliver on all these points is quite rightly praised. And “We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves” is one of these books.  Billed as a family drama of the cloyingly emotional...

Looking Back: Our Literacy Events.   The Yeovil College Learning Resource Centre is  enthusiastic about promoting literacy and literature. As we reach the end of 2015, we thought we would take a retrospective look at our previous successful literary events which have taken place over the past eighteen months - and start excitedly planning our 2016 schedule.  We hope you enjoy finding out what we have to offer. For more information, or if you are a writer or literacy initiative who would like to work with us, please contact us at: learningcentre@yeovil.ac.uk    Poetry Day - October 2015 For National Poetry Day, the Learning Centre took inspiration from the famous "Poems on the Underground" initiative and asked our staff to choose their favourite or most significant poems for display around campus. Learning Centre Co-Ordinator Chris Canning with a Poetry Day poster. Students, staff and visitors alike were greeted with visually arresting posters ...