NHFT virtual book club meeting #34 - Christ on a Bike

After our visit to Warwickshire and the company of an AI detective in the excellent In the Blink of an Eye, we are off to Wales with Orla Owen's off-beat, twisty psychological story of envy, materialism and toxicity, Christ on a Bike. 

When Cerys Jones, a middle-aged office-worker, comes into an unexpected inheritance, her life is appears to be getting an upgrade. Leaving the drudgery of her London life behind for a designer place on the Welsh coast, with nothing to do but relax and enjoy a luxury lifestyle.

Of course it isn't that simple and there are rules. Three simple rules that have to be followed at all times.

She cannot share her wealth with anyone and visitors may stay for no longer than three days at a time. All financial aspects of her life will be scrutinised by the inheritance lawyers.

Her younger sister is jealous, Cerys is starting to feel pretty uncomfortable in her rural luxury, and just who is the bearded figure in a red cagoule that seems to be peering at her from behind every tree?

‘Black Mirror meets Tales of The Unexpected with shades of Shirley Jackson.’ - Nina Pottell

‘So fresh and quirky and unlike anything I’ve read before. I really urge you to give it a try.’ Laura Pearson

We'll be meeting on Thursday 25th of April via MS Teams where we will be discussing the novel. You can find the link via the Events Calendar on the Staff Room.

Hope to see you there...

Isebrook Library late opening 13th March

Isebrook Library will be opening a bit later than normal on Wednesday 13th March at 11.30am due to staffing constraints.

We apologise for any inconvenience if you were looking to use the library during this time. If you need any help email us or contact one of our other libraries:

berrywoodlibrary@nhft.nhs.uk 03000 271585

Isebrooklibrary@nhft.nhs.uk 03000 272095

richmondlibrary@nhft.nhs.uk 01604 545929

Isebrook Library - late opening

 On Monday 4th March Isebrook Library will not be opening until 11.30 a.m. We apologise if you were hoping to use the library that morning.

NHFT virtual book club meeting #33 - In the Blink of an Eye

After our visit to the Sowell Bay Aquarium with Tova, Cameron, and Marcellus, the giant Pacific octopus in Remarkably Bright Creatures, we are off to Warwickshire with Jo Callaghan's up to the minute/just over the horizon crime novel, In the Blink of an Eye. 

In the UK, someone is reported missing every 90 seconds.

Just gone. Vanished. In the blink of an eye.

DCS Kat Frank knows all about loss. A widowed single mother, Kat is a cop who trusts her instincts. Picked to lead a pilot programme that has her paired with AIDE (Artificially Intelligent Detective Entity) Lock, Kat's instincts come up against Lock's logic. But when the two missing person's cold cases they are reviewing suddenly become active, Lock is the only one who can help Kat when the case gets personal.

AI versus human experience.

Logic versus instinct.

With lives on the line can the pair work together before someone else becomes another statistic?

‘Terrifyingly timely and provocative' Val McDermid

‘The moral dilemmas created by artificial intelligence are brilliantly explored in this altogether very human novel’ Sunday Times

‘In the Blink of an Eye is fresh, innovative and very, very clever. Flawlessly paced, plotted and researched, it’s laugh out loud, heart-achingly sad and doesn’t have a dull moment. I raced through it. Simply sensational’ M.W. Craven

Jo Callaghan works full time as a senior strategist, carrying out research into the future impact of AI and genomics on the workforce.

We'll be meeting on Thursday 28th of March via MS Teams where we will be discussing the novel. You can find the link via the Events Calendar on the Staff Room.

Hope to see you there...

Tuesday 13th Feb - libraries closed in morning

 Due to staff training on Tuesday 13th February Berrywood and Isebrook libraries will be closed until 1.00pm. Richmond Library at NGH will be unstaffed but members will be able to swipe in to use.

We are sorry for any inconvenience.

NHFT virtual book club meeting #32 - Remarkably Bright Creatures

After our visit to Pine Cove, California in our Christmas book The Stupidest Angel, we are embarking on a rather different read, Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures.

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night cleaner shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium. Ever since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat over thirty years ago keeping busy has helped her cope. 

One night she meets Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium who sees everything but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors – until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late...

'Humans. For the most part, you are dull and blundering. But occasionally, you can be remarkably bright creatures.'

‘Filled with a quirky unconventional charm, I’ll be smiling every time I think of this story. A story that embraces the idea of love and connection across borders in every sense, and a story of family lost and found.’ Goodreads Reviewer

We'll be meeting on Thursday 22nd of February via MS Teams where we will be discussing the novel. You can find the link via the Events Calendar on the Staff Room.

Hope to see you there...

Integrated Care System staff - help us to help you.

As part of an NHS England funded project we are looking at the possibility of extending access to NHS library services in the county to all staff who work within the Northamptonshire Integrated Care System. This would include staff in:

• Primary care
• Integrated care board
• Social care
• Care homes
• Third / voluntary sector care staff

NHS libraries can support you by:

• Searching the evidence for you
• Training you in information skills
• Providing access to books and journals, in print and online, databases and other online resources
• Offering a place to work or study with 24/7 access
• And much more...

To understand what the problems are staff in the county are facing with finding information, and what you already have access to, we have created a short survey that we are asking anyone who works in the integrated care system (not NHFT, NGH or KGH staff) to complete. 

It should only take a few minutes and would help us to collect evidence to support a business case to the Integrated Care Board.

You can find the survey here: https://forms.office.com/e/uSaZf91h60

Many thanks for your help.