Lara Marshall

An image of a dark crime scene with yellow and black tape going across it. The headline text reads Hillingdon Libraries Crime Festival. The the subheading lists all the authors names involved - Rev Richard Coles, Mark Billingham, Fiona Cummins, CL Taylpr, Nicci French, Elly Griffiths, Kristen Perrin, Orlando Murrin and S J Bennett.

An image of the husband and wife duo Nicci French looking at the camera and smiling, with a green background. The headline reads Hillingdon Libraries Crime Festival and there is an image of their latest book "The Last Days of Kira Mullan".

An image of author CL Taylor looking at the camera pensively with her hand underneath her chin on a yellow background. The headline reads "Hillingdon Libraries Crime Festival " and their is an image of her latest book "It's always the Husband".

Excited to be part of #HillingdonLibraries crime festival on 21 June & interviewing the fab #CLTaylor and #NicciFrench!
If you're down that way please do pop along. Tickets are only £8 for a day of crime authors, talks, book signings and there's a bar 😉 discover.hillingdon.gov.uk/article/1442...

Yay!! Can't wait to see you in Hillingdon!

Lara sitting on a beach lounger at a hotel in Greece, reading "I found a body" by Becky C Brynoff

The best crime novels I've read in a long time and by someone I rather like too!
Excellent holiday read 😎
@beckycbrynolf

That sounds lovely Sarah! I'd love to check that out at some point.

So wonderful! Thank you so much ❤️

Fantastic feedback from @laramarshall.bsky.social @rnib.bsky.social following the Share the Vision visit:
"I'm so pleased that you could be part of this tour and that we can promote even more the wonderful work that Swansea Uni is doing! ... thank you for being such lovely hosts." ☀️ #FeedbackFriday

Amazing! Glad you enjoyed.

Libraries Improvement Fund (LIF) Round 4 Guidance for applicants Guidance for applicants for the Libraries Improvement Fund round 4

📢 📢 Take a look English public libraries’ folk. The next round of the Libraries Improvement Fund is heading your way.

The Libraries Improvement Fund (LIF) will open for expressions of interest on Tuesday 6 May 2025.

Full guidance on @artscouncilengland.bsky.social’s website. 👇 👇

Dirge without music by Edna St Vincent Millay I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground. So it is, and so it will be, for so it has been, time out of mind; Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely. Crowned With lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned. Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you. Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust. A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew, A formula, a phrase remains, - but the best is lost. The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the love, - They are gone. They have gone to feed the roses. Elegant and curled In the blossom. Fragrant is the blossom. I know. But I do not approve. More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses in the world. Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind; Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave. I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned.

6 months without you Dad 💔
I am not resigned.

Words To Live By Number 202

I don't think this culture-shifting book needs any introduction. Mary Shelley, the mother of science fiction, I salute you.
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The front cover of Frankenstein: The 1818 Text by Mary Shelley. The top half of the cover has an image of a young man wearing nothing on the upper half of his body, looking at his reflection in a body of water, potentially a lake. There are green shoots coming out of the lake and a bare tree with no leaves behind him. The bottom half of the book is the title and author text on a black background.

22nd March - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.

The challenge: In March, post a book by a woman author every day (or as often as you can).

Rules:
It has to be a book you’ve read.
It has to be a book you enjoyed or learned something from.

#booksky #books #BookChallenge
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Yep, I'll admit it. I'm a trekkie. Star Trek was my major bonding time with my Dad and I grew to love the whole universe. I was 15 when Voyager started and being able to see a strong, smart, empathetic female captain at the lead was inspiring. She's my fav and this book was a delicious treat.

Front cover of "The autobiography of Kathryn Janeway: The history of the captain who went b further than any had before." There is an image of the starship voyager from a birds eye view with the Starfleet emblem on top of it. Both of these are on a purple background.

21st March - The autobiography of Kathryn Janeway by Una McCormack.

The challenge: In March, post a book by a woman author every day (or as often as you can).

Rules:
It has to be a book you’ve read.
It has to be a book you enjoyed or learned something from.

#booksky #books #BookChallenge
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Adore this!

Blowing out someone else’s candle doesn’t make your shine any brighter. Picture of a candle with a flame burning green background black writing.. picture by joyfulsmolthings

“Be an encourager. The world has plenty of critics already.” Dave Willis

The world doesn’t need more people pointing out what’s wrong - it wants even more people lifting others up.
Use your own light to brighten other’s path!

🧡

#kindness #positivity

Picture by Joyfulsmolthings

This story really took me by surprise and if you can get over the initial shock in the first couple of chapters, just let the magical realism sweep you away to a heart-achingly beautiful place.
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Front cover of "Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck. There is the silhouette in the image of a Shark made up of yellow, orange and red flowers.

20th March - Shark Heart (A Love Story) by Emily Habeck.

The challenge: In March, post a book by a woman author every day (or as often as you can).

Rules:
It has to be a book you’ve read.
It has to be a book you enjoyed or learned something from.

#booksky #books #bookchallenge
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This book helped me when I was at one of my lowest points in my life. You are enough. Everyone is.
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Front cover of "I am enough: mark your mirror and change your life" by Marissa Peer. With a picture of Marissa peer looking into the distance. She has a wide brimmed hat on and is wearing a black top.

19th March - I am enough by Marissa Peer.

The challenge: In March, post a book by a woman author every day (or as often as you can).

Rules:
It has to be a book you’ve read.
It has to be a book you enjoyed or learned something from.

#booksky #books #bookchallenge
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I don't think I can put into words how much I love Carrie Fisher. Her candid and shocking honesty, her accute vulnerability and razor sharp wit made her a force to be reckoned with. Hearing about her time on the iconic Star Wars movie was both wonderful and heart-breaking.
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The front cover of The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher. You can see half of her face and iconic "Danish pastry" side bun hairstyle from Star Wars with a pen speared through her side bun in her hair.

18th March - The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher

The challenge: In March, post a book by a woman author every day (or as often as you can).

Rules:
It has to be a book you’ve read.
It has to be a book you enjoyed or learned something from.

#booksky #books #bookchallenge
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Call for IFLA/Baker & Taylor Public Library of the Year Award 2025 The Public Library of the Year award is presented by the International Federation of Library Associations & Institutions, to honour new public libraries

The “Public Library of the Year” award is presented by @iflaglobal.bsky.social with the aim of honouring new public libraries. Baker & Taylor is the proud main sponsor of the award. You can apply from March 18th - May 25th 2025 designinglibraries.org.uk/news/call-fo...

Deeply psychological, disturbing and sexy. This is one of my favourite thrillers, but I've never seen anyone else rave about this on social media. Feels like a hidden gem.
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The front cover of Exquisite by Sarah Stovell. There is a picture of what looks like the outline of a woman's body with a house in the middle where it dips.

16th March - Exquisite by Sarah Stovell

The challenge: In March, post a book by a woman author every day (or as often as you can).

Rules:
It has to be a book you’ve read.
It has to be a book you enjoyed or learned something from.

#booksky #books #bookchallenge
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Front cover of "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood. There is a simple image of a woman in a red dress with a white hood. You can see the woman at all.

13th March - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.

The challenge: In March, post a book by a woman author every day (or as often as you can).

Rules:
It has to be a book you’ve read.
It has to be a book you enjoyed or learned something from.

#booksky #books #bookchallenge

Woah! That is insane! They are really missing out.

Everyday I work in a job where blind and partially sighted people challenge my perceptions and Helen Keller is one of the Queens of them all. Of course she was deafblind but hearing her story just fills me with joy and gratitude 🥰
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The front cover of Helen Keller's autobiography "The Story of my Life". There is a picture of Helen on the front cover sitting down with one hand on a braille book and another hand holding and smelling a rose.

9th March - The Story of my Life by Helen Keller.

The challenge: In March, post a book by a woman author every day (or as often as you can).

Rules:
It has to be a book you’ve read.
It has to be a book you enjoyed or learned something from.

#booksky #books #bookchallenge

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New poll finds 40% of Britons have not read a book in the past year The median British adult has read or listened to three books in the past 12 months with reading habits also split along gender, class and political divides

40% of Britons have not read or listened to a book in the past year - at what point do the reading stats add up to a national crisis? Librarians know how to help #LBF25