Secret Book Swap | No. 7 - Currie August 2025
Secret Book Swap | Currie | No.7 | August 2025
Books We Swapped:
The Reader on the 6.27 – Jean‑Paul Didierlaurent
A quiet, contemplative novel featuring Guylain, who rescues discarded book pages and reads them aloud to commuters on the 6.27 train. When he discovers a fragment from a young woman’s diary, he embarks on a touching journey full of quirky characters and subtle magic. A bittersweet ode to the power of reading and connection.The Favourites – Layne Fargo
Set in the cutthroat world of elite figure skating, this smoldering romance follows two talented skaters whose ambitions and passions become dangerously entwined. Equal parts drama and desire, it's a turbulent love story where obsession both captivates and destroys.The Way of All Flesh – Ambrose Parry
Edinburgh, 1847. A gruesome series of murders rocks the city while medical student Will Raven and sharp-witted maid Sarah Fisher join forces to stop the killer. A richly detailed historical crime thriller with potent medical realism and gothic atmosphere.Sweat – Emma Healey
Cassie, a personal trainer rebuilding her life after escaping an abusive relationship, struggles to reclaim control—until a new client threatens to unravel her hard-won stability. A tense psychological thriller that’s both gripping and unflinching.Wild – Cheryl Strayed
After devastating personal losses, Strayed embarks on a solo hike along the Pacific Crest Trail, confronting grief, addiction, and herself. A raw, transformative memoir that inspired a hit film—and a generation of hikers.Swirls of Magic – Kerry Law
In an alternate 18th-century Edinburgh where magic is real and dangerous, thief Isla and her partner Valeria navigate a world of conspiracies and ancient power. Expect dark enchantment, strong heroines, and high-stakes adventure.When a mother, Cora, must register her newborn son's name amid the chaos of a storm in 1987, she’s faced with a choice that may alter destiny: Bear, Julian, or Gordon. What follows are three parallel, 35-year narratives—each shaped by that single decision—exploring themes of domestic abuse, autonomy, and the ripple effects of identity. Knapp’s beautifully structured debut is emotionally compelling and quietly profound.
Apples Never Fall – Liane Moriarty
When a retired tennis pro disappears, suspicion falls on the Delaney family. Moriarty explores secrets, betrayal, and the fraying bonds between marriage, motherhood, and family legacy in this rich domestic suspense.
Guest - Paula C Russell
We were delighted to welcome Paula back to The Secret Book Swap, this time in Currie, following the launch of her second book in her best selling One More Try series.
Having read the first in the series, I’m exctied to find out what happens next with the characters I came to know in One More Try and I am sure Let Me Go will have me just as hooked!
One extra special tidbit we got to share on the evening was that Paula has included The Secret Book Swap in her acknowledgements as her evening as guest author in Davidson’s Mains was her first as an author.
How incredibly special is that!
Paula, it was great to have you back with us and look forward to you keeping us updated with Tom and Iliana in the future!
Banned Book Reading
This Book is Gay, Juno Dawson
Our update this month had focused more on what was happening here in the UK around censorship, calls for book removals, and hearing feedback from librarians around hateful attitudes towards LGBTQ+ books and so we chose This Book is Gay by UK author, Juno Dawson for our reading.
First published in the U.K. in 2014 and later in the U.S. in 2015, This Book is Gay is subtitled as "a manual to all areas of life as an LGBT person," the book offers candid, humorous, and heartfelt guidance for young people exploring their sexual identity and navigating complex emotions from coming out and relationships to politics and self-acceptance
Despite its positive impact, This Book Is Gay has faced widespread censorship. In 2022, it tied for the tenth-most challenged book in the U.S., and rose even further to third place in 2023, according to data from the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. Challenges often cite reasons like sexual content or LGBTQ+ themes but as Juno Dawson has said, “If we really wanted to keep kids safe… we would be talking about guns.”
In the U.K., librarians report increasing pressure over the book too. A 2024 survey found that over half of UK school librarians had been asked to remove LGBTQ+ titles, including This Book Is Gay, from their shelves; more than half of those requests were acted upon
For our reading, we chose to read the introduction by David Levithan which I believe shows the purpose and benefits of a book like this. You can read this via the link below:
Join us at future secret book swaps: