Viewbank College

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Book Quiz

Looking for a brain break? Test out your book knowledge with our book quiz.

 

Join us at https://kahoot.it using Challenge PIN 02604959.

 

There are 20 questions, and it will be open until 10am on Monday 11 May.

 

So far we have had 1 perfect score (congratulations BronzeOctopus!) and 2 questions that a lot of people have found tricky. Do you know the answers?

Library blog

Sunday May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, Interphobia & Transphobia. Watch out for our virtual display for ideas on how to celebrate the day – it will be published on the blog next week.

 

In our latest post Megan talks about how reading can benefit wellbeing during isolation. Read it here or visit the blog (password library).

Need To Relax?

At a time when many of us feel cut off from the world, reading can be a lifeline. The benefits of reading on wellbeing are well known, and looking after ourselves right now is essential.

 

Not everyone has extra time while juggling the demands of life in “iso”, but the good news is that reading for twenty minutes a week can help. One neuroscientist even found that six minutes with a good book slows the heart rate and cuts down on muscle tension. He found that reading is more relaxing than watching television or looking at social media.

 

Books can have a positive benefit on mood. Studies show that the act of getting into an imaginary world can reduce worry and help with getting a good night’s sleep. Reading makes people feel more connected to the world, and it fosters respect for others.

 

In the first weeks of this crisis, I was glued to the news. When I realised it was overwhelming me, I was motivated to put down the phone and pick up a book. Some highlights have been American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins and See What You Made Me Do by Jess Hill. Each of these books has heavy themes, but they were engaging. More than just distractions, they made me reconnect with issues and stories I care about, aside from what we’re facing right now.

 

I’ve also been working my way through books I’ve always wanted to read from our library. Chloe recommended A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness, which I loved. She said it was a tearjerker, and she was right! I enjoyed Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli so much I’ll be checking out the rest of the series. The best thing about it was that it made me smile.

 

Chloe’s highlights have been Devil’s Ballast by Meg Caddy and Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina. Devil’s Ballast is a pirate story based on female Irish pirate, Anne Bonny – whilst Catching Teller Crow is a mystery with supernatural themes – both great escapes from the ‘real’ world. She is now dividing her time between two of her favourite authors – Philip Pullman’s The Secret Commonwealth and Hilary Mantel’s The Mirror and the Light – both big books to get into whilst in isolation!

 

Have you read anything you’d recommend during this time? Head to the blog to let us know in the comments.