National Year of Reading: Staff Favourites - Paul

As you may already be aware, 2026 is the National Year of Reading!

The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign designed to help more people rediscover the joy of reading. As a library, it only felt right to celebrate by asking some of our lovely staff to share their favourite books or magazines and why they love them.

Paul, who works at the Campus Library, has chosen The Rotters' Club by Jonathan Coe as his favourite. He explains:

"It was a book that rekindled my enjoyment of reading after the pandemic. At times hilarious and at times tragic, the novel is set in 1970s Birmingham and follows a group of school friends as they navigate adolescence against a backdrop of political unrest, strikes, and IRA bombings. Blending humour, nostalgia, and social commentary, the novel captures the dramas of youth and the wider turbulence of Britain during the 1970s and 80s.

The big draw of the book for me is that it is set in an industrial Midlands that was slowly imploding, mirroring my own experience of growing up in Worcester in the 70s. Like one of the characters involved, I was a lad from a working class background who went to a boys grammar school with a dad who was a trade union shop steward. I was always aware of the class differences of the times, but my mates and I got into the school via the old 11 plus exam. Once there though, we were often viewed as the riff raff by the fee paying pupils (and some of the teachers), although, it has to be said we did probably drag the reputation of the place down a bit!

Different generations may find the Rotters’ Club series appealing for different reasons: readers of my generation will identify with the nostalgia of 1970s culture, music and politics, while everyone can probably relate to some aspect of the themes of friendship, identity, and a slightly rebellious youth.

It is the first in a series of three novels, which span the decades up to the present day, we follow the characters into adulthood, and see how their personal lives intersect with changing social and political landscapes. The main takeaway from the series... everything changes and nothing changes."

Feeling inspired as part of the National Year of Reading? Visit Libby to explore a wide range of ebooks and audiobooks, including staff favourites and new discoveries. Wherever and whenever you’re reading, Libby makes it easy to celebrate the joy of reading all year long.

Join us in making 2026 a year of reading!