@PHSBookchat has been launched in schools across Tweeddale in an effort to get people talking about... and hopefully reading more... books. Every week the Peeblesshire News will feature teachers, pupils and even readers from the community to tell us what they are reading.

David Keegan  Teacher of Modern Languages PHS

Presently I am reading Frances Spalding's biography of Duncan Grant: artist/painter/ designer.  Grant was a mainstay of the 'Bloomsbury' art movement in the first half of the last century.  He had a colourful and unconventional life like the other members of the group and was hugely talented as indeed they all were e.g. Virginia Woolf, Lytton Strachey and Vanessa Bell.

Spalding brings alive this long and quite unique life and the era involved.

Hannah Paulin – S4 at PHS

My favourite book is The Twelfth Day of July by Joan Lingard.

The story is set in Northern Ireland during the troubles between the Protestants and Catholics. The two main characters are teenagers, Sadie who is protestant and Kevin who is catholic. They meet one day in the streets of Belfast and immediately fall for each other. Unfortunately, due to their different religious backgrounds their parents forbid them from seeing each other or being anywhere near each other’s side of Belfast. They are so deeply in love that they are constantly sneaking out and heading off far away to be together without anyone fuss or anyone seeing them together. This is such a gripping novel as something new and exciting is happening on every page you read!

Shona Haslam, Programme Manager, Peeblesshire Youth Trust

I love books about powerful, strong, independent and determined women, and you can’t get more determined than Ellen MacArthur. She is an inspiration to never give up, believe in your dreams and when people tell you you can’t do something, that just spurs you on to try harder. This book tells the story of Ellen’s round the world race and how she achieved what everyone told her she couldn’t. Oh, and she was also fastest round the track on Top Gear. #likeagirl