Book news, reviews and recommendations
August’s snapshot includes the same short story collection I was reading last month, an account of art thievery by a young aesthete, keen to differentiate himself from common crooks, and a novel about time travelling historical figures. The short story collection I’m (still) reading is Tessa Hadley’s After the Funeral thanks to Andrew O’Hagan’s thumping […]
A Snapshot of My Reading #18 Read More »
The second instalment of September’s new fiction begins with one by an author I’ve been a fan of since her debut in the mid-1990s. Set in 1951, Kate Atkinson’s Our Noble Selves follows Harry Flynn who becomes involved in the organisation of the Festival of Britain. Despite his unassuming manner, Flynn is a magnet for
Books to Look Out For in September 2026: Part Two Read More »
I’d already managed to overcommit myself when Alex Hyde’s Exhibition appeared on NetGalley. It ticked so many boxes for me, I had to have it. Spanning several decades, it follows the musings of photographer Rabble Stone on her relationship with the unnamed artist whose work is about to be the subject of a major retrospective.
Exhibition by Alex Hyde: ’Who is the artist, and who is the muse?’ Read More »
Over recent years, I’ve enjoyed several novels which explore the idea of who owns the story which is what attracted me to Marta Pérez-Carbonell’s debut, I Made You Up Inside My Head. That, and the strangers on a train trope described in the blurb which sees a writer, his friend and a translator meet on
The first part of September’s preview includes several titles I’ve already read beginning with Patrick deWitt’s Dodge City. Set in 1967, it follows Lee who takes to the road after his draft notice is served. He’s set himself up with a drive-away, ostensibly delivering an E-Type Jaguar to New Jersey, which will take him across
Books to Look Out For in September 2026: Part One Read More »
Six Degrees of Separation is a meme hosted by Kate over at Books Are My Favourite and Best. It works like this: each month a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six others to form a chain. A book doesn’t need to be connected to all the titles on the list,
Six Degrees of Separation – Land to Porterhouse Blue Read More »
This is the latest in a series of occasional posts featuring books I read years ago about which I was wildly enthusiastic at the time, wanting to press a copy in as many hands as I could. I’d not come across Ethan Canin’s writing before a rep gave me a copy of For Kings and
Blasts from the Past: For Kings and Planets by Ethan Canin (1998) Read More »
Daniel Mason is probably best known for the much acclaimed North Woods which has been recommended by several bloggers whose opinions I trust but I still haven’t got around to reading it. Country People is also set in New England this time in Vermont where a Californian family are spending a year, Miles ostensibly to
Country People by Daniel Mason: In which the hero is a dog Read More »
Coming of age is a common theme in fiction with characters growing into maturity, or not, as their creators develop them, but in some novels it’s more dominant. Below are five that see young people growing into themselves, some facing adversity, others surprised by life, all with links to my reviews. In The Party, Tessa
Five Coming-of-Age Novels I’ve Read Read More »
I thoroughly enjoyed Chloë Ashby’s debut, Wet Paint, back into 2022 which was why I put up my hand for Family Friends, although the setup of two families who’ve been getting together once a year in a run-down chateau for two decades piqued my interest. Family Friends spans two weeks in a French heatwave after
Family Friends by Chloë Ashby: Happy holidays Read More »
Not my favourite prize but I can’t resist putting together a wish list for the Booker. To be eligible for this year’s prize all books must be published in the UK or Ireland between 1st October 2025 and 30th September 2026 and have been written in English. The judges usually stick to twelve although sometimes
My 2026 Booker Wish List Read More »