Book news, reviews and recommendations
Given its historical women’s fiction label, I took a punt on A. Rushby’s All Her Beautiful Deaths, not being at all keen on the idea of gendered descriptions, but I was attracted by the idea of Victorian memorial portraits. It follows Minnie, who becomes a companion to Edith in 1865, and Hadley, a young twenty-first
All Her Beautiful Deaths by A. Rushby: An art world historical page-turner Read More »
The first batch of October’s paperbacks begins with the latest reissue from Daunt’s publishing arm, first published in 1968. In Elizabeth Jenkins’s Honey, Roland meets the titular thirty-year-old at a film premiere and is captivated, marrying her in 1962. All goes well until Roland’s sixteen-year-old son arrives. Already bored with married life, Honey sets about
Paperbacks to Look Out For in October 2026: Part One Read More »
It’s a decade since I reviewed Emma Cline’s much heralded debut, The Girls, loosely based on the infamous Manson family and its horrific murders. Although I admired it, I’ve not read anything by her since. Switzy is very different following a man in his seventies as he travels to Zurich accompanied by his young assistant.
Switzy by Emma Cline: Leaving the party early Read More »
A new Kate Atkinson is always a cause for celebration for me. I’ve been a fan since Behind the Scenes at the Museum back in 1995. Set against the backdrop of 1951’s Festival of Britain, Our Noble Selves follows Harry Flynn who becomes involved in the organisation of the extravagant event aimed at reviving British
Our Noble Selves by Kate Atkinson: A very British treat Read More »
I was surprised to see another novel from Bernard Schlink quite so soon after his impressive The Granddaughter. The Late Life sees seventy-six-year-old Martin happily married with a six-year-old son, faced with a dire prognosis. With only a short time left to live, he thinks about his legacy, his love for his family and what
Books to Look Out For in October 2026: Part Two Read More »
I reviewed Laurie Petrou’s debut, Stargazer, four years ago, pleased to have found a new Canadian writer published in the UK. I’d been attracted by its female friendship theme which also runs through her third novel, The Rayburn Affair, albeit with a twist. In the glow of the light, they appeared to Ruth’s eyes like
The Rayburn Affair by Laurie Petrou: Be careful what you wish for Read More »
We’ve had a welcome change of season in the UK since my last snapshot. This month’s includes a book of healthy habits, a short story collection from a small Irish press and a novel from another, both with striking covers. The non-fiction book I’m reading is the much missed Dr Michael Moseley’s Just One Thing
A Snapshot of My Reading #19 Read More »
October’s often the month when publishers start getting their ducks in a line for Christmas, including my first title from an author familiar to many. It’s been a while since I read anything by Barbara Kingsolver but I like the sound of Partita which follows Livia whose brother took his own life when she was
Books to Look Out For in October 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 – Unravelling to Spill Simmer Falter Wither 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 into as many hands as I could. There are far fewer novels by Australian and New Zealand writers available in the UK than might be
Blasts from the Past: Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany (2012) Read More »
Based on real life figures, Philippe Collin’s The Barman of the Ritz isn’t an obvious choice for me, but I’ve enjoyed several novels translated by Frank Wynne so decided to give it a try. Collin reimagines bartender Frank Meier’s four years at the Parisian hotel during the Occupation, from 1940 to Liberation in August of