Spanning three days, Benjamin Myers’s Rare Singles is about an American singer in his seventies who’s accepted an 
invitation to headline a Northern Soul weekender in Scarborough having never set foot outside the US. Bucky’s promising career was scuppered by a beating after a James Brown concert and an eighteen-month prison stint. He’d recorded just four songs as a solo artist, one of which is a Northern Soul favourite, unbeknownst to him. Over the next three days, Bucky finds himself bemused by Yorkshire, desperate to ease his excruciating hip pain and saved by three capable women who offer the prospect of a very different future. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started it, but I grew to love this feelgood novel, so different from The Offing. The blurb compares it to Jonathan Coe and David Nicholls, both of which seem appropriate to me.
More soberly, Lauren Aliza Green’s debut, The World After Alice, sees the wedding of Alice’s best friend to her younger brother twelve years after she took her own life. As the couple prepares for the ceremony, their extended families make their way to the venue where they will be spending three days in close proximity to each other, bringing a great deal of emotional baggage with them. All the characters find themselves re-examining how they might have played a part in Alice’s decision but it’s her brother who’s borne the heaviest burden. There’s a thread of almost farcical humour to lighten the narrative but inevitably this is a novel with a great deal of sadness at its heart. Green’s style is a tad overdone for me but her characterisation stood up well, and she wisely leaves messy loose ends untied.
In Aysegül Savaş’s The Anthropologists Asya and Manu are looking for somewhere to live in a foreign city, wondering how life will be amongst strangers outside the circle of their family and friends. Documentary filmmaker Asya spends her days recording the locals going about their lives in their nearby park. Meanwhile, life goes on back home as the couple develops their own customs and rituals in their new home city. ‘Unfolding over a series of apartment viewings, late-night conversations, last rounds of drinks and lazy breakfasts, The Anthropologists is a soulful examination of home-building and modern love, written with Aysegül Savaş’ distinctive elegance, warmth and humour’ says the blurb. Very much like the sound of that.
That’s it for July’s first batch of paperbacks. A click on a title will take you either to my review or to a more detailed synopsis should you want to know more, and if you’d like to catch up with new fiction it’s here and here. Part two next week when I’m back from visiting my Yorkshire pal.
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I loved Rare Singles – a delightful book. Definite hints of Nicholls and Coe, although less political than Coe.
It’s a rare instance of blurb comparisons working!
Only book of this group I have read is The Anthropologists. I actually attended a reading the author gave in Shakespeare & Co , Paris in September. Bought the book on the night. I thought it was good but didn’t blow me away, not a great amount of plot and a lot of reflective narrative. I am reading Elegy, Southwest now and loving it
I’ll manage my expectations! Pleased to hear you’re enjoying Elegy, Southwest. I was very struck by it.
I loved Rare Singles, too! I had to stop reading After Alice as it was too sad, and agree that The Anthropologists looks v intriguing!
It was such a surprise after The Offing, and I do know what you mean about After Alice. Fingers crossed for The Anthropologists.
Rare Singles sounds very appealing! I’ve never read David Nicholls – that’s such a gap isn’t it?
He’s my go-to for an easy but well turned out read.
Some time ago, I read Nicholls’ “Us,” which I liked very much. I don’t really understand why I haven’t read more of his work — perhaps “You Are Here” will get me started again. As for Savas, I’ve read and admired one of her novellas (“White on White”) so I jumped on “The Anthropologists” as soon as it was published (hardback; so definitely a splurge!)
He’s a comfort read for me. I have White on White in my tbr. I should pull it out on that recommendation!
Rare Singles sounds like good fun!
It’s such a cheering read, Cathy.
We could all do with one of those!
Rare Singles does sound good and the Nicholls when all the hype has died down!
I so enjoyed Rare Singles and Nicholls is always a treat for me.
I absolutely loved Rare Singles, though I must own to being a dyed-in-the-wool Myers fan. I found The World After Alice deftly written too, taking a difficult subject and making it accessible rather than unrelievedly gloomy. I do like the look of the Aysegül Savaş, and the Lombardo, but (whisper this quietly) I’m not particularly a Nicholls fan.
Ah, well – can’t win ’em all. Waving to you from Holmfirth!
Excellent! There’s a hill or two in between…. But I’ll wave anyway.
Only book in this great selection I have read is The Anthropologists. I attended a book reading by the author in Shakespeare and Co in September and bought it on the night. I enjoyed it but wasn’t blown away by it. I expected it to be more of a critique of the housing shortage situation but it’s more a reflection on a relationship. Reading Elegy, Southwest at moment and really enjoying it.
Cute new cover for You Are Here, even if I had mixed feelings about the book itself!
Much better than the hardback! He’s a soothing comfort read for me.
I was drawn to The Anthropologists initially but then on the Waterstones site (thanks for the link) I saw it compared to Sally Rooney. So that made it a no…..
It’s not as introspectively indepth as Rooney, but it is very focused on close relationships in a small social milieu.
thanks for the insights
Ha! That seems to be the current go-to publishers’ comparison.
I can see why they want to ride on a wave of popularity but it doesn’t work for me
I don’t mind if it’s a valid comparison but it’s so often inaccurate.
Good to know that you enjoy David Nicholls as a lighter read… I’ve never been entirely sure if his style mightn’t feel a little too frothy for my liking. Or, twee, to borrow a word from your side of the pond?
The Anthropologists is on my TBR but I wouldn’t want thought she was more commercial, although the cover and description seem to be leaning in that direction. The one I read felt a little more like Duras or Rhys…very much about the relationship but spare and deliberate word choices. Will be curious to hear what you think!
Twee brings me out in a rash! His themes revolve around relationships, often love stories but well executed. Easy, untaxing reads which I find welcome now and again.
Two very interesting comparisons for The Anthropologists. I’m looking forward to sampling her writing.
HAH, well I might have guessed, but it’s good to have a visual. hehe Will definitely give him a try then. Also, I got the David Park collection via ILL last weekend: Gods and Angels…
Oh, that’s great. I hope you enjoy it, Marcie.
ALL of these sound good
Expensive month!
Great list! You Are Here and Rare Singles sound like perfect summer reads. Can’t wait to check them out!
Hope you enjoy them!
The Anthropogists!!! I read 50% in one sitting yesterday! Amazing book. Review next week. Just read it
I’m so glad you’re enjoying it so much!