I’m in two minds about Calla Henkel’s Four Terrible Parents which sees a once famous, middle-aged rock band decide to have a child whose upbringing will be shared between them. When Valentine inherits a hotel, she convinces the other three to renovate the crumbling pile into a home for their unconventional family but the arrival of their daughter tilts the balance in this precarious setup. When August disappears the night of the hotel’s grand reopening, all hell breaks loose. ‘Four Terrible Parents is a story of love, jealousy and the curse of trying to have it all’ according to the blurb. I enjoyed Henkel’s Other People’s Clothes so will probably give this one a go.
Set in 1970s Leeds, Bill Broady’s There’s No ‘F’ in Wonderful explores the world of Northern Soul through the eyes of a disillusioned intellectual turned croupier who encounters a host of eccentric characters through her work. ‘There’s No ‘F’ in Wonderful is at once hilariously funny and deeply unsettling, exploring the magical yet disorienting passage between adolescence and adulthood—a time when anything seems possible, even as the world insists otherwise’ says the blurb which makes me feel a little tired but keen to give it a try.
Charlotte Edwardes’s Trouble Was is also set in the 1970s when nine-year-old Frank and his little sister are being taken to stay with their aunt in North Devon while their father is supposedly at sea, much to their cousins’ annoyance. As spring turns to summer, their mother seems increasingly distracted. Secrets begin surface threatening to poison the already uneasy household. ‘Trouble Was is a raw and tender story of growing up too soon, betrayal and resilience, love and survival – and a dazzling exploration of toxic family politics, buried secrets and the power of the imagination’ says the blurb of a novel much praised by both Samantha Harvey and Hari Kunzru.
July’s short story collection is by a favourite author for many of us: Sigrid Nunez’s It Will Come Back to You comprises thirteen stories spanning three decades. ‘Moving from an inappropriate teenage crush to a therapist’s second chance at love, in this collection Nunez maintains her irrepressible humour, bite, and insight, while exploring the philosophical questions we have come to expect from her writing’ promises the blurb. Keen to read this one.
That’s it for July’s new fiction. As ever, a click on a title will take you to a more detailed synopsis should you want to know more, and if you’d like to catch up with part one it’s here. Paperbacks soon…
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I was just thinking about Nunez yesterday! Looking forward to that collection.
Me, too. I’m a late convert but fully on board now.
I’m keen to read the Armstrong for sure.
It’s superb, Cathy. I’m sure you’ll love it.
So many books about bog bodies lately! I liked North Woods so also intrigued by his follow-up.
I enjoyed Country People but I suspect it’s very different from North Woods which is making its way up my pile. Red Mouth was a standout read for me.
I’m in two minds whether to read Country People or North Woods in my Books of Summer challenge – both seem to be good. I have also made a note of Sheila Armstrong. I remember you loving Falling Animals, and clearly she’s a writer with real literary chops. On the list she goes!
Country People is quite entertaining, and I can’t recommend the Armstrong highly enough. Delighted to hear she’s on your list!
Much to look forward to it in this batch, especially the Armstrong and Nunez.
I can certainly vouch for the Armstrong. Wonderful writer!
I loved North Woods and Falling Animals, so those two for sure. But this looks a good haul in general.
I particularly loved the Armstrong. Hope you enjoy it when you get to it.
I’ll report back!
The Armstrong book sounds very interesting. We have our own bog, which I leave to the hubbie to gather the turf from. I like Nunez’s writing. Just back from three fabulous days there. A packed itinerary that included three bookshop visits!
Pleased to hear you had a lovely time, Lucy. Did you make it to Notre Dame?
I never wrote above where I had been last week but you remembered it was Paris. Notre Dame is fabulous inside. But it was so crowded that it’s hard to get a true sense of the quality of the restoration work. We were able to get a ticket online the day before and there’s no limit to the time you spend in it. They are still doing restoration work internally and externally. We also visited the temporary Renoir exhibition in Musee D’Orsay. It’s excellent but again crowded. In general Paris was extremely busy and we walked a lot!
I did! I was lucky with Notre Dame. Visiting earlier in the year probably made the difference. I’m glad you enjoyed what you saw. I hope you had good weather for the walking!
Hi Susan
Your review of ‘There is no F in wonderful’ sounds great. We’ll have a look at it.
Thank you
The Fab Four of Cley
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy it.
I have a NetGalley of The Red Mouth and looking forward to it. I like the sound of Daniel Mason’s book too, but since I still haven’t read the copy of North Woods that’s been lingering on my TBR for years, I decided to resist for the moment!
The Red Mouth’s heading straight to my books of 2026 list. I didn’t have your willpower with the Mason!
Ack, not another bog body novel!! Having read four of late, I might have to skip that one (or at least delay reading it).
I didn’t find the Nunez as engaging as her novels, but there are some good stories in there.
I’ve escaped the others but Laura also seems to have had enough of them. Some gorgeous descriptions of the natural world in this one.
Thanks for this Susan. Have added The Red Mouth to my wishlist (due out in Australia next month) and will keep an eye out for the Sigrid Nunez collection. They both sound great.
My pleasure, Brona! The Red Mouth is a treat. Hope you enjoy it.
I have a thing for bodies in the bog, so I’m sure I will 😀
The premise of Four Terrible Parents appeals to me in this moment!
I’m in two minds about that one but tempted.