Book news, reviews and recommendations
I ended my review of Donal Ryan’s last novel, The Thing About December, by quoting Litlove’s idea that the higher your expectations for a book, the greater your disappointment when they’re not met. Both Ryan’s novels had been praised to the skies and although there was much to admire in his second, those raised expectations
All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan: Redemption in spades Read More »
breach is based on Olumide Popoola and Annie Holmes’ exchanges with refugees who have lived in the camp known as the Jungle and the people of Calais where it’s based. Meike Ziervogel of Peirene Press commissioned the book to, in her words, ‘distil [their] stories into a work of fiction about escape, hope and aspiration.
Regular readers may have noticed I have a weakness for novels which follow a handful of young people from the time they first become acquainted through the first few years of adult life. Lots of space for character development which is what attracted me to Tony Tulathimutte’s Private Citizens. Smart, funny and sometimes exhausting, it
Private Citizens by Tony Tulathimutte: Social satire for the Millennials Read More »
I have something of a chequered relationship with Ann Patchett’s writing: I loved The Magician’s Assistant but couldn’t see what all the fuss was about with the Orange Prize-winning Bel Canto. I was a little wary of becoming too excited about Commonwealth, then, despite an engaging blurb and a particularly attractive cover, but it completely
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett: The many stories of a family 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. Bit of an uncharacteristic choice for me, this one: not only is it a piece of crime fiction
Blasts from the Past: The Alienist by Caleb Carr (1994) Read More »
I’m not a fan of dystopian fiction. There’s quite enough of that in the twenty-four-hour news misery cycle playing out every day which seems even more miserable in 2016 than usual – or perhaps that’s just me. The blurb for Jenni Fagan’s The Sunlight Pilgrims sounded as if it might have a distinctly dystopian bent
The Sunlight Pilgrims by Jenni Fagan: A touch of the Iain Banks Read More »
If you’re a fan of Jay McInerney’s series of novels which began with Brightness Falls way back in 1992, you won’t need to be told who the Calloways are nor will you need to have explained to you why I was thrilled at the prospect of a new one despite my disappointment with The Good
Bright, Precious Days by Jay McInerney: Revisiting the Calloways Read More »
Remarkably slim paperback pickings this October which some of you may be relieved to hear. Just two to look out for one of which I’ve already reviewed. Lorna Gibb’s A Ghost’s Story is somewhat different from the more traditional scare-yourself-rigid variety, not so much a ghost story as the ‘autobiography’ of one of the most
Paperbacks to Look Out for in October 2016 Read More »
Bear with me – this is likely to turn into a long post. After last year’s successful jaunt in the Baltic states H and I decided that this year we’d take to the central European railways. We started in Berlin where, after two winter trips visiting a multitude of museums, we hoped to explore the
Eighteen Days in Central Europe and Two Books Read More »
Back from my travels in central Europe – more of that later in the week – with a look at what’s on offer in October’s publishing schedules. Robert Seethaler’s A Whole Life was one of my books of last year: elegant, beautifully expressed and deftly translated, this slim novella encapsulated the life of an ordinary
Books to Look Out for in October 2016 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 was something about Buddha Da’s blurb that instantly appealed to me: ‘a working-class Glaswegian man who discovers
Blasts from the Past: Buddha Da by Anne Donovan (2003) Read More »