Book news, reviews and recommendations
Not unexpectedly in a month when publishers’ sights are firmly set on summer reading, I’ve only come across enough titles for a single preview post although it’s a pleasingly mixed bag, several of which I’ve already read. I’m starting with John Boyne’s The Echo Chamber which I practically inhaled as soon as it arrived. It […]
Books to Look Out For in August 2021 Read More »
There was the hint of a state-of-the-nation novel about the blurb for Jonathan Crane’s We Need to Talk, a theme I find hard to resist whether it’s mine or someone else’s nation. It’s also published by small indie Eye/Lightning Books whose Good Riddance and An Isolated Incident I enjoyed very much. Crane’s novel is set
We Need to Talk by Jonathan Crane: Mustn’t grumble Read More »
I wasn’t at all sure I’d read Samira Sedira’s People Like Them. It’s published under Bloomsbury’s crime imprint and I’m a crime watcher rather than a crime reader but it was the quote from Leila Slimani about its exploration of racism which made me think again. Based on a true story, Sedira’s novella is about
People Like Them by Samira Sedira (transl. Lara Vergnaud): An unthinkable crime Read More »
I’d booked the lovely Cottage in the Garden back in January, calculating that summer self-catering was a safe bet whatever happened with Covid. It’s a delightful rustic cottage full of generous, thoughtful touches: fresh flowers from the garden and the table laid with a welcoming cream tea. It also comes complete with its own wildflower
Seven Days in Sussex and Kent plus One and a Half Books Read More »
Back from Sussex (more of that next week) with Stacey Swann’s reworking of Classical myth, Olympus, Texas, which came with a persuasively thumping endorsement from Richard Russo. Set in the titular small town, Swann’s debut sees the supremely dysfunctional Briscoes brought face-to-face with some harsh facts when two of its members are caught up in
Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann: Divinely dysfunctional Read More »
I couldn’t resist its clever proof jacket, whose wine stain hinted at hedonism (sadly ditched in the final version), and intriguing title so I put up my hand for a copy of Mikaella Clements’ and Onjuli Datta’s The View Was Exhausting. I was also fascinated by the idea of two authors, who turn out to
The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta: The high price of fame Read More »
This second batch of July paperbacks begins with a book I wasn’t at all sure I’d like given that it’s a crime novel but its location and period appealed. Miranda Emmerson’s A Little London Scandal is set in 1967, on the eve of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales. When a body is
Paperbacks to Look Out For in July 2021: Part Two Read More »
I spotted Angela Jackson’s The Darlings in the publishing schedules back in April 2020 and liked the look of it. Like so many other titles, her novel fell foul of the pandemic which threw a multitude of publishing dates up in the air, this one landing in bookshops a year or so after it should
The Darlings by Angela Jackson: No denying the past Read More »
Natasha Brown’s Assembly weighs in at a mere 112 pages – it would be even fewer if you stripped the white space from its fragmented narrative – but it’s an astonishingly powerful novel that leaves you a little breathless. Not an easy book to write about but I’ll do my best. My style, my mannerisms,
Assembly by Natasha Brown: ‘To protect myself, I detach’ Read More »
Not as many July paperbacks as I might have hoped, too many for one post but fewer than I’d usually pick for two. Top of my list is Jonathan Coe’s Mr Wilder and Me which I’m hoping will be a return to form after several Coe disappointments. This one takes us back into cinema territory
Paperbacks to Look Out For in July 2021: Part One Read More »
As regular readers may have noticed, a New York City setting is catnip for me which made Jonathan Lee’s The Great Mistake well nigh irresistible. I also have fond memories of reading his book, Joy, which featured in one of my earliest posts when I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted this blog to be.
The Great Mistake by Jonathan Lee: ‘The Man Who Gets Things Done’ Read More »