Book news, reviews and recommendations
I was thrilled when a new Michael Cunningham popped through my letter box. I’ve been a fan since A Home at the End of the World which I loved for its depiction of a different sort of family from the conventional norm. It’s remained my favourite Cunningham novel, still fresh in my mind, which is […]
Day by Michael Cunningham: Love, loss and carrying on Read More »
I loved Katherine Heiny’s Early Morning Riser which put me in mind of Anne Tyler with its astute, funny observations and affectionate characterisation. Her new book, Games and Rituals, is a short story collection but if you’re a Heiny fan who’s not so keen on short fiction, don’t let that put you off. Comprising eleven
Games and Rituals by Katherine Heiny: A modern day Anne Tyler Read More »
I have no idea how I’ve managed not to come across Yiyun Li’s writing before. She has quite a substantial backlist which somehow passed me by. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it was that arresting cover that caught my eye on Twitter but it was the blurb that made me want to read it. Li’s novel is the
The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li: ‘I was a whetstone to Fabienne’s blade’ Read More »
Four years ago, I started my review of Jon McGregor’s Reservoir 13 with a paean of praise for this writer who seems to excel himself with each new book. His superb new novel, Lean Fall Stand, continues that progression with its story of a man returning from his beloved Antarctica, irrevocably changed, and his wife
Lean Fall Stand by Jon McGregor: Surviving catastrophe Read More »
I remember being very impressed by Tash Aw’s debut, The Harmony Silk Factory, which was surrounded by a great deal of hype when it was published back in 2005 but for some reason I’d not got around to reading anything else by him until We,The Survivors turned up. Set in rural Malaysia, it tells the
We, The Survivors by Tash Aw: Confession of a decent man Read More »
This is the first book written in English by Valeria Luiselli and I’m delighted to say it’s been longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction. I’ve read only one of her novels, The Story of My Teeth, which I loved but which I gather isn’t typical of her work. Lost Children Archive is a response
Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli: Recording and bearing witness Read More »