Book news, reviews and recommendations
That subtitle is Help Wanted’s touching dedication which had me predisposed to like Adelle Waldman’s novel from the outset. My only experience of retail is bookselling which has left me with a fellow feeling for all who work in this low wage sector which has become increasingly insecure. Help Wanted is about the logistics section […]
Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman: ‘To all retail workers’ Read More »
It wasn’t until Roxana Robinson’s Leaving arrived that I realised I’d read several other novels by her years ago. She writes the kind of quiet, thoughtful and unflashy novels that often don’t get a lot of attention although she’s won prizes in the States. Hers was one of the rare proofs I request in print
Leaving by Roxana Robinson: ‘Passion and honour’ Read More »
I’m always up for a bit of academic satire which is why I said yes to a proof of Julius Taranto’s How I Won a Nobel Prize, much lauded in the US. Its central theme is cancel culture which, as my very own academic tells me, is a much bigger deal in American academia than
How I Won a Nobel Prize by Julius Taranto: Cancelling the cancelled Read More »
I was delighted when I spotted a new Nathan Hill in the schedules having thoroughly enjoyed The Nix which I’d originally spotted it in Dussmann’s, Berlin’s wonderful bookshop and arts centre, but its chunkster proportions meant I couldn’t buy it on holiday. Wellness weighs in at roughly the same length, exploring a multitude of themes
Wellness by Nathan Hill: Soulmates or placebo love Read More »
I read Sigrid Nunez’s The Friend a few years ago and although I enjoyed it I wasn’t nearly as impressed as many readers I trust so approached The Vulnerables with caution, particularly as it came billed as a pandemic novel featuring a parrot. Set during the spring of 2020, Nunez’s novel follows an unnamed writer
The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez: A treat from start to finish Read More »
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 »
That’s an eye-catching cover, isn’t it? It’s what made me put up my hand for a proof when I spotted it on Twitter (can’t be doing with that X nonsense) and it fits the novel beautifully. I’d registered lots of love for Ainslie Hogarth’s Mothering but hadn’t got around to reading it which also made
Normal Women by Ainslie Hogarth: Losing the plot Read More »
I loved Bryan Washington’s Lot and Memorial, both written with empathy and a wonderful fluency which made Family Meal a dead cert for me. While Lot was particularly striking in its evocation of Houston, Memorial’s loving descriptions of food and cooking stood out vividly. Unsurprisingly, there’s more of that in Family Meal which sees Cam
Family Meal by Bryan Washington: ‘Love is a tangible thing’ Read More »
Kate Doyle’s I Meant It Once comprises sixteen short stories, some very short indeed which was about all I felt up to when I read it, plagued with a sore throat and headache. As ever, I’ll pick out a few favourites to give you a flavour of what’s on offer in this collection which features
I Meant It Once by Kate Doyle: A curate’s egg Read More »
Brandi Wells’ debut is one of those novels that could have gone either way for me. I spotted it on NetGalley and liked the blurb which reminded me a little of Jen Beagin’s Pretend I’m Dead. Our unnamed narrator clears up the mess made by the workers on the top floor of an office building,
Cleaner by Brandi Wells: Doing the dirty work Read More »
I’d not come across Jamel Brinkley’s writing before I spotted Witness on NetGalley. It’s a collection of short stories all set in New York which, regular readers won’t be surprised to hear, was what attracted me to it. I’ve picked out my favourite pieces below, beginning with the opening coming-of-age story. In the image of
Witness by Jamel Brinkley: Ten New York stories Read More »