Book news, reviews and recommendations
I’d love to show off my jazz erudition and tell you that I knew the title of Laura Warrell’s debut was a Jelly Roll Morton quote but that’s not the case. Truth be told, I know little or nothing about the genre but I did like the idea of a novel that told the story […]
Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm by Laura Warrell: Men behaving badly Read More »
Sidik Fofana’s Stories from the Tenants Downstairs instantly appealed to me: a tightly linked set of short stories about the tenants of a Harlem apartment block ticked two of my literary boxes, and that cover sealed the deal. Fofana’s collection sees many of the inhabitants of Banneker Terrace threatened with eviction thanks to the new
Stories from the Tenants Downstairs by Sidik Fofana: No place like home Read More »
I’m not the target market for Monica Heisey’s Really Good, Actually but occasionally I find myself seduced by hype, wanting to know what all the fuss is about. For those who don’t already know, Heisey is a comedian and Schitt’s Creek scriptwriter. Her debut covers a year in twenty-nine-year-old Maggie’s life after her husband takes
Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey: ‘Is everything okay?’ Read More »
I’ve not had much success with Nell Zink’s writing, not quite getting what all the fuss was about with both Nicotine and The Wallcreeper, but I liked the sound of Avalon’s premise so thought I’d give it a go. A young woman with a less than favourable upbringing, tries to find her place in the
Avalon by Nell Zink: A curate’s egg of a novel Read More »
A few years ago, I read Kevin Wilson’s Nothing to See Here despite my reluctance at the prospect of children spontaneously combusting. It ended up on my books of the year list. Last year’s short story collection, Tunneling to the Centre of the Earth, also impressed me so I jumped at the chance to read
Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson: We are all fugitives Read More »
I’m not sure who tweeted their happiness about receiving a proof of Lynn Steger Strong’s Flight having enjoyed her fiction before but I’m grateful to them. That lovely, understated cover also added to its allure. Set in snowy New York state, Strong’s novel follows three siblings and their families facing their first Christmas without their
Flight by Lynn Steger Strong: In the bleak mid-winter Read More »
I’d not come across Meg Howrey before a blurb promising an ‘80s New York setting together with a resounding recommendation from Ann Patchett caught my eye. They’re Going to Love You, Howrey’s fourth novel, explores themes of love, betrayal and dedication against a background of the dance world as Carlisle is faced with visiting her
They’re Going to Love You by Meg Howrey: ‘A question of morals’ Read More »
I spotted Lydia Millet’s Dinosaurs on NetGalley, pleased to be reminded of how much I’d enjoyed Oh Pure and Radiant Heart many moons ago. This subtle, understated novel follows Gil who’s decided to put his New York past behind him and move to Arizona, captivated by footage of the Arizonan landscape, and having nothing better to
Dinosaurs: A Novel by Lydia Millet: ‘You can do your best all your life’ Read More »
Unusually for me, I had mixed feelings when I saw a new Elizabeth Strout in the schedules: Lucy by the Sea is Lucy Barton’s third outing, the second in a year, and it’s a pandemic novel. I wondered if she was becoming little overexposed but knew I’d read it anyway. Lucy and her ex-husband, William,
Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout: ‘This is how we lived. It was strange’ Read More »
I couldn’t get on with George Saunders’ 2017 Man Booker Prize-winning Lincoln in the Bardo but made a mental note to try his short stories which were much lauded in the novel’s publicity material. Unsurprisingly, I didn’t get around to it until Liberation Day popped through my letterbox. Comprising nine stories, Saunders’ new collection ranges
Liberation Day by George Saunders: A smartly delivered collection Read More »
It’s been a decade since A. M. Homes’ May We Be Forgiven was published so I was more than keen to read The Unfolding, particularly as the blurb suggested a state of the nation novel, although in this case it’s a look back at that state when the seeds of what was to come eight
The Unfolding by A. M. Homes: ‘What Comes Next?’ Read More »