Book news, reviews and recommendations
Unsettled Ground is Claire Fuller’s fourth novel. She’s one of those authors whose writing straddles the often very thin line between literary and commercial fiction, not that I’m sure I could define either of those terms. Suffice to say I’ve read and enjoyed all four, beginning with her debut, Our Endless Numbered Days, back in …
Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller: No pastoral idyll here Read More »
I have fond memories of reading Carol Anshaw’s Carry the One way back in 2012 when it was published here in the UK so was keen to get my hands on her new novel, Right After the Weather. Set in Anshaw’s home town of Chicago in the months before and after the 2016 election, it …
Right After the Weather by Carol Anshaw: If you like Elizabeth Strout… Read More »
Bitter Orange is Claire Fuller’s third novel and it’s the third I’ve reviewed here. Our Endless Numbered Days made it on to my books of the year list in 2015 and I included Swimming Lessons on my (then) Baileys prize wish list last year. I’m something of a fan, as you can tell, so expectations …
Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller: A nice slice of British gothic Read More »
Back in 2015, Claire Fuller’s much acclaimed Our Endless Numbered Days made it on to my books of the year list. I have a track record of disappointment with second novels, either expecting too much on my part or perhaps just one excellent novel in them on the author’s. Nothing wrong with that, of course: …
Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller: Knowing the worst or hoping for the best? Read More »
There’s been a bit of pre-publication brouhaha for Jade Chang’s debut, much more subdued that the constant shouting which can be so off-putting but just enough to put it on my radar. Set in 2008 with the financial world about to crash with the loudest of bangs, it’s about a family whose cosmetics mogul father …
The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang: A smart, funny road trip of a novel Read More »
Claire Fuller’s flash fiction is one of my regular treats. Most weeks, usually on Wednesdays or Thursdays, she posts a hundred words inspired by a photograph. Sometimes funny, sometimes thought-provoking, they’re always inventive. She has a knack of making you look at the world in a slightly different way. Given all that, it’s no surprise …
Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller: The incredible made credible Read More »
Being of a certain age, I have several over-80s in my life and have lost several more dear to me in recent years. Some have aged well – I have a lovely memory of my 90-year-old aunt executing high kicks in her kitchen a few months before she died, delighted when H couldn’t match her …
Ammonites and Leaping Fish by Penelope Lively: Ageing with grace and eloquence Read More »
The Authors’ Club Best First Novel shortlist has just been announced, not one that’s likely to send many readers rushing to check out who’s on it but it’s well worth a look. The prize was established in 1954 and although many of the winners have sunk into obscurity some went on to have a very …