I am still going through my April reads backlog, but this was one that I wanted to share. I was reading this when I was feeling quite vulnerable in the…
The Happy Prince and Other Stories by Oscar Wilde
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
I started reading this book because I knew that the Lucy Barton series would soon intersect with the character of Olive Kitteridge and I was curious to see what she…
Twenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth by Xiaolu Guo
I wasn’t immediately aware that this was actually my second book by Xiaolu Guo until I began reading it, but from the moment I started, I was captivated by its…
La Femme de Gilles by Madeleine Bourdhouxe
This Belgian modern classic from 1937 was referenced by famous French feminist, Simone de Beauvoir, and has been more recently rediscovered and made into a film. It’s a book about…
Great Contemporary Short Story Collections From Great Writers
Short stories are an underappreciated literary art form: we should all read more short stories! They often get neglected as they are not seen as marketable as novels, but these…
Bitter by Francesca Jakobi
You know a book has left its mark when you rush to find more books by the same author… only to feel that pang of disappointment when you discover it’s…
August is a Wicked Month by Edna O’Brien
I really wanted to love this book more than I did. I knew this book had been controversial/banned when it first came out in 1965 so I was expecting a…
The Nickel Boys by Colston Whitehead
A devastating read that’s even more terrifying when you realise it’s based on a real Floridian “reform school” – Dozier. What horrors and secrets lie in the archives and burial…
Reading Romance: The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller
I remember a bookseller being super judgemental when I asked whether he stocked this title! It was honestly a pretty funny moment as I am very confident in my literary…
A Lost Lady by Willa Cather
This is my third Cather novel, and it stands out from the others in that it follows a more traditionally structured narrative. However, the praise of the American West/pioneering spirit…
Four Japanese Novella Recommendations – Easy Reads
Japanese literature is known for its ability to capture deep emotions, unique perspectives, and delicate storytelling within short, impactful novellas. If you’re looking for a few brief but immersive reads,…
Gravel Heart by Abdulrazak Gurnah
Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Gravel Heart is a beautifully written novel that reads like a memoir, yet at its core, it’s a poignant exploration of family secrets, displacement, and the immigrant experience….
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
This debut novel set in small-town America is not always a 100% tone perfect read, but it is definitely worth checking out. It’s exuberant and joyful, yet also hits hard…
So Thrilled For You by Holly Bourne
This was a fun holiday read. Arson has erupted at a baby shower. It is a hot summer’s day and everyone and everything is melting, including the fancy cupcakes. What…
Married Love by Tessa Hadley
I love Tessa Hadley. Recently, I did a bit of research into what people were saying about her as a writer. It seems others have noticed that while prose is…
Pearls Before Swine by Margery Allingham
This was my first Marjorie Allingham and it was a fun Blitz era romp set in a London worn down by the war. Published in 1945, it would have been…
Kudos by Rachel Cusk
I’ve read a lot of Rachel Cusk, and I was really surprised that I had never actually finished the Outline trilogy! It was fun to visit my “lockdown” author and…
After the Funeral by Tessa Hadley
I love the confessional and documentarian style of Hadley. It’s precise, intelligent, and never frivolous. Her style shines through in these short stories where she really gets to the heart…
The Travelling Bag and Other Ghostly Stories by Susan Hill (Review)
A collection of five spooky short stories from the master of classic horror with a contemporary twist, I loved the different themes Hill gets into in this collection. You may…
Dracula by Bram Stoker
What a joy to read! I think the legend built around this book sometimes obscure what a great read it really is… Some beautiful plotting in this 1897 bestseller. I…
It Lasts Forever and then It’s Over by Anne De Marcken
So this was a weird one for me! Have you ever read a book you respect and like, but maybe don’t always enjoy so much? I think some of the…
Cover Her Face by P.D James
This great pastel edition celebrates her first 1962 novel, Cover Her Face, and it actually is part of an imprint that celebrates first novels: the Faber Firsts. Caught my eye…
The Professor’s House by Willa Cather
Cather is a great writer. I recently started her Plains trilogy and was pleased to find another “city” novel by her. I liked the idea of a closely followed narrative…
Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Connor
This is a really unique book, set in a Welsh island community in the 1930s, a young woman seeks to reconcile her need for adventure and the love she has…
The Rise by Ian Rankin
Another audiobook. Can you believe I only did my first audiobook read a few months ago? It’s definitely a nice way to mix things up. This is a short novella…
Madonna In a Fur Coat by Sabahattin Ali
A modern Turkish classic, first published in 1943, this is a bittersweet tale of love, identity, intimacy, and friendship. It wasn’t translated into English until 2016! Raif, an “innocent” Turkish…
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Stylesin Tapaus) by Agatha Christie
I’ve read two books in Finnish so far this year, something I rarely do these days, but I’m very pleased I did! Reading Christie in Finnish takes me back to…
Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
Dune part two packs a punch! What a way to start off my 2025…. (this was actually the first book I finished this year). We pick up the action quite…
Dead Man’s Folly by Agatha Christie
One of my early year reads: an easy one to keep up with amongst all the festive and travel shenanigans. Ariadne Oliver and Hercule Poirot join forces in this tale…
The Guest Cat by Takashi Hiraide
Last review of the year! This was a really sweet & short book. Constructed as a series of vignettes, this story maps out how a visiting cat transforms a young…
So Late in the Day by Claire Keegan
A novella that follows a lonely Friday summer evening during which Cathal leaves his Dublin office, takes the bus home, and wanders around his place, thinking about Sabine. Sabine, the…
Murder at Christmas murder mystery collection ed. Cecily Gayford
Classic crime fiction writers’ stories collected into one festive edition, each story with a slightly different take on the festive murder. The authors featured are the likes of Dorothy L…
Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie
Despite the subtitle, this did not have much in it that made it seem like “the last Marple case” – she seemed her usual sprightly self! This cover is another…
Dune by Frank Herbert
I’m not the biggest science fiction aficionado but this was a real pleasure to read. Herbert didn’t necessarily make it easy to get into the book, but once it gets…
A Whole Life by Robert Seethaler
I read his The Tobacconist years ago, which was a wonderful read as well – a moving tale of wartime Vienna seen through the eyes of a young apprentice to…
Lucy By the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
These are just too easy to read! My account is quickly becoming a Lucy Barton series appreciation page and I won’t apologise 😬 This book is the “lockdown” novel of…
Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie
I love a Christmas Christie! This is not a Poirot or a Marple, but it’s a fun detective novel anyways. Published in 1939, this is actually the first edition dust…
The Last Devil To Die by Richard Osman
I love this book series and felt like this one was definitely a highlight. It’s always a bit of a nerve-wracking time to sit down and read the latest book…
First Love by Ivan Turgenev
A really satisfying read, this novella tracks the infatuation and disillusionment, yet also the endurance, of youthful first love. In a comic yet sincere way, Turgenev explores how a young…
Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout
Reading the Lucy Barton series has been a lot of fun, and this one was the probably my favourite one yet. In this book we examine Lucy’s relationship with her…
Leaf Storm (La Hojarasca) by Gabriel García Márquez
Oh how I enjoy a Márquez! La próxima vez yo lo leeré en español (quizás). It’s a typical short novella by Márquez, with some echoes of Love in the Time…
A Jealous Ghost by A.N Wilson
This was a fun seasonal horror remake! Massive fan of books inspired by literary classics, just can’t help myself. Retelling/ engaging with The Turn of the Screw by Henry James,…
The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
Written in 1927, this felt like it could be written significantly later as well. Somehow it was reminiscent of other books in the “life philosophy“/spiritual genre! The premise is simple:…
The Last Song of Penelope by Claire North
I’ve read the entire Penelope series by Claire North. Feminist, comic, engaging, and insightful, the retelling of Penelope focuses on her queenhood on Ithaca and female solidarity. This final book…
Hardboiled, Hard Luck by Banana Yoshimoto
Two beautiful stories in one! What a great double bill. These tender stories are about grief, love, and connection. The first one is about a woman’s meditative and supernatural night…
My Evil Mother by Margaret Atwood
This was actually a bit of fun! A novella/short story by Atwood about the funny yet sinister suburban mum who is documented through her daughter’s eyes. It’s great to see…
Modern Baptists by James Wilcox
This was a bit of a revelation! In the intro they make the point that Wilcox perhaps never attained the same reputation as his contemporaries writing about similar social issues…
Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout
I’m on the Lucy Barton bandwagon, better late than never! I’m glad I found this series, and I like how it’s not traditionally chronological. This second book of the Lucy…
Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
I can’t believe I hadn’t read this one before! It’s a surreal and though-provoking gem. I really enjoyed this book and the premise: one woman’s journey to her own kind…
Ordinary Human Failings by Megan Nolan
Devastating in the best possible way. I don’t know if that’s a real thing, but that is how the book felt to me. Exquisite and painful. Such unbelievable human and…