Walter is an experienced actor and it’s interesting to hear her take on some of the Shakespeare parts that she’s played herself. Actor’s Shakespeare This is a practical and not…
Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
This is a beautiful book with a powerful message about Northern Irish culture. This novel paints a haunting picture of a fractured community through the eye’s of a brave young…
Abortion: A History by Mary Fissell
Depressing to read that the Ancient Greeks took a more logical and enlightened approach to abortion care than many places today! However, it’s an important message that is worth considering…
The Details by Ia Genberg
This book blew me away: the premise is so striking and original! During a fever, the narrator revisits memories of four people who have marked her deeply. Each section is…
The Party by Tessa Hadley
I hadn’t realised this novella was set in Bristol, so it was a real pleasure to recognise streets and places I know! Despite being set in the past, the energy…
In Evil Hour by Gabriel García Márquez
As I’m slowly making my way through One Hundred Years of Solitude, it’s fun to encounter another work where García Márquez references the village of Macondo and its several overlapping…
My Favourite by Sarah Jollien-Fardel
This was a deeply reflective read: a blend of lush nature and landscape, and searing emotional pain and community ills. A great translation from Holly James, this slim book packs…
Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H.
This was a really powerful and engaging read: an anonymous memoir rooted in a very specific moment in time, marked by rising Islamophobia and increasing global mobility. The narrator, a…
The Peep Show: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place by Kate Summerscale
This was a true crime non-fiction read I found really compelling: it goes hard and tackles a horrific 1950s crime in the social context of a divided and down- on-its-luck…
The Voyage Home by Pat Barker
I’ve read Barker’s Trojan war series over the years and I’ve enjoyed its analysis of the Battle of Troy and the aftermath of the war from the women‘s perspective. This…
The Ruin of All Witches by Malcolm Gaskill
Rather than focusing on witch trials as a form of sensational true crime, this book is rooted in theology, community dynamics, and the psychological and religious tensions of early New…
Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates
This book and its author have been on my radar for a while. I was aware of Laura Bates’s work through her activism and the Everyday Sexism project. Since reading…
The Private Lives of Trees by Alejandro Zambra
Formally, this novella is quietly experimental. It’s about a man reading a story to his stepdaughter while he waits for her mother to come home, but that frame begins to…
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
In the Time of the Butterflies is a really magical & warm novel: intelligent, moving, and powerful. Julia Alvarez brings to life the story of the Mirabal sisters (known as…
Poor by Katriona O’Sullivan
This is a powerful memoir, full of heart-stopping moments in a “wrong side of the tracks” childhood. It’s a topical book about what happens to children who grow up in…
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
This is the latest installment in Elizabeth Strout’s beloved Lucy Barton series and we get the convergence of two of Strout’s iconic characters: Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge. Strout’s signature…
Someone from the Past: A London Mystery by Margot Bennett
I looked into this book’s background and its Scottish author, Margot Bennett. This 1958 novel won the annual Crime Writers’ Association’s award (Golden Dagger). After winning, Bennet never returned to…
Black Water by Joyce Carol Oates
I picked this up at random from a secondhand bookshop, and I’m so glad I did. This is a fictionalised retelling of the real-life “Chappaquiddick incident” from 1969 involving Senator…
On the Greenwich Line by Shady Lewis
This is a brilliant, baroque, honest novel that doesn’t pull its punches. It offers a searing critique of the welfare state, exposing how bureaucratic systems can quietly and efficiently kill…
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
As a fan of Osman’s work, I was curious to see what he’d come up with next with this new murder mystery series—and I have to say, We Solve Murders…
Local Fires by Joshua Jones
Local Fires by Jones is an entertaining, poignant, and memorable read. There’s something special about reading a collection from a local writer—one who references familiar places and explores overlooked issues….
The Happy Prince and Other Stories by Oscar Wilde
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…
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…
Best Hercule Poirot Books: Agatha Christie’s Belgian Icon
Hercule Poirot is a beloved detective, a true icon of classic crime whose fastidious nature and over-the-top character have won him fans around the world. Poirot is meticulous, brilliant, and…
Best Miss Marple Books: Agatha Christie’s Sly Sleuth
I have a soft spot for Miss Marple. Her unthreatening and endearing “dear old lady spinster” demeanour hides a steely determination: she subverts the notion of how old ladies should…
Gritty Childhood Memoirs: Survival & Hope In Equal Measure
Why are we so drawn to difficult childhoods in literature? Do difficult childhoods make for great writers? There is something cathartic and compelling about reading stories of childhood survival and…
How to Read More: Read Everywhere?
My ability to read literally anywhere and everywhere is something I’ve always treasured (my mother tells a childhood story of running out to stop me from walking down the road…
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…
7 Non-Fiction Biographies About Fascinating Historic Women
There are so many great non-fiction books out there about history’s unsung heroines: these are just a few of my favourites. These seven books bring together women who need to…
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…
Deborah Levy’s Living Autobiography Series: Feminism, Writing & Space
Deborah Levy’s Living Autobiography series is a fascinating blend of memoir, essay, and narrative reflection. Comprising three books—Things I Don’t Want to Know, The Cost of Living, and Real Estate—the…
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….
Unquiet by Linn Ullmann (Review)
This book was such a joy to read—thoughtful, intelligent, and surprisingly funny. I hadn’t been aware of Linn Ullmann before, but after receiving messages from people praising her work, I…
Children of Dune by Frank Herbert
This is the third book of the Dune series! It very much focuses on the next generation of the Atreides dynasty and the challenges of dynastic rule. How to revive…
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…
Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench
This was a really great read that I hoovered up. I actually listened to it in audio, which was a really great way to appreciate Shakespeare’s language! Judi herself reads…
The Invisible Man by H.G Wells
My final February read to review, this short novel by H.G Wells was an interesting look at that famous childhood wish: to be invisible. It’s published in 1897. The narrator’s…
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…