I actually really enjoyed this one! I say “actually” as I wasn’t sure about the blurb (another 30-something London breakup story). But, infuriating as he can be, I actually loved…
Queen Macbeth by Val McDermid
This little book reimagines what happens to the Macbeths after the end of the play, how Lady (Queen) Macbeth is coping in hiding. (Obviously I’m in some sort of Shakespeare…
Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell
Finally got round to reading this one! I sort of knew I would love it, but maybe also part of me was worried that I wouldn’t?! But I needn’t have…
1606: Shakespeare and the Year of Lear by James Shapiro
This is a relatively academic book with lots of close reading, but the chapters are well-organised and engaging, so it’s also a fun read for anyone who likes Shakespeare and…
The Home by Penelope Mortimer
My second Penelope Mortimer novel in a short time, and I think I enjoyed this more than The Pumpkin Eater. There are similar themes here, but this book is less…
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie
A story about a life that starts auspiciously on the 15th of August, 1947, the day of Indian independence; Saleem’s life is wrapped up in his country’s history from day…
The Cost of Living by Deborah Levy
Started with #2 of a trilogy and have no regrets: this is part of her “living memoir” series. There are some lovely vignettes here that explore different aspects of divorce…
Odd Girl Out by Elizabeth Jane Howard
My first novel from this writer, I was reminded of other writers such as Margaret Drabble, Iris Murdoch etc. But maybe that’s unfair to Howard’s originality! It was very easy…
Sleep No More by P.D James
A great collection of six short stories from a master crime writer! I’m an avid short story reader, but these murderous tales are especially good. There’s just something about a…
Mr Atherstone Leaves the Stage by Richard Whittington-Egan
I finished this book, but honestly I wouldn’t recommend it. I respect the research and I know a lot more about Battersea’s grisly Victorian & Edwardian murders. There’s a few…
Gertrude and Claudius by John Updike
I’m a sucker for a Shakespeare connection, so I loved the idea of exploring Hamlet’s mother’s perspective as she marries Hamlet’s father and then, after his death, quickly marries her…
Clock Without Hands by Carson McCullers
This was a great book that took you on a journey that felt both profound and deeply connected to the ways in which ignorance, racism, and fear permeate small communities….
Ask Me About My Uterus by Abby Norman
I’ve read a few of these medical memoir/survival story/gyno pain narratives. It’s a weird thing to say you enjoy, but I do. It’s a really interesting and informative topic to…
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
I was feeling sick and miserable and wanted a quick and easy read. And this delivered. This is a really well-paced locked room (island) mystery set during an island wedding….
The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright
This isn’t written so long ago, but some of it felt “of its time”, especially when it came to describing people’s bodies. I also didn’t like some of the characters….
The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura
I read this pretty much in a day! It’s one of those “atmosphere” short novels that leaves a taste in your mouth, or an impression, but without a clear sense…
The Children of Jocasta by Natalie Haynes
Think you know the story of Oedipus? Think again! Here we have Jocasta’s and her daughter’s point of view of the shocking and gruesome tale. And in fact, this book…
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
I was very curious to see where this book was going – and it was another book that’s been hyped up on social media recently. It’s honestly an engaging and…
A Life’s Work by Rachel Cusk
Reading this, I’m reminded how much I like Rachel Cusk’s writing. There is something very raw and relatable in all her books. This is a claustrophobic post-partum memoir where Cusk…
The Haunting of Alma Fielding by Kate Summerscale
Kate is a fab non-fiction writer; I loved The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, so picking this up from the library was a no-brainer! And I wolfed this one down… The…
Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel
Set mainly in Mexico City, this is a book about two friends and their different and changing views on motherhood. Will embarking on the journey of motherhood change everything? How…
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
Another read that I had been anticipating: Keegan’s novella did not disappoint. It’s a really satisfying well-paced narrative that totally transports you to its pre-Christmas atmosphere: tired, fraught, social, yet…
The Shooting Party by Isabel Colegate
Edwardian country house. An October shooting party. Lovers and spouses. Upstairs/downstairs drama. Eccentric children. A wandering philosopher. Village gossip. Poaching. A duck. Put all of these together and you get…
The Guest by Emma Cline
Heady, panicky, dripping with the unseemly trappings of wealth and privilege, this book follows Alex as she tries to infiltrate a rich community over the course of a few sultry…
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan
First off, my first McEwan, which feels overdue! Secondly, I love the atmosphere in this novel. The descriptions of the Oxford countryside, the very concise descriptions of young people struggling…
What Writers Read by Pandora Sykes
Perfect little treat for book lovers like me (us). A very impressive rosta of writers share their favourite books, and there’s a real mix of entries! Some are serious, some…
The House of Odysseus by Claire North
I practically hoover up these Greek and Roman retellings from different (often women or Gods or mythical character) perspectives, and Claire North is no different. This is the second book…
A Severed Head by Iris Murdoch
Oh Iris Murdoch. Her novel A Severed Head took me on a journey! What starts off as a rather conventional social novel set in London, where its townhouses act like…
Night Walks by Charles Dickens
A wonderful premise, this is a collection of stories, essays, and observations written under the guise of Dickens’s insomniac walking around London. Not so much an article of psychological self-exploration,…
The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto
I’d heard the hype around Yoshimoto’s book Kitchen, so was excited to give this author a try! The writing is exquisite, I love the character, and the set-up is great…
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
A book I was probably “pushed” to read after seeing it a lot on people’s lists, grids etc. Which is always a tough place to start from, as you’re very…
A Month in Siena by Hisham Matar
My kind of travel memoir where the personal intertwines with travel, art, and politics. It’s a short book that I feel like anyone would enjoy, but my heightened interest in…
A Moth to the Flame by Stig Dagerman
This was a tough read, in the sense that it’s dark, it took me awhile to read, and the prose is dense, despite it being a relatively short book. Could…
The Driver’s Seat by Muriel Spark
I’ve obviously heard a lot about Muriel Spark before, and weirdly, this is actually my first read! Still got The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie on my tbr pile. This…
Elizabeth of York by Alison Weir
I pretty much love any historical non-fiction book by Alison Weir, so I was in my element here. Especially as we are talking about a biography of a Tudor woman!…
Ghost Moth by Michèle Forbes
Ghost Moth is set in 1949 and 1969 Belfast. It’s a concise novel with a central “mystery” at the heart of it. I don’t think that’s its driving force, but…
Love, Pamela by Pamela Anderson
This was honestly amazing! The sort of memoir that takes you all over the world, and I loved the poetry and philosophy interludes. It’s fascinating to see behind a cultural…
Zeus is a Dick by Susie Donkin
I think we can all agree on that one… Now, I read pretty much anything I can get my hands on when it comes to Greek myths, so books like…
Blaming by Elizabeth Taylor
Not my favourite Elizabeth Taylor novel, but not a bad read. It’s her last novel and has a slightly elegiac tone, but generally it’s just another one of her bitingly…
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Well, this is pretty epic, but you’re already expecting that with a Kingsolver novel! I find her novels easy to read despite their length, and the pacing is excellent. I’ve…
The Agüero Sisters by Cristina García
For lovers of magic realism, this is a beautiful story of sisters, desire, family, Cuba, and nature. I devoured this book on holiday and felt totally immersed in its world….
The Pumpkin Eater by Penelope Mortimer
So, this was an interesting, punchy book! Love discovering a new writer like Penelope Mortimer: this was my first read from her. The Pumpkin Eater tracks the internal musings and…
Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen
Three books in one, Tove Ditlevsen’s Copenhagen trilogy was a revelation! A well-known Danish poet and writer, Ditlevsen tracks her life growing up in Copenhagen, grafting, writing, and figuring out…
Sweet Home by Wendy Erskine
Short stories: yay or nay? This is my second collection of short stories from Wendy Erskine and I’m hooked. (This is her first collection, but I started with her 2nd…
Swimming Home by Deborah Levy
This recent read was one of those “I know I should be enjoying it more but I just can’t get into it” ones. Maybe I just wasn’t in the right…