“Better By Far” by Hazel Hayes
With her second book, Hazel Hayes has proven that her first hit was no fluke and cemented herself as a beautifully poetic writer with the skill to cut to the centre of her characters' emotions. And while it might feel at first glance that her second story might be retreading the path of her first, it is soon revealed that this time, she is going far, far deeper.
“A Guilty Secret” by Philippa East
With her latest novel, Philippa East has cemented herself as a master of the domestic, character-driven thriller. With a plot that keeps the reader guessing, “A Guilty Secret” is another wonderful exploration of what happens when our traumas catch up with us.
New Release Announcement: “A Far Better Thing”
The new novel from Thomas H. Brand, A Far Better Thing, will be coming out in the next couple of months. Keep your eyes open for pre-release announcements!
“The Guest List” by Lucy Foley
The Guest List is a book that didn’t grab me at first. In fact, for the first few chapters, I thought I was in for an excruciating read. But once the character introductions are out of the way, Foley gives us a fast-paced web of a story that is almost impossible to put down.
“Is Monogamy Dead?” by Rosie Wilby
Is Monogamy Dead? is a bit of a strange creature. But anyone who believes in questioning the status quo or feels they haven't managed to work out what they want from their relationships could do a lot worse than to pick this up.
“Emotionally Weird” by Kate Atkinson
I love Kate Atkinson’s work and have done since I first read Life After Life. But Emotionally Weird is a strange creature. I honestly can’t say I enjoyed it, as the plot and characters go nowhere. But if you’re a fan of hers, it’s fascinating to see how the ideas from his book would fuel her later (much better) work.
“I’ll Never Tell” by Philippa East
In my review of Philippa East's previous novel, “Safe and Sound”, I said I thought it was a big improvement on her debut. And I'm happy to say her follow-up, “I'll Never Tell”, proves that this improvement was no fluke by being a fast-paced thriller I could barely put down.
“A Perfect Explanation” by Eleanor Anstruther
A Perfect Explanation is an obvious passion project for the author, detailing her own family history. But the problem with true stories is they often lack the narrative and characters that make fiction engaging, and the problem with family history is that it is rarely interesting outside of your own family. And by honouring the truth, Anstruther's obvious talent is unable to overcome these issues.
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” was recommended to me by a friend as one of those books that you just have to read. And while it’s an engaging story and very well written, I felt something was missing. Something I only figured out once I got to the end.
"Queenie" by Candice Carty-Williams
Queenie is one of those books I picked up because of an undefinable sense that I needed to read it. I didn’t know anything about it or Carty-Williams, other than that a number of people had listed Queenie in their must-read lists over the last couple of years. And boy, reading it was the right choice.
“Can I Stray” by Jenna Adams
With her debut novel, Jenna Adams takes us right back to the insecurities and struggles of adolescence. And once I reached the halfway point, I literally sat up into the early hours and finished the second half in one single sitting.
“Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro
It's been a long time since I picked up a book that hit me so hard as this one. It took me a while to really get hooked, but by the end I literally could not put it down.
“Piranesi” by Susanna Clarke
A beautifully written book that gives little away at the start yet lays the perfect amount of breadcrumbs to keep you reading. But depending on your taste for literary fiction, I can’t say it would be everyone’s cup of tea.
“Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality” by Dr. Julia Shaw
As a straight, white man, nothing is quite as useful as finding the perfect resource to open my eyes to things outside my own experience. “Bi: The Hidden Culture, History and Science of Bisexuality” is a book everyone should read, no matter their sexuality.
“The Remains of the Day” by Kazuo Ishiguro
Sometimes a “classic” is only a classic because uptight literary snobs have decreed it so. Other times, a novel becomes a classic because it tells a universal story that manages to be both readable and universally relatable. “The Remains of the Day” is the latter.
“The Science of Storytelling” by Will Storr
I was recommended Will Storr's The Science of Storytelling as a book on writing. And while it did indeed leave me with a better understanding of storytelling, I wasn't expecting it to be accompanied by an existential crisis.
“The Shadow in the Glass” by J.J.A. Harwood
This was a book with a lot going for it. But where we were promised a dark, inverted twist on Cinderella, we're left with a story that ends on a flat, disappointing note.
“Deserter” by Junji Ito
You can always trust that any collection of stories by Junji Ito will be a wonderfully creepy and creative experience. And with this collection of some of his earlier works, The Deserter does not disappoint.