What a cracking work of fiction. Hands down my most enjoyable read of the year so far. Hamnet is a fictionalised account of the death of William Shakespeare’s son. Clearly I wasn’t listening at school, because I had never known that Shakespeare had three children (a girl and then a twin boy and girl) and that […]
May
08
There Was Still Love by Favel Parrett
posted by Ms K
This is The Indie Book Awards 2020 Book of the Year so attention needs to be paid. The list of fans of There Was Still Love, and indeed anything written by the author, is as long as it is wide and I see why. She is a beautiful storyteller. I admit I read this one […]
April
26
A Thousand Moons by Sebastian Barry
posted by Ms A
It’s the aftermath of the Civil War in Tennessee and “the time is so dangerous that the law is barely possible”. An Indian girl named Winona is living on a farm with two soldiers who adopted her, their landlord and two recently emancipated black slaves. Released in March, A Thousand Moons is the latest from […]
April
11
Stoner by John Williams
posted by Ms A
I’m not sure I can explain to you how much I loved this book. Surely the most pure, quiet and understated work of fiction I have read in a long time. Stoner was first published in 1965 with no fanfare. Fifty years later, it was discovered by the general public and became a bestseller across […]
April
07
Adults by Emma Jane Unsworth
posted by Ms K
What a great time to be a book lover! For those of us who can think of nothing better than being forced to stay indoors and read, well, this crazy new Covid 19 reality is heaven on a stick. My bedside table is piled high with new, fresh, delicious reads because leaving the house for […]
February
27
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
posted by Ms K
Well hasn’t this book caused quite the stir for all the wrong reasons. Before I get into that gumf, my message is simple – READ THIS PLEASE – because American Dirt is one hell of a book and Jeanine Cummins is one hell of a writer. The story is about Mexican woman Lydia and her […]
January
26
The Topeka School by Ben Lerner
posted by Ms A
I’ll admit it, I found this book a challenge. I would go so far as to say it is the trickiest book I’ve read in years. Swinging between fact and fiction and jumping forward and back in time, reading The Topeka School was the most exercise I did all holiday. The Topeka School is the […]
