I pulled a muscle getting this book off the shelf and put my life on hold whilst reading it. Set over 300 years, tracking mankind’s relentless and ignorant assault on the world’s great forests, Barkskins is the Sistine Chapel of novels. Grand in scale, lofty in its ambitions; this is not a poolside read – […]
Author Archives: Ms A
June
01
The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
posted by Ms A
Siblings come with an innate sense of fairness. It starts with ice cream but extends to everything from who gets the most time with Grandma, help with homework, pocket money or lifts to school. Dammit in my household, I get in trouble for misallocating the length of my hugs. Now I’m no mathematician but surely sibling management […]
May
04
Fever At Dawn by Peter Gardos
posted by Ms A
I was not prepared for how much I would love this book. So quiet and unassuming, I shudder to think how easily I could have missed it. Peter Gardos (who is actually a Hungarian filmmaker) tells the true story of how his parents met and found love at the end of WWII. To be fair, […]
April
15
Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi
posted by Ms A
Helen Oyeyemi is a bit of a British literary indie sensation with awards left, right and centre and an ability to interview as beautifully as she writes. Just Google her and you will see what I mean. Suffice to say, I had to read one of her books to see what all the fuss was […]
March
28
The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood
posted by Ms A
Apologies in advance to all the Margaret Atwood fans out there and to the beautiful friend who gave me a copy of her latest book. This review isn’t pretty. After just finishing The Heart Goes Last (a massive personal achievement that cannot be understated) I am getting off the Atwood express and calling for a worldwide derailment. […]
March
03
Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff
posted by Ms A
Who’d have thought Barak Obama’s favourite book of 2015 would start with a sex scene? I’m talking about a green bikini, sand dunes and a couple of newlyweds – literally first page. Beyond the beach, Fates and Furies is contemporary literature at its best with language that is original, multi-layered and downright clever. Add characters that are strong, […]
February
23
Never Mind by Edward St Aubyn
posted by Ms A
I’m suspicious of the word “masterpiece” on the cover of a book. Just like the word miracle on a moisturiser, I should know better by now. In this case I was persuaded by a trusted and highly enthusiastic assistant at one of my favourite bookshops. I don’t want to name names but I am pretty sure […]
February
01
One Life (My Mother’s Story) by Kate Grenville
posted by Ms A
This is the story of Nance Russell – Kate Grenville’s much adored mother who died in 2002. Grenville wrote this memoir of Nance’s life based on notes, diary entries and letters she found years after her death. She writes “My mother wasn’t the sort of person biographies are usually written about….Just the same, I think […]
January
22
The Dust that Falls from Dreams by Louis de Bernieres
posted by Ms A
I still remember reading Captain Corelli’s Mandolin and the way it swept my young and sentimental heart away. Poor Louis de Bernieres must feel under so much pressure to match it and people like me are probably not helping. Lucky for him, he is a beautiful storyteller, detailed researcher and a lot of people will adore this book. The […]
December
27
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
posted by Ms A
This is the first book I have ever read with its own Instagram account. I stumbled on it after I’d finished all 800 pages and got a glimpse into the cult status the novel now has, particularly in the USA. A Little Life is bleak, emotionally demanding fiction but it is also a page turning […]
Readhead 