The first title read from my 10 Books of Summer list, Heather Rose’s extraordinary novel is set against the backdrop of one of the greatest art events in modern history.
Historical Fiction
BOOK REVIEW: Barnhill: A Novel
I share my thoughts on Norman Bissell’s fictionalised retelling of a crucial period in George Orwell’s life.
THOUGHTS ON: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Written with warmth and humour as a series of letters, this novel appeared in my life when most needed.
THE CLASSICS CLUB: Alias Grace
Based on the true story of one of the most enigmatic and notorious women of the 1840s, Margaret Atwood has created an extraordinarily potent tale of sexuality, cruelty and mystery.
BOOK REVIEW: The Cake Tree in the Ruins
A necessarily brief review (I’m posting this from a sandy beach in Cyprus) of a dark but inventive short story collection set on 15th August 1945 – the day Japan surrendered and the Second World War formerly ended.
BOOK REVIEW: Where the World Ends
In the summer of 1727, a party of men and boys are put ashore on a remote sea stac to harvest birds for food. No one returns to collect them. How will they survive?
BOOK REVIEW: Home is Nearby
Magdalena McGuire’s debut novel is a vivid and intimate exploration of a young woman’s struggle to find her place in the world.
BOOK REVIEW: The Silence of the Girls
From the Booker Prize-winning author of Regeneration and one of our greatest contemporary writers on war comes a reimagining of the most famous conflict in literature – the legendary Trojan War.
BOOK REVIEW: Bottled Goods
Set in 1970s communist Romania, this novella-in-flash draws upon magic realism to weave a tale of everyday troubles in an authoritarian state.
BOOK REVIEW: The Great Believers
A powerful novel of friendship and redemption in the face of tragedy and loss set in 1980s Chicago and contemporary Paris.
BOOK REVIEW: Song Castle
Song Castle is an exuberant caper through 12th-century Wales in the company of poets and musicians from all corners of the known world as they gather to compete for a permanent place at a Welsh Prince’s table.
BOOK REVIEW: Swan Song
A deft, dazzling, diligently researched debut about a literary icon and his beautiful, wealthy, spoiled Swans.
BOOK REVIEW: White Houses
The story of an unexpected and forbidden love affair that developed between America’s First Lady and a well-known female journalist.
BOOK REVIEW: The Second Winter
Craig Larsen’s novel is a harrowing tale of survival in desperate circumstances. It will undoubtedly appeal to readers of gritty noir wartime thrillers.
THOUGHTS ON: Burmese Days
George Orwell’s 1934 novel is a tale from the waning days of British colonialism, when Burma was ruled from Delhi as a part of British India.
BOOK REVIEW: The House of Impossible Beauties
Cassara’s novel follows the often complicated lives of several homogeneous characters from House of Xtravaganza, one of the most famous and enduring ‘drag houses’ of New York.
BOOK REVIEW: Walking Wounded
Walking Wounded is a brilliantly crafted, often harrowing, powerfully intense piece of work, which deserves to win awards.
THOUGHTS ON: Ru
At 162 pages, Ru is a short but intense potpourri of vignettes – powerful, superbly realized and well worth reading.
BOOK REVIEW: The Tattooist of Auschwitz
In late 1942, when Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov passed through the most notorious gates in modern history, he was a healthy, bright, outgoing young man with a penchant for the company of women.
THOUGHTS ON: Life After Life
It is difficult to know how to define Life After Life, Kate Atkinson’s 2013 Costa Book Award winning novel.
