I loved Memorial so was eager to read this one. It has similar ingredients that I loved: a Houston setting that feels ethnically diverse with Korean-American families & gay characters authentically portrayed, & food as a motif. I loved how Cam & TJ make space for themselves & their (found) families. It felt slower & more downbeat with casual sex, drug use & grief. I enjoyed Memorial more but this is complex & accomplished w trademark raw honesty.

I loved this sweeping novel about family & friendship. At its heart is the mystery of the disappearance of Martin‘s wife, Cecilia. Rich with art & literature references, intricate as we follow Martin from youth to present day & full of Gothenburg & Antibes atmosphere. Complex characters & thought-provoking re Cecilia‘s absence. Erudite like The Hummingbird & compulsive as the Ferrante novels. Loved the satire of the (failing) art monster.

A great exposé of how the super-rich and corrupt politicians avoid tax and the countries who help them. Bankers, lawyers, real estate agents and the tax haven bureaucrats turn a blind eye as they take commissions on dirty transactions. The scale of offshore wealth is disturbing. Well-written & relevant to much of what‘s happening in the world today.

A good flight read. Pitched as miss Marple meets Succession. I would say it‘s more Succession meets SoHo House with a Fyre Festival vibe. Like reading breathless vanity Fair article. But well done & full of knowing details that feel authentic & evoke the world of Annabel‘s, SoHo House & those exclusive hotels in the forests of England. I enjoyed the fly on the wall feel but the characters were hard to like.

Beautifully written story of a Ghanaian-British young man coming of age in London. A sense of yearning & melancholy pervades the book as his life is touched by violence, racism & grief. He cautiously embraces moments of comfort, friendships & the joy in music & dancing. Poetic & compassionate, a little slow for me but authentic & full of insights & heart.

I thoroughly enjoyed this third book in the series. Great plotting, engaging characters and Osman‘s dry sense of humour. A cosy, comforting read with a fun puzzle to keep you guessing. Skilfully done. I highly recommend if you like murder mysteries with a British sensibility.

Excellent. A biography of George Orwell‘s wife Eileen that challenges our view of his treatment of her, the role of wives (or artists) in history and the form a biography can take. I love Funder‘s clean prose and her clarity of thought. She includes fictional vignettes that are imagined based on Eileen‘s letters & source documents. She explicitly brings it into the modern day with reflections on her own experience. Great for book clubs.

I really enjoyed this. It‘s beautifully conceived, thoughtful and pacey. I was invested in the characters so kept turning the pages to see what happened to them. I loved how Nović integrated sign language and the story was immersed in deaf culture. It‘s drawn from her lived experience so feels authentic rather than tokenistic. Whilst there‘s a ‘message‘ it‘s not too preachy & made me think. The closure of special schools is topical in Oz now too.

I love Orhan Pamuk‘s work so this was an auto-buy for me, but I can‘t finish it. The long sections of (partly made up) history feel remote and the characters wooden. It‘s set on a fictional island, Mingheria, so has elements of fantasy that I found hard to connect to and lacks the sense of place usually strong in Pamuk‘s work. And I don‘t want to read about plagues & quarantines. I like the playful tone but It‘s 680 pages so I had to make a call.

A compulsive suspense novel, I couldn‘t put this down. Tightly written, Emma cline gives wonderful (but minimal, carefully selected) details of life in the Hampton among the wealthy holiday-makers. Told from the point of view of Alex, who doesn‘t belong and is an unreliable narrator, gives it an edge. Cline has created a protagonist who is dishonest & unliveable but interesting: you care what happens to her. A great, stylish holiday read.

I loved this. Great story-telling with characters who feel real. You care what happens to them even though they‘re flawed and often cranky. I really enjoyed the dry wit. Herron is masterful in writing funny one-liners & comical situations that stay above farce. Sophisticated writing that doesn‘t take itself too seriously. Great ear for dialogue and sense of place - the un-flashy parts of London where Slough House operates. Escapist, smart and fun.

I really enjoyed this. A world history using trade routes as the thread pulling it together (so to speak 😉). It put a lot of events into context for me (eg the birth of various religions ; WW1; 9/11). While still Anglo and UK centred he also draws on non-white sources to give a wider perspective on many issues. It shows the effects of imperialism eg re oil. Engaging & well written, he has a good sense of narrative so it reads like a story.

I loved this and kept wanting to get back to it when I wasn‘t reading. The prose is so clean and there‘s something about the intimate, fly-on-the-wall style that makes you feel close to the characters. I was invested and cared what happened to each of them, which gave the story tension. I loved the ‘relay‘ style passing from one character to the next. Thoughtful and on point. Beautifully explores both the state of our society & relationships.

Beautifully written with rhythm and musicality. I could feel the sea air and loved the eccentric characters. A slow burn. Deserving of its Booker long listing. Love to know what others thought of this one! Our discussion is up now on Books On The Go pod. 🎧

A brilliant book about Rudi Vrba‘s escape from Auschwitz with Fred Wetzler and their attempt to tell the world about the Final Solution. Highly engaging despite the harrowing material, I could not put this down. Gives a sense of the Europe-wide nature of the program & the deception & secrecy involved. And humans‘ refusal to believe even when told. Our discussion up now on Books On The Go 🎧.

Loved this Australian novel. Beautifully written in vivid, spare prose. Complex characters in artist Frances and larger than life ‘art royalty‘ Clem, their relationship has echoes of Sylvia Plath/Ted Hughes or Celia Paul/Lucien Freud. It has an Australian sensibility - earthy, fresh & direct. A knowing & satirical insight into the glittering art world of Sydney rings true & contrasts with Frances‘ quiet work in the hills. Recommended.

I enjoyed this collection of stories. They feel personal, which makes them more intriguing. Exquisite on music, slightly problematic on women (still portrayed as objects of desire or not rather than equals, friends or colleagues) but always interesting. I love his easy, conversational writing style & the way it turns from mundane to dreamy & raises questions about human nature. The sense of curiosity and love of music & baseball are endearing.

A brilliant, epic novel. Beautifully written with such an engaging voice & rich story, I could not put this down. It‘s a relief to read a book that whilst it does address an ‘issue‘ (in this case, poverty & the opioid crisis) is more interested in telling you a great story with memorable characters who you care about & who stay in your mind after you finish reading. A perfect mix of subject & author as Kingsolver lives in Appalachia. Loved it.

I love Shirley Hazzard and re-read this for the Books On The Go podcast. A beautiful novel, it reminded me why I love her work. She was an erudite & astute writer. Elegant prose, clear & rational as she reveals a character‘s thought process - & illuminates the ways humans act, the nature of desire & effects of war - but also poetic. Rich details of HK & Japan and great sense of time & place. Interesting love story reads differently today.

A stunning collection of poems that you‘ll want to re-read. The first section addresses her father‘s illness & death and is honest, unflinching and beautiful. Other poems look at relationships & life in Italy, America, Morocco. I loved the feel of travelling, her ability to convey much with one or two observations & the clear language. Unshowy, elegant and fresh.

I really enjoyed this. Crewe gives us an intimate look at the lives of two men in 1894 England who challenge the status quo. Told in beautiful, assured prose, I loved the feel of being London during this time, with all the sounds, smells & textures. Frank & sensual, it shows different ways of living & how oppressive society was especially for women & the laws against homosexuality. Love endures despite this, in poignant scenes that resonate today.

A good murder mystery set on a cruise ship & described as Christie-esque, but I didn‘t love it. I can see the comparisons: the setting & some plot points follow Christie‘s style, but it lacks her humour. I think I didn‘t quite believe that Lena would be so gullible as to sail to NYC & spend every moment on the ship with a rich family she‘s never met. And the ending didn‘t seem believable. But there was lots to enjoy & interesting issues raised.

A fun, feminist re-telling of the myth of Medusa. Natalie Haynes is an expert on the Classics intimately & her deep knowledge infuses & enriches the story but is worn lightly. She pokes fun at Perseus who beheaded Medusa only after much help from the Gods. The writing is warm & engaging. The god(desse)s come to life & we see them with fresh eyes. Successfully weaves different strands & myths together to reach the tragic conclusion.

My first Ann Cleves. This was a slow burn but I really liked it by the end. The time we spend with the characters & landscape pays off as they feel real & I was invested in them as the mystery took shape. I‘ve heard Cleves doesn‘t plot so I wonder if that‘s why the book starts gently & doesn‘t feel like it has a strong direction until part-way through. The community & relationships rang true. A satisfying read.

Great, pacey story of a marriage that is shaken when a woman dies near their house. Their loyalty to each other as soulmates is tested & each revelation about the past changes how we see them now. Masterfully done with twists & turns & a wry sense of humour. I couldn‘t pot it down.

This did not work for me. It felt over-explained (eg the first scene in a spaceship at pains to tell us it‘s in the future) & preaching the message that books are good & can be life-changing. Action slowly unfolds in nicely written scenes with no dramatic tension. Favours written books over oral story-telling traditions. Ending felt contrived. Too earnest for my taste. Many have loved it so don‘t let me put you off. 😉

A good debut novel set in Cabramatta, Sydney. This area has a large Vietnamese refugee community & had a heroin epidemic in the 90s. Lien grew up there so her characters & sense of place feel authentic, w rich details that come from lived experience. She shows the parents‘ trauma & children caught between 2 cultures, facing pressure to succeed & racism. The story around Denny‘s murder lacked tension for me, but a great insight & slice of life.

A great re-telling of the myth of Troy. Stephen Fry brings the gods and goddesses to life with great humour, knowledge and sense of story-telling. One of the reasons the myths endure & continue to resonate is the human traits the god(desse)s display & this is wonderfully exemplified by Fry‘s books. (Zeus & Hera as a fiesty married couple are my faves). I recommend them all on audio too as he narrates them. A fun, informative read.

Brilliant and comprehensive biography of a legendary playwright. Lee gives a real sense of Tom Stoppard including his late discovery of his Jewish roots and understanding of his privilege growing up in England. There is great detail of the plays (some of which I skimmed as I‘m not familiar with them all), humorous anecdotes & a sense of a vital, hardworking, witty & generous man who wears his status lightly.

An insight into the protests and conflict in Ukraine in 2014, a precursor to the current war. The tension felt by people who are loyal to their community but their friends & family may not want an independent Ukraine or to be part of Europe. The trauma inflicted on the Donbas region for example. Also the preparedness for war, which reads sadly now. Interesting collection of personal stories.

A fun and thought-provoking read. (Of course ideally it would be better to see it on stage). I loved the wordplay, the sense of character & how Stoppard achieves this in just a few lines & the scope it gives for the reader (audience) to find meaning in it. To me it was asking if our lives are pre-determined, or how much we make our own fate, & what is the point of life. Much humour, a satirical take on Hamlet & theatre, & poignant moments.

I really enjoyed this. Mandel weaves different stories together from 1912 to a future where humans live on the moon. Her writing is so fluid & economical, in just a few lines she places you in the scene, you want to know what happens next. The characters feel real, I cared about them. A reflection on humans‘ desire for connection & a dystopic future but she has a light touch. Didn‘t love the sci fi parts (but that‘s just me).

I adored this trilogy. Beautiful, lush, historical fiction. This one is set in China in the lead-up to the Opium Wars. Great characters & rich, propulsive story told with warmth from Bengal, Indian & Chinese perspectives. A real insight into the time. Evokes the colours, food & mix of cultures in Canton as a thriving port city. A wonderful immersive read.

Didn‘t love. Topical & a realistic view of India & the ambiguity of loving & struggling with it at the same time. But it felt like an ‘issue‘ book re the treatment of women, honour killings & religious persecution. Smita is a whiny brat, her story doesn‘t ring true, the tone is pessimistic & the style overwrought for me. The ending is sentimental.

A beautiful novel set in 1970s Belfast during the Troubles. Warm & engaging despite the tense atmosphere of Belfast at the time. Real, authentic characters with a dry sense of humour. In understated prose Kennedy explores violence, the ripple effects of trauma, religion & the treatment of women, but the love story sings. Recommended.

I really enjoyed this lighthearted murder mystery set in Shoreham and Aberdeen. Engaging, diverse characters, humour & golden age crime references and a puzzle that kept me guessing. I lost track if the bookish clues but loved the premise of a 90 year old murder consultant & being in the company of the four main characters. A fun, witty read.

A quiet story of a woman‘s life in rural Indiana & the radium factory girls. Spare prose, not overwritten. Warm & compassionate without being sentimental: you feel the ripple effects of the radium poisoning by what is not said & the emotional impact comes from Zorrie‘s stoicism & resilience. Subtle but beautiful.

The story of a serial killer on death row and the women caught up in his crimes. This was excellent. I couldn‘t put it down. Our sympathies switch as we hear from each character & the countdown to his execution builds suspense. Beautifully written, it reads as a literary novel but has some crime elements & plenty of tension. Much to discuss, it‘s a good one for book club.

A story of love and friendship between two men and their families, especially the father-son relationship. I loved the honesty and the real, flawed characters struggling to belong in two cultures and make good choices. It was a little slow for me but I appreciated his sensitive handling of fragile material and emotions. An intimate fly-on-the-wall experience rather than a plot-driven story.

I loved this classic novel from 1930s Soviet Russia. The Devil comes to Moscow & we follow his mischief & the lives of the literati & theatre managers whose lives are upended as well as a philosopher & his mistress. It‘s fun, absurd & satirical but also says much about living in a dictatorship & the impact of religion.

I loved this novel about a family in Dorset between the wars. It‘s an English sensibility with a setting to match. I loved the warmth, Cristabel the strong, independent main character & the coastal atmosphere. Slightly hyper-real but believable characters & a fresh, tender take on WW2, reminded me of Sarah Winman & All The Light We Cannot See. Immersive, enjoyable & compassionate without being too sentimental.

A strong, thought-provoking novel. I had mixed feelings. I loved the characters of Ed and Jim & the punchy, smart writing. But the satirical, flippant tone - whilst deliberate - jarred & distanced me from the story. There were speculative elements that I didn‘t get on with, again because it was far-fetched so I wasn‘t connected & didn‘t care about the characters. But I appreciate the issues may be too horrific to deal with straightforwardly.

I loved this book. It centres around Marco & his family. I loved the eccentricities, the sense of irony and the feeling of being in Italy. The flavour & sensibility of the story felt Italian even though I was reading in translation. The characters felt real (but the granddaughter who was exaggerated) with quirks & flaws. Some have thought the ending sugary but I was all in & moved by it. A layered, immersive read, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I enjoyed the sense of Paris in the 1920s, lucid writing (& translation) and depiction of female friendship. It gives a great insight into the expectations of society for girls and women of the time. Knowing it‘s inspired real events, it gives a sense of de Beauvoir‘s formative years. It didn‘t move me greatly but a strong novella with the texture of its time & place.

A sumptuous novel but too long for me. I like O‘Farrell‘s crafting of characters & warm, lyrical writing. She sets a scene well & captures nuanced moments between characters. But it lacked suspense (we know the ending), the scenes where he treats her badly didn‘t feel surprising & the English sensibility put me at a distance, instead of being immersed in Italy.

A compulsive read. Franzen does dysfunctional families well. I enjoyed the propulsive writing, sense of humour & the depth of characters with their flaws & attempts to redeem themselves. The prose is rich, knowing & textured but focuses on story & characters rather than feeling showy. The addiction parts had echoes of DFW (but doesn‘t soar like his work). A white perspective on religion & Native American issues. I didn‘t warm to the family.

This was a little too far-fetched and silly for me but a fun read. I like Allingham‘s characters, wit and observations re English behaviour and sensibility.

An excellent mystery. I love the classic Poirot stories with a hotel or old house setting and range of suspects. Again it‘s brilliantly plotted with a interesting solution. I love the lightness of the prose and sense of humour. She does not try to overcomplicate it, Poirot is such a great character & the fun is in watching him solve the mystery. A satisfying read.

I loved this epic novel set in Mussolini‘s Italy and 1940s Hollywood. Rich, textured prose & larger than life characters make it compulsive reading. The settings are brought to life with a mix of realism & nostalgia. I loved the energy, the strong women & sense of humour. A fun, generous book. Highly recommended.

I enjoyed this sumptuous historical novel, though it was ambitious in the stories it merged and its sheer length. The characters came to life with lively story-telling & it gives a behind-the-scenes feel for how D H Lawrence, Jackie Kennedy & J Edgar Hoover operated. The obscenity trial scenes were propulsive & dramatic. Some plot points seemed unlikely but Macleod gives motive to her characters so it feels real. An immersive, layered story.