Little Nothings, by Julie Mayhew

This gripping thriller had me hooked from the first few pages… If you’re looking for a happy book about the joys of female friendship and motherhood, then step away from this book!

Little Nothings is told from Liv’s viewpoint and tells the tale of Liv and her close friends, Beth and Binnie. This book is loaded with drama and tension, and it explores the different personality traits of the characters over the perfect summer holiday, with flashbacks to help build a real history of each relationship. We switch between a life changing trip to the idyllic Greek Isles, and how these group of friends came together…

The three ladies began their friendship whilst attending a baby and toddler group and bonded over a feeling of not belonging within the cliques of their group. Alongside their children and partners, these women form a tight friendship, riding the waves of the ups and downs of life together. 

Then, along comes Ange: a competitive, wealthy, and fascinating character who completely takes over as Queen Bee and really shakes the group up! Ange appears to have it all, yet somehow seems very insecure. As Beth and Binnie fight to keep up with Ange and her aspirations - like bigger houses, better restaurants, and expensive wardrobes - Liv is gradually edged out, unable to keep up with expensive habits. 

As we continue to follow the group’s holiday, orchestrated by Ange, we start to see just how true the saying ‘keep your friends close & your enemies closer’ can be.

I felt I could really relate to all of these women but Liv especially. She is very complex and has always struggled with making friends, but she feels ever so ‘normal’ to me as a reader and always says what a lot of us are thinking! Beth and Binnie, however, are more happy-go-lucky, and very likeable. I felt very sorry for Liv at times, and it was hard to read, but I couldn’t help but fly through this book!

Thrillers aren’t the normal genre I would pick; however, this story was intriguing, thought provoking, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. My only regret is that I wish I hadn’t raced to the end of the book. The ending was underwhelming and felt slightly rushed after all of the suspense and drama that continues to build throughout the book. Little Nothings is an ideal summer read but I imagine it would be just as enjoyable in the winter months, dreaming of the summer sun in Corfu.

Julie Mayhew has written several other books, plays, and TV dramas, and I will certainly be looking forward to trying another one.

- Kate @kate.silverton / @the.lockdown.mumma

Hardback, £14.99

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The Paper Palace, by Miranda Cowley Heller

This is such a beautiful book; a remarkable debut by Miranda Cowley Heller. It tells the story of Elle Bishop and the many secrets she has been forced to keep throughout her life.

The novel is set in Cape Cod, where the Paper Palace is found. The Paper Palace is in fact, a group of ramshackle buildings, built decades earlier by Elle's grandfather. It is so named as the walls are covered in paper.  It is a place that Elle and her family escape to each year; a sanctuary that offers beauty, peace, and tranquillity to Elle. It serves as her retreat from the deepest, darkest secrets she keeps.

I was immediately drawn into the plot line. I wanted to know more about Elle, whose turbulent life history will unfold before our very eyes over 24 hours and fifty years. We meet Elle as a child, a teen and as an adult, and slowly, Miranda Heller's exquisite writing uncovers a story of a troubled family, peeling back the layers, revealing devastating and dark secrets. 

When we first meet Elle, she rises early one morning to take a swim in the pond, upon which the Paper Palace sits. She has done this swim many times before, both alone and with family and friends. But this morning she's preoccupied. As Elle dives into the water, she is recalling the events of the night before - her passionate encounter with Jonas, her oldest friend and confidant, even though her husband Peter and family were just inside. 

The author takes us on an amazing journey through time, contrasting the present day with memories of the past, and the love that exists between childhood friends, Elle and Jonas.  Spanning decades, this book takes us all the way back to Elle’s grandmother, her troubled relationships, and the impact it had upon Elle's mother, and how she consequently parented her daughters, Elle and Anna.

The book is simply brilliant. The writing is extraordinary, demonstrating a quiet authority and power, which completely penetrated my soul.  It elegantly builds a picture of Elle’s life, and allows us to completely understand her. I can't recall a character that as compelling; one I felt I got to know.

This book is definitely amongst the best I have read so far this year.  It is stunning, and will appeal to those who enjoyed Where the Crawdads Sing.  Dive right in and you'll be mesmerised by the spell this book casts.  It is a masterpiece.

- Milly

Paperback, £8.99. Find it in the Fiction section.

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Acts of Service, by Lilian Fishman

 Acts of Service is a novel set in Brooklyn, New York, centring around Eve, a New Yorker in her twenties who is finding her own sense of sexual freedom and queer identity. This was a fascinating book, exploring a variety of somewhat philosophical themes, from sexual identity and exploration to the ideas surrounding personal freedom. Amid a landscape of polyamory, Fishman unpicks the intricacies of sexuality and the interplay of power and dominance – does one need to be dominant to feel powerful? 

Being on the autistic spectrum myself, I find human sexual behaviour both foreign and intriguing. Hence the decision to pick up this book – a unique genre/ topic to me. I did enjoy the book, as my interest was sustained by the slightly unusual narrative style where the story unfolds within a very small geographical space, namely a few bedrooms and coffee shops. Yet Fishman purposefully uses this set-up to create room for the human physical intimacies to inspire the very story itself. Thus, reinforcing the power of body language as a powerful method of communication.

A further question Fishman explores is the definition of love. Juxtaposing romantic love and its accompanying emotions, many of which we may see in the public sphere, with intimate love, a more private affair, where hidden desires and sexual fires are unearthed, along with emotions of passion, desire, and lust. Fishman prompts the reader to consider if both romance and intimacy can be considered under this umbrella of love. 

By featuring such weighty topics, Fishman creates a subtly philosophical landscape, using the central characters of Eve, Nathan and Olivia as a vehicle from which to consider wider ideas such as dual identity and the varying personas people portray within public and personal spaces. As someone who finds vulnerability and human behaviour challenging, it was even more interesting to read about how the trio of main characters each deciphered their partners’ attitudes and level of confidence through the feeling of their body. 

My one criticism is that the ending felt a little rushed and disconnected to the main story line. I felt Fishman was trying to increase the tempo near the end by including a slight plot twist and subversion of expectations, yet I don’t feel she fully integrated this into the prior storyline, resulting in a slightly disjointed ending. Regardless, this was certainly not a regrettable read, since it is important to bring to light the topic of vulnerability, as I believe it is a gift to find someone with whom you can feel free with and take down all personal defences. This may be easier said than done, but not out of the realm of possibility…

- Scarlett

Paperback, £13.99.

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Not Exactly What I Had in Mind, by Kate Brook

When reading this book, you will get to know Hazel, a hugely relatable character for anyone single in their 30s. Her story will have you laughing with her; wanting to hug her and, at some points, wanting to scream at her that she can’t see what is right there in front of her! But most of all, due to the beautiful way that Kate Brook has portrayed her lead character, you will find yourself just wanting to meet Hazel for a coffee and talk days away like she’s your best friend.

Along with Hazel, you meet one of her housemates, Alfie, and Hazel’s sister and her wife. This delightful blend of characters are all on their own journeys, and it’s fascinating to see them intertwine throughout the story. Between the four of them they manage to navigate themselves into and out of situations that are portrayed by the author very gently and honestly, exposing some of the challenges of modern relationships, as well as the sheer joy that can be found in them!

While reading this book, I thought I knew where the story was heading, but as soon as I settled into the ebb and flow of it all, along came a plot twist to head it in a different direction (‘well... that wasn’t what I had in mind’ ... I kept saying to myself!)

Some quite challenging subjects are taken on in this book: sexuality, fertility issues, abusive relationships, modern family set ups, and the financial burden that is adulthood. Each of these topics is addressed in a very real, honest, and careful way, sprinkling over them the right amount of humour to capture the journey of the characters in a way that you can’t help but love them. 

The blurb on the back of the book says it is ‘painfully relatable’ and I can’t tell you how true this is. It is a real eyeopener to adulthood in 2022 and I think I would struggle to find anyone in their 20s, 30s, or 40s who couldn’t relate to an element in this book.

I absolutely devoured this book in a matter of days, and I have now begun the grieving process that you go through when you read a great book and you start to miss it. Missing the characters, wishing the story was real, and wanting to read it all over again just so you can remain in Hazel’s world for a little bit longer.  

I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

- Nicola

Hardback, £14.99. Find it in the fiction section or order here!

I am not your perfect Mexican daughter, by Erica L. Sanchez

I am not your perfect Mexican daughter is about a girl called Julia, who has never been the perfect daughter. But then her older sister Olga dies in a tragic accident. Olga was often seen as a perfect person without any flaws, but shortly after her death Julia discovers that Olga was not as perfect as everyone thought. Now she is questioning who her sister really was and somehow live up to the impossible ideal that Olga left behind.

No one seems to realise that Julia is struggling: she has anxiety and depression, and she doesn’t have any friends to comfort her. But she has a really nice relation with her English teacher who helps her find which college she should go to. He also makes sure that she is always ok and looks out for her.

Overall, I really loved this book and couldn't put it down. It’s definitely one of my new favourites. I loved Julia so much as a character. Everything she is going through made her seem so much more real. Throughout the book she mentions that she wants to be a writer and travel the world and it was so nice to see her follow these ambitions throughout the story. 

- Julia

Paperback, £8.99.

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Kiki Kallira Conquers a Curse, by Sangu Mandanna

I really enjoyed reading this book – although I am slightly out of the age range at 60+ - it is a good adventure story with fun characters and an interesting use of parts of Indian mythology. 

This is the second book in the Kiki Kallira series and ideally you need to read the first one in order to understand the relationship dynamics, and to get a grounding in the workings of Kikiverse.  Essentially, it is an imaginary world created by Kiki on paper during a time when she needed to dream, and escape from what was happening in her life. It magically came into being

Like all good adventure stories, this is about righting a wrong. The action moves along swiftly, and the interaction between various characters is well done and with wry humour. As well as a journey/ quest for Kiki and her friends, this story deals with some important issues, such as race, emotions, a feeling of powerlessness for an individual, and acceptance. But these are dealt with in a non-preachy way. Themes of acceptance, trust, and appreciation/ understanding of self, including quirks, differences, and insecurities, are part of Kiki’s personal growth journey. These issues don’t intrude on the story, and I enjoyed the fact that Kiki starts to accept herself, rather than continue to struggle with knowing her “rain works “a bit differently”.  

There were few imaginative books like this available when I was growing up, which is probably why I like reading them now! I would have loved to have had books like this when I was little; books that give you a place to go to in your head, a good story, new imaginary friends, and which tell you that it is more than OK to be different.  The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe never appealed to me as I found it too preachy and, actually a bit dull. But books like this and the Garth Nix “Keys” series (which is also written for this age group) are magical in all senses of the word.

As the end of the book is nicely set up for the series to continue; I shall look forward to reading the next one. But before that I’m going to go back to read the first one: “Killa Kallira Breaks a Kingdom”.

- Christine

Christine read the proof edition of "Kiki Kallira."

It has since been published, and is available in paperback for £7.99!

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Brielfy, A Delicious Life, by Nell Stevens

When I heard that Nell Stevens was taking on the story of another literary great - following on from her part-memoir, part-imagined life 'Mrs Gaskell and Me' - I had to pick it up.

Written from the perspective of a 14-year-old ghost called Blanca, 'Briefly, A Delicious Life' looks at a moment in the (delicious) life of renowned French writer George Sand and her love affair with Chopin. Set in Valldemossa on the island of Mallorca, Sand and Chopin up sticks from Paris for the better weather, in the hopes of helping Chopin overcome a sickness. Blanca falls in love with George at first sight and so begins an obsessive haunting.

Unfortunately, Blanca is the only one who welcomes the existence of the newcomers. The islanders' repugnance of these strangers, particularly the woman who dresses as a man and brings her children to live in sin with a friend-who-is-most-certainly-not-her-husband, starts as small-town bullying, and grows ever more sinister after an excellent squid heist (yes, you read that correctly). 

Stevens also allows us to time travel through Blanca's memories of her own life and subsequent afterlife on the island. These passages make you fall in love with her and impotently rage at the injustices done to her.

The only sections that didn't quite hit the mark for me were the descriptions of Chopin's playing and his obsession with his piano; however, I imagine they would be a highlight for any classical music enthusiast.

Written with a lyricism I have come to expect from Stevens, this is an excellent debut novel exploring power in relationships and living life for yourself.

- Amy 

Hardback, £14.99.

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Stargazer, by Laurie Petrou

Stargazer is a book full of suspense and twists, and I was hooked from the opening chapter. 

From very different worlds, Aurelle and Diana are brought together by trauma, forming an unlikely bond. Their friendship is complex, intense, and unusual. When the girls join university together, you can feel their mutual desire to escape their past and try to forge new identities. 

The main themes running though the book are relationships, lust, loss, wealth, and status. The characters are beautifully crafted and as they developed throughout the book, I found myself wanting to know more about them and what is underneath the surface. The author brilliantly creates a sense of mystery and tension through clever description and characterisation.

Although this book is a slow burner, it kept me on my toes. 

I’d tell you all more, but I don’t want to give away any spoilers! If you like thrilling, suspense filled reads, this book is for you. If you were a fan of Big Little Lies or Little Fires Everywhere, I think you would love this!

- Lauren

Paperback, £9.99. Order now!

Ordinary Monsters, by JM Miro

Ordinary Monsters by JM Miro was an intense however extremely enjoyable read with a whopping total 672 pages, holding a gripping and very well written story line. 

This is a new series about a group of children called Talents who are different and out of the ordinary when it comes to the rest of the world. The first book specifically follows two young boys: Marlowe and Charlie, and their journey to the Cairndale Institute. Here, a corrupt older Talent, Henry Berghast looks after and helps train younger Talents from across the world. However, not all is as it seems when it comes to Marlowe’s talent, and Henry has a big secret he is trying to protect. 

Throughout the book you meet characters you grow to love, like Alice Quicke, a young woman who was brought in to help locate young talents - including Marlowe and Charlie - and Agent Frank Coulton, an agent for Cairndale who actually suggested Alice for the job. You also come face to face with Jacob Marber, an older talent who was turned to the dark side by our antagonist, the Drughr. It is up to the children and everyone at Cairndale to protect a precious artefact and to work out who the real villain is. 

This story is a Victorian sci-fi and is written extremely well. JM Miro has been able to merge two worlds that shouldn’t necessarily pair well together perfectly. The Victorian era focuses mainly across America, London, and Edinburgh, and the descriptions paint a clear picture in your head of the picturesque views in Edinburgh and the dark and dingy alleys in London. However, he has managed to add a dystopian vibe to the writing which opened up even more doorways for the story to unfold. It created settings and descriptions of the unknown creatures that became ever more eerie. 

In the past I have read a handful of books with multiple narrators, and I never had many issues, but at the beginning of this book I found myself finding it slightly more difficult to read. Just as I would get totally invested in one story line and the chapter was reaching a climax, it would end, and the next chapter would be a different story line and I would have to start the whole process again! But when the story lines all merged together, I found it all fit together perfectly and I didn’t encounter any more issues like that. 

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a historical read with a sci-fi twist. I thoroughly enjoyed it and I think the series overall has an immense amount of potential. Once past the narrative issues early on, it was a seamless and easy read. The style was beautiful and was a merge of poetry and fiction (in my opinion anyway) and JM Miro really made you love the characters. I cannot wait for the release of the rest of the series over the next few years and I am interested to read more of JM Miro’s work. 

- Phoebe

Hardback, £17.99.

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A Mansion for Murder, by Frances Brody

Frances Brody’s A Mansion for Murder is her latest Kate Shackleton novel, and it features a real place – Milner Field, near Saltaire in West Yorkshire.  Kate is a private investigator, working with Jim Sykes and her housekeeper, Mrs Sugden. In 1930, Kate receives a mysterious letter from Ronnie Creswell, addressed to Mrs Gerald Shackleton, inviting her to meet him. Not many people would address her using her late husband’s name so she’s intrigued enough to accept the invitation. However, when she arrives at his home, she learns that Ronnie drowned that day. Kate and her colleagues get drawn into investigating Ronnie’s death and some possible industrial espionage at the mill where he worked.

Once again, Brody’s nailed the narrative tone of an intelligent professional woman. Most of the book is narrated in the first person by Kate, but suddenly switches to third person when Brody needs to include a scene without her. This can be a little confusing, but I figure it’s a small price to pay for reading such good books.

The characters are well delineated and not so many that the reader gets confused. The plot is plausible and moves reasonably briskly. There are no laugh out loud moments and the tone is gentle and measured, primarily due to Kate’s narrative voice.  There were a few errors in the early proof copy that I was given for review, but I’m sure they will be fixed before publication. None of them distracted the reader very much as it was obvious what was meant.

I really enjoyed the book and I strongly recommend it if you enjoy British mysteries set between the wars. The plot was unusual, although I guessed whodunnit for once by a process of elimination.

- Colin

Paperback, £8.99. Published 20-10-22.

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Spies in Canaan, by David Park

A thought-provoking, unique novel by Irish author David Park, following fictional character Mikey Miller. The novel is a little slow to grip you, but once hooked you’re engrossed in the plot and will not want to put it down.

The first half of the book follows Mikey as he works as a junior diplomat for the American forces in Vietnam, during the Vietnamese war. Park fantastically sets the scene, describing a humid, adventurous, and tense Saigon, as seen through Mikey’s eyes. As the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong close in on the city, Mikey is offered an exciting yet nerve-wracking opportunity to advance his career with a somewhat dubious role in espionage. However, drip-by-drip he becomes more and more disillusioned by his superiors and what ‘America’ are doing in Vietnam. As things come to a head, he feels increasingly out of control and out of the loop, and unable to provide any answers to the Vietnamese who have been promised lives in America for their loyalty, but are now being left on their own.

The second half of the book cuts to forty years later, where a widowed and retired Mikey is forced to reflect on his and others actions in Vietnam. The Vietnamese evacuee crisis is paralleled now with the immigrants illegally coming into America today, and Mikey is forced to confront his regrets and actions. 

Whilst set in Vietnam and America, this novel provokes one to think about the refugee crisis around the world; in Afghanistan, Ukraine, the Channel crossings, and how we as a society, and as individuals, are facing the catastrophes. Mikey’s soul searching cannot help but reflect one’s own soul searching in these times. 

A thoroughly enjoyable read that I highly recommend.   

4/5 stars

- Lauren

Lauren reviewed the proof edition of "Spies in Canaan."

It has now been published in Hardback, at £16.99.

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Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt

Set in Sowell Bay, Washington, we begin our story with a diary-like entry from Marcellus, who just so happens to be an octopus. Marcellus has been living as an exhibit in the Sowell Bay Aquarium since his capture, and he's not exactly happy about it. A little way in though, during one of his 'adventures', he meets elderly cleaning lady, Tova, and the two form a sort of friendship.

Tova tragically lost her son over 30 years ago, and more recently lost her husband to cancer. She cleans the Aquarium to keep busy, but she is still haunted by the unanswered what-ifs surrounding the death of her son. Marcellus puts two and two together and tries desperately to communicate the truth to Tova, and we meet a new face in town also looking for some truths of his own. 

This is a cosy armchair mystery (without a great deal of mystery) that is easy to read and an easy narrative to keep up with. If you're feeling burned out lately, this may be the escapism read for you! I love the unique relationship between Tova and Marcellus, and the crochety voice Marcellus is given throughout the tale. The plot is quite predictable but it's a heartwarming read, with little quirks to the characters throughout. I think I would have loved more of Marcellus (or possibly even all Marcellus!) as he's such a unique voice and perfectly written as an octopus.

The ending doesn't quite tie up all the loose ends, which I actually really like in a story - a little ambiguity keeps the mind ticking! Although I liked the arc of the story I felt some of the details were quite random and unnecessary, and sometimes brought me out of the world of Sowell Bay while I tried to figure out why it was important to know the details of cleaning day when we're in the middle of an argument. The plot itself was quite clichéd - losing phones to give an excuse for an argument, an imminent move to create urgency, a disgruntled teenage son sabotaging his mother's date etc... But on the whole an enjoyable read, and a chance to escape into another world for a little while. A definite 'beach read'! 

- Emma

@emma.greenwood

Hardback, £14.99.

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Illuminations, by Alan Moore

 Since announcing his retirement from writing comic books, Alan Moore has been hard at work concentrating solely on the written work, with short-story compendium Illuminations being the first offering of his new image-less era.

As is always the case when it comes to Moore, however, nothing is as it seems. Of the nine instalments in this book, one of them – What We Can Know About Thunderman – takes up half the volume. But more on that later.

Not all of them are new works – the first five tales were included in previous anthologies, with opening story ‘A Hypothetical Lizard’, described by Moore as “my first serious attempt at short prose fiction”, penned back in 1987. While its quintessentially sci-fi tale of a mysterious cult that hones its members’ specialist skills is evocative enough, it’s clearly the hallmark of a creative talent dipping his toes into another medium.

‘Location, Location, Location’ has a similarly intriguing gimmick, taking the Benjamin Button story trope of living life backwards and making it literal. ‘Not Even Legend’, about a seemingly eventless UFO discussion group, isn’t as memorable, but the craftsmanship and shock factor Moore is known for is clearly present. ‘Cold Reading’, meanwhile is arguably the pick of the existing stories, a haunting tale of a fraudulent psychic who gets more than she bargained for. The ending will be pondered on long after reading. Finally, ‘The Improbably Complex High-Energy State’ is harder to pin down: abstract, and with more than a bit of old-fashioned Lovecraftian dread about it. 

Onto the newbies! Title track ‘Illuminations’ bucks the trend by appearing to tell a story we can instantly relate to: revisiting childhood. This is attempted by a recent divorcee who visits the old caravan park he regularly frequented in his childhood. He isn’t sure what he’s expecting to find, but doesn’t expect to find what he does. To say any more would be to spoil a truly haunting story.

By far the longest story here, the 200+ pages of ‘What We Can Know About Thunderman’ serves as a chronicling of the comic-book industry that birthed the titular fictional character and subsequently grew around it as the character’s popularity exploded.

Of course, it’s a paper mint-thin parody of a certain caped superbeing, and Moore makes no attempt to disguise this. Whether he’s looking at the chaotic private lives of the character’s creators, ranking his favourite in-universe movies (just switch ‘Thunder’ for ‘Super’) or slamming the lack of credit the creatives received for their efforts (it’s impossible not to read this as a comment on the author’s own perceived treatment at the hands of various comics companies) or critiquing the state of the industry today, it’s clear that while Moore may be finished (for now) with writing comics, he sure as hell isn’t done writing about them.

After such a marathon, the remaining stories struggle to match up. ‘American Light - An Appreciation’ spins a publishing industry yarn that simply doesn’t grab the attention in the same way that the rest of the anthology does, and ‘And, At the Last, Just to Be Done with Silence’ feels hard to judge on its own, feeling more like a summary of what has come before.

As you’ve probably gathered, “Illuminations” is piecemeal by its very nature, and as such is invariably hit-and-miss. But it also showcases one of the greatest creative talents working today doing whatever the hell he wants. On balance, that has to be seen as a good thing.

- Stephen

Stephen reviewed the proof edition of "Illuminations."

Publication day is 11th October 2022. Hardback, £20. Pre-order with us now!

The Hollow Sea, by Annie Kirby

The Hollow Sea is an enchanting, winding tale, following Scottie and her personal discoveries on the archipelago St Hia. After deciding against another round of IVF, Scottie travels to the North Atlantic Ocean, hoping for a glimpse of where she truly came from. The seamless blend of contemporary fiction and mythology cement Kirby’s work as a must-read for anyone looking to add a touch of fantasy into the modern world. 

The Hollow Sea’s particular strength comes in its narrative style, beautifully encapsulating the vivid, if isolated, islands of St Hia. The setting is so intricately mapped, that the reader is unwilling to leave the islands, disappointed, even, when the plot returns them to a more familiar setting. Likewise, the narrative captures the character of Scottie fully, carefully, but honestly handling her trauma. Her mourning for the children she never had, and exhaustion at the fertility treatments she undergoes are heart-wrenching and layered. She grows bitter towards her friends who have children, yet remains kind and considerate towards children themselves. Scottie is never reduced to the stereotype of a childless, cold woman, only following her own self-interest in her rejection of her ‘biological role’. The issues surrounding infertility are complicated and, at times, conflicting, yet this experience is handled with care and consideration and, even among the fantastical elements of this tale, it feels overwhelmingly real.

The structure of this work is, as far as I can tell, quite unique. Chapters following Scottie in the present are interweaved with chapters on her childhood, and chapters on the characters Thordis and Susan. Scottie’s past is gradually revealed, developing her character slowly, unravelling small parts of her at a time, adding to the air of mystery Kirby creates. What makes this work unique, however, is the chapters following Thordis and Susan, which work backwards through Thordis’ life. By learning of what happened to her in this manner, the reader is subject to misconceptions and misunderstandings, grasping at a few known pieces of information in the same manner that Scottie is. Kirby brilliantly maintains the mystery right up until the two plotlines coincide towards the end, successfully keeping her reader in the dark just enough to create the magic of the various reveals. 

I believe the conclusion of The Hollow Sea may be a divisive one. By never confirming that the more fantastical, mythological, parts of St Hia are real or imagined, Kirby opens herself to acceptance (or otherwise) of the ending, based on which side the reader fell on. While the conclusion of Scottie’s arc feels fitting if the fantastical aspects are taken as purely metaphorical, this is not the case if they are taken verbatim. In this case, the mythological is lost in the conclusion, which is somewhat underwhelming. The ending of The Hollow Sea is a sudden one, and does feel somewhat rushed which may help explain its underwhelming arc. Spending longer on the final act of the novel may have perfected Scottie’s development and offer better justification of her final choices. 

On the whole, this is a fantastic read set in a beautiful and mysterious corner of the world and interwoven with just the right amount of fantasy. This intriguing take on mythology sets it alongside recent works such as When Women Were Dragons, blending the contemporary and magical worlds in order to uncover the realities of the female experience. 

I highly recommend The Hollow Sea by Annie Kirby and hope it will receive the praise it deserves. 

Abi’s rating: 4.5/5

- Abi

Instagram: @abbie.bessant / Twitter: @abiwritesbadly

Abi reviewed a proof copy of "The Hollow Sea."

It is now out in hardback! £18.99. Click to order!

Sun Damage, by Sabine Durrant

 Nine guests arrive at a remote villa in the South of France.

They know each other well. Or think they do.

At least one of them has plenty to hide and nowhere to run...

Sun Damage is quite a difficult book to explain without revealing any spoilers. What I can say is that we meet a couple of con artists at the beginning, who thrive on travelling the world and tricking people out of their money. Whilst on a job in France, a scam goes wrong and one of them flees, assuming the identity of another person. But they know the old partner will undoubtedly come after them one day.

The person who flees finds honest work as a live-in chef for a family staying at a remote villa in the south of France. But with family and friends coming to stay, can their identity be kept hidden? Especially when one of the guests seems to know them. 

The south of France is a great location to set a novel, the beauty, sights, sounds, and scents, all became part of the narrative.

The build-up of this story was very slow; the beginning was, in my opinion, far too long - I even questioned if the synopsis was right! But the tension was ever-present. I felt the torment of our main protagonist, longing for their old life, under the guise of their new identity; a supposed perfect escape.

I didn’t find Sun Damage to be one of Sabine Durrant’s best books. I loved all her previous novels! It is one that no doubt many people will enjoy. It’s a story that keeps you guessing, full of suspense and twists. Definitely an ideal summer holiday read, in a fabulous setting.

- Milly

Milly read the proof edition of "Sun Damage."

It's OUT NOW in Hardback, £16.99. Click to order!

"The Three Books that Kept Me Going through Lockdown" - Olivia Lawton

Escaping into a good book has perhaps never been quite as needed as during the past two years. The Evening Standard reported that sales of fiction grew by 16% in 2020 due to the Covid lockdowns. And sales of physical books are continuing to rise. 

I don’t know about anyone else, but I have read more than ever since the pandemic hit. 

For many of us, the habit of reading is one that falls by the wayside once we enter the world of work, and in recent years people have found themselves more and more drawn to smartphones and screens instead of reading books. Social media has replaced the go-to distraction of a book when standing in line for coffee, taking a journey, or waiting for your train to pull into the station.   

But then we entered lockdown. We suddenly had spare time to turn to books – the perfect form of indoor entertainment. We stayed at home to be safe. And living in such uncertain times had many of us feeling a little anxious or discombobulated. 

As an avid reader already, my suggestion to friends and family during this unpredictable time was to turn to books. Especially fiction. Many of us love to read fiction but find it difficult to put time into this valuable and relaxing activity. Reading can deepen your emotional intelligence and empathy and allow your mind to rest. It can also be a wonderful form of escapism. 

As you can imagine, I read my way through lots of great titles during the lockdowns, but there were several books that really stood out to me during this time:

The Giver of Stars, by JoJo Moyes (Historical Fiction)

Inspired by a true story, The Giver of Stars is an incredibly moving historical fiction novel. Did you know Eleanor Roosevelt started a traveling library program, and many women answered the call to become traveling librarians? These women travelled on horseback to bring books to those living in rural areas, which was especially important for women and children unable to get to a library or without access to books otherwise. 

The story centres mainly around Alice and Margery. Alice is an English woman who is quite restless and not understood by her family, so she impulsively jumps at the chance of marrying an American man, hoping this will give her the opportunity for new adventures. Sadly, Alice’s marriage is not what she hoped it to be, and she soon finds herself feeling very unhappy. When Alice begins volunteering to help with the travelling library, run by Margery, she relishes in the freedom it brings her. I particularly enjoyed how the author explored Alice’s love of nature, as she and the other women deliver books packed in saddle bags, in all kinds of weather, winding their way through dark forests and along remote mountain trails. 

Despite their various backgrounds and issues at home, the women become a family providing encouragement and support, not only to one another but also to every household they visit to share books and they share the joy of reading with so many different people.  

I knew very little of the WPA library but love that I learned more about it from reading this novel. The strength and fortitude these ladies showed is incredible, and the main characters in the book reflect this with their hard work, strength of character, and loyalty to one another.

Humankind: A Hopeful History, by Rutger Bregman (Non-Fiction)

It’s a belief that unites the left and right, psychologists and philosophers, writers and historians. It drives the headlines that surround us and the laws that touch our lives. From Machiavelli to Hobbes, Freud to Dawkins, the roots of this belief have sunk deep into Western thought. Human beings, we’re taught, are by nature selfish, and governed by self-interest.

Humankind makes a new argument: that it is realistic, as well as revolutionary, to assume that people are good. The instinct to cooperate rather than compete, trust rather than distrust, has an evolutionary basis that goes right back to the beginning of our species. Thinking the worst of others not only affects how we regard other people, but our politics and economics too.

Bergman challenges our often-cynical view of humanity. To back up his theory, he re-examines some very well-known events in history and suggests that the key facts may have been altered to fit a narrative which shows humans in a very negative light. 

This was such a timely read for me during the first lockdown, in times when we so importantly needed to unite and work together. It is an extraordinary, uplifting history of human capacity for kindness. 

Humankind really is a wonderful read - accessible and full of great stories. In a world of cynicism, a little positivity goes a long way!

The Priory of The Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon (Fantasy)

The Priory of The Orange Tree is a stand-alone high fantasy epic, led by an impressive cast of memorable female characters. I was truly blown away with how the author so effortlessly built a fantasy world that has a vast history of politics and religious clashes. The book is an engrossing fantasy set in a world that is both like and unlike our own. 

With a length of over 800 pages, this novel might seem a little daunting to many readers, but the story pacing is fantastic and there’s never a dull moment. From the very start I was gripped by the writing and desperate to see where the next chapter would lead. It was a joy to escape into this fantasy world and leave all thoughts of the pandemic behind for a while. 

The sheer scope of the story is out of this world - brimming with detail and ideas, and bursting with various characters types, languages, and perspectives. Although this is a single novel, it really feels like several books stitched together. It’s an addictive read, and I loved all the elements of feminism featured throughout the book. 

The Priory of The Orange Tree absolutely works on its own, but I was sad to reach the end. Fortunately, there is more to come! Samantha Shannon has now revealed there is a new sequel on the way.  A Day of Fallen Night will return readers to the world of The Priory of the Orange Tree in January 2023. I can’t wait!

It’s been wonderful to see so many people rediscovering their love of reading – a sentiment which I know is shared by the lovely booksellers at Westbourne. The family-owned independent bookshop is a must-visit anytime I find myself in the area, whether it’s to buy, browse, or simply just to pop in for a chat. I’ll often get some really wonderful recommendations or share thoughts on a current read with whoever is behind the till!

I have chosen to feature only these select few titles from my Quarantine reading because the complete list would be far too long to include here! Perhaps you can have a think about what your reading highlights of the pandemic have been…maybe you’ll share my difficulty in trying to narrow down to just one or two? In times of difficulty and lockdown boredom, I’m so pleased I was able to find solace from reality in the pages of fiction. I hope many of you feel the same. 

 

Just a quick note about me - My name is Olivia, and I am a self-confessed book addict. Through social media, I share my love of literature and enjoy reviewing, promoting, and of course reading as many books as possible! If you use Instagram, I’d love you to drop in and say hello on my account @BookramblingsbyOlivia, or alternatively you can find me at www.bookramblingsbyolivia.com. I’m excited to be teaming up with Westbourne bookshop who have kindly invited me to contribute this article for their website. Thanks so much for reading.

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin

I just about had a HEART ATTACK when I saw this book under "New for July" with our wholesaler. Gabrielle Zevin has written two other notable (for me) books. The first, "Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac:" my first YA, and a total overhaul of my ideas of what love meant, and the importance of personal identity. The second, "Elsewhere:" a story of a sixteen-year-old girl in the afterlife. She completely re-established what kind of stories I wanted to read, and later, write.

Well, she just went and snuck up on me with this new title, "Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow." Frankly, I wouldn't have given a damn what this book was about: I simply had to read it!

Sam and Sadie meet as children in a hospital ward: Sam is there after a near-fatal accident, and Sadie is visiting her sister, who is going through cancer treatment. They immediately bond over the videogames in the rec room, and they are each other's first friend. They lose touch, and later meet again by chance in Boston, and set out on a real-life quest: to design and produce a videogame of their own.

With Sam's roommate, Marx as their producer, things escalate quickly. It's the late 90s, and they have talent beyond what the technology of their time can offer. When their first game goes live, their lives change forever. Including the relationships between these three creatives.

Frankly, I wish I'd written this book. Its style is incredible, with techniques and forms that I've never even considered before! It's exciting, it's lyrical, it's playful, and it's daring. At times, you, the reader are the protagonist. At times, we are in a video game ourselves. At times, the timeline is a stunning mess! Somehow, the book reads like you're playing a game. There are resets, and there's tactics, and there's tragedy that leads to greater quests down the line. It's so moving, and it makes me wonder how Gabrielle Zevin wrote something so akin to a videogame narrative, without actually being a game designer herself?!

This story spans at least two decades, and the protagonists grow a lot during that time. We face grief, heartbreak, rejection, failure, declining health, and a whole lot more. It's a brutal life for these characters. There is that frightening - and inevitable - sense of time running away from you, not knowing how or when things changed. There is the frustration of habits rather than choices making those changes happen. For something so completely plot-driven, the characters' development is a joy and a nostalgic pain to watch. 

Essentially, this is a fantastic book. One of my favourites for quite some time. It's pacey and exciting, but relaxing and simply, human. An outstanding addition to Gabrielle's list of works, and another to be added to my list of reasons to adore this author. Her mind is nothing short of shocking and brilliant. I highly recommend.

- Sian

Hardback, £16.99. Find it in the YA section!

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Nightcrawling, by Leila Mottley

Nightcrawling is Leila Mottley’s debut novel and it’s an eye-opening read. She took inspiration from a high-profile case that took place in Oakland, California, which involved the sexual exploitation of many young girls by various members of the police department.

It tells the story of 17-year-old Kiara, who lives with her brother Marcus. Her brother Marcus is unemployed, trying and failing at making it big in the music industry. But with the risk of eviction from the ironically named Regal-Hi looming over their heads, Kiara is forced to take it upon herself to find work. From there, she stumbles into sex work. We learn about the hardships and abuse that she and her family go through in the impoverished part of Oakland.

This is an extremely difficult read due to the details of sexual abuse throughout. Leila’s extremely descriptive and almost poetic writing style imprints these images of abuse on your mind. However, the prose also helps to soften the extremely dark story. I didn’t personally enjoy the writing style but understand that it comes from Leila’s roots of writing poetry.

Leila does a great job developing the complex relationships that Kiara has with her best friend, brother, parents, and even her neighbours’ ten-year-old son, which is particularly heart-warming. She takes him in when he’s abandoned by his mother and cares for him so deeply - it’s very touching. But these relationships are strained as we see how Kiara is forced to take difficult decisions that ultimately lead to her abuse. It’s very bittersweet at times.

This novel helped me learn more about the struggles that many people in sex work go through, both in Oakland and in other communities, and I appreciate the way Leila tells the story without sugar-coating it. It was an extremely raw but refreshing approach.

In summary, this was a very difficult read but also gave an incredible insight into the daily battles that people in poverty and in sex work face. I would avoid reading it if you do have triggers with regards to sexual abuse and exploitation. It was well written, especially considering that Leila started writing the novel when she was only seventeen years old! Leila is an amazing young talent, and I can’t wait to read more of her work in the future.

Rating: 3/5

-Maisie

Hardback, £16.99.

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The Half Life of Valery K, by Natasha Pulley

Written by the bestselling author of ‘The Watchmaker of Filigree Street’, Natasha Pulley’s ‘The Half Life of Valery K’ is a fascinating book inspired by a real Russian closed city, Ozersk. Located in Chelyabinsk Oblast, it was the birthplace of the Soviet nuclear weapons program, created in 1948 during the Cold War. Codenamed ‘City 40’ until 1994, it is now said to be one of the most contaminated places on the planet, referred to by some as the “graveyard of the Earth”. That is not to say that no-one lives there; in fact, the last recorded 2010 consensus estimates that the population is 82,164 people. Despite the Russian government giving the city’s inhabitants many privileges, it comes at an inevitable cost. Researchers suggest that half a million people in Ozersk and its surrounding area have been exposed to five times as much radiation as those living in the areas of Ukraine affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986.

Pulley centres the story around biochemist Valery Kolkhanov who is initially kept prisoner in a Siberian Gulag, a forced labour camp. There is a real sense of repression from the Russian government as the conditions of the camp are akin to the atrocious Nazi concentration camps and yet many of the inmates are innocent. We then follow Valery’s journey being transferred to a secret facility called ‘City 40’ (bearing resemblance to the real ‘City 40’ explained above) to finish his prison sentence. Valery is tasked with conducting further research studying the long-term effects of radiation on the surrounding area from the city’s nuclear plant, but it is unclear the true extent of the radiation as Valery is very much kept in the dark by his fellow scientists and the officials from Moscow.

Pulley expertly interweaves a spider web of misinformation and lies, to create a scene of mystery upon which the gradual discovery of truth is found by Valery. It is exciting to read as we, the reader, find out what is really going on alongside the characters which creates a unique feeling of attachment to the book and its protagonists, thus keeping the reader guessing.

Due to the mystery element of the storyline, it was immensely captivating, especially due to the veins of truth and real-event association this book possesses. It reminded me of aspects from the Chernobyl disaster as the reader is presented with a landscape of secrets, upon which it is unclear exactly what information people know and who holds the ultimate influence. Similar to the Chernobyl disaster, this book explores the way that people find it hard to believe something they cannot physically see. In this scenario, the danger of radiation is dismissed until it is too late and even then, the various resulting deaths are carried off as heart attacks. I think the concept of disbelief and misinformation is particularly interesting, as elements of this cognitive bias are inevitably part of human nature so the cumulative effects of this cognition can be recognised even in today’s society. Thus, Pulley manages to shed light on the intricacies of human behaviour from a general standpoint as well as homing in on the story of City 40. 

At times, this story is hard to read due to the harrowing effects of radiation sickness, as well as the resulting frustration from the protagonist and reader alike, of the KGB’s purposeful disbelief of the serious danger from radiation. Yet, Pulley achieves the right balance by sowing into the story more uplifting elements of determination and resilience, as the protagonists Shenkov and Valery continue the fight for survival, even when their situation is dire. This acts as a much-needed reminder of the power of the human spirit, especially poignant after the years of Covid we have all experienced.

Overall, I found ‘The Half Life of Valery K’ an immensely captivating book that I would recommend to anyone, as the historical reality behind the characters is ever-present at the back of the reader’s mind, thereby adding a unique dimension to the read. As Pulley herself says in the afterword of the book: “Shenkov and Valery are fictional, but almost everything that happens to them is real”.

- Scarlett

Sea of Tranquility, by Emily St John Mandel

After thoroughly enjoying Station Eleven recently I’d promised myself I’d read more from Emily St John Mandel, and then I read the blurb for this and couldn’t resist. 

To summarise the blurb: in 1912, Edwin is exiled to Canada from English society. In British Columbia, he walks into the virgin forest and for a split second all is darkness, the notes of a violin echoing unnaturally through the air. 200 years later, Olive, a famous writer, is visiting Earth from her home in the second moon colony, undertaking a global book tour as a pandemic begins its spread. In her most famous novel, a man plays a violin in an airship terminal as the trees of a forest momentarily appear around him. Another 200 years pass, and Gaspery, a detective in the moon’s Night City, is tasked with interviewing Edwin and Olive in order to help solve the mystery of an anomaly in time. 

This took me back to reading mid-century speculative fiction, and I mean that as a huge compliment. The what-ifs and anomalies, the expanding human universe, the possibilities of time travel, parallel worlds, reality shifts, the elements of dystopia, but also the optimism for the future in spite of everything. 

The plotting, the storytelling, every aspect of this book is note-perfect. As I was reading it, each reveal left me wishing I was reading alongside somebody else so that I could talk about it. In Station Eleven I thought there were elements of Vonnegut in the positioning of a work of fiction as a key driver of the story, and in this book, Mandel takes this another step further – though I won’t say any more as the moments of metafiction are so delightful that I don’t want to spoil them for anyone. My only advice would be to read Station Eleven first, if you haven’t already, then dive straight into this.

As ever, if you read this, please come in and talk to me about it, I’m bursting to discuss it with somebody! This is only the second of Emily St John Mandel’s novels that I’ve read but I’m determined to catch up on more.

- Paul

Hardback, £14.99. Find it in the fiction section!

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