The title of this book is the first thing that drew me in. Who is this redhead? What are they doing by the side of the road? Why are they there? How did they get there? It fascinated me, and I wanted to find out the answers – turns out the explanation isn’t anything READ MORE
Category: Book Review
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | HOMELAND ELEGIES – AYAD AKHTAR
This book caught my attention when it first came out – the premise is timely and interesting, and I was curious to explore the mixture of fiction and non-. This novel is about a man called Akhtar (like the author), a playwright who has reached some acclaim (like the author). The novel traces his READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | A CHILDREN’S BIBLE – LYDIA MILLET
This is another book I wasn’t sure if I wanted to read, for a few reasons. First, I’m not well versed in religion. Christianity is, for me, a bit of a mystery. I’ve heard some of the more pervasive references (Noah, Kane and Abel, the story of Jesus’ birth and that of his death, READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THERE THERE – TOMMY ORANGE
I loved the premise of this book. It’s about twelve different Native American characters who live in urban settings, and what it’s like for them in their different walks of life. It shows which parts of their experiences overlap, where they diverge and where they connect – and they all do connect – in READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | SHUGGIE BAIN – DOUGLAS STUART
Shuggie Bain has been hard to avoid over the past year. It’s a debut novel, but seemed to emerge fully-formed, and wowed pretty much every reader it was put in front of. It was nominated for multiple literary prizes, and won the The Booker Prize. It’s interesting to me that Shuggie seems to have READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE PULL OF THE STARS – EMMA DONOGHUE
I only read this book because it was on the BookTube Prize longlist, and it was one of the list that was available as an audiobook from my digital library. I started listening to it having no idea what I was getting into – I hadn’t even read the blurb. So you can imagine READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE GLASS HOTEL – EMILY ST. JOHN MANDEL
I’m a huge fan of Emily St. John Mandel. The first book of hers I read was Station Eleven, which I went into with no expectations, and which completely wowed me. It was delicate, thought provoking, had beautiful imagery and also terrified me to the depths of my soul. I then went on to READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | BROKEN – JENNY LAWSON
Oh, I just love Jenny Lawson. She has been making me laugh for years, and also making me feel like I’m not alone in my particular brand of crazy. I loved her blog. Then came her first book, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, which was like her blog but longer. Then came Furiously Happy, READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | PIRANESI – SUSANNA CLARKE
I didn’t get along with Susanna Clarke’s most popular book, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, at all. I’ll say that up front. I tried, I really did. I tried reading the book (twice), I tried listening to the audiobook, and I even tried watching the TV show. None of them got very far at READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | WRITERS & LOVERS – LILY KING
I’ve never read any Lily King before, though I’ve had her novel Euphoria on my TBR for ages. This book appealed to me – partly because of the books on the cover, partly because of the title, and then a little bit because of the blurb. Having meant to try Lily King, this seemed READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | REAL LIFE – BRANDON TAYLOR
This is one of the first books I read from my round of judging for the BookTube Prize. I had tried to read it twice before, and wasn’t able to get into it. I hoped that, with the added motivation of reading it for the prize, I’d be able to get through the rocky READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | WHY I’M NO LONGER TALKING TO WHITE PEOPLE ABOUT RACE – RENI EDDO-LODGE
This book is brilliant. That’s the first thing you need to know. It has been widely talked about and acclaimed since its publication in 2017, and for good reason. Eddo-Lodge is one of the smartest and most eloquent writers I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year (in the last few years, at that), READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | CATALOGUE BABY – MYRIAM STEINBERG
When I received a review request for this book I was instantly intrigued. The premise is one close to my heart; women sharing their most intimate stories is something I think is not only brave, but vitally important. Our voices have been silenced or subdued for so long, and they need to be heard. READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | HAMNET (HAMNET AND JUDITH) – MAGGIE O’FARRELL
When this book came out, I had zero interest in reading it. I haven’t read any Shakespeare in years, I usually dislike historical fiction, and it seemed like a pretty big commitment. But almost immediately upon its release, the buzz started. It seemed that not only was everyone reading it – everyone who read READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | WEATHER – JENNY OFFILL
Jenny Offill’s newest book is a tiny book, really. Not as small as her last book, Dept. of Speculation, but small by regular standards. I chose to embark on this one as an audiobook, having had some trouble connecting with her last time. I enjoyed the narration, and I definitely had an easier time READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS WITH A BLACK MAN – EMMANUEL ACHO
If you’re an American football fan, you might already know who Emmanuel Acho is. Or, as I’ve been told, if you’re a fan of The Bachelor – apparently he was a host. Or maybe you just watch a lot of YouTube and stumbled across his channel of the same name. That’s how I found READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | HOW TO BE AN ANTIRACIST – IBRAM X. KENDI
This book has been on my TBR since before it was even released, but I feel like since last summer it has been everywhere. I think the title appeals to people who really just want to be given some answers to a confusing, complex situation, even when they know that there are no easy READ MORE
THE SUNDAY REVIEW | LIFE IN PIECES – DAWN O’PORTER
This book was exactly what I needed at the beginning of 2021, when holidays at a distance had been both cosy and pleasant, but also really sad, when the weather was getting me down, and when the prospect of going back to full time duty trying to keep my kid entertained at home without READ MORE