Tag Archives: Book Review

The Folio Society’s Top 10 Books for Social Distancing

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As the UK continues in this unprecedented period of social distancing, more and more people are looking for productive ways to spend their time at home. On the top of many people’s lists, no doubt, is reading new books that they may not have gotten around to. Reading has many benefits and has been proven to help reduce stress and boost wellbeing.

 

To help book-loving Brits find their next read, Tom Walker, Publishing Director at The Folio Society, who, for over 70 years, has been publishing beautifully illustrated editions of the world’s greatest fiction books as well as thoroughly picture-researched non-fiction books, has pulled together his top 10 picks of books to read whilst in self-isolation.

 

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Being stuck at home and only allowed out to go to the shops seems a good time to read about feminism, and this is arguably the first feminist novel. Wildly surprising in its modern sensibility, Brontë rages against a society that held women shackled to men and the home.

 

The Little Prince

I can’t help thinking of how the Little prince would respond to our world right now. An enigmatic, compassionate but sad creature of the stars, I sometimes imagine the weight of his judgement on us all for the job we’re doing of keeping our little planet safe.

 

The World Turned Upside Down

The English Civil War of the 1640s shook the nation to its core, and in the process out scattered a legion of radical ideas and philosophies which have formed the national identity ever since. One wonders how our current upheaval will reshape us.

 

Dr Zhivago

What better time to re-engage with this great Russian epic? The recent translation by Boris Pasternak’s nephew returns the lyricism and colour to this beautiful novel of love, war and the Russian soul.

 

Moby-Dick

What an opportunity, if you never have, to read this bulking leviathan of a novel. From the first pages in Nantucket, where Ishmael befriends trusty Queequeg, Melville loops his crazed tale of ambition and revenge, culminating in scenes of terror on the high seas.

 

His Dark Materials

Pullman might be the purest storyteller of our times, and His Dark Materials is his masterpiece: a truly addictive adventure story which leads us into other worlds.
Handmaid’s Tale

Turning to Margaret Atwood in times of trouble is always a good decision. Prophetic or not she is wise and compassionate, and laces those qualities with a killer wit.

 

Maigret

If all else fails, pick up a Maigret. With plots as light as a feather and a stripped-down style, Simenon’s thrillers are beautifully evocative of the underground tensions of a mid-century Paris.

 

Persuasion

It’s always a good time to re-read Austen, to get lost in that luscious prose and arch wit. Persuasion is her last-completed, and perhaps her most mature novel, and a joy to revisit.

 

I am Legend

In the current circumstances this is not a book for the faint-hearted: Matheson’s vision of a post pandemic future doesn’t contain many people, and even fewer who are not zombie-vampires, but there is a glimmer of hope at its end…

 

Mirror & The Light

My eleventh choice is not yet available as a Folio Society edition, but I do hope that it will be one day. This is my current quarantine reading. A nine-hundred-page masterwork of astonishing delicacy and intelligence which draws one back through the eyes of Cromwell to a Tudor London infested with plague and political instability.

 

 

The Dilemma By B. A. Paris Book Review

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B. A. Paris

The Dilemma is a book that stays with you. The characters are so rich and the premise of the novel is so breathtaking. I would label The Dilemma is a psychological thriller albeit one in the domestic setting of family. After all, is that not where the most complex things are? I dare you to put this novel down. I raced through it, my heart in my mouth. It is beautiful, sad and vivid. Perfect.

It’s Livia’s 40th birthday and she’s having the party of a lifetime to make up for the wedding she never had. Everyone she loves will be there except her daughter Marnie, who’s studying abroad. But although Livia loves Marnie, she’s secretly glad she won’t be at the party. She needs to tell Adam something about their daughter but she’s waiting until the party is over so they can have this last happy time together.

Adam wants everything to be perfect for Livia so he’s secretly arranged for Marnie to come home and surprise her on her birthday. During the day, he hears some terrible news. He needs to tell Livia, because how can the party go on? But she’s so happy, so excited – and the guests are about to arrive.

The Dilemma – how far would you go to give someone you love a last few hours of happiness?

One day that will change a family forever, The Dilemma is the breath-taking, heart-breaking new novel from the million-copy-selling, Sunday Times bestseller, B A Paris

The Dilemma is available here.

Need Some Uplit? Books To Bring Joy

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I think it is fair to say we could all do with some cheering up at the moment. So here are some books to bring some joy. THE PATH TO THE SEA by Liz Fenwick (5th March) – A beautifully evocative tale of the secrets held by the Cornish coast for three sisters, full of mystery and feel-good romance, by ‘Queen of the contemporary Cornish novel’ Liz Fenwick.

FAMILY FOR BEGINNERS by Sarah Morgan (2nd April)- A compelling, escapist family drama about Flora and her attempt at fitting in with Jack’s family whilst living in the shadow of his perfect immortalised wife, from international bestseller and Sunday Times bestselling author, Sarah Morgan.

WHAT HAPPENS NOW by Sophia Money-Coutts (16th April) – the saucy laugh-out-loud poolside read by mistress of the romp-com Sophia Money-Coutts, about swiping right, weeing on a stick, and dating the aristocracy, not necessarily in that order.

WE JUST CLICKED by Anna Bell (16th April in eBook and Audio) – A fabulously funny, feel-good novel that will make you laugh until you cry, for anyone who’s ever presented a perfectly-filtered life online to hide the unglamorous reality, perfect for fans of Sophia Kinsella and Laura Jane Williams.

THE SUMMER VILLA by Melissa Hill (14th May) – An enthralling feel-good romance set in a rambling stone villa on the Amalfi Coast – a story of friendships rekindled and of secrets buried in the past re-surfacing under the Italian sun, by international best-selling author Melissa Hill.

THE EXTRAORDINARY HOPE OF DAWN BRIGHTSIDE by Jessica Ryn (28th May) – Based on debut novelist Jessica Ryn’s experience as a homelessness resettlement worker, The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside is a quirky, hopeful commercial piece of fiction with book club appeal, focusing on Dawn Elisabeth Brightside and her fight for saving St Jude’s Hostel for the Homeless, her own personal light in the darkness.

Are You Watching? Book Review

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Are you watching bookThis crime thriller from Vincent Ralph is that publishers dream: a YA novel that adults will love too. It is a modern novel with mixes social media and crime, and then combines it with skill and excellent pace. I raced through this book, practically breathless to get to the end. Full stars. 

A page-turning new YA thriller for the social media age, perfect for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder and One Of Us Is Lying.

Ten years ago, Jess’s mother was murdered by the Magpie Man.

She was the first of his victims, but not the last.

Now Jess is the star of a YouTube reality series and she’s using it to catch the killer once and for all.

The whole world is watching her every move.

And so is the Magpie Man.

Are you Watching is available here.

Heroes On The Home Front By Annie Clarke Book Review

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Annie Clarke, heroes on the home frontHeroes On The Home Front By Annie Clarke. 

I love Annie Clarke. Not many people can do what she does. She writes with real heart and soul, transporting you straight into 1941. She writes of a time that should never be forgotten and brings her characters to life so beautifully. Heroes on The Home Front is the second in the series by this stunning writer. This is the perfect book for Autumn, make yourself a cup of hot chocolate, put your feet up and enjoy the next few hours. I hope this series makes its way onto TV. It would make the perfect Sunday television show.

Yes, Annie Clarke does write for Frost, but she is a master at her craft. her novels are researched within an inch of their lives and have real heart and soul. Just perfect. I cannot wait for the next instalment.

December 1941, North East England: It takes courage to risk your life every day.

Despite the recent loss of her father, Sarah is settling well into her new role at the munitions factory. Her blossoming romance with pitman Stan is a welcome distraction from the dangerous working conditions. But a shocking revelation is about to put everything on the line.

Meanwhile Fran is desperately missing her sweetheart Davey, who has been conscripted to work at Bletchley Park. Beth is longing for someone too – and it’s not her husband on the front line…

As the factory girls face hardship on the home front, they will discover that the heroes they need are already by their side.

Available here.

The Butterfly Lion: Review

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The Butterfly Lion
Minerva Theatre, Chichester
Until 15 November
www.cft.org.uk

Photo credit: Manuel Harlan

Theatrical storytelling at its finest, the importance of treasuring memories is a central theme in this superb adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s book – a theme that is perfectly reflected in Simon Higlett’s dreamy set. Enhanced by a crack creative team (lighting by Johanna Town, sound by Gregory Clarke and video by Simon Wainright), the play’s journey, which traverses the wilds of South Africa to rural England and the battlefields of France, is a collective design triumph.

Jonathan Dryden Taylor as Michael Morpurgo himself is the story’s guide. Meandering down memory lane, his narration melts seamlessly into the action, sweeping you along for the ride and inspiring a sense of old snapshots coming to life.

All the performances are accomplished. With skill beyond their years the youngsters playing the junior versions of the adult characters don’t miss so much as the subtlest nuance.

The adult cast, many of whom play multiple roles, are equally adept. Effortlessly slipping from character to character, the scenes at the watering hole, in which they take on animal personas, are especially impressive.

Director Dale Rooks has invested such care that not even the smallest detail falls short. Making it feel as if you are watching a labour of love rather than simply an extremely polished production; her Butterfly Lion has palpable heart and soul. It makes the heart sing.

Complemented by Tom Brady’s atmospheric music, Anna Ledwich’s adaption is sensitively and elegantly done. Clearly meeting with the approval of the book’s author, who on Press Night was in the audience, Mr Morpurgo looked proud fit to burst. He deserved to.

The Big Five-0 By Jane Wenham-Jones | Book Review

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the big five O , book, book review, Jane Wenham-Jones

I was very excited to receive this book. It has a great cover and looks like fun. The fact it is about women turning fifty also made me happy. Older women are underrepresented in books in my opinion.

The book itself is fantastic. Every character is well-written and interesting. The story keeps you entertained and guessing. This is an enjoyable read that totally engrosses you into the story. Jane Wenham-Jones is clearly a master of her craft. This book is just perfect. I hope it gets made into a film. 

Four friends are planning a joint 50th party the seaside town of Broadstairs will never forget, but these 49 year olds have far more on their minds than canapés and balloons for their half-century.

Empty-nester Charlotte wants to know what her husband’s up to.

Single mother Roz fears her teenage daughter will discover how she pays the bills.

Tough businesswoman Fay crows about her no-strings toy boy but hides the real story behind her divorce.

Singleton Sherie’s cat is the only male in her life who ever stays around. Or is he?

They’re all keeping secrets but as the big birthday looms, the beans are about to spill. As the shocks come out, one of them is going to need her friends more than ever.

Is fifty the new thirty? Today’s fifty-somethings lead very different lives from fifty-something women even one generation ago. Jane Wenham-Jones writes with insight and humour about the challenges today’s mid-lifers are grappling with – relationship wobbles or break ups, making ends meet, juggling the demands of offspring and elderly parents, health scares and the minefield of finding love.

All of Jane’s books feature issues she has faced – and life has a way of reflecting fiction, too. Several times she has found herself dealing with serious issues soon after she’s started writing about them.

Jane’s characters meet their own problems head-on in this very funny and relatable book.

The Big Five-0 by Jane Wenham-Jones, published 19 September 2019 by HarperImpulse, paperback, £8.99.

Jane Wenham-Jones is a well-known author and journalist who regularly appears on radio and TV. She has written for a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, is a regular columnist for Woman’s Weekly and the agony aunt for Writing Magazine.

She has published six novels: Raising The Roof, Perfect Alibis, One Glass Is Never Enough, Prime Time, Mum in the Middle and The Big Five-0, as well as three non-fiction books – Wannabe a Writer? and Wannabe a Writer We’ve Heard Of? plus a humorous diet book, 100 Ways to Fight the Flab and Still Have Wine and Chocolate.

Jane also works the after-dinner circuit, talks to writers groups and conferences, and has worked as a celebrity speaker for P&O. She has hosted the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Romantic Novel Awards – the annual awards for the best in Romantic Fiction – for the last nine years, and presented hundreds of events at literary and book festivals in the UK and abroad. Jane lives with her family in Broadstairs, Kent, where three of her novels are set.

The Big Five-0 By Jane Wenham-Jones is available here. 

HarperImpulse, 19 September 2019,  paperback, £8.99

The Mummy Bloggers Book Review

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Mummy bloggers are huge now. While motherhood used to be a solitary business, the internet has allowed thousands of mothers to write about their experiences and, in some cases, make money while they do so. The term ‘mummy blogger’ can be used in a negatory way, but, hey, there is sexism everywhere. 

The Mummy Bloggers by Holly Wainwright is an outstanding book. She writes her characters so vividly, you really feel like you know them. I raced through this book as quickly as my children and work commitments would let me. It has great pace and the twists and turns keep you guessing. The book is so relevant and smart. Definitely one of my favourite books of the year. It also has a positive review from You magazine editor Jo Elvin on the cover and she has impeccable taste. A must read. 

You can read about Holly Wainwright’s writing process on Frost Magazine tomorrow. 

 

Elle Campbell is a glossy, lycra-clad mum with washboard abs, a ten-year plan and a secret past.

Abi Black has quit sugar, moved to the country and is homeschooling her kids.

Leisel Adams slogs away at her office job each day before rushing home, steeped in guilt, to spend precious moments with her kids before bedtime.

All three share a label that they simultaneously relish and loathe: mummy blogger. And when they are nominated for an award with a hefty cash prize, the scene is set for a brutal and often hilarious battle for hearts, minds-and clicks. As the awards night gets closer, their lies get bigger, their stunts get crazier – and some mistakes from the past become harder and harder to hide.

 

The Mummy Bloggers is available here.