Review: Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah

Rootless is Appiah’s debut novel and it’s an accomplished rollercoaster of emotions. I had been in a review rut – nothing I’d chosen on Netgalley had really done it for me recently and I always feel a bit guilty when this happens as I do try to give positive feedback when I can. Thank goodness,… Continue reading Review: Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah

February reading round up

February. Like January but shorter and with more people trying so very hard to call it spring and blithely ignoring the Arctic windchill factor. Fools. Bring on March. I’ve read a lot this month! Here’s the rundown: Hotel Milano – Tim Parks I always look at Tim Parks books thinking I like them and then… Continue reading February reading round up

Reading challenges – love ’em or hate ’em?

Happy New Year! New year, same old complaints about reading challenges. Even the Guardian published a piece this year telling people not to worry about reading more, but reading better. Well yes. I confess I do wonder why people take reading challenges so seriously. The things we choose to care about. I mean, if you’re… Continue reading Reading challenges – love ’em or hate ’em?

Books of the year: 2022 reading round up

How has 2022 been for you? I have read a lot of books, and even starting writing things again, which feels like an exciting step. However, in prepping this post, I did get a suspicion that the reading hasn’t been great this year. Let’s look at the numbers: As ever, they vary depending on which… Continue reading Books of the year: 2022 reading round up

Reading round up: November

The worst month. So dark. Not yet Christmas. No firework display this year. But at least the books are here to help brighten the gloom. Notes to Self – Emilie Pine This is a book of essays that someone somewhere raved about and I bought on idle curiosity. But it’s quite marvellous. I have no… Continue reading Reading round up: November

Review: Starling by Sarah Jane Butler

Some years ago I was on a writing course with what was then the Unthank School and one of my classmates was Sarah Jane Butler who was starting to write a book – that book has become Starling. Starling and her mother Mar are travellers, moving around the country, living off the land, and often… Continue reading Review: Starling by Sarah Jane Butler

September reading round up

Is it just that ‘events’ seem to be happening so fast or did September just fly by? We’re into autumn proper now and the season change is my favourite time of year. It helps being a September baby, I guess. Anyway, here’s my reading round up for the month – a bumper crop. A Thousand… Continue reading September reading round up

Review: The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell

How do you follow Hamnet? Such an acclaimed book that touched a lot of people, Hamnet was never going to be an easy one to move on from. I love Maggie O’Farrell’s work, she is one of my favourite writers. Her last three books, not just Hamnet, but I Am I Am I Am and… Continue reading Review: The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell