Review: The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

There’s something unsettling about books that make you stare mortality in the face. After I finished The Immortalists I sat down and – for the first time ever – made a bucket list. Even if I never learn to create a soufflé or walk the Pennine Way, it gave me back the sense of control that this story rips away.

Review: All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Ever since The Book Thief made me sob on the bus, I’ve avoided reading novels about World War Two on public transport. So, when I decided to take All the Light We Cannot See on a train, I knew there was a high chance I’d need tissues.

In the end, I stayed dry-eyed but it was a close run thing. Anthony Doerr’s beautifully written story focuses on two teenagers in occupied Europe; a French girl who supports the resistance and a young Nazi radio operator. In their own ways, they’re both victims of the war.

Review: Milkman by Anna Burns

I’m much too weedy to climb an actual mountain, so Milkman became my Everest. Sometimes it was slow going and exhausting, occasionally I needed a restorative cup of tea, but every second was an amazing experience.

It starts with one of the most attention-grabbing sentences I’ve ever read: “The day Somebody McSomebody put a gun to my breast and called me a cat and threatened to shoot me was the same day the milkman died.”

From that point, I was gripped.

Review: The Librarian by Salley Vickers

Imagine an England without internet or mobile phones, where people leave their doors unlocked and neighbours help each other; a time when affairs are common, and fast-spreading, malicious gossip can ruin lives.

Review: The Wicked Cometh by Laura Carlin

Laura Carlin’s debut novel combines history, mystery, gore and romance. The Wicked Cometh is a riches to rags (and back again) story that makes me thoroughly glad to live in the twenty-first century.

 

Review: Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

Welcome to my first review of 2019! Washington Black is an outstanding book to start the year. Esi Edugyan has created a genre-defying novel that veers between slave narrative and fantastical adventure with a dash of steampunk thrown in.  

Christmas Review: Murder at the Old Vicarage by Jill McGown

Christmas is truly over! There are no more Brussel sprouts in the fridge and I’ve finished my mini detective-readathon.

Murder at the Old Vicarage was the last novel on my list and looked like the perfect book for the holiday season. With a snowy front cover and ‘A Christmas Mystery’ stamped on the front, I’d readied myself for a festive bonanza.

Christmas Review: Murder in the Snow by Gladys Mitchell

To me, every book is a romantic relationship. For a couple of hundred pages, I stare adoringly at the text, immersing myself in each word.

Sadly, Murder in the Snow didn’t turn into a great love affair. A quarter of the way through, my feelings started to sour. Another dozen pages in, and I was more than ready to break-up with the plot. I kept reading, but never managed to experience that special spark.

Christmas Review: The Mistletoe Murder by P.D. James

Grab a warm blanket and a cup of tea, before diving into these Christmas stories from the Queen of Crime. P.D. James’ four festive tales will keep you up at night.

Christmas Review: An English Murder by Cyril Hare

An English Murder is a classic whodunnit for cold December nights. When a mysterious death takes place on Christmas Eve, snowed-in guests at a country house must uncover the killer.