Five new books to read this week
By Prudence Wade, Press Association
Our bookshelf this week includes stories set deep in the countryside, and on a celebrity cruise…
1. The Given World by Melissa Harrison is published in hardback by Hutchinson Heinemann. Available now
For some reason it is often thought that nothing happens in the countryside. People see the patchwork fields, grazing cattle, stone fences and hiking trails and presume that life is still and sleepy. Melissa Harrison taps into this thought, but steadily, chapter by chapter, pulls at the loose thread running through this novel’s central community. There is drama, and beauty, in the minutiae. Traditional life and land surrounding them is dying, people are moving in from the city. Generational feudal land issues, folklore and bad blood run like a river through Welm Valley, and as one resident gets closer to death, another is mysteriously saved against the odds. A young farm labourer is stuck with one foot in the modern world, as a life-long roofer is lamenting the marching of time. The Given World captures the slow death of community at the expense of ego, consumerism and modernity.10/10(Review by Rachel Howdle)
2. American Fantasy by Emma Straub is published in hardback by Michael Joseph. Available now
Fifty-year-old Annie finds herself unexpectedly solo on a celebrity cruise. With her divorce still stinging, she feels out of place on a ship full of middle-aged fans of the now middle-aged boyband Boy Talk. She catches the attention of singer Keith, who’s experiencing a midlife crisis of his own: his wife is drifting away and he’s under pressure from his bandmate brother to commit to a world tour. A single moment provides the catalyst for some quite profound soul-searching against an increasingly chaotic backdrop of fans and ageing heart-throbs behaving badly. Emma Straub resists the obvious path and instead plays with the wild world of fandom, using it to gently examine the turning points of getting older. American Fantasy is a frothy cocktail of humour and wit spiked with pointed reflections on fame, integrity and identity. If you ever had a boyband poster on your bedroom wall or knew all the lyrics by heart, this will float your boat.7/10(Review by Amy Crowther)
3. Solace House by Will Maclean is published in hardback by Atlantic Books. Available now
Devotees of Will Maclean’s 2020 debut novel The Apparition Phase may have wondered when his second offering would appear, but it has finally arrived with this release six years on. At a little over 500 pages, this is a weighty affair, but one that grips until the end. There are periods when you feel things could be shifted on a bit, but Maclean has created an intriguing world that is worth persevering with. The Solace House in question refers to a mansion bequeathed to a university by a mysterious hoarder called Flayne, which several students are given the task of clearing out in 1993. Central to these is Alex, who is lured into Flayne’s world – a world which touches on mystery, intrigue and fantasy, and a creepiness that slowly seeps into the reader. This is one to immerse yourself in and enjoy. A tough read at times, but very satisfying.7/10(Review by Karl Hornsey)
4. This Dark Night: The Life Of Emily Brontë by Deborah Lutz is published in hardback by Bloomsbury Continuum. Available May 28th
Drawing on newly unearthed material, Deborah Lutz’s This Dark Night is a lively, comprehensive, and thoroughly researched biography of Gothic fiction titan Emily Brontë. Rooted in the dramatic landscape of the Yorkshire moors, Lutz paints a vivid portrait of the surroundings, people and politics that gave rise to Wuthering Heights. Readers hoping for a biography with an exclusive focus on the middle Brontë sister will not find it here, however. So entwined was her life with those of her sisters, Charlotte and Anne, that any attempt to separate Emily entirely would be misrepresentative. It is Lutz’s dissection of Bronte’s works, from early writings set in the fictional Gondal, to her now renowned 1847 novel, that place her at the biography’s centre. Despite a somewhat slow start, This Dark Night, underpinned by wide-ranging sources and expert analysis, is a discerning insight into the woman behind a tale which has captivated generations.8/10(Review by Izzie Addison)
5. Broken by X. Fang is published in hardback by Pushkin Children’s Books. Available now
With books like Dim Sum Palace and We Are Definitely Human, visual artist X. Fang has made a name for herself with joyful and slightly surreal romps that liven up any bedtime reading session. Broken is no different – but this time, Fang has injected more of a teachable lesson into the story. It’s the kind of tale that pretty much any child will relate to – when Mei Mei accidentally breaks her ama’s favourite cup, she immediately spirals and starts catastrophising about what will happen when the truth comes out. So Mei Mei doesn’t say anything at all – but it won’t stay secret for long, particularly if her ama’s pet cat has anything to do with it. It’s a simple story that Fang has injected with plenty of life and humour, with a useful message about guilt and accountability for kids at the end.8/10(Review by Lily Rose)
BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING MAY 16th
HARDBACK (FICTION)1. A Parade Of Horribles by Matt Dinniman2. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke3. Broken Dove by Dani Francis4. Fury Bound by Sable Sorensen5. The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout6. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman7. Blood Bound by Ellis Hunter8. Such A Nice Girl by Andrea Mara9. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans10. All Hail Chaos by Sarah Rees Brennan(Compiled by Waterstones)
HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)1. The Book Of Birds by Robert Macfarlane & Jackie Morris2. London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe3. Thirst by John Robins4. BBQ by Jamie Oliver5. So Good Express by Emily English6. Bloody Dangerous by Colin Bell7. Famesick by Lena Dunham8. All The Medals Have Been Handed Out by Guy Martin9. Weimar by Katja Hoyer10. Talking Classics by Professor Mary Beard(Compiled by Waterstones)
AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NONFICTION)1. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling2. A Parade Of Horribles by Matt Dinniman3. Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling4. Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir5. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke6. Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling7. London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe8. Harry Potter And The Order oOf The Phoenix by J.K. Rowling9. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman10. Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire by J.K. Rowling(Compiled by Audible)