The Couple Next Door By Shari Lapena

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena. Advance Reader Copy (eARC) from the publisher via Netgalley included. No affiliate links used.  You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Would you leave your baby at home alone while you attended a dinner party next door? That’s exactly what Anne and Marco decide to do with their six month old daughter when their babysitter cancels at short notice.

When they return home from dinner their front door is open and Cora is missing. How could this have happened? They had the baby monitor with them and checked on Cora every half hour.

Why does Anne doubt her own account of what happened? What is Marco hiding? Is Detective Rashbach correct in his assumption that Anne and Marco are responsible for their daughter’s disappearance? How well do Anne and Marco really know their neighbours?

Told from multiple points of view, The Couple Next Door makes you question everything. This aspect worked well because as the story unravelled my loyalties to characters switched depending on whose eyes I was seeing them through.

This is difficult to discuss without wandering into spoiler territory, but I couldn’t let the often problematic portrayal of mental health issues pass without comment. While the tone was necessary, to a degree, there are times when it’s so over the top it borders on caricature. I don’t know whether this was Shari Lapena’s intention, but it didn’t sit well with me.

The Couple Next Door is full of unreliable narrators and characters that all seem to have something to hide. Lapena’s concise style ensures that this web of intrigue remains tense until the final page.

The Couple Next Door is published by Bantam Press an imprint of Transworld Publishers and is available in hardback and ebook format.

6 LGBTQ+ Fiction Recommendations

Review copy of Paulina & Fran by Rachel B. Glaser from the publisher, Granta Books, included. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Queer fiction is not a single genre. Queer characters can and should appear in everything from Sci-Fi and fantasy to crime fiction. Queerness is not some “other” that can be ignored. Nor should it be ignored.

I’ve spoken before about what queerness in literature, TV, film and music meant to my young gay self. And what they meant to my twenty-something self, when I realised I was bisexual. Representation matters.

Younger me was particularly drawn to female queer characters, so the majority of this list is compiled of lesbian and bisexual women.

Pages for You by Sylvia Brownrigg

Pages for You is a story about lust, love and heartache.

When 17 year-old Flannery Jansen sees a graduate student reading in a diner, she is immediately drawn to her. Surprised by the extent of her feelings, Flannery decides to see where they will take her no matter the cost.

I’m looking forward to revisiting Flannery and Anne, in the follow-up Pages for Her, and seeing what they’re up to now.

Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue

A collection of fairytale retellings with a feminist twist, the 13 stories in Kissing the Witch interconnect as each girl and woman tells her own story. But “what has this got to do with queerness?” I hear you ask. Well, when each heroine is the master of her own story it makes for some interesting twists on the “girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy” narrative.

Paulina & Fran by Rachel B. Glaser*

Paulina is not afraid to go after who and what she wants. Rumour has it she slept with most of the women at Smith, the elite ladies’ college she attended before transferring. Fran is more sexually innocent and focused on artistic work.

They bond on a school trip to Norway, their connection is instant. It’s not without complications. In an effort to deal with her confusing feelings for Paulina, Fran begins dating an ex-boyfriend of Paulina’s, Julian.

To discuss the second half of the book is to give too much away. But, it’s safe to say, their experience at art school isn’t something Paulina or Fran have easily forgotten.

Good Girls Don’t by Claire Hennessy

Good Girls Don’t is a story about teenagers getting to grips with friendship, sex, sexuality and everything that entails.

Emily Keating should probably spend more time doing her homework, but instead she is busy trying to figure out her place in the world. Something that isn’t easy for a 17 year-old, especially when you’re trying to help your friends.

The sexuality of the characters is entwined with the plot, the story isn’t all “So and so is gay or bisexual, shock horror”. There is normality to it all. This, somewhat depressingly, is as refreshing today as it was in 2004.

Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

Anything written by Sarah Waters deserves a place on this list, but Tipping the Velvet was the first novel of hers I read so it holds a special place in my heart.

When Nan King becomes Kitty Butler’s, a male impersonator, dresser their attraction to each other becomes difficult to ignore and so their affair begins. Queer historical fiction is my favourite kind of historical fiction.

Orlando by Virginia Woolf

Presented as a biography, Orlando spans three centuries. Orlando is a young nobleman in Elizabethan England, but halfway through the novel he awakes one morning as a woman. Woolf’s exploration of role of women ends in 1928, the year of the Equal Franchise Act and full suffrage for women.

Dedicated to Vita Sackville-West, Woolf’s close friend and lover, Orlando is a story about life, love and gender.

Difficult Women By Roxane Gay

Difficult Women by Roxane Gay. Advance Reader Copy (eARC) from the publisher, via Netgalley, included. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

A powerful collection of stories centred on the theme of the difficulties women face when they search for or assert their independence.

Roxane Gay is not afraid to take risks. Her exploration of the multi-faceted lives women lead questions our preconceptions about likeability. What makes women likeable? More importantly, why are women who do not fit the restrictive mould society expects them to adhere to labelled “difficult”?

Anyone familiar with Gay’s writing, particularly her essay collection Bad Feminist and debut novel An Untamed State, won’t be surprised by the intertwining of sex and violence. These are stories of love, loss, trauma, abuse, motherhood and sex. They feature women who have privilege, women who live in poverty, women who are single, in relationships or who are married, and women who are dealing with past trauma.

The standout stories for me are I Will Follow You and Requiem for a Glass Heart. I Will Follow You sees two sisters, who survived being held captive as teenagers, struggle with relationships in adulthood. Their experience has obviously changed their perception of men. Requiem for a Glass Heart, with its glass woman married to a flesh and blood man, has a touch of magical realism about it.

That some of them were previously published in places like the Oxford American, The Mississippi Review Online and the Minnesota Review left the collection with the potential to feel disjointed. Almost in defiance, Gay weaves her words in a manner that asks “why did you ever doubt me?” Difficult Women is as cohesive as it is masterfully written.

These women are not difficult, but if society insists on viewing them as such then you can expect them to act “crazy”, “loose” or “frigid”. Ask and you shall receive, right? And, yes, this is Gay at her sarcastic best.

Gay deftly switches between the first and third person, ensuring each of these women is distinctive in the process. Gay’s deep dive into what it means to be a “difficult woman” and its intersection with race and social class is as haunting as it is captivating.

Difficult Women is published by Corsair, an imprint of the Little, Brown Book Group, and is available in hardback, paperback and ebook format.

I don’t use affiliate links, but if you like what I do you can show your support by buying me a coffee here.

The Lauras By Sara Taylor

The Lauras by Sara Taylor. Advance Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher, Windmill Books, via lovereading.co.uk included. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

On the surface The Lauras is a mother – child road trip novel. So far so easy, right? Not quite. Ma is restless and after one fight to many with her husband she bundles Alex into the car in the middle of the night and takes off.

Narrated by Alex we watch Ma’s story unfold through Alex’s eyes. We’re one step removed, yet we’re in the thick of it because it is Alex’s story too. As they make their way across the country Alex learns about Ma’s life. A complicated, often times messy life that has left its mark. A life full of people, places and experiences that have stayed with Ma. We learn about the Lauras and the non-Lauras and are reminded that sometimes the people who are in your life for only a short time have the biggest impact. Ma is ready to confront her past in an effort to heal those wounds and reconnect with her former self. The self she pushed aside when she met Alex’s Dad.

All the while Alex is facing uncertainty. Where will their next school be and how long will they be staying? I’ve used ‘they’ as a singular pronoun because Alex does not identify as either male or female. Whether they view themselves as non-binary or agender is never explicitly stated. We see some the difficulties Alex faces, particularly at school, but more importantly we see the freedom Alex has to explore their gender identity and learn to feel comfortable in their own skin.

The Lauras is a sensitive, moving, compelling and nuanced look at gender, sexuality, how the past affects our present and questions how well we really know our parents.

The Lauras by Sara Taylor is published by Windmill Books, an imprint of the Penguin Random House, and is in hardback, paperback and ebook format.

I don’t use affiliate links, but if you like what I do you can show your support by buying me a coffee here.

Burned and Broken By Mark Hardie

Burned and Broken by Mark Hardie. Advance Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher, Sphere, included. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

When the remains of a policeman are found in a burnt out car DS Pearson and DC Russell know they will be under extra scrutiny as they try to solve the case. The powers that be will want answers that don’t damage the reputation of the police force.

Simultaneously, a young woman who has recently left the care system is trying to find out what happened to her best friend.

Are both cases linked? As Pearson and Russell uncover new details and evidence they wonder just how much information their bosses need to know.

My main issue was the pacing. Some chapters were full of fast moving information, while others seemed to drag on as little or nothing happened. I know the mix of tempos is meant to mirror the difficulties the police face when working on a case, but as a reader the balance was a little off. The prologue sucked me in, but it didn’t always hold my attention which makes tension building difficult.

Despites its flaws; Hardie has created a good working relationship between DS Pearson and DC Russell. A relationship that makes me want to see where Hardie takes them next and how his writing style develops.

Burned and Broken by Mark Hardie is published by Sphere, an imprint of the Little, Brown Book Group and is available in hardback and ebook format. The paperback edition will be published on the 4th May.

I don’t use affiliate links, but if you like what I do you can show your support by buying me a coffee here.

Relativity By Antonia Hayes

Relativity by Antonia Hayes. Advance Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher, Corsair, included. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Sometimes you come across a book that is so completely worth the hype you half suspect anyone who doesn’t like it is deliberately going against the grain. It seems almost impossible that everyone wouldn’t fall in love with it as much as you. Relativity by Antonia Hayes is that book.

Relativity is a story about family bonds, the lengths we’ll go to for the people we love and physics. Yes, you read that correctly. 12 year-old Ethan loves physics and astronomy. His talent for and obsession with physics are stitched into the narrative in a way that draws even the least science minded, namely myself, in.

Claire is protective of her son, but she can’t shield him from the truth forever especially when he starts asking questions about his father.

I went into the book knowing nothing about it apart from the blurb on the back. I recommend you do the same, which is why this review is short on synopsis. The characters are as complex as the plot and Hayes’ inhabits them all with skill. That the story is told from multiple perspectives only adds another layer to this rich and absorbing tale.

Hayes’ debut novel is a gorgeous exploration of how the past is a place we can no longer visit. But it still plays a part on our future, even if we’d like to be able to leave it behind completely.It was only afterwards I discovered that some of the events in the novel mirror something Antonia Hayes experienced.

Relativity is as thought-provoking as it is compelling. A must read.

Relativity by Antonia Hayes is published by Corsair an imprint of the Little, Brown Book Group and is available in hardback and ebook format. The paperback edition is published on the 19th January.

I don’t use affiliate links, but if you like what I do you can show your support by buying me a coffee here.

All We Shall Know By Donal Ryan

All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan. Advance Reader Copy (eARC) via Netgalley included. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Melody Shee is pregnant and alone. Her husband, Pat, left her when she told him about her affair. But even he doesn’t know the truth. Melody doesn’t dare tell anyone that she slept with 17 year-old Martin Toppy. She was supposed to be teaching him to read and write.

Melody doesn’t know what to do. She is angry; at Pat and at the world, but mostly at herself. How has she ended up like this? She has no-one to turn to except her Dad, but she doesn’t want to break his heart. Other people have friends, but not Melody.

Enter Mary Crothery, a young Traveller woman who has a way of seeing through the walls Mary has built around herself. As an unlikely friendship is formed, Melody finds herself being drawn to into the Travelling community more and more. She cares about what happens to Melody. She also cares about what happens to Martin, despite everything that has happened. Or maybe because of it, she’s not really sure.

Ryan has a great way with the Irish dialect that draws you in and makes his exploration of rural communities in contemporary Ireland a joy to read. His prose is lyrical, yet concise. At less than 200 pages, All We Shall Know packs an emotional punch.

All We Shall Know by Donal Ryan is published by Doubleday an imprint of Transworld Publishers and part of the Penguin Random House group and is available and hardback and ebook format.

I don’t use affiliate links, but if you like what I do you can show your support by buying me a coffee here.

Through The Barricades By Denise Deegan

Through the Barricades by Denise Deegan. Advance Reader Copy (ARC) from the author included. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Maggie Gilligan wants to make a difference in the world. She has to, for her father. She is willing to do whatever it takes.

When Maggie meets Daniel, she thinks he is nothing more than a privileged boy who has no clue what is really going on. She dares him to join her in volunteering at a food kitchen. Daniel accepts and a friendship is formed.

When Maggie realises that volunteering at the soup kitchen isn’t enough, that she needs to do more, Daniel is at her side. As their relationship grows, Daniel promises to do everything he can to keep her safe. Even the one thing Maggie does not want him to do, enlisting in the British Army.

Spanning the 1913 Lockout, the First World War and the Easter Rising, Through the Barricades by Denise Deegan is an evocative look at a period that helped shape Ireland. Deegan’s fictional characters leap off the page just as much as the historical ones.

Through the Barricades is a story about love and revolution. It is a story about making your voice heard. It is a story about trying to make a difference. We see Maggie and Daniel try to balance their love for each other with their respective sense of duty. We experience a country divided, the effects of poverty, the realities of war and the lengths Maggie and others will go to in order to secure an Irish Republic.

Maggie Gilligan is a character who will stay with me. I know she’ll cross my mind from time to time, I’ll wonder how she’s doing and whether her life is going the way she hopes.

I don’t use affiliate links, but if you like what I do you can show your support by buying me a coffee here.

Best Books of 2016

Some Advance Reader Copies (ARCs) via lovereading.co.uk, Netgalley and publishers included. They will be marked with an *. No affiliate links included. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Last year I made a conscious decision to read more books written by women, something I continued to do this year. Of the 80+ books I’ve read, 60+ were written by women, so it’s no surprise that my best books of 2016 list is comprised solely of women.

I’ve read and enjoyed many books, both fiction and non-fiction, but these are the six I gave five star ratings to. These are the six that affected me the most. In a year that saw me rediscover my love of crime fiction it will surprise no one to see half the list made up of crime novels.

Some of these books made me laugh. Some made me cry. Some managed to do both. They all made me think. They all made me want to seek out people who had read them, so we could discuss the stories at length. They are all books I know I will re-read, which may sound strange when it comes to crime fiction but the three I’ve chosen are full of nuance and little details that lend themselves well to being re-visited.

Different Class by Joanne Harris*

Told by two narrators; Roy Straitley in 2005 and an unnamed student in 1981, Different Class* is dark, twisty, menacing and often times claustrophobic. It is a slow burning, yet character driven psychological thriller that will leave you with your heart in your mouth on more than one occasion. Joanne Harris skilfully controls a plot full of complex characters and sinister events. It’s one of the best books I’ve read this year.

Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard*

Distress Signals* is well paced and full of tension; what makes it stand out is the significant role the cruise ship plays. What happens when a crime happens on a cruise ship? Which country has jurisdiction and how many resources do they actually dedicate to crimes committed miles from land? These are the issues that Adam finds himself up against. These are questions that add an extra layer of intrigue to Catherine Ryan Howard’s confident debut.

The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel*

The Summer That Melted Everything* is an incredible piece of literary fiction. That it is a debut novel makes it even more so. Tiffany McDaniel’s writing is evocative, complex and full of confidence.

The summer of 1984 brings an intense heat wave to Breathed, Ohio. It also brings the devil. Things will never be the same again. Fielding Bliss has never forgotten that summer and it is through his eyes that we learn what happened. The novel alternates between 1984 and an unspecified year in the future.

It is a thought-provoking novel that deals with religion, racism, homophobia and mob mentality amongst other things.  It’s a novel I’ll be recommending for a long time to come.

Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent*

Told from multiple points of view; Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent* skilfully weaves a web of deceit, showing the fallout one incident has for two families. Just when you think you’ve figured everything out, Nugent skilfully takes the story in a different direction.

It is an engrossing psychological thriller. Liz Nugent has once again written a world full of complexity, depravity, secrets and the central question of whether ‘badness’ is a case of nature or nurture.

Needlework by Deirdre Sullivan

Dealing with the aftermath of abuse, Needlework by Deirdre Sullivan begins where many other novels would end.

Ces is smart, vulnerable and understandably angry a lot of the time. She may no longer be in the abusive situation, but it still has a hold over her. What follows is an unflinching, powerful, haunting, often times harrowing and poetic look at a teenage girl trying to get her life back.

My words can’t do Needlework justice, but trust me you need to read it.

Becoming: Sex, Second Chances & Figuring Out Who The Hell I Am by Laura Jane Williams

After being dumped by her childhood sweetheart, the man she thought she was going to marry, Laura Jane Williams turns to excess in order to deal with heartache. Drink? Check. One night stands? Check. Having a good time is nothing to be ashamed of. But what happens when you are no longer having a good time? What happens when you realise that you haven’t really dealt with the fact your ex-boyfriend is marrying your friend? What happens when you realise that you don’t really like who you’ve become?

These questions are at the heart of Becoming: Sex, Second Chances and Figuring Out Who The Hell I Am. Laura decides to take a vow of celibacy, one year without sex or dating. A year where she can focus on processing the emotions she’d previously been fighting against, however messy those emotions may become.

Laura’s writing is raw, honest and often times heartbreaking. Becoming is poignant, thought-provoking, funny, heartbreaking and above all an exploration of the work that’s sometimes involved in truly liking yourself.

Death At The Seaside by Frances Brody

Death at the Seaside by Frances Brody. Advance Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher, Piatkus, included. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Regular readers of this blog will know that I’m a fan of mysteries and thrillers. So, when Piatkus contacted me about taking part in the blog tour for Frances Brody’s latest novel, Death at the Seaside, I jumped at the chance.

Nothing ever happens in August, so it seems like the perfect time for sleuth Kate Shackleton and her colleagues to take a break. Shackleton heads to Whitby to catch up with an old school friend Alma Turner.

What was supposed to be a relaxing holiday turns out to be anything but for Shackleton. First she stumbles across a crime at the local jewellers’ then she discovers that Alma’s daughter Felicity has disappeared leaving only a note and the pawn ticket a watch-guard behind her.

Are the crime at the jewellers and Felicity’s departure from Whitby related? Where has Felicity gone? What has Alma’s gentlemen friend and jeweller Jack Phillips got to do with it all? And how far will a town go in order to keep its secrets? When the town closes ranks, Kate Shackleton turns to her colleagues for help.

Death at the Seaside sits firmly in the cosy mysteries category. If you like your crime fiction with a hard edge, this isn’t the book for you. I really enjoyed it. The story is a slow burner, but it was well paced with enough strands to the story to keep you guessing as to what will happen next.

There is something special about mysteries set in close knit communities and Frances Brody captures it well. I felt like I was in 1920s Whitby. While experiencing things from an outsider’s point of view, I got a good sense of how the residents of Whitby felt about the events that were unfolding. That is often a hard thing to achieve, but Brody got the balance just right.

Death at the Seaside is the eighth book in the Kate Shackleton mystery series, but they work as standalone novels. Death at the Seaside explores the dynamics of life in a small town and how newcomers and outsiders are perceived, especially once a crime has been committed.

About the author

Frances Brody is the author of the Kate Shackleton mysteries, as well as many stories and plays for BBC Radio, scripts for television and four saga, one of which one the HaperCollins Elizabeth Elgin Award. Her stage plays have been toured by several theatre companies and produced at Manchester Library Theatre, the Gate and Nottingham Playhouse, and Jehad was nominated for a Time Out Award.

Death at the Seaside by Frances Brody is published by Piatkus part of the Little, Brown Book Group and is available in paperback and ebook format.

I don’t use affiliate links, but if you like what I do you can show your support by buying me a coffee here.

Nina is Not OK By Shappi Khorsandi

Nina is Not OK by Shappi Khorsandi. Advance Reader Copy (eARC) from the publisher via Netgalley included. No affiliate links used. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

‘Do you think your drinking is a problem? Do you get drunk when you don’t mean to?’ I always mean to.

You can’t be an alcoholic at 17, can you? Nina enjoys a drink; she’s hardly alone in that and her friends are always on hand to fill in any blanks she has from the night before. Nina’s mother is simply being oversensitive because Nina’s father was an alcoholic, right?

When no-one can help her remember the events of a particular night, Nina is forced to confront her drinking in a way she never has before. She is also left with a feeling that something bad happened. A feeling of shame that will not go away. A feeling that leads her to blame herself for the actions of others. A feeling that has far reaching consequences.

It’s been a couple of weeks since I finished Nina is Not OK and it is still playing on my mind. That’s because Shappi Khorsandi has written characters that I ended up caring deeply for, even if I didn’t always like them.

For so long there has been an assumption that characters, particularly women and girls, must be likeable (a) for readers to actually enjoy reading about them and (b) in order for readers to empathise with them. This isn’t always true. Some of my favourite books in recent years have had characters that were either (a) downright unlikeable or (b) said and did unlikeable things at some point.

I’m reminded of a speech Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gave last year where she told young girls to forget about likeability. Solid advice for life and for writing fiction.

Like Asking For It by Louise O’Neill and All The Rage by Courtney Summers, Nina is Not OK is an exploration of consent and the role alcohol plays, rape culture, victim blaming and the politics of teenage girls. Not always an easy read, subject wise, but that is exactly what makes them essential reading.

Shappi Khorsandi has written a powerful and complex debut novel (her first book is a memoir) that is as funny as it is thought-provoking. More of this, please.

Nina is Not OK is published by Ebury Press part of the Penguin Random House Group and is available in hardback and ebook format.

I don’t use affiliate links, but if you like what I do you can show your support by buying me a coffee here.

6 Memoir Recommendations

If smart, funny, poignant and engaging writing is your thing then here are six memoirs you will love. What they all have in common are women who aren’t afraid to be themselves, even if they haven’t always known exactly who that is.

Ctrl Alt Delete: How I Grew Up OnLine by Emma Gannon

I don’t remember exactly when I first came across Emma Gannon’s blog, Girl Lost In The City but I know I spent ages reading back through every post.

When she announced she was writing a book about her experience of growing up online I pre-ordered it as soon I could.

I read it in one sitting. From discovering chat rooms in her early teens, to thoughts on internet porn, being a social media addict and the role the internet plays in her working life Ctrl Alt Delete is smart, funny and accessible. A must read for social media lovers!

Girl on the Net: How A Bad Girl Fell In Love by Girl on the Net

When you think of Girl on the Net you think of NSFW often kinky sex stories with a side of feminism, right? These all feature in How a bad girl fell in love, but the book is also about being in a relationship and figuring out how to make your sexual desires work with each other.

What I wasn’t expecting, but will be eternally grateful for, is how “Sarah” opens up about the all encompassing ways anxiety affects her life.

Fat Chance: My Life In Ups, Downs And Crisp Sandwiches by Louise McSharry

I read Fat Chance in one sitting and haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since.

Covering everything from growing up with a mother who was an alcoholic to not being the “cool” one at school to figuring out what she wanted to do career wise to being diagnosed with and treated for cancer to getting married and body positivity; Fat Chance by Louise McSharry is an emotional read. I laughed, I cringed and I cried. All in the best possible way!

Sex Object by Jessica Valenti

Co-founder and former Executive Director of Feministing, Jessica Valenti is currently a columnist for the Guardian US where she also hosts a podcast called What Would a Feminist Do? I’m a fan of Valenti’s work, but knew very little about her personal life so I went into Sex Object unsure what to expect.

What I got was a frank and oftentimes funny memoir about street harassment by men simply for being a woman (something that starts when Valenti, like most, is still a girl), abortion, addiction, anxiety, motherhood, online harassment, and imposter syndrome.

Sex Object left me angry at the fact that we, as women, are still objectified as we go about our daily lives. But it also left me hopeful about the future of the feminist movement as we work to end rape culture. And that’s the biggest compliment I can give it.

Shrill: Notes From A Loud Woman by Lindy West

Dealing with rape jokes and rape culture, abortion, online harassment and meeting the troll who set up a Twitter account using her dead father’s name, finding her voice and learning to appreciate her body the way it is Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West is a smart, funny and frank memoir about what it’s like to be an outspoken fat woman in a world that, so often, tells women to sit down and shut up.

Becoming: Sex, Second Chances & Figuring Out Who The Hell I Am by Laura Jane Williams

After being dumped by her childhood sweetheart, the man she thought she was going to marry, Laura Jane Williams turns to excess in order to deal with heartache. Drink? Check. One night stands? Check. Having a good time is nothing to be ashamed of. But what happens when you are no longer having a good time? What happens when you realise that you haven’t really dealt with the fact your ex-boyfriend is marrying your friend? What happens when you realise that you don’t really like who you’ve become?

These questions are at the heart of Becoming: Sex, Second Chances and Figuring Out Who The Hell I Am. Laura decides to take a vow of celibacy, one year without sex or dating. A year where she can focus on processing the emotions she’d previously been fighting against, however messy those emotions may become.

Laura’s writing is raw, honest and often times heartbreaking. Her ebook The Book of Brave had a profound effect on me, so I was looking forward to reading Becoming. I wasn’t disappointed. Becoming is poignant, thought-provoking, funny, heartbreaking and above all an exploration of the work that’s sometimes involved in truly liking yourself.

Sugar And Snails By Anne Goodwin

Sugar and Snails by Anne Goodwin. Advance Reader Copy included. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

When Anne Goodwin sent me the blurb of her novel Sugar and Snails and asked if I would be interested in reviewing it I was intrigued. It deals with issues that are important to me; mental health and LGBTQ+ experiences. I enjoyed Sugar and Snails so much I’m pleased to take part in the blog tour to celebrate the first anniversary of its release.

A trip to Cairo changed Diana Dodsworth’s life when she was fifteen. A change that has resulted in Diana keeping people at a distance ever since. This was working until she met Simon Jenkins. He’s heading to Cairo soon and wants Diana to fly out for a visit. Diana doesn’t want to return to Cairo, but she can’t tell Simon the reason why.

It’s difficult to talk about this novel fully without giving too much away. Although set in the present, the inclusion of flashbacks to Diana’s adolescence and the fateful trip to Cairo give the reader a broader picture of Diana. Even if they don’t yet fully understand what happened. Telling the story this way allows the reader to pick up on clues before the big reveal. The big reveal isn’t the end of the story. It is very much the beginning of a new chapter in Diana’s life.

Anne Goodwin’s writing is clever, a couple of times I thought I had things figured out but was proven wrong. When the penny did drop I was impressed with the layers Goodwin wrapped the plot in. It’s possible that different readers will guess what’s going on at different points throughout the novel. Some may not figure it out for themselves. Either way, Sugar and Snails is a novel that while slow moving grabs your attention and doesn’t let go.

To say Sugar and Snails is a coming-of-age story doesn’t quite do it justice, but it’s the closest comparison I can think of. Anne Goodwin writes about LGBTQ+ experiences and mental health with great empathy and insight and Diana Dodsworth is a character that lingers long after you’ve turned the final page.

About the author

Anne Goodwin’s debut novel, Sugar and Snails, about a woman who has kept her past identity a secret for thirty years, was published in July 2015 by Inspired Quill and longlisted for the 2016 Polari First Book Prize. Her second novel, Underneath, about a man who keeps a woman captive in his cellar, is scheduled for publication in May 2017. Anne is also a book blogger and author of over 60 published short stories. Catch up on her website: annethology or on Twitter @Annecdotist.

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The Museum Of You By Carys Bray

The Museum of You by Carys Bray. Advance Reader Copy (eARC) from the publisher via Netgalley included. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

“When you grow up in the saddest chapter of someone else’s story, you’re forever skating on the thin ice of their memories.”

Clover Quinn was raised by her Dad. Her mother died when Clover was a baby and Darren has done his best to be everything his daughter needs. Their relationship is close, but Clover doesn’t want to upset him by asking too many questions about her mother. She has lots of questions. Questions that cut to the heart of who she is and whether her birth really was the pleasant surprise her Dad says it was.

In a search for answers, Clover decides to spend the summer sorting through the second bedroom which is full of her mother’s belongings. Darren never quite managed to get rid of them and the room as remained untouched for years. Clover hopes to discover the type of person her mother was. She’s looking for the full story about her parents’ life and relationship before she was born. She’s trying to figure out what kind of person she will become.

The chapters switch between Clover and Darren’s points of view. This works really well and adds a depth to the father – daughter relationship that’s often missing from other depictions. They’re fully formed characters in their own right. As a reader you’re invested in them both. You want things to work out alright, even when you’re not quite sure what an alright outcome looks like.

The Museum of You is a thoughtful exploration of grief, family, mental ill-health and the role that memories play in our lives. Carys Bray’s writing is funny, clever, tender and at times heartbreaking. Clover is a character that will linger in my mind for a long time.

Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent

Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent. Advance Reader Copy (eARC) via Netgalley included. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

“My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.”

Now, there’s an opening line that packs a punch and it’s just the beginning. Lydia and Andrew Fitzsimons appear to have it all; good money, a lovely home and son who wants for nothing.

Andrew is a respected judge; a judge who loses the family money and in an effort to avoid bankruptcy agrees to a scheme thought up by his wife. A scheme that leaves them with a body to conceal.

Lydia is hell bent on protecting her social status, her home, the reputation of her husband and her son. No matter what the cost. As the years pass, Lydia proves just what lengths she will go to in order come up smelling of roses.

Told from multiple points of view; Liz Nugent skilfully weaves a web of deceit, showing the fallout one incident has for two families. Just when you think you’ve figured everything out, Nugent takes the story in a different direction.

Lying in Wait holds the reader’s attention right to the end. Liz Nugent has once again written a world full of complexity, depravity, secrets and the central question of whether ‘badness’ is a case of nature or nurture.

Lying in Wait is an engrossing psychological thriller that is sure to feature on a number of best books of 2016 lists. It has certainly earned a place on mine.

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The Woman In Cabin 10 By Ruth Ware

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware. Advance Reader Copy (eARC) via Netgalley included. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Travel journalist Lo Blackwood is heading off on what many people would deem the press trip of a lifetime; seeing The Northern Lights on-board a boutique cruise ship.

The assignment couldn’t have come at a better time. Lo’s flat was broken into a days earlier and she’s pretty shaken up. Time away is just what she needs.

When Lo witnesses the aftermath of a murder, she is informed that no guest ever checked into that cabin and no no-one is missing from the ship.

Lo Blackwood is a woman full of complexities, which shouldn’t be surprising considering most of us are but sometimes this leads to fictional characters (mainly women) being described as “unlikeable” as if likability is the only thing women should aspire to. Lo is relatable, even during the moments when you might not agree with her actions.

Like Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard, The Woman in Cabin 10 uses the difficulties with investigating crimes on a cruise ship to its advantage. What happens when a crime occurs on a cruise ship? What happens when even the ship’s security team doubt your version of events? How can you catch a killer when you’re in the middle of the ocean and no-one else believes a murder took place? Ruth Ware has crafted an Agatha Christie-esque style whodunit; a group of people in a confined space meaning the killer must be amongst them.

Full of tension and at times claustrophobic, The Woman in Cabin 10 is a clever thriller that sucks the reader in right from the get-go. This is one for the to-read list, especially if you’re a fan of crime fiction.

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My Girl By Jack Jordan

My Girl by Jack Jordan. Advance Reader Copy (eARC) via Netgalley included. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Paige Dawson’s addiction to alcohol and prescription painkillers is slowly killing her. But it’s the only way Paige can deal with her grief. Ten years ago her 14-year-old daughter, Chloe, was murdered. All they found was her arm. And now Paige is a widow, her husband having died by suicide.

During her moments of lucidity Paige notices that strange things are happening. Someone has put her husband’s things away and then they disappear completely. All his belongings are gone and his face has been scratched out of every photo. Paige confronts her mother-in-law, the only other person with a key, who insists it wasn’t her. Paige must have done it while drunk and high, right? But surely she would remember doing something so important. She would remember, wouldn’t she?

I’m a fan of unreliable narrators. I enjoy second guessing what a character has told me. In this instance, there is a lot of second guessing as Paige seems to further lose her grip on reality.

Judging by the reviews I’ve seen so far, I’m in the minority but I much preferred the first section of My Girl. Instead of being the psychological thriller about one woman’s struggle to get over the murder of her daughter and the subsequent death of her husband, My Girl became much more shock and awe.

There are elements of the storyline that do not require nuance. Things become pretty clear cut, in terms of who the perpetrator is. That doesn’t make it any easier to read, content wise and it doesn’t make it any less one dimensional in places. The depth I loved in the initial section disappears completely.

My Girl is a thriller with potential. Jack Jordan’s writing is clear and concise. Jordan has shown he can write with incredible depth. While My Girl lost its way in parts, Jack Jordan is definitely a writer to keep an eye on.

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Distress Signals By Catherine Ryan Howard

Distress Signals by Catherine Ryan Howard. Advance Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher included. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

Things are finally looking up for Adam Dunne. There has been some interest in his script and he can’t wait to celebrate with Sarah, his girlfriend, when she returns from a business trip to Barcelona. But Sarah doesn’t return and Adam’s life begins to fall apart.

A few days later, Sarah’s passport arrives in the post with a note that reads “I’m sorry – S”. An already worried Adam becomes even more concerned for Sarah’s safety. The police, however, conclude that Sarah chose to leave and they won’t investigate any further.

Adam realises that it’s up to him to find Sarah and he’s prepared to do whatever it takes.

Catherine Ryan Howard is a master storyteller. She beautifully crafts a narrative full of tales of relationships gone wrong, missed opportunities, secrets and intrigue.

As events unfold, the depth of Howard’s skill is showcased beautifully. On numerous occasions I thought I’d figured out what happened to Sarah only to be proven wrong. Yet, nothing about Distress Signals seems forced or unnecessary.

Distress Signals is well paced and full of tension; what makes it stand out is the significant role the cruise ship plays. What happens when a crime happens on a cruise ship? Which country has jurisdiction and how many resources do they actually dedicate to crimes committed miles from land? These are the issues that Adam finds himself up against. These are questions that add an extra layer of intrigue to Catherine Ryan Howard’s confident fiction debut. Distress Signals is a must read for fans of crime fiction.

I don’t use affiliate links, but if you like what I do you can show your support by buying me a coffee here.

The Girls By Emma Cline

The Girls by Emma Cline. Advance Reader Copy (eARC) via Netgalley included. You can read my full disclosure policy here.

It’s the summer of ’69 and 14 year-old Evie Boyd is trying to figure out where she fits in. Then she meets Suzanne. Suzanne is the otherworldly cool girl and Evie is drawn to her in ways she doesn’t fully understand. When Suzanne introduces Evie to Russell and everyone else who lives at “the farm” Evie’s life is changed forever.

The Girls is an exploration of longing, pleasure, love, obsession and the lengths people will go to satisfy others. It is about the relationships between teenage girls, the things they do for men and the roles they play for each other.

Emma Cline’s writing is lyrical and brilliantly captures the tone of a teenage girl who, above all else, wants to be noticed.

The story is told retrospectively. We meet Evie in middle age; we know how her story ends almost before we fully understand what the story is. This removes some of the tension from the latter stages of ’69 section.

When in the company of present day Evie I wished I was back in 1969 with teenage Evie. Modern day Evie felt like an unnecessary distraction. The sense of place wasn’t as strong.

There has been a lot of hype surrounding The Girls, so by now you’re probably aware that Cline’s debut novel is inspired by the Manson Family and the murder of Sharon Tate, her unborn child and her friends.

It’s not hard to see why Cline was inspired by these horrific real life events. Trying to understand why people are drawn to figures like Manson is a breeding ground for exploring obsession and morality.

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The Accidental Life Of Greg Millar By Aimee Alexander

I read The Accidental Life of Greg Millar by Aimee Alexander (the pen name of bestselling author Denise Deegan) last year when it was on special offer on Kindle, but it’s released in paperback on April 26th so now seems like the perfect time to review it.

Lucy Arigho is not the kind of person to be swept off her feet, but that all changes when she meets Greg Millar. She is drawn to him in a way she didn’t expect, especially after the death of her fiancé Brendan. But when Greg talks about getting married, Lucy doesn’t immediately say no but she does want to take things a bit slower.

At first I thought this was going to be a standard romance novel, but alarm bells soon began to ring about Greg. He was impulsive and manipulative, I fully expected him to turn abusive.

Instead what unfolds is a sensitive, yet realistic look at how mental illness affects not only the person with the illness but everyone around them.

Alexander writes with great empathy and fully understands the complexities of the world she has created. There are no one dimensional characters here, which is a relief when it comes to topics like mental illness.

I was left teary-eyed more than once and genuinely wished things would work out for Lucy, Greg and their families.

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