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The Hollow Sea: The unforgettable and mesmerising debut inspired by mythology
By Annie Kirby. 2022
THE ISLANDERS SAY IT'S CURSED. BUT THAT'S ONLY ONE SIDE OF THE STORY . . .'A bold, magical story' JO…
BROWNING WROE, Sunday Times bestselling author of A Terrible Kindness'A majestic work of the imagination . . . I woke up thinking about it' ROSIE ANDREWS, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Leviathan'An atmospheric tale, shot through with folklore. The writing shimmers' KATE SAWYER, Costa shortlisted author of The Stranding_______They say the Hollow Sea is cursed. A wild expanse separating the remote islands of St Hía, not even the locals brave its treacherous waters.But new arrival Scottie feels a pull she can't ignore. Because behind the curse is the legend of Thordis: a woman whose story feels eerily familiar. No one knows what became of her, but Scottie believes Thordis's fate may answer questions about her own past.Despite the islanders' warnings, Scottie sets out to discover the truth. But as she dares to cross the Hollow Sea, will its secrets give her the answers she needs?Or will the past drag her under?_______'A heart-rending atmospheric novel of finding what makes one whole' Melissa Fu, author of Peach Blossom Spring'Mesmerising' Good Housekeeping'A poetic tale' PrimaSmall Pleasures: Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction
By Clare Chambers. 2020
LONGLISTED FOR THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION 2021'A WORD-OF-MOUTH HIT' Evening Standard 'A very fine book... It's witty and sharp…
and reads like something by Barbara Pym or Anita Brookner, without ever feeling like a pastiche'David Nicholls'Perfect'India Knight 'Beautiful' Jessie Burton'Wonderful'Richard Osman 'Miraculous'Tracy Chevalier 'A wonderful novel. I loved it'Nina Stibbe 'Effortless to read, but every sentence lingers in the mind' Lissa Evans 'This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. I honestly don't want you to be without it'Lucy Mangan'Gorgeous... If you're looking for something escapist and bittersweet, I could not recommend more' Pandora Sykes'Remarkable... Small Pleasures is no small pleasure'The Times'An irresistible novel - wry, perceptive and quietly devastating'Mail on Sunday'Chambers' eye for undemonstrative details achieves a Larkin-esque lucidity' Guardian'An almost flawlessly written tale of genuine, grown-up romantic anguish' The Sunday Times 1957, the suburbs of South East London. Jean Swinney is a journalist on a local paper, trapped in a life of duty and disappointment from which there is no likelihood of escape. When a young woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, it is down to Jean to discover whether she is a miracle or a fraud. As the investigation turns her quiet life inside out, Jean is suddenly given an unexpected chance at friendship, love and - possibly - happiness. But there will, inevitably, be a price to pay.Book of the Year for: The Times, Daily Telegraph, Evening Standard, Daily Express, Metro, Spectator, Red Magazine and Good HousekeepingWeird Rules to Follow
By Kim Spencer. 2022
Marvel and a Wonder
By Joe Meno. 2015
"Evoking William Faulkner and Cormac McCarthy, Meno's suspenseful, mordantly incisive, many-layered tale can also be read as an equine Moby-Dick.…
As he tracks the bewildering seismic shifts under way in America, Meno celebrates everyday marvels, including the hard-proven love between grandfather and grandson."--Booklist, Starred review"Faulkner-ian epic for the contemporary age....[Meno] draws on the grave themes and austere styles of writers like Cormac McCarthy and Daniel Woodrell to offer a mix of biblical allegories, tinder-dry prose, and noble characters trying to survive in a wretched world....The novel's prose is marvelous is its spare, convincing grit while the story's themes of family, redemption, sacrifice, and faith echo the plays of Sam Shepard at times....A grandiose, atmospheric portrait of Middle America in all its damaged glory."--Kirkus Reviews"The latest by Meno is a compelling mash-up of magic and the absurd with the grittiness of a world inhabited by punks, thieves, and losers, as a grandfather and his grandson take a road trip through 1990s rural America in search of their stolen horse....This is a provocative reflection on the lives of the disenfranchised in the waning days of the 20th century, with a bittersweet resolution that will resonate with readers."--Publishers Weekly"Winner of the Discover Great New Writers Award and the Nelson Algren Award, among other honors, Meno can be entertainingly outré. This story of a man and his grandfather hunting for their stolen horse is also affecting."--Library Journal, Barbara Hoffert's Prepub Alert"Marvel and a Wonder is such a tender love story. The love of an irascible grandfather for his baffling grandson; the love for a mysterious horse; the love for a country that no longer seems to love us back. Joe Meno writes with poise and wit and stunning amounts of empathy. What a beautiful story. What a lovely book."--Victor LaValle, author of The Devil in Silver"Both sprawling and intimate, Marvel and a Wonder is a vivid portrait of Heartland America, and infuses its array of characters with humor, empathy, and insight. I've long been an admirer of Joe Meno's work, and this is his most ambitious book yet."--Dan Chaon, author of Await Your ReplyPraise for Joe Meno:"A beguiling and slyly disquieting storyteller...Meno transforms wintery Chicago into a wondrous crystallization of countless dreams and tragedies, while telling the stories of two derailed young artists...poignant and funny."--Kansas City Star on Office Girl"The wisest, most humane and transcendent novel on the contemporary family since The Corrections...A marvelous book."--Irvine Welsh on The Great PerhapsMarvel and a Wonder is a darkly mesmerizing epic and literary page-turner set at the end of the twentieth century. In summer 1995, Jim Falls, a Korean War vet, struggles to raise his sixteen-year-old grandson, Quentin, on a farm in southern Indiana. In July, they receive a mysterious gift--a beautiful quarter horse--which upends the balance of their difficult lives. The horse's appearance catches the attention of a pair of troubled, meth-dealing brothers and, after a violent altercation, the horse is stolen and sold. Grandfather and grandson must travel the landscape of the bleak heartland to reclaim the animal and to confront the ruthless party that has taken possession of it. Along the way, both will be forced to face the misperceptions and tragedies of their past.Evoking the writing of William Faulkner and Denis Johnson, this brilliant, deeply moving work explores the harrowing, often beautiful marvels of a nation challenged by its own beliefs. Ambitious, expansive, and laden with suspense, Marvel and a Wonder presents an unforgettable pair of protagonists at the beginning of one America and the end of another.The Anger Meridian: A Novel
By Kaylie Jones. 2015
"Kaylie Jones's striking novel...quivers with tension from the opening page...[A] lovely, finely plotted novel, which highlights colorful San Miguel and…
the complexities of family, loyalty and honesty. The Anger Meridian is at once a suspenseful mystery and a superlatively gripping story of self-discovery."--Shelf Awareness, Starred review"Jones...has written a compulsively readable novel about a woman who manages to come into her own. With engaging characters, a compelling story, and a seductive sense of place, this is a literary treat."--Booklist"Jones creates a seething portrait of a narcissistic mother in this story of an adult daughter's attempt to reconcile the appearance of her prosperous and successful family with the harsh reality of a life built on a series of lies....Jones keeps the action churning...but perhaps the novel's greatest feat is Bibi, an all-too-real toxic monster of a mother."--Publishers Weekly"A fast-paced story of a woman who only stops lying to others once she stops lying to herself."--Kirkus Reviews"The plot twists in this latest from Jones are intriguing....For readers looking for a lightweight novel for the beach...this book is the prescription."--Library Journal"The Anger Meridian opens with high drama...The novel...maintains a lovely sense of place and character. There is a psychological depth to the story, especially in regards to a keen focus on mother and daughter relationships. Underlying this is a compelling mystery and a sense of tension that will keep readers moving fast through the story."--KQED, "Beach Reads for Rebels: 5 Alternatives to the Average Summer Thriller""There's more to the story at every level here, however, and that is the brilliance of Kaylie Jones's writing....This fascinating novel bases its mystery not so much on unfolding events, although these are well paced, but instead on how a person can live a life parallel to the truth, based on an ever-shifting set of lies and misrepresentations. There's real danger is remaking the truth to avoid conflict, and that is never more apparent than in this well crafted book."--Reviewing the Evidence"Must-read....Intriguing characters, complex twists, and a definite page turner."--Chicago Now, Top 5 Books of 2015Merryn Huntley is rudely awakened to the many bad decisions she has made in her life when she is told by two Dallas police officers that her wealthy husband Beau has been killed in a car accident, along with a local waitress. Merryn's first instinct is to flee in order to protect her nine-year-old daughter, and the only place that feels safe enough is her mother's beautiful, isolated home in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.Merryn's mother, the redoubtable Bibi, always said to her as a child, When you tell a lie, make sure you keep it as close to the truth as possible, because it will be easier to remember. Ironically, from the moment Merryn arrives, she is forced into twisting the truth--about how much she knew of her husband and his shady business affairs; about her own secret lovers; and most importantly, that she is beginning to doubt the one person who has always been the greatest influence in her life: her mother.The situation worsens when two FBI agents show up and begin to ask Merryn questions about her husband's business, which only intensifies her need to continue lying. While Merryn's perfect life begins to crumble around her, she must decide whether or not she can face the most painful reality of all--that she has been lying to herself her entire life.Heatstroke: a dark, compulsive story of love and obsession
By Hazel Barkworth. 2020
DO YOU REMEMBER THE SUMMER THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING? 'A thrilling look at mothers and daughters, adolescence, sex, suburbia and secrets'…
NELL FRIZZELL 'Unsettling, challenging and utterly immersive' CLARE MACKINTOSH'A sultry, stifling debut exploring power, consent and womanhood' COSMOPOLITAN --- Rachel and her daughter have never had secrets. Until now.Lily is somewhere she shouldn't be. With someone she shouldn't be with.Mia misses her best friend. But she let her down.In the middle of a stifling heatwave, Rachel, Lily and Mia stand on the edge of irrevocable change. Soon, just one burning question will remain... how could they let things go this far?A provocative debut novel for fans of My Dark Vanessa, The Push by Ashley Audrain and Megan Nolan's Acts of Desperation.--- 'Barkworth is excruciatingly good' OBSERVER'I am addicted... dark and twisty with beautiful, poetic writing' EMMA GANNON 'Gripping and intensely atmospheric... you won't want to put this down' HEAT magazine's READ OF THE WEEK 'Stylish and sensual' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE 'Twists, turns and revelations in all the right places' EVENING STANDARD'A stunning new voice... I couldn't tear myself away' ERIN KELLY 'Sexy and provocative' LAURA JANE WILLIAMS 'Pulls you into its sweaty interior and keeps you gripped' RENEE KNIGHT 'Compulsive, sticky and full of gorgeous writing' KIRSTIN INNES 'Read next if you loved Three Women by Lisa Taddeo' WHISTLESnewsletterHeatstroke: a dark, compulsive story of love and obsession
By Hazel Barkworth. 2020
DO YOU REMEMBER THE SUMMER THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING? 'A thrilling look at mothers and daughters, adolescence, sex, suburbia and secrets'…
NELL FRIZZELL 'Unsettling, challenging and utterly immersive' CLARE MACKINTOSH'A sultry, stifling debut exploring power, consent and womanhood' COSMOPOLITAN --- Rachel and her daughter have never had secrets. Until now.Lily is somewhere she shouldn't be. With someone she shouldn't be with.Mia misses her best friend. But she let her down.In the middle of a stifling heatwave, Rachel, Lily and Mia stand on the edge of irrevocable change. Soon, just one burning question will remain... how could they let things go this far? A provocative debut novel for fans of My Dark Vanessa, The Push by Ashley Audrain and Megan Nolan's Acts of Desperation. --- 'Barkworth is excruciatingly good' OBSERVER'I am addicted... dark and twisty with beautiful, poetic writing' EMMA GANNON 'Gripping and intensely atmospheric... you won't want to put this down' HEAT magazine's READ OF THE WEEK 'Stylish and sensual' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE 'Twists, turns and revelations in all the right places' EVENING STANDARD'A stunning new voice... I couldn't tear myself away' ERIN KELLY 'Sexy and provocative' LAURA JANE WILLIAMS 'Pulls you into its sweaty interior and keeps you gripped' RENEE KNIGHT 'Compulsive, sticky and full of gorgeous writing' KIRSTIN INNES 'Read next if you loved Three Women by Lisa Taddeo' WHISTLES newsletterGrief Is the Thing with Feathers: A Novel
By Max Porter. 2015
Here he is, husband and father, scruffy romantic, a shambolic scholar--a man adrift in the wake of his wife's sudden,…
accidental death. And there are his two sons who like him struggle in their London apartment to face the unbearable sadness that has engulfed them. The father imagines a future of well-meaning visitors and emptiness, while the boys wander, savage and unsupervised.In this moment of violent despair they are visited by Crow--antagonist, trickster, goad, protector, therapist, and babysitter. This self-described "sentimental bird," at once wild and tender, who "finds humans dull except in grief," threatens to stay with the wounded family until they no longer need him. As weeks turn to months and the pain of loss lessens with the balm of memories, Crow's efforts are rewarded and the little unit of three begins to recover: Dad resumes his book about the poet Ted Hughes; the boys get on with it, grow up.Part novella, part polyphonic fable, part essay on grief, Max Porter's extraordinary debut combines compassion and bravura style to dazzling effect. Full of angular wit and profound truths, Grief Is the Thing with Feathers is a startlingly original and haunting debut by a significant new talent.Blackberry Winter
By Sarah Jio.
A haunting story of love, family and the secrets that can destroy us... 1933. Vera Ray kisses her young son…
goodnight and leaves to work the night-shift at a local hotel. The next morning, she discovers an sudden snowfall has blanketed the city, and her son has vanished, the snow covering up any trace of his tracks, or the perpetrator's.2010. Journalist Claire Aldridge has been burying herself in work to avoid her own pain. When she is assigned to cover the 'blackberry winter' storm she learns of the disappearance of a three-year-old boy. He was never found. Claire vows to find the truth, but as she immerses herself in the mysteries of the past, Claire discovers that not all secrets should be revealed.Betty: The International Bestseller
By Tiffany McDaniel.
'NOT A STORY YOU WILL SOON FORGET' Karen Joy Fowler, author of Man Booker Prize finalist We Are All Completely…
Beside Ourselves'A girl comes of age against the knife.' So begins the story of Betty Carpenter. Born in a bathtub in 1954 to a Cherokee father and white mother, Betty is the sixth of eight siblings. The world they inhabit is one of poverty and violence - both from outside the family and also, devastatingly, from within. When her family's darkest secrets are brought to light, Betty has no choice but to reckon with the brutal history hiding in the hills, as well as the heart-wrenching cruelties and incredible characters she encounters in her rural town of Breathed, Ohio.Despite the hardship she faces, Betty is resilient. Her curiosity about the natural world, her fierce love for her sisters and her father's brilliant stories are kindling for the fire of her own imagination, and in the face of all she bears witness to, Betty discovers an escape: she begins to write.A heartbreaking yet magical story, Betty is a punch-in-the-gut of a novel - full of the crushing cruelty of human nature and the redemptive power of words.Elisabeth's Daughter
By Marianne Fredriksson. 2001
Katarina Elg is young and free. She adores falling in love, but lasting closeness frightens her and she cannot accept…
being tied down. Independence is more precious than anything else. Then she becomes pregnant and decides, surprisingly perhaps, to keep the baby. Her mother, Elisabeth, is supportive, but her lover reacts violently, believing that the pregnancy is no accident. Is violence inherited, Katarina wonders, and if so, can it be inherited among victims as well as perpetrators? These thoughts lead her to approach her mother, and the two women open up to each other as the past is confronted and explored.Fathers and children: Introduction by John Bayley (Everyman's Library Classics Series)
By Ivan Turgenev, Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev, Avril Pyman. 1991
Classic nineteenth-century Russian novel portraying the conflicting points of view of two generations. The protagonist, Bazarov, is a young, radical…
intellectual who tries in vain to convert his aristocratic father and his friend's uncle to his theories of a new social orderHeatstroke: a dark, compulsive story of love and obsession
By Hazel Barkworth. 2020
'Barkworth is excruciatingly good... An impressive first book' OBSERVER'A sultry, stifling debut exploring power, consent and womanhood' COSMOPOLITAN'The evocative one'…
HEAT magazine's READ OF THE WEEK'Read next if you loved Three Women by Lisa Taddeo' WHISTLES newsletter---Do you remember the summer that changed everything?Rachel and her daughter never had secrets. Until now.Lily is somewhere she shouldn't be. With someone she shouldn't be with.Mia misses her best friend. But she let her down.In the middle of a stifling heatwave, the three of them stand on the edge of irrevocable change. By the end, one burning question will remain... how could she let things go this far?FOR FANS OF ZOE HELLER, EMMA CLINE, EXPECTATION AND MY DARK VANESSA.---'I wanted to stay within its pages forever' CLARE MACKINTOSH'Stylish and sensual' KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE'A thrilling look at mothers and daughters, adolescence, sex, suburbia and secrets' NELL FRIZZELL'I am addicted... dark and twisty with beautiful, poetic writing' EMMA GANNON'Sexy and provocative' LAURA JANE WILLIAMS'Pulls you into its sweaty interior and keeps you gripped' RENEE KNIGHT'I couldn't tear myself away' ERIN KELLY'Compulsive, sticky and full of gorgeous writing' KIRSTIN INNES'Gripping and intensely atmospheric... you won't want to put this down' HEAT'A summer sizzler... with twists, turns and revelations in all the right places' EVENING STANDARD(P)2020 Headline Publishing Group LtdThe Lip: a novel of the Cornwall tourists seldom see
By Charlie Carroll. 2021
A haunting debut novel of a young woman living on the edge in a Cornwall the tourists never see, struggling…
with the aftermath of family tragedy.'This unsparing debut novel portrays the unromantic side of Cornwall few visitors see and which so many novelists choose to overlook. Charlie Carroll inhabits his damaged heroine completely' Patrick GaleAway from the hotels and holiday lets, there is an unseen side of Cornwall, where the shifting uncertainties of the future breed resentment and mistrust. Melody Janie is hidden. She lives alone in a caravan in Bones Break: a small cliff-top on Cornwall's north coast. She spends her time roaming her territory, spying on passing tourists and ramblers, and remembering. She sees everything and yet remains unseen. However, when a stranger enters her life, she is forced to confront not only him but the terrible tragedies of her past. The Lip is a novel about childhood, isolation and mental health, told in the unique and unforgettable voice of Melody Janie. 'All of this is Bones Break. All of this is mine. I know every inch of it; I know it as intimately as the seagulls. I stand at dead-centre, my feet teetering on the edge of the lip. Below, the thundering tattoo of waves on rock. Wind catches the tips of my hair, lifting them above my ribs: less force than it takes to knock me down; enough to make me right myself with a step to the left, and then another back again. Here on the lip, it is vital to know where my feet are.'(P) 2021 Hodder & Stoughton LtdAfter the End: The powerful, life-affirming novel from the Sunday Times Number One bestselling author
By Clare Mackintosh. 2019
Have you read the book that everyone's talking about?'If I could give this book 10 stars I would' (Reader review)'This…
book touched my soul' (Reader review)'I could not put it down. What a story. What a storyteller' (Reader review)'This is in my top five books of all time. Absolutely incredible' (Reader review)'I have never felt so emotionally wrapped up in characters in a book' (Reader review)Powerful, uplifting and full of hope, AFTER THE END is the most moving book you'll read this year - from number one bestseller Clare Mackintosh__________________________Max and Pip are the strongest couple you know. Only now they're facing the most important decision of their lives - and they don't agree.With the consequences of an impossible choice threatening to devastate them both, nothing will ever be the same again.But anything can happen after the end . . .***********'The most moving book you'll read this year' LISA JEWELL'Life-affirming . . . richly drawn' SUNDAY TIMES 'Compelling and clever, tender and true. I can't stop thinking about it' LIANE MORIARTY'Heart-wrenching . . . an absolute must-read' MIKE GAYLE'Put this on the top of your list. You won't regret it' JANE CORRY'One of the most moving stories I have ever read. It's perfect' JOANNA CANNONThe Book of Wonders: The perfect feel-good novel for summer 2020!
By Julien Sandrel. 2018
Open your heart to the most life-affirming and uplifting novel of the year...Thelma and Louis, it's always just been the…
two of them, Thelma and her beloved son, Louis.But when Louis is involved in an accident, their lives are turned upside down, as Louis falls into a coma. Feeling lost without him by her side, Thelma finds Louis' book of wonders - a bucket list of all the things he wants to accomplish in his life. She suddenly sees a way to feel close to him: she will fulfil Louis' dreams, living them out for him, in the hope that it will inspire him to survive.Thelma is about to set off on the adventure of a lifetime... and in a way, so is Louis...The Book of Wonders is a heart-warming and charming story about finding the joy in every moment of life and making each and every day count. Perfect for fans of The Keeper of Lost Things and A Man Called Ove.Abundance: Unputdownable and heartbreaking coming-of-age fiction about fathers and sons
By Jakob Guanzon. 2021
LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTIONSELECTED BY THE TELEGRAPH AS ONE OF THE FOUR BEST DEBUTS OF THE…
YEAR'A tense, yet tender portrait of a father and son trying to escape life on the margin. Determination and despair collide in this unforgettable debut, with an ending that broke my heart' Douglas Stuart, Booker Prize-winning author of Shuggie Bain'Extremely heartbreaking, I constantly had a pit in my stomach... My heart hurt so much...I loved it! The emotions and feelings in this story were just written so beautifully' Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Evicted from their trailer on New Year's Eve, Henry and his son, Junior, have been reduced to living out of a pick-up truck. Six months later, things are even more desperate. Henry, barely a year out of prison for selling drugs, is down to his last pocketful of cash, and little remains between him and the street. But hope is on the horizon: today is Junior's birthday, and Henry has a job interview tomorrow.To celebrate, Henry treats Junior to dinner at McDonald's, followed by a night in a real bed at a discount hotel. For a moment, as Junior watches TV and Henry practises for his interview in the bathtub, all seems well. But after Henry has a disastrous altercation in the parking lot and Junior succumbs to a fever, father and son are sent into the night, struggling to hold things together.Each chapter of this deeply emotional and compassionate novel begins with amount of money in Henry's pocket, showing how literally father and son's fortunes can turn on a dime. Can they make it through tomorrow?What people are saying about Abundance:'I guarantee your heart will not leave your throat for one second reading this... Will haunt you long after you set the book down.' Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Broke my heart but I couldn't stop reading.' Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐'Full of beauty, honesty and unexpected grace.' Gary Shteyngart'A quest, a page-turner, and above all a love story, Abundance lays bare one father's brutal, tender hustle to care for his son in a winner-takes-all world.' Mia Alvar'Gut-wrenching... Truly heartbreaking... Told with compassion and vivid detail... Feels tense right to the very end... Brilliant.' Goodreads Reviewer'Will rip your heart out.' Goodreads Reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Hush: 'Shows the push and pull of motherhood...I was absolutely glued to it' Emma Gannon
By Kate Maxwell. 2022
What if the thing you most wanted feels nothing like you expected?A Grazia Hot Debut'A richly textured novel showing the…
push and pull of motherhood, career identity and what it means to be a woman with multiple sides ... I was absolutely glued to it' Emma Gannon, bestselling author of OliveAfter five exhilarating years in New York, Stevie has a successful career and a glamorous social life. But what she most wants is a baby, an aspiration that feels impossible given that she is single, thirty-eight and living in a tiny apartment in Manhattan, far away from most of her family in England. Determined to become a mother, Stevie returns to London and has a baby on her own. When she gives birth to Ash, she finds motherhood painfully at odds with her former life and her expectations. She begins to wonder if having a child was a mistake - and what she might be willing to do to escape. As she struggles with what her future might hold, revelations from the past change everything she believed about family and love.'A vivid, compelling story about the unspoken truths of motherhood, family and feminine ideals. Tender, unflinching and beautifully evoked' Francesca Hornak, author of The Seven Days of Us'An engaging parable about the ambiguity of modern motherhood, told with warmth and wit' Leah Hazard, bestselling author of Hard Pushed'Maxwell explores uncomfortable but important truths about motherhood brilliantly in her story of a mother falling apart, and piecing herself back together' Julia Bueno, author of The Brink of BeingI Love You But I've Chosen Darkness
By Claire Vaye Watkins. 2022
A darkly funny, soul-rending novel of love in an epoch of collapse-one woman's furious revisiting of family, marriage, work, sex,…
and motherhood.Since my baby was born, I have been able to laugh and see the funny side of things. a) As much as I ever did. b) Not quite as much now. c) Not so much now. d) Not at all. Leaving behind her husband and their baby daughter, a writer gets on a flight for a speaking engagement in Reno, not carrying much besides a breast pump and a spiraling case of postpartum depression. Her temporary escape from domestic duties and an opportunity to reconnect with old friends mutates into an extended romp away from the confines of marriage and motherhood, and a seemingly bottomless descent into the past. Deep in the Mojave Desert where she grew up, she meets her ghosts at every turn: the first love whose self-destruction still haunts her; her father, a member of the most famous cult in American history; her mother, whose native spark gutters with every passing year. She can't go back in time to make any of it right, but what exactly is her way forward? Alone in the wilderness, at last she begins to make herself at home in the world.Bold, tender, and often hilarious, I Love You but I've Chosen Darkness reaffirms Watkins as one of the signal writers of our time.(P) 2022 Penguin AudioNorthern Spy: A Reese Witherspoon's Book Club Pick
By Flynn Berry. 2020
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER | A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK'You'll devour Northern Spy . . . I loved…
this thrill ride of a book'REESE WITHERSPOON'A chilling, gorgeously written tale... Berry is a beautiful writer with a sophisticated, nuanced understanding of this most complicated of places'NEW YORK TIMES'Thrillingly good... Flynn Berry shows a le Carré-like flair for making you wonder what's really going on at any given moment' WASHINGTON POST'An elegantly wrought story about the perils of not being what you seem... Nerve-shredding suspense'DAILY MAILA producer at the Belfast bureau of the BBC, Tessa is at work one day when the news of another IRA raid comes on the air. As the anchor requests the public's help in locating those responsible for this latest attack - a robbery at a gas station - Tessa's sister appears on the screen pulling a black mask over her face.The police believe Marian has joined the IRA, but Tessa knows this is impossible. But when the truth of what has happened to her sister reveals itself, Tessa will be forced to choose: between her ideals and her family.