JODI PICOULT By Any Other Name. Reviewed by Sally Nimon
Jodi Picoult’s latest novel reimagines Shakespeare and shows little has changed since the sixteenth century for women playwrights. ‘I believe we can help each other,’ Emilia said. ‘You wish for everyone to know your name; I wish for no one to know mine.’ So begins...
SARAH BETH DURST The Spellshop. Reviewed by Amelia Dudley
Sarah Beth Durst calls her new novel ‘cozy fantasy’ and delivers a tale of magic, persecution – and jam-making. Librarian Kiela flees the burning Great Library of Alyssium with Caz, her chatty, sentient spider-plant assistant, and as many priceless (and highly...
COURTNEY COLLINS Bird. Reviewed by Emma Foster
The lyrical second novel from the author of The Burial criss-crosses through time following one girl’s parallel lives. Bird is the pensive, defiant 14-year-old protagonist of Courtney Collins’ new novel. In the opening chapter, she’s living with her family in a...
MAGGIE WALTERS Split. Reviewed by Sanchana Venkatesh
Maggie Walters’ memoir goes beyond the clichés of Hollywood to describe what it’s like living with mental illness. Maggie Walters was diagnosed with multiple personality disorder (now known as dissociative identity disorder) 30 years ago. On the outside, she is like...
JAMES SA COREY The Mercy of Gods. Reviewed by Robert Goodman
The team that is James SA Corey – author of The Expanse – delivers the first instalment of an epic new science fiction series. Lovers of good science fiction will be aware of the name James SA Corey. It is the pen name of Ty Frank and Daniel Abraham who, as a pair,...
FINTAN O’TOOLE Shakespeare is Hard, But So is Life. Reviewed by Ann Skea
Fintan O’Toole takes a fresh look at the world’s most famous playwright and the resonances his plays hold for our own time. Fintan O’Toole takes issue with the way Shakespeare has commonly been taught and discussed since the nineteenth century. In particular, he...
ARIANE BEESTON Because I’m Not Myself, You See. Reviewed by Mary Garden
Ariane Beeston’s memoir chronicles her experience of postpartum psychosis, a devastating but little-understood condition. Because I’m Not Myself, You See casts a spotlight on an issue I knew nothing about. Postpartum psychosis is the most severe form of postpartum...
KÁRI GÍSLASON Running with Pirates. Reviewed by Ann Skea.
A mysterious man named the Pirate and the beautiful island of Corfu feature in this memoir from the author of The Sorrow Stone. It is September 1990. Kári Gíslason and his friend Paul have been hitchhiking across Belgium, Germany, Austria, and Italy. They are now on a...
COLM TÓIBÍN Long Island. Reviewed by Catherine Pardey
The new novel from the author of The Magician and A Guest at the Feast continues the story of one of his most popular characters. In Long Island, his sequel to the award-winning 2009 Brooklyn, Tóibín returns to familiar territory. Brooklyn begins with Eilis Lacey...
GAIL PARENT Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York; SARAH ROSE ETTER Ripe. Reviewed by Jessica Stewart
When Gail Parent published Sheila Levine in 1972 it wasn’t called a ‘sad girl novel’; in 2024 Sarah Rose Etter’s Ripe shows the trope’s enduring popularity. Content warning: suicidal ideation Over 50 years ago, Gail Parent wrote a dark satire about a young...
KIRSTY ILTNERS Depth of Field. Reviewed by Ann Skea
Winner of the 2023 Dorothy Hewett Award, photographer Kirsty Iltners’ first novel explores both darkness and light. If you want to freeze something fast, you increase the shutter speed – but it makes the image darker. Tom’s memories of his first encounter with Adeline...
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