Nic V

So true!

Old Souls By Susan Barker

A literary horror thriller; a compelling mystery spanning countries & decades.

When strangers Jake and Mariko meet in an airport, they discover a gruesome coincidence of lost loved ones.

Horror is not a genre I prefer, but I enjoyed this because of its engaging plot and pacy writing.

#books
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Wrong.
Incorrect.
Sadly mistaken. 🙁

Uncivilised: Ten Lies That Made The West By Subhadra Das

A powerful takedown of the “Western Civilisation” brand by a knowledgeable science historian/museum curator.

She includes some personal memoir along with well-researched information.

Particularly strong on ‘race science’ and its impact historically.

Accessible and relevant.

#books
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Under the Eye of the Big Bird By Hiromi Kawakami Translated by Asa Yoneda

I loved this fascinating piece of speculative fiction, somewhere between a novel and a collection of linked stories.

In the distant future, there are few humans left on Earth.

Themes of cloning, AI, evolution, community and the nature of humanity.

Meditative, sometimes unsettling

#books
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Fun NYT Connections puzzle this morning!

Finally, the respect due to Only Connect and @vcorenmitchell.bsky.social

The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny By Kiran Desai

A richly detailed literary epic.

Set in late 20th century India, New York and beyond. Sonia and Sunny are separately trying to find their way in the world.

I felt a fundamental sadness, frustration and dissatisfaction within all the characters.

It’s very long.

#BookerPrize2025
#books
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Probably a friendly independent bookseller 😉

Yes, that’s a fantastic book. So much enclosed in a small space.
I loved it too!

This is definitely worth exploring!

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A proof copy of Margaret Atwood’s forthcoming memoir, with a picture of the great woman herself in a fingers-on-lips pose

Her memoir is coming out next months but I haven’t started it yet.
I’m really looking forward to it, she’s such a great writer and interesting person.

This is a great idea, I think.
Especially having both children and adults as judges.

Reading Natalie Haynes’ Greek Myth Celebrity Traitors character list is the most fun I’ve had this week.

Please read all the parts; just perfect.

…2/2

@faberbooks.bsky.social I need more volumes translated into English as soon as you can please!

I see that volume 3 is being published on 20th November. You’ve missed a trick there, surely everyone wants to read it on 18th November!

I’m preordering it in hope of early arrival.

On The Calculation of Volume II By Solvej Balle Translated by Barbara J Haveland

The second volume of the most thought-provoking literary series this year.

Tara is still repeating the 18th November. Now she grasps agency, and travels around Europe in pursuit of the seasons.

Profound, stunning, brilliant prose. I am obsessed.

1/2…

#books
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The Killer Question By Janice Hallett A red hardback book with a drawing of a traditional country pub and the tagline “The sudden-death round will be murder “

The super new mystery from @janicehallett.bsky.social set in the world of pub quizzes.

I love her modern take on the epistolary novel, using text messages, emails, police recordings etc to establish characters and move the plot forward.

Lots of twists! Great fun, skilfully done.

#books
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UK publication 23rd October

Sweet Fury By Sash Bischoff A book with a picture of a white woman at an awkward angle

A revenge thriller set in modern-day New York.

Lila, a glamorous movie star, and her partner Kurt are filming an adaptation of Tender Is The Night. Her therapist Jonah is keen on F Scott Fitzgerald.

They’re all hiding secrets.

#books
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The cover of the novel Jesus Christ Kinski by Benjamin Myers A grainy photograph of an ugly scream of a man

Here’s the very appropriate actual cover of the book

Jesus Christ Kinski By Benjamin Myers A novel about a film about a performance about Jesus A Bloomsbury proof paperback book

A novel with two distinct voices.

In 1971, unpleasant actor Klaus Kinski has a shouty breakdown on stage in Germany.

50 years later, ‘The Writer’, enduring the pandemic lockdown in his Yorkshire home, becomes a bit obsessed with him.
This part I liked.

UK publication 23 October

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I think she has the right balance of scholarly and accessible. I trust her accuracy to the text, and don’t find it ‘dumbed down’ at all.
But we all have our own preferences, I suppose

Emily Wilson.

Published in paperback last year or the year before.
She also translated The Odyssey. Both excellent.

Convent Wisdom: How Sixteenth-Century Nuns Could Save Your Twenty-First Century Life By Ana Garriga and Carmen Urbita. A red book cover, illustrated with a picture of an olden-days nun holding a mobile telephone

Here’s a better picture of the book

Convent Wisdom: How Sixteenth-Century Nuns Could Save Your Twenty-First Century Life By Ana Garriga & Carmen Urbita. A Bloomsbury proof paperback book.

A unique blend of interesting historical and biographical details about 16th & 17th century nuns, mixed with personal anecdotes and pop culture references.

Developed from a podcast.

The authors have good knowledge and expertise.

UK publication 4th November

#books
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Don’t do it!
I avoid meta as much as possible, I really resent feeding it when my bosses think it’s necessary for the business.
Nothing to gain for you, a waste of time and effort, don’t succumb to the narrative that it’s necessary or beneficial

Drive Your Plow Over The Bones Of The Dead By Olga Tokarczuk Translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones

An existential Polish thriller that I’m delighted to re-read for book club.

Janina, an eccentric older woman, narrates. She prefers animals to humans, and has strong interests in William Blake and astrology.

When hunters in her rural community are murdered, she gets investigating…

#books
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That’s a big disappointment. I hadn’t realised that there were such costs involved.

I always take notice of the @womensprize.bsky.social lists, and read most of them.

As a keen reader, I fear I will be missing out on some worthy titles.

The Land in Winter By Andrew Miller Shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize

A proper, satisfying novel with a perfect balance of character interiority, descriptive setting and insightful observation.

In winter 1962, in a village outside Bristol, Rita and Irene are both pregnant. They and their husbands confront the big freeze.

Profound & exquisite

#BookerPrize2025

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Mother Mary Comes To Me By Arundhati Roy

A fantastic & fascinating memoir.

This stands out from the crowd because it is a rarity: a life that is full and interesting; which speaks to our times; and is also marvellously well written.

I have long loved her fiction and political writing, so I enjoyed learning so much more about her.

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Mother Mary Comes To Me By Arundhati Roy

A fantastic & fascinating memoir.

This stands out from the crowd because it is a rarity: a life that is full and interesting; which speaks to our times; and is also marvellously well written.

I have long loved her fiction and political writing, so I enjoyed learning so much more about her.

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