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Five new books to read this week

July 28, 2021No Comments

A mystery thriller or a meditation on love: what new book do you want to read this week?

Fiction

1. Rachel Yoder's Nightbitch is published hardcover by Harvill Secker. Available now

In her debut, Rachel Yoder has written a blatantly quirky and truly unique novel. At its simplest, Nightbitch is a witty story about early motherhood, but to describe it as such is a huge injustice to Yoder's mind-blowing stream of prose.

Read almost as a stream of consciousness, an anonymous 'Mother' struggles to lose her sense of herself amid the constant demands of caring for a young child. In doing so, he turns into a dog known as Nightbitch. This metamorphosis is darkly funny and terribly visceral, but underlined with a penetrating truth.

Yoder candidly captures the mental, emotional, and physical challenges of becoming a mother, along with the unwarranted weight of societal expectations. A fiery representation of art and motherhood, Nightbitch is strange, haunting, and wonderful to read.
9/10
(Rebecca Wilcock Review)

2. The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell is published in hardcover by Century. Available now

Chick Lit's former favorite Lisa Jewell's latest thriller tells the stories of 19-year-old Tallulah, who disappears after a pool party at a country mansion, and author Sophie, who discovers clues to her disappearance. of the teenage mother when she moves out. to the area more than a year later. As Sophie becomes more entangled in uncovering the truth, we learn that Tallulah's life was not what it initially seemed.

Amateur detective Sophie seems more like a means to an end than an attractive character, but the need to find out what happened to the beleaguered Tallulah is enough to make her a hot topic. The only predictable thing about the ending is how totally unpredictable it is. For fans of the genre, this ticks all the boxes.
7/10
(Eleanor Barlow Review)

3. Jane Is Trying by Isy Suttie is published hardcover by W&N. Available now

Jane Is Trying is Isy Suttie's debut novel; You might recognize the comedian and actress as Dobby from the Peep Show. Jane is really trying all kinds of things; a baby, to deal with a breakup, to reset her life at home, to overcome her many fears. The backdrop to all of this, what makes the whole thing a little more difficult, is her OCD, although she's not ready to call it that. Some of Jane's reflections are so relatable that you'll find yourself laughing out loud, a bit alarmed at the accuracy.

While you want to encourage her to land on her feet, the amount of support she actually has around her makes this feel less urgent. However, Suttie portrays the more honest aspects of what are generally regarded as the best parts of life (family, relationships, friends, career) with the perfect mix of warmth and courage.
7/10
(Hannah Millington Review)

Non-fiction

4. Natasha Lunn's Conversations on Love is a Viking publication. Available now

Conversations On Love is a mix of memoirs and interviews that explore the topic of love in all its forms, from parenting and friendship, to romance and long-term commitment. The book moves from Lunn's own experiences, from teenage crushes, first dates, marriage, and struggles to conceive, to discussions on topics ranging from the power of friendship and being alone, to pain, desire, and the idea of soul mates.

As a journalist, Lunn conducts thoughtful interviews with a wide range of experts, from thinkers Philippa Perry, Susie Orbach, and Alain de Botton, to writers Dolly Alderton, Roxane Gay, and Lisa Taddeo. The book naturally flows between deep themes, avoids clichรฉs, and the broad reach of the interviewees allows for a variety of perspectives to influence Lunn's thinking on such a complex yet universal subject.
8/10
(Review by Jessica Frank-Keyes)

Children's book of the week

5. Girl (In Real Life) by Tamsin Winter is published in paperback by Usborne Publishing. Available now

Girl (In Real Life) centers on Eva, a 13-year-old girl and star of a YouTube channel that her parents created even before she was born. Over the years, fans have followed her first tantrum, winced at her teenage stitches, and laughed at her hilarious outfits, but it's all gotten a bit over the top. When Eva decides that she is tired of not having privacy, she starts to sabotage. What unravels is a story of betrayal, loyalty, love, and loss. Encouraging parents and children to talk to each other about social media, vlogging, what's right and what's wrong, this story is everything a children's book should be.

Brilliantly written, Tamsin Winter's third novel is really hard to put down, funny, and also heartbreakingly sad in places. The story tackles the modern issues of adolescence and elicits a wealth of emotions, making it a must-have addition to teen bookshelves.
9/10
(Claire Spreadbury Review)


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