Memory Piece by Lisa Ko: ‘Even if we went months or years without speaking, we were still connected’
A life in books | Book news, reviews and recommendations
by Susan Osborne
11h ago
I didn’t read Lisa Ko’s debut, The Leavers, but I do remember it being very well received. It was that and its structure that made me plump for her new novel, Memory Piece, which follows three Asian American women who first meet in 1983, aged twelve, and maintain a connection into their seventies when the […] The post Memory Piece by Lisa Ko: ‘Even if we went months or years without speaking, we were still connected’ appeared first on A life in books ..read more
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Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman: ‘To all retail workers’
A life in books | Book news, reviews and recommendations
by Susan Osborne
6d ago
That subtitle is Help Wanted’s touching dedication which had me predisposed to like Adelle Waldman’s novel from the outset. My only experience of retail is bookselling which has left me with a fellow feeling for all who work in this low wage sector which has become increasingly insecure. Help Wanted is about the logistics section […] The post Help Wanted by Adelle Waldman: ‘To all retail workers’ appeared first on A life in books ..read more
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Barcelona by Mary Costello: A curate’s egg
A life in books | Book news, reviews and recommendations
by Susan Osborne
1w ago
I was surprised and delighted when a proof of Mary Costello’s new short story collection popped through my letter box. I’d had no inkling that there was a new one on the horizon from her. Academy Street, her 2014 novella, is one of my favourite books, epitomising the spare, quietly understated style I so admire. […] The post Barcelona by Mary Costello: A curate’s egg appeared first on A life in books ..read more
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Paperbacks to Look Out For in April 2024: Part One
A life in books | Book news, reviews and recommendations
by Susan Osborne
1w ago
Some very tempting paperbacks to look out for as we head into proper spring in my part of the world, beginning with one of my books of last year. Caleb Azumah Nelson’s achingly beautiful Small Worlds proved to be even better than his Costa First Novel Prize-winning Open Water. Beginning in 2010, it follows Stephen, […] The post Paperbacks to Look Out For in April 2024: Part One appeared first on A life in books ..read more
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Books to Look Out For Out for in April 2024: Part Two
A life in books | Book news, reviews and recommendations
by Susan Osborne
2w ago
While I’d read none of the titles previewed in April’s first instalment, three are tried and tested in the second batch beginning with the first. I’ve long been a fan of Percival Everett so jumped at the chance to read James, a reimagining of Mark Twain’s American classic, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Everett’s novel turns […] The post Books to Look Out For Out for in April 2024: Part Two appeared first on A life in books ..read more
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After a Dance by Bridget O’Connor: Dark, funny and occasionally surreal
A life in books | Book news, reviews and recommendations
by Susan Osborne
2w ago
I’d not come across Bridget O’Connor’s writing until I was sent a nice little package of links to various spring titles by her publisher just before Christmas. An acclaimed short story writer and playwright, O’Connor died in 2010, aged only forty-nine. After a Dance is a collection of fifteen of her stories all but one […] The post After a Dance by Bridget O’Connor: Dark, funny and occasionally surreal appeared first on A life in books ..read more
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Leaving by Roxana Robinson: ‘Passion and honour’
A life in books | Book news, reviews and recommendations
by Susan Osborne
3w ago
It wasn’t until Roxana Robinson’s Leaving arrived that I realised I’d read several other novels by her years ago. She writes the kind of quiet, thoughtful and unflashy novels that often don’t get a lot of attention although she’s won prizes in the States. Hers was one of the rare proofs I request in print […] The post Leaving by Roxana Robinson: ‘Passion and honour’ appeared first on A life in books ..read more
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Books to Look Out For Out for in April 2024: Part One
A life in books | Book news, reviews and recommendations
by Susan Osborne
3w ago
I’ve yet to read any of the books in April’s first preview post including the one I’m kicking off with, likely one of the biggest titles of 2024. I tend towards literary rather than commercial fiction but David Nicholls’ writing always hits the spot for me. His new one, You Are Here, sees Marnie feeling […] The post Books to Look Out For Out for in April 2024: Part One appeared first on A life in books ..read more
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Six Degrees of Separation – Tom Lake to Death Comes for the Archbishop
A life in books | Book news, reviews and recommendations
by Susan Osborne
3w ago
Six Degrees of Separation is a meme hosted by Kate over at Books Are My Favourite and Best. It works like this: each month a book is chosen as a starting point and linked to six others to form a chain. A book doesn’t need to be connected to all the titles on the list, […] The post Six Degrees of Separation – Tom Lake to Death Comes for the Archbishop appeared first on A life in books ..read more
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Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh: ‘I’ve been imprisoned all my life, daddy.’
A life in books | Book news, reviews and recommendations
by Susan Osborne
3w ago
It was that cover that snagged my attention when I was pitched Chukwuebuka Ibeh’s Blessings. With its image of a strikingly handsome but melancholy young man, it fits the novel well. Spanning a decade in Nigeria beginning in 2006, Ibeh’s debut is a poignant coming-of-age story in which a boy struggles to keep his sexuality […] The post Blessings by Chukwuebuka Ibeh: ‘I’ve been imprisoned all my life, daddy.’ appeared first on A life in books ..read more
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