Elizabeth Strout’s much-loved saga continues with Lucy By The Sea…
Fiction
1. Lucy By The Sea by Elizabeth Strout is published in hardback by Viking, priced £14.99 (ebook £9.99). Available now
Fans of Pulitzer prize-winning and Booker-shortlisted author of My Name is Lucy Barton will be eager to read the next in the series – which more or less runs on from where Oh William! ends. It’s March 2020 and Lucy reluctantly goes with ex-husband William to Maine, expecting it to be a brief stay. But the pandemic that made William want to flee New York keeps them in their cliff-side retreat for far longer than anticipated. Lucy, still grieving the loss of her beloved second husband and fearful for her daughters, has to find a new equilibrium. This book is different from others in the series as it is more rooted in a particular time with Covid, Black Lives Matter and the storming of the Capitol acting as a backdrop, and bringing back sharp reminders of what lockdowns really felt like – which could be triggering for some. Even with this more concrete framework, Strout’s spare and elliptical writing concentrates deliciously more on character than plot – you need to read closely between the lines. The book is peopled with familiar characters from her universe – if you love that world, you’ll doubtless love this latest novel too.9/10(Review by Bridie Pritchard)
2. The Romantic by William Boyd is published in hardback by Viking, priced £20 (ebook £9.99). Available now
This latest work from the immensely readable William Boyd is nothing if not ambitious. Its protagonist, Cashel Ross, adventurer, explorer, lover, father, and more, represents a thread which spans the whole of the 19th century, linking as many famous dates, epic events, and well-known characters as would fill an entire illustrated history of the time. One of the things which makes Boyd’s works so accessible is his use of familiar and often anachronistic language. Due to the scale of this task, and the vivid historical scenery, this can contribute to a sense of a ‘greatest hits’ version of this extraordinary century. However, what stays with the reader is the likeability of this true Romantic, and the way in which everything can happen to you – if you simply open yourself up to opportunity.8/10(Review by Victoria Barry)
3. House Of Hunger by Alexis Henderson is published in hardback by Bantam Press, priced £16.99 (ebook £7.99). Available now
This gritty, Sapphic, Gothic novel is a window to a fantasy world of bloodmaids and the wealthy overlords who own them. Dracula combined with The Handmaid’s Tale, this is a dystopian Victorian tale – we join Marion on her journey from slums to splendour as a bloodmaid, but all is not as it seems in this seductive new world of gluttony and mystery. Rich with suspense and intrigue, the novel is equal measures addictive and haunting. Although often too cliché and simplistic in its exploration of class and wealth, it is made up for in vivid imagery and engaging storytelling. Could a neo-Gothic literary era be upon us once again? Well, if Henderson’s efforts are replicated elsewhere, we certainly expect so.8/10(Review by Imy Brighty-Potts)
Non-fiction
4. What Just Happened?! Dispatches From Turbulent Times by Marina Hyde is published in hardback by Guardian Faber Publishing, priced £20 (ebook £12.99). Available now
Guardian columnist Marina Hyde’s dispatches from turbulent times chronicle seven years of British life, from the run-up to the Brexit vote to Boris Johnson’s fall from power. For many of those who prefer to laugh than cry, Hyde’s hugely entertaining commentaries have been a lifeline. Every page is packed with extremely funny, quotable lines as Hyde mercilessly pokes fun at the political elite. It is perhaps also tinged with bittersweet to revisit old hard-fought battles, knowing now how the story ends. This book can be consumed in small chunks over a cup of tea or all in one go with something stronger. A remarkable record of our interesting times which – unlike a newspaper – fully deserves to be more than just tomorrow’s fish and chip paper.10/10(Review by Emily Pennink)
Children’s book of the week
5. The Boy Who Lost His Spark by Maggie O’Farrell, illustrated by Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini, is published in hardback by Walker Books, priced £14.99. Available now
Women’s Prize-winning author Maggie O’Farrell once again turns her imagination towards children’s fiction with The Boy Who Lost His Spark. Young Jem has just moved to a new town, and is struggling to settle in – he misses his old home, and doesn’t find as much joy in life any more. He doesn’t play with his younger sister, Verity, and yells at her when she talks about a mythical, small furry creature called the nouka. Jem doesn’t believe the nouka exists – but when things start going wrong around him, he comes face to face with a mischief-maker who lives underneath the mountain. The magical elements of the story pair beautifully with the ethereal illustrations of Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini, making for an entrancing tale – and one many children who have moved somewhere new will relate to.8/10(Review by Prudence Wade)
BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 8HARDBACK (FICTION)1. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman2. Love Untold by Ruth Jones3. Kingdom Of The Feared by Kerri Maniscalco4. Lucy By The Sea by Elizabeth Strout5. Fairy Tale by Stephen King6. Babel by R.F. Kuang7. Shrines Of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson8. Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes9. Act Of Oblivion by Robert Harris10. Lessons by Ian McEwan(Compiled by Waterstones)
HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)1. A Pocketful Of Happiness by Richard E. Grant2. Madly, Deeply by Alan Rickman3. One by Jamie Oliver4. Fresh Mob: Over 100 Tasty Healthy-ish Recipes5. Calling The Shots by Sue Barker6. Diddly Squat by Jeremy Clarkson7. Guinness World Records 2023 by Guinness World Records8. Black Holes by Professor Brian Cox & Professor Jeff Forshaw9. Terry Pratchett by Rob Wilkins10. What Just Happened?! by Marina Hyde(Compiled by Waterstones)
AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)1. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman2. From The Oasthouse by Alan Partridge3. Forever Home by Graham Norton4. Menopausing by Davina McCall & Dr Naomi Potter5. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman6. I May Be Wrong by Björn Natthiko Lindeblad7. 12 Rules For Life by Jordan B. Peterson8. Courtiers by Valentine Low9. The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith10. Atomic Habits by James Clear(Compiled by Audible)
