The Van Apfel Girls are Gone is a really atmospheric book, set during a blazing summer in 80s Australia. You can just feel the heat and sweat dripping off the pages, and smell the stench of the valley. While these descriptions evoke such a strong sense of place and make this quite a literary feeling … Continue reading Book Review: The Van Apfel Girls Are Gone – Felicity McLean →

There You Are is a novel that has been on my to read list for a while, and I'm so pleased that I picked it up this summer. There You Are is a powerful novel, with extremely memorable characters and important reflections on race relations in America. Octavian Munroe and Mina Rose fall in love … Continue reading Book Review: There You Are – Mathea Morais →

Sisters is the new novel from Daisy Johnson, the Booker shortlisted author of Everything Under. It is an eerily beautiful Gothic novel about family bonds, and in particular the strong sibling connection between sisters September and July. Johnson encapsulates so much in this concise novel; it is a family drama, a coming of age novel, … Continue reading Review: Sisters – Daisy Johnson →

I absolutely love short stories, and this fierce, feminist collection is an absolute winner! It has been a little while since I got properly stuck into a short story collection, and after I'd written reams of notes about the first story (which is about 6 pages long), I remembered why a good short story is … Continue reading Review: She-Clown and Other Stories – Hannah Vincent →

This is very much a case of 'better late than never'! Although we're now well into March, here are the books that I read in February... It was a good old mix of fiction and non-fiction, new recommendations and books that have been on my list for a while. The Animals at Lockwood Manor, by … Continue reading February: That’s a Wrap! →

Topics of Conversation, by Miranda Popkey presents a series of moments in one woman's life - from her student days, to marriage, to single motherhood. These different snapshots of her life read almost as a series of short stories, following chronologically through her life.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣These experiences of life as a woman are varied - free; oppressive; … Continue reading Review: Topics of Conversation – Miranda Popkey →