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‘The Wedding People’ by Alison Espach is an alternative sharp and dark romance that unleashes unexpected drama, in a week of wedding nuptials, held on the beachside hotel on Rhode Island. A thoroughly modern affair of the heart.

Professor Phoebe Stone is a professor of Victorian literature, with a special interest in female identity and the heroine’s preoccupation with the social constraints of marriage and romance. Think 'Jane Eyre' and 'Wuthering Heights'. Whilst her work has kept her fulfilled her broken marriage and increasing solitude has led Phoebe to a dark place.

The novel opens with Phoebe as the damsel in distress. Phoebe has arrived at a grand hotel on Rhode Island, the Cornwall Inn wearing a stunning emerald silk dress and her gold wedding shoes - but no husband, luggage or connection with the wedding party. The wedding people have gathered for a week-long programme of pres, ‘the blending of families’ a rehearsal dinner, and great expectations synonymous with the million dollar wedding. When the bride Lila, the archetypal spoilt little rich girl, discovers her week could be ruined by Phoebe - a depressed divorcee, she is far from happy. However as the wedding party settles in, Lila seeks out Phoebe as a voice of reason and confidante to her nuptial nerves as her entourage of family and friends are clearly crowd pleasers. Can Phoebe offer Lila tangible advice on marriage, friendship and the groom? Whilst pushing back on Lila’s tantrums? And can Lila persuade Phoebe to rethink her plans, embrace life and assist in the impending practicalities?

This is a definitely a modern perspective on love and marriage. Love in the modern world is complicated and Espach astutely captures what this looks like in a funny and entertaining novel. One for the weekend break or indulgent 'me time'.  And then lots of discussion in book club and good friends! 

Shortlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize, 'Flashlight' by Susan Choi is a dazzling, sweeping, page turning novel stretching across continents, history and different cultures as a family face trauma and separation following a tragic incident.

The many layers to this book make it is difficult to encapsulate its multidimensional content. The opening scene, which began life as a short story, is distinctive and dramatic. Without giving away too much, we meet 10 year old Louisa in the psychiatrist’s consulting room. Instantly portrayed as a rather unlikeable, non-compliant child who deems herself too clever to need therapy or indeed advice from anyone, she takes it upon herself to steal a flashlight from the therapist’s office. She is seeing a therapist because she has recently survived a near drowning which her non-swimmer father hasn’t (he had been carrying a flashlight when he disappeared). The father is Serk Kang, of Korean origin but brought up in Japan during the political era of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the '70s and beyond. When Serk’s parents and younger siblings are coerced into returning to Korea, he recognises this is based on false promises and remains in Japan. After studying hard, he moves to the US in search of the best life and single-mindedly leaves all his past behind him. He marries Anne, an American from the Midwest and together they have Louisa. However unbeknown to Serk and Louisa, Anne also has a son, Tobias, whom she had given up for adoption in her youth.

Circumstances at the university where Serk teaches means he has no alternative but to accept a teaching post back in Japan. It is at this point that Serk, Anne and Louisa’s lives change inconceivably and diverge to take them down very different, often lonely and painful paths. Secrets and lies have led them to this point and it is the same secrets and lies which prevent them from being together.

Choi does not make her lead characters particularly likeable. They are all flawed and rather unloving. Yet you are still invested in their connections and as their lives crumble, the hidden secrets surface and the truth is unearthed. Is it too late to bring them happiness and a resolution?

At times the writing can drift and the many different threads dissipate without conclusions, but Choi draws you into this family’s fractured lives compelling you to hope they find some kind of peace and contentment, making the book hard to put down.

‘The Elements’ by John Boyne is a quartet of interconnected stories pivoting the elements of life, with each novel providing a self contained drama that blows punches to your senses, and when you have time to take a breath - moments of reflection. Whilst avid Boyle fans, like some of us in the Den, will have already devoured ‘Water’ and ‘Earth’ this new hardback edition contains all four stories including ‘Fire’ and ‘Air’, so is a must have and possibly the best way to appreciate this explosive collection. The perfect way to start 2026.

Each story is written in the first person and without giving too much away, this is a snapshot:

In ‘Water’, the protagonist, Vanessa, has left Dublin, arriving on a remote island and choosing to live as a hermit. As well as changing her identity Vanessa’s first act is to cut away her hair. This is an alarming start to 'Water' but we are in Vanessa’s head and absorbed by her vulnerability, her heightened emotions of guilt, anger and sadness, hanging on to a secret that is churning up in the storm of life on a island where she is hoping to drown the darkness of her past. Helping a young boy to escape his own traumas enables Vanessa to find solace and maybe a new beginning.

Moving on, ‘Earth’ opens with a tabloid sensation; two well known footballers are standing trial for sexual assault. Readers will recognise one of the accused boys, Evan, as the young boy who was given a lifeline by Vanessa (in ‘Water’) starting afresh away from his controlling father. ‘Earth’ feels grubby, raw and base as Evan’s journeys to clear the ‘stench of earth’ from his nostrils and breathe freely again.

In ‘Fire’ we meet one of Evan’s jurors, Dr Freya Petrus, a successful burn surgeon grappling with her childhood trauma. As Freya explains ‘The elements destroy everything. Think of water. When someone drowns, and their body floats back to shore, their features are so bloated it can be difficult to identify with them. Think of earth when the body is buried, it starts to decompose immediately. Think of air. If we are deprived of a few minutes, we die. Think of fire.’ .

Whilst ‘Fire’ is a dark story of revenge, ‘Air’ moves the spotlight to Aaron, Freya’s intern who is now some year’s later taking a transformative journey with his teenage son.

For those who don’t like the form of the short story - this is an enriching tale that weaves the dramas of these four individuals navigating difficult topics.

‘The Elements’ is a compulsive read for book lovers as well as offering plenty of talking points for your book club.

Other books, including 'The Hearts Invisible Furies', 'A Ladder to the Sky' and 'All The Broken Places' as well as the first two stories in the 'The Elements' quartet, can be found in The Reading Den's Library.

‘The Artist’ by Lucy Steeds is a beautifully crafted story that combines romance, intrigue as well as an immersive experience into the art world circa 1920. Winner of the Waterstones Debut Fiction 2025 Award and long-listed for the Women’s Book Prize earlier this year, this is a treat for any book club. And a wonderful gift for the festive season because it offers a delectable read and a magical escape to a hot sticky summer in the Provence. Just what we all need!

The novel begins in the National Gallery in London 1957 with ‘A woman, a painting. The sense of meeting an old friend’. The painting is that of ‘The Feast’, a highly accomplished piece by a famous reclusive artist, Edouard Tartuffe, ‘Master of Light’. By the end of the first chapter the reader is already aware of a tension, a guilty confession and the knowledge of a destructive secret - the burning of a masterpiece.

‘And most of all she remembers setting the blaze’.
This line is an early game changer but we are easily hooked. We are then taken back to 1920, to Tartuffe’s home, a remote farmhouse, which he shares with Ettie, his niece. Enter Joseph, a young, aspiring and enthusiastic English journalist who has been invited to the house in the hope of securing a story for his publisher. But the ebb and flow of the farmhouse has been disturbed. Switching between the voices of Joseph and Ettie the story of Tartuffe’s work, his obsession with still life and the drama behind his paintings begins to come to life. Steed’s writing is rich and sensuous and it is easy for us to be drawn into the artist’s world. Joseph agrees to sit for Tartuffe for a new painting ‘Young Man with Orange’ - in return for observing the creative genius in action and material for his article. But this is marred by the uncomfortable relationship that exists between Tartuffe and Ettie. Joseph is soon caught up in this claustrophobic setting but as an outsider he recognises the exploitation of Ettie by her uncle. Joseph also finds a kindred spirit in Ettie not only in their obsession with the art world but also an appreciation of the personal struggles that the younger generation experienced as a result of the recent Great War. They have a connection and with this a slow burning romance.

Spoiler Alert - There are no blinding surprises or 'never saw that coming' moments, but it does leave you with a warm and satisfactory glow! Steeds's writing makes for an intoxicating read - and a just winner of Waterstones Debut Fiction Award. The Den enjoyed discussing the topics of art, creative inspiration and our own experiences of art as admirers or as dabbling amateurs! And we definitely look forward to Steeds's next novel.

Is this a work of genius, a classic of our time, and worthy winner of the Booker Prize 2025, or a rather bleak portrait of one man’s life from teenager to old man which is hard to relate to? It certainly divided the Den between those who found it austere and those who were blown away by Szalay’s understated and powerful straight-talking prose. A slow burn of a read which haunts you long after finishing.

With his powerful, minimalist style of writing, Szalay partitions the life of Hungarian István from teenager through to old age. We first meet 15-year-old István living with his mother in an apartment in an unnamed town in Hungary. Obsessed with sex, he begins a relationship with an elder married neighbour. This is followed by a barely mentioned but life-affirming action in Iraq, to a period of mid-life success and good fortune in London, before seeing out his final years back in Hungary. István appears no more than a passive observer on life’s treadmill. He is an example that whoever we are, life just happens around us and whatever deviations we take, it is still short teenage years, long mid-life, short final years – a sobering thought.

Szalay’s minimalist prose means you never really know what is transpiring in István’s head. When asked a question about how he feels, István’s answer is ‘Yeah, ok’ until suddenly Szalay gives us a glimpse of what life does to you. Having served in war in Iraq, István finds himself adrift, ‘He realises that the things that are so important to him, the things that happened, and that he saw there, the things that left him feeling that nothing would ever be the same again – they just aren’t important here.’ This a powerful comment on war, when you’re in it, it’s all consuming, but when you’re outside, it suddenly becomes unremarkable. When key events occur, there is no build up in Szalay’s writing. They are thrown into the mix with an almost casual abandon. This is a brutal reflection on life and the realisation that no one knows when that unexpected life changing moment might alter life’s course forever.

István is not a particularly likeable character, he performs unexplained acts of kindness alongside unexplained acts of violence without the reader understanding his inner thoughts. The damage he does to those around him is crushing. Szalay’s straight talking, unambiguous prose combined with his cagey and uncommunicative protagonist make this both a compelling and discomfiting read. We would be interested to hear what your book club thought of this Booker prize winning read as it certainly divided opinions in the Den.

November is the month of remembrance and if ever there was a time to reflect on the mass impact and pain of war it is now. ‘In Memoriam’ by Alice Winn has been recommended to us by many Den readers and this month is our worthy Missed Opportunity. An illicit love story told through the eyes of two public school teenagers, Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood, who with reckless bravado, enlist with the British army in 1915. These privileged well educated young men, who find solace in poetry, Greek and Latin, find themselves in the unthinkable position of leading soldiers over the trenches into No Man’s Land during WW1. It is a devastating and heart-breaking narrative which captures the helplessness and shocking inevitability of war which is sure to resonate with what is happening in the world today.

The story begins with life at Preshute, a fictional posh public school in the English countryside. Sitting on the roof, smoking cigarettes, Gaunt and Ellwood discuss literature and dissect their fellow pupils. Gaunt is infatuated with Ellwood, who is popular with everyone, beautiful, generous and unashamedly writes poetry. Unbeknown to Gaunt, Ellwood feels the same. It is a playful time, with bullying and camaraderie going hand in hand. However, Gaunt’s mother is German, and Gaunt speaks German. Paranoid they will be regarded as the enemy, she persuades him to enlist with the British army and so this unrequited love judders to a halt.

Alice Winn attended Marlborough College and her knowledge comes from her passion of sourcing first-hand accounts of those fighting in the trenches. She wrote ‘In Memoriam’ after reading their student newspapers published between 1913 -1919 which listed their friends and family killed and wounded. As the school boys left behind scour the “In Memoriam” section (taken from Tennyson’s poem of the same name) of their school publication “The Preshutian” for the names of their friends, so their determination to take the right course of action and sign up, becomes a matter of pride. Little realising the futility of their decision, one by one these immature, privileged teenagers, often lying about their age, leave for the front. It is not long before Ellwood enlists to be with Gaunt. Yet the harsh reality of life on the trenches has changed Gaunt, he is distant and haunted by what he’s seen. But both men recognise they need each other, and begin to express their feelings, knowing the consequences of what will happen if they are caught. When they become separated after a particularly difficult offensive each fears the other is dead, so their determination to try and survive the unending massacre takes hold.

Winn has a unique ability to create the setting and tone of the trenches through her direct simplicity of presenting the facts, whether that be dying in action or dying by mishap, such as lighting a cigarette. It is an unimaginable situation and she vividly conveys brutal images of soldiers going to the slaughter at both Loos and Somme. The officers write their never-ending letters of condolence to stricken families and the list of those killed ‘In Memoriam’, are presented at various points throughout the story, most poignantly at the end. This brings home the wretched reality of war and the price paid by these young men together with the loss felt by those left behind. At times it is not an easy read, and sometimes the back and forth between Ellwood and Guant grates, but it is a beautifully written, vivid narrative which is visceral and heart-wrenching.

Recommended by a book clubber this Sunday Times bestseller tells the true story of 19 year old Rudolf Vrba who escapes Auschwitz to warn the world and reveal the chilling truth of his experience. Shortlisted for the Waterstones Book of the Year and the Baille Gifford Prize for Non Fiction in 2022, this Wild Card choice touched Den readers and remains an important reminder of the atrocities that occurred and some unsavoury and evil revelations about the human psyche.

‘The Escape Artist’ retells the account of Rudolf Vrba who arrives at Auschwitz from Slovakia aged 17 in 1942. Freedland explains how Vrba was a bright young man who managed to ‘bounce around’ the various blocks in the camp undertaking different roles and responsibilities which made him an unusual witness to the evil events that occurred at Auschwitz. The life expectancy of a Jew arriving here was measured in hours so Vrba who survived for 21 months is incredible and a rare achievement and as Freedland explains Vbra’s gift for knowledge, facts and numbers gave him the mental resources to succeed with his mission. This was two fold - to firstly escape the camp and secondly to reveal the truth of the Holocaust. The nature of the escape itself which Vrba undertook with a fellow prisoner, Alfred Wetzler is in itself gripping and we as readers are engrossed in the thrill of his fortitude and resourcefulness. Vbra’s unique skills provided the profound clarity of his experience including the chilling reception that we witness from senior officials and religious groups. His report which was produced following interviews with himself and his fellow prisoner was only taken seriously after an agent reporter in Zurich published his findings which then forced leaders to take action and save lives.

Whilst Freedland, the author and journalist, did not have the opportunity to interview Rudolf Vrba, who died in 2006, this is a thoroughly researched and powerful retelling of Vrba’s story.

One that should be shared and never forgotten.

‘Twelve Post-War Tales’ by Graham Swift is a reflective collection of short stories loosely based around the theme of war, be it a tale of lost souls, the threat of an impending conflict and its aftermath or the impact of war on the everyday. Recommended by the Financial Times earlier this year, this is a wonderful introduction to the gifted author and Booker Prize winner, Graham Swift.

The 12 stories, set in different periods of post-war and modern history, are each skilfully crafted presenting tales of those affected by conflict and the ripple effect of war beyond the battlefields. Using empathy and a light touch of irony Swift addresses the plight of the individual in relation to war.

The first story ‘The Next Best Thing’ considers a young Private, Joseph Caan, who whilst stationed in Germany, is seeking the truth about his lost family members with a local retired German officer, presenting an uncomfortable meeting of enemies. In ‘Blushes’ a retired doctor is re-called back to work in the Covid pandemic. His expertise in respiratory disease and his own personal experience of viruses make this a compelling story. As readers we are challenged to consider the different experiences of war asking the bigger questions of what is war and juxtaposing these historical events with those on the periphery as well as contemplating the inner battles felt by others, either as a family member or as displaced individuals. This, for example, is illustrated in ‘Zoo’ when a maid working for the US embassy wonders if and how her birth on the day of the assassination of JFK shaped her life.

Everyday expressions, ‘where were you when…?’ And ‘he’ll kill me if …’ take on new meaning which Swift uses to diffuse as well as emphasise the futility of war.

The Den particularly enjoyed the audiobook as the stories were narrated by a cast of voices which gave additional vibrancy and colour to the stories. Makes a perfect +1 to any book club as well as plenty of talking points for your group. Poignant reading for November.

‘Hons and Rebels’ is a fascinating and amusing memoir by Jessica Mitford, one of the younger Mitford sisters of the famed aristocratic family. The author shares her story of growing up in an extraordinary family in the lead up to Second World War. If you enjoy the drama of Downton Abbey and have had the opportunity to see ‘Outrageous’ on the BBC earlier this year, about the Mitford sisters (all six, plus their brother Tom), this is a brilliantly written insider’s scoop by Jessica who is happy to reflect on her life, her debutant days as well as her running away plots and her political awakening that didn’t match that of her parent’s conservative preferences (nor some of her siblings for that matter).

Written in the 1960s, some years after Jessica’s escape to America, the author takes the reader back to her childhood experiences growing up in Swinbrook village where she was born into a far from ordinary family which allowed them many privileges. As well as appreciating the antics of a household brimming with lively girls who fought, teased and schemed, the author presents the chaotic setting of contradictions in the household where their freedom of opinions were liberally shared amongst themselves (but not very often with their parents), and their ambitions remained at odds with what was expected of them.

Jessica focusses on the wilder stories of her family, who are famed for their writings be it as letters to a newspaper editor or as authors such as Nancy Mitford, the eldest sister in the family, who faintly disguises her own family in her popular novel ‘The Pursuit of Love’ without, we discover, their permission. The author also gives us a flavour of Nancy's own fame, who she describes as one of the ‘bright young things’ on the London social scene. Through Jessica's memoirs we can appreciate her observations of her older siblings and their notorious marriages, such as Diana, described as the older 'beautiful one' who briefly marries into the Guinness family but is then distracted by the charismatic Sir Oswald Mosley who led the Fascist group, known at the time as the Black Shirts. Closer to Jessica by age is Unity whose obsession with Hitler and support of Nazism is very evident. However Jessica has very different ideas and values and shares her passionate commitment to communism, taking us on her journey to join the International Brigade in Spain in her late teens to fight Franco, falling in love with her companion, Edmond Romilly, who happens to be Churchill’s nephew, and fighting unsuccessfully in the Spanish Civil War.

The latest edition of 'Hons and Rebels' was re-released in the late '80s and comes with a telling introduction by Jessica who explains the lengths she had taken to gain permission from her mother and siblings, with some of their amusing feedback and commentary. This is gossip at its best and would match any modern Kardashian episode or scoop.

The novel is brilliantly brought to life in the audible version thanks to its narrator, the talented Jenny Agutter.
And if you want to return to 'The Pursuit of Love' by Nancy Mitford, see our review in the Den library.

‘The Golden Road’ is a fascinating new book by William Dalrymple, the acclaimed writer and contemporary historian of India. Most notably remembered for his books about the Moghul empire and the British Raj, ‘The Golden Road’ is now in paperback and makes an alternative book club choice - especially if you are curious about the role of India on the rest of the world.

Dalrymple’s latest book considers a thorough and intriguing argument that puts forward the notion that India from as early as 250BC to 1200AD transformed the world: exporting religion, art, science, medicine, and language along a 'golden road' that stretched from the Red Sea to the Pacific, creating a vast and profoundly important empire of ideas.

In book club we compared our varying experiences of India, South East Asia and Europe, welcoming Dalrymple’s enthralling account of India's influence on trade and other empires. This included the discovery of valuable currencies of Indian peppers and spices, excavated in Italy and found in places such as Pompeii. Thanks to India's ability to move fast by sea, we also appreciated India's exotic textiles that were exchanged for Roman coins. And for those who have visited South East Asia, Dalrymple explains the role and impact of Buddhism which spread its religious beliefs as well as offering the currency of protection that seafarers and rulers were keen to invest in especially to ensure safe travel, good health and a better afterlife.

Whilst some readers wished for a lighter narrative others appreciated Dalrymple’s attention to detail and his rigorous research and referencing. There was almost too much to discover in this book and in some respects demanding of the reader’s attention, especially with hundreds of references and an extensive bibliography. But worth persevering and making time to read.

This is the story of a real unsolved murder crime that is given a new lease of life by the Den’s much loved fiction writer, Anthony Quinn, who retells the events of the case and then develops a new storyline providing a resolution as to what has been described as ‘the perfect murder’.

The reader is firstly presented with the historical facts of the case: One night in 1931 William Wallace is handed a message at his chess club from a Mr Qualtrough, asking him to meet at an address, 25 Menlove Gardens East, to discuss some work. Whilst this appeared an unusual request, Wallace, a Prudential salesman, caught the tram from his home that he shared with his wife, Julia, and headed to the address, after he consulted passers-by and even a policeman, only to find it did not exist. Upon returning home two hours later, Wallace discovers his wife beaten to death in the parlour. The elaborate nature of Wallace’s alibi pointed to him being the culprit. Wallace was subsequently arrested, tried and found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. However with the support of his employers ‘at the Pru’, Wallace’s sentence was overturned. Wallace walked free and the killer was never found.

Having presented the historical facts of the case to the reader, Quinn scrolls forward some 15 years, when the murderer’s true identity continued to be rife and the retiring Inspector Key, who worked on the Wallace case, is considering it once more. Taking a cruise to New York, Inspector Key has made friends with a young and awkward Lydia Tarrant. Key introduces Lydia to Teddy as a suitable companion for the trip. Teddy is an ambitious writer hoping to find work in America. The three become good friends and Key is encouraged by Teddy to share his experience of working on the Wallace case and help develop a plot for a screenplay which in turn provided a number of possible scenarios as to who could have been responsible for the murder of Wallace’s wife, Julia.

Den readers enjoyed Quinn’s approach to presenting the facts of the case, as well as providing interviews with the suspects and judgements made by the police, the court and in the public arena as reported in the newspapers at the time of the murder. Quinn uses his masterly skills of creative writing to revisit the case and imagine other avenues of investigation. By introducing and presenting new evidence through fiction it prompted us to question and consider new perspectives on the case as well as high profile crimes which remain unresolved. Whilst we have the benefit of surveillance and forensic tools, ensuring solid evidence in the modern world, we know only too well it is still easy to manipulate versions of the 'truth'.

Quinn delivers an intriguing, imaginative and gripping narrative, so it’s a joy to read. It is only a shame that Julia Wallace will remain one of ‘mouthless dead’. But perhaps through fiction her voice has been found.

"Nobody tell you what an intense experience loneliness is, how it has a lot of variations. Just hour by hour."

Longlisted for the Booker Prize 2025, Ben Markovits has written a touching and perspective story about the passage of time and digesting of emotional material. What would happen if after dropping your youngest daughter at college, you got in your car and just drove, stopping in at old college friends, a relative, a basketball teammate and an ex girlfriend.

Tom teachers at the law school. However, an issue with a couple of students in his class on hate crime has resulted in a leave of absence. His relationship with his wife, Amy is strained, especially because Miri their youngest daughter is heading off to college. Added to this, Tom has been having episodes following a bout of covid causing him palpitations, sudden fatigue, swollen face and leaky eyes. Their elder son, Michael is at grad school in LA. Left to drop Miri at college on his own, on impulse he decides to keep driving and so begins a reflection on his youth, career choice, relationship with Amy and their kids as he crosses the States to arrive at his son’s flat in LA.

At various stop offs including old college room-mates, his brother, a basketball buddy and an ex-girlfriend he reflects on the ‘what ifs’ and the crossroads of his life. He wonders why he can no longer communicate with Amy and at what point this happened, was it when she had an affair which he knew about before she told him? He reflects on how his father leaving his mother impacted him very differently from his younger brother Eric and what if he had fulfilled his dream to write, one of his ideas being to write a book about pickup basketball. To this day he still liked to go to the field and shoot hoops for half an hour. However, at each stop, Tom finds he doesn’t want to be there, either because it is not what he expected or because it’s no longer what he wants.

Markovits draws you into Tom’s feelings of frustration and disappointments – is he trying to regain his youth? Is Tom unhappy, or is he just trying to fathom out whether he’s made the right choices? As the reader you feel Tom can’t understand what he’s trying to replicate. This is particularly poignant when he reaches LA and hears Michael on the phone late at night to his girlfriend, “It was the…. I don’t know how to describe it, the sharpest taste I’d had in years of what it feels like to be young” He refers to the old Paul Simon line, “I don’t expect to sleep through the night’ as he’s awake in the small hours.

LA is the culmination of his journey in more ways than one, and perhaps the reason he felt the need to use the drive to contemplate his life. Already we can see this being made into a film

The Unwilding by Marina Kemp, now out in paperback, is a beautifully written expose uncovering complicated family secrets, relationships and concealed pasts which can haunt those involved for the rest of their lives. Kemp writes with an understated intricacy and as she invites us to watch the Travers family dynamics crumble over a week’s summer holiday.

Don Travers is an eminent writer and powerful patriarch. Lydia is his quiet, accepting wife and together they have four children, 19 year old Tree, Malachy, Etta and Nemony who at 10 is the youngest. It’s the summer of 1999 and as usual, the Travers family have rented the same sprawling villa in Sicily for the month. For this particular week, Don has invited like-minded literary guests to Sicily including Tuva, who comes every year and whom the children inexplicably intensely dislike and Zoe Goodison, a 26 year old writer whose acclaimed debut novel has attracted Don’s backing. However, this summer Lydia is ill, and the children seem oblivious to the seriousness, except perhaps for Tree who now an adult finds herself conflicted between her father’s behaviour and her mother’s decline. Narrated alternatively between Nemony and Zoe, an unnamed event unfolds to throw the fragile equilibrium into chaos and cause a max exodus from the house.

The story then moves to Blackheath. Nemony is now 30 and married to Liam, a successful but financially poor artist. Their new baby George has colic and is putting a strain on their relationship resulting in Liam working longer hours away from home. Just when Nemony is feeling at her lowest, an unexpected encounter with Zoe, whom she barely remembers for the summer in Sicily, sparks an unlikely friendship which allows Nemony to feel more human again. Gradually Zoe reveals snippets from her past and draws out memories long forgotten, particularly surrounding her mother and her cult upbringing. Similarly, fragments of Zoe’s relationships are unearthed, whether her fractured relationship with her parents, previous relationship or evolving perception of Don. Don had predicted Zoe was destined for great success, could this be what she’s aiming for through Nemony?

As narrators, both Nemony and Zoe are the outsiders. As the youngest child, Nemony was often only told snippets of information by her siblings and ignored by her father. Her favourite times were being in the kitchen with her mother as she prepared the large family meals so inadvertently it is her, who without understanding it at the time, saw her mother’s illness unfold first hand. Similarly, Zoe felt out of her comfort zone with the Travers family that summer. She didn’t understand their rules and had recently been cut off from her own parents who had felt betrayed by her first novel. Could Zoe be about to do the same a second time?

Kemp’s intricate portrayal of the Travers family is both heart-breaking and tragic as the consequence one week of trauma brings to family life is gradually unwrapped. She particularly touches on the long-term damage of family loss to siblings and how their understanding and ability to process this is dependent on their version of events and age at the time which should provide thought provoking discussion for your book club.

This debut novel by Dr Nussaibah Younis, a peace-building practitioner and academic with many years of experience working in Iran, is a realistic, valuable and human story about the complexities surrounding deradicalising women affiliated with ISIS. Told through the eyes of two Muslim women on different sides of the spectrum, Younis uses her intricate knowledge and experiences to bring the human side to the multifaceted undertaking of trying to help young captive women being held in ISIS camps.

Dr Nadia Amin is a lecturer in criminology at UCL. Her life in London has reached a crucial turning point. Disengaged from her mother and Muslim values, her toxic relationship with Rosy has suddenly come to an end and her partying liberal lifestyle is proving to be harmful and overwhelming. However when Nadia’s published article proposing techniques for the deradicalisation of ISIS brides wins her high plaudits, she is offered a sabbatical in Iraq by the UN to run UNDO, to implement her recommendations. Somewhat impulsively, she decides to accept the role.

The task is understandably more difficult than Nadia could ever have imagined and she finds herself confronting never ending red tape, obstacles and corruption in addition to hoping these women living in the ISIS camp are suitable for conversion. Nadia finds herself working alongside a diverse mix of those who can cope and survive working in Iraq, immediately taking comfort from the likeable uncomplicated Tom, and gradually forming relationships with the combination of the well-connected Frenchman Pierre, the divorced African Charles who works at UNICEF, the political activist Sherri, delusional Sheikh Jason and their loyal local guide and driver Farris.

The situation becomes skewed when Nadia meets Sara, a young ISIS bride from London with attitude. Sara reminds her of her younger rebellious self and how easily she could have been persuaded to join ISIS and abandon her family. Nadia’s determination to help Sara, who she firmly believes has been brainwashed, means she takes unnecessary risks and overlooks the key question, of whether Sara does have the same values as she does. It also allows Nadia to delve into the complex relationship she has with her mother, who was widowed when she was a toddler and who she believes has never been able to accept her for who she is.

Set in 2019, this story will open your eyes to the lives these abandoned young women live in the Islamic State camps. Younis has been very careful to not take sides, making it a human story from all points of view, a remarkable achievement. There is humour throughout, particularly exposing the faults of her characters (Nadia arrives with a designer handbag), together with comical skirmishes and encounters mixed into the seriousness of a complicated issue. A good choice for lively book club discussion.

Do any of us understand the modern dating world? Sophie Kemp’s debut novel is a bold, somewhat crazy and refreshingly new look at the complexities of navigating trying to find a partner and then be ‘the perfect girlfriend’.

The prologue by Kemp is almost like a stream of consciousness as she interprets her various versions of paradise and the idea for her story, introducing us to Reality whom she asks us to join her on her quest to search far and wide for the perfect boyfriend.

We are introduced to 22 year old Reality Kahn who lives in Brooklyn New York with two college friends, Soo-jin and Lord Byron. She is socially awkward (one imagines on the spectrum of some sort) who casually has sex and has never been in a serious long-term relationship. She makes her money as a waterslide model for commercials. One day, she makes it her mission to find a boyfriend, "to unlock goodness inside of the soul", and when she has, the quest is to be the perfect girlfriend. Her journey to do this is brutally cruel, blended with dark humour that is unbelievably sad. Kemp’s language is sublime and unusual. Reality consults her book “how to be the perfect woman” which she interprets in her own crazy way. “It was romance to be a boxcar gamine but that couldn’t be it. I didn’t even know how to play the accordion or weave.”

The first place Reality visits in search of a boyfriend is the indoor shopping mall but unsurprisingly hanging around there, only attracts weirdos. Then at a party, she meets sad-eyed Ariel Koffman, a doctoral candidate specialising in the Assyrian Empire. Reality subjects herself to humiliating sexual acts by Ariel to make herself totally available to him. Ariel gets Reality to try more dangerous drugs. To try and fit in, she tries to hand around with other girlfriends who persuade her to experiment, resulting in more psychedelic episodes. Like her name suggests, this is a reality check as she doesn’t live in the real world as we know it and by the end we find her conversing with a snake called Ungaro Ulaanbaatar in the desert of Mongolia where she is told it has been her destiny all along ‘to love incorrectly’. To conclude, in Reality’s own words, “when you’re twenty-three you will slum it for love.”

This book won’t be to everyone’s taste. There is no denying Kemp’s wonderful imagination and creative use of language. It is a highly original and somewhat alarming exploration into the modern dating world which for most of us will be hard to comprehend. And it’s highly probable, that like us, you won’t always understand what’s going on, but if you’re in the mood for an alternative, dark, funny read then this is definitely worth a go. Den tip – we recommend reading this book on a kindle as we found there were numerous words we needed to look up!

Chris Whitaker’s ‘All The Colours of the Dark’ may be billed as a crime novel but just as the excellent 'We Begin at the End' by the same author, reviewed in the Den, Whitaker’s books are so much more due to his depth of writing, rich scene setting and visceral characters. In this case, ‘All the Colours of the Dark’ is also a story of love, loyalty, coming of age and trauma as the domino effect of a teenager’s disappearance on a small town community in Missouri, America unravels.

It's 1975 and the end of summer in the small town of Monta Clare when three teenagers’ lives are altered forever following a harrowing incident of abduction. Misty Meyer is not only from one of the wealthiest families in town, she is the coolest and most popular girl at school. The other two friends are Joseph Macauley, aptly named Patch because he has one eye and lives up to the pirate role and Saint who are both teenage outsiders. Patch lives with his alcoholic unfit mother living a precarious hand to mouth existence often stepping in her as her carer to keep them together. And his best friend is Saint, made to feel different because she is clever at a time in the 70’s when it wasn’t cool for girls to outshine boys. She lives with her grandmother and finds solace keeping bees. Life takes a turn when Patch, who can only admire Misty from afar, saves her life from a serial killer. Misty escapes but Patch wakes up in a dark basement. However, he later finds he is not alone, but held up with another captured teenage girl called Grace. Everyone searches for Patch but as time moves on so the investigation fizzles out until it is just Saint who strongly believes Patch is still alive and never gives up hope.

No spoilers but as characters go off on their chosen path the plot naturally evolves into a slow burning shattering read with an unexpected twist at the end. Whitaker describes his work as starting from conversations in his head between the characters. It is very much dialogue led, delving into the heart of every character and capturing the mood. However landscapes are presented with rich descriptions, attention to detail and authentic understanding of trauma. An epic read with many excellent wide-ranging discussion points for book club. A TV series has already been commissioned.

This is a pacy psychological drama by the popular English novelist Celia Fremlin whose writing career spanned four decades in the twentieth century. Written in the late ‘50s and re-published in 2023 by Faber, ‘Uncle Paul’ is a midsummer suspense mystery and a fascinating portrayal of the English family coastal holiday that perhaps our parents or grandparents might have experienced predating affordable air travel. With the return of ‘whodunnits’ thanks to Osman’s Thursday Murder Club series, this makes an entertaining read for book lovers this summer.

‘Uncle Paul’ tells the story of three sisters. Mildred is the elder half sister (older by nearly 20 years) whose brief marriage to Uncle Paul ends when he is arrested for attempted murder of his first wife. The novel begins some fifteen years later with a short but anxious telegram to Meg (the youngest sibling) from Isabel who is the sensible but highly strung middle sister.

“Mildred needs help, please come.
Isabel”.

The reader initially follows the story from Meg's perspective. Meg is living in London and dating the witty, charming and confident Freddy and although she feels inconvenienced by the request she is happy to make plans to join her sister, Isabel at the coastal resort to resolve Isabel's concerns. With Mildred returning to the same cottage that she originally shared with first husband Paul, the days that follow are fraught with worry, especially as all three sisters realise Uncle Paul is expected to be released and in their minds perhaps return to avenge them, seeking out all those who betrayed him.

The book is an interesting study of family dynamics during this period, the role of women and the impact that the recent war had on relationships and family life. There are plenty of skeletons in Meg’s family and whilst the narrative feels dated - akin to a post war fly-on-the-wall documentary, the Den were struck by the paranoia and hysteria that infected the sisters, over and above what Fremlin was using for dramatic effect. Reading ‘Uncle Paul’ reminds us how access to phones, TV and all comms has improved our lives and our experiences. And whilst it is very unlikely we will ever leave our devices at home (we may claim we want to), it is good to escape and reimagine this storyline and appreciate a 'nightmare summer holiday’.

‘The Husbands’ is an original and funny debut novel based on the premise that ‘you wait for The One… then 203 come along at once’. Already snapped up by a TV production company for release on apple TV+ and starring Juno Temple, famed for her cheeky 'Keeley Jones' character in Ted Lasso.

Lauren is a young modern singleton who returns to her London flat from a boozy hen night to discover a strange man waiting on her landing at the top of the stairs claiming to be her husband. She scrolls through her phone to find the evidence. It’s true. But after his detour back to the attic to change a lightbulb a quite different husband descends. Lauren’s attic, she slowly realises is magical, creating an endless stream of husbands. And it is not only her husbands that are transformed, but also her flat, her fortune, career and lifestyle which is reimagined with every new partner.

Whilst this is clearly a ‘rom com meets fantasy’ fiction, the novel presents some relevant and philosophical musings on modern day romance and the dating scene. As Lauren tries to enjoy her husbands she also takes time out to re-experience dating, exploring the equally infinite possibilities that are associated with the plethora of dating apps and meet up experiences.

And with so much choice, we can as readers empathise with Lauren’s dilemma. We all may know an Amos, but amongst the cast of husbands, there’s
Carter - the one she wants to keep for her best friend’s wedding when sparks definitely fly!
Felix - whose mysterious wealth enables her to be a lady of leisure and why not?
Zach Ephron - (not the famous one) who falls down the attic ladder setting off a different logistical problem for Lauren
Or maybe one of the other fleeting ‘husbands’ whose looks, habits or lifestyle appeal, for the moment, but not forever.

The readers will definitely have a favourite and it certainly ignited conversations in book club and a lot of what ifs …

If you enjoyed Matt Haig's 'The Midnight Library' or 'The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo' by Taylor Jenkins Reid (both reviewed in the library), this is a fun and easy holiday read.

A compelling and thought-provoking story by Rosa Rankin-Gee set in Margate in the imminent future. The story is told through the eyes of Chance, a teenage girl living hand to mouth in a dysfunctional family, whilst also falling in love, against a backdrop of escalating political and environmental changes, all revealing a frightening window to an unknown future. Read before the BBC TV adaptation hits the screen by the end of the year.

Jas is a failed artist and single mum of three living on the breadline in London. When offered a cash sum of money to relocate to Margate, where she grew up, she moves her family there. But times are changing, the sea level is rising and constantly flooding the town and temperatures are increasing at an alarming rate. The town begins to shut down. Schools, pubs and shops close, food becomes scarce, houses are abandoned and unemployment is rife. Chance and her elder brother JD start hanging around Margate’s derelict buildings and seafront including the abandoned amusement park “Dreamland”. Drugs become the order of the day aided by the arrival of JD’s new business partner Kole, a charismatic thug who enters their lives with life changing consequences.

Chance is bright and fearless and her mother has high hopes for her future, but when tragedy strikes, to protect both her mother and the new baby arrival, Chance turns to crime, becoming adept at breaking into houses whilst Jas gradually becomes a hardened addict. Everything darkens when ‘the people in charge’ from London arrive to ‘fix’ Margate by building a wall to stop the flooding and talk of reviving the town. When Chance comes to the rescue to save one of the newbies called Frankie from a group of feral locals, they fall in love. Conflicted by her will to survive and protect her family versus her strong feelings for Frankie, Chance tries to make sense of a world spiralling into madness and fight back against the establishment. Can Chance trust Frankie who promises her a safer future on the ‘other side’?

Rankin-Gee has created a story predicting a chilling future that alarmingly feels not that far away as the world today experiences flooding from increasingly common extreme weather conditions. However, she balances this disturbing prospect with a beautiful story of love, loyalty and friendship. The pace drops slightly and becomes somewhat repetitive during the ebb and flow of the relationship between Chance and Frankie but perhaps this is symptomatic of the contrasting status of their positions in society. Sure to provide many discussion points for your book club and make you wonder if, when disaster reaches your doorstep, do you stay or try to escape to the 'other side'?

If you enjoyed Station Eleven and Prophet Song, both reviewed in the Den, then this will definitely appeal. The Den can’t wait for the imminent BBC TV adaptation.

‘Cakes and Ale’ is a lesser known satirical novel by W. Somerset Maugham, famed for his literary classics such as ‘The Painted Veil’, loved amongst Den fans and bookclubbers. Picked as our Missed Opportunity read this month, it is a deliciously wicked satire of the literati in Maugham's world so perfect for fans of his work and those who enjoy contemporary novels of yesteryears.

The story is narrated by William Ashenden, a writer who reflects on his past friendships including a recently deceased author Edward Driffield, and his first wife, Rosie. A colleague, writer and ‘friend’ Alroy Kear, seeks Ashenden's input for a biography of Driffield, but Ashenden's memories paint a different picture than the one Kear is trying so hard to create. This includes Driffield's humbler beginnings in Blackstable, a Kent seaside town, the narrator's own hidden relationship with Rosie as a young adult, the intriguing tales of Driffield's wife and the real-life events behind Driffield's scandalous novel 'The Cup of Life' which almost gets him cancelled.

Written by Maugham at 53, between the first and second world wars, this book is not only inspired by his own life but was also acknowledged to be his favourite. He explains ‘it is the impressions of a man’s first twenty years which form him’ and this makes for a delectable read. As a reader there is plenty of humour enjoying Maugham’s critique of his peers as well as trying to discover which other famous authors he might be poking fun at. Critics at the time suggested this included Thomas Hardy and Hugh Walpole.

A short read (the novel was originally a four part serial in the popular magazine 'Harper's Bazaar'), 'Cakes and Ale' reminds us how novels ‘of the moment’ can be overhyped by influencers, social media and even novelists themselves who are under pressure to recommend their peers. The Den enjoyed the coterie of characters, such as Mrs Trafford and the sycophantic novelist Alroy Kear who created the fizz promoting the new novels and trending authors. This was in the days before publicists, PR and industry awards! So it is OK to be discerning and maybe a bit 'sniffy' about what you like in your book club.

Recommended by the Financial Times and popular with book clubs, this is an easy summer read that explores the family holiday as seen through the eyes of Rocky who is ‘sandwiched’ between her memories of herself as a mother, her now elder teen children and her ageing parents. Set in Cape Cod, this is a breezy summer paperback - packed with funny one-liners and befittingly menopausal in parts - a taste of real life!

"Life is like a seesaw, and I am standing dead centre, still and balanced: living kids on one side, living parents on the other. Nicky with me at the fulcrum. Don’t move a muscle, I think. But I will of course, You have to… ".

This is Rocky’s story: it’s midsummer and Rachel, referred to by her family as Rocky or rather mama or mom is returning to the humble quirky summer rental with her husband Nick and her now grown up children, Jamie and Wilma. This is the family’s happy place - filled with delicious memories, sunny beach days, hanging out at their favourite crab shack, enjoying the patter of the day and the nostalgia of shared holiday moments, mishaps and experiences. The reader is invited to spend a week with Rocky. However, it’s 20 years on and Rocky’s life is tipping towards change - not just physical!

Plenty of insights and observations that will appeal to book clubbers - especially for empty nesters and women of a certain age.

This international and award winning story by Asako Yuzuki is our Book of the Moment but also a Wild Card choice because it was the ultimate marmite read in our book club - and a novel that everyone is talking about! There were those of us who loved it and couldn’t put the book down, and those of us who struggled with the concept. But all this makes for lively discussion in your book club to make up your own mind.

“What’s so wrong about coating barren flavourless reality in oodles of melted butter and seasoning it with condiments and spices? That’s my way of getting by in life, which has come about quite naturally.”

Rika is a rising journalist for Shūmei Weekly in Tokyo. She conforms to the stereotypical young Japanese woman; she is lean, hard- working and in a steady but unexciting relationship. All this changes when her best friend Reiko suggests she tries to get an interview with Manako Kajii, who is awaiting her retrial for poisoning three of her past lovers. Kajii is somewhat of a celebrity as no concrete evidence links her to these men’s death other than she was the last person to see them alive. In every case however, she won over a lonely man’s heart by looking after them and particularly cooking them sumptuous delicious meals, butter being the star ingredient. Imprisoned in Tokyo Detention House, she refuses to be interviewed by anyone, but Rika perseveres. The turning point being when Rika asks Kajii for her recipe for beef stew. This follows on with Rika agreeing to visit the restaurants Kajii used to frequent and then learning the recipes she prepared for her lovers, each time reporting back to Kajii in the Detention House. However, in trying to get to the truth and determine Kajii’s guilt, Rika becomes caught up in her web and all the values she previously held high change. As she foregoes her slim body, and embraces Kajii’s liberal world in order to try and discover the truth, will she too succumb to the same fate or will it give her a freedom she has never experienced before?

Gluttony and sexual freedom are contrary to the traditional, conforming and often reserved Japanese image. Yuzuki draws you into Kajii’s world with her elaborate yet delicate descriptions of the food Raji starts to devour, describing the colour, texture, taste in intricate detail. Her portrayal of Rika and her friend Reiko challenge the traditions of the female body image and their role within Japanese society. The problem with the story is that for some of us the characters weren’t likeable and as Rika puts on more and more weight, it can make for an uncomfortable read. But there’s no denying it’s an original and extraordinary piece of writing.

‘Butter’ was Waterstones Book of the Year 2024. But, it's make your own mind up time!

The Den returns to an earlier Maggie O’Farrell novel ‘The Distance Between Us’ thanks to one our followers and avid bookclubbers. This is an immersive read that you won’t want to put down, telling the story of how the snap and often irrational decisions of youth catch up with us, fighting with or against our family and the realisation that the past will always draw you back. Published in 2004, this is a Missed Opportunity novel perfect for longer summer nights.

This is the story of two young people making their way in the world, who you know are destined to meet but are just not sure where and when! It’s a cold February and Stella is living and working in London, away from her needy sister Nina and her family in Scotland. Meanwhile Jake who only knows Hong Kong is enjoying his carefree life with friends as they prepare for Chinese New Year. The novel shifts between Stella’s world and Jake’s building a picture of these two young individuals and the families that influenced and shaped their lives. Their compass however is directing them both to Scotland. For Stella it is to run away following a haunting encounter from an unwelcome face in London, as well as lying low from her sister who stalks her life and feels like Stella’s emotional crutch with a secret that we as readers are running towards. For Jake, having survived celebrations that turned dangerous we follow his journey to England helping his ex-pat girlfriend and now wife recover from a crowded crush that nearly killed her. But as he tries to release himself from his new wife, he is also keen to find his father in Scotland and maybe a glimpse into his own family past.

With a delicious pace, a touching love story and sense of foreboding especially as the novel races to its crescendo, the Den enjoyed O’Farrell’s characterisation of young love and its journey of heartache and stepping into adulthood. Reminiscent of ‘One Day’ which presented similar themes and touchstones.

By the author of award winning ‘Hamnet’ - also reviewed in the Den library, along with 'The Marriage Portrait'.

What is in a name? Is your name your destiny and does it determine your future? This brilliant debut novel from Florence Knapp is sure to inspire interesting book club discussion over the significance of a chosen name, and whether a life could have turned out differently depending on this choice. However, there is so much more to Knapp’s writing as she tackles all the emotions of a challenging family life via three different casts – a fascinating and unputdownable debut.

Cora is married to Gordon, a well-respected GP. They have a 9 year-old daughter Maia and a new born son. Cora is about to register her baby son’s name and this is the brilliant premise of the story. Gordon presumes his new son will have his name as is tradition in his family, but Cora likes the name Julian whose name means sky father as it implies transcending a long line of troubled fathers, whilst Maia, as apt for her age, opts for Bear because it sounds soft and cuddly and kind. Knapp imagines how one’s path in life could be potentially determined by your birth name as we follow the three different storylines of Bear, Julian and Gordon.

The added string to this story is that it is centred around domestic abuse. Knapp sensitively and fearlessly deals with this important subject as the Atkins’ family life moves forward in 7-year intervals from 1987 through to 2022. Each time we catch a brief glimpse into their contrasting pathways and each time we are immediately drawn into their contrasting choices and critical turning points. The name choice Knapp also gives every periphery character reflects their personality and potentially their fate. Over the years, the different stories ingeniously intertwine and whereas a person or event it is a fleeting moment or image in one story, it can be a pivotal moment in another.

‘The Names’ is a fascinating and brilliant hypothesis about the decisions that shape our lives, the choices not taken often more heart-breaking that the mistakes made. It is also beautifully crafted and a joy to read. A fantastic debut.

It seems that Tessa Hadley keeps being referred to as the writer who goes under the radar because she writes about the middle classes. With her new book “The Party’ out in hardback, we decided to read one of her earlier works ‘Free Love’ about a middle-aged woman throwing caution to the wind and resetting her life, swapping stability for an imagined freedom.

Hadley’s writing is polished and compelling. The Den were instantly immersed in the life of Phyllis Fischer, who on a whim decides to embark on what appears at first to be a bit of fun, but soon turns out to be an act with complex and unexpected life changing consequences.

Phyllis Fischer believes she is happily married to Roger who works for the foreign office. They live in the commuter suburbs of Otterly with their two children, Colette 16 and Hugh 9. One evening they invite Nicky, a struggling, opinionated writer and son of Roger’s old friend round for dinner as a favour. Nicky arrives over an hour late, dishevelled and generally provocative as there is no where he would less rather be than at a formal dinner with this middle-aged couple and their insufferable daughter. When Phyllis receives a phone call from her neighbour asking her to look for her son’s lost shoe, Nicky finds himself helping in the hunt, the result being a sudden passionate kiss by the garden pond. So begins, not just an affair, but a complete reset of Phyllis’s life as she moves to a crumbling art deco building of apartments in Notting Hill, leaving behind her family and mixing with the local artists of that time during the 1960’s. It is a heady, free life, a million miles away from Otterly and her established existence. And the ultimate question is - will the grass be greener on the other side?

However, this is not simply a story about a midlife affair with a younger man, it is about the revaluation of life, doing the unexpected and not settling for second best. There are several twists and turns and Hadley interrupts Phyllis’s narrative with small sections written through the eyes of the husband, children, lover and the effect her departure has on their own view of life. Colette being at that awkward age when not having her mother around leads her astray, whilst Hugh goes from being the apple of his mother’s eye to finding her presence unbearable. Hadley treats all her characters with a refreshing honesty and you can almost feel her disappointment at the way some of them behave. The overall result is you are drawn to everyone and not sure who to route for, but it is the protagonist Phyllis who ultimately makes the decision which she knows will bring everyone else down with her.

Without giving away a spoiler, the ending of the book is particularly interesting and sure to be part of your book club discussion.

A short but addictive new novella in which two ordinary individuals meet and fall in love in the heat of the summer in New York City - a chance meeting, a moment of 'why not'?!

It’s a scorching hot day in Manhattan and a hundred people gather to be selected as jurors. Amongst this group, two adults in their sixties are waiting to find out if they will be picked. Catherine is reading a novel, Paul a newspaper to pass the screening time which is dull and laborious. And so begins a whirlwind of flirtation as they share cappuccinos, walks and art galleries reimagining themselves in another country - a room on the sea, snatching time to escape their commitments and responsibilities. As the week progresses we as readers are invested in their moments, their meeting of minds and whether they will act on their feelings.

This is a novella to easily feel lost in as well as enjoy being transported to a mini break of the imagination and sunshine where missed opportunities are snatched and just maybe given a chance.

"Have you ever had the sense that maybe all lives are nothing more than the chronicle of countless stinging might-have-beens that continue to haunt us?"

'Room on the Sea' covers the themes of love, ageing and regret and the Den delighted in Aciman’s light touch and tenderness of emotion. The novella worked wonderfully as an audiobook and also makes a perfect read for a flight whether long haul or a journey closer to home. A delightful summertime read for book clubs and a great introduction to André Aciman author of the bestselling novel ‘Call Me By Your Name’, a coming of age romantic drama which has also been adapted for the screen (2017).

And if you enjoyed Aciman's style of writing then maybe consider his own coming of age memoir, 'My Roman Year' set in 1960 in which the author shares his own home truths and the fragility of life for a family forever in exile, in Rome. Perhaps this is your next stop?!

A moving and insightful memoir and manifesto about the challenging life of an elite female athlete, Lauren Fleshman who became a poster girl for Nike ‘Objectify Me’ 2007 campaign and a national US champion in distance running. Winner of ‘Sports Book of the Year 2023’ this is a fantastic Wild Card choice for book clubbers, whether you like to run or have family and friends that are sports enthusiasts and talented athletes.

‘Good for a Girl’ tells the story of a woman running in a man’s world. Fuelled by her years as an elite runner and advocate for women in sports, Lauren Fleshman offers her inspiring personal story and a rallying cry for reform of a sports landscape that still appears to be failing young female athletes, even in 2025!

Fleshman’s account takes the reader back to her early years at high school, being spotted and encouraged to follow her talent and passion for running. Lauren Fleshman loved to run and this raw and honest account presents the challenges of her own body as she grows from a young teenage girl into a woman and the affect this has on her performance. The writer also shares what she witnessed amongst her talented peers and how they all subconsciously were compelled to be a certain weight, follow a ‘healthy diet’ as proposed by their coaches, in the main men, to ensure they were always race ready, regardless of their every changing bodies. As well as appreciating Fleshman’s single mindedness and ambition to carve a career as a professional long distance runner, we also learned about her own personal battles with injuries and self-doubt and with this her compelling fight for a better approach for female athletes.

The book raised plenty of questions in the Den, especially amongst those whose own girls were engaged in local running clubs and other athletic disciplines. The challenges are still there and whilst Fleshman’s proposed manifesto appears ambitious, and it feels like a long list, book clubbers appreciated her courage to confront her sponsors and be involved in challenging the narrative for female athletes and their future.

As Malcolm Gladwell points out, "Women’s sports have needed a manifesto for a long time. With 'Good for a Girl' we finally have one".

Definitely a book for sharing!

‘The Mad Women’s Ball’ is a mesmerising piece of historical fiction. Set in Paris in 1885, Mas has created a wonderful insight into life for women who deemed mad were incarcerated at Salpêtrière Hospital based on the real sanitorium during this period of experimental hypnosis research in France. This compulsive read makes you stop and think about the role society plays in locking up fragile individuals. An astonishing read.

Madame Geneviève is the loyal and long-standing nurse at Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris. She worships the esteemed neurologist Dr Charcot and his colleague Professor Babinski who give public demonstrations using the ‘mad women’ of Salpêtrière as their dummies for experimental hypnosis. The truth is far more disturbing as most of the women aren’t mad. They are often inconvenient problems in the family or society who experience moments of hysteria for all sorts of reasons.

Everything changes with the arrival of 19 year-old Eugénie Cléry. Born into an aristocratic Parisian family, Eugénie is a determined young woman who wants to experience life, further her education and challenge society. Her fore-bearing father despises his daughter’s wayward freedom whose outward defiance embarrasses him. Eugenie’s only ally is her loving grandmother whom she reads to every evening. Everything implodes when Eugenie tells her grandmother she can see the spirit of her dead grandfather. Eugénie’s father seizes this as an opportunity to prove his daughter is mad and has her incarcerated in Salpêtrière. It soon becomes apparent to Madame Geneviève that Eugenie isn’t mad, rather she has a special gift. The much anticipated Lenten Ball, commonly known amongst the Parisian bourgeoisie as ‘The Mad Women’s Ball’ is held every March and the one occasion in the year when the outside world and the occupants of Salpêtrière collide. Patients were bundled up in colourful costumes and paraded at the ball for the entertainment of a privileged Paris. Will Geneviève and Eugénie be able to use this unethical event to their advantage?

Mas draws the reader into the tragic yet beautiful world of Salpêtrière hospital through her rich descriptions and characterisations, revealing the strength of these women. Mas wants us to learn lessons from the past so we avoid repeating the same mistakes. She believes we still derive entertainment from watching members of the public exhibited on TV reality shows deeming it is acceptable to invade their private lives. We continue to lock up fragile individuals away in retirement homes and psychiatric institutions where cases of ill treatment still persist. It’s a powerful message which she impeccably realises.

'The Mad Women’s Ball' is now a film on Amazon Prime starring Mélanie Laurent and Lou de Louâge.

Dream Count is the highly anticipated new novel from the award winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and already on this year’s Women’s Prize for Fiction longlist. The story follows the lives of four interconnected single women of African heritage in America and Nigeria, discovering their hopes, dreams, careers and relationships as they independently forge their own paths in today’s complicated and conflicting world.

Whilst there is no doubt that Adichie’s reflections on the desires of women, and the honesty she gives her imperfect characters are a wonder to behold, the Den weren’t as enraptured as with the previous brilliant ‘Americanah’ and ‘Half of Yellow Sun’, two of our favourite reviewed books. Nevertheless, it is an enriching and fascinating exploration of the dreams and reality shared by the four women in search of that unobtainable something special in their lives.

The book opens with Chiamaka. Chiamaka is from a wealthy Nigerian family, living in America and trying to be a travel writer. Lockdown has arrived, and trapped in her home she begins to reflect on her past relationships, particularly Darnell, her American artist boyfriend who was entitled, controlling and arrogant. Next is Chuka to whom she couldn’t commit. Then in London the white Englishman who isn’t given a name (maybe because he is married).

Next is Chiamaka's best friend Zikora who is giving birth with her mother by her side. We soon discover her back story, a lawyer who has always dreamed of the conventional catholic marriage and family. After two failed relationships, she unexpectedly meets Kwame at the launch of a vegan cookbook. He is a fun youthful lawyer and everything is going swimmingly, but the biological clock is ticking and becoming pregnant means the life she had planned lies in tatters. The mother/daughter relationship at this point is heart-rending and almost in a moment, Zikora sees her mother in a new light.

We then move on to Kadiatou’s story which starts in Guinea where she grew up in a loving family idolising her elder sister Bintu. Kadi is a gentle soul who sees the best in everyone. After tragedy hits the family and a failed abusive marriage she follows her heart to be with her first love in America escaping persecution with her young daughter by seeking asylum. Life is going well until a devastating episode occurs in the hotel with a white VIP which turns Kadi’s world upside down leaving her out of her depth in this foreign country. Adichie has based this event on the true story of Nafissatou Diallo who accused a high profile businessman of assault. It asks so many questions about the context for getting justice and in many ways, the reader is disappointed that this story stops in the middle of the crisis and isn’t resumed until the end of the book where it is wrapped up rather suddenly.

The most dominant character is Chai’s cousin, Omelogor, a highly intelligent and successful banker living in Abuja, Nigeria who has made her fortune and decides to redistribute her corruptly gained money to help other women set up businesses. Omelogor appears to be the one person who believes there are other ways for women to live without marriage and children. She lives a very privileged lifestyle with household staff and constantly entertains. Omelogor seems angry with the world and therefore the least likeable of the four women but probably the most important in terms of standing up for women’s rights and not conforming. She calls her relationships with men “emotional happenings” and they always seem unwise choices. Her mother is desperate for her to marry and have a baby, but once the biological clock has passed she wants her to adopt.

This book covers so many important issues from female genital mutilation, abusive partners, single parenting, medical neglect and sexual assault but the main focus is the pressure of society for African women to marry and have children and the family disappointment if they don’t depicted beautifully through this quartet of fascinating women.

‘Killing Time’ is a short and reflective novella set in a residential home during the pandemic. Written by the acclaimed writer and dramatist Alan Bennett, now 90 years old, this novella is a wry and satirical story about the twilight years of life, finding humour and pitch-perfect observations that only Bennett can pull off. Published in 2024, ‘Killing Time’ is still only available in hardback, however the audiobook narrated by Alan Bennett makes this a wonderful literary treat and Wild Card choice.

The story focuses on a group of residents who live in an upmarket residential home, Hill Topp House. Bennett invites the reader into the home and the lives of its residents - a coterie of individuals who are each characterised by their own idiosyncrasies and behaviours that magnify their personalities for us the outsider - presenting a chaotic and poignant story. Presided over by Mrs McBryde who scrupulously manages the residents and those who wish to secure a place in the home.

“We have a choir and on special occasions a glass of sherry. It’s less of a home and more of a club and very much a community”.

For Bennett fans who enjoyed ‘Talking Heads’ and the story, Waiting for the Telegram, this story features an unforgettable cast of misfits including Phyllis the knitter, Miss Rathbone and her lifelong secret, Mr Cresswell, a former cruise hairdresser and a visiting window cleaner, Gus, who serves the home in unexpected ways.

“You can have sex if you’re in a bubble.” “Where do you get them?"

Covid is the cause of fatalities but also the source of dark comic confusion. As staff are hospitalised protocol breaks down and the surviving residents seize their moment!

Described as a mini masterpiece this makes a great +1 novella for bookclubbers. Other Alan Bennett favourites in the Den include 'The Uncommon Reader' and 'Talking Heads'.

‘Pride and Prejudice’ is Jane Austen’s most popular novel and a love story that has been reimagined and reinvented for many audiences and cultures around the world. With plenty of festivals, events and screenings to celebrate the author’s 250th birthday year in 2025, this is a novel worth returning to in your book club! Especially with a new film in the pipeline.

Austen’s second novel and historical fiction is set in the Regency period (around the early nineteenth century) and begins in the Longbourn home of the Bennets who are preoccupied with the arrival of a wealthy young gentleman, Charles Bingley, which is of particular interest to Mrs Bennet who is keen to find suitors for her daughters - especially as she has five!  Mr. Bennet swiftly pays a social visit to Mr Bingley securing an invitation for the Bennets to attend a ball at which Mr Bingley will be in attendance. Mr Bingley is attracted to Jane (the Bennet’s eldest daughter) spending much of his evening dancing with her. His close friend, Mr Darcy, is less pleased with the evening and haughtily refuses to dance with Elizabeth, which makes everyone view him as arrogant and obnoxious. This is the first time that Elizabeth Bennet meets the eligible Fitzwilliam Darcy who is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. Unlike other Austen heroines Elizabeth is independent-minded and articulate and unlike her sisters she is confident in challenging her suitors. As the main protagonist in the novel, the readers enjoys Elizabeth’s assertiveness which provides a youthful and empowering voice to the narrative.

Whilst Mr Darcy secretly begins to find himself drawn to Elizabeth as they continue to encounter each other at social events, appreciating her wit and frankness, Elizabeth is also being pursued by Mr Collins, a clergyman and who we understand is heir to her family estate. Whilst realising his interest in her, Elizabeth also meets the charming army officer Mr Wickham, who tells her in confidence about Mr Darcy's unpleasant treatment of him in the past. Elizabeth blinded by her prejudice toward Mr Darcy, believes him. However, we are also able to observe her misjudgement of character which results in entertaining twists and turns to the storyline.

Hearsay and gossip amongst the Bennet, Darcey and Bingley families is rife. This causes misunderstanding amongst the elder Bennet daughters and their suitors, and we are drawn into the love story of Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, who both misjudge, but then challenge and change each other minds making this a novel about happiness and self awareness in a world burdened by the constraints of social convention.

Whilst women may not need to marry to survive and our social constrains vastly different, Austen’s story still remains relevant today as we know only too well, thanks to Helen Fielding and Bridget Jones! The Den enjoyed the opportunity to indulge in the witty dialogue and comedy of manners. Well worth a read and discussion in your book club.

‘Tom Lake’, by the popular American author Ann Patchett, is her most recent novel set in Northern Michigan telling a story within a story, in which a mother trapped on the family estate, a cherry farm (in the pandemic) indulges in time, to reflect and celebrate her family as well as reminisce on her younger self. A heart-warming favourite amongst book clubs as well as a Sunday Times bestseller.

The novel opens in New Hampshire in the ‘70s and the young Lara whilst helping out with the local auditions for Thornton Wilder's ‘Our Town’ with her school friend Veronica is inadvertently signed up for one of the lead roles. Lara’s lucky break continues as she is spotted by an LA director, Ripley, who fast tracks her career to Hollywood for a part in a new film. The book has two timelines, Lara’s past and the present in which her husband Joe and their daughters, Emily, Maisie and Nell. The girls have had to put their own careers and lives on hold (thanks to the pandemic), and by default are available to help with the cherry orchard harvest. However together they are also eager to discover the story of their mother’s relationship with the famous and scorchingly hot actor Peter Duke, (aka ‘George Clooney’ for us in the real world), who had consumed their lives growing up thanks to his popular film success and fame.

Lara has to fast forwards her story as a young actress, to present her first meeting with Duke. It’s 1988 and Lara is lined up to join another ‘Our Town’ production, to play Emily, a role she knows well, this time joining a summer stock theatre programme held in North Michigan, near the idyllic Tom Lake. Lara and Duke quickly become lovers spending the days by the lake with his equally gorgeous brother and tennis professional and coach, the young ‘Saint’ Sebastian and Lara’s friend Pallace. Lara’s daughters are obsessed about zooming in on the detail. But they have to hear it together and make time to understand the depth of this relationship, how it began, how it finished and how and when their father, Joe becomes a part of the story. Patchett carefully braids time weaving the past with the present, allowing us to reflect on the younger Lara as well as appreciate Lara's good fortune, spending time with her older girls and Joe.

Whilst one of the themes and threads is about fame, rejecting fame and about achieving it or not achieving it, this is also a story about life lessons of which there are many, not about regrets but appreciating the life you have and enjoying the moment.

Now released in paperback, ‘James’ by Percival Everett and shortlisted for the Booker 2024 is a re-interpretation of one of America’s most acclaimed novels of the 19th century, ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ written in 1884. With his dark humour and imaginative storytelling, Everett bravely re-imagines this iconic novel. Although it is not essential to have read Twain’s original classic, book clubbers would find it more enriching and entertaining to provide a backdrop to ‘James’.

In Everett’s novel, Jim takes centre stage with a voice who we now know as James. The novel is set in 1861 Missouri, as civil war is brewing and Jim discovers he is about to be re-sold to a new owner in New Orleans and separated from his wife and daughter. Jim decides to run away to a nearby island, Jackson Island to make a plan. Meanwhile Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father. Together they journey across the American south, rafting up the vast Mississippi river towards freer States and beyond. Jim needs Huck as he cannot be seen as a runaway slave. Huck needs Jim to help him survive his ‘adventure’. By putting the focus on Jim, Everett allows him to tell his own story.

The writing is fast paced as this contrary pair stumble from one misfortune to the next, whether being faced with a group of vagrant scammers, or nearly being caught up in the wheels of a river cruiser on the Mississippi. Everett’s trademark of black humour is also in abundance, none more so than when Jim worries that he is going to be revealed as a black man whilst disguised as a black man in a singing troupe. There is a tendency to wonder how it is possible that Huck and Jim fortuitously keep finding each other after every separation, but maybe this is symbolic of a slave like Jim knowing he could never really escape his white master wherever he hides. The South being on the cusp of civil war reminds Jim that slavery is not the only type of oppression.

As we discover, Jim can read, write and speak like any white man but keeps this under raps to protect himself. Everett cleverly belittles the white supremacy for not spotting that Jim is in fact smarter and often more capable. Jim’s secret weapon, is that he always carries a pencil and paper. We know education opens the doors for those without, and Jim discussing the ethics of slavery with his favourite philosophers reminds us this will be his secret weapon towards freedom.

This is a thought provoking, funny, poignant and page turning companion to the original story which is guaranteed to ignite a stimulating and interesting book club gathering.

'Remarkably Bright Creatures’ is best remembered for Marcellus, a giant Pacific Octopus - ‘that octopus book’! However, aside from the larger than life mischievous creature, this is an endearing and heart-warming story about a small community set in West Coast America who learn to cope with their personal challenges of bereavement, love and belonging through companionship with their neighbours, new and old. Infused with humour and a sense of adventure to resolve unsolved mysteries and some lost ‘treasures’, this was a book club favourite in 2024 and enjoyed in groups both sides of the Atlantic.

The story opens with Tova Sullivan, a widow who keeps her mind busy with a night cleaning job at the local Sowell Bay Aquarium, having mysteriously lost her teen son, Erik, who vanished on a boat some thirty years ago. Whilst she has enjoyed the comfort of her ‘Knit-Wit’ group who gather regularly to work on knitting projects, shoot the breeze and put the world to rights, she is unsettled by the news of her estranged brother’s death and the realisation that living alone in later life is fraught with issues that she is keen to attend to.

Running in tandem with Tova’s story the reader is introduced to Cameron, a lost teen whose backstory (abandoned by his mother, brought up by his aunt) leads him to Sowell Bay in search of his father who he hopes will resolve his own financial hardships. Cameron lands up in Tova's small community, finding work, romance and unexpected friendships including Ethan an aged Scottish gentleman who manages the local grocery store and then Tova herself, who Ethan is also keen to befriend and spend time with. As both Tova and Cameron find themselves distracted by lost ‘treasures’ - Nova her son and Cameron, a lost father, it brings us back to Marcellus, the octopus whose night time habit of escaping his aquarium, hunting for treasure to hide in his tank, provides unexpected clues to solve the impossible home truths of the past.

The book brought plenty of joy and discussion in book club and is a wonderful debut novel by the author Shelby Van Pelt whose wholesome tale was an instant New York Times bestseller. With a Netflix adaptation in the pipeline, 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' is an unexpected book club delight that you will want to read ahead of any streaming!

‘The Buccaneers’ is a lesser known 1936 manuscript that was updated and completed posthumously as Edith Wharton’s last novel in the 1990s by Marion Mainwaring. Now streaming on Apple TV, this forgotten drama makes a wonderful book club novel (especially with a new season in the pipeline, to be screened later this year). This is a story of love and marriage amongst old and new moneyed classes with the portrayal of a world on the brink of change.

Set in the 1870s, the story revolves around five wealthy and ambitious American girls, their chaperones and mothers who decide to come to London and England to find suitable partners, given their status in the America (as new money) is not welcomed by the elitist and snobbish old New York money.

Having been denied access to the New York party scene the beauties are encouraged by their governess, to set sail for England, home to lords, earls and dukes and launch their future amongst the unsuspecting British aristocracy. The girls set out to chase status and happiness but find themselves breaking all the rules that they have set themselves. Whilst the girls are all charmed by the exotic Choncita who marries first they soon realise the challenges of their new status in a foreign society with its own antiquated customs and traditions. Will a new country be a better place to find the perfect marital match? Can they be accepted here and can and will they become more powerful?

The Den enjoyed following the girls’ journey and the focus on Nan’s story (otherwise known as Annabel St George), one of the younger girls in her friendship circle and perhaps the most precocious. Unlike the other ‘Buccaneer’ beauties, Nan is the least greedy and manipulative. However she inadvertently becomes the most successful in marriage although not necessarily happy in love.

Definitely whets the appetite for those who enjoy watching literature being transformed on the screen!

With the hyped excitement surrounding the new ‘Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy’ film, the Den couldn’t resist returning to Helen Fielding’s novel of the same name, bringing a delicious dose of flirty romance and fun to book club.

Written in 2013, readers will be delighted to reconnect with Bridget, who whilst all grown up (at 51) with a screen-writing career has been managing to juggle her hectic lifestyle as a single working mum of two young children. It has now been five years since widowed (spoiler alert: Mark Darcy has tragically died), and Bridget is persuaded by her good friends Tom, Jude and Talitha to get back into the dating game.

As a first step, Bridget who recognises herself as a ‘social media virgin’ realises she needs to improve her profile and launches herself on Twitter. She is quick to share her stories and her followers (and lack of!) becomes a new obsession in her diary along with other successes and failures such as weight, food and drink excesses.

"179lbs (huh), pounds lost 0, Twitter followers 0, protein chocolate bars 28."

Despite her ineptitude and hilarious tweets and learnings - ‘do not tweet about date during date’, Bridget manages to catch the attention of Roxster who is young (‘toyboy’ at 29), sexy and funny and loves the equally hilarious Bridget Jones who manages to continue to delight us all as she shares her life experiences as an older dating mum, be it trying to find her reading glasses on a date, being on high nit-alert or removing hot chocolate spills on the perfect working girl outfit.

Readers will enjoy Bridget’s commitment to researching the new dating landscape and the new rules. "DO NOT TEXT WHEN DRUNK."

Fans will also love the arrival of Daniel on the scene for babysitting duties and readers will enjoy Bridget’s resolve to manage dilemmas of dating and finding love and acceptance at fifty-something. A great feel good factor and laugh out loud read, for all!

‘Groundbreaking, iconic a trailblazer’ - according to one critic. Now over to you!

Rupert Everett’s latest book ‘The American No’ is a series of short stories. If you have read any of Everett’s memoirs you will know he writes with a mixture of vibrant wit, refreshing honesty and exquisite descriptions whilst never hiding from life’s disappointments. As usual, there are the raucous stories of debauched characters, his take on Hollywood and struggling actors. But Everett also includes Oscar Wilde’s last night in Paris, a bizarre funeral, a touching love story and the confessions of a dying 83 year-old widow.

A shorter, hilarious story is that of a wealthy American/Russian countess who with her fading beauty succumbs to the charms and good looks of a much younger male in a Wiltshire tea room whilst her son plays a school rugby match only to discover his intentions come with a caveat!

Everett’s take on Hollywood “a world with all the dials turned up” is told through Harry, a young British actor who recognises he isn’t going to make it in LA and starts working in the mail room of the agent William Morris. He soon learns to play the system, this ‘was the first step towards fitting in, all personal feelings under an impenetrable twitter of birdsong – have a nice day – you’re very welcome – go for Shelley – copy that – way to go – the court vernacular of Los Angeles, he’d put his best foot forward and arrived in good time’. The lengths Harry and his close friends go to make it in Hollywood are both hilarious and tragic, and when Harry does become successful, is it the land of dreams? Not really, ‘but meanwhile the show goes on’!

‘The Last Rites’ are the confessions of a dying 83 year-old widow who mistakenly leaves her beautiful English family for an unsuitable marriage to Captain Saunders based in 1850’s colonial India. She quickly discovers the carefree intimacy they had shared in North England is an illusion when in India he reveals his tyrannical superiority. Everything changes at the Mutiny in Meerut when he is killed and she is captured and forced to marry the Indian who rescues her so never making it back home to her loving family who believe she is dead. She must secretly tell her story to a vicar before she dies.

‘Ten Pound Pom’ is a heart-breaking love story and probably our favourite pick. A young soldier called Tom sells his crumbling, financially unviable family Irish castle. He leaves his remaining elderly relatives behind and sets off for Australia for £10 on an ocean liner. Living below decks in third class, he settles into the daily routine of ship life, until Athens, when Amara, a young Greek girl boards with her guardian Madame Kasta. Amara is betrothed to a husband in Australia she hasn’t yet met, being married in a religious ceremony in Greece without him being there. For the next few weeks they fall in love. Will their love survive? Why didn’t Everett develop this idea for a story into a full-length novel?

The End of Time – based on Proust’s childhood when his imagination is evolving. Everett fears it will never make it to the screen, so this is his way of giving him some recognition. For those of us not familiar reading scripts, this story is the hardest to follow.

When you read Everett’s stories you can’t believe they are not picked up for development to the screen, but maybe it’s because his wonderful observations and gossip are hard to capture in the same way with the camera? For the reader however, they are joyous, poignant and a delight to read.

'Friendship is a matter of investment, if not hard work. Like a garden without water, it 'dies fast' when neglected'. - Robin Dunbar, Emeritus Professor of Evolutionary Psychology

‘The Virago Book of Friendship’ is a touching and thoughtful study of friendship as discovered by writer Rachel Cooke who shares her literary wisdom, diaries and letters that present an endearing insight into women’s friendship. This unique anthology makes a wonderful book club read or gift for your literary bestie.

The book covers defining 'friendship', first encounters, confessions, solidarity, frenemies and Den readers enjoyed picking up on friendship formed through the prism of literature. It was endearing to return to favourite writers such as Nora Ephron, Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf and indeed be introduced to lesser known authors. This book is the perfect way to start the new year as well as be inspired to discover new authors for 2025.

The Den enjoyed Cooke’s commentary on her own friendships and there are some lovely stories and gems covering fallouts to making up to final goodbyes.

'Disagreements have their place, but so does the whispering of secrets. When - if - important information is withheld, the friendship may ultimately be imperilled; a friend can often sense, even if they cannot quite see it, the gauze that is non-disclosure'.

Lots of gold dust in this collection and an uplifting celebration of female friendship and sisterhood!

This is another extraordinary piece of writing from Daniel Mason. The Den has previously reviewed his earlier work, ‘The Winter Soldier’ (see Den library), and once again the attention to detail and palpable landscape is brought to life in his latest novel ‘North Woods’. This sweeping, inventive story revolves around the occupants of a house set in the atmospheric woods of New England over four centuries.

The reader is given short glimpses into the lives of various inhabitants (not all human!) of a yellow house in the woods of western Massachusetts, beginning with two young Puritan lovers on the run who discover the woods, and decide to build a cabin on the throw of a stone. In the 1700s the cabin is unearthed by a widow and soldier, Charles Osgood following his obsessive search for a particular apple tree. He expands the house and starts to harvest apples until he is drawn back to war at which point his twin daughters take over the orchard. The spinster twins, Mary and Alice were a Den favourite, as beneath their righteous exterior is a fierce independence and loving rivalry resulting in a surprising finale.

Many of the stories have a darkness to them, whilst others are humorous – we particularly enjoyed the no nonsense clairvoyant Anastasia Rossi who when hired to lay ghosts to rest, takes great pleasure in seducing the obnoxious master of the house. Unsurprisingly, considering Mason’s background as a Professor of Psychiatry, there is the story of Robert, a young man who suffers from schizophrenia and flits between the woods and an asylum. When living in the woods he meticulously studies and individually records every element of the woods from the trees to the stones, the films of which are discovered many years later by his sister.

The house is always seen as an escapism from the city, but ultimately becomes a reclusive hideaway for most of its occupants. Mason interlinks the stories with poems, ballads, historical lectures and images. Gradually over the centuries connections and discoveries are made which join the different stories together. Every story is intwined with the surrounding nature and the past which often appears to those in the present. And sometimes the house is empty for a long period of time, but nature is continuous and Mason continually reminds us of the longevity of the natural world and the house compared to the transient disposition of human life.

Mason wrote this book whilst on a writing fellowship which he spent in New England. Consequently, he was able to write it in chronological order through the seasons, walking in the woods every day to inspire his writing. He also changes his style of writing to reflect the period and it does take a while to adjust to the old-fashioned language and imagery, especially when it takes the form of a letter or a ballad. The fate of the inhabitants are all linked with the trees, wildlife and extreme weather which is recognisably changing over the centuries and so relevant today. The story of the mating beetles whose pairing in a wooden log spreads Dutch Elm’s disease, beautifully captures the randomness and fragility that new occupants can have on an existing area.

Due to the complex nature of the writing and constant switching of narratives covering such a large time span it will certainly make for lively discussion points for your book club.

’Tis the Season to be wary’ - 'The Christmas Guest’ is a festive novella with a twist, blending Christmas cheer with a delicious dash of murder mystery. Peter Swanson, who is a Sunday Times bestselling author and best known for his psychological suspense thrillers, explains ‘while I like Christmas stories, what I really love is Christmas mysteries’. ‘The Christmas Guest’ is a scrumptious treat for book clubbers and perfect for your festive meet up.

The holidays are coming in New York City and the protagonist discovers a diary in her apartment closet which takes the reader back in time. It’s December 1989 and Ashley Smith, a history of art student is studying in London and unexpectedly invited by her classmate Emma Chapman to spend Christmas with her and her family in the Cotswolds. Whilst Ashley is not close friends with Emma, and having recently been orphaned with no particular desire to return to her home in California, Ashley is over the moon by the invitation.

Arriving at a small country railway station, Ashley is surprised to be met by Emma’s attractive and eligible brother, Adam. The diary entries share the excitement and heightened anticipation of a mystery destination for Christmas and Starvewood Hall, whilst cold and run down, is a seemingly attractive and quintessentially English country manor. However, there is something strange about the stately home and its guests and Ashley’s diary reveals some unexpected horrors. The diary flashes back to Ashley's introduction to Adam and his detour to a local pub, with all its trimmings - a log fire, a cast of characters and plenty of local gossip to set the scene. It is not long before we discover a local girl has been murdered and Adam is a prime suspect.

The Den were impressed with the diary entries - it tapped into a young girl’s emotions so you can expect exclamations, emotional outbursts and "CAPS". Suddenly we are in a '"GOTHIC THRILLER" and readers will enjoy this aspect, as well as the fast moving plot which presents surprising twists.

If you enjoy ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ and love a mischievous read at Christmas time this novella can be consumed in one sitting and easily shared amongst friends and family!

‘The Siege’ by bestselling historian Ben MacIntyre tells the minute by minute unfolding of events surrounding the storming of the Iranian Embassy in London in the Spring of 1980. Famed for his forensic approach to historical controversies, MacIntyre’s new book invites us to re-evaluate what really happened, how it was handled by the British government and how it marked a turning point in global history.

MacIntyre, who has authored many historical secret operations including ‘Operation Mincemeat’ and the hit TV series ’SAS: Rogue Heroes’ expertly sets the scene for the six day siege in London, laying out the political landscape in the Middle East including the overthrow of the Shah of Iran (1979), who was replaced by the Ayatollah Khomeini. The author presents the background to the terrorists’ demands which was systematic of Middle Eastern terrorism that was arriving in the West. The world at this point had already witnessed the hostage crisis in Tehran in which the US’s ambitious rescue attempt, under President Carter, failed, whilst in England, Margaret Thatcher was entering her first year as Prime Minister and facing the need for military intervention, for the first time in 70 years (on British mainland).

The author creates a sense of foreboding by illustrating the impact of the siege on the individuals involved in the event and the moments leading up to their role in the attack whether it was an unexpected TV crew at the embassy, such as the BBC sound assistant Sim Harris, a Pakistani tourist (wrong time, wrong place), staff caught in the cross-fire such as the doorman, Abbas Fallahi who had served under the two opposing Iranian regimes, or the young student terrorists who were misled by a ruthless extremist, the ‘Fox’. The author also captures unexpected passers by at the scene, such as the local retired writer and resident, Dame Rebecca West, whose flat gave a birds-eye view into the Embassy. The account also acknowledges new faces in the newsroom such as Kate Adie whose courage at the assault made her a household name and synonymous with front-line world news.

Whilst the audible is read in person by the author making the pace and storytelling spot on, the book contains a fantastic array of visual material supporting MacIntyre’s account. Many of us in the Den were able cast our minds back to the siege - a hostage escaping the Embassy’s balcony, a burning building. Perhaps older readers may even recall this as the first televised terrorist attack on London which disrupted the BBC schedule including the snooker world championship. It was also the first time Britain was introduced to the SAS who until this point had been a special secretive unit.

Lots to interesting discussion points and a great book to re-gift and pass on! If you enjoy this book consider 'Operation Mincemeat' and 'Colditz' also by MacIntyre and in the Den library.

This is the first book by Sally Rooney which we have added to the Den as we weren’t immediate fans of hit novels, 'Conversations with Friends' and 'Normal People'. However, 'Intermezzo' definitely ticked the boxes in the Den. This is a beautifully written story centred round the relationship of two brothers and their respective complicated love lives set against a background of dealing with grief. Rooney sensitively examines why society presumes that any relationship which breaks the traditional mould immediately signals failure.

The story, as the title suggests, covers an intermezzo in the relationship between the two Koubek brothers. Peter and Ivan are coping with the death of their 65 year old father. Cracks in their relationship have started to emerge after Peter, who is 10 years older than Ivan, gives his father’s eulogy without considering whether Ivan, who at 22 was closer to his father, would like to say a few words. Their relationship had been running into difficulties following the separation of their parents, when Peter was already starting a life in law with a great new girlfriend, whilst Ivan was left to live with their mother and her new husband and children.

Ivan is introverted and a gifted chess player but fears he is never going to make it as true champion. To get by, he freelances and attends an event in a small town outside Dublin where he competes with keen chess players simultaneously. The events co-ordinator is the gentle natured Margaret, recently separated from her alcoholic husband. To Ivan, she has a refreshing and understated outlook on life. Margaret is drawn to Ivan’s quiet intelligence and mature approach to life. Margaret offers Ivan a lift back to his digs after the event and they unexpectedly click and start seeing each other every weekend. But the elephant in the room is Margaret is 13 years older than Ivan. Whilst this causes her angst, Ivan accepts it for what it is. Rooney’s handling of this relationship is wonderful to read and you can completely understand their different approaches to whether they should be together or not.

When we meet Peter, he is in a terrible place suffering from insomnia psychosis and downing Xanas and Diphenhydramine with red wine. His life has been in turmoil since Sylvia, the woman he was destined to marry suffered an accident which has left her in considerable pain and unable to have an intimate relationship. The true nature of Sylvia’s accident is never revealed which makes this storyline all the more suspenseful, but Peter and Sylvia remain close and thrive on each other’s inquisitive intellect. To avoid commitment, he has chosen to have a casual relationship with a student called Naomi, who is outspoken, rough round the edges and again there is a mysterious background to her situation which is only hinted at. Peter finds he is in love with these two completely different women but is convinced he has to choose one over the other which only adds to his turmoil.

Rooney tackles the juxtaposition of these relationships. And behind the emotional turmoil are the 3 independently minded women who silently enable the brothers to try and resolve their rift. The change in Rooney’s style of writing, particularly for the two brothers adds a layer of maturity as it reflects their different state of minds. This exploration of the inner workings of the characters adds depth and relatability which for us made this book a more interesting read than her earlier work.

‘The Bloody Chamber & Other Stories’ is a vintage classic by the English novelist and short story writer Angela Carter. Written in 1979, the collection is a reworking of familiar fairy-tales as well as other lesser known stories of vampires and werewolves that are presented as sensual fantastical novelettes. Carter injects a new conscience into the original stories, looking at the role of the demure submissive heroine and ideas, flipping the tales on their heads and definitely worth a re-read in 2024! With a rich and illuminating writing style these dark and sometimes subversive tales are perfect for longer evenings - when our imaginations are on high alert!

‘The Bloody Chamber’ is the longest story in the collection, telling the tale of a young girl who marries a wealthy widowed Marquis. After consummating the marriage the Marquis leaves the young bride alone at his castle with strict instruction not to enter one particular room. However leaving her with the forbidden key she finds herself unlocking the chamber to reveal some disturbing discoveries. Of course she is tempted. Lured into the bloody chamber we recognise her vulnerability and anticipate the dangerous consequences. Sexuality and violence are strong themes and there is plenty of warning from the author. “His wedding gift, clasped round my throat. A choker of rubies, two inches wide like an extraordinary precious slit throat.”.

Although the narrative, on the surface is very familiar, there is an explicit expression of macabre. Carter’s imaginative language is detailed and her exquisite visual descriptions tease us with the story’s direction of travel! Towards darker and bloodier tales. Readers may recognise ‘The Courtship of Mr Lyon’ with Beauty & the Beast, although Carter’s re-imaging is sensual with gothic undertones. ‘Tiger’s Bride’ takes the reader to Italy, this time with a mysterious Beast who wins his bride in a poker game. Whilst recognising the objectification of women in Carter’s tales she also challenges the balance of power between the sexes and in some instances giving power to the powerless.

It’s by no means an easy read but the Den reflected on Carter as a women’s writer in the late ‘70s, at a time when women were gaining more freedom in their personal lives with opinions beginning to be seen and heard. ‘The Bloody Chamber & Other Stories’ also reflects the political and cultural restlessness of England - in which Thatcher had just risen to power, artists such as Bowie were redefining gender and the celebration of sex and violence in their cultural lives .. think Sex Pistols!

Considered one of the most influential writers in the twentieth century, ‘The Bloody Chamber & Other Stories’ was a winner of Cheltenham Literary Festival Prize, 1979 and is studied today as a popular A level text. Definitely worth a go as a wild card choice!

Our Missed Opportunity this month is the ‘The Country Girls’, the first story in ‘The Country Girls Trilogy’ by Edna O’Brien who sadly passed away earlier this year. Edna O’Brien was one of the most influential Irish writers of the 20th century whose writing often focused on women trying to break free from the domestic and religious constraints of Ireland during the 1960’s.

The first part of this ground breaking trilogy tells the story of two young girls, Cait and Baba growing up in a small village outside Limerick in Ireland. Their relationship is one of a loving and loathing dependence. From different backgrounds, Cait lives on a farm with her mother, alcoholic father who disappears off for weeks at a time on benders and Hickey, a loyal and caring farmhand. Money is tight and opportunities limited. By contrast, Baba is the daughter of a vet and his glamorous socialite wife Martha. Baba is jealous of Cait who naturally succeeds academically and Cait is in awe of Baba’s ability to live life to the full and take risks. Cait is literally minded and astutely describes her best friend as ‘coy, pretty malicious Baba was my friend and the person I feared most after my father.’ However, Cait has one secret, which is her infatuation with Mr. Gentleman. Mr. Gentleman works as a solicitor in Dublin but comes home at weekends. He is French, rich, well dressed and in Cait’s eyes totally exotic, most importantly he is married. He begins to pick Cait up in his car for drives together.

When Cait’s family suffer tragedy, both she and Baba are sent to a boarding convent school, Cait being on a scholarship. Inevitably Baba leads Cait astray and the two girls find themselves aged 17 moving to Dublin. Baba is determined to live the wild life ‘I’m going to blow up this town she said, and she meant it, that first night in Dublin’ Meanwhile, Mr. Gentleman sees Cait living away from home as his opportunity to step up their relationship. O’Brien’s handling of this relationship is both heart wrenching and familiar to read and his treatment of Cait which ends the first part of the trilogy is tragic to observe.

‘Prophet Song’ is a poetic and intensely moving novel about a family caught in the crossfire of war. Described as dystopian fiction and awarded the Booker Prize 2023, this recent book (now available in paperback) has a disturbing ‘wow’ factor that captures multiple stories of reality setting it apart from its genre and dividing opinion in the Den, reminiscent of a read like 'Milkman'! Written by another talented Irish writer Paul Lynch, this is a dark tale of human tragedy and a befitting Book of the Moment for November.

It’s a late wet evening in an ordinary family home in Dublin. Eilish Stack, a working mother of four, opens her door to two officers from the newly appointed secret police force. They want to speak with her husband, Larry, a trade unionist for the Teachers Union of Ireland. Ireland is in the grip of an authoritarian government that is taking a turn towards tyranny and Eilish and her family are being quickly swept into the nightmare.

Confronting her husband when he returns home, Eilish’s fear begins to take a hold and whilst Larry agrees to meet with the police there is already a sense of foreboding. And of course when Larry does not return home we feel the panic taking a hold of Eilish who is frightened, angry, scared but doing her best to keep her family together. As well as managing the everyday such as getting the children to school, Eilish is also juggling a job and looking after her elderly father, Simon, who is showing early signs of dementia.

Written in the third person and present tense, ‘Prophet Song’ tells the story from the point of view of Eilish. Mothers will recognise the domestic chaos at home, whether it is the disappearing teenager, the gamer or the cries of a hungry baby. The sentences flow in an internal monologue with no paragraph breaks or reported speech and this results in an extraordinary tension that captivates the reader and makes the tale all the more haunting, demanding and intense. As well as a sense of urgency the reader experiences claustrophobia, trapped by the writer into Eilish’s world. With no news on her husband, Eilish is offered a lifeline as her sister in Canada offers her the opportunity to leave Ireland. But can and will Eilish leave her husband and her father behind? Can she really turn around the paperwork to secure passports for 2 of her 4 children? The Republic of Ireland is slipping into a totalitarian state. As her father goes missing and rebels are rounded up liberal democracy is under attack. Emergency powers have been initiated, media has been curbed and normal life descends into an uncomfortable place - a civil war where food supplies are limited, curfews are enforced and all everyday utilities rationed. Assailed by unpredictable forces beyond her control Eilish is forced to do whatever it takes to keep her family together.

Exhilarating, terrifying and confrontational, 'Prophet Song' demands you to read its breathtaking story. Whether a parable of the present, future or the past it certainly got our attention! If you enjoyed 'Milkman' or 'The Handmaid's Tale' this is one for your book club!

‘Comets have always caused a bit of a stir’ and Sarah Perry’s latest novel ‘Enlightenment’ is a mesmerising read balancing matters of the heart alongside the extraordinary astrological wonders of the universe. Shortlisted for this year’s Booker Prize, this is a delightful novel for book clubbers especially as evenings draw in, giving more time to enjoy unexplained ghost stories as well as indulging us in a tale of love, faith and friendship.

It’s 1997 and the novel opens at Thomas Hart’s desk in the Essex Chronicle observing the editor’s suggestion to consider the imminent and recently discovered comet, Hale-Bopp. Thomas Hart, aged 50, is single and has been living a private life in the small town of Aldleigh, splitting his time between his job as a columnist, his Baptist pew at the church of Bethesda and his secret gay life in London. Thomas is intrigued by the planisphere given to him by his editor and drawn by the opportunity to consider an astrological story that would take him away from drearier events of his local surroundings.

The reader is enticed into Thomas Hart’s world resulting in a great affection for this pivotal character. Not only do we observe Thomas's double-life, but his interest in local mysteries and in particular, The Lowlands Ghost. Enter James Bower from the local museum services. Together they develop an obsession with the vanished nineteenth century astronomer Maria Vāduva, said to haunt Lowlands house and who may have discovered her own astronomical discovery that had never been acknowledged. Suddenly the stories collide as does his personal life in which we witness an unlikely friendship with one of the younger parishioners, Grace Macaulay, a furious teenager unhappy with life and with whom Thomas feels a responsibility for. Whilst Thomas falls in love with James, Grace meets Nathan a young local boy who pulls her away from her church into a wilder modern world, more befitting her age. Spanning 20 years the novel is divided into 3 celestial parts which neatly see Thomas and Grace orbit around each other but bringing them back together to solve the mysteries of Aldleigh.

Den readers appreciated the marvelling of the universe, encouraging us to look up at sky on clear nights and respect a world in which science and religion are not pitted against each but rather connected. Definitely gave us a deeper reading experience and lots of talking points. Den also recommends this on Audible.

A modern classic by the revered American novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald, famed for his depiction of the roaring ‘20s and the coining of the Jazz Age - a period of carefree hedonism, wealth and the illusion of the American Dream. ‘Tender is the Night’ is the author’s fourth and final book that alludes to his own tumultuous life including the cracks within his own marriage and perhaps the inspiration for this more serious portrait of a decadent era. A must read for Gatsby fans who are prepared for more darker secrets and an enlightening assessment of this period.

It’s 1924 at the start of the novel and the reader is presented with a lively and glamorous group of American ex-pats enjoying their summer on the French Riviera. At the centre of the friendship circle are the golden couple Dick and Nicole Diver who exude magnetism and it is against this backdrop that the young beautiful movie star, Rosemary Hoyt, finds herself bewitched by the Divers and happy to be welcomed into their group and tagging along to the Diver’s summer plans that involves lavish parties, excessive drinking and unexpected dramas.

Rosemary, young and naive, instantly falls for Dick but can not see the troubles that lie between Dick and his wife. Nicole has a secret and Dick has a weakness which we begin to see glimpses of. Rosemary finds herself entangled in the couple’s lives encouraged by her mother, however as a working woman, Rosemary, has to balance her love interest with her busy film schedule. And just as the reader is settling into the Diver parties at Villa Diana and a gun duel (and what or what wasn’t seen in the bathroom!) Fitzgerald takes the author back to 1917 in which Dick Diver a medical student and scholar finds himself pursuing a career in psychiatry and persuaded by his mentor and business partner to marry one of their patients, a younger Nicole Warren. Dick is the embodiment of the American Dream, ambitious and promising. However his marriage to Nicole in spite of her huge riches and family wealth cannot offset his inability to pursue a rewarding career and a sense of self worth. Attracted by Rosemary’s beauty an affair is inevitable, however Dick has to juggle his love affair with his commitments to Nicole. This is a mid life crisis and the novel tackles this along with mental health, depression and alcoholism as we see the American Dream begin to crumble through Dick and his friends.

Whilst 'The Great Gatsby' remains a literary classic studied and celebrated with film adaptations, ‘Tender Is the Night’ is an illuminating novel that laid out both the new possibilities of the Jazz Age as well as the dangers.

‘Bournville’ by the award winning author, Jonathan Coe is the Europhile’s state of the nation novel set in a now famous chocolate village with the factory at its heart. Warm and comforting for some, uncomfortable and lacking compelling substance for others. Either way this book, now in paperback, will keep your club engaged as a read with plenty of talking points and stories to unwrap! And not just the ones in the book.

Inspired by the author’s own mother, the novel centres around Mary whose world is rooted in Bournville and whose life and family live out seven historical moments in time that we recognise as occasions that brought communities together starting with perhaps one that is all too familiar and recent - It’s March 2020 and it’s a prologue to the pandemic! Coe then winds the story back to VE Day, 1945. At this point we meet Mary’s mum and father which on this occasion is tinged with awkwardness around German neighbours in the community - “she can’t help it if she’s got a German father”. As the events unfold we meet Mary’s own children Jack, Martin and Peter who all have very different talents, ambitions and ideological perspectives on life. As well as starting out as a story about Anglo-German relations (which included the Chocolate Wars!) the reader is introduced to other conflicts within communities that have quietly gone unnoticed. And this is certainly the author’s story that he is eager to tell.

In addition to VE Day, 'Bournville' reimagines popular scenes in the British psyche from the Queen’s Coronation, the 1966 World Cup final and memorable royal occasions including weddings and funerals.

This is a generational saga that was enjoyed by book club, most notably because it initiated further discussion around these historical occasions and how Mary’s relative’s embraced or rejected its relevance in their lives. Many of the Den felt that the story could have explored some of the themes in greater depth but overall it certainly offered a quick read and a novel that encouraged us all to share our own experiences of the past. And although final scores were averaging around 7, it certainly hit a 9 for 'talkability'!

Award-wining author of 'Middle England' and other popular reads including 'The Rotter's Club' and 'What a Carve Up!'.

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‘Earth’ by John Boyne is the second novella in the author’s Elements series. This one blowing another punch to your senses and tapping into the unsavoury trappings of fame and entitlement.

The novel opens with a tabloid sensation; two well known footballers are standing trial for sexual assault and we the reader are privy to the text conversation between the two young men, Robbie and Evan, who are preparing for their first day in court. As the trial unfolds Evan the voice and storyteller scrolls back to his own backstory and the decisions that led him to this unfathomable turn of events. Readers of Boyne’s first novella in the series will recognise Evan as the young boy who was given a lifeline by Vanessa (in ‘Water’) to leave their small island and start afresh away from his controlling father. We know that Evan is a gifted footballer but his personal passion and ambition is to paint and it is Evan’s naivety quickly followed by a reality check that burdens Evan’s mind and we feel his heartache, coupled with his shame of who he really is.

True to the elements of earth, this novel feel grubby, raw and base. However Boyne manages to deliver prose that is both beautifully poetic and poignant. And we find a way to enjoy Evan’s journey to clear the ‘stench of earth’ from his nostrils and breathe freely.

‘Earth’ is bang up to date, topical and 'of the moment’ providing plenty of talking points in book club.

Boyne fans will be keen to add this to their book club list, especially with the arrival of ‘Fire’ coming soon (November ’24).

Water is reviewed in the Den's library, as are other novels by Boyne including 'The Heart's Invisible Furies', 'A Ladder to the Sky' and 'All the Broken Places'.

A cleverly crafted novel by a Den favourite, Ian McEwan. First published in 1998 and Booker Prize winner, ‘Amsterdam’ is a dark morality drama that remains a relevant and contemporary story blending psychological tension with comic undertones. A compulsive story, this book will keep you turning every page!

‘Amsterdam’ tells the story of the two ex-lovers of Molly Lane, Clive Linley and Vernon Halliday, who are reunited at their old friend’s funeral in which they make a pact that comes with unforeseen consequences. This novel explores the relationship between the two friends and the effects their personal and professional aspirations have on their friendship. Clive is an esteemed composer and Vernon a respected newspaper editor. Their individual ambitions cause a rift, nonetheless their lives become intertwined in unimaginable ways, leading them to the destination of Amsterdam.

This is a compelling story of betrayal, jealousy and relationships, one that every book club should read. McEwan delves into a tangled web of moral dilemmas exploring the themes of hypocrisy, mortality and betrayal.

Lots to talk about in book club and only 178 pages so easy to read in one sitting.

"Full of gusto, straightforward, and delivers blows to the gut...shocking". A.S.Byatt writes. We can't help but agree.

We don’t often recommend crime thrillers in the Den, but ‘We Begin At The End’ by Chris Whitaker came highly recommended by a Den reader, and it proved to be a beautifully written story of heart-break, redemption and sibling loyalty. If as us, you enjoyed ‘Where the Crawdads Sing’, then we’re sure you’re in for a treat with this story.

Set in the small town of Cape Haven, California, news quickly spreads that Vincent King, the local killer of a young woman called Sis Radley, is being released from prison after 30 years. The people most affected by this news are his long-term best friend Walk - now Chief Walker and Sis’s sister Star, now a single mum with two children, Duchess 13 and Robin 5. Life has been hard for Star who has spiralled into drink and drugs so Duchess, mature beyond her years and a self-declared ‘outlaw’, has become the main parent to Robin and part carer to Star who descends into periods of darkness.

The start of the story is slightly clunky and confusing with all the different characters who sometimes speak without you being aware who they are. But once you grasp this, you will be hooked. As the past and present collide, further tragedy implodes when Vincent is accused of another killing which results in Duchess and Robin being sent to live with their estranged grandfather Hal, in Montana. Meanwhile Walk is struggling with an illness which is becoming more debilitating on a daily basis. Convinced of Vincent’s innocence, he contacts his ex-girlfriend and first love, Martha, now a family lawyer and persuades her to defend Vincent before his illness affects his ability to do his job.

Whitaker develops his characters beautifully and as with any thriller, there are several interesting oddities who could be involved, the weird and secretive Dickie Darke, the local butcher and of course is Vincent actually innocent? However, it is the touching relationships which lie at the heart of this novel. The fighting, independent spirit of Duchess to protect her younger, bewildered brother Robin as they deal with life’s setbacks shines through, together with the touching awakening of Walk and Martha trying to come to terms with all they lost 30 years ago, making this read much more than a whodunit and an altogether deeper and richer read.

The title of the book is summed up at the end when the resilient Duchess finally breaks down “She cried for everything she had lost, and everything she had found” for the future is surely both an ending and a beginning. The rights have been picked up by Disney so look out for the future adaptation.

‘The Covenant of Water’ is a sensational and immersive epic read by the much loved Den writer, Abraham Verghese, famed for his book club favourite novel, ‘Cutting for Stone’. With over 700 pages this is a perfect summertime read and a wonderful and informative journey to the changing back waters of South India.

Set in Kerala, this is a generational story starting in 1900 with a 12 year old girl who finds herself travelling within the state to marry a widowed 40 year old father. The child bride, whose marriage is brokered, learns to live with her new family on its working farm estate and soon becomes a respected matriarch, known as ‘Big Ammachi’. Ammachi bears witness to unimaginable changes in her life spanning three generations of heartache, secrets and drama in which a ‘condition’ results in a ‘drowning’ in every generation. Running alongside this story the reader is introduced to a young Scottish physician who arrives in colonial India to make his mark in Kerala. The two stories run alongside each other and eventually converge as the characters experience chance meetings adding heightened drama to the gripping plot that is rooted in the family’s secret. The author’s medical credentials (Verghese is an American physician) adds an informed perspective of the medical mysteries that were yet to be explained and discovered with the passage of time and medical advances.

Readers may criticise the length of the novel which is all consuming but in many ways the length gives us the opportunity to experience the sense of being pulled into the currents of life and imagine being a part of a family saga and drama that we want to discover and solve. Many in the Den appreciated the idea of a family curse - everyone feels they have one! We all appreciated the ebb and flow of events, recognising disappointments, experiencing and overcoming tragedy, finding love and hope in medical discoveries and cures.

A paperback worth finding space on your travels or at home!

'Long Island' is the highly anticipated sequel to Colm Tóibín’s 'Brooklyn' published in 2009 (and a pre-requisite read - see July’s Missed Opportunity). Picking up the story 20 years later, we once again delve into the lives of Eilis Lacey, Tony Fiorello and Jim Farrell and Den readers will be excited to learn it doesn’t disappoint.

The opening of 'Long Island' is first rate. It’s now the 1970s and Eilis is living in the States with her husband Tony, two teenage children and their extended Italian catholic family in neighbouring houses on their purchased land in Long Island. It’s a close knit, often suffocating environment with compulsory long family lunches taking place every Sunday. Without giving too much away, Eilis receives an unexpected visit destined to have far reaching consequences for her and her family if she doesn’t act. In order to have her demands at least considered by Tony’s family, she decides to leave America and return home to Enniscorthy for her mother’s 80th birthday, going ahead before her children Larry and Rosella will join her for the summer to enable them to spend time with the grandmother they have never met. Inevitably Eilis is drawn back into the world of her upbringing and what she’s left behind. Her visit coincides with the marriage of the daughter of her closest school friend Nancy, which predictably brings old relationships and unfinished business to the fore.

As with 'Brooklyn', Tóibín’s skill seems to be ‘less is more’. Again misalignment, poor timing, and the ‘unsaid’ drives his narrative building up to a shattering finale. It's a gem of read, which can almost be read in one sitting as we are once again drawn into the world of Eilis Lacey and what path her life will take, the difference being that older, wiser and with a family of her own she has an inner steely determination to look out for herself and them. After the success of the film of 'Brooklyn' starring Saoirse Ronan, surely there will be a film sequel too!

Amor Towles fans are in for a treat this summer with this recently released collection of six short tales and a novella whose story origins were first penned before the bestselling author wrote ‘A Gentleman in Moscow’.

Readers will feel instantly at home with Amor Towles as the first short story in ‘Table for Two’ starts in Russia in the early twentieth century after a new constitution and republic had been formed. This story instantly captures the daily struggles and hardships of life, queuing for basic amenities as experienced by Pushkin, a country peasant, who heads to Moscow with his wife and then journeys to America thanks to a mixture of good luck and fortune. And thanks to being in the right place, at the right time!

There are five other stories in ‘Table for Two’ fast forwarding the reader to post millennium New York City. Similarly, they all hinge on chance encounters and unexpected opportunities which gives fans the chance to enjoy the author’s craft and imagination with his finely drawn characters. Towles packs a punch of a story that you know will be filled with misadventures, humour and life lessons whilst heading towards amusing plot twists.

The second half of the book, 'Eve in Hollywood' takes the reader West Coast to ‘Golden Age Hollywood’ and Towles delights his readers by returning to one of his characters, the fiery Evelyn Ross from his debut novel ‘Rules of Civility’ who leaves New York in 1938 with the intention of returning home to Indiana. But instead of meeting her parents in Chicago she extends her ticket to LA. Told from various points of views, the reader enjoys Eve’s new life, navigating movie sets and dive bars whilst befriending a young Olivia de Havilland (just before her ‘Gone with the Wind’ fame) who joins her on her own bucket list of adventures in LA whilst protecting the young actress from the dangers lurking in the the darker side of Hollywood's Tinseltown.

Whether read in book club or as summer time treat, this is the perfect bedside book for Towles fans.

With the arrival of Colm Tóibín’s highly anticipated 'Long Island', now is the perfect time to read or re-read its prequel “Brooklyn” about a young Irish immigrant arriving in New York in 1952, which was also made into an iconic film starring Saoirse Ronan.

Eilis Lacey lives with her widowed mother and her beautiful elder sister Rose in a small home in Enniscorthy, County Wexford, their three elder brothers having all left in search of better jobs. Ellis, the youngest is bright but destined to stay with her mother until Father Flood arrives one day to inform the family how he could get someone, clever and bright like Ellis, work in his NY parish of Brooklyn. Before she knows it, Eilis is reluctantly crossing the Atlantic and then living in Mrs Kehoe’s boarding house for single girls and working on the shop floor of Bartocci’s. At one of the Friday night dances organised by Father Flood, she meets Tony, a warm and charming Italian and they are soon committed to each together. When Eilis receives some heart-breaking news from back home she is forced to return and in doing so acknowledges the life she left behind. Her best friend Nancy introduces her to Jim Farrell and Eilis soon finds her heart strings pulled in two different directions.

Tóibín’s gift is to write about ordinary people’s lives and everyday familiarity in such an entrancing and understated way. Consequently, it’s the undercurrent of ‘nobody ever really being able to express their true feelings’ which ignites the story. Eilis is not remarkable or special, and yet the reader becomes completely captivated by her life and what path she’ll decide to take, so much so, that when the end comes it leaves you rather deflated. But now with the release of Tóibín’s sequel ‘Long Island’, set twenty years later, you can stay involved for longer. And minor summer spoiler ... 'Long Island' will be reviewed next month in the Den!

Joelle Taylor has already earned a reputation as an impressionable, award-winning poet and this skill for writing has created a narrative in her first novel 'The Night Alphabet’ that transcends the boundaries of storytelling. Taylor has a superlative gift with words and imagery which she combines with her poetic style of writing which she describes as ‘feminist queer futurism’. It is totally compelling, but also at times rather incomprehensible, thus ensuring its place as our Wild Card read this month.

It's the 23rd century and a woman called Jones enters a tattoo parlour where two women, Cass and her younger assistant Small work. Already covered in distinctive tattoos, Jones asks to have each one linked with a thin line of blood and ink which reluctantly Cass agrees to do and as the doorway to each tattoo is unveiled, Jones goes on a 'journey of remembering'. All the stories are about the repression of women and impact of patriarchy across different timespans. The opening story is set in Lancashire (where Taylor grew up) and set in a period when young girls were not allowed to work in the Lancashire mines alongside the boys and women earned less wages for doing the same job. There is a wonderful story about the exploitation of sexual workers or gutter girls as they are referred to – the male pimp is referred to as a mosquito - before the women start to rebel and fight back. This story was influenced by Taylor’s experiences as part of the women’s peaceful protest camps on Greenham Common in the 1980s. The solidarity of community is a strong theme throughout the book. The final story called “The Woman Wasn’t There” imagines a scenario in which women and girls simply vanish – and worse, are humiliated by this act of being wiped off the earth for simply being female.

Some stories are figure of 8s or circles and difficult to find your way out of. We learn that her mother and grandmother could also disappear into trances of different times and places and so all three start going together in their “rememberings”, landing in the same story but in separate bodies which allows for assorted perspectives.

The language is charged and alive and some of the stories shocking and inconceivable, but there is no denying the brightness and modernistic innovative writing. Here are a few examples to savour

“In my family people don’t have gap years. They have unemployment.”
“Money can buy anything except poverty”
“Outside the night is talking to itself. A shout. A choir of sirens. A sudden laugh. A relative who never ages. A boomerang town.”
“A face as cold as a fuel bill”
"Poems are keys for doors that have forgotten their locks"
and finally
“All of it and none of it makes sense.” pretty much sums up this book! If you’re looking for a vibrant and powerful alternative read for your book club this would be a great place to start, especially as a sequel is already being written.

‘Things Remembered and Things Forgotten’ is an illuminating collection of short stories taking the reader into different experiences of contemporary Japanese life, peeling back the layers of the past and a forgotten time. Written by award winning Japanese author Kyoko Nakajima this is a delightful wild card choice, especially for those seeking a taste of all things Japanese with a sprinkling of the supernatural.

There are ten short stories in the collection, each providing a different slice of Japanese life connected by an air of ghostliness that permeates within each story. The first story sets the tone for the book as the reader is introduced to a middle aged couple returning to an old neighbourhood in which the husband reconnects with his estranged brother. The brothers find themselves haunted by their childhood memories of war-time and foreign occupation. Tainted by these ghostly memories of the past, whilst living in the present, we recognise this as a literary motif that preoccupies the writer throughout the collection.

There is a quirkiness in Nakajima’s writing style and we are expected to accept the unexpected, such as in her story about a widow discovering his recently deceased partner in ‘When My Wife Was a Shiitake’. This brings the reader closer to what feels quintessentially Japanese. In ‘The Life Story of a Sewing Machine’ (an award-winning short story) we discover the 'Singer' machine has lost its heart, opening chinks into bitter sweet memories, not just of people but as the collection’s title suggests ‘things remembered and things forgotten’. Each story hints at a dream-like encounter or a memory behind an object and its owners and the reader is happy to believe in the characters, buildings and places whether they are real, in the moment or indeed ‘spirits’ of another place or time.

Everyone in book club were moved by different stories and the ideas presented in the collection and it was easy to find one that resonated with our own ‘ghostly’ experiences. We all agreed that objects can illicit feelings and trigger memories of another life or world. The twists in the stories were also perfectly timed and arranged. If this is this Japan's answer to Road Dahl we look forward to more from Nakajima.

If you enjoyed 'The Keeper of Lost Things' by Ruth Hogan or 'Small Pleasures' by Clare Chambers, both recommended in the Den's library, this should be your next book club choice.

‘Brideshead Revisited’ is considered the most famous and autobiographical of novels by the celebrated English author Evelyn Waugh. Written whilst the writer was on army leave it remains reflective of youth, returning to a ‘golden age’ of good times which the author experienced between the wars.

Written in 1945, ‘Brideshead Revisited’ tells the story of Charles Ryder and his carefree years of youth at Oxford, his infatuation with the Flyte family and the rapidly disappearing world of privilege that they inhabit. Divided into three parts with a prologue and epilogue this classic is a wonderful escape novel that takes its reader into Charles’s aspirational days of youth - his romantic friendship at college in Oxford, summers at Brideshead Castle with his best friend Sebastian and an introduction into the eccentric Flyte family. As the novel moves into book 2, some years later, Sebastian’s objective is to travel and run away from life whilst Charles forms even closer relationships with the family. At the same time love interest and parliamentarian, Rex Mottram who represents new wealth is closing in on Sebastian’s sister Julia, just as old money, that has been squandered especially by the patriarch, Lord Marchmain, is running out. Through Charles’s storytelling we witness the stately home, Brideshead, become a struggling institution that is out of step with the country and inevitably doomed. Bringing us back full circle, the final section of the book brings the reader to the beginning when Charles began his story of reflection from the campsite set up in the grounds of the very home in which he has grown to love.

Religion is a recurring theme in the novel as Charles struggles with the Flyte family’s preoccupation with catholicism and 'divine grace'. As an atheist, Charles is equally obsessed with challenging their faith and the family’s own angst and beliefs as they face darker times. Love and relationships are also a strong thread in the narrative and a theme that tugs at the heart strings between friends and family, revealing a sense of regret and sadness that again we as readers might recognise as we reflect on our own younger selves.

‘Brideshead Revisited’ secured popular acclaim in the ‘80s with a TV serial starring Jeremy Irons, Anthony Andrews, Diana Quick and Lawrence Olivier. It has subsequently been recognised as one of the greatest literary adaptions and one that closely follows Waugh’s narrative and dialogue. Whether you are reading the novel for first time or with memories of the hit TV series, this is a classic that remains relevant, offering up plenty of discussion in book club as well as an excuse to indulge in introspection and appreciate our own lost youth and the spirit of 'good times'.

'One Day' by David Nicholls was our first book club read many years ago and we've all been wrapped up in the recent Netflix adaptation, so excitement was high for his latest novel, 'You are Here' released at the end of April. Nicholls’s skill is his intricate dissection of relationships and this story of two damaged, single, middle-aged individuals being thrown together on a walking mini-break in the Lake District doesn't disappoint. A flawless, impeccably observed and heart-warming love story about being given a second chance at happiness.

Marnie is 38, divorced and living alone in a one bedroom flat in Brockwell Park, working from home as a freelance copywriter. Her best friend Cleo persuades her to join her husband and teenage son Anthony, also Marnie’s godson, on a 3 day walking weekend-break in the Lake District. Cleo plans to use the trip as a little matchmaking exercise for both Marnie and Anthony’s other godparent, Michael, a 42 year old somewhat geeky geography teacher who is forlorn after the recent separation from his wife Natasha. Cleo plans to set up Marnie with Conrad, a charismatic, good-looking pharmacist who lives in London. For Michael she invites Tess, an outdoorsy triathlete. Cleo has tasked Michael with plotting the route and he has chosen the first leg of the ‘Coast to Coast’ walk compiled by Alfred Wainwright’s 190 mile route which crosses the Lakes, over the Pennines, along the Dales across the Moors, descending to the North Sea. Michael plans to stay on after the initial weekend to hike the remainder of the west to east coast across the Dales solo, using it as an opportunity to clear his mind and enjoy nature.

The first hitch to Cleo’s best laid match-making plans is that Tess cancels last minute, followed by the typical, unpredictable British weather. The rain is torrential so gradually members of the party give up leaving Marnie alone with Michael, to not only finish day two’s hike but then stay one further night before her booked train ticket allows her to return back to London. Thrown together they begin to enjoy each other’s company. Marnie makes Michael laugh with her quick witted self-degrading humour and she finds herself confiding in him about her life and ex-husband.

Nicholl’s ability to navigate the awkwardness in those early days of a new relationship together with the missed opportunities of intimacy is exemplary. He skilfully captures the lack of confidence experienced by damaged people and beautifully expresses their rawness and hesitation to be drawn into a new relationship with his sizzling dialogue. The back drop of the Lake District, exhausting hikes, an eclectic selection of overnight accommodation and the contrast of one experienced hiker with one novice provide great humour. Whilst Marnie takes a complete wardrobe with her for a 3-day trip, including a selection of dresses, Michael (never called Mike or Mikey) has just the one shirt. Both prove to be inadequate for the circumstances they find themselves in. A joyous and perfect summer read.

‘Caledonian Road’ by Andrew O’Hagan is an instant hit epic giving a bang up to date ‘state of the nation’ novel set in post pandemic London. With over 600 pages the Den was grateful for the glossary of characters (over 50!) although O’Hagan’s direct narrative and short chapters make it a relative breeze for readers to follow.

The novel pivots around the world of respected art historian and UCL academic, Professor Campbell Flynn who finds himself regretting a loan from a friend whose business and public reputation is being questioned. This starts off as a niggling worry but one that he manages to put off with a new book ‘Why Men Sleep in their Cars’. Campbell believes that this book, in the money spinning self help genre, could be ghosted for a celebrity, successfully sold as a bestseller and by doing so remove his own personal money worries.

The reader is introduced to Campbell’s friend who provided the loan, Sir William Byre and here the web of connections and corruption begin as we meet his privileged family and friends who have links to wealthy Russian oligarchs whose offspring are diverting sanctioned funds into a criminal underbelly. As a slice of London life there is an addictive ‘Upstairs, Downstairs’ storyline that has echoes of Guy Ritchie’s Netflix series ‘The Gentleman’ and Tom Wolfe’s ‘Bonfire of the Vanities’ which we are eager to follow. Running in tandem with Campbell's worries, he has become friendly with one of his pupils Milo Mangasha who lives nearby on the Caledonian Road. With this new friendship, Campbell is enjoying the opportunity to be challenged and learn from his student about social justice, the dark web, crypto currency and the general ‘word on the street’. But he is unaware that Milo and his local girlfriend Gosia have their own plans in mind for him. Whilst Gosia's Polish roots uphold good family traditions at home and in business, her brother has branched out into haulage and transportation which we discover is code for a darker criminal underworld. At the same time, Campbell is experiencing heightened tensions with his sitting tenant, Mrs Voyles, who is occupying the basement flat in his London home.

Campbell himself has working class Glaswegian roots who has bettered himself through education. He is now part of a successful Islington power couple whose wife is a professional therapist from a titled family with privileged children who are exceeding the fame of their own parents. The reader reflects on Campbell’s achievements and his children’s as the story unfolds. The web of interconnecting spin offs from this family make it is an addictive read and we feel Campbell’s anxiety begin to escalate, recognising he is being haunted by his bad judgments and hunted by his frenemies.

The novel touches on lots of modern threads of discussion that include hypocrisy within the world of academia, the arts, business and public life as well corruption that runs through the social strata of metropolitan London. Family dynamics are also probed, presenting a growing chasm in values and ambitions amongst the generations. Love or hate the length of this novel, ‘Caledonian Road’ promises to offer lots of discussion in book club as well as plenty of potential to be snapped up for our screens. The Den is keen, are you?!

Holiday reads are about escaping into an unforgettable and immersive world and so this month we have picked ‘The Whalebone Theatre’, a magical debut novel by Joanna Quinn. Centred round the eccentric upbringing of three children growing up by the Dorset coast, the story begins just as WW1 has finished and ends just as WWII is coming to a close. This book is the ideal summer read which allows you to get lost in the captivating world of the Seagrove family across the generations.

Jasper Seagrove arrives with his new young bride Rosalind at Chilcombe, the family home in Dorset, following the death of his first wife leaving him a both a widower and a father of a young daughter. The story follows the trials and tribulations of the family across death, marriage and war. At the heart of the story are three young children. The eldest Cristabel is bright, feisty and quite the tomboy, Digby is artistic and sensitive like his mother Rosalind and Flossie is a contented daydreamer. All have varying different parents but together lead a rather wild and dysfunctional life within the confines of Chilcombe, brought up by a French governess whilst the adults host glamorous parties. Added to the mix is Taras, a Bohemian artist who lives with two women and a troupe of wild children. One day 12-year-old Crista discovers a beached whale and instantly tries to claim it has her own. With the help of Taras, who sees something special in Cristabel, they preserve the whale’s carcass to make an outdoor theatre and the family become well known for hosting productions, Greek and then Shakespeare, creating imaginary worlds for the local audience. Whilst Digby is a natural acting star, Crista has a talent for directing.

The story moves to the war and correspondence between the family, particularly Crista and Digby as they both serve their country and due to a childhood of speaking French turn out to be valuable recruits as secret agents in occupied France. Back at Chilcombe the whale theatre becomes a vegetable garden overseen by Flossie, with the help of two German prisoners, before she too joins the war effort in Dorset. Can the Chilcombe estate survive and will the Seagrove family be reunited?

This is an epic piece of immersive storytelling across the generations. Quinn’s writing has a wonderful tempo set against the backdrop of the Dorset countryside and the French resistance. Art, theatre and music are beautifully interwoven into the narrative showing their importance in wartime. At times you feel that Quinn could have taken greater risks and allow a darker side to some of her characters to create heightened tension, but nevertheless it is a warm and thoroughly enjoyable read and the perfect book to pack in your holiday suitcase.

‘In the Twilight’ is a collection of short stories set in Russia at the end of the nineteenth century by the accomplished playwright Anton Chekhov. Picked by a Reading Den fan, it was this collection, his third, that received the prestigious Pushkin Prize after it was published in 1888. Whilst best known for his plays such as 'The Cherry Orchard' and 'The Seagull', Chekhov is considered one of the greatest writers of the short story genre, making this a fabulous choice for book clubs as well as an inspiration to explore more of his work.

This edition, published by Alma Books (2014) and still widely available in print and as an e-book, contains 16 stories from Chekhov’s original collection presenting a slice of life, be it a country walk, travellers on the move, domestic moments in time, a court room drama or a church event. There is little to connect the stories, only perhaps that the characters, from a wide spectrum of life and fortune are all reaching a crossroad in their lives, in which what they say and do defines their path (even if we the reader don’t get the chance to be told the consequences of their actions). Chekhov effortlessly sets the scene as we are dropped into a short story to find ourselves observing moments and interactions amongst family, friends and neighbours, travellers, lovers, religious figures and governing officials.

Fast forward to now and Chekhov's short stories remain fresh and relevant - capturing the essence of his characters battling the elements of life. Popular gems in the collection include “Agafya’, ‘Misfortune’ and ‘On The Road’. The Den enjoyed the touching tale of Vera’s unrequited love in ‘Verochka’.’ And ‘The Witch’ which had a dark and comic twist, reminiscent of Roald Dahl's 'Tales of the Unexpected' collection.

Brevity and precision are expertly used by Chekhov reflecting perhaps a new realism that was permeating Russian life at the time as this was a tumultuous period in history for a country that bore witness to the changing social and political reform including the abolition of serfdom and with this the end of feudalism.

In the introduction we learn that Chekhov explained his choice of title to his brother "In the Twilight - there’s an allegory here: life is twilight, and the reader who has brought the book should read it at twilight, whilst resting from the day’s labour.".

Whilst you may find yourself reading the collection on the move, maybe at speed over the spring time break we are sure it'll provide lots of discussion for your next book club gathering.

‘Glorious Exploits’ is an original and entertaining debut novel by the Irish author, Ferdia Lennon, that presents a new and witty historical tragicomedy set at the end of the Peloponnesian War, 412 BC. But you don’t have to be a classicist to enjoy this novel.

Set on the island of Sicily, the story opens with two local potters Lampo and Gelon of Syracuse, who are visiting the local quarry which is holding thousands of Athenian soldiers captive.

"So Gelon says to me, ‘Let’s go down and feed the Athenians. The weather’s perfect for feeding Athenians."

From the start the reader is drawn in by the comic and cheeky Irish vernacular which sets the tone for the novel and enables compassion and kindness in the deadly dark quarry that is holding the island’s enemy.

With no work on the horizon for the local potters, the two young men exchange scraps of bread and olives for recitals of lines from the much loved Greek tragedies enjoyed by Athenians and Sicilians alike. Overcome by their poetic delivery, Lampo has a proposition - to put on Medea in the quarry "Full production with chorus, masks and shit", on the basis that you can hate the Athenians but still enjoy their plays. Redefining themselves as unlikely directors Lampo and Gelon quickly set about casting, sourcing funding and commissioning costumes and stage sets. Their enthusiasm elevates their ambition and the plan expands to not just ‘Medea’ but also ‘The Trojan Women’ (in fear that these plays by Euripides might never survive or get the chance to be seen again). As the performance of the play draws closer the lines between friends and foes are blurring testing their moral compasses within their own communities and amongst their enemy who are integral to the production.

There is also love interest for Lampo who falls for a Persian slave girl from another war torn territory. The tragedy of war runs deep. Everyone has a tragic story to tell which makes this novel all the more captivating and a book you want to pass on because it brings hope to humanity.

The Den particularly enjoyed the audiobook which was narrated by the author - a rare opportunity to bring Lennon's own voice to his story.

Our Wild Card this month is a gripping non-fiction historical narrative about the audacious attempt to assassinate the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher during the Conservative party conference held in Brighton in October 1984. Guardian journalist Rory Carroll gives a fascinating visualisation into the minds and thinking of all sides, the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), the personality of Maggie Thatcher and her government and those involved in the subsequent police manhunt. This all makes for an insightful and riveting thriller read.

Carroll divides his research into three parts, the genesis of a plot, the countdown to the explosion and lastly the long manhunt for the culprits all of which he derived from memoirs, eyewitnesses, police reports and court records. He tells the story through the perspective of various individuals central to this monumental event revolving around Patrick Magee who planted the bomb. Carroll seeks to shed light on why someone of Irish descent, yet who grew up in England, chose to take this infamous path.

The Troubles had been part of life in Northern Ireland and to a different extent, in the UK for several years before the Brighton bombing of 1984. Carroll reminds us of the shocking murder of Louis Mountbatten, the lingering hunger strikes, through to the various IRA atrocities before focusing on the specific build up and behind the scenes work leading up to Magee planting a timed bomb in Room 629 of the Grand Hotel on Brighton’s seafront set to explode on October 12th 1984. Carroll examines the specific circumstances surrounding the explosion, the element of chance involved and the meticulous preparation both sides undertook for their cause, whether that be destroying the government of the day or hunting down the perpetrators. The book reads like a thriller, and for those who remember the Brighton bombing, it not only reminds us of those iconic moments, such as Norman Tebbit being pulled out of the rubble on live TV, but enlightens us to the lesser known facts and long-term consequences of those caught up in the bomb.

The Grand was an iconic landmark hotel in Brighton and a timeless representation of the British monarchy, in which royal portraits adorned the walls and various leaders and celebrities chose to stay here. Magee and the IRA believed that if they could bring down Thatcher, they would be victorious in bringing down British imperialism and uniting Ireland. Whilst the IRA may have committed a crime no one thought possible, it gave Thatcher the golden opportunity to show her resolve and “carry on” - she refused to cancel the party’s conference and went ahead with her speech. It helped Thatcher win an unprecedented third term in office. Yet it did change Thatcher. Carroll believes she forever felt guilty towards those whose lost their lives and in particular the impact it had on her closest friend and colleague Norman Tebbit and his wife Margaret who was paralysed in the bomb. He also believes it led to a certain degree of paranoia which affected her judgement, some of which would result in long-term policy changes. An interesting and thought provoking true crime/political/historical/factual read for this month.

A funny, tragic and darkly absurd story of an unlikely relationship between two women of polar opposites, who seek sanctuary and love in each other’s unconventional lifestyles. The perfect time to read this funny and affectionately bizarre story before it arrives to the screen starring (what better casting!) Jodie Comer.

Greta is middle aged, single, broke and has moved from California with her precious Jack Russell dog called Piñon to a dilapidated mansion in Hudson NYC owned by her eccentric friend Sabine. Greta works as a transcriber for the town’s sex and relationship coach called Om for a book he is writing. Greta finds herself particularly drawn to his latest client whom she names Big Swiss for the simple reason she is tall and from Switzerland. Big Swiss comes across as a strong and formidable woman. She is a gynaecologist, married and wealthy, but we soon discover has experienced a near death beating in her younger years and has never experienced an orgasm. One day, whilst walking Piñon in the dog park Greta bumps into Big Swiss (real name Flavia), instantly recognises this person from Om’s couch and decides to start up a conversation. To avoid detection, Greta calls herself Rebecca and fails to disclose that she is privy to Big Swiss’s sessions with Om. So begins an intense and perilous relationship.

This book is tragic, funny and darkly absurd. The unlikely relationship between Greta and Big Swiss unearths both their pent-up anxieties and hidden suffering. At times the story is quite 'off the wall’ with Greta’s haphazard living arrangements adding to the bizarreness. There is a beehive occupying her kitchen ceiling and various less welcome insect invasions invading the house and many of the periphery characters seem to be life’s ‘oddballs’. As the relationship between Greta and Big Swiss intensifies so it is only a matter of time before the wrong word will be said, or they will be seen together. The intensity of their clandestine relationship reaches boiling point when Piñon is injured causing Greta to spiral into theatrical hysteria, her screaming sounding like “badly played bagpipes” and forcing both women to confront their own internal demons.

‘Look Who’s Back’ is a popular German satirical novel originally published in 2011 about Adolf Hitler who wakes up in modern Berlin to find himself clashing with a new world order. Following its success, the novel has been translated into English (2014) and the basis for a black comedy film of the same name (2015) which has been aired on leading TV platforms. A daring novel written by German journalist, history scholar and ghostwriter, Timur Vermes - for readers looking for a Wild Card choice that will challenge and shake up any book club.

It’s Berlin 2011 and the Führer has woken up to find life has changed - no Eva Braun, no Nazi party and no war. In fact he barely recognises the new Fatherland now filled with immigrants - and with a woman in charge (Angela Murkel)! Rising from the ashes - a patch of earth, Hitler dusts down his uniform and is welcomed as a comic impersonator who refuses to break character.

This novel is shocking and challenging in equal measure as we the reader are lured into the story, told from Hitler’s perspective. However we clearly recognise his insanity and how his thinking is completely at odds with his community and us the readers.

The premise of a historical figure waking up in modern times gives rise to plenty of amusing encounters and it was easy to imagine the surprise and incredulity from our own ancestors and deceased elders, let alone a dictator. There were plenty of comic moments as the twentieth century character comes to terms with technology and communication and simple modern day conveniences such as self service shopping and local chemists in which Mr Boots will not be serving you! The comical aspect of the story lures the reader into the novel and it seems very plausible to imagine how such a monstrous leader and personality might rise to fame in the modern world. In this case, the 'impersonator' is loved for his authenticity and comic genius - always appearing in character (whilst we the reader understand this is the real Hitler). In fact, Hilter’s grotesque slanders finds him further notoriety and adoration amongst his fans.

The outrageous satire sparked lively discussion in our book club and it was easy to see how modern day leaders and personalities can easily exploit social media platforms to spin stories and manipulate its audiences. This was a chilling read and warning to all on how the unthinkable can happen - without even considering the emergence of AI and deep fake resources.

This won’t be a choice for all book clubs - but it certainly is a Wild Card option!

‘Water’ by John Boyne is the author’s first instalment of his Elements series. Written by the master of storytelling including the Den’s much loved ‘The Hearts Invisible Furies’ readers and bookclubbers will be consumed by this immersive tale that can easily be read in one sitting.

Written in the first person, ‘Water’ is a short and captivating story about a woman who arriving on a remote island off the coast of Ireland, changes her name to Willow Hale to escape Dublin and all recognition from her previous life, choosing to live as a hermit in a small cottage. Her first act is to cut away at her hair. This is an alarming start to the novella but one that the reader cautiously accepts because we are in Vanessa’s head and absorbed by her vulnerability, her heightened emotions of guilt, anger and sadness, hanging onto a secret that she is shamed to share but one we know we will discover as the story unfolds.

Vanessa tries her best to appear as an anonymous loner within the island’s small isolated community. However she can’t evade what little there is and all those who frequent the old pub, the new pub, the church and the island’s grocery store. Vanessa is welcomed by the local priest and this takes her back to life with her husband and family and through this encounter the reader discovers flashbacks allowing us to understand her backstory and what it is that she is running away from.

Whilst access to the mainland is limited Vanessa is not completely disconnected from her old life and this is a reminder of her sadness and unhappiness, with texts giving us some impression of her broken relationship with Rebecca, one of her daughters.

Vanessa also has a series of events and chance meetings on the island that help provide some perspective on her past as well as liberating and enabling her to be more independent and care-free - culminating in a noticeable change of character - unexpected hope and a sense of new beginnings.

Whilst there is a deep and traumatic undercurrent to ‘Water’, the Den enjoyed Vanessa’s new found inner strength of identity, confidence and bravery surviving a life changing trauma, as well as a respect for the curious and intriguing islanders that enrich her life and the story.

For those who are eager for more the next instalment, ‘Earth’ is already published for keen fans of Boyne's work. A series you won't want to miss out on!

'The English Patient' not only won the Booker Prize in 1992 but also the 2018 Golden Booker Award so springtime feels like the perfect time to read or revisit this wonderful classic. A caveat however is that if you have seen the iconic Oscar winning film, it takes a while to push these images out of your head.

The story is set in San Girolamo Villa which had been used as a military hospital during WWII. Located 20 miles outside Florence in Italy, the war has just come to an end. Hana, a Canadian nurse has refused to return with her colleagues and opted to look after a severely burnt and nameless “Englishman” in this rundown villa. She is joined by Kip, a Sikh sapper working for the British army and Caravaggio, a thief and friend of Hana’s father who also works for the intelligence service. Through this unlikely union of characters the back story develops.

Everyone in the Den was mesmerised by this book. It is a beautiful and sensual novel, which skilfully transports you into the intriguing and different lives of these 4 individuals. They all share a sense of sadness and loneliness in the world, but are drawn to each other by the random circumstances of war. As the story develops we learn about the deep love story between this injured English Patient and Katherine, a wife of one his friends during their time working in the desert in Egypt. He falls in love with her after hearing her recite poetry “That night I fell in love with a voice.” Alongside this is Kit, who forged out his path as a gifted bomb disposal expert.

There are some magical scenes between all of them and just when you think they are beginning to understand each other, move forward from previous mistrust and all be on the same page, Kit hears some news which forces him to leave suddenly and crush these special relationships.

This is an iconic novel, which any book club should read. The pace of the novel is exquisite and the images linger long in the memory.

Richard Osman released his latest Thursday Murder Club mystery last year and whilst still in hardback (paperback released in May 2024), ‘The Last Devil To Die’ is a fabulously compulsive read for book clubbers looking for entertainment and the chance to catch up with their favourite murder club besties - Joyce, Elisabeth, Ibrahim and Ron. The perfect dose of comedy, compassion and a thrilling crime to be solved.

It’s Christmas time at Coopers Chase but it doesn’t take long for The Thursday Murder Club to find themselves drawn into another suspicious and untimely death involving an old friend in the antique business who has mysteriously been killed and a package he was protecting gone missing. As readers we are delighted to be reunited with the gang as well as drawn into another adventure that takes the team away from their cosy retirement village and on the road to the South Coast to meet with art fraudsters and heroine dealers. Will they be able to find the murderer of their friend? Will they be able to track down the mystery package? Meanwhile back at Coopers Chase a new resident has been tricked into an on-line romance or rather scam. There is also a sub-plot involving Elizabeth who is preoccupied with caring for her husband Stephen who has advancing dementia.

The novel contains the same laughs, a new heartache and a devilish mystery. Something for every Murder Club fan with the biggest tease - who will be the last devil to die?

The Den remain loyal to the characters and enjoyed this quintessentially English murder mystery. Book clubbers will also appreciate the opportunity to indulge in this cosy armchair read. ‘The Last Devil To Die’ won’t fail to disappoint fans but if you are new to the series, it would be wise to read Osman’s earlier novels in the collection.

“my mother told me not to whisper because even the birds and mice could hear me”

Yeonmi Park was 13 when she defected from North Korea, first escaping across the border into China and from there to begin a new life in South Korea. She now lives in USA, where she is an author and human rights campaigner who continues to fight for change in the country of her birth. Aged 21, she wrote her memoir ‘In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom’ which documents her remarkable journey from this dictatorship regime.

As a young girl, Yeonmi lived in Hyesan, a North Korean city on the border with China, with her parents and elder sister Eunmi. During her early years, both Yeonmi’s parents had good jobs by North Korean standards, yet they were still very poor and always starving, so their father smuggled goods across the border from China, selling them illegally on the black market to supplement their income. When the economy in North Korea collapses in the 1990s and famine ensues, the state clamps down on such activity and her father, Park Jin Sik, is first sent to a labour camp and later imprisoned causing the family’s position and wealth to spiral to the lowest levels.

During this time, Yeonmi describes the oppression and suffering, always starving. What is particularly poignant to note, is that because they are continually fed lies, they were never able to practise critical thinking. The only love North Koreans knew was for their ‘Dear Leader’ who was their almighty God and whom they believed was suffering and starving like all North Koreans were. With a sub-standard education, it was impossible to comprehend that the hardship they were experiencing wasn’t normal. The situation becomes so desperate for the family that Yeonmi’s mother is forced to leave both her daughters alone in their tiny apartment for days on end with barely any food and no light. Yeonmi’s account of this time is harrowing and hard to imagine.

By 2007 the situation reaches tipping point and with their father still in prison, the rest of the family make the monumental decision to try to flee to North Korea across the river into China. Eunmi is 16 and Yoenmi is 13. Living on the border, the family could see the bright lights of China at night and perhaps this was what allowed them to imagine a life beyond their own. The consequences of this choice are far-reaching. Apart from the unimaginable risk of what will happen to them if they are caught, for anyone who defected, the rest of the family left behind in North Korea were made to suffer. Eunmi leaves first, unexpectedly and with no warning. It is left to Yeonmi and her mother to take this highly risky journey together. Yeonmi has been very ill and so is already extremely weak when they finally escape. They soon discover life in China is not the golden ticket they thought it would be. They are at the mercy of human traffickers. She later says that it was the humiliation of this trafficking that held her back from telling her story and some of it is distressing to read.

Finally, Yeonmi and her mother take a further dangerous decision to flee China to get to South Korea, where they know they will be welcomed and safe but if they are caught trying to escape, that they will be killed. After much preparation and under the guise of a Christian Missionary group led by a South Korean pastor, they are guided to make the treacherous walk miles across the Gobi desert in freezing temperatures from China to Mongolia where they will be sent to South Korea. The final section of the book follows Yeonmi and her mother trying to adapt to a totally different kind of life and freedom in South Korea together with the continued search for Eunmi.

This is an astonishing memoir of survival and determination. Den tip – it is worth viewing one of the talks Park has given to hear some of the stories and what her life was like first hand.

‘It Ends with Us’ is a raw, heart wrenching romantic drama by best selling author Colleen Hoover and released this summer in cinemas (August), starring starring Gossip Girl star, Blake Lively.

Based on the author’s own personal experiences, ‘It Ends with Us’ is Lily’s story, a young graduate who leaves her small town in Maine for Boston to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams of setting up a flower shop. On arrival Lily meets a charming, playful and successful neurosurgeon, Ryle. Attracted by his assertiveness and sometimes arrogance, Lily is smitten and starts a world wind romance which seems too good to be true. As the relationship becomes serious, Ryle unleashes his temper to reveal an abusive side that is uncomfortable for Lily. Love blurs her ability to assess the dangers and before we know it we are spiralling (with Lily) into a dark place. However her first love, Atlas unexpectedly appears back into her life and his suspicions surrounding Ryle are raised. But how and why can’t Lily see the direction of her relationship with Ryle?

The reader discovers a number of events and circumstances that affect Lily’s dilemmas surrounding Ryle and this gave book club plenty to discuss and debate. Not an easy read for some but it certainly encouraged us to understand how and why women become trapped in their relationships and are unable to assess its disturbing attributes. An emotional read for many of us and a taste of modern love affairs resulting in an addictive page turner.

The sequel 'It Starts With Us' is another bestseller by Hoover and also available in paperback.

Book club fans of 'American Dirt' may not be aware of the author's earlier work, 'A Rip in Heaven' but a Den fan selected this book as part of our "Your Discoveries" feedback page. This book is a non-fiction true crime memoir, based on a personal, traumatic family tragedy, which Jeanine Cummins wrote in 2004 at the request of her brother. A powerful and crushing account of the family's personal suffering following their heart-breaking ordeal.

In April 1991, when Cummins was 16, her brother Tom and her two cousins, Julie and Robin Kelly were brutally attacked on the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge in St Louis Missouri before being thrown into the Mississippi river by their four attackers. Tom survived but the cousins didn’t and Robin's body has never been recovered. It was spring break and had been the cousins last night together before Tom and his two sisters were to return back home to Washington DC. Julie was a budding poet and wanted to show Tom one of her poems which she had graffitied onto the bridge.

Cummins writes in the third person about herself, using her family nickname - Tink. The aim of the memoir is to tell the story from the perspective of the victims and their families’ point of view, especially as in this case, the police force’s initial misjudgement was uncompromisingly flawed and later the press coverage of the case focused on the murderers rather than the victims, giving them an elevated status. Cummins didn’t want her cousins to be forgotten or what happened to their family to be overlooked and fade into insignificance.

It is clear that when Cummins writes this story that she feels a sense of responsibility to ensure she doesn’t let relatives down. By doing so, she does seem to over-justify some of the less sensible decisions they made, but it is a remarkably honest and compelling piece of writing which stays with you long after you have finished reading it and there is no doubt you have a greater understanding for the victims of this horrific and unexpected crime which affected this perfectly normal happy family. It is a fitting tribute and a great legacy to both cousins who so traumatically lost their young lives. This true crime memoir is thought provoking, gripping and an eloquent homage to her cousins, brother and the rest of her family.

‘The Fortunes of Francis Barber’ tells the story of a young child born into slavery in Jamaica who arrives in London circa 1752 to find himself serving in the household of the literary critic, playwright and man of letters, Dr Samuel Johnson.

Written by commercial city lawyer, Michael Bundock, the author originally stumbled upon Dr Johnson’s historic home in Gough Square in his lunch hour and it wasn’t long before he found his own curiosity getting the better of him and leading to this fascinating story. Was Barber employed as a slave or a servant by Johnson and how and why did Barber became Johnson’s chief beneficiary?

‘The Fortunes of Francis Barber’ lures the reader into the author’s own journey of discovery by re-imagining the scene of Johnson’s home in the heart of bustling London, 1752. Having captured our attention the author shares and examines extracts from the biographies and letters of Samuel Johnson, which provide plenty of material for us to piece together Barber’s story and appreciate the close relationship between Johnson and Barber.

The author chronicles Barber’s life in Gough Square and his work thereafter as an apothecary assistant and joining the British navy during the Seven Years’ War. Johnson however was clearly alarmed by the reports of the war and assisted with Barber’s early release and return to his household.

Bundock’s forensic and measured approach to the resources make this book a credible account of the life for Barber and the black community in London. There are also plenty of stories of London life sourced from Johnson’s friends through their letters to him, backed up by illustrations and paintings by artists of the time including ‘A Young Black’ by Joshua Reynolds which is thought to be a portrait of Francis Barber.

As well as presenting the strong bond between Johnson and Barber, the reader is able to appreciate Dr Johnson’s charitable nature and his own story of eclectic friends and characters who he attracted to help him with his work, specifically compiling his great Dictionary of the English Language which took some years to complete.

Recommended by a Den reader, this is a fascinating account and one that gave book club plenty to discuss. It was very informative making us all curious to discover more, maybe in the form of a visit to Dr Johnson’s House in London.

First published in 2015, this paperback edition was commissioned in 2021.

‘Good Material’ is Dolly Alderton’s second novel, after ‘Ghosts’, and she has stolen our hearts yet again with a story of a ‘break-up’ wrapped up in gentle humour, touching moments about heartache and a true and deeper understanding of love.

“Andy loves Jen. Jen loved Andy. And he can’t work out why she stopped.

Now he is …
1. Without a home
2. Waiting for his stand-up career to take off
3. Wondering why everyone else around him seems to have grown up while he wasn’t looking”

‘Good Material’ tells the story of an unexpected break-up of a well established 30something couple, told to us from the perspective of Andy who is trying to process the how, the why and the what if he was able to win her back. Written loosely as journal entries - the days, weeks and months unfold before us sharing Andy's devastation and how he gradually attempts to come to terms with ‘the break up’. As readers we can all relate to the friends who rally round to form ‘WhatsApp - let’s help Andy’ groups. We also recognise the switch to anger, resentment and then a concerted effort for reinvention of a better self. A new diet and new fitness regime, experimenting with a dating app - and maybe even a new personal trainer.

Full of warmth and humour the Den loved listening to this novel as an audiobook because the writing is effortless and as a reader we all enjoy the chatty style of Alderton’s storytelling. There are also plenty of humorous twists and entertaining cameo scenes that lighten the pain of a 'break up'. A bit like life!

Other books by Dolly Alderton in the Den's library include 'Ghosts' and her recent 'Dear Dolly - on love, life and friendship'.

‘Molly & The Captain’ by Anthony Quinn is a delightful and absorbing novel about three families spanning 3 centuries whose lives are interconnected revolving around art and love. An immersive historical fiction.

The first section of the novel sets up the story of a successful artist, William Merrymount in Georgian England whose private painting of a double portrait, that of his daughters ‘Molly and the Captain’, becomes a treasured and intriguing centrepiece. Through a series of diary entries and letters written by the eldest daughter, Laura shares her perspective of her celebrated father in whose footsteps she follows, her ambition as an artist and her fear of failure living in his shadow. Laura accompanies her father from Bath to London and is immersed in the vibrant city. Her diary entries provide a window into life in the West End and later joining her sister in Kentish Town, looking back at her own misfortune in love, family secrets and how her own passion for art leads her to an unexpected masterpiece of her own making, ‘Portrait of a Young Man’.

Rolling forward into the next century readers find themselves in Kensington Gardens observing another artist, this time a young man, Paul Stransom, whose creative energies are consumed by the park’s vista and its line of elm trees that captivate and demand his attention. The subject of his painting is interrupted by a mother playing with her daughters which he paints setting off a mystery in his own mind about who they are and why they are there. Whilst preoccupied by these events his sister Maggie has become embroiled with Paul’s artist friends and the auction of a painting that captures her eye, that is the ‘Portrait of a Young Man’. The painting becomes a token of love and entangled in a proposal, followed by some unexpected courting.

Just as the reader comes to terms with the end of the novel’s second romantic rollercoaster and family drama, we are thrust forward to ‘80s London and back to Kentish Town in which a retiring painter and her two grown up daughters discover an ancestral link to William Merrymount and the missing double portrait. Set against a political backdrop of an election and the cultural evolution of punk we are further entertained by Billie a successful actress (a character who appears in one of Quinn's earlier novels) who discovers the Merrymount journals that we the reader have been privy to.

The three families and 3 stories make wonderful talking points in book club as we looked back in the Den at generational themes of behaviour, talents and misgivings. It was also interesting to appreciate the struggles of talented artists, the sacrifices made within families to benefit their survival and the strong bond of love.

Quinn fans can look forward to some ‘Eureka’ moments and nods to historical London artists and celebrities. A wonderful ambitious novel that you may never want to end.

Other books by the same author in the Den include ‘London Calling’, ‘Our Friends in Berlin’ and ‘Curtain Call’, the later being adapted into a period film, 'The Critic' starring Ian McKellen and Gemma Arterton (awaiting release in UK).

For lovers of historical fiction based on a true story, this is a joyous read. 'The Personal Librarian' is a collaboration from Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray about an African American woman who helped J. P. Morgan build his prestigious and famous manuscript and art collection during the early 1900's, all the while passing as a white woman.

In order to succeed in the world as an African American woman in America during this period, Belle’s mother tells her she cannot and must not reveal her heritage. So, being of pale skin, Belle and her siblings pass themselves off as white, much to the disappointment of their principled father, Richard Greener who fights for racial equality and consequently feels compelled to abandon his family. Belle Greener becomes Belle da Costa Greene which to the outside world stems from her Portuguese grandmother. When Belle lands the top job of Personal Librarian to the eminent and extremely powerful J. P. Morgan in New York, it becomes even more essential that she doesn’t reveal her true identity. Gradually she forms a close working bond with J.P. Morgan and consequently she is allowed to procure valuable pieces of art and rare manuscripts for his growing library. But as Belle’s success and fame begins to spread across different continents and her relationship with J. P. Morgan deepens so it becomes harder to keep her true identity secret. To succeed as an African American woman in the upper echelons of society at this time was virtually impossible so to know this story is based on the real Belle da Costa Greene adds to its appeal.

This is a fascinating read which opens the reader’s eyes to the decisions young African Americans had to make to leave behind their heritage to further their careers and on achieving success the lengths and sacrifices they endured to not reveal their past. It was a life constantly lived on tender hooks and this story beautifully shares the impact such a double life had on Belle and her family which meant she could never really totally enjoy and embrace her achievements or form long lasting relationships. The reconnection with her father is particularly poignant.

This book scored a solid 7-8 out of 10 in the Den. A few of us sometimes thought Belle was portrayed as too perfect and therefore it was initially hard to be on her side. But others thought this merely highlighted that she always had to bring her best performance to the table and made them empathise with her more. Certainly plenty of material to talk about in your book club made all the more easier with the readers’ guide questions for discussion included at the end of the book! We have even added a few of our own too in the Den’s IB questions for this month!

‘That distant stretch of sea where sky and water merge. It’s called the offing.’

Dulcie Piper had always been expecting Robert Appleyard. Sixteen year old Robert has wandered into the gardens of her small cottage overlooking the North Sea. ‘Oh, there you are.” says this tall, eccentric elder woman as if she had been expecting him to walk into her life that very second. And so begins this beautiful story of a remarkable relationship. WWII has just finished and the resulting hardships and rations are very much still in place. Robert has completed his school exams and decided to explore the country before returning to follow his father’s inevitable path down the mines when he stumbles into the idyllic, overgrown grounds of Dulcie’s home.

Decades apart in age, Dulcie opens Robert’s eyes to a world beyond the collieries awaiting him. Through nature, good food, plenty of alcohol and most importantly literature she uncovers his potential. In return for her hospitality, Robert renovates a small cabin which clearly holds secrets from her past. Dulcie is plain speaking and opinionated but also generous and intelligent. She revels in shocking Robert with her views on Germans, famous people she has met such as Noel Coward and D H Lawrence and delights in his ignorance of good food and wine. Despite her cantankerous, abrupt manner, she nurtures this young man and allows him to see an alternative future for himself. At the same time Robert exposes Dulcie’s vulnerability, unravelling her past and allowing her to finally emerge from her buried secrets and tragedy.

Myers appreciation for the beauty and healing power of nature and the countryside of North East England compliment this unlikely friendship and it is hardly surprising this touching story is due to be made into a film starring Helena Bonham Carter and directed by Jessica Hobbs.

‘Colditz - Prisoners of the Castle’ is Ben MacIntrye’s latest true story of the most infamous castle in WW2 where dangerous daredevil and defiant allied prisoners were held captive. Perfect read to bunker down with this November. And now in paperback!

This new and real Colditz story comes from the skilled and best selling historian, Ben MacIntyre bringing together what we think we know of the mythical castle and more. Colditz was a huge historical gothic castle in East Germany that became the highest security prison, set up in the 3rd Reich, for captured officers of all nationalities made up of Brits, Poles, Dutch, French, Belgians and laterally Americans - who all distinguished themselves for escaping from other prison camps.

Everyone has a favourite character. Be it the eccentric ‘Clutty of M19’ (the model for James Bond’s Q) who created secret gizmos such as false passports in board games, secret inks and hidden compasses in walnuts. Or double-amputee Douglas Bader the famous pilot who became a ‘poster boy’ in Germany’s propaganda. And then there is Eggers, the German officer and head of security at the castle whose earlier profession as a school master (teaching in Cheltenham no less) and an Anglophile treated his prisoners as naughty school boys, confiscating their escape booty and leading the ‘cat and mouse’ game that appeared to exist at the castle. Or the irrepressible Pat Reid who was one of the few British officers to escape.

The book exposes how and why Colditz saw more attempted escapes than any other prison camp. Readers discover how the old castle provided scope for tunnels within its cavernous design, hidden staircases and medieval locks. In fact, Colditz was an escape academy in which the officers colluded but also thrived in international rivalry- resulting in 18 different tunnels being built at the same time. We also appreciate how the prisoners were encouraged and allowed to blow off steam - either in the Colditz Olympic Games or in the theatre which staged regular plays and shows.

There are plenty of remarkable and stand out stories but one that touched the Den was the Indian doctor, Birendra Mazumdar, who was the only Indian officer serving in the British Army Royal Army Medical Corps. This didn’t serve him well at Colditz. He was mistrusted and excluded from all escape plans on the grounds of his colour and his identity as an Indian national which was at odds with his loyal allegiance to the Crown. His hunger strike forced a transfer to an all-Indian camp in France from which he successfully escaped to Switzerland in 1943. But even then the allies suspected he was a spy!

All these stories build up a fascinating picture of life for inmates at this seemingly impenetrable castle. A great book club choice especially for history lovers and readers who enjoy the accounts of those imprisoned and attempted an escape.

Shortlisted for this year’s Booker Prize, 'The Bee Sting' by Paul Murray is a scintillating piece of storytelling revolving round the lives of four members of an affluent Irish family as their comfortable lives come tumbling down around them. A luminous and exhilarating read.

We soon discover that life for Dickie Barnes is not going as planned. His car business is failing due to the economic downturn. His teenage daughter Cassie who hopes to follow Dickie’s own path and go to Trinity University seems to be going off the rails and drinking and 12-year-old PJ, his not particularly cool son, is being bullied and ostracised. Even his beautiful and loyal wife Imelda seems preoccupied and angry with him for spoiling their comfortable life. Having grown up in poverty and an abusive environment she certainly doesn’t want to return to her previous existence of shame and insecurity.

The book becomes tragically comical as it seems the whole family live in terror. Dickie’s life further unravels as Murray introduces his and Imelda’s back story and why are there no photos of Dickie and Imelda’s wedding? Dickie’s answer to his own predicament and the family’s imminent crisis is to spend every minute of every day building an apocalypse proof bunker with the local oddball handyman called Victor, even roping in poor helpless PJ on the basis that when the impending climate change judgement day arrives they will take retreat to their underground bolthole. Meanwhile Cassie dislikes everyone and everything (including her own boyfriend!) with the exception of her best friend Elaine, a rich good time party girl. This destructive relationship takes on a pivotal role later in the book.

As the relationship between Dickie and Imelda worsens, PJ dreads being sent to boarding school and so seeks refuge in an online friend who invites him to stay in Dublin. As for his faithful wife Imelda, she is haunted by ghosts from her past, which all seems to stem from the death of Dickie’s brother Frank, and the infamous bee sting on her wedding day. But it is the ghosts from the past which cause their paths to converge with horrifying consequences.

Murray has a gift for impressive storytelling, often finding humour in the darkest moments of tragedy. He also has a wonderful knack of switching the rhythm of his writing using different punctuation. The sections told through Imelda contain no fullstops and are like a stream of consciousness, illustrating her lack of education and impulsive actions. The last section of the book switches to third person. It is a nail-biting finish and certainly has a sting in the tail as the Barnes family’s past comes to a head and they hurtle towards their dramatic finale. It makes for a tense and brilliant climax and is sure to leave you and your book club with many questions.

At 643 pages long it is an epic story but Murray has certainly created a highly entertaining rollercoaster of a read which will make you laugh and cry in equal measure.

‘Normal Rules Don’t Apply’ is a collection of interconnected short stories by one of the Den’s favourite story tellers Kate Atkinson. Returning to this format after 20 years, Atkinson’s imagination is on fire fusing fantasy with the everyday. A feast for all book lovers and Atkinson fans - as well as a lovely present for forward thinking gifters.

The collection kicks off with ‘The Void’ a despotic tale imagining how the end of the world might happen for Ted and his family - when the outdoors is literally plunged into darkness and it becomes a dangerous place for all living creatures. Recently widowed the reader takes a peak into Ted’s life and his family as they experience this inexplicable ‘void'. Whilst the story is short Atkinson quickly gains our full attention. We are invested in her characters, even though we know it might not be for long!

The stories are varied, magical and upside-down in which normal rules definitely don’t apply - with talking dogs, racehorses, a riches to rags fairytale, a blithe spirit looking down on her own post mortem, death and life and ‘the void’ that no one can escape from not even Princess Anne!

Atkinson fans will be pleased to see the return of Franklin a recurring character in many of her novels, this time working as a producer for a TV soap ‘Green Acres’. The characters and the soap pop up throughout the book providing extra nods and threads that unite the stories in a captivating tapestry of life.

The author is not afraid to have fun with her readers, looking at the madness of the world now and how it could be. Even as we see and feel the collection coming to a close, readers can delight in the tales as they are beautifully composed, funny and sanguine, with plenty of clever twists and light-hearted humour. Even in Gene-sis the author takes us aside with her character Kitty. Whilst the world is imploding around them we sit in on an advertising scene as creatives meet at ‘Edge (Hedge spelt with 'E) to discuss the launch of a new smoothie, Humble. ‘So I am thinking clean and wholesome’ Ewan said ‘A milkmaid, a dairymaid’. We the reader know this is clearly very unlikely but we are equally happy to enjoy the directness and pithiness of Kitty who points out ‘It should be called Poison, in my humble opinion’. One of Kitty's many witty commentaries about a world that doesn't make sense.

The Den enjoyed this book in audio, providing ample opportunity to revisit the stories and enjoy the collection. Whilst critics wanted more from the author, book clubbers enjoyed the ability to dip into and return to the collection, whether listening on the move or reading as a night time treat.

‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ (2017) is a popular historical fiction with modern twists, set in the glamour years of old Hollywood. A bestseller in the US and the UK this novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, has also been a smash hit on Tik Tok with a Netflix adaptation in the pipeline. No surprise to find this is an enjoyable book club choice and one the Den recommends as a Missed Opportunity, ahead of its next wave of hype! Perfect novel for escapism, especially as the nights draw in.

At the start of the novel we meet Monique, an ambitious but unknown magazine writer, keen to secure herself a scoop and get noticed at the top New York magazine, Vivant. Unexpectedly Monique is invited to give an exclusive interview with the 79 year old Hollywood star, Evelyn Hugo, to promote a charity auction of some of her most iconic gowns. Monique is unclear why the actress has chosen her and visits her apartment, only to discover Evelyn Hugo, now a recluse, wants Monique to write her life story (to be published after her death). Although suspicious, Monique agrees to meet with Evelyn and undertake this career changing opportunity.

The book is divided into 7 sections, each one dedicated to one of Evelyn’s husbands. Through the chronicle of Evelyn’s life with her husbands, the reader discovers how and why her marriages and love affairs evolved and ended along with her own story of how she rose to fame through these relationships. Her own retelling of events is set alongside newspaper articles, which present an alternative ‘fairy tale’ narrative providing further intrigue for the reader, especially as their accounts differ.

‘The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’ looks back at the nostalgic periods of Hollywood’s history from the '50s to present day, challenging the reader to consider hidden scandals for young ambitious women (like Evelyn Hugo) and the price they were prepared to pay. It gave us in the Den plenty to talk about, segued with relevant and recently uncovered scandals - of which there are many!

This Missed Opportunity read will set you questioning the nostalgic sparkle of Hollywood as well as challenging what we are presented with by the press and social media.

"We are together all day but we never have time, if you know what I mean?"

Claire Kilroy throws the reader into the depths of those overwhelming and often isolating first few months of first time motherhood with her sharply observed and brutally honest narrative. 'Soldier Sailor' resembles a stream of consciousness, a jumble of wonderful observations and terrifying insights of those early, unfamiliar first weeks when the realisation of looking after a totally vulnerable and dependent human being strikes like a bolt of lightning.

Written in the third person, the narrator, Soldier, is a first-time mother. The story opens when she is beyond exhaustion and seemingly beaten - is she really going to abandon her baby son, her Sailor, on a cliff path in the cold and give up, believing the most loving act she could do is to end her life and set him free? “Should I remind you again how lonely I was, Sailor, how terribly lonely? I didn’t know my own mind. I certainly did not know it that night.” This is not meant to be morbid, far from it, it is an illustration of how the insanity of tiredness can lead to recklessness.

Grappling with both overwhelming love and resentment, Kilroy addresses the strain early motherhood puts on a marriage as bitterness sets in due to the never-ending exhaustion and exasperation Soldier has with her ‘useless’ husband. There are so many recognisable, extremely funny moments, none more so than when the couple are spending a Saturday in IKEA to buy Sailor’s first bed on his, but apparently not her, 'day off'. There are those moments when her fury at her husband's badly timed tips on parent advice become irrational to those more tender moments when she messages him loving pictures of their baby son.

The book also touches on the effects that motherhood has on the role of women as she begins to lose her identity. It is when Soldier unexpectedly meets an old friend, someone with whom she can recall her fun past and share tips on parenthood, that life begins to take on meaning again. Yet even as she emerges from this sleep deprived relentless period of being a mother, Kilroy reminds us that the love for a child will forever be all consuming. A powerful acknowledgement that motherhood is a job you are perhaps never qualified for and one that never ends.

There are so many wonderfully observed gems that any mother or parent in charge of a child will recognise, from walking out in the night in her pyjamas, the lengthy routines to get food down, the ridiculous car seat straps for which two hands are never enough to the humiliation of mother and toddler clubs when your own child doesn’t conform. What stands this book apart though, is the way Kilroy merges all these moments into one long stream of consciousness so you can feel and share the tiredness, overwhelming love and resentment as vividly as she does. The prose is truthful and charged and will either bring back strong memories for some or show any new mothers that they are not alone.

‘Dr No’ by Percival Everett is the author’s latest quirky comic satire, inspired by Bond’s supervillain Dr No with a mission intent on revenge and the hunt for literally ‘nothing’. A truly wild card choice for any book club.

The novel revolves around Kitu, a brilliant maths professor and expert of nothing who is employed by the aspiring billionaire villain John Sill who wants to break into Fort Knox to steal its hidden treasure. Just like Bond’s supervillains, this is all part of his master plan for domination and mass destruction. However Sill knows the ultimate outcome will be nothing and Kitu is the perfect partner for his madcap plan.

The novel employs oodles of humour in Kitu’s world of academia along with his mismatched pairing with Sill. Den readers enjoyed Kitu’s playful word games around nothing, juxtaposed with Sill’s bizarre fantasy outlook and his own playbook which embraces a Bond lifestyle taking Kitu (and us the reader) to shark invested waters, on private jets and surrounding us with a cast of dangerous manservants, goons and scantily clad beauties.

As Sill and Kitu move closer to the treasure, the reader is never far away from Sill's own story to avenge his father’s death which he suspects is connected to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

Everett’s inventive style of writing has a uniqueness and absurdity that captures the imagination and will carry you to the last page. In spite of knowing how the story ends it is the journey that provides a wonderful escapist read for book clubs. Lots to unpick and talk about!

'Dr No' follows Everett's shortlisted Booker novel ‘The Trees’ - enjoyed by Den readers and book clubs.

With the passing of Cormac McCarthy earlier this year, the Den revisited one of our favourite books from his collection, the first of his border trilogy 'All The Pretty Horses'. Reassuringly, we loved this contemporary classic just as much as second time round. Mesmerising prose, melodic rhythm combined with a love for fauna and the desert this American West adventure is a work of compelling and understated splendour.

John Cole is 16 when his grandfather dies and he finds himself adrift from his Texas ranching upbringing. Cole’s relationship with his mother is detached so when she decided to sell the family ranch, he re-evaluates his life and with his friend Lacey Rawlins, the pair head on their horses for the wilds of Mexico. Complications ensue when they agree to help a young runaway called Jimmy Blevins capture back ‘his’ stolen horse and are branded horse thieves. In their flight, they separate from Blevins and so, begins a remarkable coming of age story as these two young men journey on horseback through the dramatic landscapes of this striking, unforgiving terrain. It is a journey of survival, danger, proving their ranching skills and forbidden love so exquisitely portrayed through McCarthy’s absorbing tempo.

This is a book to be enjoyed for its lyrical prose and hauntingly rich narrative which brings this harsh rugged landscape and his characters so captivatingly to life. You feel and breathe the American West. And central to McCarthy’s writing is the understated pairing of the dramatic sequences with his rich descriptions of nature and the barren yet beautiful landscape.

'All the Pretty Horses was made into a film in 2000 with Matt Damon and Penelope Cruz.
This is the first of the trilogy ('The Crossing' and 'Cities of the Plain' follow).

Den tip – we read the book this time on the kindle which is a real help to look up and appreciate unfamiliar vocabulary.

This award winning novel (Pulitzer Prize for Fiction 2023 and Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023) by Barbara Kingsolver is a gripping modern retelling of Charles Dickens's 'David Copperfield' set in the Southern Appalachia in the United States during the '90s opioid epidemic and a sensational 'Book of the Moment' for book clubs!

Demon Copperhead’s childhood in Lee Valley is harsh and unforgiving. Born to a teenage drug addict, orphaned on his 10th birthday, rejected by his step father, he moves from one exploitive foster home to another. Thrown into a world of drugs, poverty and homelessness, Demon finds it impossible to stay on the straight and narrow. But Demon is nothing if not charismatic, with his striking ‘copper’ hair, natural talent and a dream to reach the ocean.

Demon has several lifelines, one being the wonderful caring Mrs Peggot (Dickens ‘Peggotty’) who despite showing him love and generosity is ultimately unable to provide him a secure home. Also his paternal grandmother who arranges for him to live with Coach Winfield, a well-regarded school football coach and his determined tomboy daughter known as ‘Angus’ (Dickens ‘Agnes Wickfield’) who live in a dilapidated mansion in Jonesville. Suddenly the focus of his life is given to education, art and success on the football field. However the unnerving creepy presence of the coach’s assistant U-Haul (Dickens ‘Uriah Heep’) hovers in the background. You always sense through Demon that he knows this new life is too good to be true. When he falls in love with an equally damaged teenager Dori, who has left school to look after her sick father the two of them spiral out of control.

The key to this mesmerising story is Demon’s narration whose voice is so real and funny. Kingsolver brilliantly captures his childlike innocence coupled with his savvy intelligence and ability to survive. He is sharp, spirited, pragmatic and occasionally vulnerable but at the same time there is such humour with an understated irony given to his desperate situation and continual knock backs. He describes himself and his friends as “Four demons spawned by four starving hearts” and concludes "The wonder is that you could start life with nothing and lose so much in between.”

It is uncomfortable to think that this story is relating to 1990’s America. Kingsolver is a masterful storyteller and by setting the story in her own community of Appalachia, she cleverly intertwines the opioid crisis of these deprived areas with her desire for recognition for the need for change and support. It is a forgotten part of American society, not deprived of food, space, or countryside, but of education, opportunities, and support, where it becomes too easy for vulnerable young people to be caught up in an unforgiving and corrupt child welfare system. Kingsolver has successfully used an English classical novel to highlight a modern American equivalent and achieved a wonderful balance, of providing a page-turning addictive read with a message not to neglect this forgotten and poverty stricken generation.

For those who enjoy audio this story is excellently brought to life Charlie Thurston.

An entertaining caper set in London, 1926, in which the country is reeling from the aftermath of the Great War and its capital has become the focus of a delirious new night life. Written by the bestselling author Kate Atkinson 'Shrines of Gaiety' is an addictive 'take me away with you' novel to enjoy as an indulgent summertime treat .

Inspired by a real life impresario, the novel begins with the release of Ma (Nellie) Coker, a ruthless and ambitious London nightclub owner who has been discharged from Holloway Prison for alcohol license violations. The reader is introduced to a cast of many characters which include Nellie’s own family comprising six children of varying ages and ambitions - all affected by the war and their mother’s hold on them. Running alongside Nellie’s story whose nightclubs are frequented by socialites, dignitaries, gangsters and spies, the reader follows Freda and Florence, young runaway girls from York, who journey to London to audition for a glamorous life on the stage. The girls realise that the auditions are not what they seem and it soon becomes a dangerous pursuit in a city where young women are disappearing and turning up dead in the River Thames. Meanwhile Gwendolen Kelling, a young librarian (previously a battlefield nurse) from the girls’ hometown, has agreed to track down Freda and Florence. In order to do this, Gwendolen agrees to be recruited as a spy, first for the police and then to work for the notorious Ma Coker.

This fast paced tale of intrigue and adventure effortlessly shifts timeframes and voices which takes the reader deeper into the underbelly of the nightclub world. The Den was fully immersed in the twists and turns of this exciting and intriguing period in history; in which London was alight with the glittering and captivating night life, social classes and divisions were collapsing and crime and corruption was creeping in.

Other books by Kate Atkinson reviewed in the Den include ‘Transcription’, another pacy spy thriller and the Costa award winning novel ‘Life After Life’ which has also been adapted for TV.

Fans of the author will be pleased to discover her next book of short stories coming very soon - ‘Normal Rules Don’t Apply’ (released end of August 2023).

Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2023 ‘Black Butterflies’ tells the story of Zora - a mother, daughter, teacher and wife who finds herself trapped as well as ‘liberated’ by the war and siege of Sarajevo. A moving story of love and suffering in a war-torn city in which human tragedy co-exists with resilience and a fight for life.

‘Black Butterflies’ begins in the spring of 1992 and we the reader are quickly immersed into Zora’s world in which a war is creeping into her beloved city. Whilst Zora and her husband are feeling safe in their modern high rise, a reported burglary at her mother’s unoccupied family home triggers concern about who and what might be happening. Up until this point the residents, whether Bosniak, Croat or Serb have lived in relative harmony together. However nationalist gangs are closing into the city with religious and cultural divisions rising in a country heading towards a break-up.

The story follows Zora, who at 55 is struggling with middle age, but the unwelcome occupiers of her mother’s home spark a more spirited purpose in life. Sending her mother and husband to England for safety, Zora remains in her home town to continue her work as an art teacher as well as keeping watch of her home and her mother’s flat. As the seasons change it is not long before Zora see her city falls in the siege, forcing her to reinvent how she lives within her community, building new friendships and ‘family’ and learning a new way of living in a war-torn city.

Written by debut author Priscilla Morris, ‘Black Butterflies’ sets out to understand the ugly war that devastated her own mother’s hometown of Sarajevo and as a reader there is a depth of passion and richness to the narrative that provides a more intense and profound account of living in a city under siege. The novel which retells the story of a relatively recent war in Europe provided lots of talking points in the Den as well as an appreciation of our own family unit and community. A worthy shortlist for your book club this summer.

'Violets' by Kyung-Sook Shin is a beautiful and sad story about a young girl who, trapped by loneliness, heads to the city in search of love and friendship. A poignant and soul-searching read.

Set in South Korea, it tells the story of San, who abandoned first by her father and later by her mother, leaves her village following an emotional incident with her best friend. San moves to Seoul in search of a new start in life and begins work in a flower shop. Here she learns the art of taking care of plants and flowers and finds a new friend, Su-ae who by contrast is vibrant, fearless and full of life. San comes out of her shell and seems to be enjoying a new life.

Yet all this changes when a young male photographer arrives at the shop to photograph violets for a magazine. He captures San’s loneliness in a beautiful picture. Several months later they are unexpectedly reunited in a café and a brief special moment passes between them. San becomes obsessed by this moment and an overwhelming desire to be loved by him. She becomes totally lost in the moment and begins to stalk him before inevitably discovering her feelings do not match his. Consequently, San spirals with dangerous consequences. The final scenes of the book are dramatic and poignant.

As the author writes in her afterword, Violets are very small plants which are often overlooked as weeds. San is continually overlooked. The story stays with you - surely a sign that the author achieved her aim of making us listen to the voices of those women silenced and discriminated against. The author also references music from ‘Buena Vista Social Club’ and translates the lines - “I want to hide my pain from the flowers. I don’t want to tell them of life’s suffering. Because if they know my sadness, the flowers will cry too.“

A remarkable, heart-rending read.

A witty and entertaining spy vintage classic from the English novelist Graham Greene. Set in exotic Cuba, ‘Our Man in Havana’ (published in 1958) predates the missile crisis but presents the Cold War tensions that were rising with the real threat of a communist take over.

The story revolves around the novel’s comic character and British expat, Wormold, who is a vacuum cleaner salesman in Havana selling the latest ‘Atomic Pile Cleaner' in a city prone to power cuts making his pitch somewhat tough. Meanwhile his teen daughter is living well beyond her means so when a mysterious Englishman (and spy) offers extra income for local intel Wormold is tempted. In return, all he has to do is carry out a little espionage and file a few reports. As the reports are heading back to MI6’s HQ in England, Wormold decides to send fake reports, but when these start coming true Havana becomes a more threatening place!

The Den enjoyed being whisked away to another world and time in which spy activity was rudimentary and channels of communication unreliable. We also enjoyed the characters, all lightly drawn and woven into the carefully crafted spoof caper and it was a wonderful treat to enjoy a spy thriller that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Entertainment at its best.

The Den has also reviewed ‘The End of the Affair’ which can be found in the library.

As with many of our favourite authors, they are always more special when they absorb you in a country and period of history you know little about.  "Half of a Yellow Sun" is no exception as this stunning book follows the lives of five main characters during the Biafra Nigeria civil war of 1967-70. 

The story is portrayed through the intersection of three lives: Ugwa who arrives aged 13 from his village to work for Odenigbo, an arrogant and radical professor at the university. Olanna, the professor's privileged, well educated lover who is determined to be set apart from the rest of her family and Richard, an Englishman married to Olanna’s twin sister Kainene, from whom she has grown apart.  

The once highly charged intellectual evenings at Odenigbo’s house in Nsukka become a fight for survival as war ravages the country and they are forced to flee their former life as refugees. It is when the events of war and hardship cause all privileges to be removed and society to break down that the story reveals those who are able to cope and survive and those who sadly crumble and fade as their previous lives are overturned. 

A deeply moving and passionate novel that sweeps you away with these tragic events by telling the story through these differing characters in such an empathetic and humane way. Totally compelling.

There is a film adaptation starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton (2013) but sometimes a book has so much richness, you don’t need any other format.

Set in Turkey, "10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World" is a remarkable and infectious story which is beautifully written and sure to bring a lump to your throat. Short-listed for the 2019 Booker Prize, expect to be literally turned upside down in this haunting and imaginative novel. 

Tequila Leila is dead, a prostitute murdered and left in a waste container on the outskirts  of  Istanbul. There is a period of 10 minutes 38 seconds before her brain cells shut down when her mind recalls key moments from her life. She leaves behind five special friends – also outcasts in society and her first thought is of them and the brilliant, colourful funeral they will give her. The grief-stricken friends in turn are determined to rescue their brilliant friend from having an unnamed burial in the Cemetery of the Companionless out of town. Their determination and love binds these unique individuals together as they break down barriers and beat the system to give Leila the end she deserves and should be entitled to.

There are so many dimensions to this book beginning with the suffering and silencing of women within a patriarchal society, the exploitation of sexual workers, gender equality, the attempt to suppress student activists and the corrupt hierarchy of the wealthy.

Although it is a dark and brutal book, it also has such humanity and the end is wonderfully told and beautifully moving. We were blown away in the Den. For some it was too disturbing, too weird, sometimes surreal but all agreed on its creative flair and imagination. Leila is a wonderful character, and her unassuming nature means she is likeable because despite having no proper education she is clearly intelligent and interested in life beyond her village and her claustrophobic family.  

Sadly, Elif Shafak feels she is unable to travel back to Turkey for fear she may be arrested. This makes reading this book even more important in bringing these issues to the forefront. She is giving a voice to those who don't have one. 

Den recommendation - follow Elif Shafak on twitter for her insightful and thought provoking tweets.

Some novels never leave you and remain a talking point amongst book clubbers when you brave our 5th birthday favourite (and a natural Wild Card)! Milkman by Anna Burns is a Booker Prize Winner (2018) and an extraordinary novel that has the potential to divide opinion in your book club - so definitely a wild card choice but one that we urge you to experience.

Set in Northern Ireland during the 1970’s Troubles, it tells the story of a young girl dealing with the gossip, rumours and “what ifs” over what she may or may not have done, been part of or witnessed. Everyone is anonymous - no person or places are named - and this becomes a marmite moment for readers as stylistically it is ground-breaking, potentially challenging but truly innovative.

The novel tells the story of 'Milkman', an older man, presumed to be a leader of a paramilitary group, who starts to encroach on the life of the young narrator 'Middle Sister'. Through a stream of consciousness the reader experiences the sinister impact of Milkman's presence which escalates and suffocates Middle Sister's otherwise quiet but tough life. To escape the troubles Middle Sister indulges in long distance running with 'third brother in law', reading classics whilst walking, French night-time classes and meet ups with 'maybe boyfriend'. But the arrival of Milkman interrupts this and her relationship with him quickly escalates “beyond the pale.”

The novel touches on allegiance, trust, the danger of stepping out of line, but the young girl herself tells the story with dark humour and an originality that gives her and the reader hope. Burns herself has said that whilst her book focuses on the repressive society of Northern Ireland, there are many relevant parallels with other repressive regimes.

There has been much debate about whether you have to work at reading this book. Some of the Den found it hard to get into the mind-set whilst others found it spellbinding and unputdownable. It is a unique and inspirational novel, one we think you will be very pleased to have read.

Russia has always provided an alluring backdrop for drama, spy thrillers and romance and whilst a no-go destination for travel we couldn't deny this book's place in the Den's 5th Birthday favourites. Towles's fans have recently enjoyed his latest epic adventure 'The Lincoln Highway'. However, 'A Gentleman In Moscow' remains in our hearts as an award winning and enduring favourite book club choice. Also a popular must read novel, before Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation hits the screen with Ewan McGregor as the Count.

Set against the Bolshevik revolt, the lead character Count Alexander is a loveable cultured hero who is condemned for writing a poem that offends the regime. His punishment as well as house arrest in the luxury hotel where he resides is to take up a staff post. The count is a smooth operator and humbly accepts and handles his new working life with charm, wit and grace. He is the eternal optimist and you just can’t help falling for him. It is an epic tale of love and humanity that begins just as the Russian Revolution takes its grip on the capital, passing through the second world war and then on to the Cold War and the Soviet Regime.
If you want to enjoy Russian history but never quite found the time or energy to read Tolstoy this will transport you back. You just can’t help racing through the short chapters so don’t be put off by the length, because it is a book which will you keep enthralled! It is also definitely a perfect holiday read. One that none of us wanted to put down.

​Amor Towles is a bestselling and book club favourite author of 'The Lincoln Highway' and 'Rules Of Civility' - both in the Den's library.

An imaginative and truly unique story that is touching, funny and tragic about feeling the pain of grief and surviving heart-break and loss. Written in the style of a modern-day fable, this is a beautifully written novel to be read with caution, because it is sad, tough but delicately crafted with warmth and hope. Now in paperback and picked by the Den to recognise Mental Health Week which falls in May.

‘Isaac and the Egg’ is the story of a broken young man who finds himself with dark thoughts on ‘Dog Suicide Bridge’ when a scream in the woods catches his attention. He is drawn into the clearing to discover an enormous white egg which is a fantastical figure who arrives glittering like a Fabergé piece. Whilst this may sound improbable, this is our introduction to a magical story about the grief stricken Isaac whose unlikely companion is able to befriend him and help guide and transform his grieving process which on the face of it seem unimaginable. As the book explains ‘Sometimes to get out of the woods, you have to go into them’.

The reader is carried along by Isaac’s story that draws out his emotions as they evolve from the depths of despair to curiosity (befriending Egg), anger that is literally expressed in the typography (aaarrrrgghhhhh) towards an overwhelming sense of lack of control, in spite of the warmth that he experiences from family, carers and doctors who we meet as his story unravels.

The novel provides an understanding of Isaac’s grief from the inside, and evokes unexpected emotions for the reader who is captivated by the story, gaining an appreciation of those who are struggling with loss. Den readers enjoyed the visual narration and appreciated the fantastical aspects that the Egg brought to Isaac's world.

A truly original piece of writing and destined to be passed on as a 'must read' book!

Our missed opportunity is a wonderfully imaginative and beautifully written novel by Mario Vargas Llosa who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2010. Set in Peru in 1950’s the story alternates between a passionate scandalous love affair interspersed with crazy, highly amusing instalments of a radio soap opera. Hidden gem of a read.

Varguitas (Mario) is 18, studying law at university whilst working on the news bulletins at a struggling radio station in Lima. He lives with his grandparents and on a visit to his uncle Lucho meets Aunt Julia. Aunt Julia is a 32-year-old divorcee, recently arrived in Lima in search for a new husband. Mario becomes totally smitten with Aunt Julia who is not a blood relative. Gradually his feelings are reciprocated as they begin a clandestine love affair at a time when such an age gap and the fact Aunt Julia is divorced would be deemed scandalous for any respected catholic family.

Mario’s dream is to be a writer and live in Paris, so when he meets Pedro Camacho, an eccentric Bolivian writer who has been employed by the radio station to up its ratings, they form an unlikely friendship. The novel alternates between the developing relationship between Mario and Aunt Julia and episodes from the now highly anticipated and successful instalments from the radio show. However, as the lovers become careless and expose their relationship can Mario and Aunt Julia survive the wrath of his family who had such high hopes for him. Meanwhile Pedro Camacho begins to suffer from exhaustion and memory lapses causing him to confuse his characters and make appearances in the wrong stories. What will be become of this rather shambolic, unsightly figure with a magical voice and gift for storytelling?

Through Pedro Camacho’s soap opera, Llosa has created highly entertaining, often bizarre and highly imaginative parables. Usually revolving around tragedy and always ending on a cliff-hanger, they often tell a ‘rags to riches’ tale or vice versa.

This is a beautifully written and comic book which has semi-autobiographical influences as Vargas Llosa himself married his “Aunt Julia”, also not his actual aunt (!) and started his career working in a radio station. Vargas Llosa not only gives an insight into the complexities of being a writer, he also ponders the often absurd turning points of life and parallels of tragedy and comedy within our fragile lives. An unexpected, entertaining treat for any book club.

The book was made into a film called ‘Tune in Tomorrow’ in 1990 with Keanu Reeves but was switched to the US location of New Orleans - so definitely worthwhile reading the book set in its original Peruvian setting first.

A brave and compelling debut novel by Louise Kennedy (short-listed for the 2023 Women’s Prize for Fiction). Set during The Troubles in Northern Ireland, 'Trespasses' centres on love and the challenges of living and working on a daily basis during this period of sectarian and political unrest.

It's 1975 and Cushla Lavey, a young Catholic primary school teacher in her twenties lives at home with her alcoholic mother whilst also serving in the family pub. Here she meets Michael, an older, married barrister and perhaps most significantly, a Protestant. They begin a precarious and secretive relationship. At the same time, Cushla becomes close to Davey, one of her pupils from school, who coming from a disadvantaged Catholic family is bullied and marginalised. Both these relationships are dangerous and perhaps destined for failure?

Cushla is educated and bright and yet the focus from both her mother and brother is to settle down, marry and have her own family. The pub adds a testing dimension as it is a place where the regulars include many Protestants, but also members of the British army. Kennedy, the author, grew up in Northern Ireland during this era and therefore has candidly captured the complications of growing up Catholic in a predominantly Protestant town, making 'Trespasses' all the more poignant.

In Cushla, Kennedy has created a captivating and charming character, but also frustrating as this typically chaotic 20 year-old allows her well intentioned actions and naivety to lead towards disastrous consequences. Cushla is often unaware of the risks she is taking and the lines she is crossing which makes her vulnerability even more striking. Her close friend Jerry, who whilst not knowing the extent of what she is up to and who she is seeing, supports her throughout which adds humour and a touching reality to her predicament.

'Trespasses' is a beautiful and heart-breaking read which opens your eyes to the constraints of class and religion on young people trying to live their lives in 'The Troubles'. A moving, touching and wonderful read which gives a breath-taking, honest insight into this fragile period.

Den tip - The book begins and ends in the same place, so it is worthwhile re-reading the opening pages again once you have read the book.

We read and reviewed the brilliant “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel back in 2021 (see our library). The story was about the effects of a devastating pandemic before Covid. 'Sea of Tranquility' is another masterpiece by Mandel, a joyful short novel which blends four stories from different time periods after three people all experience a moment from ‘elsewhere in time’. Mandel imagines time travel and a future when humans inhabit moon colonies, travelling on commercial airbuses to and from earth. But is this the future, or is it just time simulation?

The story begins is 1912 when Edwin St. John St. Andrew, an entitled aristocrat (and yes, he is a descendant from the author’s own family) arrives from England in the Canadian Wilderness believing the country is there for the taking. One day he witnesses a dissociated moment in the forest which he cannot fathom and is deeply disturbed by. Also present is a priest, Gaspery Roberts whom Edwin believes witnesses the same event but can not be traced. The reader is then transported to February 2022 and Mirella (a character from St. John Mandel’s 'The Glass House') arrives in New York in search of her lost friend and photographer Vincent. Mirella meets Vincent’s brother Paul who, by chance, is in the company of Gaspery Roberts. Gaspery is enquiring about a peculiar piece of footage made by Vincent in which her film is unexpectedly interrupted by a strange anomaly of a forest path before it goes black accompanied by the sound of a violin.

Then time leaps to forward to 2203 and famed author Olive Llewellyn leaves her husband and daughter on the 2nd moon colony to undertake an epic book tour on earth just as an unknown pandemic is arriving. The reader is then transported to the Time Institute in 2401 in which brother and sister, Zoey and Gaspery Roberts (who we now learn was named after a detective in Olive’s bestselling book), have noticed these anomalies and set about trying to investigate them by travelling in time to the place of their occurrence, the condition being they must not try and change the course of events knowing the outcome as they do.

This storyline may sound confusing, but in Mandel’s hands it isn’t – she wonderfully merges the unimaginable possibility of time travel, layered with the possibility of simulation hypothesis and makes it imaginable. She develops her characters so you connect with them and their everyday routine of normal relationships and family love. Then she raises the question, is the world always ending and a new world beginning? What makes a world real? And even if we do live in a simulation hypothesis, does it matter if it still feels real. Are our current day cities any different from living in a moon colony with an artificial dome? When Mandel’s characters long to gaze at the fields worked by robots and the sky filled with airships you believe it is real.

There is so much to reflect on and discuss in this book – it was a top hit in our book club and an ingenious piece of storytelling.

This is a wonderfully paced Missed Opportunity novel that tells two intriguing stories about love, passion and art, one set in the swinging ’60s of London and the other some years earlier in rural Spain when civil unrest is growing. Written by Jesse Burton, this is the author’s second novel that follows her highly acclaimed ‘The Miniaturist’.

‘The Muse’ begins in Dolcis, a shoe shop in Clapham. It's 1967 and Odelle Bastien, who arrived from Trinidad some five years earlier, has secured a typist position at a London art gallery, appealing to her interest in the arts and allowing her to move on from her shop assistant role. Odelle is employed by the enigmatic Marjorie Quick. When a lost masterpiece, 'Rufina and the Lion', arrives at the gallery, Quick is transfixed and more than curious, as is Odelle who is determined to unravel the truth.

The painting’s secret history lies in 1936 in rural Spain and the reader is taken back to this period in which Olive Schloss, the daughter of a renowned art dealer is harbouring her own artistic talents. Whilst Olive remains too scared to confront her father about her own creative ambitions she falls in love with the political activist, Isaac Robles, who is employed by the Schloss family.

The two stories run side by side as we begin to discover the mystery of the lost masterpiece. The Den enjoyed the sense of urgency in the novel and an exciting eagerness to know who is going to escape the dangerous war in Spain and how the 'Rufina' painting is going to survive. Plenty of stories to unpick in our book club discussion as well as the characters themselves as they are presented in the stories. A delightful read for all.