The Montessori Toddler: A Parent’s Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being by Simone Davies (2018)

I realise that this book is a bit of a departure from the sort of thing reviewed in my last few posts (which I realise were months ago, hello 2021), but this is the first book I have read all the way through since I think October - so I'm reviewing it. Honestly having a… Continue reading The Montessori Toddler: A Parent’s Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being by Simone Davies (2018)

Baby and Birth Books – My Reading So Far

I am now 34 weeks pregnant and while talking to friends and relatives with children about pregnancy and birth has been great, along with information from the midwife and the NCT course we just did, I have also been doing a bit of reading about all this as well - of course! I’ve got a… Continue reading Baby and Birth Books – My Reading So Far

Tangerine by Christine Mangan (2018)

Tangerine is one of those novels that got quite a lot of hype when it first came out, and again when it was released in paperback. This usually means that I would avoid it for fear of disappointment/conventionality, but the premise of this one really intrigued me. Ostensibly it's a story about two friends, separated… Continue reading Tangerine by Christine Mangan (2018)

The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams (2018)

I think I was initially drawn to this book because of the William Morrow hardback cover on GoodReads - it makes The Summer Wives look like a glamorous and mysterious society tale, which, in a way, it is. But I have to say that when I actually got round to reading it, The Summer Wives… Continue reading The Summer Wives by Beatriz Williams (2018)

No Place to Lay One’s Head by Françoise Frenkel (1945), trans. Stephanie Smee

I came across Bookish Beck's review of No Place to Lay One's Head last month and knew I just had to read it. It is the memoir of Françoise Frenkel, a Jewish woman from Poland who opened the first French-language bookshop in Berlin, in 1921. She had studied in France, and when on a visit… Continue reading No Place to Lay One’s Head by Françoise Frenkel (1945), trans. Stephanie Smee

Shadow winner for The Sunday Times / Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer Of The Year Award, in association with The University of Warwick announced!

As you may have read on Twitter, on the award website, and my fellow shadow panel member's blogs, our winner for the Young Writer of the Year Award has been announced! And the winner is... The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar! I reviewed the book here, and I have to say I… Continue reading Shadow winner for The Sunday Times / Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer Of The Year Award, in association with The University of Warwick announced!

The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar (2018) – shortlisted for The Sunday Times / Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer Of The Year Award, in association with The University of Warwick

The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock continues the trend of historical novels that are filled with rich detail, the glamour and grunge of the city, and a vivid cast of characters. This novel also brings in a slightly fantastical element with the mermaid, which I think makes it a bit more original than some other novels… Continue reading The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock by Imogen Hermes Gowar (2018) – shortlisted for The Sunday Times / Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer Of The Year Award, in association with The University of Warwick

Kings of the Yukon by Adam Weymouth (2018) – shortlisted for The Sunday Times / Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer Of The Year Award, in association with The University of Warwick

I had not heard of this book when it was shortlisted for the Young Writer of the Year Award, and I was pleased to have the opportunity to read it - I have always liked travel writing, and I love to read about places and things I know nothing about, but still find interesting. Kings… Continue reading Kings of the Yukon by Adam Weymouth (2018) – shortlisted for The Sunday Times / Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer Of The Year Award, in association with The University of Warwick

The Reading Cure by Laura Freeman (2018) – shortlisted for The Sunday Times / Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer Of The Year Award, in association with The University of Warwick

I'd had The Reading Cure on my GoodReads TBR for a while, so I was pleased to see that it was shortlisted for The Young Writer Of The Year Award, and I would have a reason to actually hurry up and read it. It is a memoir that blends together the personal and the literary,… Continue reading The Reading Cure by Laura Freeman (2018) – shortlisted for The Sunday Times / Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer Of The Year Award, in association with The University of Warwick

House of Glass by Susan Fletcher (2018)

I loved Susan Fletcher's last novel, Let Me Tell You About a Man I Knew, so I was very happy to accept a review copy of House of Glass, which was published at the start of November. It's another historical drama, this time centering on a woman named Clara Waterfield, who is employed to create… Continue reading House of Glass by Susan Fletcher (2018)