The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks. Katie Kirby

5 Mar 2021

3 stars for this children's book in diary format. This children's novel introduces us to Lottie Brooks, aged eleven and three quarters, who will start high school after the summer…

In the Shadow of 10,000 Hills. Jennifer Haupt

1 Apr 20182 Mar 2018

5 stars for this debut novel by Jennifer Haupt. In the Shadow of 10,000 Hills is a moving and beautiful book. Initially, I wasn't sure about reading a novel about…

The Waking Land. Callie Bates

16 Feb 201817 Feb 2018

3 stars for this debut fantasy novel. The main character in The Waking Land is Elanna Valtai, a young woman who was held hostage, albeit in a gilded cage, for…

Elmet. Fiona Mozley

8 Feb 20188 Feb 2018

5 stars for this novel, a stunning debut by Man Booker Prize-nominated author Fiona Mozley. I finished this book several days ago but it has not finished with me: Elmet…

Perennials. Julie Cantrell

7 Dec 20178 Feb 2018

3.5 stars for this novel of sibling rivalry, family love and living honestly, set in the American South. In the UK, I have not seen a Christian Fiction category in…

The Break. Marian Keyes

6 Sep 2017

4 stars for The Break by Marian Keyes, a novel that manages to be both deeply sad and very funny. I read Marian Keyes books voraciously around about the time…