Fiction

1. Love Lane by Patrick Gale

Love Lane reintroduces Harry Cane, who has made a life for himself as a wheat farmer in Canada, but is forced to return to England once more. There, he is reunited with his long-lost daughter and an extended family who lovingly accept their so-called ‘Cowboy Grandpa’. The novel is told from a number of perspectives and seamlessly spans decades, thanks to Gale’s masterful storytelling. It is atmospheric and tender, while portraying the frequently complex dynamics of family. Gale is a fantastic scene-setter, whether it’s the desolate prairies of Saskatchewan or the inside of Walton Prison; you won’t be able to put it down.

2. The Palm House by Gwendoline Riley


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Laura Miller’s friend Edmund Putnam is entering something of a mid-life crisis. He has recently lost his father, and the job he loves at a magazine has become insufferable after the arrival of a new editor. Laura is dealing with plenty of issues herself, trying to navigate life in London while dealing with a difficult relationship with her mother and the memories of her adolescence it brings back. But she is determined to stop Putnam – who is increasingly feeling like a man out of time – slipping into despair. Set in London’s media world, there might not be anything particularly fresh in the story, but The Palm House once again demonstrates Gwendoline Riley’s keen eye for detail, communicated through spare, precise prose. The actual plot is very limited – instead this is a book about characters and their relationships, and the enduring friendships that carry people through.

3. Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin

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Few books can be inhaled in a single sitting, but Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin, author of Wandering Souls, proves to be one of them. However, prepare to feel utterly chilled and hollowed out by the end of it. Ollie is born the day the Challenger Shuttle breaks apart, and although his childhood passes quite unremarkably, except for one summer spent with the tenacious, vivacious Philly, somehow, step-by-step, he finds himself becoming an astronaut. One tasked with a mission, arranged by a company run by a billionaire (reminiscent of certain personalities currently in the space race…) that will mean leaving his family for an entire decade. Ollie is simultaneously unlikeable and unknowable, but his predicament, and his cool, glassy ability to just keep plodding on with his fate, regardless of the sacrifice, is entrancing. Pin’s prose is incredibly precise and evocative, which staves off just enough of Ollie’s numbing presence. An arresting but strangely insidious read.

Non-fiction

4. Lifeboat At The End Of The World by Dominic Gregory

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This work of non-fiction gives a fascinating insight into the world of a lifeboat volunteer and the human experiences faced by the crew and those it saves. Set in the vast landscape of Dungeness and the English Channel, author Dominic Gregory does well to navigate the service’s 200-year history with present day. It is a moving first-hand account of ordinary people’s courage with vivid imagery down to the smell and sense of being in the sea for hours cold and wet in the dark. In Gregory’s first book, readers are also given a compassionate account of rescuing people in dinghies trying to cross the English Channel, putting humanity and duty first above the political debate around them.

Children’s book of the week

5. The Magic Scarf by Em Cosh

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A dancer called Jay and a fluffy dog called Star are both shy, so hide from animals, children and even their own shadows. When a huge scarf arrives in a box, both their lives are changed, as it blows in the wind as they speed off on a scooter – leaving flowers falling around the animals and children they used to hide from. Music magically is heard and the pair’s shyness disappears as they dance through the town, which becomes less scary as the streets are filled with new friends. The book, from the author of Kip And The Squiggledoodle, is beautifully illustrated with colourful images of the two main characters – and the special gift which changed their lives. A note from the author explains how when the world seems scary, connecting with others can bring joy.