Tag: Contemporary Fiction
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The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden: Sensual, Suspenseful and Simmering with Secrets
I finally picked up The Safekeep after seeing it buzz around the Women’s Prize shortlist – and I’m so glad I did. This one’s not just a historical novel, or a slow-burn romance, or a psychological character study. It’s all three – and then some. We follow Isabel, who lives alone in her dead mother’s…
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Good Girl by Aria Aber: What it Means to Be Seen
Let me start by saying Good Girl absolutely wrecked me. Not in a sobbing-on-the-floor kind of way, but in that deep, disorienting, quietly-knocks-the-air-out-of-you way. I picked this up because it was shortlisted for the Women’s Prize and I was intrigued, given how much I loved the other longlisted and shortlisted books that I’d read. Aber…
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Counterattacks at Thirty by Sohn Won-pyung: Eggs, Invented Boyfriends & Quiet Rage
I went into Counterattacks at Thirty with pretty high hopes. I haven’t actually read Almond, Sohn Won-pyung’s breakout novel, but I’ve heard amazing things, so when I spotted this coming out, I figured it would be right up my street. A story about a woman at a dead-end job who starts fighting back in small,…
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Author Spotlight: Roisín O’Donnell
In the spirit of St Patrick’s Day, I wanted to shine a light on a fantastic Irish author whose work has deeply impressed me: Roisín O’Donnell. Who is Roisín O’Donnell? Roisín O’Donnell is a talented Irish writer, living near Dublin, whose powerful storytelling has earned her a well-deserved place in the literary spotlight. In 2018,…
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Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis: Bold, Thought-Provoking and Surprisingly Sharp
If you told me a few months ago that I’d be reading a novel set in Baghdad’s Green Zone, exploring radicalisation, family fractures, and political gamesmanship, I would have been surprised. But, as soon as I saw Fundamentally being released on Goldsboro’s website, I knew I had to pre-order it. It’s also now been longlisted…
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Nesting by Roisin O’Donnell – A Surprising Gem That Stole My Heart
I have to admit I wasn’t expecting to love Nesting as much as I did. It was delivered as part of my Goldsboro Premier subscription, and while I thought it would be a pleasant enough read, Goldsboro hit it spot on with this one. Roisin O’Donnell’s writing has this wonderfully warm yet haunting quality that…
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The Favourites by Layne Fargo: Betrayal, and Skating Drama You Can’t Look Away From
I went into The Favourites not knowing what to expect. Maybe it wouldn’t be my cup of tea but it was my December Goldsboro Premier pick so I put my trust in the team at Goldsboro and settled in. I was perhaps expecting some ice-skating drama, but what I got was so much more –…
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The Lamb by Lucy Rose: The Book That Made Me Late to a Baby Shower (And Was Totally Worth It!)
“On my fourth birthday, I plucked six severed fingers from the shower drain.” Yep, that’s the opening line. If that doesn’t grab your attention, I don’t know what will. The Lamb by Lucy Rose had me hooked. I read it in one sitting – yes, one! – and ended up being late to a baby…
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Butter by Asako Yuzuki: A Book I Expected to Love…But Didn’t Quite
I went into Butter by Asako Yuzuki with high hopes – it was Waterstones’ Book of the Year, after all – but I ended up feeling a little…underwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong, there’s lots to admire about this book, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d been expecting something different. What Worked For Me…
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