Tag: reading
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All Fours by Miranda July: Wild, Weird and Unapologetically Honest

You know when you finish a book and just sit there like…huh. That was a lot. That was me with All Fours. It’s sharp, messy, clever, and undeniably Miranda July – which is to say, it will either completely click with you or leave you frustrated. For me, it was both. I gave it four…
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This Is Not A Game by Kelly Mullen: Chaos in a Locked-Room Whodunnit

You know when a book just delivers exactly what you hoped for – clever, cosy, a little bit camp, and absolutely cramped with red herrings? This was This Is Not a Game for me. A classic murder mystery in a snowed-in mansion, but with a quirky modern twist (and a lot of martinis). What’s it…
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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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Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green: A Disease of the Past?

Tuberculosis. If you’d asked me a few weeks ago, I would’ve said it was a disease of the past – something from Victorian novels or history books. But after reading Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green, I know better. And honestly? I don’t think I’ll ever look at this disease (or global healthcare) the same…
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The Trading Game by Gary Stevenson: The Highs, the Lows and the Lies We Tell Ourselves

I’ve been watching Gary Stevenson’s YouTube channel for a couple of years now, so when The Trading Game came out, I was genuinely curious. Watching someone go from rags to riches and then use that experience to critique the very system that made them? That’s exactly the kind of contradiction I find fascinating. Plus, working…
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The Seven Ages of Death by Dr Richard Shepherd: A Deep Dive into Life and Loss

I’ve been fascinated by Dr Richard Shepherd’s work since I first read his book Unnatural Causes. So, when I spotted The Seven Ages of Death, I knew I had to pick it up. If you’re unfamiliar with Shepherd, he’s a renowned forensic pathologist whose career has spanned decades – meaning his stories are captivating as…
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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…
