Many thanks again to the brilliant Manchester Libraries who keep me supplied with books. Happy reading!
Helm by Sara Hall
Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
Galore by Michael Crummey
Homecoming by Kate Morton
Heart The Lover by Lily King
Slags by Emma Jane Unsworth
The Waiting by Michael Connelly
A House for Alice by Diana Evans
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Take Nothing With You by Patrick Gale
Where The Lost Wander by Amy Harmon
Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
These are the books I want to run around telling people about because reading them brought me so much pleasure. We don’t all enjoy the same stories but maybe something here will appeal to you. Happy Reading!
The Last Migration by Charlotte McConaghy 
Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson
The Names by Florence Knapp
Seascraper by Benjamin Wood
The Good Liar by Denise Mina
Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy
The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey
Time of the Child by Niall Williams
The Good Father by Liam McIlvanney
These titles have kept me absorbed and often moved over the last few weeks. There were a few others that I gave up on (life’s way too short to keep reading something I’m not enjoying) but I prefer to celebrate and spread the word about books I like rather than diss the ones I don’t. Perhaps you’ll find something here that you’ll enjoy. Happy reading!
The Adversary by Michael Crummey
Playground by Richard Powers
The Broken River by Chris Hammer
There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
Quiet Dell by Jayne Anne Phillips
The Riders by Tim Winton
Dream State by Eric Puchner
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
Love Forms by Claire Adam
All Us Sinners by Katy Massey
The Rest of Our Life by Benjamin Markovitz
The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Here are some titles I devoured recently. I had a holiday too which gave me even more time to read. Some of these are historical, one’s futuristic, several are set on islands. You might find something you like in the list. If so Happy Reading!
The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde by Eve Chase
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola
The Wild by Kristin Hannah
The Innocents by Michael Crummey
Boy Underground by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Private Rites by Julia Armfield
Walk Me to the Distance by Percival Everett
Night Road by Kristin Hannah
Butterflies in November by Auður A. Ólafsdóttir and Brian FitzGibbon
Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips
Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Connor
Here are some of the novels I’ve really enjoyed recently. Vivid characters, evocative settings, poignant and gripping stories. Happy reading!
The Book of Secrets by Anna Mazzola
My Friends by Hisham Matar
The Forgetting by Hannah Beckerman
Long Bright River by Liz Moore
When The Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen
Heart Be At Peace by Donal Ryan
Brave Girl, Quiet Girl by Catherine Ryan Hyde
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
The Secret Room by Jane Casey
Broken Country by Claire Leslie Hall
The Unwilding by Marina Kemp
I’ve not been posting my recommended reads as often as I’d like and now I’ve a huge backlog to share. So this time round I’m including twice as many as usual. All gave me great pleasure. Hope you find something to enjoy here. Happy Reading!
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
The Weekend by Charlotte Wood
The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey
Day’s End by Gary Disher
A Little Trickerie by Rosanne Pike
Heft by Liz Moore
The Women by Kristin Hannah
All The Lives We Never Lived by Anuradha Roy
The River Within by Karen Powell
The Porpoise by Mark Haddon
The Ecliptic by Benjamin Wood
Heaven, My Home by Attica Locke
In The Distance by Hernan Diaz
Clear by Carys Davies
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
When The Music Stops by Joe Heap
Summer can be murder, out on the sun-scorched Yorkshire Fells.
I’m so pleased to see the sequel to THE FELLS published. It’s a pleasure to write about Leo and Shan and the wonderful setting of the Yorkshire Dales. Tyler Prasad, a teenager who is joining an eco-protest is shot in a brutal attack that baffles Leo and Shan. There’s no shortage of gunmen roving the land in search of grouse — most of them staying at luxury country-house retreat, Patefield Grange. The Grange is a hotbed of smouldering secrets. Which was worth killing for? Leo and Shan must solve the case before it all goes up in smoke . . .
If you’ve any time to read coming up here are some books I really enjoyed. Check them out. Hope you find something you like.
The Borrowed Hills by Scott Preston
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
I Still Dream by James Smythe
The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Frank and Red by Matt Coyne
Gliff by Ali Smith
The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller
Juice by Tim Winton
Going Home by Tom Lamont
Hunted by Abir Mukherjee
The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
Here are some of the wonderful stories I’ve enjoyed recently. A big shout out to Manchester Libraries who supply me with so many of the books I read. If you’ve a public library near you do sign up. In the UK and Ireland authors get a few pence for every book borrowed. Another reason to love libraries. Happy reading!
The Safe Keep Yael Van Der Wouden
My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connor
The Last King of California by Jordan Harper
The Cracked Mirror by Chris Brookmyre
The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi
A Year of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman
Killing Jericho by William Hussey
Fifteen Wild Decembers by Karen Powell
A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson
The Night Always Comes by Willy Vlautin
THE FELLS, the first Donovan and Young mystery, is on the fiction shortlist for The People’s Book Prize! It was a wonderful surprise when I heard the news. The winner is picked by popular vote so if you enjoyed it I’d be very grateful if you’d vote for it here. Just scroll down to find the voting form.
It is always nerve-wracking starting a new series but the response I’ve had from readers has been fantastic, people have really taken to Leo and Shan and are keen to hear more from them. (A second outing is in the works). And the stunning Yorkshire Dales setting has proved very popular. To have the book short-listed for a major prize as well has made my year. Cheers everyone!
