One of the best books I read in 2014 was The Song for Issy Bradley, Carys Bray’s Costa winning début novel. My expectations, therefore, were a tad on the high side when I picked up her latest (and second) novel The Museum...
Read More.. and here are the finalists: Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey (Viking); A Song for Issy Bradley by Carys Bray (Hutchinson); Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller (Fig Tree) As the hyperlinks above show, I’ve read...
Read MoreFor those of you not aware, since 2007 the Desmond Elliott prize has been awarded annually to the best first novel written in English and published in the UK. As with some of the more prestigious literary awards, a longlist is...
Read MoreHow to Be Both by Ali Smith in the best novel category and Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey for best first novel. The announcement (including winners of the other categories) is here. Absolutely endorse the best novel...
Read MoreI read 79 novels or author collections in 2014. Of those, 31 were written by woman and 48 were written by men. 49 of the novels were “core” genre in that they were recognisably written or published by someone...
Read MoreWhat’s It About? Tragedy hits the Bradley family when Issy, the youngest child of four, dies from a bout of meningitis. The Bradley’s are Mormons and the strict religious principles of their faith rub against the...
Read MoreApparently Costa makes fine coffee. Also, apparently, they’re interested in promoting fine literature. I can’t say much about their coffee because I don’t live in the UK, but I’m sure I’ll have a...
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