The Ensemble — Aja Gabel

Just finished reading It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. I went into this as more of a fact finding mission. My Instagram algorithm had me think everyone had this book down as their holy grail and I wanted to find out why. I was quite prepared to snub it…

Just finished reading Middle England by Jonathan Coe. This is actually the third in a series by Jonathan Coe where he follows a middle class family through their lives. I didn’t know this when picking it up and soon realised it didn’t matter: I fell in with the characters quickly…

Just finished reading Somebody Loves You by Mona Arshi. I know, I know, we’re not meant to judge a book by its cover but that really was the only reason I bought this book. So imagine my delight when this novel was one of the highlights of my reading for…

Just finished reading I Sent a Letter to my Love by Bernice Rubens. One of my favourite things is picking up a random book from a shelf with no context of the author nor the plot and just having a ‘feeling’ I’d enjoy it. And what’s even better is when…

Just finished reading The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler. With each passing read, Tyler proves that she can remain loyal to her stories of the human condition while being a versatile writer covering a range of issues. In this novel, Tyler focuses on a male protagonist. Macon’s marriage has crumbled…

Just finished reading The Tin Can Tree by Anne Tyler. When it comes to picking up new Tyler books, I don’t even go as far as reading the blurb. Simply, I know one day I will read all the Tyler books so it doesn’t particularly concern me in which order…

Just finished reading Luster by Raven Leilani. I’ve seen this novel everywhere recently and though my experiences with the ‘books of the moment’ are usually disappointing, I felt compelled to seek out a new voice. This book was a strange one for me: in some ways, I absolutely adored Leilani’s…

Just finished reading The Light of Day by Graham Swift. Is there any other author that captures the fragility of time and the temporal quality of life better than Swift? This novel is so many things: at once a riveting thriller and a contemplative deep-dive into the human spirit; a…