The Dictator’s Wife by Freya Berry ‘I am not my husband. I am innocent. Do you believe me?’ The beautiful, enigmatic wife of a feared dictator stands trial for her late husband’s crimes against the people. The world will finally know the truth. But whose? A BBC2 Between the Covers Book Club Pick. ‘A gripping and Read more…
Top 10: novels retold from another character’s point of view This month is all about parallel novels: familiar stories from new perspectives. Canonical novels and plays are subverted when minor characters take centre stage. Read on for ten of the best reimagined classics. Bubbling under…
Prima facie by Suzie Miller ‘This is not life. This is law.’ Tessa Ensler is a brilliant barrister who’s forged her career in criminal defence through sheer determination. Since her days at Cambridge, she’s carefully disguised her working class roots in a male-dominated world where who you know is just Read more…
Top 10: books set in the West Country Intrigue! Romance! Piracy! Rich in history and folklore, the region’s dramatic coastline and untamed countryside have long inspired literature. So, heave ho, me hearties, for ten of the best books set in the West Country. Bubbling under
Verity by Colleen Hoover Summary Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is Read more…
Top 10: legal thrillers set in the courtroom The best courtroom dramas have jeopardy, opposition and reversal of fortune. In some, the letter of the law and human morality are aligned, in others they are in direct conflict. This moral question invites the reader to be the judge. All rise Read more…
Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin Summary An extraordinary story of the journey of one young family through love, loss and unwavering hope. There are the goodbyes and then the fishing out of the bodies – everything in between is speculation. One night, not long after the last American troops leave Read more…
Top 10: literature’s influence on popular music Literature has long been a pool of inspiration for popular music. Here are ten of the best examples of works of fiction with the songs or bands they influenced.
Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart Summary A searing insider’s account of ten extraordinary years in Parliament from Rory Stewart, former Cabinet minister and co-presenter of breakout hit podcast The Rest Is Politics ‘The most exceptional political memoir I’ve ever read’ ALAN JOHNSON‘An instant classic’ MARINA HYDE‘At last a politician who can Read more…
Top 10: classic summer novels This month’s list features novels in which summer drives the plot. These are books of sultry summers where time has a hazy, dream-like quality. Frequently about love, sometimes unrequited, and loss of innocence. Classic summer novels often include a sense of transience and nostalgia. Bubbling Read more…