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Featuring new book reviews for Rachel Joyce's Miss Benson's Beetle, Jonathan Schneer's The Lockhart Plot and Jenny Kleeman's Sex Robots & Vegan Meat Home | Fiction | Non-Fiction | Children's | Genres | Publications | Prizes The Week in Review 27th July 2020 Reviews for Rachel Joyce's Miss Benson's Beetle herald the title her "best novel yet" Good morning Karen, There was no question of the existence of Rachel Joyce's Miss Benson's Beetle in this weekend's book reviews. The title was an Editor's Choice for The Bookseller's Alice O'Keeffe who called it a "gorgeous story about friendship, adventure and the importance of taking risks." In the Sunday Times, Patricia Nicol called Joyce's novel "a life-affirming, joyously escapist picaresque tale." Whilst in the Times, Melissa Katsoulis called the work "Joyce’s best novel yet". Over in Woman & Home, Zoe West called the book "a heart-warming read". Jonathan Schneer's The Lockhart Plot was revealed to this weekend's reviewers. In the Literary Review, Alexander Watson said: "Schneer’s pacey book transports its readers to the world’s first communist state in its early months." Over in the Guardian, Jonathan Steele had high praise for the title: "Schneer has written a rollicking and thriller-like narrative that captures the chaos and turbulence of post-revolutionary Petrograd and Moscow but leaves it to the reader to decide." Finally, in the Sunday Times, Dominic Sandbrook called the book "terrifically entertaining".  Jenny Kleeman's Sex Robots & Vegan Meat advanced into the reviews this weekend. In the New Statesman, Johanna Thomas-Corr called the book an "entertaining survey of the latest advances in life sciences." In the Spectator, Tom Chivers praised the writer: "She’s an engaging writer, and the book is often moving." Finally, in the Sunday Telegraph, Eleanor Halls said the book is "an epic exercise in concision – all four of these sprawling chapters could have run to books on their own, and at times I wish they had." By Tamsin Hackett, Books Co-ordinator, The Bookseller Book of the Week Miss Benson's Beetle Rachel Joyce 4.27 out of 5 | 5 reviews "A heart-warming read" Woman & Home "A gorgeous story " The Bookseller " this is a bumpy ride, but worth it" Daily Mail "a life-affirming, joyously escapist picaresque tale" The Sunday Times Latest Reviews Intimations Zadie Smith TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...Smith’s gifts as a novelist animate her essays" The New York Times The Lockhart Plot Jonathan Schneer  4 out of 5 3 reviews "...The rollicking story of how a maverick British envoy to the Bolshevik regime assisted in a couner-revolutionary plot to bring down Lenin" The Guardian All Adults Here Emma Straub TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...A warm, involving story about growing up in a family" The Bookseller Small Pleasures Clare Chambers 4.3 out of 5 8 reviews "...an absorbing mystery and a tender love story" The Bookseller The Pull of the Stars Emma Donoghue TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...Donoghue writes with such brilliant relish.." The Sunday Times The New Girl Daniel Silva TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...The New Girl is the 19th outing for the Israeli spymaster and is as enjoyable as ev" Financial Times If I Had Your Face Frances Cha TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...a gloriously camp celebration of the excesses of a deranged society" Irish Times Greed is Dead Paul Collier, John Kay TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...This pair of economists’ polemic against self-interest takes swipes at everything from NHS managers to identity politics" The Daily Telegraph The Phone Box at the Edge of the World Laura Imai Messina 4.1 out of 5 4 reviews "...perfect poignant read" Woman & Home Miss Benson's Beetle Rachel Joyce 4.3 out of 5 5 reviews "...A gorgeous story " The Bookseller Haldane John Campbell TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...Campbell’s book is not a biography, but rather an act of homage to a man for whom he asserts lifelong admiration: he has been visiting Cloan since boyhood." The Sunday Times The Good Sharps Hester Grant 4.1 out of 5 4 reviews "...Only narrative histories such as this, which interweave biography with a broader history, can fully express such lives." The Sunday Times Best Reviewed British Summer Time Begins Ysenda Maxtone Graham 4.5 out of 5 4 reviews "...Evocative memories of roaming out of parental reach" The Guardian A Double Life Charlotte Philby 4.4 out of 5 3 reviews "...A new star has arrived in the thriller firmament" The Times Beethoven Laura Tunbridge 4.3 out of 5 6 reviews "... The author lets the music do the talking in this pithy new biography" The Observer The Liar's Dictionary Eley Williams 4.3 out of 5 7 reviews "...a glorious novel – a perfectly crafted investigation of our ability to define words and their power to define us." The Observer The Great Godden Meg Rosoff 4.3 out of 5 3 reviews "...a joyful, generous read" The Daily Telegraph The Good Sharps Hester Grant 4.1 out of 5 4 reviews "...Only narrative histories such as this, which interweave biography with a broader history, can fully express such lives." The Sunday Times The Crown in Crisis Alexander Larman 3.9 out of 5 3 reviews "...Larman shows a delicate touch" The Guardian The History of Magic Chris Gosden 3.9 out of 5 4 reviews "...Yoga, horoscopes and LSD – how magic survived the Enlightenment and thrives today" The Daily Telegraph Most Reviewed Rodham Curtis Sittenfeld 3.2 out of 5 15 reviews "...An entertaining novel that reimagines the life of Hillary Rodham, without marriage to Bill Clinton" Financial Times The Vanishing Half Brit Bennett 4.4 out of 5 13 reviews "...Intimate and expansive, gripping and carefully crafted" Irish Times Utopia Avenue David Mitchell 3.1 out of 5 11 reviews "...David Mitchell’s superb eighth novel" Literary Review The Motion of the Body Through Space Lionel Shriver 3 out of 5 11 reviews "...Few novelists now raise a laugh. Shriver does so time and again." The Scotsman Miss Aluminium Susanna Moore 4 out of 5 10 reviews "...it’s hard to beat Susanna Moore’s Miss Aluminium" Vogue The Mystery of Charles Dickens A. N. Wilson (Author) 3.9 out of 5 11 reviews "...Wilson focuses on the contradictory nature of Dickens’s character" Irish Times Small Pleasures Clare Chambers 4.3 out of 5 8 reviews "...an absorbing mystery and a tender love story" The Bookseller Writers & Lovers Lily King 3.8 out of 5 8 reviews "...a rarity in American fiction" Times Literary Supplement Online Book Events from BookGig At Home with Lemn Sissay Tuesday 28th July, 2020 @ 7:30 pm Meet the Author: Simon Mayo Wednesday 29th July, 2020 @ 8:00 pm At Home With Jo Jo Moyes Wednesday 29th July, 2020 @ 7:30 pm Julia Johnson at Lockdown LitFest Friday 31st July, 2020 @ 3:00 pm © 2020 Bookseller Media Ltd.

Featuring new book reviews for Eley Williams' The Liar's Dictionary, Sophie Heawood's The Hungover Games and Chris Frantz's Remain in Love Home | Fiction | Non-Fiction | Children's | Genres | Publications | Prizes The Week in Review 20th July 2020 Reviews for Eley Williams' The Liar's Dictionary hail the book "glorious", "twisty" and "inventive" Good morning Karen, Eley Williams' The Liar's Dictionary was the definition of positivity for book reviewers. In the Observer, Anthony Cummins called this a "glorious novel — a perfectly crafted investigation of our ability to define words and their power to define us." In the Sunday Telegraph, Cal Revely-Calder had high praise for the novel, calling it a "twisty exploration of one of life's greatest mysteries: love". Over in the Spectator, Stuart Kelly thought the novel was "inventive" and a "delight". Finally, in the Literary Review, Jay Gilbert said: "It is the connection between Mallory and Winceworth, as we watch each struggle with love, life and speaking their mind, that makes the book so delightful." Sophie Heawood's The Hungover Games bumped it's way into this weekend's reviews. The title was and Editor's choice for The Bookseller's Caroline Sanderson, who said, "I adored this debut memoir about a voyage into single-motherhood." Sanderson added, "Her account of what happens next is freewheeling, hugely funny and genuinely soul-mining." In the Times, Alice-Azania Jarvis called the book "a charming, diverting, indie flick of a memoir." Adding that the memoir is "a joy to gulp down in the garden on a sunny afternoon." Over in the Evening Standard, Susannah Butter called the title "honest, moving and funny".  Chris Frantz's Remain in Love burnt down the house in this weekend's reviews. In the Sunday Times, Victoria Segal praised the author: "Frantz has done an effective job of rebalancing the Talking Heads story, offering an angle on the band that fans will relish." She added, "Frantz writes in thumping four-to-the-floor prose that often reads like an annotated tour diary." In the Guardian, Olivia Laing called the biography a "revealing inside account of the highs and lows of a band." Over in the Observer, Andrew Martin added: "That Frantz remained star-struck is one of his many winning qualities, and I commend Remain in Love to discerning rock fans everywhere." By Tamsin Hackett, Books Co-ordinator, The Bookseller Book of the Week The Liar's Dictionary Eley Williams 4.43 out of 5 | 4 reviews "(an) inventive novel full of hidden jokes" The Spectator "a glorious novel – a perfectly crafted investigation of our ability to define words and their power to define us." The Observer "(a) twisty exploration of one of life's greatest mysteries: love" The Sunday Telegraph "it is the connection between Mallory and Winceworth, as we watch each struggle with love, life and speaking their mind, that makes the book so delightful" Literary Review Latest Reviews Modern Times Cathy Sweeney TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...Modern Times announces the arrival of an unforgettable new voice in Irish fiction." The Observer The Wondrous and Tragic Life of Ivan and Ivana Maryse Conde, Richard Philcox 4.2 out of 5 3 reviews "...The Wondrous and Tragic Life of Ivan and Ivana is a rollicking, rumbustious and slyly mischievous Candide for our times" The Guardian Why We Drive Matthew Crawford 4 out of 5 5 reviews "...... (a) thought-provoking, full-throttle inquiry" The Observer The Room Where it Happened John Bolton 2.8 out of 5 7 reviews "...Even Trump haters might be surprised by the President portrayed in his former National Security Advisor's warts-and-all memoir" The Daily Telegraph Rodham Curtis Sittenfeld 3.2 out of 5 15 reviews "...'a stunning achievement'" The Bookseller Remain in Love Chris Frantz 3.8 out of 5 3 reviews "...I commend Remain in Love to discerning rock fans everywhere." The Observer Finders, Keepers Sabine Durrant TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...An intelligent, twisty psychological thriller." The Guardian Twilight of Democracy Anne Applebaum 3.4 out of 5 3 reviews "...takes aim at political elites who have succumbed to the lure of populism" The Sunday Times The Good Sharps Hester Grant TBC out of 5 1 reviews "...Only narrative histories such as this, which interweave biography with a broader history, can fully express such lives." The Sunday Times Three Women Lisa Taddeo 4.1 out of 5 15 reviews "...one of the most exciting debuts I’ve read in years" The Sunday Times Beethoven Laura Tunbridge 4.3 out of 5 6 reviews "... The author lets the music do the talking in this pithy new biography" The Observer The Unadoptables Hana Tooke, Ayesha L. Rubio TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...There are hints of the supernatural, coincidences, gothic touches, adults who may or may not be trusted, memorable settings including a windmill with a theatre attached, and finally a heartwarming ending" The Sunday Times Paperback Book of the Month Rewild Yourself by Simon Barnes A collection of 23 ways to bring nature closer to home. Barnes draws back the cloak on the wildlife hiding in our vicinity, in a way that makes it feel possible for all of us to spot and appreciate it.  Best Reviewed British Summer Time Begins Ysenda Maxtone Graham 4.5 out of 5 4 reviews "...Evocative memories of roaming out of parental reach" The Guardian The Liar's Dictionary Eley Williams 4.4 out of 5 4 reviews "...a glorious novel – a perfectly crafted investigation of our ability to define words and their power to define us." The Observer The Biggest Bluff Maria Konnikova 4.4 out of 5 3 reviews "...The Biggest Bluff is a brilliant book mostly because Konnikova is a brilliant writer, but also because she is a brilliant observer of the weird world she has immersed herself into. " The Daily Telegraph A Double Life Charlotte Philby 4.4 out of 5 3 reviews "...A new star has arrived in the thriller firmament" The Times Beethoven Laura Tunbridge 4.3 out of 5 6 reviews "... The author lets the music do the talking in this pithy new biography" The Observer The Great Godden Meg Rosoff 4.3 out of 5 3 reviews "...a joyful, generous read" The Daily Telegraph Prisoners of History Keith Lowe 4 out of 5 4 reviews "...Lowe ends with a warning against tearing any of them down. Doing that simply drives history underground" The Times The Fragments of my Father Sam Mills 4 out of 5 3 reviews "...alluring part memoir, part literary biography" The Bookseller Most Reviewed Rodham Curtis Sittenfeld 3.2 out of 5 15 reviews "...'a stunning achievement'" The Bookseller The Vanishing Half Brit Bennett 4.4 out of 5 13 reviews "...Dramatically exposes the emotional stakes of identity" Vanity Fair Pew Catherine Lacey 3.7 out of 5 11 reviews "...this sumptuously dark novel has spiritual weight" The Sunday Telegraph The Motion of the Body Through Space Lionel Shriver 3 out of 5 11 reviews "...a pinpoint-sharp novel" Woman & Home Utopia Avenue David Mitchell 3 out of 5 10 reviews "...This vibrant tale, set in the world of 1960s rock music, is a triumph" The Sunday Times The Mystery of Charles Dickens A. N. Wilson (Author) 3.9 out of 5 10 reviews "...Wilson’s book is a brilliant denunciation of the sickness of Victorian England" The Times Miss Aluminium Susanna Moore 4 out of 5 10 reviews "...The descriptive writing is a joy" The Sunday Times Writers & Lovers Lily King 3.8 out of 5 8 reviews "...This charming story about a struggling author and her three suitors feels tailor‑made for our troubled times" The Sunday Times Online Book Events from BookGig Festival of Ideas Online: Jenny Kleeman Monday 20th July, 2020 @ 2:00 pm Emma Gannon and Dawn O'Porter launch Olive! Wednesday 22nd July, 2020 @ 7:00 pm Afternoon Tea with Rachel Joyce Thursday 23rd July, 2020 @ 4:00 pm Book Launch: Zana Fraillon's The Lost Soul Atlas Thursday 23rd July, 2020 @ 6:00 pm © 2020 Bookseller Media Ltd.

Featuring new book reviews for David Mitchell's Utopia Avenue, Ysenda Maxtone Graham's British Summer Time Begins and Keith Lowe's Prisoners of History Home | Fiction | Non-Fiction | Children's | Genres | Publications | Prizes The Week in Review 16th July 2020 Book reviews for David Mitchell's Utopia Avenue hail the book "supremely readable" and "exhilarating" Good morning Karen, David Mitchell's Utopia Avenue was music to reviewer's ears this weekend. In the Guardian, Sarah Perry called it a "supremely readable" novel which portrays the sixties with "gleeful energy". In the Sunday Times, Peter Kemp called the novel a "stand-out triumph", he said: "What makes it a stand-out triumph is the vibrant flair with which it recreates an era". James Walton in the Spectator said: "This exhilarating portrait of youth, optimism and music in an unforgettable decade shows Mitchell back at his best". Ysenda Maxtone Graham's British Summer Time Begins had reviewers feeling nostalgic this week. The Guardian's PD Smith gave the book a glowing review: "It’s a wonderfully evocative and unashamedly nostalgic account of how our childhood minds were formed." In the Times, Melanie Reid said "This is a joyous book, one to make you smile in recognition, yearn to talk to your best pals from the time and wish to record your own memories." In the Observer, Laura Cumming raved that "Graham eloquently captures the quirky nature of the bygone British summer break." Keith Lowe's very timely Prisoners of History also locked in some good reviews. In the Sunday Times Max Hastings commented: "Lowe’s sensitive, disturbing book should be compulsory reading for both statue builders and statue topplers." Geoffrey Roberts called the book a "compelling and fascinating read," in the Irish Times. Over in the Spectator, Clare Mulley was also impressed: "this is some of the most thought-provoking writing about the second world war that I have read for a long while."  By Tamsin Hackett, Books Co-ordinator, The Bookseller Book of the Week Utopia Avenue David Mitchell 3.14 out of 5 | 6 reviews "any poetry or tension is drowned by the excess of detail" The Times "Those expecting narrative pyrotechnics to match the phantasmagorical times will be disappointed" Financial Times "This vibrant tale, set in the world of 1960s rock music, is a triumph" The Sunday Times "This portrait of a 60s band on the rise conveys the spirit of the age with gleeful energy" The Guardian Latest Reviews Too Much and Never Enough Mary L. Trump, Ph.D. 3.5 out of 5 5 reviews "...a ghastly tale laden with profound dynastic anguish: something like Succession crossed with Bleak House" The Sunday Times The Wondrous and Tragic Life of Ivan and Ivana Maryse Conde, Richard Philcox TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...The Wondrous and Tragic Life of Ivan and Ivana is a rollicking, rumbustious and slyly mischievous Candide for our times" The Guardian The Number Bias Sanne Blauw TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...Maths is a language, but even if you are fluent, it’s easy to misunderstand someone when they speak it" The Times The Liar's Dictionary Eley Williams TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...a glorious novel – a perfectly crafted investigation of our ability to define words and their power to define us." The Observer Michael Tippett: The Biography Oliver Soden 4.1 out of 5 6 reviews "...(a) searching and beautifully written biography" The Daily Telegraph Pilgrims Matthew Kneale 3.8 out of 5 7 reviews "...Hovering over Pilgrims is the genially ironic spirit of The Canterbury Tales" The Sunday Times Smells: A Cultural History of Odours in Early Modern Times Robert Muchembled, Susan Pickford TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...(a) lively account " London Review of Books Victory in the Kitchen Annie Gray 3.5 out of 5 6 reviews "...it’s fortunate that she has fallen into the sympathetic hands of Annie Gray" London Review of Books Pew Catherine Lacey 3.7 out of 5 11 reviews "...this sumptuously dark novel has spiritual weight" The Sunday Telegraph The Economics of Belonging Martin Sandbu TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...Martin Sandbu’s prospectus is a radical plan, but where is the radical who will do it?" Financial Times Prisoners of History Keith Lowe 4 out of 5 4 reviews "...Lowe ends with a warning against tearing any of them down. Doing that simply drives history underground" The Times Monsieur Roscoe on Holiday Jim Field TBC out of 5 2 reviews "...The book is rewarding to pore over" The Sunday Times Children's Book of the Month Harrow Lake Kat Ellis Lola Nox is the daughter of a celebrated horror film-maker. When her father is brutally attacked, she's packed off to live with her estranged grandmother in the small town of Harrow Lake. The town is famous as the location of her father's most iconic movie, and the locals remain weirdly obsessed with this heritage. Best Reviewed Beethoven Laura Tunbridge 4.5 out of 5 4 reviews "... The author lets the music do the talking in this pithy new biography" The Observer The Biggest Bluff Maria Konnikova 4.4 out of 5 3 reviews "...The Biggest Bluff is a brilliant book mostly because Konnikova is a brilliant writer, but also because she is a brilliant observer of the weird world she has immersed herself into. " The Daily Telegraph British Summer Time Begins Ysenda Maxtone Graham 4.4 out of 5 3 reviews "...Evocative memories of roaming out of parental reach" The Guardian Small Pleasures Clare Chambers 4.3 out of 5 6 reviews "...an absorbing mystery and a tender love story" The Bookseller The Great Godden Meg Rosoff 4.3 out of 5 3 reviews "...a joyful, generous read" The Daily Telegraph The Wild Laughter Caoilinn Hughes 4.2 out of 5 3 reviews "...an exhilarating and moving story of an Ireland in disarray" Irish Times The Hungover Games Sophie Heawood 4 out of 5 3 reviews "...Honest, moving and funny" Evening Standard Prisoners of History Keith Lowe 4 out of 5 4 reviews "...Lowe ends with a warning against tearing any of them down. Doing that simply drives history underground" The Times Most Reviewed The Vanishing Half Brit Bennett 4.4 out of 5 11 reviews "...Fascinating, and beautifully written" The Bookseller Rodham Curtis Sittenfeld 3.3 out of 5 14 reviews "...An entertaining novel that reimagines the life of Hillary Rodham, without marriage to Bill Clinton" Financial Times The Motion of the Body Through Space Lionel Shriver 3 out of 5 11 reviews "...a pinpoint-sharp novel" Woman & Home Humankind Rutger Bregman 3.8 out of 5 10 reviews "...it’d be no surprise if it proved to be the Sapiens of 2020" The Guardian The Mystery of Charles Dickens A. N. Wilson (Author) 3.9 out of 5 10 reviews "...A.N Wilson brilliantly probes and teases out in these seven 'mysteries' of Dickens" Daily Mail Pew Catherine Lacey 3.7 out of 5 11 reviews "...this sumptuously dark novel has spiritual weight" The Sunday Telegraph Miss Aluminium Susanna Moore 4 out of 5 9 reviews "...The novelist’s gossipy and glamorous account of her time in Sixties Hollywood is also disarmingly candid" The Times Writers & Lovers Lily King 3.8 out of 5 8 reviews "...Infused with tenderness and wry wit in equal measure, Writers & Lovers is King’s best book yet" Irish Times Online Book Events from BookGig Book Club with Jeanette Winterson Thursday 16th July, 2020 @ 7:00 pm The Bookseller Webinar Programme: The Global Influence of the Arabian Nights Thursday 16th July, 2020 @ 4:00 pm David Mitchell in conversation with Jon Savage Thursday 16th July, 2020 @ 7:30 pm Meet the Author: Natalie Haynes Thursday 16th July, 2020 @ 8:00 pm To unsubscribe from Books in the Media emails, click here To change your other preferences, click here. 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