Welcome to a new feature called Helena's Best Reads. Once per month, I'm going to introduce you to a book that I particularly loved. It could be a novel, a non-fiction book, or even a poetry collection that I just could not put down. This month, my best read is The Other Us by Fiona … [Read more...]
Five Warming Winter Reads
When the weather gets cold outside, I go all Nordic and get a bit of 'hygge' going, and settle down on the sofa with a good book. These are my current favourite reads to warm up this winter. When looking for a good book to engage me for a longer period, I usually want the novel to take me … [Read more...]
Modern Lovers by Emma Straub – Book Review
I bought Modern Lovers by Emma Straub because I'd read and thoroughly enjoyed The Vacationers by the same author. Moden Lovers is set in Brooklyn, NY and tells the story of two families. Elizabeth is a local realtor, married to a boy she met at college, Andrew. They now have a 17-year-old son, kind … [Read more...]
Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty
Australian author Liane Moriarty’s seventh novel, Truly Madly Guilty, follows a set of friends in Sydney’s quiet and wholesome suburbia, in very much the same vein as her previous books. Her characters are, however, anything but innocent or sedentary. They are all deliciously flawed, selfish but … [Read more...]
Do you like literary festivals?
I'm delighted to be able to tell you that there is a literary festival happening here in London next month. If you like discovering new authors and listening to book talk, you should come to the Triskele Lit Fest in London on 17th September. As luck would have it, I will also be there, displaying … [Read more...]
Why should you write a book review?
Readers often ask me why they should write a book review, and why reviews are so invaluable for writers. So I thought I'd explain why, if you love a book, you should write a review. Find a New Author Firstly, and most importantly, a good number of book reviews encourage readers to find a new … [Read more...]
My Summer Reads
As you know if you read my (bit of a cheat) mid-holiday post from Provence, I have been on a self-imposed internet detox for the past two weeks. Contrary to my fears, the world hasn't forgotten about me (hurrah), and my books sales didn't completely collapse during the break either. So, what did I … [Read more...]
Book Review: The House of Fame by Oliver Harris
I've loved the North London police dramas written by Oliver Harris for a while, mainly because they are well-written, fast-paced, and star a hard-nosed, but fair-minded and gentle-hearted police detective, Nick Belsey. This third instalment in the Belsey crime thriller series sees our police … [Read more...]
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
My heart sank when I opened 'My Brilliant Friend' and saw the 'Index of characters'. I'd really been looking forward to reading this book, especially as I knew it was the first part in a series set in Italy – and had been written by a woman. All details that attracted me to 'My Brilliant Friend.' … [Read more...]
5 Questions for Crime Writer JJ Marsh
I've been a fan of Beatrice Stubbs, the female sleuth of murder mystery novels by JJ Marsh, for a long while now. When the latest book, Human Rites, (number 5 in the series) came out before Christmas, I again consumed the novel within a week. I've written several reviews of the novels in the series … [Read more...]