New releases this week include a historical non-fiction book that gets a perfect score…
Fiction
1. Green Dot by Madeleine Gray is published in hardback by W&N on February 1st
🟢 GREEN DOT by @gray_madeleine_ (out 2/27) is the 20 something’s novel you need! Author @caitlinmoran says, “I wolfed GREEN DOT down over two nights…Every sentence sparkles.” Preorder this anti-corporate, office love affair novel now: https://t.co/jsR8F10zU9 pic.twitter.com/cmbsExZ2xZ
— Henry Holt & Company (@HenryHolt) January 18, 2024
Australian writer Madeleine Gray’s impressive debut novel, Green Dot, plunges us headlong into the restless existence of twenty-something slacker Hera. An academic high-achiever with solid friendships but still directionless, Hera is drifting through life until, forced to make a living, she lands a job as an online community moderator at a Sydney news outlet. Here she meets older journalist, Arthur, with whom she begins an ill-advised but all-consuming affair. As the story unfolds, what begins as a laugh-out-loud observation of office politics, full of sharply penned scenes that fans of Fleabag will love, slowly gives way to a deeply poignant and at times, heartbreakingly detailed, journey of messy self-discovery. In Green Dot there are no outright villains, nor is anyone 100% angelic – and it’s that skill in layered characterisation that will have you riveted until the final page.
8/10
(Review by Amanda Willard)
2. My Friends by Hisham Matar is published in hardback by Viking. Available now
'The question is, my boy – and it has always been the most important question – how to escape the demands of unreasonable men.’
MY FRIENDS, by Booker shortlisted, Pulitzer prize-winning author Hisham Matar, is out now. pic.twitter.com/LP5MKKO0tO— Viking Books UK (@VikingBooksUK) January 17, 2024
Love, friendship and longing. They’re the three themes you’ll come across in Hisham Matar’s My Friends, a story about friends living in political exile. Readers are introduced to Khaled Abd al Hady, a literature student who, when visiting London, attends an anti-government demonstration in front of the Libyan embassy. The spur-of-the-moment decision is one that impacts the rest of his life, leaving him, and two others, longing for their beloved country. My Friends isn’t just a story about political exile – it’s about the country that defines us and the actions we would take to protect our beloved home.
8/10
(Review by Maryam Munir)
3. The Fury by Alex Michaelides is published in hardback by Michael Joseph. Available February 1st
Former film star Lana Farrar invites a small group of friends to a private Greek island – as you do – to relax in the sun, reconnect and be wined and dined. But the holiday is anything but relaxing, quickly turning from a happy get-together to a gripping murder mystery. Winds batter the island, leaving the group stranded, arguing with each other and then caught up in a terrifying search for the murderer. The plot thickens as the increasingly desperate search is hampered by shocking secrets revealed by Lana’s friends. The book is narrated by Elliot Chase, who is both charming and evil, with a cunning plan to split Lana from her husband and marry her. The Fury is surely set to follow suit of Michaelides’s first book, The Silent Patient, and become a bestseller.
8/10
(Review by Alan Jones)
Non-fiction
4. Lovers In Auschwitz: A True Story by Keren Blankfeld is published in hardback by WH Allen. Available now
I'm thrilled to share the cover for my book, LOVERS IN AUSCHWITZ, releasing January of 2024 from @LittleBrown !
Stunning jacket design by the talented Lucy Kim @lucykimdesign.#coverreveal #bookjacket #bookdesign #LoversInAuschwitz #nonfiction pic.twitter.com/ppS9pTbFg2— Keren Blankfeld Taqqu (@kblankfeld) June 6, 2023
In this poignant and moving true story, the lives of two Holocaust survivors, Zippi Spitzer and David Wisnia, unfold against the backdrop of Auschwitz, one of the most notorious death camps in history. The narrative guides us from the circumstances that led them to Auschwitz to the daily struggles for survival, culminating in a remarkable reunion over 70 years later. This compelling tale of love and sacrifice is presented with great sensitivity, offering readers a genuine glimpse into the atrocities committed at Auschwitz. The resilience and strength of character required to endure the war, with all its profound experiences and losses, are vividly portrayed. Amidst the darkness, the story beautifully reveals not only how love can emerge, but what individuals were prepared to do to save others, defying the odds and prevailing over the darkest of times. An absolute must-read.
10/10
(Review by Jacqueline Ling)
Children’s book of the week
5. There’s A Tiger On The Train by Mariesa Dulak, illustrated by Rebecca Cobb, is published in paperback by Faber & Faber. Available February 1st
"An absolute must have for classrooms and libraries."
With a message for children & parents alike, our #BookOfTheDay is the delightful #picturebook, There's a Tiger on the Train by @mariesadulak, illus. by @rebecca_cobb. 🐯
Learn more: https://t.co/bDVk6HC3k1 @FaberChildrens pic.twitter.com/eQEcnXpq4Z— ReadingZone.com (@readingzone) January 29, 2024
There’s A Tiger On The Train is a captivating children’s story about a boy and his dad taking a trip on a train for a seaside outing. The story follows a lovely cadence of rhyming couplets, with a three-year-old able to jump in to fill in the gaps and be part of reading the book. While there is the anticipation of reaching the beach, the adventure turns out to be the train ride itself – with a whole host of different animals joining as fellow passengers. Quite the commotion unfolds, which is brought to life with great illustrations. Will the little boy’s father look up from his phone to see the crazy scenes?
8/10
(Review by Lauren Westmoreland)
BOOK CHARTS FOR THE WEEK ENDING JANUARY 27th
HARDBACK (FICTION)
1. The City Of Stardust by Georgia Summers
2. Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros
3. Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
4. The Beholders by Hester Musson
5. The Last Devil To Die by Richard Osman
6. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
7. The Secret by Lee Child & Andrew Child
8. Prophet Song by Paul Lynch
9. The Atlas Complex by Olivie Blake
10. Murder On Lake Garda by Tom Hindle
(Compiled by Waterstones)
HARDBACK (NON-FICTION)
1. Charles III by Robert Hardman
2. Bored Of Lunch Healthy Slow Cooker: Even Easier by Nathan Anthony
3. Empireworld by Sathnam Sanghera
4. The Seven Wonders Of The Ancient World by Bettany Hughes
5. Politics On The Edge by Rory Stewart
6. The Traitors: The Interactive Game Book by Alan Connor
7. Deliciously Ella Healthy Made Simple by Ella Mills (Woodward)
8. How They Broke Britain by James O’Brien
9. Pinch Of Nom Express by Kay Allinson & Kate Allinson
10. Unruly by David Mitchell
(Compiled by Waterstones)
AUDIOBOOKS (FICTION AND NON-FICTION)
1. Atomic Habits by James Clear
2. The End And The Death: Volume III by Dan Abnett
3. Unruly by David Mitchell
4. None Of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
5. The Diary Of A CEO by Steven Bartlett
6. Ultra-Processed People by Chris van Tulleken
7. The Queen Of Poisons by Robert Thorogood
8. How They Broke Britain by James O’Brien
9. The Fellowship Of The Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien
10. Gotta Get Theroux This by Louis Theroux
(Compiled by Audible)
